Kettlebell Burn Phase 1: Week 4

I decided to switch from the 16kg kettlebell back to the 20kg KB for the Get Up Sit Up exercise. I had switched from the 20kg to the 16kg in the first place because my shoulder tired out when I attempted to do the prescribed number of reps, and had to stop at 4 reps. This week I thought it might be better to do 3-rep sets with the 20kg, than to do 5- or 6-rep sets with the 16kg. One reason it allows me to do more work. When I did 5-6 reps per side with the 16kg, I needed a fair amount of rest time before I was ready to do another set, so I ended up doing only 2 sets for the whole workout. The switch to 3-rep sets with the 20kg resulted in 3 sets, and thus more work accomplished in the workout.

Turkish Get Up performance was diappointing. I began Kettlebell Burn being able to do 3 TGUs per side within the prescribed period. I was only able to do 4 reps per side this week which is not much of an improvement. I realized I waste a fair amount of effort on my supine to elbow transition. I would often get stuck during the transition, and have to restart the movement from supine positon. I took some time on one of the recovery days to practice this transition with the 8kg and 12kg KBs. With the 12kg I practiced the TGU all the way to the half kneeling windmill, working on getting the thighs and legs closer to the ideal 90 degree relationships with each other.

Before the Wednesday and Friday sessions, I changed my warmup routine to exercises for hamstring and hip mobility, as influenced by this Movesmethod video

• Single Leg Good Morning - 2 sets of 10 with 10 sec. hold on last rep
• Standing Pancake - 2 sets of 10 with 10 sec. hold on last rep
• Heel Pulse at bottom of ATG Split Squat - 1 set of 10 with 10 sec. hold on last rep
• Bridge Rotation On Wall - 2 sets of 5

My body felt fine and ready for Kettlebell Burn after the warmup. However I felt like I needed more time to recover between exercise sets, and I needed just a little more effort per rep. So my overall performance felt down compared to last week. Also, the warmup took about 15 min. which is longer than I would like. I'll try doing this hamstring/hip emphasis warmup on my KB swing days, and go back to the warmup I was doing on my KB strength days which was this:

• Diaphragmatic breathing in child pose - 1 min.
• Dead Bugs - 1 min.
• ATG Split Squat - hold bottom position for a few sec. each side
• The Pump - 1 min.
• Fast And Loose/body shaking for a few seconds after carrying up the KB

My shoulders were sore, soon after the Get Up Sit Ups with the 20kg. I'm not sure if the sore muscles are the delts or rotator cuff muscles - maybe all of them? I never got sore shoulders from doing KB presses, whether on the same day or the following day.
Looking at the instructions for Phase 2, and judging by how I performed this week, I don't feel ready to move on to Phase 2 next week. I decided to repeat Weeks 3 and 4 of Phase 1, in the hope that the repeat will result in enough of an improvement that I'll be able to handle what is demanded in Phase 2. I'm not going to be 100% faithful to the instructions in this case. I'll incorporate some aspects of Phase 2 that I'm confident that I can handle, such as the rep increase for goblet squats and replacment of 2-arm swings with 1-arm swings.

The seeming lack of progress in performance and lack of reduction in waist circumference made me think about ditching Kettlebell Burn for Easy Muscle B, because there is no Turkish Get Up (which I'm already sick of) in the other program and it has chin ups and dips which are more fun to me than TGU. However, Geoff Neupert says Kettlebell Burn will help improve skills in the KB Snatch and Single KB Front Squat, and I do want to improve those skills.

Exercises to improve straddle, plus one exercise for shoulder mobility

I've tried to improve my straddle off and on, in antipation of eventually practicing the straddle variations of front lever, handstand, planche, etc. It's just been too easy to give up, since accomplishing any variation of a handstand or planche does not seem likely for me in the near future.

Then, I advanced to Phase 2 of Geoff Neupert's Sore Joint Solution mobility/movement restoration program, which includes a straddle sit. Geoff advises sitting on yoga blocks, a chair, or whatever you have if you cannot sit on the floor with your legs straight. I then switched from practicing SJS to practicing Geoff's Systematic Core Training for Kettlebels program. I thought I would prioritize core work over working on hamstring and adductor mobility to improve my straddle, thus putting off straddle work for later.

Then, this video by GMB inspired me to try working on the straddle again - just one minute a day. I lack the mobility to sit in straddle with both legs completely straight but here Ryan of GMB says its ok to sit with the legs bent:



While searching around for info on improving straddle, pancake, or slide split, I came across this video. He has some interesting opinions. He does not recommend loaded stretching because of possible soreness afterwards, which is pretty much the reason I haven't explored this approach to stretching. I'm doing Kettlebell Burn now, and have been doing The Giant before that. When I do high volume kettlebell exercise, I have to be mindful of activities that might affect recovery from a high volume KB workout, and I suspect loaded stretching might be one of those activites. The seated pancake stretch is one of his favorites.



I'd watched some videos from the Movesmethod Youtube channel, so this video popped up on my feed. The coach here found a fitness beginner, identified her mobility issues, which are the same I would like to work on: 1. Limited mobility for pancake stretch and 2. Not being able to touch the wall in the shoulder mobility test. None of the exercises recommended for this beginner are in the S-tier list, in the opinion on the coach who made the splits video above, but I think they'll be fine to practice, with some sensible scheduling around whatever other activites you might also be doing. The exercise the coach teaches here for shoulder mobility is bridge rotation on a wall.

Kettlebell Burn: Phase 1: Week 3

I thought about switching to a heavier kettlebell for the 2-hand swings. I'm glad I decided to stick with the 20kg. Practicing the 2-hand swing for the prescribed work and rest intervals for this week under Kettlebell Burn 2.0 was really hard, compared to the previous 2 weeks. After the switch from Kettlebell Burn 2.0 to Kettlebell Burn Reloaded, the 2-hand swing workouts were more reasonable for me, but I'm still glad I stuck with the 20kg.

The next phase asks the trainee to do Turkish Get Up for 3 repetitions in a row, per side. I've always done the TGU in singles so to prepare myself I tried doing 2 reps in a row, every other set. When I did a 2-rep set for the first time I completed the first rep in supine position, then started tn the 2nd rep from that supine position. I was able to complete the 2nd rep but the endurance of my arm and forearm was pushed close to the limit. The next time I attempted a 2-rep set I completed the rep with the KB back on the floor. I then rested 15 seconds, then began the next rep lifting the KB off the floor. This made the 2nd rep a little less demading, but my grip still wore out. I was able to complete the 2nd rep relatively safely but I felt I was barely in control because of the fatiguing grip.

Overall I'm glad I switched over from 2.0 to Reloaded.

Switched from Kettlebell Burn 2.0 to Kettlebell Burn Reloaded today

When I bought Kettlebell Burn 2.0, Kettlebell Burn Reloaded was included with the purchase. Kettelbell Burn Reloaded is built on the same philosophy as Kettlebell Burn 2.0, and has a very similar exercise selection. The difference is in the scheduling. Kettlebell Burn 2.0 schedules 3 training session a week - typically Monday, Wednesday and Friday - and each session takes about 50 minutes - 45 min. total of training time and 2-3 min. of rest between each of the 3 segments of a session. Kettlebell Burn Reloaded schedules 6 training sessions a week, with each session lasting 10 to 35 min. depending on the prescribed activity for that session.

There was a minor skin tear on my left palm from 2-handed KB swinging. I addressed the tear with New Skin and started reading the Kettle Burn Reloaded manual to see if there would be an option for skipping 2-handed KB swings or at least putting it off for another day to allow a little more time for the skin to recover. The more I read the manual, the more I was convinced to switch over Kettlebell Burn Reloaded.

I started this week on Week 3 of Kettlebell Burn 2.0. The Monday session was very similar to what I would have done on Monday and Tuesday of Week 3 of Kettlebell Burn Reloaded, except the 2-hand swing segment of the Monday session under 2.0 was much more demanding than the Tuesday 2-hand swing session would have been under Reloaded, in terms of how much work the trainee is asked to do on a per-minute basis. That said, the Reloaded version is not easy by any means.

Another change going from 2.0 to Reloaded was being asked to do KB cleans for reps, then doing KB presses for reps, instead of doing KB clean+press. This makes sense to me, as one of Geoff's stated design goals in creating Reloaded was to make the program simpler to use. Here we can focus on improving KB clean technique when wejust do cleans, then press technique when we just do presses.

The Get Up Sit Up and Reverse Lunge pair are still the same. Before today I did 5 reps per side, per exercise and was able to do 3 rounds. Today I did 6 reps. I needed so much rest that I was only able to do 2 rounds within the prescribed time period. Under 2.0 I would have then had to do the KB swings. Under Reloaded, I can do them tomorrow instead, which I did not mind at all

Kettlebell Burn 2.0: Phase 1: Week 2

I did the Get Up Sit Up with the 16kg kettlebell. I was able to do the minimum required reps per set, which is an improvement over last week when the 20kg proved to be too heavy for me for this exercise. But then, this exercise is immediately followed with another exercise - step back lunge with a racked 20kg. This pairing of exercises is brutal for me.

Last week I was unable to meet the recommended goal of 18 total reps in the Clean + Press within the prescribed training period. This week I was able to do 19 reps. I had push myself a bit by allowing myself a little less rest time between sets.

I tried to save some wear on my hands, while practicing 2-hand swings, by occasionally gripping the KB with my outer 3 fingers and pointing my index fingers ahead. This seems to reduce the wear on the callouses next to my middle fingers. My usual grip is with the index and middle fingers with the pinkies pointing ahead. The handle is not wide enough to accommodate all 4 fingers of both hands.

I practiced the Turkish Get Up with singles - aka "1 rep set". After 1 set per side, I stood up and walked a bit, shaking off tension, until I felt ready for another set. I suspect however that if I simply continued lying on the floor after a set, I would need less time to rest before I would feel ready for another set. Next week, I'm going to try 1,2 ladder reps - that is 2 reps instead of 1 per set, every other set.

Kettlebell Burn 2.0: Phase 1: Week 1

All my previous Turkish Get Up practice in anticipation of doing Kettlebell Burn 2.0 has paid off so far. I had a rep or two where I was in danger of losing control of the kettlebell, but for most reps my control was decent.

The Goblet Squat and Staggered Stance Row with the 20kg KB required some effort but the prescribed reps were within my ability. The 2-hand swing felt light but I decided to stick to the 20kg for those because I don't know how hard this exercise will get as the prescribed work time gets longer and the prescribed rest time gets shorter.

The Clean+Press was a little challenging because ladder rep sets were prescribed instead of straight sets, but still doable.

I did not pay attention to the recommended weight for the Get Up Sit Up and Reverse Lunge, so I first attempted these exercises with the 20kg. I was only able to do 4 reps of Get Up Sit Up before my shoulder simply got too fatigued to safely support the KB. Then I when I attempted the Reverse Lunge, I was so drained by the effort expended on the Get Up Sit Up that I couldn't focus on good form. So I brought out the 16kg and did these exercises with it instead. I ended up doing only 2 sets per exercise within the presribed period. I used up quite a bit of time getting the 16kg.

I used two kitchen timers for the 2-hand swings - one for work time and the other for rest time. I used guitar picks to count my work sets.

I had a fair amount of DOMS in my legs and hips, which I expected, having not done a lot of squatting in the past 12 months.

I took some time in the weekend to test my 20kg KB reverse lunge rep max with the KB held in rack position. I used the modified Delorme method to prepare for the test. I did 5 reps with the 16kg with no rest between sides, then 7 reps per side with the 16kg after resting as much as I felt I needed. I then tested my rep max with the 20kg and was able to do 9 reps per side with a fair amount of effort. One detail from the Kettlebell Burn instructions is the step back should be done on the side holding the KB - this is called contralateral loading because the working leg is on the side opposite to where the load is held. So going forward on my Session B days I'll set up the 16kg for Get Up Sit Up, and set up the 20kg at differnet part of the room for the Reverse Lunge, to minimize time switching between exercises. I realized I could help my balance in the Reverse Lunge by holding the free arm out to the side, with the option to clench the first to introduce additional tension

Kettlebell Burn 2.0: First Session

I decided to do Kettlebell Burn 2.0 as my next training program because it's designed for training the Levels 1-3 skills in the Neupert pyramid. Mastery of these skills is desirable before progressing to Level 4 traininn. Kettlebell Burn 2.0 is also marketed as a fat loss program so I measured my waist. As I progress through the program I can measure it again to assess fat loss progress. I will also retest my 20kg C+P rep max to assess strength progress. I also measured my weight. Bodyweight is not the most reliable way to measure fat loss, as weight gain could come from muscle mass, but it's an interesting data point to track anyway.

This was my first real session doing the Turkish Get Up with the 20kg kettlebell so I took generous amounts of time to rest between reps. All the TGU practice I did with the 16kg KB, twice a week for most weeks in the past several month, paid off here. My form wasn't perfect but my control was better than it would have been without the previous TGU practice. The rest of the session went fine.

The Giant 1.2: 4th and Final Week

I was able to do 63 total reps on both the Monday and Wednesday sessions. At first glance, these number look similar to the Week 4 performance during my previous iteration of The Giant 1.2. However, upon further review I can see I did 63 total reps on this latest Monday session vs. 56 on that other Monday session; and it took me less time to complete 63 reps on the latest Wednesday session, compared to the previous iteration. After completing The Giant 1.2 with a 16kg in April, I was able to press the 20kg for 3 reps. Being able to do the same amount of work in a little less time might be a sign that I've gotten stronger.

Friday was the last day of The Giant 1.2, I decided to test my 20kg Clean+Press repetition max instead of doing a The Giant session to assess my readiness for my next planned program, which is Kettlebell Burn 2.0. After my usual warmup routine, I followed the Modified Delorme method for the rep max test, which is to do a 5-rep set, then a 7-rep set with the 16kg kettlebell; taking as much time as I wanted to rest after each set. Then I tested my rep max with the 20kg KB. I was able to do 5 reps on each side without too much effort. Kettlebell Burn 2.0 recommends a weight that can be used on most exercises for a 5-rep max so I'm ready to do that program with the 20kg KB.

Once again, doing The Giant with a single kettlebell increased my C+P performance with a 4kg heavier kettlebell.

The Giant 1.2: Week 3

My work capacity improved compared to last week. I needed a little less time to rest between sets of clean-and-press, and so I was able to do more volume. I'm on track to replicate the amount of work I did in Weeks 3 and 4 of my previous iteration of The Giant 1.2.

From what I understand, improving overall flexibility for straddle split/straddle sit can involve improving not only hamstring flexibility, but also the flexilbity of the hip muscles, such as the hip adductors and hip flexors.

So I decided to start practicing the horse stance. Horse stance is supposed to improve hip flexibility as well as leg strength. GMB has a good horse stance article. I've seen other resources/videos on horse stance but I like GMB's here because they're not as dogmatic as other coaches who say you must hold horse stance for 2 minutes or longer. GMB says if you can do horse stance for only 5-10 seconds at a time, it's fine.