Kettlebell ETK Program Minimum

[User 7569]

Hello Everyone, I've been practicing the ETK Program Minimum and would like to ask some questions to the Kettlebell Community..

I can find a lot about S and S on her and I do own that book, but I much prefer the chinese wall squat and the pump to the goblet squat and the strongfirst hip bridge..

I also like the fact that swings (manmaker workout) are on different days than the TGU.. I feel so fresh for the TGU my form has never been better .

I'm sure that S and S is probably technically a more well designed program, but what can I say, the PM on ETK is much more appealing to me.

I have a few questions however:

I'm using a 35lb right now, as it is the only kettle bell I own and i am still rather new to KB training. I'm not very strong so it still seems to be the right one. I plan on getting a 44lb kettlebell within the next month or so, and would like to know how to start throwing that into the PM instead of the 35lb. I was thinking of just adding the 44lb in on days that I deem as "Heavy".

I'm not really interested in learning the snatch, clean, or press for at least the foreseeable future. Therefore I plan to forgo the "15 minute skill practice" that takes place between the end of the 10 minute warm up and the start of the actual session. Is this doing "too little" or am I going the correct route of becoming really competent in the Swing and Get Up before making any attempts at a clean?

I will again say that I'm not super interested in learning the clean, press, or snatch. I want to get really good at the TGU and the Swings, maybe even getting to a 44lb kb on some sets within the next couple months.. still not interested in S and S even though it is just basically those 2 exercises..

I also took some time to designate different days of the week as "Medium", "heavy", or "light", per the chapter where Pavel recommends cycling through intensity for greater variety/longevity. I got a little plan that revolves in a 3 week cycle, keeping 2 days off per week (tuesday and sunday) and going through a continuous cycle that follows the order of medium day, heavy day, light day. I think he was speaking more specifically about the "ROP" cycling, but his language seemed like all training benefits from this type of cycling and I would like to try it on the PM. So for example, on a "light" manmaker day I would push myself less than on a "heavy" manmaker day, whether by means of rest intervals, weight, set intensity, etc.. Is this correct, or should I just not worry about cycling because I'm on PM, and just try my best each time?

Are there any benefits to the "Chinese Wall Squat" besides increased flexibility in the lower back and hips?

I've got a crush gripper and have been GTG with that pretty much every day. Is this appropriate for the PM or will it wear into me as weight of KB increases?

How is the Program minimum different from what Pavel reccomends "Bodyweight Students" do with a kettlebell each week? In The Cost of Adaptation

I don't want to add anything to the PM itself, but if I can do some towel pull ups on the side each day I would like that, if anyone has any experience with adding those. Of course I will sacrifice those for a better TGU and do not want to mess with the "closed system" of the PM itself..

Overall I think the PM is a great fit for me, since I want to get as strong as possible while being as fresh as possible for the rest of the day... Bodyweight training was draining me pretty heavily (my fault), but the PM seems like it has more of a "safety valve" for fatigue, if that makes sense. I can't finish 5 minutes of the TGU without still feeling fresh..

I'm becoming more familiar with what they mean when they say "leave the workout feeling stronger".

 

[Chrisdavisjr]

Jak,

Having followed the PM for some time I can give you some suggestions based on what I've been doing:

• I've not been doing regular 'skill practices' as part of my PM training sessions. While I do practise my cleans, presses and snatches, I do them separately from my main sessions whenever I've got the energy and the time to spare. Following the PM without practising the other moves is enough volume to make significant improvements in your strength and health, provided that you work fairly hard during your sessions.
• I've not been cycling the weight/load and have instead been relying on 'feel' to determine how hard I should be working on a given day. Generally, I'll perform swings with a mixture of weights. I started out with just a 16kg/35lb KB and used that just for two-handed swings to start with before incorporating one-handed swings with alternating hands every other set. Gradually, this became one-handed swings alternating with two-handed swings with a 24kg/53lb KB. I've since moved up to alternating sets of one-handed swings, switching between my 24kg/53lb bell and my 32kg/70lb bell.
• While I did find that using the 24kg for swings wasn't such a big jump from the 16kg, I did struggle when it came to using the 53lb for my get-ups, so a 44lb bell would be a good option there. You can also switch between weights during a set of get-ups: Start with the 35lb for the first repetition with each arm, then do a couple with the 44lb, finishing up with the 35lb once your arms start to get tired.
• The Chinese wall squat, in addition to improving mobility in the back and hips, is a great way to reinforce the hip-hinge movement pattern and ensure that you are able to keep your shins vertical while performing KB swings. I also perform 'naked' (ie with no kettlebell) swings occasionally as part of my warm-up to make sure my hips are adequately mobilised and warmed-up before starting to swing.
• Performing other movements outside of the PM is no bad thing, as long as you're always fresh when you practise your swings and get-ups. I do gtg pull-ups on a daily basis as well as sporadically practising one-arm push ups and pistol squats as well as TRX, gymnastic rings, grip training, the list goes on. The PM is the one thing I do regularly and for me is the most important: Whatever else I do, I make sure I've left enough 'in the tank' for my swings and get-ups.
• One last bit of advice: Don't rush through the repetitions when practising your get-ups. 5 minutes is only a short window and if you were brought up on high repetition, high fatigue style training, you'll find yourself wanting to do as many reps as possible in the time. Don't! Focus on the quality of your movements and you'll get a lot more out of it. Even if you can only manage one repetition per side, if you perform the movement properly and maintain tension thoughout, you'll get a lot more out of it.

I hope that helps!

 

[malleus]

,tfp

 

[User 7569]

Jak,

Having followed the PM for some time I can give you some suggestions based on what I've been doing:

• I've not been doing regular 'skill practices' as part of my PM training sessions. While I do practise my cleans, presses and snatches, I do them separately from my main sessions whenever I've got the energy and the time to spare. Following the PM without practising the other moves is enough volume to make significant improvements in your strength and health, provided that you work fairly hard during your sessions.
• I've not been cycling the weight/load and have instead been relying on 'feel' to determine how hard I should be working on a given day. Generally, I'll perform swings with a mixture of weights. I started out with just a 16kg/35lb KB and used that just for two-handed swings to start with before incorporating one-handed swings with alternating hands every other set. Gradually, this became one-handed swings alternating with two-handed swings with a 24kg/53lb KB. I've since moved up to alternating sets of one-handed swings, switching between my 24kg/53lb bell and my 32kg/70lb bell.
• While I did find that using the 24kg for swings wasn't such a big jump from the 16kg, I did struggle when it came to using the 53lb for my get-ups, so a 44lb bell would be a good option there. You can also switch between weights during a set of get-ups: Start with the 35lb for the first repetition with each arm, then do a couple with the 44lb, finishing up with the 35lb once your arms start to get tired.
• The Chinese wall squat, in addition to improving mobility in the back and hips, is a great way to reinforce the hip-hinge movement pattern and ensure that you are able to keep your shins vertical while performing KB swings. I also perform 'naked' (ie with no kettlebell) swings occasionally as part of my warm-up to make sure my hips are adequately mobilised and warmed-up before starting to swing.
• Performing other movements outside of the PM is no bad thing, as long as you're always fresh when you practise your swings and get-ups. I do gtg pull-ups on a daily basis as well as sporadically practising one-arm push ups and pistol squats as well as TRX, gymnastic rings, grip training, the list goes on. The PM is the one thing I do regularly and for me is the most important: Whatever else I do, I make sure I've left enough 'in the tank' for my swings and get-ups.
• One last bit of advice: Don't rush through the repetitions when practising your get-ups. 5 minutes is only a short window and if you were brought up on high repetition, high fatigue style training, you'll find yourself wanting to do as many reps as possible in the time. Don't! Focus on the quality of your movements and you'll get a lot more out of it. Even if you can only manage one repetition per side, if you perform the movement properly and maintain tension thoughout, you'll get a lot more out of it.

I hope that helps!

Thank you Chris, for answering all of my questions.

I was a bit surprised that I don't often get past 2 get ups on each side, but I'll keep the faith.

 

[Chrisdavisjr]

Thank you Chris, for answering all of my questions.

I was a bit surprised that I don't often get past 2 get ups on each side, but I'll keep the faith.

Definitely! Stick with it: If you focus on the quality of the movement, the reps will take care of themselves.