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Bodyweight When away form S&S...then BW?

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somanaut

somanaut

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Hi all
I am working on the simple goal of S&S, going slow (1 hour roughly, including warm up) with the 32kg most days. And loving the program!
However what do I do when I am travelling, and hence away from my kettlebells? I have browsed The Naked Warrior (can't do a OAPU yet, but 4-6 reps of unweighted pistols are possible). Is it just as "simple" as follow GTG OAPU (progressive variations) and pistol squats? My travelling time ranges from 2-7 days away from home. But would really like to minimise strength loss in general and progress set backs from the S&S protocol.
Best Regards
Jesper
 
Sorry to piggy-back, but I was literally planning to ask this very question today as well! I can understand following the Naked Warrior as written being fine in terms of strength training when away from kettlebells, but is there a Strong First recommended replacement for the swings using only bodyweight? Obviously I know that nothing can replace the swings altogether, but rather is there an optimal bodyweight exercise or routine to make up for the 'conditioning' benefits of the hardstyle swings?

From what I've seen on this site/forums/S&S, would I be right in thinking the bodyweight 'strength aerobics' circuit might be the best call (Pavel lays it out at the end of the article I've pasted below)?

strength aerobics - StrongFirst

Thanks, and kind regards,

Harry
 
@Harry Westgate , if you understand the concept, and I think you do, then you can create something to suit your circumstances. One of my favorites comes from Steve Maxwell and involves pistols - since most people can't do that many pistols, he suggested holding onto a doorknob while you do them and using your arms freely to assist you in getting up. The doorknob and your arms effectively spread the load and lower the CNS requirement, enabling you to do many more reps. You could try structuring it along the lines of S&S, e.g., do a non-maximal set with one leg, rest, do the other leg, rest, and repeat for volume.

Ladders, as at the end of that article - I was at that workshop in 2006, BTW, and watched the two ladies do this - is another approach, best suited to a higher level of relative difficulty. You'll have to experiment to see how your exercise selection works for you.

Of course, you'll miss things about the swing - the loaded posterior chain before the upswing, the explosive nature of the movement, etc. - but that's life. There just ain't no thing like a StrongFirst swing.

-S-
 
Go right ahead, we are asking the same kind of questions:)
Nice to know that there is an alternative to the GTG protocol, if circumstances dictate something else. Ex. in a scenario where you for some reason can't GTG throughout the day, but have 15-30 min to your self but no weights.
 
@Steve Freides Thanks for the reply, I'll take note of your ideas there and apply them next time I have to spend time away from my kettlebells. I like that idea you mentioned about the pistols, and as someone who has worked up to 50 consecutive reps per leg before, I know that higher-rep pistols can have tremendous effects on one's fitness, so formatting them in an S&S-type workout sounds like a great idea.

Also I totally agree with what you say about the swings, given the posterior chain work involved in picking something up off the floor (explosively or slowly), so there simply cannot be a bodyweight equivalent, in the same way that there cannot be a bodyweight equivalent to the deadlift.
 
That's a lot of pistols you can do already there, so I think it's just a matter of structuring it for you. You could do Fibonacci ladders, e.g., alternating sides, so 1-2-3-5-8-13, rest and repeat a few times. Maybe even one more rung, which would be 21, if you're up for it.

-S-
 
Steve, how much rest would one take between rungs with those ladders you suggest there? Would the time taken to complete one rung be the rest period for the other leg? Also it's worth noting that I don't think I could get anywhere near 50reps right now, as I completed that feat about a year ago, and have since worked on GTGing heavy pistols or doing more moderate rep sets (10-20). Right now I could probably do a comfortable 15-20 reps with minimal burn, and would probably max out at mid-high 20s.
 
Use S & S guidelines - wait long enough, don't hurry or push the pace. The ladder originated as an"I go, you go" partner protocol, so a default position is about equal time for rest and work. ETK has an excellent piece on rest periods.

-S-
 
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