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Kettlebell Kettlebell strength standards

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FinlayB

FinlayB

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Hi there

 

From Rough strength:

The man who could lift a 32 kg kettlebell overhead was highly respected in society

 

With the developments in strength and condition in is this statement still true?

 

What would be standards for other kettlebell exercises?

At a guess i would say

Swings:  S&S goal is 5 mins of swings with a 32kg (please correct me if i am wrong)

TGU:  Maybe also 32kg, or maybe more

Snatch: A good standard would be the snatch test  used in the certs

Squat:  I have no idea what a strong standard would be.

 

Anybody have ideas on these

 

 
 
Denis Kanygin recommends to work up to 20 presses with your snatch weight. So let's say you prepare for the Snatch test with 24 kg you should be able to press that weight 20 times with each arm. I think that's not a bad standard to work up to.
 
Denis is a great coach and everything I've seen from him says he knows what he's talking about with GS.  20 reps with a snatch weight kettlebell sounds like a good standard to have.
 
For most people, 10 reps @ 24 kg will translate into being able to press a 32 kg at least once - just pointing out that those two standards aren't all that different.

-S-
 
I think there are a few obvious standards already floating around here. Obviously Pavel thinks that (for a man) getups with a 32K is a fairly easy goal, and getups with a 48K is tough but doable. Pressing half bodyweight is also commonly thrown around. My numbers for a man of average height and build, under the age of 50 would be:

Acceptable:     Press 32K, Pullup with 32K, Clean and front squat double 32Ks

Good:               Press 40K, Pullup with 40K, Clean and front squat double 40Ks

Exceptional:   Press 48K, Pullup with 48K, Clean and front squat double 48Ks
 
Any thoughts on doubles movements??? As I have been practicing KB strong for a while I'd love to hear what people think about  Clean and press standards, and any other doubles standards I should work towards???

 
 
What are some standards for double kettlebells??? I have been practicing KBstrong for a few months and am curious of some standards I can work towards???
 
Bodyweight C&P with doubles (1/2 each hand) is pretty solid. Doing that for 5 reps would be excellent.

12 reps of C&P (a clean before each press) with a pair of 32kgs is pretty equivalent to Sig Klein's challenge, also an excellent standard for an average sized guy (80kg+; if you can do that weighing under 150 that is probably near-elite level pressing strength even today).

Multiple sets of 5 with bodyweight on a double front squat (again, 1/2 per hand) would be pretty gnarly imo. As would at least one rep of a double dead clean with bodyweight.

 
 
Thank you for the answer I was thinking much along the same lines.  I have never heard of the sig Klein challenge but being that I'm using the 32's on strong I'd imagine you would be a bad a#@ doing 12 reps with the 32s. I'm 200lbs and no where near that.

thank you for the help I will write these down and work towards them.
 
In light of that "no longer a boy" post from the Chief, reminds me of something my strongman mate told me a while ago:  apparently the Scottish strongmen would have to lift a 100kg (I think - if not, a heavy! ) stone to be able to marry/take a wife. :)  Primitive genetic engineering ?

Why not add 48kg+ dips to the 48kb pullup standards?
 
Matt, dips with a given weight are much easier than pullups, especially tactical pullups.  

Dips are great—for those whose shoulders can take them.
 
I've often wondered about that Pavel, is there an obvious "reason" - well perhaps it is not obvious, considering the muscles involved etc.  Maybe it is the lean factor/cheat factor - tactical pullups keep you honest.  For me it is actually about a 5kg difference (for a max-max in the past but the ratio is consistent today) - possibly my dips aren't up to scratch.
 
Never been able to understand why these sorts of "standards" take body size/weight so little into consideration.

For example if you weigh 185 lbs, a 24 kg kettlebell is about 28.6% body weight. If you only weigh 108 (me) then same bell is about 49% bw. Rather striking difference seems to me. Mostly I don't give poot about my size but I am really small and this particular deal just sort of bugs me, that the standards are same no matter what (only some allowance given for age), yes?
 
All I know about are barbell strength standards from american football... The basic standards for offensive and defensive linemen used to be 300 lb power clean, 400 lb bench press, 500 lb squat. Essentially, once you reached these standards, you would be considered "strong enough." I have seen one SEC program's "all-conference" standards that were more like 350 lb power clean, 450 lb bench press, and 600 lb squat.

To translate that to kettlebell standards...is probably impossible. But double 48 kg clean and press would probably be a good place to start.
 
GeoffreyLevens said:
Never been able to understand why these sorts of "standards" take body size/weight so little into consideration.

For example if you weigh 185 lbs, a 24 kg kettlebell is about 28.6% body weight. If you only weigh 108 (me) then same bell is about 49% bw. Rather striking difference seems to me. Mostly I don't give poot about my size but I am really small and this particular deal just sort of bugs me, that the standards are same no matter what (only some allowance given for age), yes?
Click to expand...

hell yes! I honestly believe if anyone can do 5 solid double kb front squats with a pair of bells closest to their bodyweight and do snatches 10/10 with their SFG2 press bell, they already have two solid game changers..

again Ymmv
 
Interesting topic!

I am personally fan of standards - all our training programs have a certain goal, and it has to be met before the student can move on. A goal without a plan is just a wish - but a plan without a goal is just a wish as well.

My question - what would be a standard for healthy, regular man, training with kettlebells, for following lifts? Similar to let's say 32 get-up, 1/2 bw military press, 2xbw deadlift, "entry level strong"? The standard can be either weight, or reps, or both:

1) pistol (with kettlebell)
2) weighted pullup
3) bent press
 
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