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Kettlebell What's your most difficult phase in the TGU?

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I’ve only been working at the tgu for a month. I find it very difficult to keep my elbow locked. I must be out of position, but not sure how to fix this. Would appreciate any suggestions!
Another suggestion - imagine that are pushing in both directions from your elbow: pushing the weight up, but also pushing down from your elbow into your shoulder. Make your elbow longer.

-S-
 
Try focusing specifically on bracing the abs/core as you start the stand-up from lunge. I got that from the StrongFirst podcast with Derek Toshner, and I agree, it works!

First of all, thanks for that tip! Implementing it has helped me a lot with the lunging phase.

A couple of days back I have found something else that helps, inspired by this great @Pavel Macek article:
Press Stronger NOW with the Kettlebell Pull Press | StrongFirst

I now use my free arm for some kind of counter movement while lunging. I make a fist with the free hand (mentioned in the article) and standing up I push the free arm down. And going back down to the lunge position I raise my arm. I also make sure to brace my core and align my pelvic before going up or down.

This extra arm movement has made my lunging much more solid.

I think it makes a lot of sense because it mimics our gait pattern: Extending the right leg we swing the left arm back and flexing the right leg we will also bring our left arm forward. Walking is the trademark movement of the homo sapiens and as we know from Original Strength, building on the gait pattern is what makes us capable as movers and lifters.
 
Another vote for roll to elbow. I swear if it weren't for this part, I feel like I could do a lot of unbroken TGUs with my current kb, but just trying to break my shoulder off the ground and get to that first checkpoint takes so much effort - especially with my left arm. I've assumed its a function of lack of core strength.
 
I’ve only been working at the tgu for a month. I find it very difficult to keep my elbow locked. I must be out of position, but not sure how to fix this. Would appreciate any suggestions!

Work on a crushing grip on the kb. That irradiation effect helps a lot. Same for the lunge to standing move, and other sticking points.
 
Honestly... Starting.

For some context, my first TGU with 24k was probably over a year ago. It scared me, and I stuck with 16k for months, and eventually bought a 20k, and have been working with it for a while, getting nearly an entire minute under tension for each TGU(4-5 second pause at each step). I never wanted to even try with the 24k again.

But, about 2 minutes ago, I leapfrogged the 24k completely and did 2 TGU with the 28k :). That's my new PR for TGU.

EDIT: just did 2 more with 28k. I'm pretty pleased :)
 
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The part that bugs my left shoulder - a certain angle during the windmill phase of the lift. I expect it to heal up.
 
Honestly... Starting.

For some context, my first TGU with 24k was probably over a year ago. It scared me, and I stuck with 16k for months, and eventually bought a 20k, and have been working with it for a while, getting nearly an entire minute under tension for each TGU(4-5 second pause at each step). I never wanted to even try with the 24k again.

But, about 2 minutes ago, I leapfrogged the 24k completely and did 2 TGU with the 28k :). That's my new PR for TGU.

EDIT: just did 2 more with 28k. I'm pretty pleased :)
... which goes to show that 8 kg jumps are doable and even quite natural when you really take the time to own a given bell.
Congratulations!
 
Initial roll to elbow, typically I get this and the rest is easy (relatively speaking).

The lunge almost always feels too light for me even at a max weight.

If the roll is good the rest seems to click well for me

Please pardon my laziness, rather than typing it all out, I’ll just say “me, too.”
 
Bumping up from 16kg to 20 kg (dumbbells) I got heavily stuck on roll to elbow but only on one side. Quite bizarre since a couple years ago I was near ownership of the 24 kg for TGU's. It's taken me quite awhile to sort this. Very clear not a raw strength issue at all. Finally pretty close even. The issue has been that for some reason, the relevant muscles on the one side sort of lost coordination. Not at all noticeable in any other movement pattern. But getting leg drive and elbow push and roll all linked, strong, and at the right time became totally elusive. Going down and back up in weight, paying very close attention on the "stronger" side then doing multiples of roll to elbow only on the noncooperative side and finally getting close to being equal. Interesting journey for sure!
 
My trouble spot is the pivot from kneeling/hand on floor to kneeling prior to lunge. An old back problem gives me trouble when the kb is in my right hand at this phase of movement. Some days I am almost completely pain free, but there are some days when my motion on that side is very different from when the kb is in my left hand. When this issue flares up, I'll drop to a smaller bell or even go back to unweighted practice for a few reps.
 
For me is the negative lunge. Doing it without banging the knee.
Just seeing this - often, the solution is to change the distance you're stepping back. I find aiming a little further back helps most people keep the shin of the front leg vertical and, that, in turn, lends overall stability to the movement.

-S-
 
Bumping up from 16kg to 20 kg (dumbbells) I got heavily stuck on roll to elbow but only on one side. Quite bizarre since a couple years ago I was near ownership of the 24 kg for TGU's. It's taken me quite awhile to sort this. Very clear not a raw strength issue at all. Finally pretty close even. The issue has been that for some reason, the relevant muscles on the one side sort of lost coordination. Not at all noticeable in any other movement pattern. But getting leg drive and elbow push and roll all linked, strong, and at the right time became totally elusive. Going down and back up in weight, paying very close attention on the "stronger" side then doing multiples of roll to elbow only on the noncooperative side and finally getting close to being equal. Interesting journey for sure!

This was exactly me today, the 20 went up fine on the right side but just could not get the 20 up without the leg coming up? I think I need to go back to the 16kg and keep practicing. What have other people found to help with the imbalance? I was wondering if maintaining the right side at 20kg and the left at 16kg is a bad idea?
 
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