I was trying to find a KB only experiment I did from 2012/13. It was the 40 Days program with just KBs. Five Days a week of One Arm Press, Pull Ups, Swings, Goblet Squats and TGUs. I was rebuilding after a total hip replacement. I was also doing Tim Anderson's Pressing Reset (6 Point Rocks, Nods, Rolls, March in Place). I kept the Press and Goblet Squats in the 15-25 range, if memory serves but it seems right, Pull Ups at a total of ten (never miss!), Swings 75-250 per workout, and, at most, 5 + 5 in the TGU. (Or just a part of them on an easy day.
I have a good selection of KBs, so I could go heavy, medium or light, just by moving my hand a few inches. I stuck the basic ideas: never miss...all quality. I came up the idea that I explained in Can You Go? from this:
I came up with an easy way to understand the number of repetitions, any motion or movement that’s repeated and counted, and how it relates to load—the amount being moved, the weight or resistance. Over the past sixty or so years, both experience and science has shown that between fifteen to twenty-five reps is about, around and close to the correct number of repetitions we need to do per exercise.
Here’s how I judge—
· If it takes one or two sets to do the fifteen to twenty-five reps, the load is light.
· If it takes three, four, five or perhaps six sets to do the fifteen to twenty-five reps, the load is just right.
· If it takes more than seven sets, the load is too heavy.
Whether your client is using a machine, a band, a kettlebell, a dumbbell or whatever, this will help you determine if the load is just right.
There are days you’ll want to go light, days you’ll want to go medium, and days you’ll want to challenge your clients with the heaviest load possible. Some experts argue that as few as a fifth of a person’s workouts need to be challenging—and, of course, there are those who tell you that if you don’t puke, you weren’t trying.
I err on the side of more easy and medium workouts, as I keep thinking that showing up for five years without missing a training day will trump the person who has a surgery or illness every other month.
So, on this 40 day attempt, I tried to find "heavy," for example. With the 36K, I can press that a bunch in ONE set. I can't do much the next. So, the reps to 25, for example in the Press might be:
11 (could do more, don't want to fail)
5
3
2
3
1
That's 25!
Most of you would be more like 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 3
The idea was not not miss, not struggle and have mastery of technique.
With Swings, you count total reps. So, with the 24k:
First set gets you to 31. Second set gets you to 52...all the way to the goal...which is whatever you decided on before the workout. Some sets are ten reps, some are fifty.
I have believed for a long time now that reps and sets are great, but they don't reflect what is really going on with KBs and the O lifts. One "bad" rep can damage you in the KB, O lift and powerlifting world, so get out the notion of magic numbers. Strive for mastery on every single rep and let quality feedback tell you when to end the set.
One other thing I tried to mixing 250 swings with the easier days in the other movements. It didn't work. Plan on like two "fuller" workouts a week, one, maybe two, on the low end and one medium. I had a few easy days that went so fast that Tiff said: "Are you going to workout now?
Just did!
Huh....that's it?
The road to strength has "Huh...that's it?" days, too.
