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Kettlebell Iron Cardio

Ir
@BJJ Shawn , I have read the opinion.
However: let's take me. I press 24 kg. And my very poor front squat was 80 for 3 reps for 5 sets across, last October. I don't know about you, but I do not see how 24 kg assymetric front squat is challenging. I have tried it.
Plus - there is such thing as prime movers. If the core gives out, and is therefor a limiting factor - we are still not sufficiently loading the legs. IMHO.
I agree that if your pressing bell is 24kg (as mine is) a single 24kg front squat is not heavy. However, IC is flexible enough to provide some options. C&P with the 24kg then a heavy goblet squat or double 24kg for the clean and FSQ with a seesaw press instead of double press. Not squat related but one of my favourite IC combinations in chins, dips and heavy trap bar deadlift. Lots of options with IC.
 
Ir

I agree that if your pressing bell is 24kg (as mine is) a single 24kg front squat is not heavy. However, IC is flexible enough to provide some options. C&P with the 24kg then a heavy goblet squat or double 24kg for the clean and FSQ with a seesaw press instead of double press. Not squat related but one of my favourite IC combinations in chins, dips and heavy trap bar deadlift. Lots of options with IC.
I agree. IC protocol is great. Double bell front squat has value. And there are ways around it.
The only thing I am trying to say: squatting with a bell you can military press is not heavy enough. We can do it for mobility, extra movement for the sake of movement - sure. But it's important to know and understand what are you doing it for.
 
I agree. IC protocol is great. Double bell front squat has value. And there are ways around it.
The only thing I am trying to say: squatting with a bell you can military press is not heavy enough. We can do it for mobility, extra movement for the sake of movement - sure. But it's important to know and understand what are you doing it for.
Disagree about the value of the single bell front squat.

Once you build to 40-60 sets with a heavier bell you won't be asking what the value is.
 
all sessions, so far, are clean press squats.
increasing density as we go, using the talk test as a guide

IRON CARDIO
total no. of setssession length (m)avg interval (s)avg 10 set split (m)avg set per min.
24205081.2
32203861.6
50404881.25
54404471.35
54303361.8
38203251.9
78403151.95



I felt the need to point how the big conditioning effect I'm experiencing.
It seems to be a good fit for me, right now.
I'm getting more sets per minute.
We'll see about next week.
Great data here—thank you.

RE: 78 sets
Where did that line up as far as load and intensity (meaning what version of IC difficulty)?
 
Great data here—thank you.

RE: 78 sets
Where did that line up as far as load and intensity (meaning what version of IC difficulty)?
If I understand your question as to IC difficulty...

All these sessions have been just 32kg bell clean press squat, only.

I haven't added any modifiers yet as far as double bell or traveling 2s or other variations.

I've just been varying the overall session length.
 
movement for the sake of movement - sure
If you are just going through the motion with a lighter weight then sure.

A lighter weight doesn't have to mean low effort.
Pause - drive out of the hole with max intent and power.

The beauty of Iron Cardio is that it is the ultimate practice. Every set allows gives you an opportunity to improve on the last.
 
The other day I did 50 sets of CN+PR+SQ+SN with a 24kg bell. It was great ! I am recovering from a shoulder injury so I can only load my presses with 24 for now, and my legs were recovering from the Pistol prep work from the day before. So I got a great workout in. It was sort of a recovery for my legs, strength work for my press, and great pattern practice for my cleans and snatches. Prior to my injury I was using the 32kg bell as my IC bell, but 24kg gave me a great workout too. It's important to understand the intent/context to know if something works or not....just my 2 cents !
 
all sessions, so far, are clean press squats.
increasing density as we go, using the talk test as a guide

IRON CARDIO
total no. of setssession length (m)avg interval (s)avg 10 set split (m)avg set per min.
24205081.2
32203861.6
50404881.25
54404471.35
54303361.8
38203251.9
78403151.95



I felt the need to point how the big conditioning effect I'm experiencing.
It seems to be a good fit for me, right now.
I'm getting more sets per minute.
We'll see about next week.
Wow .. you pushed that last workout by a decent bit. good stuff. curious how your max HR and avg. HR would've been for this workouts !!
 
Wow .. you pushed that last workout by a decent bit. good stuff. curious how your max HR and avg. HR would've been for this workouts !!
I can say that somewhere around 10 sets my heart rate levels off at around 160 BPM.

The part that I am interested in is that my heart rate is relatively steady at this elevated rate, while my breath recovery allows me to repeat within a minute, as measured by the talk test.

I almost always pause at the bottom of an exhalation and don't feel accumulating stress or urgency before breathing again, before I start the next repeat.

Meanwhile my heart rate remains relatively high between stars and stripes forever (140bpm), and barbarian horde (168bpm), and peaks out over 170 closer to 180, some times , where barbarian horde really starts to get out of the pocket; at the end of my heaviest session.

It is a strange sensation to breathe calmly while the heart is circa 168bpm. But that's how I've been feeling in the second half of these sessions. But, that's what happens before I start the next repeat. The heart is elevated, while I pause for a moment at the bottom of the breath without sensing urgency to breathe again. Very strange .

I might test this on a kettlebell mile, which I recently skipped, due to scheduling. But when I was doing them, I'd get both high heart rates and heavy breathing during a 16kg kettlebell mile, and I kinda want to see whether that's changed in the past few weeks.
 
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The only thing I am trying to say: squatting with a bell you can military press is not heavy enough. We can do it for mobility, extra movement for the sake of movement - sure. But it's important to know and understand what are you doing it for.

Is the point that it's not a max strength protocol?
 
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I can say that somewhere around 10 sets my heart rate levels off at around 160 BPM.

The part that I am interested in is that my heart rate is relatively steady at this elevated rate, while my breath recovery allows me to repeat within a minute, as measured by the talk test.

I almost always pause at the bottom of an exhalation and don't feel accumulating stress or urgency before breathing again, before I start the next repeat.

Meanwhile my heart rate remains relatively high between stars and stripes forever (140bpm), and barbarian horde (168bpm), and peaks out over 170 closer to 180, some times , where barbarian horde really starts to get out of the pocket; at the end of my heaviest session.

It is a strange sensation to breathe calmly while the heart is circa 168bpm. But that's how I've been feeling in the second half of these sessions. But, that's what happens before I start the next repeat. The heart is elevated, while I pause for a moment at the bottom of the breath without sensing urgency to breathe again. Very strange .

I might test this on a kettlebell mile, which I recently skipped, due to scheduling. But when I was doing them, I'd get both high heart rates and heavy breathing during a 16kg kettlebell mile, and I kinda want to see whether that's changed in the past few weeks.
This is great stuff but I do remember (correct me if I am wrong), IC was referring to going through the 'talk test' before progressing to next set to remain in the anti-glycolytic zone? So does this fall in the peaking zone then? Whenever I do IC, I force myself to slow down and rest until fully ready. So wondering if I need to push it a little bit !
 
Whenever I do IC, I force myself to slow down and rest until fully ready. So wondering if I need to push it a little bit !
I'd be willing to bet some waviness would be good here. I'll probably find reasons to back off for a while. And you'll probably find some benefit from leaning in a couple times a month.
 
After a first week playing about a bit I've settled on two workouts, alternating them and training 3 times a week. So A, B, A week one; then B, A, B second week, etc. Will be doing it as a 6 week program.

A)
Single KB, clean, press, squat & snatch at 24kg for 30 minutes.
Followed by EMOM 10 x 1H swings at 28kg for 10 minutes.

B)
Double KB, clean, press, squat & snatch at 20kg x 2 for 40 minutes.
Followed by EMOM 10 x 2H swings at 32kg for 10 minutes.

Will increase times 2 minutes after 2 at each time, works out at finishing A as 40 minutes, and B at 50 minutes at the end of the 6 weeks.

Did workout B today and managed 51 reps steady.

I'll stop adding my personal program on here after this...!

I have dropped the swings post IC session, it's too much, so now it's 3 sessions a week, week 1: A, B, A and then week 2: B, A, B of:

A) Single KB, clean, press, squat & snatch at 24kg for 30+ minutes.
B) Double KB, clean, press, squat & snatch at 20kg x 2 for 40+ minutes.

Did A today for 36 minutes, and managed 56 reps total (28 each side).
 
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Just did my first session with a 28kg bell, 20 rounds in 19:36. The 28kg is my 5rm on the press right now, I was surprised at how well it went up every time. I’ve got a hiking trip in 6 weeks, thinking 2 sessions per week of IC, but doing a ladder of squats on the second session to train the legs more alongside rucking 3 times a week. Any opinions?
 
Just did my first session with a 28kg bell, 20 rounds in 19:36. The 28kg is my 5rm on the press right now, I was surprised at how well it went up every time. I’ve got a hiking trip in 6 weeks, thinking 2 sessions per week of IC, but doing a ladder of squats on the second session to train the legs more alongside rucking 3 times a week. Any opinions?
Since you have a hiking trip coming up I might suggest adding this:
“Step Up” Your Adventure Training | StrongFirst
 
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