April 30, 2007
Kettlebells in a world record holding powerlifter's workout
From the log of Com. Marc Bartley, RKC, WPO Powerlifting World Record Total 2562 @ 275lbs.:
4/10/2007
Training Logs 4/4,4/7,4/9
4.4
-Hanging legs raises 4x6
-Light box squat 515x5x3
-KB double sumo swings 53sx3 sets-20,30,45
-One leg knee exts 2x20 per leg
-Rev hyper 3x12
4.7
-Started with Prowler first in 30 degree weather 1/3 mile 160lbs
-KB arm bars 53s 2x8 per arm
-Rev hyper 2x15
-KB work one arm swings and snatches/alternated swings then snatches with 53lbs
set 1 20 swings,15 snatches per arm
set 2 30 swings,20 snatches
set 3 40 swings, 30 snatches per arm
4.9
-Bash shirt work raw 495x3/3 board
-585x3/3 board
-635x3/2 board
-675x1/2 board
-Four board triceps work 455x5,495x5,545x5,585x3
-Pulldowns 4x8
-Chest supported rows 3x
-Seated shoulder press lockouts 135x5,225x5,315x5
Russian kettlebell power to you!
Posted by james at 8:15 AM | Comments (209)
April 23, 2007
A kettlebell bent press question
"I'm finding myself starting to stand up without a complete lock out at the elbow, finishing the lockout once I've gotten myself closer to standing upright again," wrote Com. Steve Freides, RKC on our forum. "It feels safer with a heavy weight, which for me now is the 40 kg bell @ 70 kg, than trying to get a 100% lockout at the bottom. I'm wondering if this is indicative of just a lack of shoulder flexibility on my part and if I should get a full lockout in the lowest position before starting to stand up - or if it's OK as I'm doing it."
Comrade, get a complete lockout, otherwise your shoulder might get hurt. Dip under an extra inch while imagining that your arm is being torn apart lengthwise. When you are starting to stand up imagine that someone is chopping your trap down.
Once you have mastered perfect Turkish get-ups see the Russian Kettlebell Challenge and More Russian Kettlebell Challenges DVDs for bent press instruction.
Russian kettlebell power to you!
Posted by james at 3:12 PM | Comments (9)
April 16, 2007
A simple way to improve your kettlebell snatch numbers
In The Naked Warrior I explained why "same but different" training is very effective. Here is how you can make it work for your kettlebell snatch.
On some days work both arms back to back, competition style, but don’t go all out.
On other days smoke one arm with an all-out set, then take a break before working the other.
The first style is more systemically demanding; the second is more demanding on the grip and the shoulder. You will improve on both fronts and your snatch numbers will show it.
Russian kettlebell power to you!
Posted by james at 8:00 AM | Comments (10)
April 9, 2007
How to strengthen your kettlebell press with chinups
The negative, or lowering, half of the double kettlebell military press is identical to the chinup on the rings. Practice chins the Party way and you will get stronger in your press while working more muscles in the process.
To chin start with your palms facing forward. As you are pulling, your elbows will come in and your fists will rotate almost into the curl position. And your pecs will contract.
Yes, the pecs are good for something other than the bench press; they are pullup muscles too! On your next chin have your training partner place push against the insides of your elbows. Bring your elbows together as you are completing the chin, push against your buddy’s hands imitating the despicable peck deck machine.
Once you have felt the connection, engage your pecs without your partner’s assistance. First in chins, and then in kettlebell presses.
Russian kettlebell power to you!
Posted by james at 12:23 PM | Comments (397)
April 2, 2007
Is pacing my kettlebell snatches okay if I am not training for GS?
Yes. The "hard style" of kettlebell training prescribes a maximal speed of each snatch repetition; it does not specify the tempo and pacing. Both high tempo snatches and paced snatches with a few breaths between each explosive rep have their benefits. Slow down your snatch set tempo occasionally –without compromising the explosiveness of each individual rep –and you will make quicker gains in your conditioning.
A fast tempo –think Tabata –cannot be beat for pure conditioning. Poprotski (1998) states that “An increased tempo delivers the trainee’s organism a greater stress which increases work capacity and builds a reserve of endurance for the normal mode.” However he urges the beginners to stay away from fast paced sets as they are likely to mess up unstable technique.
Following are the results an experiment by Voropayev (1997) who compared the gains made by two groups of gireviks in three months. One trained at a slow and medium tempo, the other went fast:
| Tempo | Snatch, % gain |
|---|---|
| Slow and medium | 18.7 |
| Fast | 37.4 |
But don’t write off slow tempo snatches yet. They are a form of interval training that will enable you to do more reps per set. If we use an analogy from pure strength training, high tempo snatches may be compared to sets of five and paced snatches to the rest/pause technique where the lifter does a series of singles. Both have earned their keep.
The simplest way to pace your snatches is by adding one, two, or three full breathing cycles when you are “resting” with the kettlebell locked out overhead.
Russian kettlebell power to you!
Posted by james at 12:01 PM | Comments (148)