Kettlebell Iron Cardio
- Thread starter BJJ Shawn
- Start date
paules
Level 6 Valued Member
I use DBs for Iron Cardio from time to time and they work great. I also use sandbags. I prefer KBs but they are all variations of the same theme. One of the reasons I love IC is its flexibility e.g. two of my favourite sequences are chins x 2, dips x 2, TBDL x 1 and sandbag clean, squat, shoulder. There are many options within the guardrails of the IC template.
justinr
Level 5 Valued Member
I have because my clean and snatch with a kettlebell is trash
The squat hits a little different though. Kettlebell rack squat is more challenging than dumbbell rack squat. So I tend to use a lunge instead.justinr
Level 5 Valued Member
In my prior answer I totally forgot to answer “What were your results?”. Mea Culpa.
I do Iron Cardio more for cardio than strength gains. I like riding my spin bike (it’s how I catch up on podcasts), but IC is a great change of pace and probably more useful total body cardio than my spin bike’s mostly heart cardio. I do enjoy getting the additional volume of overhead pressing (because to press a lot you have to press a lot), but I’m not using it to up my 1RM.
So am I more conditioned? I wish I had a binary answer for you, but I don’t. I do a lot of Z2 and harder conditioning work*. So it is hard for me to see differences on a week to week or even month to month basis. A win for me is when I can do the CrossFit Grace WOD (30 clean&jerks and one of my conditioning tests) faster with a lower heart rate. But I’ve not made any progress on that in months. I’ve not gone backward. But I’ve not moved forward either. I’m maintaining my conditioning.
* - as I’ve gotten older, I can’t push as heavy as I used to on the barbell. So my focus has switched to pushing heavy-ish weigh many, many times over. I’m working on 50 reps of a squatting body weight (for me - 215 pounds on the bar) without a break. No rest pause. I can do 50 with several rest pauses. But I want one continuous set. More about the breathing and recovering during the set at this point.
Red_and_Black
Level 6 Valued Member
Starting a new 4 week block of IC next week. Plan is 3 sessions a week (Mon, Thurs and Sat) with runs on Tues and Fri (to and from work).
I'll be doing 40 minute sessions:
A) Clean, press, squat, snatch @ single 24kg.
B) Clean, press, squat, pull-up @ double 20kg.
C) Clean, press, squat, snatch @ single 24kg, travelling 2s.
Roughly translates as a light, medium and heavy day, and I will try to work towards 80 reps, so one every 30 seconds.
Really looking forward to it!
I'll be doing 40 minute sessions:
A) Clean, press, squat, snatch @ single 24kg.
B) Clean, press, squat, pull-up @ double 20kg.
C) Clean, press, squat, snatch @ single 24kg, travelling 2s.
Roughly translates as a light, medium and heavy day, and I will try to work towards 80 reps, so one every 30 seconds.
Really looking forward to it!
Grevlingfot
Level 2 Valued Member
Ready to change up as well. Going for doubles for a period.
IC: A (easy) Double 24kg - clean + 2x press + 1 FSQ
AxE: 32kg 1h swing x 6 + 1 ring dips
IC: B (medium) Double 24kg - clean + 3x press + 1 FSQ
AxE: 32kg 1h swing x 6 + 1 ring dips
IC: A (Hard) Double 28kg - clean + 1x press + 1 FSQ
AxE: 32kg 1h swing x 6 + 1 ring dips
Alternate IC and AxE every other day.
How long the sessions will be depends on how I feel.
Warm up: Dead bugs, bear walk and dead hang
Finisher IC days: 3x10 leg raise
Finisher Axe days: 3x10 pull-ups
IC: A (easy) Double 24kg - clean + 2x press + 1 FSQ
AxE: 32kg 1h swing x 6 + 1 ring dips
IC: B (medium) Double 24kg - clean + 3x press + 1 FSQ
AxE: 32kg 1h swing x 6 + 1 ring dips
IC: A (Hard) Double 28kg - clean + 1x press + 1 FSQ
AxE: 32kg 1h swing x 6 + 1 ring dips
Alternate IC and AxE every other day.
How long the sessions will be depends on how I feel.
Warm up: Dead bugs, bear walk and dead hang
Finisher IC days: 3x10 leg raise
Finisher Axe days: 3x10 pull-ups
Last edited:
jtsang
Level 7 Valued Member
Just checking in.
Has been about 4 weeks since I started running the IC program.
I have been training 2-3 sessions weekly, 20m duration, alternating between classic and +snatch.
I started with the 24kg but am testing a move up to the 28kg. I was able to complete +40 sets with classic and +30 sets with +snatch so I felt it would be okay to bump up the weight.
Everything feels good. I have a jiu jitsu match this weekend so it will be a nice test for me.
Check in again in a few weeks.
Has been about 4 weeks since I started running the IC program.
I have been training 2-3 sessions weekly, 20m duration, alternating between classic and +snatch.
I started with the 24kg but am testing a move up to the 28kg. I was able to complete +40 sets with classic and +30 sets with +snatch so I felt it would be okay to bump up the weight.
Everything feels good. I have a jiu jitsu match this weekend so it will be a nice test for me.
Check in again in a few weeks.
Xene
Level 6 Valued Member
Keep us posted if you feel some differences in your BJJ game!
Brett Jones
StrongFirst Director of Education
Master Certified Instructor
Elite Certified Instructor
Beast Tamer
As you start to incorporate the 28kg use an alternating weight strategy initially.
24kg R 24kg L 28kg R 28kg L and so on instead of jumping up to the 28kg
After a session or so try the Travel 2's with alternating weights
Then go to an all 28kg session
JMO YMMV
jtsang
Level 7 Valued Member
jtsang
Level 7 Valued Member
Lost my match by an advantage to a veteran black.
Gas tank and strength felt very reliable though.
Iron Cardio works.
Brett Jones
StrongFirst Director of Education
Master Certified Instructor
Elite Certified Instructor
Beast Tamer
LoneRider
Level 6 Valued Member
Nice, man!
With both AXE and Iron Cardio I'm finding there's a pretty neat gas tank on the mats and in MMA related pursuits of late.
Xene
Level 6 Valued Member
Hello,
A quick feedback (a few months after a previous message about the possibility of mixing IC and Q&D) and a new question...
I tried mixing IC and Q&D. Overall, it was too taxing for me to do that. I opted for a mix of IC and A+A snatch (twice a week for each), which allowed me to build a good foundation before peaking to revalidate SFG2 at the end of November, and it turned out to be a much more sustainable strategy.
My new question now...
I'm currently practicing Iron cardio 3 times per week.
The press/pull/squat periodization is a classic approach at StrongFirst (one day with "heavy" press, one day with "heavy" squat, one day with "heavy" pull). Here, "heavy" mainly refers to the volume of practice.Has anyone tried this strategy?
For example, on the heavy squat day, one might do double kettlebell IC with squat ladders (referring to my last question addressed to Brett... and indeed, after testing it, the squat volume is definitely felt!), optionally replacing the press with a long push press to emphasize the "squat" focus... naturally, the volume of pressing will be more limited.
On the heavy press day, it could be press ladders or traveling 2's with a single KB, or a format like 1 clean - 2 press - 1 squat.
On the heavy pull day, one might do IC+snatch and/or 1-3 pull-ups or renegade rows per set.
You get the idea.
The idea came to me while rereading the SFG2 manual.
The advantage I see is maximizing gains on different movement patterns. The downside might be never having a truly "light" session across the board (but also not having a "heavy" session everywhere).
Has anyone tried this before?
@Brett , what do you think about this strategy? (before you ask, I will try and report !)
A quick feedback (a few months after a previous message about the possibility of mixing IC and Q&D) and a new question...
I tried mixing IC and Q&D. Overall, it was too taxing for me to do that. I opted for a mix of IC and A+A snatch (twice a week for each), which allowed me to build a good foundation before peaking to revalidate SFG2 at the end of November, and it turned out to be a much more sustainable strategy.
My new question now...
I'm currently practicing Iron cardio 3 times per week.
The press/pull/squat periodization is a classic approach at StrongFirst (one day with "heavy" press, one day with "heavy" squat, one day with "heavy" pull). Here, "heavy" mainly refers to the volume of practice.Has anyone tried this strategy?
For example, on the heavy squat day, one might do double kettlebell IC with squat ladders (referring to my last question addressed to Brett... and indeed, after testing it, the squat volume is definitely felt!), optionally replacing the press with a long push press to emphasize the "squat" focus... naturally, the volume of pressing will be more limited.
On the heavy press day, it could be press ladders or traveling 2's with a single KB, or a format like 1 clean - 2 press - 1 squat.
On the heavy pull day, one might do IC+snatch and/or 1-3 pull-ups or renegade rows per set.
You get the idea.
The idea came to me while rereading the SFG2 manual.
The advantage I see is maximizing gains on different movement patterns. The downside might be never having a truly "light" session across the board (but also not having a "heavy" session everywhere).
Has anyone tried this before?
@Brett , what do you think about this strategy? (before you ask, I will try and report !)
getterupper
Level 3 Valued Member
I recently had a similar thought.
I want to train 3 days per week, always using doubles (personal preference). I like to use a heavy-medium-light format throughout the week, and I think of those in terms of total effort expended in the session. But my thought was that each of the three days could also focus on a different movement. I thought of the press and squat and somewhat neglected the pull... but anyway, it looked like this:
| Light Day | Medium Day | Heavy Day | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1: Acclimation | C+P+S (Classic) | Traveling Twos | Moving Target |
| Phase 2: Squat Focus | C+P+S (Classic) | C+2P+S | C+P+(1,2,3)S (squat ladders) |
| Phase 3: Press Focus | C+P+S (Classic) | C+P+2S | C+(1,2,3)P+S (press ladders) |
So you can see that the light day always serves as the reference, and it's always the classic IC session (except that I do mine with doubles). The medium day is always sets of two, and the heavy day is always ladders to three. In the first phase, you are acclimating to a new working weight without focusing on any particular movement. In the second phase, the medium day focuses on presses and the heavy day on squats. In the third phase, swap presses and squats. After Phase 3, increase the weight and return to Phase 1.
I was thinking each phase could be something like 4 weeks long and could use a 20-25-30-25 duration scheme as Geoff Neupert recommends for The Giant. (These rep schemes looks eerily similar to The Giant 3.0 anyway.)
Alternatively, in lieu of phases, a die roll could determine the focus for any given session. But, it's all theoretical for now. I hope to get started on this today...
Brett Jones
StrongFirst Director of Education
Master Certified Instructor
Elite Certified Instructor
Beast Tamer
Couple of thoughts:
the variations might "force" a rotation of the load—for example:
the load for an MP ladder might be lower than the load of the Press x 2 variation
the load of a double bell Squat focus will likely be a moderate press weight
IC + sn will likely be a moderate press load
I haven't structured IC like this but it could work.
@getterupper , thank you for this insight. Having done a fair number of sessions incorporating snatches and/or pull-ups, I'm confident that a focus pull is achievable as well. I had considered a phased structure, but today I prefer to have a 'complete' package each week. I really like the dice roll !
Thank you, @Brett Jones , for your response. I'll give this 'rotation of focus' a try, but since it's indeed quite complex due to the cumulative effects of movements (as you also pointed out in the ebook), I won't overthink it either, as I want to keep things simple and intuitive. I tend to lean more towards the 'structured / scientific' profile you described in the book... I'm trying to change (and I 've changed), by adding "a little chaos", but old habits die hard!
Thank you, @Brett Jones , for your response. I'll give this 'rotation of focus' a try, but since it's indeed quite complex due to the cumulative effects of movements (as you also pointed out in the ebook), I won't overthink it either, as I want to keep things simple and intuitive. I tend to lean more towards the 'structured / scientific' profile you described in the book... I'm trying to change (and I 've changed), by adding "a little chaos", but old habits die hard!
Red_and_Black
Level 6 Valued Member
Did what felt like a hard session today (week 3/session 2 of a 4 week/3 sessions a week plan) which was:
1 x clean, 1 x press, 1 x squat, 1 x pull-up with 2 x 20kg KBs and a complex every 40 seconds for 60 in total over 40 minutes.
Last session this week on Saturday is:
1 (travelling 2) x clean, press, squat, snatch with 1 x 24kg KB alternate sides and a complex every 40 seconds for (what I think will be as not done the maths yet) 70 in total (35 each side) over 40 minutes.
Just to add that the work for that session today was hard, but steady. It takes about 15 seconds for the complex, so that leaves 25 seconds for recovery, by which time my breathing has settled after a short walk round between reps. I finished feeling 'worked' but far from broken and actually pretty energised. If I drop the reps to every 35 seconds I expect that might change!
I do very much enjoy my IC sessions!
1 x clean, 1 x press, 1 x squat, 1 x pull-up with 2 x 20kg KBs and a complex every 40 seconds for 60 in total over 40 minutes.
Last session this week on Saturday is:
1 (travelling 2) x clean, press, squat, snatch with 1 x 24kg KB alternate sides and a complex every 40 seconds for (what I think will be as not done the maths yet) 70 in total (35 each side) over 40 minutes.
Just to add that the work for that session today was hard, but steady. It takes about 15 seconds for the complex, so that leaves 25 seconds for recovery, by which time my breathing has settled after a short walk round between reps. I finished feeling 'worked' but far from broken and actually pretty energised. If I drop the reps to every 35 seconds I expect that might change!
I do very much enjoy my IC sessions!
Last edited: