all posts post new thread

Kettlebell Kettlebell Hard-The Wolf

coosbaylarson

coosbaylarson

Level 5 Valued Member
Certified Instructor
Sinister
I'm finishing up 6 weeks of "The Wolf", one of many programs in Geoff Neupert's Kettlebell Hard. First off, I LOVED this program. Was it tough? Yes, without a doubt but also very manageable as I carefully followed Geoff's recommendations with respect to weight selection and rest periods. I was very conservative with rest the first three weeks and allowed myself to auto-regulate the last three and found a 1:1.5 work to rest ratio to be perfect. Again, I was smart with my weight selection and used 12 kg kettlebells (a comfortable double press 10 RM at the beginning of the program). I have also been training consistently and have a good conditioning base.

On my alternating days I've been doing the ATG (kneesovertoesguy) Zero program. I'm actually paying for it ( rather than wing it from watching YouTube and Instagram) and getting the coaching, working well within my comfort zone and abilities on the various exercises. I also shoot for 10-15K steps per day.

This program along with calorie tracking and the walking helped me shed 17 pounds. I'm 52 years young and feel better than I did at 32. I would encourage anyone looking to improve your conditioning and lose a bit of body fat while practicing double-kettlebell exercises to give this a shot.
 
I’m super interested in hearing about user experiences with plans from KB Hard. I just grabbed it at the recommendation of my coach and plan on finishing up STRONG Short Course with double 28kgs this month then moving into Burn Extreme (from the same bundle) and finally some of the Hard complexes. Heavier Double Snatch has me kind of scared, lol.
 
Andi-in-BKK said:
Heavier Double Snatch has me kind of scared, lol.
Click to expand...
Geoff's complexes with double snatches usually use lighter bells (tied to a press RM), so the weight for the double snatches shouldn't be unmanageable. Also, the half snatch is recommended with doubles (lower to rack on the way down), so that helps keep it manageable as well.

For instance in Kettlebell Muscle, which are the complexes I'm most familiar with, the double snatch is almost a rest because you are getting the bells overhead without having to press them out. It's usually (at least for me) the accumulating fatigue in the triceps and delts that makes a set a struggle. You don't realize how much you're sucking wind or how much work your hips are doing until afterwards.
 
Andi-in-BKK said:
I’m super interested in hearing about user experiences with plans from KB Hard. I just grabbed it at the recommendation of my coach and plan on finishing up STRONG Short Course with double 28kgs this month then moving into Burn Extreme (from the same bundle) and finally some of the Hard complexes. Heavier Double Snatch has me kind of scared, lol.
Click to expand...
I'm running a cycle of STRONG Short course with double 28s too. I'm assuming you are running the Clean and Press?
coosbaylarson said:
I'm finishing up 6 weeks of "The Wolf", one of many programs in Geoff Neupert's Kettlebell Hard. First off, I LOVED this program. Was it tough? Yes, without a doubt but also very manageable as I carefully followed Geoff's recommendations with respect to weight selection and rest periods. I was very conservative with rest the first three weeks and allowed myself to auto-regulate the last three and found a 1:1.5 work to rest ratio to be perfect. Again, I was smart with my weight selection and used 12 kg kettlebells (a comfortable double press 10 RM at the beginning of the program). I have also been training consistently and have a good conditioning base.

On my alternating days I've been doing the ATG (kneesovertoesguy) Zero program. I'm actually paying for it ( rather than wing it from watching YouTube and Instagram) and getting the coaching, working well within my comfort zone and abilities on the various exercises. I also shoot for 10-15K steps per day.

This program along with calorie tracking and the walking helped me shed 17 pounds. I'm 52 years young and feel better than I did at 32. I would encourage anyone looking to improve your conditioning and lose a bit of body fat while practicing double-kettlebell exercises to give this a shot.
Click to expand...
I just finished the WOLF myself using the Beginner Work to rest ratios though. Although I was using my 10RM for the program, it was not a super comfortable 10RM. It was a bit of a grind for the last few sets but I could get a few more reps in. So maybe I can say that it is a true 10RM. It was definitely hard on me especially on the Heavy Day and even more so on 5 set weeks when my total body felt the effects of the volume. It would've been easier had I used double 16s but I chose to push myself to pick up those 20s after the first week. No regrets. Didn't see a huge change in my body composition, mainly because my diet was not on point, but my conditioning definitely improved.
 
mvikred said:
I'm running a cycle of STRONG Short course with double 28s too. I'm assuming you are running the Clean and Press?
Click to expand...

Yep! I’ll change up the order sometimes (I just ran short course with 24s and Phase 1 with the 28s in September-October) and now I’m running it as Clean Clean Clean Press Press Press instead of Clean Press Clean Press, etc. I feel like it works my press a bit harder (at least my RPE is higher).

Current goal is to be able to run Phase 1 then Phase 2 (clean and press) with my double 36s (which is just beyond double strict pressing for me currently) by Q2 of 2022. But I’m going to take some time with complexes/chains and some barbell work between now and then.
 
Steve W. said:
Geoff's complexes with double snatches usually use lighter bells (tied to a press RM), so the weight for the double snatches shouldn't be unmanageable. Also, the half snatch is recommended with doubles (lower to rack on the way down), so that helps keep it manageable as well.

For instance in Kettlebell Muscle, which are the complexes I'm most familiar with, the double snatch is almost a rest because you are getting the bells overhead without having to press them out. It's usually (at least for me) the accumulating fatigue in the triceps and delts that makes a set a struggle. You don't realize how much you're sucking wind or how much work your hips are doing until afterwards.
Click to expand...
It may just be I’m out of practice with snatching because I’ve been running C &P for several months, so my current 12-14RM bell for strict press (24s RM just tested cold) make me nervous to double snatch, but I’m super comfortable with C&P. I’ll probably just do a bunch of grease the grove with lighter double snatch in the next month and a half before I start double snatching in complexes.
 
Very nice feedback, I’m really looking forward to try The Wolf.
Right now I’m in the middle of the Giant 1.1 with 2x24kg And I feel what you are saying @Andi-in-BKK regarding the Snatch. Even though my C&P should be around a 12RM, the double snatch will require some work. I start to practice them as a warmup, 2-3 sets of 2-3 reps in the beginning of my sessions I think they are improving quickly.
By doing a lot of cleans before the presses, we tend to become efficient with the backswing of the clean.
For the snatch I found it requires being a lot more aggressive in the hike pass to make the rest of the movement easier.
I also noted that even though my C&P RM is above 10. I’m not so sure about my Double Military Press without cleans in between.

I might do another strength cycle with 28kgs to become stronger first.
 
Jean-Marie said:
Very nice feedback, I’m really looking forward to try The Wolf.
Right now I’m in the middle of the Giant 1.1 with 2x24kg And I feel what you are saying @Andi-in-BKK regarding the Snatch. Even though my C&P should be around a 12RM, the double snatch will require some work. I start to practice them as a warmup, 2-3 sets of 2-3 reps in the beginning of my sessions I think they are improving quickly.
By doing a lot of cleans before the presses, we tend to become efficient with the backswing of the clean.
For the snatch I found it requires being a lot more aggressive in the hike pass to make the rest of the movement easier.
I also noted that even though my C&P RM is above 10. I’m not so sure about my Double Military Press without cleans in between.

I might do another strength cycle with 28kgs to become stronger first.
Click to expand...
I’m toying with the idea of running my pair of 36s on the double swing, double clean days of Burn Extreme when it calls for a 5RM bell. And because it doesn’t have any snatches, that’s the biggest hip-drive day. Also with 28s being an 8RM bell (press) already I’m hoping they are a 12ish RM bell by December when I wrap up Short course. Then I can practice double snatches with a lighter pair of bells(18s then 24s) as a warmup during Burn Extreme. With the end goal being to run one of the Hard programs during January and February with the pair of 28s but 24s might be my fall back, depending on what my coach sees between now and then.
 
coosbaylarson said:
I'm finishing up 6 weeks of "The Wolf", one of many programs in Geoff Neupert's Kettlebell Hard. First off, I LOVED this program. Was it tough? Yes, without a doubt but also very manageable as I carefully followed Geoff's recommendations with respect to weight selection and rest periods. I was very conservative with rest the first three weeks and allowed myself to auto-regulate the last three and found a 1:1.5 work to rest ratio to be perfect. Again, I was smart with my weight selection and used 12 kg kettlebells (a comfortable double press 10 RM at the beginning of the program). I have also been training consistently and have a good conditioning base.

On my alternating days I've been doing the ATG (kneesovertoesguy) Zero program. I'm actually paying for it ( rather than wing it from watching YouTube and Instagram) and getting the coaching, working well within my comfort zone and abilities on the various exercises. I also shoot for 10-15K steps per day.

This program along with calorie tracking and the walking helped me shed 17 pounds. I'm 52 years young and feel better than I did at 32. I would encourage anyone looking to improve your conditioning and lose a bit of body fat while practicing double-kettlebell exercises to give this a shot.
Click to expand...
Congratulations, Amy! This is FANTASTIC!
 
Nice work! 1 :1.5 is pretty short rest, impressive.
I am considering The Wolf after finishing my current Clean 'Em Up, since I am finding I need squat work. Clean 'Em Up is just brutal for me, even after runing through The Giant 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, which much heavier bells.
 
Andi-in-BKK said:
I’m toying with the idea of running my pair of 36s on the double swing, double clean days of Burn Extreme when it calls for a 5RM bell. And because it doesn’t have any snatches, that’s the biggest hip-drive day. Also with 28s being an 8RM bell (press) already I’m hoping they are a 12ish RM bell by December when I wrap up Short course. Then I can practice double snatches with a lighter pair of bells(18s then 24s) as a warmup during Burn Extreme. With the end goal being to run one of the Hard programs during January and February with the pair of 28s but 24s might be my fall back, depending on what my coach sees between now and then.
Click to expand...

The grinds call for a 5rm (more of a 5trm)

Ballistics call for a 10rm (more of a 10trm)
 
Hi everyone,
Little feedback after 6 weeks of "The Wolf".
Great program, but particularly hard (mentally difficult on the hard days). The multiple squat sets are hard!
The time under tension can be quite long (2 min on these hard days) and the cardio goes up a lot (165bpm at the end of the set).
I used a 12RM Press (2x20) on the beginner mode, taking 1:6 then 1:5 ratio. (OS resets between sets++)
+1kg (lean) in 6 weeks.
I wasn't bothered by my long biceps, but this type of program is pretty joint friendly compared to others.
I'm taking a break for a week before starting on King Size Killer, or Push Press Reverse from KB express.

PS: I notice that I said "Hard" quite a bit in this post, I think the title KB Hard is particularly good.
Thanks Mr Neupert!
 
I looked at this earlier on the year. Scared me, not going to lie.

I’m currently on a break from Strong, as my elbow got cranky. I’m 2 weeks into Giant 3.0 with double squats, and am amazed at how well I’m handling squats, after not doing them for a long time. I’m sure it’s a WTF moment from spending most of the year C&Ping. And my elbow is much better.

Anyway, I’m tempted to try this. For

1.) conditioning. I generally prefer strength, but it’s a good opportunity to focus on my lungs. So much C&P has also built some work capacity so I’m looking to expand on that. Also, Strong phase 2 gets up to some fairly high reps, so it’d help with that when I resume it.

2.) Different movements. I’ve been doing nothing but C&P for most of the year. I love it don’t get me wrong, but while I’m having a break from it, why not do something different

3,) lots a squats. I’ve been loving doing lots of squats. Loving it. I feel damn good

4.) elbow. I’ll be dropping the weight and the volume of cleans so my elbow should be happy. Been C&Ping 2x24, but I’ll drop back to 2x16 for the wolf. Im currently doing Giant dbl squats with 2x20, but I’m not silly, so I would drop to 2x16 for the Wolf.

5.) snatch. I think 2x16 snatch is do able for me. I can do singles with 24, though I’m not super experienced, I find double kb ballistics easier than singles. At worst, I’ll C&P them, or, do single snatches for this part. I think I’ll be ok though.

I wouldn’t normally switch programs, however my main focus is on finishing Strong phase 2, and so while im waiting for my elbow to come good, anything I do now is only a stop gap to keep me training until I go back to Strong.

Gym tomorrow morning so I’ll do my Giant 3.0 workout and then see if I can dbl snatch the 2x16. If I can do that, I’ll start The Wolf on Wednesday. Hopefully my elbow will be happy too haha
 
Tried wk1 day 1 this morning. 2x16 is not really heavy in those movements for me, but the lungs, wow! The last sets of clean and front squats are tough!

The lighter weight didn’t bother my elbow, and in fact I think I worked out I may have been using less than ideal wrist position. With a lighter weight I changed to more pronated, and also let the bells fall over my wrist from the rack, and my elbow didn’t complain once.

I finished by dbl snatch practice. 5 sets of 5. The difference between my first and last set was night and day. Going lighter is really good for technique practice. I’ll be able to do day 3 with no problem at all, except my lungs of course

Rest periods were closer to 1:3, but I’m really happy with how today went! The day 3, I’ll leave rest untimed.

I’ll definitely get a lot out of this if it doesn’t kill me haha
 
coosbaylarson said:
I'm finishing up 6 weeks of "The Wolf", one of many programs in Geoff Neupert's Kettlebell Hard. First off, I LOVED this program. Was it tough? Yes, without a doubt but also very manageable as I carefully followed Geoff's recommendations with respect to weight selection and rest periods. I was very conservative with rest the first three weeks and allowed myself to auto-regulate the last three and found a 1:1.5 work to rest ratio to be perfect. Again, I was smart with my weight selection and used 12 kg kettlebells (a comfortable double press 10 RM at the beginning of the program). I have also been training consistently and have a good conditioning base.

On my alternating days I've been doing the ATG (kneesovertoesguy) Zero program. I'm actually paying for it ( rather than wing it from watching YouTube and Instagram) and getting the coaching, working well within my comfort zone and abilities on the various exercises. I also shoot for 10-15K steps per day.

This program along with calorie tracking and the walking helped me shed 17 pounds. I'm 52 years young and feel better than I did at 32. I would encourage anyone looking to improve your conditioning and lose a bit of body fat while practicing double-kettlebell exercises to give this a shot.
Click to expand...
Respect, the wolf is a beast of a complex.
 
Reardon55 said:
Thats a good plan. I think I was on my 3rd attempt at Day 3 before I could get through the whole complex 1-time without putting them down for a few seconds. That last run of squats is brutal.
Click to expand...
Day 2 down, feeling good. Finished with 8 sets of dbl snatch practice. I’m sure I could do dbl 20 snatch, but I’m happy to practice with dbl 16 for now.

I’m concerned about day 3 though, definitely haha.

I still can’t believe how much my work capacity has gone up. So much better than even the start of the year.
 
Day 3 this morning. I was swearing and huffing and puffing between rounds haha. Tough, I had to have 2 breaths between some exercises and almost gave up, but stuck it out and got through it. Feel great now though, finished with a dip in the ocean and feel ready for the day.
 
I went through the Wolf earlier this year and those Hard days were
DrG said:
Hi everyone,
Little feedback after 6 weeks of "The Wolf".
Great program, but particularly hard (mentally difficult on the hard days). The multiple squat sets are hard!
The time under tension can be quite long (2 min on these hard days) and the cardio goes up a lot (165bpm at the end of the set).
I used a 12RM Press (2x20) on the beginner mode, taking 1:6 then 1:5 ratio. (OS resets between sets++)
+1kg (lean) in 6 weeks.
I wasn't bothered by my long biceps, but this type of program is pretty joint friendly compared to others.
I'm taking a break for a week before starting on King Size Killer, or Push Press Reverse from KB express.

PS: I notice that I said "Hard" quite a bit in this post, I think the title KB Hard is particularly good.
Thanks Mr Neupert!
Click to expand...
100% those hard days are mental. Never looked forward to them but always happy to have done.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom