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Kettlebell Iron Cardio

Hi everyone, long time reader- first time poster from Australia.

The Iron Cardio program is really great and fits in well with my life as a busy dad.

Thanks Brett for the program and thanks everyone for the info here, it's helpful and this is a great community.
 
Gary Wilson said:
Thanks guys, in hindsight im Probably just not resting enough, I'll try to stop watching the clock i think
Click to expand...

When I did it I started in the habit of watching the clock (probably from other programs and wanting to 'push' myself) and having some aim in mind (a rep every 45 or 60 seconds), but after a few sessions I just ignored the timer and just went with feel. It was a much more pleasant session, and actually ended up with pretty much the same number of reps in the end.

There's also something more nebulous and hard to pin down about the mindset of the session without a timer for me; it's a more 'zen' (for want of a better word) type of feeling and enjoyable session.
 
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Gary Wilson said:
Thanks guys, in hindsight im Probably just not resting enough, I'll try to stop watching the clock i think
Click to expand...
I've been using breathing tests (Talk Test) measurements, before starting another set.

The spread on these times for each 10 set split times definitely gives me food for thought on how things are going.

You can even see an ebb and flow in some of the session lines crossing one another.
If I pushed during one part of the session, with lower times than another session - often I pay for that with a long split time thereafter.

and you also see, in general, that the times are falling, as I progress.
1681823182131.png
 
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Adachi said:
I've been using breathing tests (Talk Test) measurements, before starting another set.

The spread on these times for each 10 set split times definitely gives me food for thought on how things are going.

You can even see an ebb and flow in some of the session lines crossing one another.
If I pushed during one part of the session, with lower times than another session - often I pay for that with a long split time thereafter.
and you also see, in general, that the times are falling, as I progress.
View attachment 21100
Click to expand...
Exactly—great to see it represented in the graph.
I had this experience just the other day where I pushed a bit too hard on the first 10 sets and saw some increased time in the following 10 set times.
 
there's that step back again.

I'm sure there's an explanation for this. but about every three weeks, my recovery between sets seems to take a dive.
I'm breathing a lot, and my heart rate remains relatively low, hovering around 140 bpm or so.
Today I hit that wave again. of having to back off, and wait longer between sets.
I do schedule my set lengths regularly, but the sets are all done ad lib.
today seems to be another one of those days.



1682093206549.png

Reminds me of reading Power to the People ...
1682093624630.png
1682093731359.png

apparently, this seems to be cycling at a rate of around 10 workouts per cycle.

I just find it mildly curious that it seems to be some sort of Accidental Auto-Regulation.
 
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Adachi said:
there's that step back again.

I'm sure there's an explanation for this. but about every three weeks, my recovery between sets seems to take a dive.
I'm breathing a lot, and my heart rate remains relatively low, hovering around 140 bpm or so.
Today I hit that wave again. of having to back off, and wait longer between sets.
I do schedule my set lengths regularly, but the sets are all done ad lib.
today seems to be another one of those days.



View attachment 21146

Reminds me of reading Power to the People ...
View attachment 21147
View attachment 21148

apparently, this seems to be cycling at a rate of around 10 workouts per cycle.

I just find it mildly curious that it seems to be some sort of Accidental Auto-Regulation.
Click to expand...
Agreed.

I think I just came through a similar time frame of my times slowing down a bit but feel like I am ramping back up.
 
anyone practice a lot on bottoms up work with IC? I’ve been practicing that a lot trying to work up to the 24kg but I hurt my right shoulder (preexisting injury for years from a bicycle accident) obviously bottoms up work should be helpful but the devils in the dose i suppose. Anyone have any experience working on bottoms up IC and maybe found an appropriate volume? I was doing clean ladders with the 20kg, got up to 24 rounds paired them with TRX Is, Ts and Ys
 
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Since bottoms up work is usually regarded as as high-tension drill, I have my doubts about applying them to this style of training.

I wonder if you could supplement with low-volume bottoms up work on off days .

For my squirrelly shoulders, I've found various callisthenics to help. In fact, I'm just coming off of a shoulder injury. Since my pressing strength per arm is reduced, I'm working on double KB work.

I figure that the added emphasis on my lower body will help my upper body to normalize. My press strength is coming back. But, two sessions of IC hardly seems sufficient to fix that. I'd wager that my shoulder is also healing. Probably a "yes, and"type of thing.

Anyway, I just thought I'd mention that. It might be an alternative to BU IC, which sounds rather difficult.
 
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My HR while doing iron cardio is around 110-125bpm
Everyone talks about the talk test, etc but im way below that, does that mean im resting too long?
If i went any quicker id meet the 40 sets in 20mins (example) que to move up a bell size but i know thats only a 1rm bell at the moment
 
Adachi said:
there's that step back again.

I'm sure there's an explanation for this. but about every three weeks, my recovery between sets seems to take a dive.
I'm breathing a lot, and my heart rate remains relatively low, hovering around 140 bpm or so.
Today I hit that wave again. of having to back off, and wait longer between sets.
I do schedule my set lengths regularly, but the sets are all done ad lib.
today seems to be another one of those days.



View attachment 21146

Reminds me of reading Power to the People ...
View attachment 21147
View attachment 21148

apparently, this seems to be cycling at a rate of around 10 workouts per cycle.

I just find it mildly curious that it seems to be some sort of Accidental Auto-Regulation.
Click to expand...
That makes me think of the article "Best All-Around Training Method Ever" :
  • Every fourth week deload by going down a kettlebell size (-4kg per kettlebell for ladies, -8kg for gentlemen)—while maintaining the rest of the load parameters of the last training session (the same sets, reps, and rest periods). Explode!
I'm starting a new cycle of IC. I'll see about that, but for you @Adachi, this wave seems to hit you like clockwork, every 3 weeks. It might be worth to try a deload week.
 
lapinepa01 said:
anyone practice a lot on bottoms up work with IC? I’ve been practicing that a lot trying to work up to the 24kg but I hurt my right shoulder (preexisting injury for years from a bicycle accident) obviously bottoms up work should be helpful but the devils in the dose i suppose. Anyone have any experience working on bottoms up IC and maybe found an appropriate volume? I was doing clean ladders with the 20kg, got up to 24 rounds paired them with TRX Is, Ts and Ys
Click to expand...
Are you only using the bottom up clean? (single or double KB?)
Or are you using the bottom up clean and squat?

To work around the press you can perform two clean + one or two front squats or one clean + one squat + one swing (or clean) and this could work with traveling 2s.
(not bottom up but racked clean)
 
Gary Wilson said:
My HR while doing iron cardio is around 110-125bpm
Everyone talks about the talk test, etc but im way below that, does that mean im resting too long?
If i went any quicker id meet the 40 sets in 20mins (example) que to move up a bell size but i know thats only a 1rm bell at the moment
Click to expand...
Gary,

Your heart rate looks fine to me.

Do you have double bells?

Traveling 2s, Moving Target, Rep ladder and other variations should allow you to work with your "goldilocks" bell until you are ready to move up to your next KB.
(and you could use weight ladders to get that bell incorporated before then)
 
lapinepa01 said:
anyone practice a lot on bottoms up work with IC? I’ve been practicing that a lot trying to work up to the 24kg but I hurt my right shoulder (preexisting injury for years from a bicycle accident) obviously bottoms up work should be helpful but the devils in the dose i suppose. Anyone have any experience working on bottoms up IC and maybe found an appropriate volume? I was doing clean ladders with the 20kg, got up to 24 rounds paired them with TRX Is, Ts and Ys
Click to expand...

I've had some issues keeping my left shoulder down when pressing a single bell so my Physio wanted me to incorporate some bottoms up work.
I've done a few sessions of bottoms up IC. Single with 24kg and double with 2x16kg. Both sessions I was able to tolerate 40 sets in 20min with no DOMS or tweaks. I don't see myself going past 20min. Sessions are fun and take a lot of focus (particularly on the squat). I would start light and don't rush things. If things get sloppy the bell will let you know.. call it a day.
 
Brett Jones said:
Are you only using the bottom up clean? (single or double KB?)
Or are you using the bottom up clean and squat?

To work around the press you can perform two clean + one or two front squats or one clean + one squat + one swing (or clean) and this could work with traveling 2s.
(not bottom up but racked clean)
Click to expand...
Brett Jones said:
Are you only using the bottom up clean? (single or double KB?)
Or are you using the bottom up clean and squat?

To work around the press you can perform two clean + one or two front squats or one clean + one squat + one swing (or clean) and this could work with traveling 2s.
(not bottom up but racked clean)
Click to expand...
Hey Brett, thank you for getting back to me. It’s super nice of you to keep up with everyone on here.

Yes bottoms up clean (with rep ladder) and doing the whole sequence bottoms up with a single bell
 
Ian CL said:
I've had some issues keeping my left shoulder down when pressing a single bell so my Physio wanted me to incorporate some bottoms up work.
I've done a few sessions of bottoms up IC. Single with 24kg and double with 2x16kg. Both sessions I was able to tolerate 40 sets in 20min with no DOMS or tweaks. I don't see myself going past 20min. Sessions are fun and take a lot of focus (particularly on the squat). I would start light and don't rush things. If things get sloppy the bell will let you know.. call it a day.
Click to expand...
Yea I made the rule if I lose two out of the bottoms up position I call it, maybe drop that to 1 lol I think it was a volume thing, the pressing path can get a little funky at higher volumes
 
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