Kettlebell ROP Progression Question

[krg]

Thanks guys. As someone who has gone through an ROP with 20kg, then 24kg (slightly diverted / assisted by one of Al's swing n' press programmes) and is now on ladders to 4 with the 28 kg this thread is pure gold.

Those last few weeks of ROP are brutal volume-wise. In my case finishing with 24 still made the jump up to even 28 for ladders tough. I love the idea of repeating weeks 6-9 as a more sustainable way of 'owning a bell'.

 

[JSStevens]

Bridging the Gap Between Kettlebells in the Rite of Passage

I can't find my original notes and it can be a bit more complex than this, but doesn't have to be. If you can press one kettlebell for 5 ladders of 5 rungs, but can't quite press the next kettlebell size for 5 reps yet and you're just too bull-headed to stay with the lighter bell and build volume or density... then this is one approach to try
----------------------------------------------------

Using two different kettlebell sizes

• Kettlebell A = the bell you've previously completed the Rite of Passage with or can press for 10
• Kettlebell B = the next heavier bell is the bell you CAN press for 2 reps but CAN NOT yet press for 5 reps.

THEN
Use the following principles to create your own 3, 4 and 5 Rung ladders that are appropriate for you.

• Do three to five rungs per ladder as in Pavel's "Rite of Passage" pressing ladder.
• Each rung is harder than the last: either more reps or with a heavier bell
• Only perform 1/3 to 2/3 the reps you could do fresh with each bell in any given rung.
  
• Gradually add volume in the form of adding ladders as much as time allows, THEN choose a more difficult rep or rung scheme.

EXAMPLE I:
KB.A Kettlebell A = 10 Rep Max
KB.B Heavier Kettlebell B = 3 to 4 Rep Max

Here are sample ladders structures. Each example below is progressively harder than the one before it. Choose the appropriate one for you and gradually add ladders over the course of several weeks as in Enter the Kettlebell's "Rite of Passage" pressing program.

4-RUNG LADDER ( KB.A x 3,5,7) + ( KB.B x 1) ]
4-RUNG LADDER ( KB.A x 5,7) + ( KB.B x 1,1) ]
4-RUNG LADDER ( KB.A x 5,7) + ( KB.B x 1,2) ]
5-RUNG LADDER ( KB.A x 5, 7) + ( KB.B x 1, 1, 2)
5-RUNG LADDER ( KB.A x 5, 7) + ( KB.B x 1, 2, 2)

EXAMPLE II:
KB.A Kettlebell A = 10 RM
KB.B Heavier Kettlebell B = 2 RM

4-RUNG LADDER ( KB.A x 3,5,7) + ( KB.B x 1) ]
4-RUNG LADDER ( KB.A x 5,7) + ( KB.B x 1,1) ]
4-RUNG LADDER ( KB.A x 5,7) + ( KB.B x 1,1,1) ]
5-RUNG LADDER ( KB.A x 3,5,7) + ( KB.B x 1, 1)

EXAMPLE III:
KB.A Kettlebell A = 10 RM
KB.B Heavier Kettlebell B = 1 RM

DON'T USE KB.B for presses, it's too heavy. Use it for get ups or push presses instead. ;]

Etc...

 

[November Delta]

I will respectfully disagree with the advice to use a template like the ROP to "own" the weight by staying with it longer and trying to compress the rest periods or trying to do anything else with that kind of volume.

The end of the ROP features quite a high volume - the weekly volume in the last 4 weeks is 140, 145, 150, 155, which is about 600 presses, and that's per side, in 4 weeks. That's a _lot_ of pressing, sure to burn out some people, perhaps even many or most people, if kept up for long.

A quick review of the math:

Final week ROP (all numbers per side):

Heavy = 5 x (1-2-3-4-5) = 5 x 15 = 75
Medium = 5 x (1-2-3-4) = 5 x 10 = 50
Light = 5 x (1-2-3) = 5 x 6 = 30
=========================================
155 presses


Note that the previous 4 weeks are 87, 91, 95, then the big jump to 125. Those four weeks together are about 400 (again, per side), which is a much more sustainable number. The first 4 weeks are a great ramp up to the higher volume.

If you are smart, and if you feel you've gotten into the ROP a little bit above your head, stick with ladders to 4 on your heavy day, compress rest periods there, and get ready for a final 5-week push with ladders to 5, followed by a rest, a test, and some well-deserved time off.

Even better, don't just stick with ladders to 4, use weeks 6 through 9 of the template.

Here are your Heavy Days:

6: 3 x (1-2-3-4) & 2 x (1-2-3) = 42
7: 4 x (1-2-3-4) & 1 x (1-2-3) = 46
8: 5 x (1-2-3-4) = 50
9: 1 x (1-2-3-4-5) & 4 x (1-2-3-4) = 55

Your weeks 6 - 9 will total (H + M + L shown):

6: 42 + 30 + 15 = 87
7: 46 + 30 + 15 = 91
8: 50 + 30 + 15 = 95
9: 55 + 50 + 30 = 125

Take a week off, then repeat the above. 125 + 95 + 91 + 87 = ~400. When you're ready, go right from week #9 through to the end of the program, a final 4-week push plus your test.

Not everything you might wish to know about the ROP could possibly be in the book - the program is brilliant, and now that it's been out there for a few years, we can look at it and understand it even better.

I don't understand why the references to the 32 kg bell - it's just another size weight. No one can just add weight forever - that this fact becomes evident with a 32 kg bell while attempting the ROP is just a reflection of how strong or not people are at the time.

For most people, most of the time, if you start with the weight you're supposed to start with, you can finish the program in 13 weeks plus testing time.

NB: I attended PlanStrong and I will attend for a second time this July. Much of what I learned there you see applied above - I thank Pavel very much for what I learned; any mistakes are mine.

[Edit] to fix a math mistake, thanks to the Boss for pointing it out to me.

-S-

@Steve Freides

Just for clarification, this is not in the book? It bothers me a great deal to think I missed this detail.

As I read the book, it is a 5 week program and I am cooking an elbow with huge jumps in the number of presses. I wish I saw this earlier.

I like the program. After the elbow cools down I'll have to try out this progression.

 

[Steve Freides]

@November Delta, what specifically are you asking about being or not being in the book?

-S-