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Kettlebell Kettlebell Strong with Front Squats

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gorillainagi

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I have begun the "Long Course" of double kettlebell clean and press as written by Geoff Neupert. I'm working with a pair of 28kg bells.

I won't give away the program, but it is sixteen weeks of double kettlebell clean and press programming.

I have decided to add double kettlebell front squats to the program.

Yes, I know that this means I am not doing the program as written. Therefore, I take responsibility for whatever results I do or do not get.

I am adding as many squats to the complex as were prescribed for C&P. So, if the program calls for 10x3, I do 3 double clean and press, then three front squats before setting the bells down.

I'm doing this program about every other day. In between, I am doing some walking, A+A work on the Rogue Echo bike, or some untimed S&S, picking whichever one is best suited to the weather, my energy level, and my whim.

Any thoughts are welcome. We'll see how it goes.
 
I did the short course last year with a set of 28kg and matched the C and P with FSQ as you have outlined. It was very effective and enabled me to move to ROP with 32kg. Took plenty of rest between sets and used the ONE program on the other days.
Drop the FSQ if it becomes taxing
 
I’m five workouts into KB Strong.

After the clean and presses, I’m doing a couple of sets of front squats. But I’m doing them Easy Strength style and will bump the weights/sets/reps up only when it feels easy. I have no planned progression in mind. (I’m also doing TGUs and pull-ups and some swings but am not trying to set any records with those movements either.)

The program is pretty easy so far but it looks like the volume builds quickly so what seems fine at the start may prove to be too difficult in a few weeks. But there’s only one way to find out if your strategy works.
 
Is your goal conditioning or strength?

Squats are a grind. For max strength development, do grinds after ballistics.

If you're just trying to increase the energy consumption, sure, mix them in with cleans and presses.
 
I had an email conversation with Geoff about that exact variation. His response to me was something to the effect of try it and see BUT imagine 10x6 with a properly loaded clean and press weight.

Needless to say, I didn't have the guts to do it! Let us know how it goes.
 
Just do 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps after C&P @the same bell size or one size up.

After the clean and presses, I’m doing a couple of sets of front squats.

I've done basically the same -- two or three sets of 5 after C&P.

Strong is a C&P program that works up to some serious volume. FSQs make a great complement to the C&P. But once you start piling on the FSQ volume, especially mixed in with the C&P sets, I think you end up detracting from the main focus of the program, especially on an every other day schedule with additional training on the other days.
 
I’ve been through this program several times. I usually superset with pull ups (matched rep for rep with presses) and end with squats (3-5 sets of 1-5)...when the volume goes up, I drop the squats first and then the pull ups...this is based on my intuitive sense of how I’m recovering...by the end I am only doing C & P. This is my favorite program of all time.
 
All good points, friends.

I've finished five workouts as explained above. So far so good.

I'm finding that sleep is more important than the other variables as far as the experience within the workout.

I'll keep you posted.
 
I'm half-way through phase 2 at the moment. I started off with front squats at the end of each set, then switched them to just a couple of sets in the warm-up. And now I frequently don't even do that.

Just the Dbl clean and press do a fine job for me.

I did have to take a month off over Christmas - when I tweaked my back, my fault just lost tension in a rep. My only real warning about the programme is not to take the lifts for granted. It's easy when doing the same thing for session after session to get sloppy - don't!
 
Update.

I'm averaging something like this:

Strong + DFSQ / walk / day off / Strong + DFSQ / bike A+A / Strong + DFSQ / rest day

So, I'm not doing Strong + DFSQ every other day. More like 2.5/3 x week.

Within the workouts, I have no trouble with the sets and reps. Recovery is self-executing. There's no doing it every other day unless I take a rest day every other day as well.

Onward.
 
To resurrect this thread:

I’m aiming to tackle Strong with 2x32kg C&P (probably push press at first) this winter after TSC.

What do we think about the phase 1 set/rep progression on an A/B/off/A/B schedule:
  • Mon: C&P (10x1)
  • Tue: FSq (10x1)
  • Wed: Off
  • Thu: C&P (5x2)
  • Fri: FSq (5x2)
Or even simpler: A/B 3 days a week alternating between C&P and FSq?
 
ROTK has you doing one set of FSQ between press ladders. If we take cues from that, you could do 3-5 sets of 5 between your press sets, or better yet, after your presses if you have the energy to do them.

You could run a cycle where the Press is the focus, and then the next time through, focus on squats with 3-5 sets of presses at the end.

I don't think trying to match reps is a good idea.

EDIT - Sorry, I saw Marc's post after I posted. Sorry to be redundant
 
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