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.