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Kettlebell ROP support group

Today was my first ever snatch test. All in all, I'm quite happy: 86 reps in 5 mins with the 24kg, broke down as
10+10, 10+10, 10+8, 8+8, 6+6

(stopped after 4:30, could probably have squeezed some more out)

Hands feel OK afterwards, though I used a sock to cushion the downward movement. For a moment I thought I'd be able to maintain 10+10 per minute, but after 2 minutes my lungs were about to explode... I think I know now why it is said it's the closest thing to a fight.

A few more months of 1-h swings with the 32kg and I think I'll nail it.

As for pressing: I had to stop pressing on my right side as there is something wrong with that shoulder. It just hurts too much when going from the clean (no problem) to the press. All fine on the left, and no pain during heavy TGU's or swings/snatches. Will check things out with an SFG next week hopefully and in the meantime stop any kind of pressing that side.

I'm toying with the idea of a 2 week ROP break altogether and focusing on heavy 1-handed swings to improve conditioning. Today was meant to be the first 5 x(1,2,3,4,5)  (last week went to 4x), but I think it's just too much volume for me at the moment and I need to take a step back.
 
Hello!

I finished ROP with 20kg kb, but 24kg I can press only twice.

What should I do now??

Some advice?
 
did you complete it with a 1:1 work to rest ratio? If so, you can compress the rest periods and do your getups with a 24, if you can do so safely.
 
You would do your C&P in the normal H, M & L format but reduce the amount of rest between your ladders. You can use the variety days for the 24kg TGU, the ETKB bonus document mentions doing Loaded Cleans & TGUs on variety day 2 (5x5 and 5x1 for each side is a suggestion.... so you would do 5 loaded cleans on left, 5 on the right then TGU on the left and right... then start again - at least that is my understanding)
 
Faisal, have you moved onto the 24 yet?

I'm still ploughing away and taking my time with it. Did a full (1,2,3,4,5) x 5 on the left last Saturday and it felt good, but I'm taking it easy with my right shoulder and replacing some of the higher reps on the right with TGU 32kg once I feel a bit of a strain (around the 3rd ladder). My swings are all single-handed with the 32kg now, and I'm very tempted to get a 40kg at some point.
 
Hey FP, good to hear of your progress, is the shoulder getting better?

I'm enjoying the PM too much to return to the ROP for now so might carry on a little longer, week 4 at the moment... I do 5 days of combined 5 TGUs per side with a 24kg and a 100 swings with the 32kg. Noticing tangible strength gains with this method, like yesterday I could have easily carried on after the 5 TGUs if I had more time and my rest between reps is a lot less compared to 3 weeks ago.
 
Sounds like a good plan and you're bound to make great progress as you tackle that 24 and 32. I remember a TGU with a 24 being really, really challenging not that long ago, now I do them as a warm-up every day, and the 32 TGU is also getting easy. Might go back to PM at some point too but would definitely need a 40kg then to keep progressing, I think. Still enjoying the ROP so I'll stick with it until the 24 feels comfortable and until that shoulder has fully recovered. It felt great again after not pressing anything on it for a week, but then I ramped up the volume on it again too quickly and the strain came back, so still taking it easy that side and will finally do that SFG check-up very soon I hope.
 
Hit a new PR the other night and  got a strict press with my 32kg (FINALLY!). This has eluded me for far too long so it felt good watching that thing go up. Got it for 2 singles on my right and one on my left. RoP started this past Monday to eventually get the 1/2 BW press down. Was also thinking of throwing in some handstand holds in there as well for stability.

Was debating doing Rop with the 28kg this time around since my goal is to feel comfortable with getting the 36 pressed by the end of the year but I won't be hurt if I don't. As long as I get it when it matters in April (Level II cert)

After much deliberation I started RoP again with the 24 to really own the weight. I have 7 months to get the 36kg up for my requirement and I want to own that sucker for 5 solid reps and not just 1 rep max.

 

Starting out with 3 ladders of 3 this week and I'll start increasing the volume next week.

 

Been a while since I've done this program but looking forward to the results in the next 6 months or so.
 
Finished the ROP with the 20kg and tested today.

My last Heavy Day was 5 x 1,2,3,4,5 C&P 20kg  and 5 x 1,2,3,4 alternating BW pull-up & 12kg loaded chin-up.  I was doing one rung less on the pull-ups to emphasize the press and let my forearms catch up on the volume.  Next time through I will use same weight (12kg) for pull-ups and reverse grip (chin-ups) and maybe do same number of rungs.  I was swinging the 24kg.

Test Results: C&P 24kg  5 rep L, 4 rep R    Snatched the 20kg 100 times in 4:58.

The C&P on the left, I pushed out a 6th rep that turned into more of a side press so I didn't count it.  My right is my dominant side so I am not sure what happened??  It felt light then I got 1/2 way up on the 5th rep and nothing.  I got the 100 reps in the snatch test but it was not easy or pretty in the last 30s.  I will video tape it next time so I can "judge" it afterwards.

When I started the ROP with the 20kg, I could press the 24kg only for singles, and could not snatch the 16kg for 100/5min.  Needless to say, I'm pretty happy with the progress.  I gained about 2kg, I'm now 78kg and the Omron says I am still ~14% BF, so mostly muscle gain.

One thing I noticed is that in the past 4-5 weeks, the 20kg started to feel so easy to press that I was getting sloppy with my tension techniques since I didn't really need them to press the bell up.  BAD, I know.  I also started dropping some of my variety days in order to recover from the longer press days so I was missing out on some valuable practice time with the get-up.  I think this all cost me on test day.  I will take the RoP slower next time and keep doing some get-ups with the heavier bell so I keep ingraining the tension techniques.

What do folks recommend at this point?  I'd like to get after the RoP with the 24kg, but should I S&S for a couple of weeks and retest?  Maybe spend longer on S&S and hit the Simple goal?  Pretty sure I'd be ready for the 24kg RoP at that point.  Thoughts welcome.
 
Good work ctuozzolo.. perhaps do a naked warrior program since its low volume? Then do another round of ROP if pressing a heavier bell is your goal
 
I would think it wise to consider giving your system a new and very different stimulus. Higher rep bodybuilding/ calastetics and such. Just a simple 4-6 week phase and then pursue rop again.
 
<a title="View ctuozzolo's profile" href="http://www.strongfirst.com/users/crt1/">ctuozzolo</a>, well done! Do the Program Minimum (ETK or S&S) until you can do it with a 70-pounder, then go back to ROP.
 
<a title="View ctuozzolo's profile" href="http://www.strongfirst.com/users/crt1/">ctuozzolo</a>, nice work, and congratulations to you!

Your observations about the weight feeling light and your form tending to get sloppy for that reason are also what I've experienced on the ROP - treat this as a sign of your strength.  Your workout weight has become a toy - fantastic!  And also take it as a reminder that the ROP demands toughness of mind as well as of body to keep concentrating on proper form for every repetition, even when you're doing 150 of them in a single workout.

Again, excellent work and a harbinger of things to come for you, I'm sure.

Last but not least, consider a periodic visit with an SFG if you don't do that already - sometimes even a single technique correction or tip can set you up for an extended period of progress.

-S-
 
Chief, Gentlemen, Thank you for your support and feedback!  A change of pace would be good and so S&S with an eye on the 32kg it is.

Steve:  Yes, the challenge of the longer heavy days definitely becomes more mental than physical.  Your advice is well taken.  I have a new outlook on it and next time through when the weight gets that light feeling, I will treat the practice like a poomsae (kata) taking my time and focusing on all the details.  I have been to an SFG a few times but need to make it a more regular thing.  Thanks also for this reminder, good coaching is indeed priceless.

Best,
Chris

 

 
 
Great thread!  Just looking for feedback on PM.  After reading S&S, I understand limiting the swing to 10 reps.  Do many of you alter the PM or work to 50 reps per set as outlined in EOS workbook?
 
I used the EOS workbook at the start but someone here advised to throw it away and it was the best thing I did for my PM training... Do the PM as written in ETK or S&S if you want more specific reps and sets and disregard the EOS workbook
 
Faisal.

Thanks for input!  What have you found as successful during your PM that you could share?
 
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