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Kettlebell Kettlebells for time/kettlebell flow

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Morning Coffee

First Post
Hello all,

First post. Thanks for all the great info since I begin reading the forums.

I am looking for any input on what I call kettlebell flows - not sure if that is the right term?

I have begun, on rest days, to grab a lightish kettlebell and just move between exercises. I like it because it allows to get blood flowing but it also alows for me to have fun with kettlebells and do movements they i otherwise don't do, but are great for mobility - windmills etc.

I know Pavel's ethos is more towards kettlebells for power, but I wondered if anyone has used them in this way?

On my offday from barbell stuff, I like doing 10 mins which gets a nice sweat going, then some stretches.

Would i get more bang for my book doing somethings? Swings EMOM ?

I have done Simple of SS so i have consired doing a light day of SS protocol as a recovery tool but volume may be too high?

I love kettlebells, so looking for a way to use them whilst ffocusing on barbell for a few months.

Cheers

Wayne
 
@Morning Coffee, welcome to the StrongFirst forum.

Excellent username, btw. :)

What you're calling a flow is what I'd call general or non-specialized variety. I like things like that so long as they don't detract from my main strength training, and indeed I tend to pick things for my variety training that might qualify as assistance exercises for my main strength training if I actually did them more.

Today's a day like that for me. After deadlifting about 4 tons yesterday, today I'm stretching, doing a few Skin the Cat and angled front levers on the rings, windmills with bodyweight only and some with light weights, Zercher deadlifts, straddle deadlifts with a thick bar, and the only thing I'm doing for more than a few reps is some light kettlebell snatches in an only-one-hand-switch format. It's all restorative, getting rid of the stiffness of a big DL workout from the day before.

-S-
 
Thanks @Steve Freides, I do love my morning coffee.

I understand the restorative aspect. When you mention 'assistance exercises' do you mean from a strength of mobilty angle? Many of those exercises could be used for either.

I was slightly worried about doing low volume TGU on rest days, but after looking at some of your recovery day work i feel more positive about the idea.

Thanks @Anna C, that is useful to look through

Thanks both

Wayne
 
Morning Coffee said:
When you mention 'assistance exercises' do you mean from a strength of mobilty angle? Many of those exercises could be used for either.
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Anything that's not the main lift that helps the main lift, if the main lift's improvement is the goal, can rightly be considering to be assisting in that pursuit.

-S-
 
I'll compete in kettlebell marathons time to time and when I prep for competions I'll do timed sets. Anything between 10-30 mins. I'll do competions lifts and change hands every minute to stay fresh, but keep moving with decent pace.
I think for general conditioning and gpp purposes you could switch exercises and keep moving, but remember to pace yourself and rest in rack or overhead positoning. And go light... Light weight is relative. For me 20kg is good weight for these non-stop sessions and heartrate stays in aerobic zone most of the time...

Jerks, halfsnatches(drop to rack), cleans, long cycles, push presses, presses and one arm swings work very well for these sessions.
 
On my KB training days, I'll do flow sessions as a warm up. Usually I'll do a flow of 5 1HS, 4 snatches, 3 front squat, 2 military press, 1 bent press per side on a 16 kg bell. No more than two to three rounds of that and then it's onto my main lifts for the day. KB flows can be great as a cool-down activity as well.

As was stated above, flows are great as assistive exercises.
 
Powell said:
Usually I'll do a flow of 5 1HS, 4 snatches, 3 front squat, 2 military press, 1 bent press per side on a 16 kg bell. No more than two to three rounds of that and then it's onto my main lifts for the day.
Click to expand...

I like that... stealing for my training. I'll refer to it as the "Powell warm-up" ;)
 
thanks @Steve Freides - that is good to know.

cheers @Sauli - I just realised that I have not been using rack at all really, unless on a clean, press or squat. As a 'resting' position it makes sense. I was using windmills and round the worlds, but a rack makes a lot of sense. 30 mins sounds insane! I was blowing hard after 10. I train BJJ, so thought it was a nice way to mimic a match time.

Thanks @Powell - I think I am noticing two ways flows are used. I have been using them without any plan at all - just doing whatever feels right at the minute (again, these are only my rest day) but there seems to be a lot of people who use the term to mean moving between exercises without rest. I guess the SS warmup is a flow from the point of view. I think I have always called them circuits. I do something similar for a warm up too; great before DLs.
 
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