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Getting Stronger with just a 16kg Kettlebell

Summerhouse

Level 1 Valued Member
I think it was @brettjones who famously said that if all he had was a 16kg Kettlebell, it’s all he would need to get stronger. With good programming Im sure it is possible so I wanted to create a theoretical thread and discuss what methods and programming styles people would use to create a complete S&C schedule if all they had was a 16kg Kettlebell available. Any thoughts?
 
What do you want to strengthen? If it was me I'd be doing over speed swings, paused presses and squats, single leg deadlift and weighted pullups. Maybe "dumbbell style" dead stop snatches too

Interesting idea, be keen to see what others say
 
Well, if it was all I had, then I would probably be doing complexes with it. I would rather load up a 28 for most vacations. But if all I had was a 16 for strength work, I suppose I may try and make pressing more difficult by doing them half kneeling or amping up the tension while moving slowly. Some of my favorite double kb work is doing ladders of LCCJ or double snatches with 16's. Windmill's would be a good option. High rep snatches or snatch walking. Bottom up holds, presses, get ups. Farmer walks overhead carries. Maybe kettlebell throwing. Doing swings while standing in water was something I remember mentioned before but never tried.
 
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Summerhouse said:
I think it was @brettjones who famously said that if all he had was a 16kg Kettlebell, it’s all he would need to get stronger. With good programming Im sure it is possible so I wanted to create a theoretical thread and discuss what methods and programming styles people would use to create a complete S&C schedule if all they had was a 16kg Kettlebell available. Any thoughts?
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Complexes and BU stuff, high volume snatches, step-ups, and a strap for hanging the 16 on pull ups and dips. Pause reps, slow eccentrics, athletic drills, carry's , SLSQ,SLDL, pistols, pull-overs, deck squats, various ab stuff etc.
 
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Switch lunges

Neuperts KB Hard Complexes, but adding reps here and there.

Carries alternating between waiter and rack. It is shocking how hard rack carries are.

Get-ups on the half-minute.

Armor Building Complex on the half minute.

With rings and a strap, you could do a lot of work with dips and pullups (dont even need the strap for pullups).
 
A few ideas:
Snatches (lots)—VWC, Snatch walking, Secret Service snatch test style etc.
Get-ups—bottom-up, with presses, multiple reps each side
Goblet squat and swing ladder (ascending one—decending the other)
Windmill and half kneeling variations (including half kneeling bent press) etc.
SLDL, Pistol or Airborne Lunge.
 
Summerhouse said:
I think it was @brettjones who famously said that if all he had was a 16kg Kettlebell, it’s all he would need to get stronger. With good programming Im sure it is possible so I wanted to create a theoretical thread and discuss what methods and programming styles people would use to create a complete S&C schedule if all they had was a 16kg Kettlebell available. Any thoughts?
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Starting with 2H swings and maybe jerks, as a beginner.

Then 1H Swings, TGUs, a bit later 1H pressing.
Later snatches up to snatch walking + bottom up presses.

Maybe even throws.

Pullups with 16kg on the feet.
 
Maybe pick 5 exercises and do 5-10 reps of each for each side. Run through 2-3 times.
Eg Snatches or High Pull, Clean and Press, Lunge, Front Squat, Row
 
A general question will get general responses.
Strength is a neurological phenomenon, and that is a hard question to answer in general. And or something specific like reactive strength, tendon strength, power, power endurance, and so on and so forth, it's very specific.

If we instead look at hypertrophy, if 16kg is >30RM it is to light. If it is not, yes, your muscles will grow over time from using it.
I.e. Press it until you can't press it anymore, repeat 2 more times. Do that twice a week.
 
Joel the Savage said:
A general question will get general responses.
Strength is a neurological phenomenon, and that is a hard question to answer in general. And or something specific like reactive strength, tendon strength, power, power endurance, and so on and so forth, it's very specific.

If we instead look at hypertrophy, if 16kg is >30RM it is to light. If it is not, yes, your muscles will grow over time from using it.
I.e. Press it until you can't press it anymore, repeat 2 more times. Do that twice a week.
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And 30RM is mostly seen as absurdly light.

I don't think one 16kg will be enough to get stronger. You can take you newbie gains with it for sure. But you will reach 30RM within a few month. And even lot sooner you won't get any stronger. You will just learn the ability to press low weights more often. The Stress won't be enough to build strength. So you could press a 16kg 1000 times and won't be able to press a 32kg Bell if you don't press heavier weights.
 
Another general response. I would think that if the 16 kg bell is no longer challenging for the theoretical user in the primary movements that SF focuses on, then the goal would then need to be to add complexity to the movements. Examples of adding complexity; adding rotational elements, adding offset foot stances, "bottoms-up" movements, chaining moves together into flows, etc.
 
Kayodoubleu said:
And 30RM is mostly seen as absurdly light.

I don't think one 16kg will be enough to get stronger. You can take you newbie gains with it for sure. But you will reach 30RM within a few month. And even lot sooner you won't get any stronger. You will just learn the ability to press low weights more often. The Stress won't be enough to build strength. So you could press a 16kg 1000 times and won't be able to press a 32kg Bell if you don't press heavier weights.
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Thats not what i wrote.

For STRENGTH you have to be SPECIFIC, What kind of strength-adaptations are we asking for?

For hypertrophy it does not seem to matter, both 3 and 30 RM builds muscle over time. Heres the reading:
Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum by Brad J. Schoenfeld.

Edit: changed the wording a bit so I don't sound like a total penis
 
Surely it’s proportional to size.

I might say that about a 24 kg bell given my height / weight, but not a 16 kg.
 
Kayodoubleu said:
And 30RM is mostly seen as absurdly light.

I don't think one 16kg will be enough to get stronger. You can take you newbie gains with it for sure. But you will reach 30RM within a few month. And even lot sooner you won't get any stronger. You will just learn the ability to press low weights more often. The Stress won't be enough to build strength. So you could press a 16kg 1000 times and won't be able to press a 32kg Bell if you don't press heavier weights.
Click to expand...

Yep.

30RM is just wasting time at that point.
 
This is a great mental exercise to search what is possible and what is out there. It is also quite helpful for times when you travel, one might surprise him/herself with the need of a much lighter KB then he/she thinks he/she needs for some time.

I don’t think the intend is to claim that you can have a monstrous back squat by only doing Goblet Squats w 16 kg KB…
 
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