Old Forum My Pressing Quest

[RTBJR]

**I am curious of Pavel's opinion on controlled negatives.

I am still within my 1st year of Kettlebell practice.  And after taking a few years off overhead pressing (dumbbell & barbell) - I have developed a love/hate relationship with my single arm kb overhead press.

I have a bell that is harder for me to press than I'd like to admit.  I want to make it easier.  If I warm up a touch and practice some tension activation - I can press it for 2 singles on my right, 0 on the left.

For January I practiced controlled negiatives with this bell.  I would safely get the bell up overhead.  Then controlled it down as slow as possible for the below rep scheme.

Monday = 6, singles each arm

Wednesday = 3 singles each arm

Friday = 4 singles each arm

This week I dropped down to the bell I own that weighs less than the one I practiced with in Jan.  It is 40% lighter.

I am practicing in ladders (3,5,7)=15 rep

Monday =4sets of 15 each arm

Wed= 2 sets of 15 each arm

Friday = 3 sets of 15 each arm

*I am debating with myself - if I should do the lower weight with higher repetition volume for the entire month; or alternate.  One week higher rep/followed by higher weight controlled negatives.

But then I do not remember reading any information about folks practicing active negatives with kettlebells ... and thought maybe I am just a fool

 

[Pavel]

Rob, for many reasons I am not a fan.

The simplest, safest, and most reliable way to build your press is to up the volume with ladders as in ROP.

"To press a lot you must press a lot."

 

[Mark Limbaga]

Rob,

 

Do you mind sharing with us your program as a whole and the weights you use?

 

[RTBJR]

Thank you Mr. Tsatsouline. I greatly respect your advise.  I will get to pressing & keep to pressing.

Mark, I was using my 44 for the negatives last month.

I started using the 32 this week for my reps.

Monday, Press 32 (3,5,7) x 4

Today, Press 32 (3,5,7) x 2

Friday, Press 32 (3,5,7) x 3

 

 

 

[ctygesen]

Thing is, Rob, on your plan, you're getting in only 135 presses per arm in a week. If you were doing ROP, you'd get in 155 per arm by the end of the program.

I've been re-doing the ROP starting with the 16kg. I can press the 24 a solid 3-4 times, but could only push-press the 32. Just re-tested after 12 weeks with the 16kg and the 32 went up cleanly three times. Haven't re-tested the 24kg yet but since I'm starting another cycle with those bells, I'm not really worried about owning the 24. 12 weeks from now, I will.

There's real power in just doing the program the way it's written.

 

 

[Phil12]

Rob, since you have a way to get the bell up maybe you are already doing TGUs, but I am a big fan of those in conjuction with the strict press. Completing the Simple goals of S&S left me not far off from a bodyweight overhead barbell press, and I push-pressed the half bodyweight bell the other day.

 

[RTBJR]

Thanks Phil, Chris, and of course Pavel.  I will re-focus.

I was too excited to be a chef.  I will go back to being a cook & dive into ROP recipe.

I am ashamed to say, I have never practiced ROP.  I read Enter the kettlbell, many years before I was ready to experiment outside my bodybuilding mentality/routine.

I will re-read & begin my practice.... I have also let me conditioning get away since testing; so if anybody sees a guy doubled over in Santa Monica beach gasping for air.. it might be this guy.

Thanks again.

 

[Mark Limbaga]

Rob,

 

One approach to the ROP you can do is add a density component to it.. Jody Beasley SFGII used that idea with his brother and it worked quite well.

 

From what I recall, at the peak his brother completed 5x1,2,3,4,5 in roughly 22 minutes with the 24 and managed to press the 32 five times

 

[Pavel]

Rob, pushing your reps to 7 will build muscle but will not build strength as fast as reps up to 5 would.

 

[Phil12]

Haha Rob, I also read Enter the Kettlebell and proceeded to ignore it for 3 years. When S&S came out I was ready and I have made more progress since then than in the preceding 3 years. Just do the ROP and report back with your gains.

 

[RTBJR]

Progress:

After this post/conversation:

I went re-read the Rite of Passage Program and marched my KB out to the field.

I did the press 32KG/pull up combo, for the pull up I wore my 27KG vest.

The first week I did the 5 ladders @ 5 rungs.

Did this for 3 weeks.  The presses felt easy - the pull ups get tough, especially reps 4 & 5 of ladder 4 & 5.

Yesterday, for a birthday gift to myself I bought a 40KG bell.

Took the bell straightaway to the park for Day 1:  Saturday/Heavy day.

I got 5 ladders @ 4 rungs (s.s. with pullups, no vest yet).

Finished with 120 swings.

It was a good day.