Other/Mixed Training with a calorie deficit

[cmb]

Yes, slightly lean the kettlebell in the direction you want to go.

Some other things I have picked up:

• (from SF Team Leader Martine Kerr), "make orange juice", pretend there is an orange under your down elbow and your kettlebell side heel. Crush those 2 oranges.
• (from Master SFG Zar Horton) try pulling on a heavy kettlebell handle (angled towards you) with the down hand as you roll up, or a post if one is available or someone will hold one for you. It will help get that pulling up with the down hand feeling.
• (from Iron Tamer Dave Whitley) activate the "X" on your back before you roll up. Get tight in the back of your body like you're trying to connect your shoulder blades to your opposite glutes.
• (from my SFG Team Leader Senior SFG Mark Cheng) keep the down shoulder packed during the roll-up. (lots of people lose this...)
• Use the power breath as you roll up. "tssss" exhale. I find that it helps with any difficult transition in the get-up.
• (from Senior SFG Betsy Collie) press out through the heel of the straight leg.

Practice the get-up unweighted. Breathe.... Relax.... Spend some time in each position.

Thanks for the tips. I've been practicing regularly with lighter weight, it's definitely more difficult with the heavy weight. I assume getting from ground to elbow should be a slower, controlled motion—and not an explosive "throw—is that correct?

 

[cmb]

Today I met my weight goal. My plan is to maintain this weight for a few weeks before allowing my weight to increase. I still obviously have some pockets of fat around my mid-section; my abs are definitely not visible. If I stay at this weight and continue to train S&S I suppose I be able to build muscle while losing the extra bits of mid-section. After a few weeks, I will let my weight slowly increase to a max of something like 10–15 lb more than I am now, hopefully limited primarily to muscle gains. Is this a good plan? I'm open to tips, suggestions, and links to articles.

Another question, is it alright to increase the kettlebell weight that I use for goblet squats? I have been using the 35 lb bell, but kind of want to start moving up to the 53 lb bell gradually. I assume the 18 lb bell is all I should use for halos, that it should never be increased?

Lastly, when doing the TGU, on two occasions over the past month, when moving from my side and on my hand up to the lunge position, I did something to my hip that felt like two of my bones rubbing against each other. I told my chiropractor about it, he said there aren't two bones in the area that'd be able to touch, and suggested I may have pinched a nerve or something. It didn't hurt, it felt odd, and now it's a little sore in the area (again, not painful, just feels odd). Ever hear of this before?

Thanks all, your advice has been helpful.

 

[Deleted member 5559]

When I am calorie counting I'm definitely losing weight, and that also happens to be when I'm consistent with training. Problem is I go for a few months, make good progress, then fall off the wagon for a month and gain weight back.

I will let my weight slowly increase to a max of something like 10–15 lb more than I am now, hopefully limited primarily to muscle gains. Is this a good plan?

Build for function, form will follow. Pick a task that requires performance and then train and eat to achieve performance needs. You're body will take on the physique of the performance needs. If you want the body of a weightlifter, do weightlifting. If you want the body of a sprinter, do sprinting. If you want the body of an Abercrombie model, get into modeling. If you don't lead with a need for performance, falling off the wagon will undoubtedly occur again.

 

[Anna C]

I assume getting from ground to elbow should be a slower, controlled motion—and not an explosive "throw—is that correct?

Yes, all transitions in the get-up should be controlled. They don't necessarily have to be slow, but you don't want to be too fast either. As long as they're not jerky you should be fine.

After a few weeks, I will let my weight slowly increase to a max of something like 10–15 lb more than I am now, hopefully limited primarily to muscle gains. Is this a good plan? I'm open to tips, suggestions, and links to articles.

You will gain muscle only if you stimulate that adaptation through your training. The calories support the muscle growth demanded from training. S&S is not a hypertropy program, so it's not likely to put 10-15 lbs of muscle on you, though if you keep at it you should continue to see overall positive changes. If you want to pack on some more muscle, a barbell program is probably the way to go.

Another question, is it alright to increase the kettlebell weight that I use for goblet squats? I have been using the 35 lb bell, but kind of want to start moving up to the 53 lb bell gradually. I assume the 18 lb bell is all I should use for halos, that it should never be increased?

Yes, increase the bell weight for goblet squats. I like to do the first set with 16kg then increase to 24kg for the 2nd and/or 3rd. Some people have advised in past threads (maybe even Pavel, I don't remember for sure) to use your swing bell for the goblet squats. As for halos, correct, not advised to go heavy, the 18 lb bell is OK, or you could go up to 16kg/35 lb.

Lastly, when doing the TGU, on two occasions over the past month, when moving from my side and on my hand up to the lunge position, I did something to my hip that felt like two of my bones rubbing against each other. I told my chiropractor about it, he said there aren't two bones in the area that'd be able to touch, and suggested I may have pinched a nerve or something. It didn't hurt, it felt odd, and now it's a little sore in the area (again, not painful, just feels odd). Ever hear of this before?

Not sure what this would be, but in that transition it can be helpful to move your hips towards your foot before you move your torso to the upright position.

 

[cmb]

Build for function, form will follow. Pick a task that requires performance and then train and eat to achieve performance needs. You're body will take on the physique of the performance needs. If you want the body of a weightlifter, do weightlifting. If you want the body of a sprinter, do sprinting. If you want the body of an Abercrombie model, get into modeling. If you don't lead with a need for performance, falling off the wagon will undoubtedly occur again.

That makes sense. I'd like to get back into martial arts, but I can't afford it now. I'm not training for anything specific, just life in general.

 

[cmb]

You will gain muscle only if you stimulate that adaptation through your training. The calories support the muscle growth demanded from training. S&S is not a hypertropy program, so it's not likely to put 10-15 lbs of muscle on you, though if you keep at it you should continue to see overall positive changes. If you want to pack on some more muscle, a barbell program is probably the way to go.

How much muscle will the simple goal put on a male? I imagine this is a difficult question to answer. If what you're saying is true, perhaps I need only stick at my current weight for quite a while before slowly adding 5 or so pounds while continually training...

I haven't tried barbells because I imagine I need (1) to workout with another person present and (2) need access to an expensive gym or buy pricey equipment. Is this accurate? To be honest, I don't know anything about barbell training.

Yes, increase the bell weight for goblet squats. I like to do the first set with 16kg then increase to 24kg for the 2nd and/or 3rd. Some people have advised in past threads (maybe even Pavel, I don't remember for sure) to use your swing bell for the goblet squats. As for halos, correct, not advised to go heavy, the 18 lb bell is OK, or you could go up to 16kg/35 lb.

Today I used the 35 lb bell for one set of halos. Wow, that turned out to be difficult. After doing so, my arms (triceps, I imagine) were so tired, I had to reduce my TGUs to the 35 lb for every rep—I felt like I could barely balance the 53 lb-er.

I have a theory that the reason I've had such a hard time with the ground-to-elbow step of the TGU with the 53 lb is because my abs are weak which makes it hard to pull my body up (I don't have this problem with the 35 lb). To fix this, I've started doing planks every other day, and those things are brutal.

Could it also be that my triceps are super weak, making it difficult to balance the 53 lb bell in the ground-to-elbow step? I feel like if I lean the bell too far forward to help me transition I might lose it. I think that might be my triceps.

Thanks again for your advice.

 

[Oscar]

That makes sense. I'd like to get back into martial arts, but I can't afford it now. I'm not training for anything specific, just life in general.

If you are doing simple and Sinister, you are training for something specific: achieving Simple. Look at it this way and there you have your goal.

After a few weeks, I will let my weight slowly increase to a max of something like 10–15 lb more than I am now, hopefully limited primarily to muscle gains. Is this a good plan? I'm open to tips, suggestions, and links to articles.

There is no need to increase your body weight to achieve Simple. There are 145 lbs guys swinging 40 kg and above. I'm working with the 32 kg, and haven't gained a single pound, I've actually lost some weight.

About the goblet squat, there is no problem increasing to 24 kg. Give it a try.

 

[Anna C]

How much muscle will the simple goal put on a male? I imagine this is a difficult question to answer. If what you're saying is true, perhaps I need only stick at my current weight for quite a while before slowly adding 5 or so pounds while continually training...

I haven't tried barbells because I imagine I need (1) to workout with another person present and (2) need access to an expensive gym or buy pricey equipment. Is this accurate? To be honest, I don't know anything about barbell training.

Hmm, good question. I suppose it depends on where you start, but I imagine it could put 10-15 lb or so of muscle on a male when going from untrained to Simple. You can probably let your appetite be your guide. Just make sure to get adequate protein (150g/day at least, IMO, though I'm not a dietitian) and decent quality food overall.

For barbell, yes it would be best to find a coach to teach you the basic movements, but you can then work out at home if you want to invest in it. Or join a gym.

But you're doing OK with kettlebells.... that's OK too. You only need to look at changing if your progress stalls, or if you have significantly different objectives like putting on a lot more muscle weight.

Today I used the 35 lb bell for one set of halos. Wow, that turned out to be difficult. After doing so, my arms (triceps, I imagine) were so tired, I had to reduce my TGUs to the 35 lb for every rep—I felt like I could barely balance the 53 lb-er.

I have a theory that the reason I've had such a hard time with the ground-to-elbow step of the TGU with the 53 lb is because my abs are weak which makes it hard to pull my body up (I don't have this problem with the 35 lb). To fix this, I've started doing planks every other day, and those things are brutal.

Could it also be that my triceps are super weak, making it difficult to balance the 53 lb bell in the ground-to-elbow step? I feel like if I lean the bell too far forward to help me transition I might lose it. I think that might be my triceps.

Just keep working at it! Make sure you are challenged. Either by the weight, or the technique, or the time under tension... just do the sessions and find your challenge within it. Focus on being better at it every time. Sure, could be triceps or abs... but just keep training. It will equal out.

Make sure your elbow is locked though. Full extension in the arm throughout the getup.

Thanks again for your advice.

You're welcome!