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Kettlebell Options After Achieving Simple

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Jakub Lawik

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Hello All,

This is my first post so I will quickly introduce myself.
I am 32 year old 5'11 165 pounder. I have no physical issues but stiff neck after my 8 hours in the office in front of the computer. Since I was around 10 I trained something. Be it basketball or karate. Recent few years I spent training according to cross fit bro-science in the gym. I lacked results but liked kettlebell training. So I decided to read Pavel's "Simple and Sinister" book and give it a go.

I started training on Jan 6th, 2018. Moved to 24 kg TGU after two weeks. Started using 32 kg bell around Feb 20th (and got to performing all the sets with it in about two weeks). I accomplished simple goal on April 5th and repeated the feat on April 6th and 7th.

In the meantime I read few other Pavel books ("Naked Warrior", "Enter the Kettlebell" and "Superjoints"). Then I went for Paul Wade, Ashley Kalym and Dan John books. It was enlightening to learn how Today's gym bro-science is far away from truth.

Now I am looking for new challenge and would like to take up "Rite of Passage" training. I have couple of questions in that regard:
1. Should I keep swinging 32kg bell or rather reduce it to 24kg for starters?
2. What do you recommend for variety days? I was thinking about including 32kg TGU to retain the skills I've gained in the PM . What besides that not to interfere with but rather supplement RoP?

Regards,
Jakub
 
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Hello and congrats for your achieving Simple !

1. As you are expected to do your swings after your presses, I'd suggest you adjust the weight for your swings depending on how tired you are after the presses

2. A bunch of years ago Pavel wrote 2 short add-ons to ETK, 2 articles named "Special Reports" that you could download for free on Pavel's previous editor's website (not sure if it's ok to be more specific on this forum). I hope they're stil available because the stuff recommended in them is pure gold for your variety days !
 
nice work!
1. @Seb. George is absolutely right, go by feel. there will be days when you'll be ready to swing a lot and some were the idea makes you sick to the stomach!
2. you've got options. 1 full S&S with a lighter bell, 50% of S&S with your working weight (ie 40-60 total swings and 2-3 TGU), some sort of easy strength practice with 2-3 movements (ie TGU, Double clean, DFSQ) or some mix of all of it. Variety days are for practice and to get a littlebit of extra movement into your life.
 
@Jakub Lawik Welcome! When I did RoP with 16kg after Simple, I kept swinging the 32kg - but on the later heavy press days it was too much. The swings were not crisp and powerful. I believe RoP is designed to be done with the same bell for C&P, swing, and snatch.
 
@Jakub Lawik Welcome! When I did RoP with 16kg after Simple, I kept swinging the 32kg - but on the later heavy press days it was too much. The swings were not crisp and powerful. I believe RoP is designed to be done with the same bell for C&P, swing, and snatch.

Well, I would not agree 100%
If the swings are not crisp then use a lighter weight, sure.
Or just follow @Mark Limbaga excellent advice and really get the best of both worlds.
Like:

Mo: RoP medium press
Tue: S&S
Wed: RoP light press + easy snatches
Thu: off
Fri: RoP heavy press
Sat: S&S
Sun: off

If you want to, you can alternate pullups with presses as described in the book.
 
You can also continue with S&S using a heavier weight than 32kg - maybe 36 for instance to begin with. I've had a heck of a time trying to move up to 40kg though, which isn't necessarily a bad thing since 32kg is pretty darn heavy already for such a daily routine!
 
If you have a stiff neck at the end of the day, you may want to look at your workstation arrangements, and take regular breaks. Good posture is important! I improved mine with the help of this device:
 
I could relieve most of my deck jockey neck stiffness with neck nods from original strength:
Original Strength

Mostly I lie on my stomach, push through the elbows (kind of like an easy upward dog from yoga) and then look up and down and over my shoulders, breathing calmly. Sometimes I repeat this on all fours. Or I vary the angle between arms and torso.
Check out these articles:
The Best Reset for the Sitting Lifestyle | Original Strength

The 2nd Best Reset For the Sitting Lifestyle | Original Strength
 
Thank you for a lot of useful advice.

I am likely to go with S&S (maybe reduced to less sets but I am yet to figure that out) on variety days.

I also certainly need to try some exercises on the stiff neck. Unfortunatelly it seems it won't go away unassisted:)

I have one more question: should I use just single bell size for etire RoP. I am aft er my first RoP session yesterday. 24kg was too heavy for C&P but I snatched it 100 times in my rolled 8 minutes without too much strain. I always had much stronger legs / back than the torso. (e.g. I've cleared simple standard in swings 2 weeks before get ups)
 
Thank you for a lot of useful advice.

I am likely to go with S&S (maybe reduced to less sets but I am yet to figure that out) on variety days.

I also certainly need to try some exercises on the stiff neck. Unfortunatelly it seems it won't go away unassisted:)

I have one more question: should I use just single bell size for etire RoP. I am aft er my first RoP session yesterday. 24kg was too heavy for C&P but I snatched it 100 times in my rolled 8 minutes without too much strain. I always had much stronger legs / back than the torso. (e.g. I've cleared simple standard in swings 2 weeks before get ups)
I believe RoP is intended for the same bell for C&P and swings/snatches, but it also says “It’s your call” when to move up in weight for the ballistics.

So if you have 20kg, that may be your press ladder bell and 24kg for swings and snatches.
 


Is that a very young, time-travelling Mike Farrell (B.J. Hunnicutt from M*A*S*H)?

(I don't have audio on, so I'm not sure what this guy sounds like.)
 
you can do whatever you like with the swing, but sets are longer than 10 should be used in my opinion. For variety day, heavy get up is my favorite, maybe 5 minutes rest between sets. Some double bell work if you like
 
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