all posts post new thread

Kettlebell Daily S&S?

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

Smile-n-Nod

Level 5 Valued Member
Most weight training advice says to train muscle groups no more frequently than every 48 hours. In "Simple & Sinister", Pavel says to train S&S daily, if possible.

From a physiological perspective, what is different about S&S that allows daily training?
 
Several reasons, but I guess the most obvious one is, that you are not training to failure. Hence daily or near daily practise is possible.
 
I believe it's covered a bit in the book. The gist I recall is the loads and work:rest prescribed in the program allow for a "regenerative" style of training where the sessions charge you up / top you off, rather than burn you out. I think the quote is something along the lines of "When all days are medium, there is no need for a heavy or light day".

"Most weight training advice" is probably for bodybuilding protocol or powerlifting, which are either to failure by design (bodybuilding) or at a much higher intensity/load (powerlifting), which requires more rest. Remember that S&S is GPP, not a workout.
 
When I was doing S&S I would do it every day unless something came up. If I didn't feel 100% I would just reduce the weight. If I didn't feel 70% I would reduce the weight even more. If I felt sick or something I wouldn't even bother. I never felt burnt out, but it took a while really feel out my body to understand that if I push myself too hard one day I won't feel right the next day so it was alright to back off and return to it the next day. At no point did I ever work anything to exhaustion where I felt sore the following day.

S&S has a really interesting cumulative effect where you build up your gains from the program over several months or years vs some short period of time.
 
Follow the cues and instructions in the book carefully and that should keep you from working too hard for your current condition. If it's a challenge to repeat it the next day, after the initial startup, might need a refresher course in the methods.
 
There are several reasons for this, but the biggest to me is a philosophical reason to Pavel's way of lifting. It's "practice" rather than "training".

When you want to be good at something it must be practiced most days. If your practice begins to suffer then it's time for a break. If you aren't still feeling fresh after a practice session then you over did it in some way. Possibly too heavy a weight, too much volume, not enough rest between sets.

The Russians and the Bulgarians both used this technique for Olympic lifting. Training both the C&P and the snatch briefly each day. Sometimes a couple of times per day.

Don't confuse S&S with a bodybuilding program or any other program that promotes hypertrophy. For this rest and extra calories are king once the muscle is stimulated.

For some 6 days per week may be too much just due to lifestyle, stressors, age, or genetics. Everyone's different and you must find what works best for you.

The other thing is that S&S is suppose to be a program that you can do to improve other aspects with the minimal amount of time invested. A program that allows you to train for strength improvement while still allowing you time for practicing your chosen sport, job, or just life in general.
 
@banzaiengr

That whole post is golden--very well said. For me, mentally switching from 'workout' to 'practice' was helpful. I began kettlebell training in my late forties (52 now) , and the idea of being beat up after nearly every session was not at all attractive. Pavel's philosophy worked a lot better for me, in terms of getting me to do _something_ .
 
You are supposed to do S&S almost daily because it should not demand too much rest. I'd say 5-6x/week is optimal.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom