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Kettlebell The Muscle-Building Kettlebell Geoff Neupert

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Gary W

Gary W

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Hi guys, im in the middle of S&S with the 24kg but looking for something to do in a few months, i like to plan ahead!
Anyway i found this workout and it looks interesting, nice and simple just how i like it!

Ive got 2 16kg bells that i can press 10-12 times, maybe more its been a while,
The program says pick 2 bells you can press 4-6reps.

Heres the problem lets say i get 2 24kg bells which i can probably press 4 reps, when it comes to using them for the swing, double 24 would be a no go but single handed 24kg i can do for 20 plus reps!
I mean i could pick up double 24s but wouldn't get much of a swing!

So im a little confused where i would start, 16kg too light for pressing but double 16 good for swinging

24s good for pressing but to heavy for double swings

I will probably use this thread to ask more questions when i start as im sure i will have plenty!

The 12-Week Muscle-Building Kettlebell Master-Plan
 
Hello. Not sure if you'd be interested in the kettlebell amour complex. It consists of 2 cleans, 1 press then 3 racked squats. Recommended weight for a male is 2 X 24kg. Loads of content of internet. When I've done it in the past I use to run it as a EMOM for 20 minutes. Great all over body workout.
 
I've never really understood why one would want to have double kettlebells of the same size. I'm a bit poor (or cheap) and heavy kettlebells are expensive in my country. I just have one of each from 16kg to 48kg in 8kg steps (16,24, 32, 40, 48...)
I don't see why one just can't take a 24kg and a 32kg, do some front squats, rest, switch and do some more.
Not having a balanced load is more "reality based strength" in my mind, like when you carry a sofa or a fridge. They're not going to be balanced evenly.
And when you press a single kettlebell the other side of your body has to work hard to have you standing upright.

And better to swing one heavy bell than two smaller ones, there's only so much space between your legs before you risk hitting something. :D
 
No ive only got 1 10kg 2 16kg and 1 24kg at the moment

I quite like the look of this too, very similar to the one posted above

“Dry Fighting Weight”: Fat Loss Through Strength | StrongFirst

But being able to press my 16s for 10/12 reps and my 24 for 3 or 4 not sure what to start with.
It says to start with your 5 rep max for press that would probably be 20 kg but I don't really want to have to go and buy two 20 kg bells
Double 16s that ive already got? Or get one more 24kg
 
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For a desert island approach a 16 and a 24k will allow you to do most everything necessary. (When it gets too easy just go bottoms up.) But for this I would recommend you get some additional bell sizes. If you want to mess around with double bells you need to get a bit more gear. However, if that's not an option I'd try a week or two of a 16 in one hand and a 24 in the other, switching them appropriately to balance the overall volume between right and left.

Like @Dekapon said it will better replicate "real life." Give it a try and see how it goes. Just remember to always be smarter than the kettlebell.

Stay strong, my friends!
 
Here's a free BrianCF program for you

3 x / week

Monday Double 24's 5 rounds of ladders Military Press/Front Squat (1,2,3) 1 clean, 1 press 1 squat. Next rung, 1 clean, 2 presses, 2 squats. Finish workout with 200 swings. 20 on the minute for 10 minutes

Wednesday Ladders will be 2,3,5. Use 24's for the first rung and the second until you get tired. Use 16's for the 5 rep rung, 5 ladders, that's 50 reps. 200 one hand swings, 10 sets of 10,10

Friday Double 16's 2,3,5,6 5 ladders. Work on form and press groove. 100 double swings with 16's. 10 sets of 10.

For each rung, only clean the bell 1 time.

Do getups and swings 2 x a week.
 
Mark Limbaga said:
I'd do phase 2 of kettlebell strong then phase 3
Click to expand...

I cant find much information on this?

I really like the simplicity of simple and sinister but I find I get really bored doing the same thing all the time.

I think I want to try and find 4 weeks of something else and then come back to S&S
 
Gary Wilson said:
lets say i get 2 24kg bells which i can probably press 4 reps, when it comes to using them for the swing, double 24 would be a no go but single handed 24kg i can do for 20 plus reps!
Click to expand...

Hungarian Core Blaster "Kettlebell Swing"

The Hungarian Core Blaster allows you to have use as much or little weight as you need for Swings.

You can make it for around $20 with some pipe from Lowes/Home Depot, plus the cost of some Standard Weight Plates that have a 1 inch hole diameter.

I've had a Hungarian Blaster for about 5 years. It works great. I've loaded it up to 170 lbs.

Here is the...

Do It Yourself Home Made Hungarian Core Blaster Video


The majority don't perform Kettlebell Swing with enough weight.

The Hungarian Core Blaster is inexpensive and allows you use enough weight to overload the Kettlebell Swing. It is allows you to adjust the weight, increase or decrease it.

Overspeed Eccentric Kettlebell Swings


This is another method of increasing the loading of a Kettlebell Swing.

Kenny Croxdale
 
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Gary Wilson said:
The 12-Week Muscle-Building Kettlebell Master-Plan
Click to expand...

Neupert's Muscle Damage Definition and Example

"Muscle Damage: Lifting moderate weights for medium to higher reps, similar to the way bodybuilders train; think multiple sets of 8-20 reps."

This doesn't quite define what Muscle Damage is.

Dr Bret Contreras provide a better definition in...

Training for Maximum Muscle Growth Explained - Bret Contreras

"Muscular Damage"

"Approximately two days following a strenuous bout of exercise, your soreness will likely reach it’s peak, and this soreness is somewhat indicative of muscular damage. Damage is created by either doing something that is unfamiliar, by accentuating the eccentric component to an exercise, or by stretching a muscle while it’s being activated, thereby inducing high amounts of strain. Therefore, variety is an important component to muscle damage as it ensures the targeting of different subdivisions and motor units of muscles."

Breaking It Down

Muscle Damage occurs when muscle is traumatized during a training session. That happens when...

1) Maxing Out: When you push the muscle to the failure or near failure; Overreaching.

Overreaching is a mild form of Overtraining.

2) Stretched Loading of the Muscles: This is produced with Full Range Movements, such as Full Squats and stretching between exercise sets creating Muscle Damage that lead to muscle growth.

John Parrillo (Bodybuilding Coach) in the 1990's anecdotal data found that Bodybuilder who stretched between exercise were able to increase muscle mass.

Dr Jose Antonio research basically follow up with Loaded Stretches came to the same conclusion.

Research by Dr Jake Wilson University of Tampa Human Performance Lab research demonstrated stretching between exercise sets produce Muscle Damage which triggers an increases muscle mass.

Research on Full Range Loaded Exercises has shown the trauma created with loaded stretches, essentially stretching to a slightly greater degree and in a non-loaded stretch, creates Muscle Damage, which trigger muscle growth.

3) Varying Exercises: As Contreras stated, when you perform an "Unfamiliar" exercise is stresses the muscles, producing Muscle Damage.

Changes in exercises are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength. - PubMed - NCBI

Varying an exercise or exercise movement stresses the muscle producing Muscle Damage. This mechanism elicits a greater training effect; an increase in strength and/or muscle mass via...

The General Adaptation Syndrome

The foundation of a well written Periodization Training is built on this principle.

Kenny Croxdale
 
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1. Nothing bad will happen if you do one lift in a complex with 24 kg and another with 16. Three seconds required for the switch will not destroy your muscle building.

2. You can do fewer than prescribed repetitions and build up.

3. If you have small barbell plates you can stick them to your 16 kettlebells with a duct/gaffer tape. Works ok.

4. I have adjustable KB that goes from 9 to 32 kg in 1 kg increments. Even though the price is on the higher side it's still cheaper than buying more than three bells.
 
John Spezzano said:
For a desert island approach a 16 and a 24k will allow you to do most everything necessary. (When it gets too easy just go bottoms up.) But for this I would recommend you get some additional bell sizes. If you want to mess around with double bells you need to get a bit more gear. However, if that's not an option I'd try a week or two of a 16 in one hand and a 24 in the other, switching them appropriately to balance the overall volume between right and left.

Like @Dekapon said it will better replicate "real life." Give it a try and see how it goes. Just remember to always be smarter than the kettlebell.

Stay strong, my friends!
Click to expand...

Good advice. There are many ways to use double kettlebells of different sizes. I do loaded carries and just keep switching bells, working more on tendon strength and posture and time rather than heavy. Or waiter walk with the lighter bell and carry with the heavier one and keep switching when a shoulder starts to fry.

Unbalanced front squats are uniquely challenging. I guess double pressing might be the only one where I would like equal bells. Unfortunately, single pressing is enough for me right now.

Bottom's up holds and presses when you "outgrow" your little bells.
 
Well I tried dry fighting weight this week with double 16s

The first workout ladders of one two and three took it out of me felt it the next day I lost count of how many ladders I done probably about 8

Just done the second day today sets of 1 I done 56 in 30 minutes
 
Dekapon said:
I've never really understood why one would want to have double kettlebells of the same size. I'm a bit poor (or cheap) and heavy kettlebells are expensive in my country. I just have one of each from 16kg to 48kg in 8kg steps (16,24, 32, 40, 48...)
I don't see why one just can't take a 24kg and a 32kg, do some front squats, rest, switch and do some more.
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Fair enough, but there are some things where doubles are the tradition, e.g., clean and jerk. There are times and lifts where different sizes add a complexity to the skill requirement that isn't necessarily in keeping with the goal of increasing strength as measured by weights and reps, e.g., I think it's great to try to use two different sizes and make them move as if they were the same size - that's a good goal for dissimilar weights.

When we only had a choice of 16, 24, and 32 kg, the tradition was usually to own a pair of each.

That said, I've been lifting kettlebell since 2001, and I'm actually redoing my collection according what you've suggested: singles in different sizes. I am rehabbing a problematic right shoulder and although I can still press a 28 kg with no specific training, I'm doing presses and windmills using 6, 8, 10, and 12 kg bells right now, and since my wife likes the 2 kg increments, our collection will be 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 28, 32, and a 44 kg I use for two-hand swings - all just one bell per size. When and if the urge strikes, I'll start collecting a second bell in each size again.

As I know I say with some regularity around here, it's all good.

-S-
 
Dekapon said:
I've never really understood why one would want to have double kettlebells of the same size. I'm a bit poor (or cheap) and heavy kettlebells are expensive in my country. I just have one of each from 16kg to 48kg in 8kg steps (16,24, 32, 40, 48...)
I don't see why one just can't take a 24kg and a 32kg, do some front squats, rest, switch and do some more.
Not having a balanced load is more "reality based strength" in my mind, like when you carry a sofa or a fridge. They're not going to be balanced evenly.
And when you press a single kettlebell the other side of your body has to work hard to have you standing upright.

And better to swing one heavy bell than two smaller ones, there's only so much space between your legs before you risk hitting something. :D
Click to expand...

Uneven lifting is fine for variety, but not that good for higher reps. I have never heard anybody recommend asymmetrical barbell lifting - try load 40 kg on one side and 50 on another... Or try double jerks with different weight for, say, 3 minutes non-stop. I say "try" figuratively, I don't want you injured.

Pressing one kettlebell is easier than two, that's why the max for double lifts is never the sum of single lifts. Sure, the unloaded side has to maintain posture, but you are also able to adjust the posture in order to recruit maximum amount of muscle required for the lift. That's why the ability to press standing and to press while squatting is quite different: you can lift more standing.

I am biased: my favorite GS lift is double jerk.
 
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