KETTLEBELL HELL KETTLEBELL HELL

8. KETTLEBELL HELL

Goal: Strength & Conditioning Goal: Strength & Conditioning

This is a program I run with my clients only 2-3 times per year. I partner this with a nutrition program that quite often has a massive impact on the participant’s life. From here we will just focus on the training but if you would like to a copy of the nutrition guidelines please visit my website. The theory behind the training for Kettlebell Hell is divided over 4 weeks, each targeting a different focus. This program has been inspired by some of the best strength, kettlebell and movement coaches of our time.

People like Dan John & Pavel Tsatsouline. This program is so simple, it’s that effective you won’t believe it until you finish the 30 days; stick to it and you will avoid burnout and over training. The break down looks like this:

Wee

Week 1 k 1 - Move- Movemmeennt (t (MediMedium um VoluVolummee/Low Intensity)/Low Intensity) Wee

Week k 2 - 2 - StreStrength ngth EndEndururance ance (High (High VolumVolumee)) Week 3 - Strength (High Intensity)

Week 3 - Strength (High Intensity)

Week 4 - Performance (High Volume/High Intensity) Week 4 - Performance (High Volume/High Intensity) Week 5 - Testing & Graduation Workout

Week 5 - Testing & Graduation Workout

Week 5 is a two-day week to assess your improvement over the training period.

The split of days is up to you but traditionally KBH has been started on a Friday to finish on a Saturday, this seems to be a popular option you can split your 4 days up in any fashion, and these splits work well:

Split 1: Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat Split 1: Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat

Split 2: Mon, Tues, Thurs & Sat Split 2: Mon, Tues, Thurs & Sat

The program was initially designed off split one,but split two will also work. You must maintain the same split over the whole period.

By now you should have been adequately coached and up skilled yourself through the Kettlebell Fundamentals. There is still time dedicated each day towards skill work, so feel free to “Grease the Groove” before training.

One of the biggest complaints from clients using kettlebells during this program is that they start to tear calluses off their hands. Proper maintenance of your hands throughout the 30 days will be essential for success. File down your calluses so they are smooth and not irritated, a nail file works

ell but a bunyan file (for your feet) works best.

If you are completing this program to target fat loss with the aid of the nutrition guidelines you should follow these tips when deciding the best time to train but this is a personal preference. Both afternoon

and morning have their benefits. If training in the morning, either fast or only eat a small amount o food and that will help in the aid of fat loss. Training in the afternoon will aid in increasing strength because you have fuelled yourself all day. Both effects will take place because of your nutrition plan

so do not worry about it too much. Place training in your routine when you know you will be able to do it. Be prepared.

During the training you will notice a percentage value placed against an exercise. This is to tell you how hard you are to train at this particular section. Waving loads throughout your week will ensure long term, maintainable results and will help you avoid over training. The values listed on the training and their meaning:

60%

60% - This is an easy session on the particular exercise. By all means use a heavy weight or challenge yourself but 40% of your time, you should be resting. You are not to fail a single repetition or exercise when at 60%. Take it easy and save it up for another day. Remember, it's putting money in the bank team.

80%

80% - This is where most of your gains and improvements will occur, your bread and butter training if you will. This isn’t training to failure, youmustmust make every rep but emphasis is on reducing your rest between work sets, increasing the weight or increasing the reps depending on your goals.

100%

100% - This should be pretty self-explanatory. This is where you test yourself. You will only hit this point once a week in a chosen exercise and more often than not they are coupled with a 60% effort on

a different exercise. Focus in the session is placed upon this 100% exercise.

Now we apply the rule of common sense. If you are sore or believe an injury may result during a particular session you are to do one or all of the following:

- Reduce the intensity level, - Regress to an easier exercise,

- Reduce the weight that you are using, - Increase the rest between exercises,

- Take another day off.

Remember rule 3, of points to remember, don’t overdraw your bank account.

A full warm-up and cool down should be administered every session. This is not optional. Your arm-up should include foam rolling/trigger point, movement based warm-up and specific mobility ork targeting your session for the day. This can include your skill work.

Cooling down should include foam rolling/trigger point and static stretching. Remember, recovery and good nutrition is more important than the session itself.

Th

The e Break Break DownDown::

W

Weeeek 1 – Movementk 1 – Movement

Different to the Program Minimum as we are completing four days of training featuring the swing and the get up except day one. Targeting the hip hinge pattern and get up technique. If you need time to

ork on your hip hinge pattern, switch to two-handed swings. Ideally at the end of this week, your hip hinge pattern should be quite solid and your get up technique should be coming along. You are to rest and use the allocated intensity percentage per day, your 60% day should be the easiest rolling up to as many sets of 10/10 (L/R) single arm swings in ten minutes for the 100% day. The kettlebell can touch the ground between sets.

Week 2 – Strength Endurance Week 2 – Strength Endurance

This week is all about volume, modeled off Dan John’s 10,000 swing workout. Drilling your two handed swings until they are solid and working a strength component within three of the four sessions.

You will accumulate 500 swings per session totaling 2000 for the week. Females should be aiming to use a 16kg kettlebell and males should shoot for the 24kg. The strength exercises should be done with single or double kettlebells.

Week 3 – Strength Week 3 – Strength

Armor Building. Reps and formats can be changed but the theory remains the same cleans, presses &

squats. Week 3 is a focus on muscular hypertrophy and strength. The aim for the week is to use the heaviest kettlebells possible that you can clean twice, press once and squat three times for multiple sets within the given time frame. The kettlebells can be placed down during the period but emphasis should be placed on equaling or beating the previous days results. Days two and four, consider a reduced time but a weight increase, this is only if you are ready to progress.

Week 4 – Performance Week 4 – Performance

This week uses a modified version of Pavel’s Rite of Passage. Presses are featured everyday with the volume increasing by ladders over the week. There are also partnered strength elements being the squat and the pull-up. These are done as supersets combining the presses and pull-ups/squats back to back before moving up to another rung.

The swing and snatch serial at the end of the session has a percentage value attached and you are to ork to that intensity. If you are not confident with your snatch regress to single or two-handed swings. Weights for the snatch are to be one size lower than your single arm swing kettlebell.

W

Weeeek 5 Day 1 – Stk 5 Day 1 – Strenrength Testingth Testingg

The final week will see only two days of training. Day 1 will be a strength test looking at your 1RM for your kettlebell strength lifts or grinds. You are to work up to a comfortable 1RM for:

Get Up Get Up

KB Squat (Double in the rack position) KB Squat (Double in the rack position)

Our final session for Kettlebell Hell will test everything you have worked on in the last 30 days. You are not to miss a rep on the Get Ups and you are to beat your best amount of rounds for your building ladder from week 3. In relation to the snatch test, if you are still not confident with your

technique drop to heavy single arm swings in the same time frame.

5/5 Get Up in 10 Minutes

You are to have 5 minutes rest between all sections during your graduation workout. Make sure you take a couple of days off after the 30-day period has finished, you will need it.

9. M

9. M INIMALIST INIMALISTIC RITE OF IC RITE OF PASSA PASSAGE GE

Goal: Kettlebell Strength & Skills Goal: Kettlebell Strength & Skills

This program is probably one of my favorites. It has been modified for one thing, to reduce wear and tear on the shoulders. The old adage is to press lots, you must press lots. I think this isn’t quite right for all situations; the volume in the srcinal Rite Of Passage by Pavel is a rather large dose to the old shoulders. In no shadow of a doubt this has worked for hundreds if not thousands of people before me but what if you had previous injuries or limitations like myself that prevented you from being able to

complete such high volume pressing? Due to my injury history, I needed a way to achieve a bodyweight press without revisiting the hospital or surgery for my shoulder, because that would not be a good choice. From this program I discovered:

To press lots, you must press enough, but find exercises and alternatives that assist your To press lots, you must press enough, but find exercises and alternatives that assist your pr

preessssining g without cowithout commprpromiomising ssing shouhouldldeer hear health and strelth and strength or pungth or push yosh you towau towardrds s ininjury.jury.

In this case you are still pressing lots but you are missing the massive amount of single arm kettlebell pressing that the srcinal program dictated. You are also working on exercises that promote good

shoulder health and there is enough room to adjust when you hit a stage of burnout or come close to injury. The program is broken down into six-week phases, with the built in alternatives to single arm pressing and scheduled deload or taper week in week 5 ensures you can maintain this program for a

reasonable duration. The first phase I ever ran of this program, I increased my kettlebell press 40% in two phases. That’s 8kg in 12 weeks, from 20kg to 28kg. As my friends know my shoulder history, and being of a small frame (65kg ringing wet), this was a significant jump. It didn’t take me long to hit

double bodyweight the next time I did this program.

W

Weeek 1 – 4:ek 1 – 4: As per program Week 5:

Week 5: Deload, drop down one size from the current kettlebells you are using for press, swing and snatch and reduce all pressing ladders from 5 to 3.

Week 6:

Week 6: If you are feeling good choose to test yourself on two of the exercises such as the press and the snatch, with the snatch being tested on day 5 of week 6. Let the other exercises progress easily and test a following six weeks later.

Repeat the six-week sequence until you can:

- Press half your bodyweightPress half your bodyweight

- 100 reps in 5 min* snatch test 12/16kg for women & 20/24kg for men100 reps in 5 min* snatch test 12/16kg for women & 20/24kg for men - Pull-up with 16kg women/24kg menPull-up with 16kg women/24kg men

- Show good technique on Windmill, Pistol Squat & Push PressShow good technique on Windmill, Pistol Squat & Push Press