First 6x6 session with Jefferson Lift

Today was the first 6x6 session with the Jefferson Lift as the replacement for the Lateral Single Leg Deadlift. The IsoMax manual calls the Jefferson Lift the "Straddle Lift" but the manjority of Google search results show a different exercise which is also called "straddle lift". So going forward I'll just call it the Jefferson Lift

I settled on the 5 slot on the IsoMax strap for this exercise. This put the bar slightly higher than the knees and the thighs a few degrees above parallel. 5 was the lowest setting I could go and feel my body was in a safe and secure position for the exercise. Settings lower than 5 seemed to force a forward lean of the back that I wasn't comfortable trying.

I worked with the target force settings that had been planned for the LSLDL. I pulled a max 155.2 lbs. on the left side and 168.2 max on the right. By left side, I mean the front side of the bar is pointing to the left. I don't feel a need to spend a whole session testing my 1-rep max for the Jefferson Lift. I'll just work with 155 lbs. as the "1 rep max" in terms of planning what force settings to use on the heavy days.

Lateral Single Leg Deadlift experiment is already over

I've been practicing the Windmill Stick as taught by Dan John as one of the mobility exercises I do during my breaks from work. After my 1-rep max test of the Lateral Single Leg Deadlift, I felt something in my low back snap a bit when I practiced the Windmill Stick. Afterwards, the right side of my low back felt a little more sore than usual. Maybe it's actually my right oblique that feels sore. Anyway, on the following day, I felt a bit of a tweak in the right side of the low back, like it could snap at any moment.

My low back generally feels fine. I don't feel like I've suffered an injury... yet.

I reassesed how I get into position into the Lateral Single Leg Deadlift. I'm not convinced my hips are actually aligned with my shoulders. Moreover, I'm not convinced this exercise is safe for my low back. So, I'm going to replace it with the Straddle Lift, aka the Jefferson Deadlift. The Straddle Lift might not work the obliques as hard, but I know from past experience it's safe for my low back. Why the Straddle Lift? The reason is it strengthens the posterior chain like the deadlift, with less risk to the low back. Posterior chain strength is useful for heavy kettlebell cleans and snatches. The Straddle Lift also strengthens the quadriceps, which should be useful for KB front squats.

Violin activities

I've barely touched my Yamaha YEV-105 electric violin or my acoustic viola for almost 2 years, as I focused more on guitar playing. Then last year I re-developed elbow tendonitis after doing kettlebell goblet squats with the KB held in bottoms up grip. The KB was heavy enough to tip over as my hands got tired of holding it. The tendonitis in the left elbow started flaring up during guitar practice, although I was able to alleviate it by paying extra attention to using the back muscles instead of just the muscles in the forearm to pull the strings to the frets.

This seemed to coincide with a renewed desire to play melody lines with long sustaining notes. I can achieve decent sustain on the guitar with the usual overdrive/distortion, and extra sustain with compression effect, a Digitech Freqout pedal, or the Feedbacker effect included with Line 6 Helix/HX Stomp multi-effects devices. Sustain is also great using Jam Origin Midi Guitar to trigger synths. However, control of note sustain, envelope and other properties using a violin bow is a quite a different experience. All the playing around with guitar effects and software made me miss playing violin with a bow.

I ordered a Glasser AE Carbon Composite 5-String violin after rewatching Rob Flax's demo and review. Of course there are wooden acoustic and acoustic-electric 5-string violins out there. I like the idea though of a carbon composite violin that tolerate a wider range of climates compared to wooden instruments. The acoustic sound is good enough to inspire me to practice. My dynamic control with the bow is ok enough to play somewhat quietly when I want to but I'm glad I got this mute for 5-string violin, which works really well for reducing the loudness of the Glasser.

I've been practicing F minor pentatonic scale patterns in the bookBeginner Jazz Soloing For Violin. I listen to the audio tracks and try to play along with them. I've been focusing more on learning the scale patterns by ear rather than by reading them in music notation.

I rediscovered this video focusing on slow blues phrasing.

First fairly long lick at about 3:05

IsoMax 6x6 1-Rep Max Testing

Today was the first day of my newest training block, which will be focused on strength via overcoming isometrics on the IsoMax. As always, the 1-Rep Max protocol from the book Ultimate Isometrics Manual was used.

The results in pounds:

• Lateral Single Leg Deadlift (LSLDL) - 102.4
• Overhead Press - 115.9
• Drag Curl - 115.2

Compared to the previous 1-rep max test last December, the overhead press was down from 120.87 and the drag curl was up from 91.2.

It's odd to see my IsoMax overhead press go down, yet my 20kg kettlebell strict press rep max go up from 1 to 3. The KB pressing strength going up makes sense because I'd been practicing the clean+press a lot as part of The Giant for the last 10 weeks (2 under Giant 2.0, and 8 total under Giant 1.1 and 1.2). The IsoMax overhead press going down might be because I hadn't practiced it since December. Both the IsoMax overhead press and the KB press work the same muscles. However the technique is a little different because the overhead press with a bar forces the hands to be in pronation, while starting position for a KB press places the palm closer to a neutral position (neither pronated nor supinated). As the KB is pressed, the hand tends to be rotated so that at lockout position, the hand is pronated. Also, overcoming isometrics encourages whole body tension and force generation, while the KB that I used for The Giant was not heavy enough to make me practice generating that kind of whole body force.

Anyway, while the mystery of the drop in isometric overhead press performance combined with the gain in 20kg KB press performance is interesting, I don't think it matters much in the long run. Overcoming isometric training involves practicing using one's central nervous system (CNS) to generate muscular force. Hypertrophy training under a program like The Giant typically results in gains in muscle size but the CNS is not typically trained to the same intensity. A few weeks of 6x6 style isometric training typically results in the CNS making more efficient use of the newly gained muscle mass.

The drag curl gain was a surprise at first, then I remembered that I was doing a few sets of chin ups on the afternoons after my morning The Giant sessions. I was not doing the chin ups to try to make my biceps grow bigger, but to try to condition my elbow tendons to better tolerate chin ups. This ended up working well for my left elbow. My right elbow still felt some pain on the first set, and felt better if I did the 2nd set within 10 minutes of the first set. I adhered to the guidelines mentioned in Geoff Neupert's chinup video - volume should not be more than 5 sets of 5 reps. By my last week of The Giant 1.2, I was doing 4 sets of 4 reps. Anyway, it must have been the chin up training that led to the increase in drag curl strength.

For both the overhead press and drag curl, I tested with the bar set, so that the targeted muscles would be as long as possible. For the overhead press, the bar was as low as I could set it and still be able to do an overhead press. The low height of the bar makes me stretch the chest and pull the elbows down - thus all the overhead pressing muscles are as long as they could be for the overhead press. For the drag curl, the bar was practically on top of my thighs, thus making my biceps so long the arms close to straight. The reason is research finding that isometric training at long muscle length resulted in greater transfer to dynamic performance compared to isometrics at shorter muscle length. I did not go for long muscle length in the LSLDL because I didn't know how low I could really go without compromising safety for my low back, and I didn't feel the risk would be worth it.

Substituting the LSLDL for the Zercher Lunge is one change from previous takes on the 6x6 program template. I've been practicing P3 Protocol for a while, first under the Sore Joint Solution program, and lately under Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells. Side Lying has been the most difficult of P3's 3 fundamental body positions for me. I think it's because my lateral chain is the weakest of my 3 kinetic chains (anterior, posterior and lateral). I looked in Ultimate Isometrics Manual for any Isochain/IsoMax exercise that might hit the lateral chain hardest of all, and LSLDL looked like the best candidate. I figured a 6x6 block featuring the LSLDL might accelerate my progress with Side Lying exercises.

THe LSLDL is briefly shown in NoLimitSquad's video. My modification to the LSLDL is to simply allow the ball of the non-working foot to rest on the ground, which should allow the CNS to focus more on force output and less on balance. Another modification I made, compared to the photo in the book, was to align the hips with the shoulders. In the photo, the shoulders are not aligned with the hips, so the spine is bending a bit to the side. Having a history of low back injury, I'm in favor of not allowing the spine to bend to either side in this exercise. A 3rd modification is supinated rather than pronated grip for the front hand. This feels more natural to me. A pronated grip for the front hand would put the front shoulder into internal rotation which doesn't feel as good. With these modifications, the LSLDL does indeed work the lateral chain while not putting the low back into any danger or any other discomfort

Another modification I'm making to the 6x6 template is a triple wave scheme that I'm stealing from Geoff Neupert's The Giant X, which in turn was inspired by the Cuban Rep scheme he got from his weightlifting coach. The 6x6 program in The Ultimate Isometrics Manual says to test for 1-rep max, then train at 70% of 1 rep max every session until a retest of 1-rep max. Switching to the triple wave means not training at the same target load all the time. This is my understanding of the triple wave:

1. Wave within one session by doing ladders - lowest force at the lowest rung, more force at the next rung, most force at the highest rung. 6x6 is 6 reps of 6-second holds, so I'm going with a 3-rung ladder that is repeated once.
2. Wave within one week by having light, heavy, and medium training days. Use the highest load settings on the heavy day and the lowest settings on the light day.
3. Wave within the entire block by increasing difficulty on the heavy days over time, then dialing back as needed.

I was going to do a more literal adaptation of The Giant X to this modified 6x6 program, but decided to improvise instead. The info collected in the book Beyond Bodybuilding suggests that wave loading may work best when there's some randomness to the waving. I'll generally increase load for the heavy days but I'll also try to avoid setting the load so high that I can't do 6 full reps. When a heavy session makes me feel like I'm close to my limit, I'll wave the heavy day back down.

The Giant 1.2: Results

For the last week of The Giant 1.2, I challenged myself do more than 60 total reps in one session.

I did not quite make it on Monday. I did 56 total reps, after which I ran out of gas.

I broke the 60 rep ceiling on Wednesday. I set the timer to 30 min. I allowed myself a generous amount of rest after the first set, then after the 3rd set started to pick up the pace by resting less between sets. By the time I'd done 6 sets, there was about 2 min. left on the timer. I let the timer count all the way down, and continued to rest until I felt ready to do the 7th set, which took my rep total to 63.

I did 64 total reps on Friday.

Arm circumference increased by a quarter inch. Most of the growth was in the triceps, particularly the long head.

Back in January I tested my 20kg kettlebell strict press rep max and was only able to do 1 rep. Today I retested my 20kg strict press rep max and was able to do 3 reps. I did not use any of the 3 methods recommended by Geoff Neupert. All I did was bring up the 20kg KB after my IsoMax rep max testing, and tried to press it for as many reps as possible.

My next training block will be 6x6 style overcoming isometric strength training on the IsoMax. There's something about overcoming isometrics that makes joints and tendons feel better. I've had elbow tendonitis ever since I did 8 weeks of bottoms-up 24kg KB goblet squat as part of Easy Muscle last year. I've made sure my arm is completely straightened on the backswing of KB cleans - bent elbow on the backswing is a known cause of elbow tendonitis. I've noticed the elbow gets irritated during pressing if I don't make the effort to squeeze harder on the pinky side of the hand and bend the wrist a little more to the front and to the pinky side. At least 6 weeks of IsoMax work will improve the feeling of my elbows.

The next training block after that will be the single KB program known as Kettlebell Burn 2.0. As noted earlier, the recommended weight is a weight that can be strict pressed for 4-6 reps. I can strict press the 20kg KB for 3 reps now, so I'm on track to press to the 20kg for at least 4 reps after I finish the 6x6 block.

The Giant 1.2: Week 3

Not much to report, other than I consistently did 54 or more reps per session

The Giant 1.2: Week 2

I kind of took it easy for the Monday session

For the other 2 sessions I increased the training time from 25 min. to 30 min. to see if I could do more sets, especially the 9-rep sets. As it turned out, the extra time allowed me to do an extra set, resulting in 54 or more total reps for each of those sessions.

I continued doing chin ups on the afternoons of my The Giant days, for the purpose of conditioning my tissues for doing high volume chin up sessions in the near future. I didn't have a timeline for progressing from 2 sets of 2 reps to 5 sets of 5 reps, which is the most Geoff Neupert recommends. However this week I found myself doing 4 reps instead of 3 reps per set. I wasn't thinking of trying that 4th rep - I just found myself doing it.

For warmup and cooldown, I switched from P3 Protocol (Sore Joint Solution) to SCT4KB (Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells). There is some overlap between P3 and SCT4KB so the switch was fairly smooth. Sore Joint Solution and SCT4KB both promise improved mobility. SJS is more focused on movement restoration. SCT4KB is more focused on strengthening the core. Both have you start with diaphragmatic breathing as your base. I decided to switch from P3 to SCT4KB because if either one will lead to improved shoulder mobility and range of motion, especially flexion - the ability to put your arm straight up over your head - it makes sense to focus on core strength. So far it seems like SCT4KB sessions, as a bolt-on to The Giant sessions, take less time than P3 sessions. When I do a P3 session after a The Giant session, I tended to do the diaphragmatic breathing and head movement exercises for 2-3 body positions. SCT4KB has me working out of one body position at a time.

Giant 1.2: Week 1

The Giant 1.2 is the continuation of The Giant 1.1. It's the same programming as Giant 1.1 except with a bump up in difficulty.

The hardest session of the week prescribes 9-rep sets. I was able to do the 9-rep sets just fine. However I needed quite a bit more rest after a 9-rep set compared to an 8-rep set.

The session before the 9 rep per set session didn't call for as many reps per set. I pushed myself a bit to prepare myself for the 9-rep per set session.

I continued doing The Giant sessions in the morning, 3 times a week, and doing chin ups on the same day, but in the afternoons. I did chin ups on breaks from work. One thing I changed this week was doing 2 sets of chin ups on my break instead of one set. I'd do one set, then some mobility work like ATG split squats on the stairs, hip circles, etc. then do the 2nd set. My elbows typically felt better during the 2nd set.

Cool guitar videos

Justus West playing a groovy rhythm guitar part for Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

False Fingering technique lesson

Lesson on how to practice C major triads in various ways, with rhythm instead of just free time all the time

Giant 1.1: Week 4

This is the last week of The Giant 1.1. I pushed myself a little bit more this week, but not too hard. After a set, I've rested until the burning sensation in my lungs is gone, then waited until my heartrate and breathing dropped close to normal, before starting another set. All I changed this week was wait for the lungs-on-fire sensation to go away, then rest for less time after that compared to previous weeks. It helped that my conditioning improved so that I didn't feel like I needed as much rest compared to week 1 of The Giant.

Requiring rest less between sets allowed me to do more sets overall within a 25-min. session. For all 3 sessions this week, I was able to do 50+ total reps. This led to a slight increase in appetite compared to previous weeks.

On my The Giant days, one activity I've doing sometime after a session is chin ups in sets of 2-3 reps, to try to condition my elbow tissues for pulling with supinated hands. When I first heard of the argument that too much activity with hand in pronation, and not enough activity with hands in supination will lead to elbow tendonitis, I was admittedly dismissive. Then I learned more about Davis' Law, which states that tissues model along lines of stress. Thus, I've been doing chin ups to compensate for all the pronation involved in high volume kettlebell clean + press, as well as condition the tissues for supination. I feel some pain in my right elbow when I do chin ups, but oddly enough, no pain at all in my left elbow when I do chin ups. The left elbow can be irritated when I play guitar, as I use my left hand for fretting notes - this is one of the reasons I've been spending more time practicing on piano than on guitar. Anyway, the pain in my right elbow during chin ups has gradually decreased over time. has the info about Davis' Law, pronation vs. supination, recommended sets and reps, etc.

Also on my The Giant days, another activity I've been doing later in the day is shoulder dislocates with a stick. This is one of the exercises Neupert recommends for improving overhead reaching mobility. I'd been using a resistance band for shoulder dislocates, but it comes with a risk of shoulder injury without strict attention to keeping the chest forward as the arms rotate to the rear. I tried using a broomstick but just couldn't get a good range of motion. Then I picked up one of the orange 76" long Stick Mobility sticks and attempted the movement on it. It's quite a bit longer than the broomstick. The longer width allows me to hold the stick with a wide enough grip to do the movement with a full range of motion.

Giant 1.1: Week 3

My conditioning seems to be improving. Compared to last week, I did at least one more set per session, because I needed just a little less time to rest between sets.

My warmup was the supine and side lying positions from P3 protocol (Sore Joint Solution). For cooldown, I lay in an easier variation of supine from P3 and practiced diaphragmatic breathing - typically 15-20 breaths, until I felt my heartrate slow down to closer to normal speed. Then I practiced the Phase 2 exercises from P3 protocol.

I assumed I'd have to wait for another year or so before I could advance to Phase 2, but then I reread the Sore Joint Solution manual and found these sentences:

Some people really struggle with side lying, but supine and prone are relatively easy. In that case, move up to Phase 2, but start each session with side lying until you hit the target reps.

Turkish Get Up progress

This past December, I started practicing the Turkish Get Up again. Most of my TGU practice is on the days in between my The Giant sessions. I gradually progressed from practicing TGU with empty hand, to using an 8kg kettlebell, then the 12kg..

Today I tried the TGU with a 16kg kettlebell for the first time since I stopped doing Simple And Sinister back in May 2020. I felt a drop in my control of the KB. I got my 16kg KBs from Dragondoor. These days people call them hardstyle KBs. My lighter KBs and 20kg KB are competition style KBs. So the 16kg KB is not only heavier than my lightest KBs, it's also a different shape. So the cause of my control issues could be simply the weight but maybe the shape had something to do with it too. In any case, I switched back to the 12kg for TGU practice and did 2 more reps per side.

My main motivation for practicing TGU has changed since December. Back then it was to help me get better at the snatch. But now my motivation is just wanting to be ready for Kettlebell Burn 2.0. After I finish The Giant 1.1, I plan to do The Giant 1.2. 1.2 as a followup program to 1.1 increases the weekly volume to keep the muscle and strength gains coming. Next after 1.2 is The Giant 3.0 with the 20kg KB, which should hopefully result in my 20kg strict press rep max increasing from 1 to the 4-6 range. Next after 3.0 is Kettlebell Burn 2.0, a program that incorporates practically all the Level 1 and 2 exercises in the Geoff Neupert pyramid - TGU being one of those. If I want to practice the TGU safely with a 20kg KB, I'd better have a decent amount of practice time with the TGU first.

Giant 1.1: Week 2

StrongFirst has the Victorious course by Fabio Zonin on 25% off sale. Victorious is focused on the fine points of pressing a heavy kettlebell. My kettlebell training in the past couple of years has been mostly influenced by Geoff Neupert. I continue to be a fan of Neupert's teachings but I see Zonin also enjoys a lot of respect in the kettelbell training community, and so I've been curious about how he teaches kettlebell lifting. While Neupert is a former StrongFirst coach and Zonin is a current StrongFirst coach, each coach inevitably has their own perspective which may be useful to study.

For the Monday session I tried incorporating the Victorious pressing techniques. I realized why Zonin advises a rebuild from the ground up approach to learning and practicing the Victorious style of pressing. This style makes sense but it's hard to switch to it without putting in the time into the pressing techinque rebuilding process as advised in the Victorious course.

Also my left shoulder was feeling less stable and more irritable after trying the Mark Wildman style of kettlebell clean. It doesn't seem to respond well to the internal rotation that the Wildman style forces onto the shoulder. So for the Wednesday session, I switched back to the Neupert style of KB clean. Another thing I did to try to improve shoulder stability was, after the The Giant session, do 30 seconds per arm of waiter carry. This is just walking around with the KB held overhead with locked out arm. I got this idea from Steve Cotter and Dan John. Dan John in particular stated in this article that it does wonders for the shoulders. GMB has additional thoughts on loaded carries here

I also switched back to Neupert's style of KB press for the Wednesday and Friday sessions. Without practicing the recommended foundational exercises in Victorious beforehand, it didn't make sense to switch to the Victorious pressing style. Victorious appears to be intended specifically for improving at pressing a heavy kettlbell, and comes with recommended assistance exercises and unique techniques to practice. Victorious might be more useful for when I start pressing the 24kg KB, which at present is too heavy for me to press to full lockout. At present though I'm working through The Giant 1.1, with the intention to follow up with Giant 1.2. I do note need to switch to the Victorious pressing style now.

Geoff Neupert on testing your kettlebell repetition max

I've been following Geoff Neupert fitness programs for a couple of years now which practically makes me a disciple of his fitness teachings, so when this popped up on Youtube, I was interested in his instructions for testing your repetition max with a particular kettlebell weight. When I tested my 20kg clean+press rep max, I simply grabbed the 20kg KB and tried to do as many reps of clean+press as I could. I didn't do any of the 3 methods described in the video.


I'm not sure I understand the 5,4,3,2,1 countdown method. I guess I would need 5 different weights. The KBs that I have that are lighter than 20kg are 8kg, 12kg, and 16kg KBs. So I guess I can't use this method

The modified Delorme method looks easiest to understand. The instructions are to do 3 sets as follows: Set 1 = 50% of old 10RM, Set 2 = 75% of old 10RM, Set 3 = 10RM for max reps OR new weight attempt for new 10RM. So in my case: Set 1 = 5 reps with the 16kg, Set 2 = 7-8 reps with the 16kg, Set 3 = Attempt as many reps as possible with the 20kg.

This is the 3rd method as copied from the video: Use some lighter than your old 10RM KBs and do 3-5 warm up sets, going progressively heavier and by feel on the reps. Make them crisp and make sure they feel LIGHT. Then use your new 10RM load and do 1-2 sets of LOW reps - like 1-3 to get used to the load. Then rest about 3 minutes and go for your 10RM.

When its time to test my 20kg clean+press rep max, I'll probably used the 2nd method above. I can't do the first because I don't have 4 weights lighter than the 20kg. The 3rd just looks overly complicated.

Giant 1.1: Week 1

The soreness in the elbows that I feel when I shovel snow or do any activity in which the hands supinate while carrying something continues to persist. One possible cause is allowing the elbow to be bent on the backswing of a kettelbell swing/clean/snatch. I like to think that I am not doing that, but to eliminate that possibility, I switched to the thumb-back style of the KB clean favored by Mark Wildman. Wildman has plenty of videos that show how he wants you to clean the KB but this recent video goes into more detail. As Wildman states in his videos, the purpose of turning the thumb back for the backswing, it is it forcces the arm to stay straight on the backswing. The tradeoff is that it also takes the shoulder into internal rotation. The internal rotation was uncomfortable for my shoulder the first time I tried Wildman's style, which is why I adopted Geoff Neupert's style in the first place. Neupert teaches the clean with the KB handle held at a diagonal, so the thumb points diagonally, which avoids internal shoulder rotation, but places more responsibility on the trainee to pay attention to the arm being straigth on the backswing.

As I anticipated, my volume under The Giant 1.1 has been higher than under The Giant 2.0. I did 40 or more total reps per workout under 1.1, compared to under 40 reps per workout under 2.0. The Giant 2.0 is built on ladder reps, which allows some people to do higher volume, depending on the person's conditioning. The manual for The Giant suggests doing 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, then optionally 2.0 for people like me with low endurance. For people with good endurance, the option of skipping the 1.x programs and going straight to 2.0 is suggested. I understand now why the manual makes these recommendations.

Continuing The Giant KB training but switching fro double KB to single KB work

My low back still feels fine after the snow shoveling session that interrupted my kettlebell training midweek. I think working on my shoveling technique, followed by the P3 session for cooldown/restoration helped my low back keep feeling good.

My previously injured shoulder however continues to have intermittent soreness. Being able to lock out both arms in the double KB press has protected the shoulders to an extent. But stacking the locked-out arms on top of the shoulders and lats has been a struggle. While my overhead reaching mobility has improved over the last 12 months, it hasn't improved enough to allow me to lock out both arms without too much arch in the upper back.

According to Geoff Neupert's 5-level pyramid, all double KB training is at Level 4 and above.

For those who have the mobility to practice double KB clean + press safely, the advantages of double KB C+P over single KB C+P include more load for the lower body/posterior chain, potentially greater muscle gain, and time savings from working both arms simultaneously in every set. It was for these reasons I sort of rushed into double KB training, without thinking too much about the consequences of jumping to Level 4 without properly working through Levels 1-3.

However, I decided to continue Giant style training but with single instead of double KB. I believe I can still stimulate muscle and strength gains training The Giant style with single KB, with less risk to my shoulders. While Mark Wildman teaches KB technique a little differently than Geoff Neupert, I think he might be right about people needing a significant amount of time practicing single KB C+P before taking on double KB C+P, because it just takes time for tendons and ligaments to adapt to the top position of the press. This and other thoughts by Wildman can be found in his video on how KBs can fix rounded shoulders

Furthermore, I'm switching from Giant 2.0 to Giant 1.1. Giant 1.1 programming is based on straight sets. 2.0 is based on ladder sets. I had believed that ladder sets would always produce more volume than straight sets. I've realized that this is not always true. Trainees don't have good endurance need more rest between sets compared to trainees with good endurance. Thus, trainees with good endurance can do more volume in one workout, and take better advantage of ladder sets. In other words, my volume was just under 40 total reps per Giant 2.0 session. I believe my volume will be higher doing 1.1 compared to 2.0.

The goal I'm working towards is still the same - to be able to strict press the 20kg KB for at least 4 reps. An intermediate goal before that is to be able to clean and press the 20kg for at least 5 reps. I believe this is doable because I can C+P the 20kg for 3 reps already. The road to get there is:

1. Train under Giant 1.1 until I can C+P the 20kg KB for 5 reps, or until I've done 1.1 for 4 weeks, then train under Giant 1.2 until the 5-rep C+P is achieved
2. Train under Giant 3.0 with the 20kg KB. This should get me to the 4 rep minimum strict press goal.

Piano activities

Persistent golfer's elbow issues have combined with my growing interest in improving my piano playing to spend less time playing/practicing the guitar and more time on my newly acquired Kawai ES-920 digital piano. I've taken some measures to address the golfer's elbow, which I may post about elsewhere. The majority of my piano activities have been focused on working through the updated Jazz Piano Jump Start course on Open Studio.

One of my supplemental activites is learning the electric piano part for "Josie" thanks to this video:


Great series of articles related to playing solo arrangements of song and/or accompanying a singer on piano:

How to Transform a Lead Sheet Into a Performance

10 Great Arpeggios for Left and Right Hand

How to Create Flowing Keyboard Accompaniments

The Basics of Stride Piano
I'm working through the updated Jazz Piano Jump Start. I'm enjoying the emphasis on GPS compared to the original version. An area of improvement would be the workbook for Week 5. Adam plays something that doesn't match the onscreen notation which throws me off. I think I understand why the etude is just a chord chart instead of written out like the etudes in the earlier weeks - the idea is to encourage the student to improvise the rhythm. We used to be able to ask questions in the original version of Jazz Piano Jump Start. Now you have to subscribe to Pro membership or something

Today's Giant session canceled by snow

I had to spend my weekday morning workout time shoveling snow instead of doing a Giant session with double kettlebells as originally planned. I paid extra attention to never lifting the snow-filled shovel without moving my knees, in hopes of preventing low back DOMS, which had hit me after both previous snow shoveling sessions this year. I did a bastardized version of the pole shaking technique I'd learned at a Mike Sigman workshop - start with the front knee bent, then quickly straighten the front leg while tossing the snow with the shovel. The toss should be to the left if the front leg is the left leg, otherwise to the right. By the end of the shoveling motion, the weight should be on the back leg with the back knee bent.

After shoveling was done, I tested my 20kg clean+pressn rep max with each arm. Rep max was still 3. I've only completed 2 full weeks of Giant style training so I wasn't expecting great gains from The Giant anyway.

I then did a P3 (Sore Joint Solution) session in hopes of relaxing the low back.

Giant 2.0: Week 2 completed and doing bar chin ups again

Last week I started Giant 2.0. This is one of the 4 programs that come with The Giant by Geoff Neupert. This one incorporates repetition ladders.

For the Monday session, I focused on the press portion of the double KB Clean + Press. I took the time to practice the zip-up with the racked kettlebells.

For the Wednesday and Friday sessions, I went back to focusing on the overall C+P movement, in which the KBs are cleaned into rack position, then pressed almost immediately. There is a store-and-release kind of action that happens - the cleaned KBs settling into the rack adds extra tension to the body, which is then released with the press, adding a little extra power to the press. The store-and-release action is one of the reasons KB practitioners can typically do more C+P reps than strict press reps.

My left shoulder started to bother me a bit. By Friday I realized that in my effort to improve my overhead lockout positioning, I was allowing my scapula to rise. So for Friday I focused on keeping my shoulders in their sockets

On my training days, I've been practicing chin ups, sort of in grease the groove fashion, in the afternoons after my Giant 2.0 sessions, as inspired by Geoff Neupert's video. When I first read his arguments about too much pronation leading to elbow tendonitis (golfer's elbow or tennis elbow), I felt dismissive at first, but upon further reflection, I thought this Davis's law that he mentions might be legit - maybe by doing a bit of chin up training I could get my elbow tendons to remodel themselves to tolerate chin ups. I used rings for chin up training on Monday and Wednesday. Rings allow me to start with hands in neutral grip, then pull into supinated hands at the top of the chin up. Then, later in the week, I tried chin ups on the pull up bar and was pleasantly surprised to find the concentric portion fel fine, using the spiraling technique. The eccentric portion irritated my right elbow, but not my left elbow. I finished each set with hanging for time with the supinated grip. Neupert says elbow pain from chin ups could be caused by not allowing the elbows to fully extend at the bottom position. Thus, hanging for time will hopefully lead to Davis' Law doing its work on my tendons, allowing chin ups to feel more and more comfortable; as well as providing a stretch for the lats

Switched from single 20kg Kettlebell Clean + Press back to double 16kg Clean + Press

I closed out my 2024 fitness training with double 16kg kettlebell Clean + Press under the Easy Muscle A program. This resulted in the ability to C+P a single 20kg for 3 repetitions, being able to press it only half way on the 4th attempt.

I decided to do another Geoff Neupert program, Kettlebell Burn 2.0, with a single 20kg KB. In order to do it productively and safely, I need to be able to strict press the 20kg at least 4 reps. I tested my strict press rep max with the 20kg and was able to do one rep, only being able to press it partially on the attempted 2nd rep.

Until the beginning of this week, I was doing 20 minute C+P sessions with the single 20kg to try to improve my strict press performance. I can do more slightly more C+P reps than strict press reps with the 20kg, thus I can do more total reps (higher volume) of C+P than strict press in a 20 min. session. Some coaches, including Neupert, advise practicing strict press instead of C+P to improve strict press technique. So a question to ponder here is which approach will be more efficient for achieving my goal of 4 strict press reps with the 20kg? My hypothesis here is C+P would be more efficient because of the higher volume. More total reps means more practice pressing the KB, which should lead to faster progress.

Then on Wednesday morning, I woke up with the idea of switching back to double 16kg C+P training to help improve my strict press of the 20kg. I'm capable of C+P training at much higher volume (weight x sets x reps in one session) with double 16kgs compared to single 20kg. I've found that high volume training works very well for stimulating muscle growth as well as strength gains. Here "strength" is understood to be the amount of muscle force that can be generated. Single 20kg C+P training should in theory improve my 20kg press performance because 20kg is heavy enough to force my CNS (central nervous system) to recruit more motor units, and to repeatedly practice motor unit recruitment. This training would focus more on strength gain as opposed to muscle gain. By comparison double 16kg C+P training could stimulate more muscle mass gains in a 4-week period because of the higher volume. Then when I switch back to single 20kg training, progress towards the 4-6 rep strict press should be faster because my CNS would have more muscle to work with. There

The choice of training routine with the double 16kg comes from another Geoff Neupert program called The Giant, which focuses on C+P. The Giant comes with 5 different training routines, each meant do be done for 4 weeks: Giant 1.0, Giant 1.1, Giant 1.2, Giant 2.0, and Giant 3.0. Giant 1.0 and 1.1 are meant to be done in order and are similar in design and promised results to Easy Muscle A. Giant 1.2 or 2.0 are recommended after 1.1. Giant 2.0 incorporates ladder repetitions for potentially higher volume (more overall reps) than Giant 1.2. Having completed Easy Muscle A recently, I figured I could do 1.2 or 2.0. I decided on 2.0 for the higher volume potential.

Thus I ended up doing Giant 2.0 sessions on Wednesday and Friday. The Wednesday session went pretty well. I was able to do 3 rounds of the prescribed ladder, plus 2 more sets for a total of 53 reps. I felt pretty good the rest of the day and the following day, though that night I got crazy hunger pangs shortly after dinner. I ended up devouring a cup of blueberries, a protein bar, and quite a bit of trail mix. The Friday session prescribed one more rep per rung of the ladder. I managed to complete only one full round on Friday. The highest rung was for the Friday ladder was 8 reps, which I barely completed, and needed more time to rest afterwards

Working towards Kettlebell Burn 2.0 instead of Maximorum Master

When I recently completed Easy Muscle A with double 16kg kettlebells, I was thinking of doing Maximorum Master next with double 20kg KBs for the Clean+Press and Double Front Squat and 16kg KB for the Snatch. Maximorum Master schedules double KB C+P and DFSQ with heavy weight 2 days a week for strength training, then eventually building muscle. Snatch is scheduled on the other 2 days for power training and conditioning. It looks like a great program for improving my double 20kg C+P rep max from close to zero to 10. With my double 20kg C+P max up to 10, I would be ready to take on The Giant, Giant X, or Easy Muscle A and thus take the next step towards achieving double 24kg C+P.

Maximorum Master recommends a 5RM (rep max) weight for the double C+P and DFSQ. After finishing Easy Muscle A, I tried to assess my double 20kg C+P rep max, did not feel comfortable double-cleaning 20kg KBs, so I assessed my single 20kg C+P rep max and found it to be 3. So obviously my body was not ready for Maximorum Master. To prepare for that program, I thought I would spend some time increasing my single 20kg C+P rep max and also improving my 20kg single front squat, eventually working towards DFSQ.

I then did some more research and realized Maximorum Master is a Level 4 program in Geoff Neupert's 5-level pyramid of kettlebell skills. My struggle with the single KB front squat made me realize my Level 1 and 2 skills may not be as good as I thought. Kettlebell Burn 2.0 is a program that Neupert recommends for working Level 1 and 2 skills and improving performance of the more difficult Level 2 skills such as the Snatch. Like Maximorum Master, it promises strength gains as well as conditioning gains, but at Level 1/2 going to 3 rather than Level 4.

With all this in mind, I tested my single 16kg strict press rep max and got 9 reps with my left arm and 8 reps with my right. Kettlebell Burn 2.0 recommends a weight that can be strict pressed in good form for 4-6 reps. So I could start it now with the 16kg, or I could wait until I improve my 20kg strict press from a rep max of 1 to the 4-6 range, then do the program with the 20kg. I decided to do Giant 3.0 with the single 20kg to accomplish this strict press goal.

So, today I did a Giant 3.0 preview workout - 1 rep of single C+P on each arm, with rest determined by autoregulation, for 20 min. I got into a decent rhythm, but somehow pushed myself hard enough so that my very last C+P attempt on my left arm, I barely managed to complete the press.

Kettlebell Clean + Press vs Strict Press

Geoff Neupert recently posted a good explanation of the relative merits of Clean + Press compared to the Strict Press.

The advantages of the Clean + Press over the Strict Press are as follows:

1. Greater systemic demand (compound lift vs. compound exercise), and therefore greater nervous system stimulus for change
2. Less localized upper body fatigue, so usually, but not always, you can get more Presses in a set of Clean + Press vs. a set of Presses
3. Use “ground reaction force” or “force wave” from the Clean to increase power output in the Press. This too often decreases upper body fatigue and increases the number of Presses you can do
4. Improved conditioning effect from alternating between Cleans and Presses
5. Train the posterior chain (hips, hamstrings, erectors, calves)

The advantages of Presses over the Clean + Press:

1. If you’re focused on increasing your Press Max, then do repeat Presses
2. If you want to “just” focus on pure localized muscle building, then do “just” Presses
3. If you’re learning how to Press, you need to focus on your technique - sets of unbroken Presses are the way to do 

I tested my single KB Strict Press - aka Military Press - rep max with the 20kg KB and was only able do one. I attempted a 2nd rep and only got half way. Reviewing Geoff's explanation, it makes sense why my C+P rep max with the 20kg would be 3, but my strict press rep max would only be 1.

The reason I tested my strict press rep max is Geoff's Kettlebell Burn 2.0 program recommends a weight that can be easily pressed for 4-6 reps in good form. If I had pressed the 20kg for at least 4 reps with relative ease, I might have started preparing for Kettlebell Burn 2.0 instead of Maximorum Master for my next training block. The reason is practicing the single front squat has made me aware of possible deficiencies in what Geoff classifies as Level 1 and 2 kettlebell skills.

Having just gained the strength and muscle to press a 20kg KB, it seems like soon a good time to improve my Level 1 and 2 skills by working through Kettlebell Burn 2.0 - a single KB program - with the 20kg. I had been thinking of doing Kettlebell Maximorum Master with double 20kg KBs for the C+P and double front squat but double KB training is at Levels 4 and 5. Towards the end of last year, I got through Level 4/5 training - which is what Easy Muscle A with double KBs was - without injury but maybe I was just lucky. Having been injured before by rushing into training that my body was not ready for, I'm easily sold on the idea of taking the time and effort to improve my skills at Levels 1-3 (all single KB levels) before taking on a Level 4 program with double 20kg KBs. On the one hand, I'd love to add muscle at a higher rate sooner rather than later, by working through Maximorum Master sooner. On the other hand, there's no telling what injury might happen by going for that program sooner while being deficient in single KB skills. Kettlebell Burn 2.0 promises gains in its own right - mainly conditioning, strength, and fat loss.

With my 20kg strict press rep max being only 1 and my 20kg C+P rep max being 3, I might as well continue doing C+P instead of strict press. At this stage, the more total presses I can do in one session, the more I can progress towards the goal of 4 strict press reps; and as Geoff explained I can do quite a bit more total presses, as part of C+P, in one session than strict presses.

Kettlebell Maximorum Master readiness plan

Today my low back finally felt good enough, after recovery from snow shoveling, to do some exercise and assessment with a 20kg kettlebell. I did a modified version of the recommended warmup from Maximorum Master, subsituting the supine position exercises from P3 protocol for the first 2 warmup drills. I then suitcase carried the 20kg KB for a very short distance to the workout spot and got into position for a KB clean. Unlike last week, the low back still felt good in this position.

Like other Geoff Neupert programs, choice of kettlebell weights for Maximorum Master is determined by repetition max - the heaviest weight that you can lift for a particular number of reps with good technique. In Maximorum Master, the recommended weight for the 2 double kettlebell exercises - the clean and press and the front squat - is a 5RM (rep max) weight. Having completed Easy Muscle A just a few weeks ago, my rep max with double 16kg KBs is closer to 10 than 5. My rep max is with single 20kg KBs is 3. I could do this program with double 16kg KBs now, or try training towards 5RM with double 20kg KBs. I decided on the 2nd option.

Maximorum Master prescribes a 10RM weight for the single KB snatch. I already meet this requirement with a 16kg KB, so I don't need to do much prep for this exercise other than some TGU practice to improve the overhead lockout position.

The first activity of was 15 minutes of single KB C+P, with rest determined by autoregulation. I started with 1 rep sets. Then I started trying sets of 2 reps. I allowed myself a generous amount of rest between sets, coming off of the low back strain and several weeks of no exercise.

I then rested 5 min. with some Fast and Loose style body shakinng. Then I did the 2nd activity which was 15 minutes of front squat exercise/assessment. The first assessment was single KB front squat rep max, which turned out to be 6. Next assessment was goblet squat rep max with the KB in horn grip, which turned out to be at least 10 with relative ease. Just as Geoff Neupert described in his video, the KB feels like it wants to peel itself out of the rack when I attempt single KB front squats. He also describes asymmetries - in my case, the right leg or hip seems to work harder and I might be getting more range of motion on one side though I'm not sure which.

Based on the self-assessments and my goals of meeting Maximorum Master's double KB C+P and DFSQ (Double Front Squat) rep max requirements with 20kg KBs, I came up with a simple training program which will be done 3x a week. The workout will consist of 15 min. of single 20kg KB clean and press with autoregulation, 5 min. of rest, then 15 min. of single 20kg front squat with autregulation. This is the schedule for this week

• Monday - Activity as noted in this article
• Wednesday - C+P in 2 rep sets. FSQ in 2 rep sets
• Friday - C+P in 1 rep sets. FSQ in 2 rep sets

This is the schedule for next week

• Monday - C+P in 2,3 rep ladder sets. FSQ in 3 rep sets
• Wednesday - C+P in 3 rep ladder sets. FSQ in 3 rep sets
• Monday - C+P in 2 rep sets. FSQ in 3 rep sets

I have some idea of how I'll train the 3rd and 4th week, but I'll observe and reflect how the first 2 weeks go before finalizing the week 3 and 4 plans. At the end of the 4th week, I plan to test my double 20kg C+P and DFSQ.

Low back pain after snow shoveling

I was on vacation for the winter holidays, mostly just relaxing and not doing any serious fitness training. I returned home to find snow covering the sidewalk and driveway in front of my house. Thus my first workout of 2025 was shoveling snow.

The next day I had a dental appointment. I didn't notice any issue with my low back until it was time to get up from the chair that I was sitting and lying on for the dentaal cleaning and examination. At that very moment, the low back felt like even the slightest flex of the spine would cause pain. Getting up from the chair felt and looked awkward because I was going out of my way to not allow spinal flexion as I stood up. The low back gradually felt better as the day progressed.

The next day after that saw more snowfall, and thus more snow to shovel. My neighbor and I worked together to clear ice and snow from the previous snowstorm on the street, to make it easier to park in front of our houses. I made the classic mistake of shoveling blocks of ice that were too heavy to be safe for my low back. I eventually started picking up or even deadlifting the ice blocks but I think the damage to the low back was already done. I didn't feel much pain during the shoveling session itself. The low back soreness came the following day.

Today was supposed to be the start of my modified IsoMax 6x6 program. I did the Supine position exercises from P3 Protocol to warm up, then began IsoMax training. Zercher Lunge was more uncomfortable than normal due to the sore lower back, so I quickly gave up on it. Overhead Press was ok until I applied more force, then the low back started to feel irritated. Drag Curl was more forgiving but there was still risk of low back irritation. I finished with the remaining positions from my current level in P3 Protocol.

Thus, I don't feel comfortable working IsoMax 6x6 this week. How did this happen to my low back? I think it was the combination of not exercising during the couple of weeks I was on vacation; and the load imposed on the low back by lifting snow and ice with a shovel.d

Until my low back feels better, my fitness sessions will be from Geoff Neupert's Sore Joint Solution, which is his flagship program implementing P3 Protocol. Practcing P3 Protocol should restore the motor control for protecting my low back and preventing other injuries caused by movement compensations. The Side Lying exercises are particularly beneficial for low back rehab. The Dead Bug exercise should improve reflexive core stability for protecting the back.

After the low back starts feeling good again, I could try my IsoMax 6x6 program. Another option is to take up kettlebell training again, with emphasis on preparing for Maximorum Master training. If I take up this second option, I'll probably program my KB workout as 2 15-minute sessions with a 5-min. rest period between. The first session would be practicing single 20kg KB clean and press. The 2nd session would be squatting practice, starting with single 20kg front squat and progressing to double 20kg front squat. One goal would be to increase my single 20kg C+P rep max from the previously tested 3 reps to at least 5 reps, then achieving 5 reps of double 20kg C+P. By training with these 2 sessions per workout, I should be able to progress in my C+P and my squatting at the same time. Once I achieve double 20kg front squat, I should be ready to start working towards a 5-rep max in the double 20kg C+P

Today's Music Discoveries

Akiko Yano concert with guest musicians Naná Vasconcelos and Bill Frisell. One of the many pleasant surprises is a cover of "It's For You" from the As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls album by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays, with Vasconcelos on percussion and vocals.

Readiness for Snatch and Double Front Squat with heavier Kettlebells

I'mn about to start a minimum 6-week block of isometric strength training on the IsoMax. After that I'm planning to do a Maximorum Master kettlebell training block

I tested my Clean and Press repetition max with single 20kg KB. My rep max here turned out to be 3. I'm confident my rep max will improve to at least 5 by the end of the IsoMax block.

After testing my C+P rep max, I tested my snatch rep max with a 16kg KB and was able to do 10 reps with each arm. Maximorum Master recommends a 10-rep max weight for the snatch sessions. I'd been thinking of testing my snatch rep max with the 20kg on some date closer to the start of the Maximorum Master block, simply by attempting to snatch the 20kg and count how many times I can do that. But then I saw Geoff Neupert's video. Here he recommends a more thorough assessment of readiness for snatch with a heavier KB:



The prequisites for KB snatch at a particular weight are being able to do the following movements with that weight:

• 1-arm swing - 10 sets x 10 reps
• Turkish get up - 10 sets x 1 rep in 15 minutes or less
• Single KB C+P - 10 sets x 5 reps

I'm already able to do 16kg KB snatch for 10 reps. I'm confident I can still pass the 1st and 3rd prerequisites. I just finished Easy Muscle A with double 16kg KBs so I know I can pass the 3rd prequisite. I'm not sure about the 2nd. In any case, even though I can already snatch a 16kg KB for 10 reps, I've started practicing the TGU again with an 8kg and will eventually work back up to 16kg TGU. The TGU benefits are explained in another video and they all apply to the snatch.

The video also has guidelines for progressing to front squat with heavier KBs. I know I can do goblet squat with single 24kg KB, having done it a lot under Easy Muscle B last year, so I can skip the goblet squat step with the 20kg. Anyway, this is the progression towards double KB front squat:

1. Goblet squat - 5 sets x 10 reps
2. Single KB front squat - 5 sets x 10 reps

I'm thinking of starting my single KB front squat training with 5 sets of 5 reps with a 20kg KB. Each week, I'll add a rep to each set. So in about 6 weeks I will have progressed to 5x10 reps. Then I can progress to double 20kg front squats, and thus be in good shape for testing double 20kg C+P since the double front squat training should shore up any lower body defiences in the double KB C+P

I do plan to test my C+P rep max with double 20kg KBs before starting Maximorum Master. I think the rep max will be at least 5. But in the unlikely event the rep max turns out to be 10, I'll reconsider choice of weights for this program.

2024 Fitness in Review

January-April: Kettlebell ICT block

Kettlebell ICT is a program under development by Geoff Neupert. Customers who had previously purchased Neupert's fitness programs were invited to beta test Kettlebell ICT for $9 so I decided to take the offer. The objective of the program is to reduce bodyfat while maintaining or even increasing strength at the same time. At the time I'd just recovered from my latest low back injury, so I had to make conservative weight choices for the snatch, goblet squat, and row. Even with the lighter than normal KB weights, I still lost 5 lbs. bodyweight, lost 3/4" off my waist, and gained overhead pressing strength. Honestly, I don't enjoy pushing my endurance as hard as this program demands, so I'm not sure when I'll do KB ICT again. The most likely occasion in which I'd do it again is after I'd just completed an isometric 6x6 block, and my double KB C+P rep max that is way over 10 for Easy Muscle, but can't do close to 5 reps with double KBs at the next weight up.

April-May: IsoMax 6x6 block

Best results were in the Overhead Press, which improved from around 103lbs to around 130lbs. Gains in the Zercher Lunge and Bicep Curl were more modest. The bar was set too low for the Zercher Lunge, which resulted in time and effort being wasted trying to squeeze myself under the bar and set up the body for productive training. The effort resulted in some unusual hip/glute soreness. Setting the bar one slot higher shifted the load more to the quadriceps, so the effort was spread more evenly betwen the thigh and hip/glute. The bar may have also been one slot too low for the Bicep Curl, as the abs were working much harder than the biceps.

May-July: Easy Muscle Schedule B block

I chose Schedule B with single 24kg KB Clean + Push Press and Goblet Squat. I thought I didn't have the mobility to press double KBs without irritating my shoulders so I chose to go with single KB. Also, I was really curious if push pressing the 24kg KB under this schedule would stimulate enough strength/muscle gains to press the 24kg KB outright after the end of the block. The answer was no. I still gained 0.5" in arm circumference from this block. Perhaps if I had higher rep maxes in the dips and pullups, I could have put in more volume on the calisthenics days and got more muscle gains.

The biggest mistake in this training block: Goblet squats with the 24kg KB held bottoms up. This caused damage to the elbows which would take months to recover from. Another mistake was not testing my double 16kg C+P rep max at the end of the IsoMax block. The test would have told me whether I had the mobility for double C+P in the first place. Then I would have at least considered the option of doing the block on Schedule A with double 16kg KBs. Another mistake was doing goblet squats with the 24kg KB held bottoms up - this resulted in golfer's elbow like soreness. Yet another mistake was going overboard with shoulder dislocates with resistance band and stick, which irritated my left shoulder.

At the end of this block, I tested my double 16kg C+P rep max. I did 7 reps safely, and could have done an 8th rep, but my lower body was fatigued enough that I didn't want to risk an accident. So my rep max was 8.

July-August: Chest Expander block

Because of how the shoulder and elbows were feeling, in addition to hearing about the new Rollon chest expander model, I decided to do a chest expander block, hoping this training would help my shoulder and elbows feel better. I did assisted pistol squats with rings on the in-between days to work my lower body. I observed strength gains in Overhand Vertical Pullapart, Back Press, and Sideways Extension, as measured by number of springs. This was probably carryover from the muscle and strength gains from the Easy Muscle block. I did not test my strength on the IsoMax to see if there was any carryover from the chest expander strengh gains. The reason is, towards the end of the Chest Expander training block, I suddently remembered I was only able to do 8 reps of double 16kg Clean + Press when I tested my rep max in that movement in late July. That experience let me know my lower body was lagging behind my upper body on the quest to progress to double KB C+P at weights heavier than double 16kg. That in turn led to my conclusion that doing sets of assisted pistol squats twice a week was probably not going to improve my lower body strength and conditioning as effectively as double 16kg KB cleans and squat as least twice a week. Thus I consider the chest expander experiment, this time around, to be an incomplete test.

Late August: Forced time off

COVID-19 forced a two-week pause in training - about a week of rest, then a week of P3 mobility and light KB suitcase carries because the inactivity had left my lower back vulnerable.

September: KB Strong! Foundation block

Foundation is one of the programs included in the Kettlebell Strong! anniversary bonus package. The objective is develop proficiency in 3 fundamental double KB movements - the double clean, double press, and double front squat. The idea here was to improve my double 16kg rep max from 8 to at least 10. Unfortunately, my left shoulder started slipping out of its socket by the 2nd week. I'm not sure if the cause was simply weakness of the shoulder girdle from inactivity, or wear and tear on the joint. In any case I decided to end the Foundation block and switch to IsoMax training. Overcoming isometrics has been a reliable way to train while easing joint pain at the same time.

September-October: IsoMax 6x6 block

Whenever I added muscle via a hypertrophy training block before starting a 6x6 block, I've enjoyed the best strength gains - as much as 30% increase in force output. However, before this particular 6x6 block, I did not add muscle muscle mass, and in fact may have lost muscle mass back in August when I was sick with COVID-19. Thus I wasn't expecting significant strength gains. What I could expect from this block, at best, was improvement in how my joints feel. I'd thought about putting in at least 6 weeks of 6x6, but at the end of the 4th week, I retested my double 16kg kettlebell Clean+Press repetition max on a whim. The left shoulder not feeling like it'd slip out of its socket made me feel confident enough to attempt another double KB C+P based training block. By the end of this block, I observed minimal gains in my overhead press and Zercher lunge. I started feeling uncomfortable tingling sensations during my reverse curl reps, so I eventually switched to drag curl. I was just trying to pull with as much force as I could without irritating the elbows. No gains of note there.

October-December: Easy Muscle Schedule A block

My double 16kg KB clean + press rep max was still 7, short of the recommended 10. I felt however I could get away with it because I wouldn't be asked to do 7-rep sets for the first 4 weeks of Easy Muscle A. I figured 4 weeks was sufficient time to improve my strength and conditioning enough to handle the 7-rep sets starting week 5. It worked out pretty well for me. By the end of this block, the circumference of my arms were back to where they were in July. I tested my overhead press 1-rep max on the IsoMax and scored about 120 lbs. which is quite an improvement from my tested 107 lb. 1-rep max back in September. My Zercher lunge 1-rep max went up about 8 lbs. despite double KB C+P being the only exercise working the legs for this Easy Muscle A block. My drag curl 1-rep max was a more modest 91 lbs. but being able to pull with that much force without irritating the elbows is pretty good for me.

In summary, a training block focusing on double KB Clean + Press for building muscle (hypertrophy), followed by a training block focusing on overcoming isometrics on the IsoMax for increasing force output (strength), followed by another double KB focused block, and so on; continued in 2024 to be an effective strategy for progressing in strength and muscle development. There might be a better time to do clean + push press with a 24kg KB but this year was not the year. This was also not the year to train with the steel string chest expander.