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Kettlebell Kettlebell HARD! (Geoff Neupert)

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I've run or tried to run all these workouts over the past 7 years using 45 lb. bells (shade over 20 kg) The only one I had to bail out on was the A+P. Can't finish the ballistic heavy day due to grip issues. Far and away the hardest complex in the book, and I'm not purchasing a another 16/35. I don't think I could finish Clean 'Em Up anymore. 14 presses for 5 rounds on heavy day isn't going to happen.

From my experience, some of these you can run simultaneously 6 days a week. For example, you could run Shoulder Smoker on MWF, and Oh Row You Don't, TTS. Sunday off. The timed ones: Basic, Long Haul, Oh Row 2.0 you're going to need the off days. If you run two simultaneously, and can handle it, run one program as a complex, the other as a chain. Don't run the timed programs as a chain.

Get used to being comfortable holding bells in the rack, because these can get really fatiguing, especially on the rear delts and the presses are at the end of the set.

From my notes:
Unfinishable: A + P (Yellow Bell Blues)
Nasty: The Long Haul, Up and Over (day 3), The Wolf (run it as a chain) Clean 'em Up,

Challenging : Shoulder Smoker, Basic, Clean 'Em up 2.0, Lucky 13 heavy day (med and easy are good), Oh Row 2.0 (long sets), Ballistic Beatdown, Herky Jerky as a chain, Jerk Work (short rest periods due to ladders)

Good place to start: The Olympic, Oh Row You Don't (can run heavier weight on easy and medium), You Don't Know Squat (do this before the Wolf to get your legs ready. The Universe (do before Ballistic Beatdown)

Sir Snatch a lot is okay, just make sure you're good with double snatches. Upper Back Attack, I'm not a fan of double high pulls at all, but a decent program.

More Core is a throwaway for me.

My two favorite are the last two with the jerks. They look innocent but really pack a punch. Herky Jerky and Jerk Work.
Thank you for the detailed feedback, BrianCF!!
My plan of action is:
1.You Don't Know Squat
2.Wolf
3.The Universe
4 .Ballistic Beatdown
Not sure if I want to run 1-2 and 3-4 parallel - chain-complex.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
I noticed using pair of 16 kg would affect my form, downgrading to thenpair of 14.
 
Thank you for the detailed feedback, BrianCF!!
My plan of action is:
1.You Don't Know Squat
2.Wolf
3.The Universe
4 .Ballistic Beatdown
Not sure if I want to run 1-2 and 3-4 parallel - chain-complex.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
I noticed using pair of 16 kg would affect my form, downgrading to thenpair of 14.
This is an excellent plan..

A few tweaks I would make though.
1. Ydks2.0
2. Lucky 13
3. Upper back attack
4. Universe
5. Oh row you don't1.0
6. Ballistic beatdown

YDKS2.0 does not get enough credit because of the low reps but it creeps up on total volume and will allow you to use a heavier load on light day

Lucky 13 is not lucky (currently on it) D3 is a bear

Upper back attack will prepare your pulls and hip snap for universe and ballistic beatdown
 
This is an excellent plan..

A few tweaks I would make though.
1. Ydks2.0
2. Lucky 13
3. Upper back attack
4. Universe
5. Oh row you don't1.0
6. Ballistic beatdown

YDKS2.0 does not get enough credit because of the low reps but it creeps up on total volume and will allow you to use a heavier load on light day

Lucky 13 is not lucky (currently on it) D3 is a bear

Upper back attack will prepare your pulls and hip snap for universe and ballistic beatdown
Thank you ,Mark, for the tweaks!!!!
Sounds like a pretty good plan.
I could feel some leg soreness after 25 minutes of YDKS2.0 with 1:2 interval even on a lighter weight load,
not sure why it doesn't get enough credit though.
 
Thank you for the detailed feedback, BrianCF!!
My plan of action is:
1.You Don't Know Squat
2.Wolf
3.The Universe
4 .Ballistic Beatdown
Not sure if I want to run 1-2 and 3-4 parallel - chain-complex.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
I noticed using pair of 16 kg would affect my form, downgrading to thenpair of 14.
Having completed WOLF recently, I'd not recommend doing 1-2 together. That would put too much volume on your legs. A combo of Grind and Ballistics might be good, e.g. 1 and 4 run in parallel, i.e. M run D1 of You Don't know squat, Tue run D1 of Ballistic Beatdown and so on !! With most of Geoff's programs I recommend going with a lower weight than suggested and step it up mid-program if you feel you are up to it. Good luck.
 
Thank you ,Mark, for the tweaks!!!!
Sounds like a pretty good plan.
I could feel some leg soreness after 25 minutes of YDKS2.0 with 1:2 interval even on a lighter weight load,
not sure why it doesn't get enough credit though.

It's the 3 rep scheme is my guess..

Take note though that back when KB hard was still called MKM, many reported solid gains despite making tweaks to the plan which fell under either beginner or intermediate plans now being recommended in KB Hard.
 
I would not run the Wolf with anything else. You can mess around on off days doing other things for the first 2 weeks. But it's gonna get ugly quick.
You Don't Know Squat 2.0 and Oh Row You Don't are 2 good complexes to run together.

I finished Ballistic Beatdown about 3 weeks ago or so and by the end hated it. Just was glad it was over. Days 2 and 3 were tough. Day 3 was awful from a grip perspective. High pulls just suck the life out of your grip and even though the workout is the same exercise and rep scheme as the first 3 of day 2, you get extra time to rest the grip on day 2.

I have been doing kettlebells for a long time and the last set of the last workout, I almost took my head off doing the 7th double snatch. I put the bells down, walked around my basement for 20 second and did the last 3 reps. If I could have kicked the kettlebell across the room without breaking my foot, I would have.
 
So I just finished my first Hard! program, The Shoulder Smoker. Coming from running the Giant almost exclusively for 7-8 months, I must say that it was a very humbling. I had just finished running 1.0 with 32s, and tested for a 12 RM press with 24s before starting the program.

I started the first 2 weeks with the 24s with the beginner rest periods, but I could not finish day 1 and day 3 complexed without setting the bells down for a few before the snatches. So week 3, I decided to drop down to 20s and completed the remainder the program with the advanced rest periods. Going from 1:2 down to a 1:1.5 was definitely a lot harder, but achievable. After week 6 day 3, I felt like I had just finished a benchmark Crossfit workout. I was smoked! To anyone who can complete this program with the prescribed 12RM press weights and advance rests, kudos to you!

Anyways, I’m looking forward to starting my next program from Hard! tomorrow. I was hoping to some recommendations. I’m currently debating between: The Olympic 2.0, The Wolf, and Clean ‘Em Up.
 
So I just finished my first Hard! program, The Shoulder Smoker. Coming from running the Giant almost exclusively for 7-8 months, I must say that it was a very humbling. I had just finished running 1.0 with 32s, and tested for a 12 RM press with 24s before starting the program.

I started the first 2 weeks with the 24s with the beginner rest periods, but I could not finish day 1 and day 3 complexed without setting the bells down for a few before the snatches. So week 3, I decided to drop down to 20s and completed the remainder the program with the advanced rest periods. Going from 1:2 down to a 1:1.5 was definitely a lot harder, but achievable. After week 6 day 3, I felt like I had just finished a benchmark Crossfit workout. I was smoked! To anyone who can complete this program with the prescribed 12RM press weights and advance rests, kudos to you!

Anyways, I’m looking forward to starting my next program from Hard! tomorrow. I was hoping to some recommendations. I’m currently debating between: The Olympic 2.0, The Wolf, and Clean ‘Em Up.

for me Olympic 2.0 with 24 should be doable
 
So I just finished my first Hard! program, The Shoulder Smoker. Coming from running the Giant almost exclusively for 7-8 months, I must say that it was a very humbling. I had just finished running 1.0 with 32s, and tested for a 12 RM press with 24s before starting the program.

I started the first 2 weeks with the 24s with the beginner rest periods, but I could not finish day 1 and day 3 complexed without setting the bells down for a few before the snatches. So week 3, I decided to drop down to 20s and completed the remainder the program with the advanced rest periods. Going from 1:2 down to a 1:1.5 was definitely a lot harder, but achievable. After week 6 day 3, I felt like I had just finished a benchmark Crossfit workout. I was smoked! To anyone who can complete this program with the prescribed 12RM press weights and advance rests, kudos to you!

Anyways, I’m looking forward to starting my next program from Hard! tomorrow. I was hoping to some recommendations. I’m currently debating between: The Olympic 2.0, The Wolf, and Clean ‘Em Up.
I've always picked bells one size lower than what is recommended. Also I found that RM for Snatch serves as a better indicator for these complexes rather than presses. I recently completed WOLF and it is pretty good if you want to give it a go. The squats definitely make things difficult. I would recommend it as it is a bit more lower body focused given that you just completed something that is upper body focused. I am planning to start the shoulder smoker or the olympic 2.0 soon.
 
I've always picked bells one size lower than what is recommended. Also I found that RM for Snatch serves as a better indicator for these complexes rather than presses. I recently completed WOLF and it is pretty good if you want to give it a go. The squats definitely make things difficult. I would recommend it as it is a bit more lower body focused given that you just completed something that is upper body focused. I am planning to start the shoulder smoker or the olympic 2.0 soon.
Yeah that’s why I was considering the Wolf, to work to lower body. But it is a lot of squats, so that’s why I was thinking the Olympic 2.0 to wean myself into more squats. Cleans are just fun too. We’ll see, I’ll be making my division in about 2 hours when I get home. Lol
 
Yeah that’s why I was considering the Wolf, to work to lower body. But it is a lot of squats, so that’s why I was thinking the Olympic 2.0 to wean myself into more squats. Cleans are just fun too. We’ll see, I’ll be making my division in about 2 hours when I get home. Lol
I was hesitant with the WOLF too .. because of the squats, but it wasn't that bad. I'd say take advice from @BrianCF above and run WOLF with double 20s.
 
YDKS2.0 does not get enough credit because of the low reps but it creeps up on total volume and will allow you to use a heavier load on light day

I was surprised at how hard this was. I was trying to do it after Deadlifts and it just did not work... live and learn. I am going to try it again soon perhaps as my Summer/Xmas workout.
 
I decided to run The Wolf with 20s and the advanced rest ratio. Good suggestion on YDKS2.0 as well, I'm going to add that to the list. Not trying to reinvent or change anything here, but aside from endurance, is there a benefit of doing complexes and chains vs metcons and amraps? Being able to set the bells downs between movements would allow you to use heavier weights, while doing the same amount of reps. I'm just curious about the pros/cons of the two different training styles?
 
I decided to run The Wolf with 20s and the advanced rest ratio. Good suggestion on YDKS2.0 as well, I'm going to add that to the list. Not trying to reinvent or change anything here, but aside from endurance, is there a benefit of doing complexes and chains vs metcons and amraps? Being able to set the bells downs between movements would allow you to use heavier weights, while doing the same amount of reps. I'm just curious about the pros/cons of the two different training styles?
I think the experts can better answer this but if I put my thinking hat on, I would say that there is an element of conditioning in these complexes, but we stay in the aerobic zone for most of the time vs metcons, which tests capacity in the anaerobic zone. So when I compare the both, I would expect it is comparable to understanding training between aerobic zone and anaerobic zone. I'm surer there are scientific reasons but I've always read that for a common person training in the aerobic zone is best, but once you have a strong aerobic base, I would assume testing the anaerobic zones to gain that edge would be good. From everything that I've understood, Strongfirst focuses and prefers training in the aerobic zone.
 
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