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Kettlebell ROP support group

Great insights guys! I appreciate your feedback!
@Steve Freides I remember having read somewhere that you could basically take all day to complete your ladder. This would probably be ideal in terms of strength gains but unfortunately less practical.
However, I will def loosen my time frame for future ROP cycles (not running it atm).
Dito for the rungs: that will probably take care of itself with more liberal rest periods.
 
Great insights guys! I appreciate your feedback!
@Steve Freides I remember having read somewhere that you could basically take all day to complete your ladder. This would probably be ideal in terms of strength gains but unfortunately less practical.
However, I will def loosen my time frame for future ROP cycles (not running it atm).
Dito for the rungs: that will probably take care of itself with more liberal rest periods.

if your goal is strength by improving neural pathways, rest as much as you want..

However, I do believe that once you have completed a cycle of ROP, you can repeat the cycle but aim to push the density
 
I do this often. It's a really peaceful experience to not be rushed, honestly it's the antithesis of daily life.
This is a struggle for me. I'm always trying to "get done" as soon as possible and live by the timer. A+A protocols are a real struggle because I can't rush through and sometimes I have to rest beyond the OTM pace. Yargghh!

We'll see how I do with ROP.
 
IMHO, this means you haven't chosen your weight or your rest periods well. You should be able to add one rung per week, and you should start a 1-2-3-4-5 ladder if all you've got in your is 1-2-3-4.

By way of personal example:

I'm timing myself today, and my guess is that I take longer than most folks, and the weight I'm using is still relatively light for me so I'll probably take even longer when I do the program again with a heavier weight.

Actually, here you go, each ladder to 5 was performed like this:

Start Reps approx. work and rest times

00:00 1L/R 0:15 work, 0:45 rest)
01:00 2L/R 0:25 work, 1:05 rest)
02:30 3L/R 0:35 work, 1:20 rest)
04:30 4L/R 0:45 work, 1:45 rest)
07:00 5L/R 0:55 work)

Finish each ladder w/ 10 light (45-85 lbs), high-bar back squats, very deep/relaxed at bottom.

Rest 8-10 minutes between ladders

-S-
Bookmarked.
 
I pushed density after going through the first time with a 24. Went through again with little to no rest between rungs. Worked well. The ROP is a program that can be run through several tines, several ways, etc.

The sneakiest ways to make ROP more lethal..

1. Push density
2. Add squats somewhere in between
 
Gentlefolks of the forum -- I just wanted to let you know that, yesterday, I clean and pressed the 32kg for the first time. I followed up 15 minutes later with a second successful lift just to be sure I was not fooling myself. I cannot overstate how impossible this lift seemed not that long ago. It almost feels like I have tapped into a sort of magic. Thanks for the helpful words along the way.

Regards,

Caleb
 
Gentlefolks of the forum -- I just wanted to let you know that, yesterday, I clean and pressed the 32kg for the first time. I followed up 15 minutes later with a second successful lift just to be sure I was not fooling myself. I cannot overstate how impossible this lift seemed not that long ago. It almost feels like I have tapped into a sort of magic. Thanks for the helpful words along the way.

Regards,

Caleb
Awesome! Please provide a summary of how you got there.

-S-
 
Please provide a summary of how you got there.

Yes sir -- I completed the RoP with the 16 kg a couple of years back, but, despite the 16 kg feeling very light, I could not even come close to beginning the program with 24kg. So, in 2017 I did relatively unproductive work with the 24kg doing push presses in an RoP ladder format; once my shoulders and elbows began barking at me I stopped.

In Autumn-Winter-Spring of 2017/18 I switched to Simple and Sinister and achieved Simple in April 2018. I continued a regular S&S practice with the 32 kg until August 2018 when my wife got a 20kg for her birthday. I stole it and completed RoP with the 20kg quickly and easily. I then embarked on RoP with the 24kg -- at the beginning my new max with the 24kg was (I believe) 10 C&P with the right arm and 6 with the left (I was amazed by these numbers).

I progressed through RoP to three heavy day ladders to 4 rungs, but I had screwed up. Reviewing the forum I realized that I had not properly made the big jumps that are programmed into the RoP schedule. By looking at forum discussions that Mr. Freides was having with other RoP travelers, I realized my mistake. I jumped back a couple of weeks to recapture the missed reps (and I feel personally that these recaptured reps were much needed). I also began, again thanks to the forum, incorporating a few singles and doubles with the 28kg on the light and medium day ladders.

A short time later I began to have difficulty making the progression on my heavy days. I again turned to the forum and realized that I was going way too fast. RoP absolutely allows for long rests, even a grease-the-groove approach to the program, and an encouraging word from a couple of gentlemen on the forum convinced me that it was OK to up the rest - significantly if necessary. Mr. Freides also posted an example of his lengthy rest times during a heavy day ladder. I lengthened my rest times significantly: I began a rung/ladder only once I felt like I could do the next set of called-for reps. I then began progressing smoothly again. My last heavy day was three ladders to five rungs and two ladders to four. Yesterday was a medium day of five ladders to four. About thirty minutes after yesterday's workout and without much thought I just decided to give the 32 kg a try and it went up with relative good form and fluidity for a max effort. 15 minutes later I did it again.

Much of the nuance that helped me get this far is in Mr. Pavel's books, but it was the forum that helped me slow down, notice the nuance and make the adjustments (still withing program parameters!) that have allowed me to achieve a long-time, once seemingly impossible goal. Now a half body weight press (36kg) seems much more doable.

Regards,

Caleb
 
I started the ROP with the 24kg as of the new year. I haven’t done it for probably three years or so. The 36kg bell would be my 1/2 BW. So, I’ve got a ways to go. My memory is that last time I worked my way up through the 24 to the 28kg and started ladders with the 28kg but the low volume of the beginning of the program was not enough to sustain my momentum and I started losing ground. My RM was around 6 with the 28kg when I started the next cycle and then it dropped down to 4 when I decided to change programs.

I may be overthinking it since I just started the 24 but any recommendations for sustaining the momentum when I finish the program with the 24kg?
 
I started the ROP with the 24kg as of the new year. I haven’t done it for probably three years or so. The 36kg bell would be my 1/2 BW. So, I’ve got a ways to go. My memory is that last time I worked my way up through the 24 to the 28kg and started ladders with the 28kg but the low volume of the beginning of the program was not enough to sustain my momentum and I started losing ground. My RM was around 6 with the 28kg when I started the next cycle and then it dropped down to 4 when I decided to change programs.

I may be overthinking it since I just started the 24 but any recommendations for sustaining the momentum when I finish the program with the 24kg?

Did you consider pushing the density with the 24?
 
So, staying with ladders of 5 on the heavy day and increasing density? I can try that. I think that the issue is that at my age (50 yo) most of my gains are CNS and not hypertrophy. I think that with the 28kg bell the volume early in the program is not enough to sustain the CNS gains that I made at the end of the previous cycle.
 
Just finished ROP 24 kg. That final day of presses was brutal, but I’m relieved I’m finally done. That was a ton of pressing volume for the past few weeks.

I have my eye on starting the 28 kg ROP, but know I need to give myself a rest period. Does anyone have advise on how long you should wait to start the cycle over again?
 
Just finished ROP 24 kg. That final day of presses was brutal, but I’m relieved I’m finally done. That was a ton of pressing volume for the past few weeks.

I have my eye on starting the 28 kg ROP, but know I need to give myself a rest period. Does anyone have advise on how long you should wait to start the cycle over again?
Did you test at the end of your 24 kg ROP?

A week off is a good guideline. Stretch, walk, recover.

-S-
 
I just finished Soju and Tuba with the 32 kg. I tested out at 5L 6R from 2L 3R. I'm 170lbs (10lbs gain in 3 months) and am doing BJJ 3-4x a week. I've been putting on a lot of meat since swinging 40kg and pressing 32, so I'm torn between a hypertrophy program and "things are going so well help me screw it up" sticking with pressing 32. Thoughts on the following options?:

ROP with 28 and front squats
ROP with 30 and front squats
KB Muscle with 16s
KB Muscle with 18s

Primary goal is hypertrophy and secondary is a 40kg press.
 
Congrats!
You can't really go wrong with any of these options.
If hypertrophy is your main goal go for KB Muscle @ 2x20. 16 or 18 would be too light for you.
 
Update: a hare ran up my a#@ and I pressed 40kg L and R, in the afternoon after beers and Vietnamese BBQ, no warmup. That's more than 1/2 BW! Secondary goal achieved; it's time to get some beach muscles.
 
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