Kettlebell How heavy before it is unhealthy ?

[Steve Freides]

@Anders, you ask a good question. One of the training philosophies we subscribe to here at StrongFirst is that your training should give you more than it takes from you. While that doesn't mean you shouldn't push yourself hard some of the time, it means that we all need to mind the line between training and self-flagelation.

Your mention of strength training suits is also important - such training aids can lead to odd, imbalanced development which can, in turn, lead to movement problems and injury.

There is a trade-off between health and athletic performance, and pushing one's self to the absolute maximum is always going to take more than it gives. I offer my own example, having just lifted in a competition - I took a lot of time off from training before the competition, and after, and I am now feeling less than 100% because of both my fatigue from the competition and from my lack of regular training over the last 10 days or 2 weeks. Today I am going to start some easy lifting again and am looking forward to it, but this brings up another point - I purposely "detrain" from time to time in order to rest, recovery, and pave the way for more progress later on.

Hope this is helpful to you - if you follow the instructions in Simple and Sinister, you will have a sustainable training plan that gives you much more than it takes from you, and you will improve the quality of your life, even into old age, as a result.

-S-

 

[masa]

When I slipped last winter and hurt my knee, they took MRI. I thougt that during the years of squatting and huffing and puffing would have done wear and tear to the bone and cartilage. But no. Only tendon damage from that accident was found.

 

[offwidth]

To answer your question, no you won't run into those issues with kettlebell training.

Hopefully with the caveat being... with proper technique.

 

[pet']

Hello,

your training should give you more than it takes from you

I fully agree.

A while ago, I was always pushing the limits to get this famous "one rep more". Even if you can be satisfied of your performance, it is not sustainable at all on the long-term. In a few months, I was exhausted, both my body and my spirit. Then I realized that Pavel, was right : do less but better and be safe.

Now I take good care of the long-term. Even if my progression is slower, I will go further without exhaustion and injury.

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[rickyw]

He is now 63 and his one knee is hurting very much when he walks uphills and downhill. His cartilage in the hurting knee is greatly reduced. So I guess this just mean that football and running can be dangerous as well

But once again, there are plenty of people who don't play football nor run who have significant cartilage loss in the knee with knee pain at that age...so can you really blame the running and football for 100% of his knee problems? maybe the pain was brought on by his running or football, but the arthritis could very likely have been there a long time, and his pain and arthritis have nothing in common. There are many reasons for knee pain, and arthritis on an x ray can play a large part, a small part, or no part at all in that pain. It really just depends

 

[Kozushi]

The longer I haunt and abuse these forums the more sure I am of my choice to go with S&S, forever.

 

[Strong Rick]

Now I take good care of the long-term. Even if my progression is slower, I will go further without exhaustion and injury.

I really like this line.... so smart!