Kettlebell S&S zombies

[Deleted member 316]

As I understand it, S&S was never intended to be the only thing you do but something that you could do in addition to anything else you were doing. Simply doing it four times a week with two other days for pressing, bodyweight, or whatever focus you had would seem to be a solution. Or three and three or three and two or whatever.

Sleep more definitely. Unless you are going to bed at 8:30 pm, you can't possibly be getting enough sleep, especially for someone who is physically active. Richard Smith: Why We Sleep—one of those rare books that changes your worldview and should change society and medicine - The BMJ

The advice to have a goal is good even if it is just a focus like "increase press." I take an approach with different goals for different seasons of the year. For example, winter for deadlift when I have less work and don't want to diet. Spring and Summer for energy systems and bodyweight/martial arts/kettlbell endurance, weight control, getting outside.

I read an interesting article a few years back that suggested this. It broke down the various seasons/times of the year and what you're more likely to be doing (summer fun time so more cardio type etc. That sort of thing). It also included dietary guidelines or suggestions to correspond to. For the life of me I can't find it. It was a kettlebell website that I think had ties to sfg.

 

[Relic]

If time in the morning is an issue, I always found getting ready to leave between sets to work really well. I’d do a set, brush my teeth, do a set pick out my clothes, do a set, shave, etc. Not ideal, but it reduces your time “cost” to little more than the total time the bell is in your hand.

This, for me, is one of the great benefits of not having to go to a gym and I do it all the time. Between sets I'm doing dishes, throwing a load of clothes in the washer, taking out the garbage, etc. Hmm, maybe there's a book idea there. "Get Strong. Clean Your Room.", with a Forward by Jordan Peterson.

 

[guardian7]

This, for me, is one of the great benefits of not having to go to a gym and I do it all the time. Between sets I'm doing dishes, throwing a load of clothes in the washer, taking out the garbage, etc. Hmm, maybe there's a book idea there. "Get Strong. Clean Your Room.", with a Forward by Jordan Peterson.

At the PlanStrong seminar, Fabio mentioned that if your main goal is strength rather than hypertrophy, timing rest periods are not as critically important. He mentioned that some trainers space out their sets in between meeting clients across the day. This way they can keep up with a fairly intensive plan by breaking the reps into small blocks of time. I have followed a press program by doing reps in my office interspersed throughout the day while working on the computer.

 

[Glen]

I read an interesting article a few years back that suggested this. It broke down the various seasons/times of the year and what you're more likely to be doing (summer fun time so more cardio type etc. That sort of thing). It also included dietary guidelines or suggestions to correspond to. For the life of me I can't find it. It was a kettlebell website that I think had ties to sfg.

Are you meaning this one?

To Every Season: A Simple Way to Structure a Year of Training | StrongFirst

 

[Pavel Macek]

I mean absolutely no disrespect at all in regards to the title of my post. In actuality anyone who stays the course and can do it day in and day out, you have my utmost respect. The past few days I've been dragging and losing interest. Today, I hit the wall. There's no denying it works, but i need some variety. Maybe it has to do with getting up at 330am to do it, I don't know. I got through the goblet squats and halos (barely) and that was it. Mental and physical fog. I lost all will and drive. During my long drive to work this morning I came up with three options. 1. Intersperse the strength aerobics as per Pavels suggestion. 2. Alternate with the push press, also Pavels idea. 3. Just take a complete break and maybe just go for a walk first thing in the morning before work. I thought about alternating with the armour building complex, but since I'm doing deadlifts after work, I don't want to push too much too hard

1) ave 2 variety days/week. I do S&S, heavy, 4x/week, and on the variety days, I do mine "Sword, Spear, and Shield" protocol (review of all other SFG skills) and StrongFirst RESILIENT: all quite light, without worrying about sets/reps. Main training days - simple, 3 drills, heavy. Variety days - lots of variety, many drills, light. That keeps me strong, healthy, and sane.

2) Take occasionally a week off - and do "random act of variety", or nothing.

 

[Yurik]

I mean absolutely no disrespect at all in regards to the title of my post. In actuality anyone who stays the course and can do it day in and day out, you have my utmost respect. The past few days I've been dragging and losing interest. Today, I hit the wall. There's no denying it works, but i need some variety. Maybe it has to do with getting up at 330am to do it, I don't know. I got through the goblet squats and halos (barely) and that was it. Mental and physical fog. I lost all will and drive. During my long drive to work this morning I came up with three options. 1. Intersperse the strength aerobics as per Pavels suggestion. 2. Alternate with the push press, also Pavels idea. 3. Just take a complete break and maybe just go for a walk first thing in the morning before work. I thought about alternating with the armour building complex, but since I'm doing deadlifts after work, I don't want to push too much too hard

What really helped me was following the advice of Dan John in this order: 1. Reach Simple Goal 2. Follow ROP 3. Reach Sinister Goal 4. Double Kettlebell work (bodyweight press 2H).
I am currently progressing in S&S 40 KG Swings and Get-ups on a daily basis. When i will reach the feeling that i own that weight i will follow S&S with the "From Simple To Sinister" plan written by Pavel (Monthly number of lifts, waviness of reps). After the 40 Kg mark I plan to follow ROP with my next weight (32 Kg on presses and 24 on snatches). My focus will be on the press. I plan to follow a different aproach to reach my snatch test goal (allso a plan from the SFG community). After half bodyweight press and snatches i will focus on Sinister Goal. After that, well that's just future music.

The key in my opinion is to focus on a long and short term goal and accept / embrace the aproach you are using, but the most important thing is having fun. That is all up to you.
My WTH moment with S&S came after reaching the Simple goal. Now, swinging a 40KG, beating the air out of my lungs and pressing me into the ground with TGU feels quite challenging and rewarding!
The times i shake somebody's hand and he feels like being stuck in a vise saying "Whooo, that's a firm handshake", i laugh my pants off.
Allso as a law enforcer, feeling strong as an ox and being able to overcome a lot of stressy sitiuations just by "being stronger".
These are the moments i know that this SFG aproach is really rewarding!

Just make and keep it interesting for yourself and focus.

 

[guardian7]

1) ave 2 variety days/week. I do S&S, heavy, 4x/week, and on the variety days, I do mine "Sword, Spear, and Shield" protocol (review of all other SFG skills) and StrongFirst RESILIENT: all quite light, without worrying about sets/reps. Main training days - simple, 3 drills, heavy. Variety days - lots of variety, many drills, light. That keeps me strong, healthy, and sane.

2) Take occasionally a week off - and do "random act of variety", or nothing.

One of the best, but most neglected, ideas in fitness is after beginner to have some skills that you are just trying to maintain and others you are trying to progress in. You can't do everything as well as possible at once. Pavel M's approach makes a lot of sense as usual.

 

[Deleted member 316]

Are you meaning this one?

To Every Season: A Simple Way to Structure a Year of Training | StrongFirst

Nope. That's not it. I've been trying to find it, but can't. It's driving me nuts. Thank you though

 

[Sean Mulcahy]

Nope. That's not it. I've been trying to find it, but can't. It's driving me nuts. Thank you though

Might be this one ....
Balance...With Priorities | StrongFirst

 

[Deleted member 316]

Might be this one ....
Balance...With Priorities | StrongFirst

That's not it either.
In regards to the seasonal training type logic, would I be way of base if I did something like s&s with strength aerobics during spring and summer and s&s with ABC during fall and winter when calories are a plenty?
With my work schedule being as messed up as it is and now flip flopping nights to accommodate track time I'm thinking either completely dropping dead or more just a few if I'm home early. Or I might just swing a sledge if time allows before supper as it's the seasonal time for extra "cardio" and to relieve the stress and annoyance of where I work.

 

[Kozushi]

I mean absolutely no disrespect at all in regards to the title of my post. In actuality anyone who stays the course and can do it day in and day out, you have my utmost respect. The past few days I've been dragging and losing interest. Today, I hit the wall. There's no denying it works, but i need some variety. Maybe it has to do with getting up at 330am to do it, I don't know. I got through the goblet squats and halos (barely) and that was it. Mental and physical fog. I lost all will and drive. During my long drive to work this morning I came up with three options. 1. Intersperse the strength aerobics as per Pavels suggestion. 2. Alternate with the push press, also Pavels idea. 3. Just take a complete break and maybe just go for a walk first thing in the morning before work. I thought about alternating with the armour building complex, but since I'm doing deadlifts after work, I don't want to push too much too hard

My opinion (for what it's worth, maybe nothing) : get up out of bed and do some kind of exercise. If you want to walk then walk, if S&S then S&S, if some presses and snatches, then these, if some bodyweight moves, then these. Put a preference on S&S, so if you can, do S&S, but if you really don't want to, then do something else.

I wish the other stuff worked as well as S&S but it doesn't. However, it's still all good stuff to do.

I just finished S&S a few minutes ago and now I'm going on a walk.

 

[Deleted member 316]

I think I've figured it out. The different phases for the seasons. Spring a little more conditioning, summer baseline, fall more power, and winter hibernate the abs I mean a little more muscle.

 

[Tobias Wissmueller]

I think I've figured it out. The different phases for the seasons. Spring a little more conditioning, summer baseline, fall more power, and winter hibernate the abs I mean a little more muscle.

Am thinking about something similar, because I slowly see a pattern with "my year" as well. The vague idea is (one example)
- Jan to April -> S&S
- May to August -> Naked Warrior
- September to December -> DDD

 

[Deleted member 316]

My plan was spring s&s and strength aerobics, summer basic s&s but not as many days as there's lots of other activities to do, fall s&s but with the push press as per Pavels article, and winter s&s with ABC. There's enough variety as to not bore me to death and enough s&s to keep it going