Repeat Until Strong.
- Thread starter Pavel Macek
- Start date
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NoahMarek
Level 5 Valued Member
@Pavel Macek Thank you, sir! One question. Why do you perform 2-3 bent presses per set instead of 1-2? It seems that most people favor lower reps and on heavy days, that seems like a lot of volume for the bent press.
Various reasons:
- Pavel has recommended in the past doubles/triples
- many old-timers did train singles - but heavy singles. Others have recommended doubles, triples, sets of five, or even higher - for practice
- Kurt Saxon (brother of Arthur Saxon) has recommended about 30 reps daily volume
- depending on the phase of the program, you will do between 12 (minimum) to 30 reps (maximum), each side - 30 reps being the heavy day (which is actually a light day of ROP)
- the weight is not that heavy - nowhere close to your 1 RM
- I wanted the number of sets (6, 8, or 10) match the snatch, for simplicity (originally I did only 5 sets, no volume variability)
- so far it works great - what I want to see what happens if it gets heavier
- it is not a beginner's program - hence Royal S&S
Any comments appreciated - still in the testing phase.
NoahMarek
Level 5 Valued Member
@Pavel Macek I am not sure how to pm you on here so I sent you a direct message to your Instagram page with my email. I would love to start working on Royal S&S if you are open to sharing it. Thank you!
How about finishing the ROP first that you have mentioned in your previous post?
NoahMarek
Level 5 Valued Member
Point taken, but here is my dilemma. I just finished 14 weeks of KB Strong (phase 1 and 2) and basically jumped right into ROP afterward. So in addition to being a little tired of focusing on the strict press for the last 18 1/2 weeks, I want to put more focus on snatching to prepare for the TSC. Snatching once a week for only a few minutes (for example yesterday I rolled the dice and got just 3 minutes worth of snatching for the week) doesn't quite give me the confidence that snatching frecuently would. I did 100 reps w/ 24kg in the TSC last spring and clean and pressed 2x32kg for 4 reps after Strong a few weeks ago. My bw is 80kg and I can't quite press the 40kg but am very close. I guess I was thinking it would be nice to switch to a different press variation and focus on the snatch more so I can better prepare for the TSC. I am not worried about my deadlift and pull up and will just maintain those with very low volume. What do you think I should do? I trust your opinion. @Pavel Macek
@NoahMarek
- 14 weeks of KB Strong (phase 1 and 2) - excellent
- ROP - excellent. Of course, u1-2 week of active rest after finishing the previous program, or even some block of Easy Strength/park bench practice would be better
- ROP is obviously not a best program for TSC
I would continue with the ROP, and meet the 1/2 bodyweight standard, skip the TSC, or attend TSC and not expect/shoot for any high numbers - just see where are you at even if you are on a different program. After you finish ROP, it is a good time to jump on this program.
- 14 weeks of KB Strong (phase 1 and 2) - excellent
- ROP - excellent. Of course, u1-2 week of active rest after finishing the previous program, or even some block of Easy Strength/park bench practice would be better
- ROP is obviously not a best program for TSC
I would continue with the ROP, and meet the 1/2 bodyweight standard, skip the TSC, or attend TSC and not expect/shoot for any high numbers - just see where are you at even if you are on a different program. After you finish ROP, it is a good time to jump on this program.
NoahMarek
Level 5 Valued Member
I did take 2 weeks off between Strong and ROP. And I don't care about having great numbers for the TSC, I just want to have decent numbers. I think ROP will allow me to do that just fine. Anyway, I will stay on course and finish what I started. Looking forward to Royal S&S afterward 
jhpowers
Level 6 Valued Member
Pavel, I was curious to hear that you have been experimenting with some of the Wim How stuff. I've been doing it or experimenting with variations of it over the past few months. I feel like the cold showers are very energizing and improve my recovery. Also, if I do the breathing in the morning then I am energized for the day and end up drinking less coffee.
One thing that I have been doing that some people on the Wim How Facebook page have also mentioned is that I do a variation of the breathing between sets of my workout. I am currently doing Kettlebell Strong with a pair of 24kg. Immediately before each set I do 30 breaths with a long inhale and short exhale (per Wim Hoff), but I don't do the breath retentions. I tried that once while standing before a set and got light headed. I don't want to pass out with bells overhead. I've found that this breathing method gives me more power and I seem to recover faster from the workout. Pure speculation, but I know that the breathing alkalinizes the blood. I wonder whether this counters lactic acid build up.
In any case, can you say more about your own experiments with breathing and cold showers? How specifically have they impacted your training and or recovery?
One thing that I have been doing that some people on the Wim How Facebook page have also mentioned is that I do a variation of the breathing between sets of my workout. I am currently doing Kettlebell Strong with a pair of 24kg. Immediately before each set I do 30 breaths with a long inhale and short exhale (per Wim Hoff), but I don't do the breath retentions. I tried that once while standing before a set and got light headed. I don't want to pass out with bells overhead. I've found that this breathing method gives me more power and I seem to recover faster from the workout. Pure speculation, but I know that the breathing alkalinizes the blood. I wonder whether this counters lactic acid build up.
In any case, can you say more about your own experiments with breathing and cold showers? How specifically have they impacted your training and or recovery?
Today's practice: Royal S&S
- move prep, 3 rounds of: 16 kg - armbar to bent arm bar, pump - 5x, Hack squat - 5x.
- snatch - easy session: 6 sets each hand: 4 (24 kg), 4 (28 kg), 4 (28 kg), 28 (28 kg), 4 (28 kg), 4 (28 kg) - always left, rest, right, rest (= 1 set)
- bent presses - medium session: 8 sets each hand: 2 (28 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32), 2 (28) - always left and right, rest (= 1 set)
- move prep, 3 rounds of: 16 kg - armbar to bent arm bar, pump - 5x, Hack squat - 5x.
- snatch - easy session: 6 sets each hand: 4 (24 kg), 4 (28 kg), 4 (28 kg), 28 (28 kg), 4 (28 kg), 4 (28 kg) - always left, rest, right, rest (= 1 set)
- bent presses - medium session: 8 sets each hand: 2 (28 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32 kg), 2 (32), 2 (28) - always left and right, rest (= 1 set)
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@jhpowers I personally would not advise to do any WHM breathing during the practice with the weights. I do nose breathing, Fast & Loose drills, relax.
My observation: it is necessary to find the effective dose - when I was training heavy and doing long cold (really cold, like in the mountains) showers, I actually had less energy. Enough is enough - in my case right now daily cold shower around 2 minutes.
As for breathing exercises, after 150 days I switched to another breathing exercise from my style of martial arts.
My observation: it is necessary to find the effective dose - when I was training heavy and doing long cold (really cold, like in the mountains) showers, I actually had less energy. Enough is enough - in my case right now daily cold shower around 2 minutes.
As for breathing exercises, after 150 days I switched to another breathing exercise from my style of martial arts.
snatch - easy - 6 sets
bent press - medium - 8 sets
Do You always add one heavier sets ? 24,28,28,28, etc..
For time being, yes, I add a heavier weight (or rep, depending on the phase I am in) every session, as the weights are still relatively light, nowhere close to my max. But it will change, of course, as the weight get heavier.
Michael Scott
Level 7 Valued Member
@Michael Scott we have kettlebells all the way up to 92 kg ;-)
Michael Scott
Level 7 Valued Member
After seeing your demonstrated power in many videos, I am sure @Pavel Macek that we will one day see you moving that kettlebell as well.....
Thank you @Michael Scott . Right now the goal is snatch 32 kg comfortably for reps, and snatch test with 28, bent press 48 on my left and 56 on my right. Doable. No hurry.
Today's practice: Rest day
...which means lots of writting ,video editing, interview in a radio, and teaching martial arts for 3 hours.
Today's picture: A lift which is today usually called as Jefferson Curl.
- Alan Calvert, Super-Strength, 1924.
Note: Careful - start with no weight at all, and then with a very light weight. Stay with it for few weeks, and then increase it slightly. Don’t think in breaking any record - this is not a regular deadlift, but a very special and very useful drill - if you do it correctly.
Detailed progression is taught in the Simplex Antifragile Strong workshop which I have taught for the first time about a year ago and which I am still refining. Article in the works as well.
...which means lots of writting ,video editing, interview in a radio, and teaching martial arts for 3 hours.
Today's picture: A lift which is today usually called as Jefferson Curl.
“An exercise to develop the muscles which run along either side of the spine, and which do most of the work in lifting a heavy weight from the ground. This exercise can be made more effective if you stand on a box, a pile of books, as this will enable you to bend further over.”
- Alan Calvert, Super-Strength, 1924.
Note: Careful - start with no weight at all, and then with a very light weight. Stay with it for few weeks, and then increase it slightly. Don’t think in breaking any record - this is not a regular deadlift, but a very special and very useful drill - if you do it correctly.
Detailed progression is taught in the Simplex Antifragile Strong workshop which I have taught for the first time about a year ago and which I am still refining. Article in the works as well.