barrak
Level 6 Valued Member
This rant is in hope of starting a discussion and gaining insights with the objective of properly selecting kettlebell programming to match my running annual training plan (ATP).
Running programming is all about periodization from Base to Build to Peak to Transition (to borrow Joe Friel's language), so that the body doesn't get hammered all the time and eventually succumb to over-training and injuries. Competitive kettlebellers seem to be mindful of this necessity as well. However, the general kettlebell enthusiasts on this forum don't seem to care for it or appreciate it... until they burn out or get injured (I'm referring to my own past history as well).
For example, doing multiple rounds of ROP then switching to, say, multiple rounds of Q&D involves a continuous almost year long bout of weekly Zone 4 or 5 intervals. Even if the main goal is strength or mass gains and the targeted muscle groups are somewhat varied from one program to the next, I'm starting to suspect that the general trend is counterproductive. I'm not sure taking a week off, only to jump straight back to Zone 4-5 training, is what competitive athletes would typically do, unless they have a stretched Peak season.
Shouldn't periodization apply to kettlebell training for both targeted muscle groups and heart rate zones? If so, what would an ATP kettlebell progression look like?
More to my immediate objective, what would be good kettlebell programming to complement my running ATP during the following phases:
Phase I: Aerobic base development (Zones 1 and 2) and max strength development.
Phase II: Muscular endurance and speed skills development (sub-anaerobic) and strength maintenance.
Phase III: VO2Max development
I'm targeting my very first 5K and 10K events next spring. I just finished 3 of 12 weeks of of formal Phase I training, after ramping up my weekly run miles from zero to 20 miles throughout the summer. I have been including (during the last three weeks) heavy sets (2-3 reps) of C+P twice a week, heavy sandbag clean & carries once a week, light paused getups once a week, and pistol progressions twice a week.
Running programming is all about periodization from Base to Build to Peak to Transition (to borrow Joe Friel's language), so that the body doesn't get hammered all the time and eventually succumb to over-training and injuries. Competitive kettlebellers seem to be mindful of this necessity as well. However, the general kettlebell enthusiasts on this forum don't seem to care for it or appreciate it... until they burn out or get injured (I'm referring to my own past history as well).
For example, doing multiple rounds of ROP then switching to, say, multiple rounds of Q&D involves a continuous almost year long bout of weekly Zone 4 or 5 intervals. Even if the main goal is strength or mass gains and the targeted muscle groups are somewhat varied from one program to the next, I'm starting to suspect that the general trend is counterproductive. I'm not sure taking a week off, only to jump straight back to Zone 4-5 training, is what competitive athletes would typically do, unless they have a stretched Peak season.
Shouldn't periodization apply to kettlebell training for both targeted muscle groups and heart rate zones? If so, what would an ATP kettlebell progression look like?
More to my immediate objective, what would be good kettlebell programming to complement my running ATP during the following phases:
Phase I: Aerobic base development (Zones 1 and 2) and max strength development.
Phase II: Muscular endurance and speed skills development (sub-anaerobic) and strength maintenance.
Phase III: VO2Max development
I'm targeting my very first 5K and 10K events next spring. I just finished 3 of 12 weeks of of formal Phase I training, after ramping up my weekly run miles from zero to 20 miles throughout the summer. I have been including (during the last three weeks) heavy sets (2-3 reps) of C+P twice a week, heavy sandbag clean & carries once a week, light paused getups once a week, and pistol progressions twice a week.