I’ve had a look at the StrongFirst pull up program, I need to get to the stage where I can actually a pull up unassisted, I’ll use some of the principle as they seem OK, But need to get to the bottom rung of the ladder first!
Still waiting on the KB’s to arrive, they’re a heavy parcel to deliver I think!
And I'm booked in for tomorrow morning TGU training with a Strong first instructor. Really looking forward to this and learning as much as possible.
Saturday morning was spent learning the finer points of Turkish Get Ups at Unique Results gym in Chelmsford Essex. James the owner is a strong first qualified kettlebell instructor. Before visiting James asked for videos of my TGUs and he was happy with my method, surprisingly, as everything I had learnt was from the tutorials I found on youtube and IG.
We had a chat on my arrival, went through what we were going to do and then got down to it. First set was naked, …….naked meaning naked weight, no weight. James demonstrated the first get up explaining each stage as he went. I followed, and as I went through the get up James was giving verbal instructions for each stage.
Next get up with a light weight, then light and pausing for 10 seconds at each stage, then lighter weight and stopping to perform a shoulder press at each stage, then final set with James taking photos at each stage. Every time James was giving instruction and correcting any mistakes along the way, giving advice and answering my questions. I found the subtle changes to hand/feet positions made a real difference. Lots to try and remember for my future training.
James left me an open invite to go back anytime for further training, which I’ll definitely be doing. In fact we even talked about another session for my swings.
As a side note, the gym has a nice set up, spread over two modern units, no techno type machines, barbells, kettlebells, steel mace, Indian clubs.
He’s got some really heavy bells! Yes that’s a 92kg in the middle, we didn’t use that.
Me mid get up
Owner James
Inside
Other side
Upstairs
Looks like a great find! Just over an hour drive from me so not out of the question. What did he charge for your session?
Got the 40kg kettlebell! From Italy via Holland so probably the last chance before Brexit...
Swings with the 40 one handed felt give although after a few sets took a rest between hands instead of passing it between them.
Did the get up with it too, was tough but managed it. Fortunately the handle opening is more like my 28 than the 32, bigger so can get a better position with it.
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Very impressive! I haven't done much kettlebell or weight training at all since I stopped going to the gym at the start of lockdown. I probably would have some trouble doing swings on my 24kg bells, let alone get-ups.
I do want to get a pair of 16kg kettlebells so might have to explore the EU options before Brexit..
I hadn't been to the gym since before the start of March - but recently we had a night away at a spa hotel locally and they had a gym, so I tried out my deadlift.
I was surprised to find that I managed 190kg - didn't even feel dizzy or puffed out after that! So now I am definitely a believer in kettlebell swings as it must have been the swings, and cleans before presses as well as pull-ups, which enabled me to do that after having not touched a barbell in 8 months.
Nice work,I believe that is referred to as the “WTF effect”
That 40kg is beautiful. What an amazing journey it had.
I’m still slowly working through simple and sinister. On 24kg one hand swings, soon moving up to 28kg.
TGUs are a mix of 24kg with ease, and 28kg with effort.
I’ve also started to use Dan Johns Armour Building Complex. The base of this complex is 2 cleans, 1 shoulder press, 3 squats. This is best performed using double KBs. Although it can be easily adapted to single KB, or you can use doubles of different weight, alternating sides.
Like simple and sinister it reads as easy but can be as hard as you make it.
Yes that's right, or the more polite American WTH effect. I didn't believe it at all until I tested it!
That's solid progress too.
I'm on the fifth cycle I think of the Strong First Simple Strength for Difficult Times programme, going to keep going with it as long as making progress, but I like the sound of the Armour Building programme, will check it out.
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Well, still making progress with the Simple Strength for Difficult Times 2 programme, so I will repeat it with the new weights and rep ranges.
Managed squats with the 40kg and 32kg, and 6 presses with the 32kg. Not quite there yet with a press of the 40kg, but working in more get ups with it which should do the trick eventually.
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Nice to see you are still getting some good progress. It really drives home the fact that following a program works! That's some impressive lifts there, well done.
I'm sticking with simple and sinister still. Managed the 10x10 24kg one hand swings in 5 minutes last week, now working on feeding in 28kg into the reps. TGUs have improved slowly over time, now doing 5x28kg with approx 1 minute rest in between reps, over the next sessions I'll work on getting the rest time down.
Nice, you should be able to work the odd get up with the 32 in with those times, which will immediately make the 28 feel light!
It does, but I have tried plenty of programmes that did not result in any progress. I think this works because all the reps are sub maximal and you only max out once every eight weeks, with the deload week before, makes a huge difference.
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Yes It feels really light to do a get up with say 16 or 20kg now! I'll do the same type of TGU work I did before to progress to the 32kg, using the 28kg pausing at each steep for a count of 3 sec on the way up and down causing greater time under tension. Then increase the duration each week up to a point where I can then lift the 32kg without any risk. For me this is what is meant by "owning the bell" before moving up.
I think I had my own WTH effect last week. Headstand (bent legs, not good enough for full posture) came up in yoga practice, not something I do often. Found it much easier than before (didn't have to bounce up, managed to lift one leg then the other) and held pose for longer. I put this down to shoulders, core, arms all being stronger.
Some Christmas kettlebell cheer for you ...
https://youtu.be/REcZopXwOXo
Still following Simple and Sinister program.
Saw this on Instagram, a slight modification to the practice.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJFVUiQ...d=c6el27feuum9
I did the modified swings today with one size down kettlebell and it was hard. But I’m sure it will increase my strength and aid my progress.
How we all doing with the kettlebells? Anyone still practicing?
Yesterday evening - Same old routine, warm up, 10x10 one hand swings (28kg), Turkish get ups (28,28,32,32,28kg), and a big ouch!
I was reading about improving the part of the get up that you find hardest the other day. For me its the very first stage. From the floor, roll to the elbow. So after my normal simple and sinister session I decided to practice just that movement, 3 times left and right. My left being my least strong side.
On the 3rd rep, left side, as I went up I slightly lost grip, the bell moved around my wrist, there was no strength left to correct, had to bail, bell came downwards right side. Instinctively my right hand (elbow on floor!) tried to stop the passing kettlebell. I think Newton wrote Mass x acceleration of a kettlebell = ouch.
As the bell passed my right hand it bent backwards. I would liken this to rolling you ankle, when you jump around ouch ouch ouch and walk it off. Nothing broken, no major damage. Just tender, and annoyed with myself. No kettlebells for a few days now.
Lesson learnt, know your limits. I should have gone lighter.
Moral of this story, stop, think ahead, take care. None of us need a visit to A&E right now.
Glad to hear serious injury averted! I did similar when doing a get up with the 40kg as I psyched myself up to doing a big effort on the first roll from the floor and managed to rotate the 40 round my arm, and so had to catch it. Generally I find my chest makes a good landing pad as I'd rather save the floor!
Otherwise I'm still doing the simple strength programme which continues to work well, as well as simple and sinister twice a week.
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I’m not using them, my partner is and she’s very pleased with the stackable variable weight thing that Santa delivered. She’d recommend if anyone is stuck for space.
Looks like this ..
This one goes 3.5 to 18kg which I think is fine for her.
There are several brands with dial-a-weight and some of them include integration with an app. One of the market leading ones ( jaxjox ) is on sale at the moment with several stores.
The one in the photo doesn’t have an app but is simple as she just dial the weight for the exercise and then that’s what is weighs. Benefit is I now only trip over one obstacle as opposed to her have a set.
I gave up on heavy TGU a few years ago after shoulder issues with the 32. I occasionally use it as a mobility exercise, but not heavily loaded.
Kettlebell wise:
I'm using dumbbells and cables 3 day per week and on one day I do a kettlebell routine:
5-10 rounds of
Two Handed Swings 15
Goblet Squat 3
Pullups 3
Or if I've had a crazy day like today a super set of:
Swings 1,2...up to...9,10
Pushups 10,9...down to...2,1
Same old kettlebells program last night, swings and get ups.
After dropping the kettlebell and bashing my hand/wrist a few weeks back I had to rest and then take it easy. I've lost some strength and confidence, particularly in the first movement of the get up where I messed up before!
So todays plan is to spend some time on the first movement of the get up, roll to the elbow, but using a lighter weight. Going to try and drill through that movement a few times left and right. Hopefully followed by light get ups, actually I may do the bottoms up holding of the kettlebell, lightest kettlebell.
Argh well it happens. I managed to overdo it on the first roll with the 40kg and actually made it rotate round my wrist and slip off! Luckily caught it on my rib cage instead of damaging the floor. Also fumbled a catch with double kettlebell clean to squat, wrenched my wrists round.
The bottoms up get up is great especially with pausing in each position.
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I now know that the role to elbow is the move that catches most people out. Like you, I’ve had a couple members on another for comment they’ve done the same. Also read of a guy on reddit who really badly damaged his hand/wrist in the same manner.
Yes I like the bottoms up hold using a very light KB for get ups, good idea to include pauses at each step, I’d forgotten about that, cheers!
Question: For those following a program, do you always stick to it, or make adjustments to suit you?
I've been following Simple and sinister for months and have been happy with the progress. But now I've decided to come away from the program a bit.
Once a week I plan to practice the roll to elbow movement of the get up, as currently this is a week point. I will use a lighter weight, more reps, to drill in the movement.
Once a week I plan to do a Turkish get up pyramid using every kettlebell I own 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 28, 24, 20, 16, 12, 8kg (8 and 12kg bottoms up). This kicks my butt, so hopefully will induce some strength gains.
The remaining sessions I'll stick with the simple and sinister program.
Going to try this for six weeks, the idea being to improve the roll to elbow and push up to using the 32kg for get ups and swings. Really would like to pass simple standard by June.
I like to stick to a program for as long as possible. That is usually three to six months for me. But at some point the reality of what I can cope with kicks in. So I usually change something, reduce volume or frequency, modify an exercise, add an exercise or swap one out.
Then at some point I just need a change and go to something new. The main think I learned over the years is to start much easier than you think and progress more slowly that you might like.
My current program is dumbbell exercise three times per week and one day of swings, goblet squats and pullups. I'm going to keep the exercises the same but move to 2 days of each.
You can definitely vary the programme with adjustments like that to work on weaknesses or technique, pretty sure this is sanctioned by the Simple and Sinister book anyway.
You could do a different programme once you achieve the simple standard, probably time to mix it up.
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How we all doing? Anyone still using kettlebells?
Well after a few weeks I can report that my plan has worked. My Get Up roll to elbow has improved greatly, issue fixed. Strength has moved up, therefore I’m back on the simple and sinister program and working the 32kg into the mix now. I’ve really enjoyed my Sunday heavy sessions using a pyramid system for get ups with all my KBs, and feel sure the added volume has helped build strength. So I plan to keep that part of my weekly program.
As a side note, on reflection I now think part of the strength issue was that after Christmas I dropped my daily calorie intake to shed the extra weight I gained over Christmas.
Impressive! It definitely takes weight to move weight, or at least I always found it easier to deadlift heavy if I ate more.
Still using kettlebells here, test week next week, hoping to be able to press the 40kg kettlebell and do multiple squats with the 40 and 32.
Can't find any 48kg competition kettlebells but probably fine with the 40 for the time being anyway.
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I’m not sure if I’ve posted this before but I found a cracking little routine that’s been working well for me in a HiiT format
40 seconds work 20 seconds rest
Start with weakest side
Left arm swing
Left arm squat
Left arm snatch
Left arm press
2 hands Goblet squats
Repeat all on right side
Then 2 hands snatches for 60 seconds to finish
I’m mixing this in every other day at the moment and really enjoying it again, I’d managed to work my way up to 28kgs last year but after a few months of little motivation and life getting in the way I’ve had to drop back to 20 on a busy hectic day and 24s on a feeling good day.
That sounds fun. I haven’t done a Tabata or HIIT type kettlebell workout for some time.
Actually that’s a lie, simple and simple has one hand swings on the minute for ten minutes, but it’s only swings.
It’s interesting doing the same movements over the weeks and seeing progress.
How's the kettlebell training going? Anyone still using them, or have you gone back to the gym?
I took delivery of 36kg cast iron kettlebell yesterday.
My simple and sinister program is still going, slow and steady. Current state is:
10x10 one hand swings L/R 28,32,32,32,28kg
Turkish get ups x5 L/R 28,32,32,32,28kg
Hope to have timeless "Simple" (all 32kg) in a month or so. Then would really like to get to a TGU with the 36kg (half body weight).
Not sure what I'll do after that.
Was going great, joined outside HIT place on top to mix things up and blew both my elbows, one is still not right over a year later (hurts picking up/ twisting a kettle to make the tea), should get it sorted as the C19 belly definitely has me
definitely still doing kettlebell training, no temptation to go back to the gym! Just finishing a cycle of this:
https://www.strongfirst.com/total-te...ebell-complex/
Using double kettlebells (mismatched pairs for unequal loads and more instability, plus so I don't have to buy more kettlebells!) has been a bit of a game changer.
Also keeping the Simple and Sinister up on the off days, 40kg swings pretty easy now, in chunks of 20 reps, one handed. 32kg TGUs are solid, occasionally throw a 40kg TGU in but not if have done heavy presses the day before.
Would like a 36kg kettlebell to have heavier loads with double kettlebells and as I still can't press the 40kg yet even though can press the 32kg at least 7 times. Also would like a 48kg for swings. Hard to find either as competition bells without ridiculous prices!
I'm back in the gym two days per week. On two other days I'm doing swings, some body weight stuff and a short run. I'm enjoying the mix.