Kettlebell Specialised variety

[Simply strong]

I’ve been reading this article...

Introducing the StrongFirst “WOD” | StrongFirst

“If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success.”This caption for a New Yorker cartoon nails the “FOMO” mentality of a “workout of the day.”Then why, might you ask, is StrongFirst jumping on the bandwagon and introducing its own “WOD”?Please read on.

www.strongfirst.com

How far does specialised variety go? For example for the press and snatch...

Standing Strict Press - primary lift
- Double strict press
- Push press
- Double push press
- Viking push press
- Double Viking push press
- Jerk
- Double jerk
- Thruster
- Double thruster
- Seated press
- Double seated press
- Half kneeling press
- Get ups
- Floor press
- Double floor press
- OH walks
- Double OH walks
- Bent press
- Windmills
- Sott’s press
- Double sott’s press

Snatch - primary lift
- Hand to hand swing
- 2H swing
- OA swing
- Double swing
- Clean
- High pulls
- Double high pulls
- Double clean
- Double snatch
- Side stepping swings
- Forward stepping swings
- Deadlift
- OA deadlift
- Double deadlift
- SL deadlift
- ‘Dead’ clean
- Double ‘dead’ clean
- ‘Dead’ snatch
- Double ‘dead’ snatch

Also all the double exercises with even and uneven bells


If all these are acceptable as specialised variety (please let me know if there are more) then does that really count as focusing on two or three lifts? If you focus on the ROP program would you put in specialised variety in on the variety days?

 

[Steve Freides]

If all these are acceptable as specialised variety (please let me know if there are more) then does that really count as focusing on two or three lifts?

You would not do dozens of different exercises as the same time as your specialized variety. You could pick a few, maybe even one.

Not all of them are good choices for everyone, but many in your list are. Note that the article says specialized variety work, "it is a near certainty" that you will improve, but with others, which I will here label as assistance work, "they might [work] - but it is a gamble."

In the next paragraph, we find this, "A bodyweight example is doing pullups with a variety of grips (narrow, medium, wide; over, under, parallel, staggered; thumbs wrapped, thumbs over, false; uneven), timing (explosive, slow, with a 3sec pause on the top of each rep, etc.), equipment (a straight bar, parallel bars, rings, towels), and the placement and the nature of added resistance (kettlebells on the feet, a weight belt, a weight vest; bands; chains; artificial controlling environment) ..."

I can say that I'm pretty good at pullups, and that I use or have used just about all of these. I tend rotate through them, e.g., I did a few months of pullups on uneven rings set about 18" different in height. Now I'm doing some using Rolling Thunder. If I had a TSC or other need to demonstrate performance at pullups, I'd be doing some regular ones plus a little specialized variety, but since I don't have that need, I'm just cycling through different kinds of pullups, but they're all still pullups, and that's what makes them specialized variety. One or two kinds at a time, and for a few months before changing.

For my barbell deadlift, in the past, I stumbled across the idea of warming up by doing straddle deadlifts (also known as Jefferson deadlifts) on a 2" bar, and I hit some PRs during that time. I also practiced the Hip Lift, where you straddle a bar with a hook in the middle of it - you're wearing a hip belt and connected by a chain to the hook in the center of the bar) and you move the bar only far enough to get both ends off the ground. L'il old me has done over 1,000 lbs in the Hip Lift, and many guys have lifted over a ton (2,000 lbs) this way. Both of these lifts are deadlifts - bar on the ground, you move it with your legs and hips - and so both qualify as specialized variety. Behind the back deadlifts, also known as Hack deadlifts, are another specialized variety exercise for the deadlift. Right now on my deadlift days, I do straddle DL's on a thick bar, then Hack DL's, then my regular DL's. If I didn't have a PL meet in 3 months, I might even skip the regular DL's for a while.

I consider the powerlifting style of squat, which is largely a hip hinge, to be a slightly more distant but nonetheless viable example of specialized variety for the deadlift. The high bar and front squats, not so much - they'd fall into the category of assistance exercises in my book.

If you focus on the ROP program would you put in specialised variety in on the variety days?

I would not, and if memory serves, the book recommends specifically against doing anything resembling pressing on your variety days.

Hope this is helpful to you. I think the important concept is that specialized variety is a "twist" on the main lift you're trying to improve, while assistance is a different exercise that attempts address a specific problem or issue you might have with the main lift. (And, no doubt, there is something of continuum to be found here as well.)

-S-

 

[watchnerd]

I’ve been reading this article...

Introducing the StrongFirst “WOD” | StrongFirst

“If at first you don’t succeed, redefine success.”This caption for a New Yorker cartoon nails the “FOMO” mentality of a “workout of the day.”Then why, might you ask, is StrongFirst jumping on the bandwagon and introducing its own “WOD”?Please read on.

www.strongfirst.com

How far does specialised variety go? For example for the press and snatch...

Standing Strict Press - primary lift
- Double strict press
- Push press
- Double push press
- Viking push press
- Double Viking push press
- Jerk
- Double jerk
- Thruster
- Double thruster
- Seated press
- Double seated press
- Half kneeling press
- Get ups
- Floor press
- Double floor press
- OH walks
- Double OH walks
- Bent press
- Windmills
- Sott’s press
- Double sott’s press

Snatch - primary lift
- Hand to hand swing
- 2H swing
- OA swing
- Double swing
- Clean
- High pulls
- Double high pulls
- Double clean
- Double snatch
- Side stepping swings
- Forward stepping swings
- Deadlift
- OA deadlift
- Double deadlift
- SL deadlift
- ‘Dead’ clean
- Double ‘dead’ clean
- ‘Dead’ snatch
- Double ‘dead’ snatch

Also all the double exercises with even and uneven bells


If all these are acceptable as specialised variety (please let me know if there are more) then does that really count as focusing on two or three lifts? If you focus on the ROP program would you put in specialised variety in on the variety days?

I actually wouldn't include jerks as a specialized variety of the press.

The press has no leg drive at all, is all arms / shoulders / core.

The jerk is almost all leg drive, almost no arms / shoulders.

If you're pressing out a jerk, you're doing it wrong.

Push press is a gray zone.

 

[Simply strong]

You would not do dozens of different exercises as the same time as your specialized variety. You could pick a few, maybe even one.

Not all of them are good choices for everyone, but many in your list are. Note that the article says specialized variety work, "it is a near certainty" that you will improve, but with others, which I will here label as assistance work, "they might [work] - but it is a gamble."

In the next paragraph, we find this, "A bodyweight example is doing pullups with a variety of grips (narrow, medium, wide; over, under, parallel, staggered; thumbs wrapped, thumbs over, false; uneven), timing (explosive, slow, with a 3sec pause on the top of each rep, etc.), equipment (a straight bar, parallel bars, rings, towels), and the placement and the nature of added resistance (kettlebells on the feet, a weight belt, a weight vest; bands; chains; artificial controlling environment) ..."

I can say that I'm pretty good at pullups, and that I use or have used just about all of these. I tend rotate through them, e.g., I did a few months of pullups on uneven rings set about 18" different in height. Now I'm doing some using Rolling Thunder. If I had a TSC or other need to demonstrate performance at pullups, I'd be doing some regular ones plus a little specialized variety, but since I don't have that need, I'm just cycling through different kinds of pullups, but they're all still pullups, and that's what makes them specialized variety. One or two kinds at a time, and for a few months before changing.

For my barbell deadlift, in the past, I stumbled across the idea of warming up by doing straddle deadlifts (also known as Jefferson deadlifts) on a 2" bar, and I hit some PRs during that time. I also practiced the Hip Lift, where you straddle a bar with a hook in the middle of it - you're wearing a hip belt and connected by a chain to the hook in the center of the bar) and you move the bar only far enough to get both ends off the ground. L'il old me has done over 1,000 lbs in the Hip Lift, and many guys have lifted over a ton (2,000 lbs) this way. Both of these lifts are deadlifts - bar on the ground, you move it with your legs and hips - and so both qualify as specialized variety. Behind the back deadlifts, also known as Hack deadlifts, are another specialized variety exercise for the deadlift. Right now on my deadlift days, I do straddle DL's on a thick bar, then Hack DL's, then my regular DL's. If I didn't have a PL meet in 3 months, I might even skip the regular DL's for a while.

I consider the powerlifting style of squat, which is largely a hip hinge, to be a slightly more distant but nonetheless viable example of specialized variety for the deadlift. The high bar and front squats, not so much - they'd fall into the category of assistance exercises in my book.


I would not, and if memory serves, the book recommends specifically against doing anything resembling pressing on your variety days.

Hope this is helpful to you. I think the important concept is that specialized variety is a "twist" on the main lift you're trying to improve, while assistance is a different exercise that attempts address a specific problem or issue you might have with the main lift. (And, no doubt, there is something of continuum to be found here as well.)

-S-

Thank you for such a detailed reply. This is very helpful! Does it purely boil down to how closely it resembles the primary lift or are there other factors as well?

 

[Steve Freides]

@Simply strong, yes, I think that's a good way to put it, that the similarity to the primary lift is what makes it "specialized" to the primary lift in question.

-S-

 

[Steve W.]

Does it purely boil down to how closely it resembles the primary lift or are there other factors as well?

Specialized variety is a strategy to maintain progress on the focus lift. If you are making progress on your focus lift, it isn't even really necessary. On the other hand, making progress on your focus lift is not necessarily a reason to avoid specialized variety. For instance, you might be making good progress with 1-arm swings, but incorporating heavier 2-arm swings in your program might still be beneficial (an example mentioned in the article).

When you employ specialized variety, it is because you have reason to expect carry over to the focus lift -- because it is very similar but just different enough to represent a new stimulus, or because it addresses a weakness, or because it allows for different loading or volume parameters, or because you've experimented with it before and experienced good carryover.

Sure, you can brainstorm a list of somewhat related exercises, but that doesn't make all or most of them appropriate as specialized variety.