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Old Forum Kettlebell Strong update...

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jlbrown7289

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Hey everyone.

So far so good.  So the early part of the summer I tried Neupert's KB Strong 8 week 'Strong' program with 20's and by the end they were indeed feeling much lighter (by the last workout I was doing 10 sets of 3 reps of Cleans&Presses).  After a couple weeks break I tried his 4 week hypertrophy version of the program, for me that meant doing a month of two days per week of 6 sets of C&P, 3 to 6 reps (I added a day in between of double kb front squats and pullups, 3 sets of 3 to 6, for a little variety), and the end was this week and I reached 5 sets of 5 reps and a final set of 4.  And on a lark I grabbed a 24 and tried to press it (never been able to do more than a couple), and easily got 3 reps on my weaker side, without zipping up, just a casual try.  Very nice. I also tried C&P's with the 24's and banged out a couple.

These numbers obviously won't impress anybody, but the steady progress has been gratifying to see for a hardgainer like me.  It just highlights that highly abbreviated programs with whole body drills like cleans and presses are the way to go for me.  These workouts, even with 2 minute rest breaks, don't take more than 30-35  minutes at the most.

I'm now traveling until mid-November, I'll be doing bodyweight work, but once I'm back home I'll try the Strong program again with the 24's.  Is pressing the 32 in the cards? Maybe.  Maybe.

JLB
 
Congratulations on your progress.

Just out of curiosity, what had you done with kettlebells prior to starting Kettlebell Strong?
 
I'm also in the midst of the "Strong!" program. I finished a squat-intensive program from Geoff's "More Kettlebell Muscle" and decided to chase that with a pure strength program to firm up the foundation for Level 1 Nashville in January. ROP with the 24 in the Spring got me what seemed like a "one-time good deal" 36kg press with each hand, but that soon went away and I was struggling to press the 32 when I walked into "The Wolf" from MKBM. Despite not being a strength program, I was suddenly able to press double 32s in the middle of it. Nice. So now I'm setting out to "wear out a set of heavy kettlebells and make them feel light" as Neupert says. Strong!! with double 32s has me feeling like I've stuck my foot in the door of "ReallyStrong" - like I could stop a truck. I've gone from "hey I pressed double 32s!" to doing seven sets of doubles with a clean behind each one. And I KNOW where I'll be at completion, which is awesome. I'm really enjoying the methodical progress in Geoff's programs
 
Bill,

Are you saying that doing double swings has gotten you to the point on cleaning and pressing double 32's For doubles?
 
 

Good grief Jeff, I just re-read what I wrote and I can't figure out what the heck it means either. I wasn't drunk, so I don't even have a very good excuse.

Let me try again using the English language this time:  okay, I did ROP in the Spring with a single 24. Testing a few days after ROP, I pressed the 36 with each hand for a PR. But this gain seemed to slip away rather rapidly until I actually started failing at the 32. A few weeks of generalized messing around, and I began a program from "More Kettlebell Muscle" called "The Wolf", so-named after the old saying "the legs feed the wolf". Double KB complex work, focused on hypertrophy, very heavy on squats, I was using 20s. On an off day about 4 weeks into the program I was just messing around and did a bottoms up press with a 24 on each hand, then tried and did a double bottoms up front squat with two 24s. Feeling pretty strong, I worked up my focus and cleaned and pressed two 32s which I had never done before. So a squat-intensive double KB program led to pressing PRs. After finishing The Wolf, I moved on to "Strong!!" as a stand-alone program - pure strength through heavy weight, low reps, and many sets. Suddenly after not being able to budge a single  32 off my shoulder in June, I'm busting out multiple sets of two using double 32s with cleans between each as a bonus. And the progression is so clear and so sensible, I know that at the end I'm gonna be doing 30-40 reps with that same weight.
 
Bill,

I don't have it in front of me right now, but if I remember correctly, the Strong program is written as a double saving program, but I thnk other lifts can be substituted.  Did you do it with double swings?
 
I didn't catch it, but my autocorrect changed the phrase " double swing program" to "double saving program".   I think this feature hurts me as often as it helps me.  But, saving double can be a good thing.
 
Jeffrey, the Strong program features double C&Ps. You must be thinking of The One program, also from KB Strong, which features double swings.
 
Steve,

Thanks for the clarification.  Even though I have Kettlebell Strong, I am traveling and don't have it in front of me right now.  If he would have said he increased his pressing strength as a WTH effect of doing the double swing program I wouldn't have doubted him.  I just wanted to make sure I understood what he was saying.  Thanks for pointing out that I had mixed the two programs up.
 
I love KB strong. I did the Strong/One split with 2x24kgs(12 weeks) and now they feel pretty light. Took a short break and now am doing just the Strong but with KB Front Squats instead of C&P as I have a bit of golfers elbow that needs to heal.

I really liked the PM and ROP but for me the KB Strong program has really given me some serious strength.  I have enough just in this program to last me for quite a while!

 

 
 
It's a weird feeling, isn't it Mike?  There really is something special about double kettlebell work.  Single KB work opened up my hips, put my core back together, strengthened and stabilized my shoulders, taught me how to brace, breathe, root, and move under a load, how to hinge, gave me a base of strength, and conditioning levels I haven't touched in decades.  But I honestly feel like all the single KB work I did was a prelude to prepare me for doubles. Maybe the stars are aligned just right.  Maybe Geoff's programming really is that good. But whatever the cause, I'm making press strength gains like never before and the previous complexes spilled over into unrelated areas as well.  Maybe it's just a concentrated dose of focusing on a single Very Big Bang exercise, I dunno.  But it works.
 
Yeah I agree Bill! Without the PM and ROP I would have never "fixed" and "strengthened" my body to be ready for the doubles. I also have ROTK but as far as simple(not easy) programming I prefer KB Strong. Looking forward to the KB Strong Front Squat quest. My punches have gotten so much stronger I am interested to see if my kicks ramp up from all the KB Front Squats. :D
 
Hi, I bought kettlebell strong today, can't wait to get going. I did ROP a couple of years back working upto the 28kg bell then switched to bodyweight and swings. In the last year or so I've been basically doing variants of PM going up to a 32kg for 10 mins or 24 and 28 for 20 mins. I've been thinking over what to move on to next, thought of going back to ROP or working up to PM the beast, but this could be the answer.

I've been throwing in double 16 cleans for 10 mins over the last couple of months and loved using doubles, so here we go......when it arrives .
 
@ Joe - Congrats on your success so far! Expect more. You're just getting started.

@ Bill - Funny how FSQs make the whole body stronger. Sounds so... Outrageous, doesn't it, yet here you are with a double 32kg press. Excellent work!

@ Mike - I'd expect your kicking power to increase from your deeper ability to root on that plant leg. So please report back in once you test it out.
 
Thanks, Geoff.  Again - great program(s).  The DVDs are awesome, the jerk cues are priceless as are your explanation of the physical differences in the "stroke" between single KBs and doubles and why the foundational exercise for doubles vs. singles is different.  I've always been able to feel the difference between doubles and singles, but I've never had anyone explain the difference.  I've always thought I was a bit of a loser for not being able to exactly replicate the single KB swing stroke with doubles - so thanks for giving me "permission" to let doubles be doubles and singles be singles.

On that note, per the Strong!! program, I ventured into Triples in the C & P this week with the double 32s.  Yes, the same 32s that I had never pressed as doubles of as of August.  Now I do sets of 3 with them. Today I did 20 reps with them - and that's my new "back-off" day baseline.  The weird thing is my brand-spankin' new ability to grind. If a reps slows down for whatever reason - it still goes up, inexorably, to lockout. I squeeze the handles, pinch a coin, throw a Chuck Norris glare at the bells, and they keep moving. I have NEVER....EVER been able to do that.  Once it stopped, I was done.  Period.  Truth be told, once it slowed I was done. Not any more. Possibly the coolest, most usable aspect of the whole thing. Well, aside from the feeling that you could bounce a Buick off me right now and I'd barely notice.
 
@Bill Been!! Yes! I felt the same when I finshed the 10x3 with the 2x24kgs!

 

I am in week 2 of the STRONG program with KB Front Squats and like magic I can already feel that my PRESS will be stronger. Crazy. Also the KB Front Squats make your guns look great...strange for a "leg" exercise. I love that with KB's I can get a full body workout and it is really full body.

 

 
 
You re-clean after each squat rep, correct? I look forward to doing Strong! with DFSQs after I pass Level One Nashville which must be my priority obviously. I want to stick with stuff that I assume will have the most carryover.

I gotta say though- doing all that racked work with the double bells and the tons of DFSQs in "The Wolf" from "More KB Muscle" really added a nice amount of  strength to my upper back that I suspect is at least partly responsible for my subsequent pressing and Snatch Test PRs.

Double Front Squats rock harder than Cheap Trick Budokan Live.
 
Geoff,

Just finished up the strong program C&P with 32k.  I did this with barbell front squats and Deadlifts twice/week.  What would be your next step?

Would like to address hypertrophy for 4-6 weeks. Was thinking the short course with 32's, low volume deads,frsq and chins . Then following up with the strong program again with 36's. Long term goal is strict press double bulldogs around my current bodyweight(165-170).  Love the program. Thank you

 
 
I'd like to jump on the "praising Kettlebell Strong" bandwagon, too. I've finished the Strong portion with double 32's, and am now just a few workouts into the "Slow and Steady", going three days a week. This program has brought nothing but perpetual progress from day one, and I'm loving every second. It's all arranged in such a way for you to do a lot of work without excess fatigue or frying out your nervous system. I just add some squat work and some basic conditioning (swings, anyone?;) ) and I'm good to go. It's definitely a good investment.
 
@ Bill - Man, that's some really STRONG work! I'd hate to be that Buick. ;-)

@Mike Moran - Yeah, "weird" that the "gun" get worked from squatting - but, then again, that's the beauty of the squat - it makes the whole body grow. Imagine how much people are missing out by sandbagging the squat…

@Mike Marcinek - You could always modify the "conditioning/fat loss" protocols and eat like a horse on your training days. That should pack a significant amount of muscle on you. You could, if you wanted, in theory, superset those sets with Chins. That would blow up your upper body. Might be a bit much on the elbows though. Or you could toss in a front squat after every rep - so CL+PR+FSQ. That'd be pretty brutal. Lots and lots of options.

@Mike Provost - Thanks for your praise - glad you're liking it.
 
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