Kettlebell S&S "Light" day, not so light?

[Chris Beasley]

I felt like trying something different yesterday, and after having read Pavel's recent article, I decided to throw in a "light" day (since he recommends them as an excellent addition to the program).

Well, this morning, I am sore in a way I've yet to be on the normal program

I dropped down a bell size for the swings and worked on overspeed mechanics, really driving the bell into the hole as much as I could with control. I kept this up for each rep of each set. Then I did turkish getups with similar easy weight, pausing for ten seconds at each stage of the movement (which made one set take a couple minutes!).

All in all, I'm not sure how much that workout is aiding recovery. The weight was lower, certainly, but the swings were more aggressive and the getups so much longer, leading to lots of sore muscles.

Have you guys experienced this on your "light" days? I may need to back off on the number of sets using overspeed mechanics, or the number of times I pause during the getups. Then again, this also seems like an excellent way of revisiting a lighter weight and working on a different level of control with it. So, not really "lighter" as far as effort, but targeting the muscles in a different way to promote adaptation.

What are your experiences on deload days for S&S?

 

[crazycanuck]

I am finding the same thing and tend to just take a day off instead or at least do shoe getups and general mobility . My current one arm swing weight is 16kg and I am working on adding 20kg, and I have 3 of 5 sets of getups at 16 kg.... Female here. I am in that place where a bell lower for swings at 12kg feels very awkward, yet 30 percent of my bodyweight is actually 20kg in which I have had the same experiences as you. Even with the 16kg.

Rest days and doing about no more than 4 sessions in a row seems to be looking like my sweet spot (i am also a shiftworker and approaching my late 40's though)

 

[Pavel Macek]

"Light" does not mean easy

Question: Did you follow the specifications for "light" day option?

 

[Chris Beasley]

Pavel, I think I did. At least, I was aiming to

I didn't use 30% of my bodyweight because that's actually heavier than my current working weight. Instead, I just dropped down a bell size or two. Otherwise, I used the fast eccentrics for the sets of swings and the ten second pauses during the get ups. I went ahead and completed the full number of sets and reps as usual.

 

[coachnathanwhite]

@Chris Beasley For me, I always put my focus on moving well first and the weight second. If I am regularly swinging the 32 on a normal day then my light day will be a 14 or 16.

It's not about the weight, because with experience you will be able to still generate plenty of speed and power with a light bell. If you are getting really sore then modify the protocol. Everyone is different and will have varying training adaptations. Focus on excellent technique and the rest will fall into place for you.

 

[Shahaf Levin]

@Chris Beasley , 10 secs in each position is a loooong time to be under tension, specially while balancing weight overhead, so if your work weight (or bell collection) does not allow for substantial reduction in weight try shorter pause periods, or maybe shoe TGU like @crazycanuck.

For swings, high-energy overspeed eccentric is top-of-the-food-chain (think plyometrics). "really driving the bell into the hole as much as I could" sounds to me like high energy. So again, if you can't go much lower than working weight try just "plain" overspeed, and not as hard as you can. Don't worry, with time you will increase the energy...

 

[pet']

Hello,

It is always possible to swing a lighter weight to work more power than strength, and then, doing the shoe GU or very slow GU with a lighter bell.

That way it is possible to rest while working on technique.

Kind regards,

Pet'