January-Febuary
I suffered some low back pain after shoveling snow early January. I took some time to recover then played around with kettlebells trying to decide whether to focus on double kettlebell clean+press. I then found Geoff Neupert's video on when to switch from single kettlebell to double kettlebell training. There's a lot of great advice in there but one that applies here is when to switch from single KB clean+press to double KB clean+press. He says you should be able to do, I think, 10 set of 5 clean+press with single 24kg KB; then you're ready to start clean+press training wih double 16kg KBs. When moving to double KBs, the formula for what KB weights to use for double KB c+p is to add 8kg to your single KB weight and that would be the combined weight of the double KBs.. So if I achieve 10 5-rep sets of clean+press with a 24kg and I wanted to move to double KB c+p after that, the weights to use would be 24 + 8 = 32 kg total, thus double 16kg. After reflecting on the Neupert's advice, I decided to stick to single KB training, focusing on clean+press in particular. I have
Febuary-April
I wanted to try Kettlebell Burn 2.0 but the recommended KB weight is one that can be strict pressed for 4-6 reps or clean+pressed for 5 reps. The 16kg felt too light. The 20kg was a little too heavy but would be the right weight after I increase my pressing performance with it. Instead of training directly with the 20kg, I decided to do The Giant 1.1 and 1.2 with single 16kg.
April-June
This was the experiment with a triple wave variation of Paul Wade's 6x6 program for overcoming isometric training with an IsoMax/Isochain. The experiment was a modest success for my drag curl and a failure for my overhead press. I changed the lower body exercise in the middle of the experiment.
June-September
This was the Tendon Burn Count experiment, based on tendon stress relaxation. The experiment was a success from the perspective of elbow tendonitis. Lifting the mattress to change bedsheets no longer hurt. The experiment was not as successful from the perspective of strength gains.
September-October
By this time I still wasn't able to press the 20kg KB for at least 4 reps. So I did The Giant 1.2 with the 16kg KB again. After completion of the program I was able to clean+press the 20kg for 5 reps.
October-December
I finally got around to trying out Kettlebell Burn. I started with the 2.0 version. 2.0 has you doing a strength training segment for 15 min, then a strength conditioning segment for 15 min., then swings. I quickly got tired of having to do swings after already feeling drained from the strength conditioning part, so I switched to the Reloaded version, which schedules the swings on different days. I could have continued with Kettlebell Burn Reloaded to the end, so I could make a proper evaluation of the program with regard to fat loss and strength gains, but I couldn't stand that style of training anymore. The feeling of being exhausted and out of breath is one thing. I also had soreness in the legs and hip for days after a workout. I also hated doing Turkish Get Ups and partial TGU as much as the program asked me to do. The golfers elbow that was gone at the end of Tendon Burn Count came back too. So my decision to quit the program was prompted by the accumulation of these annoying aches and pains, lack of enjoyment of training, and a feeling that I wasn't actually getting strength gains.
December
I switched from Kettlebell Burn to Iron Cardio and enjoyed exercise a lot more. These last few weeks of Iron Cardio feel more like rehab/recovery than strength/endurance training, although the 20kg KB seems to feel lighter these days than when I first started training regularly with it. For my very last workout of the year, I tested my 20kg clean+press rep max with each arm. It turned to be 5, same as in October. So if I made any strength gains at all from Kettlebell Burn, followed by Iron Cardio, it would have been in the lower body and/or upper body pulling strength.
Tentative 2026 Plan
I will probably start my 2026 fitness journey with The Giant 3.0, the variant of The Giant designed for a 5-rep max weight. I want to increase my 20kg clean+press rep max to some value higher than 5. Iron Cardio training could probably do it, but I think 4 weeks of The Giant 3.0 will result in a higher increase than 4 weeks of Iron Cardio.
After completion of The Giant 3.0, I'll retest my 20kg KB. If my rep max is at least 10, I'll move on to The Giant 1.0 with the 20kg. If my rep max is 9 or lower, I'll switch back to Iron Cardio and do that until I can do the Classic circuit at a rate of 2 sets a minute. Some people say the 2 sets/minute metric is in the Iron Cardio book but I haven't been able to find it. I think they are confusing the book with author Brett Jones' posts on the Strongfirst forum, like this one. At any rate, achieving 2 sets a minute indicates a gain in endurance, and probably strength gains along with that. That should be a good time to retest my rep max again.
Eventually I'll achieve a 10-rep max and work through The Giant 1.0-1.2 with the 20kg
After completion of The Giant 1.2 I'll give my elbows and other joints a break and focus on overcoming isometrics, doing the 6x6 program on IsoMax. Completion of the The Giant series should have resulted in muscle size gains. 6x6 will train my CNS to utilize the increased muscle size to generate even more force.
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Monday, December 22, 2025
Iron Cardio: Week 3
12/15
Classic - 30 sets
The Iron Cardio manual states that doing sets in the 40-60 range will stimulate hypertrophy. I set the timer to 30 min. When the timer rang, I had done 26 sets, so I did 4 more to get to 30, which was just a nice round number. My body felt fine after the 30th set but I also felt I was approaching my volume limit for the day. Also, I didn't want to spend another 10-15 min. trying to get to 40 sets.
After ending my Iron Cardio session, I spent a couple of minutes reviewing Hardstyle Kettlebell Pro's snatch video and practicing the low and medium pulls before doing a snatch with each arm. I then did 2 sets of standing pancake and 3 chinpus. My golfers elbow was a little more sensitive after doing 42 chinups last Wednesday, followed by Classic + Snatch and Chinup x2 on Friday. So I decided to practice the snatch and chinup at smaller volume, separate from Iron Cardio sessions.
12/17
Traveling 2s, approx. 20 min.
Classic + Half Snatch 11111 11111 11111 1 - 16 sets
2s:
Clean 11
Press 11
Squat 11
Half Snatch 11
18 total reps for each of the 4 exercises
Before this session I reviewed this KB clean video by StrongFirst South Africa showed a one-arm swing variation in which you swing the KB to hip height - or maybe just to where your forearm and arm form a 90 degree angle - with your elbow stuck to your torso. The video also shows a "mid-pull" drill, which is similar to the first drill except you pull the KB in a bit. One detail I noticed is that the KB handle is vertical at the top of both drills. So towards the end of my warmup I practiced these drills, with attention to turning the KB on the way up so that the handle is vertical. I then tried some cleans and noticed my technique felt more smooth and consistent.
I also reviewed a video for improving snatch technique with progressive cleans. So after the clean practice, I tried the progressive clean drill, doing the regular clean, then cleaning the KB at progresisvely greater heights. I did the active negative press after each clean as demonstrated in the video. I then tried a couple of half snatches and noticed improved execution and consistency. That gave me the confidence to try Traveling 2s with the Half Snatch included.
I set the timer to 20 min. After the timer rang, I continued training until I did 16 sets, which ensured 2 extra reps for each of the 4 exercises. After 16 sets, my body felt like it had done enough work. I enjoyed Traveling 2s. This video explains what that is, along with a nice summary of Iron Cardio. I used guitar picks to keep track of when I should do 2 reps for a particular exercise in the circuit. I wasn't sure if I could keep track of the 2s and also include the half snatch in the circuit without getting confused, I ended up doing the session just fine. Adding the half snatch to the Classic circuit bumped the intensity of each set quite a bit, in addition to the traveling 2s concept. Seems like a good idea to regularly include the snatch/half snatch in your Iron Cardio circuit if fat loss is a priority because you expend more energy (calorie burn) per set compared to doing Classic-only. This was my hardest Iron Cardio session so far, in terms of how hard I had to work during each set.
12/19
Classic w/ Press Ladders
Sets: 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 = 30 total sets
Ladders: 123 123 123 123 123 = 5 ladders = 30 total presses per arm
This is the variation of the Classic circuit in which the press is done in rep ladders. I once again included in my warmup the progressive clean to snatch drills and a couple of snatches just to keep up practice fo snatch technique. Then I set the timer to 30 minutes. When the timer rang I had done 24 sets and 4 press ladders. I felt I could do one more ladder so I went for it. When I did 3 press reps on my weaker arm to finish the 2nd ladder, i barely completed the 3rd rep. I started to think I might not be ready to do the press ladder variation, but I didn't give up on the work out. I pressed on - pun somewhat intended - taking adequate time to rest between sets and doing the Fast And Loose style shaking to relieve tension. 30 total presses is the highest volume I've done yet with the 20kg KB. I think this indicates progress towards being able to do 10 reps of clean+press with the 20kg.
12/22
Classic w/ alternating weights - 20 min.
24kg 11111 111 = 8 sets
20kg 11111 111 = 8 set
This variation is just doing the Classic set with one weight, then a set with another weight, and thus alternating between the 2 weights for the durtion of the session. The 24kg was still too heavy to press so I push-pressed it up and pulled it back down with as much control over the descent as I could muster. Cleaning and front squatting with it were not an issue. I thought I would try this variation and observe where I'm at in my progression towards pressing the 24kg. Based on how I progressed to pressing the 20kg, my chances of pressing the 24kg will go up dramatically after completing The Giant 1.0-1.2 program series with the 20kg. Iron Cardio training is how I plan to progress to being able to clean and press the 20kg for 10 reps, which is the recommended prerequisite for starting The Giant 1.0
Classic - 30 sets
The Iron Cardio manual states that doing sets in the 40-60 range will stimulate hypertrophy. I set the timer to 30 min. When the timer rang, I had done 26 sets, so I did 4 more to get to 30, which was just a nice round number. My body felt fine after the 30th set but I also felt I was approaching my volume limit for the day. Also, I didn't want to spend another 10-15 min. trying to get to 40 sets.
After ending my Iron Cardio session, I spent a couple of minutes reviewing Hardstyle Kettlebell Pro's snatch video and practicing the low and medium pulls before doing a snatch with each arm. I then did 2 sets of standing pancake and 3 chinpus. My golfers elbow was a little more sensitive after doing 42 chinups last Wednesday, followed by Classic + Snatch and Chinup x2 on Friday. So I decided to practice the snatch and chinup at smaller volume, separate from Iron Cardio sessions.
12/17
Traveling 2s, approx. 20 min.
Classic + Half Snatch 11111 11111 11111 1 - 16 sets
2s:
Clean 11
Press 11
Squat 11
Half Snatch 11
18 total reps for each of the 4 exercises
Before this session I reviewed this KB clean video by StrongFirst South Africa showed a one-arm swing variation in which you swing the KB to hip height - or maybe just to where your forearm and arm form a 90 degree angle - with your elbow stuck to your torso. The video also shows a "mid-pull" drill, which is similar to the first drill except you pull the KB in a bit. One detail I noticed is that the KB handle is vertical at the top of both drills. So towards the end of my warmup I practiced these drills, with attention to turning the KB on the way up so that the handle is vertical. I then tried some cleans and noticed my technique felt more smooth and consistent.
I also reviewed a video for improving snatch technique with progressive cleans. So after the clean practice, I tried the progressive clean drill, doing the regular clean, then cleaning the KB at progresisvely greater heights. I did the active negative press after each clean as demonstrated in the video. I then tried a couple of half snatches and noticed improved execution and consistency. That gave me the confidence to try Traveling 2s with the Half Snatch included.
I set the timer to 20 min. After the timer rang, I continued training until I did 16 sets, which ensured 2 extra reps for each of the 4 exercises. After 16 sets, my body felt like it had done enough work. I enjoyed Traveling 2s. This video explains what that is, along with a nice summary of Iron Cardio. I used guitar picks to keep track of when I should do 2 reps for a particular exercise in the circuit. I wasn't sure if I could keep track of the 2s and also include the half snatch in the circuit without getting confused, I ended up doing the session just fine. Adding the half snatch to the Classic circuit bumped the intensity of each set quite a bit, in addition to the traveling 2s concept. Seems like a good idea to regularly include the snatch/half snatch in your Iron Cardio circuit if fat loss is a priority because you expend more energy (calorie burn) per set compared to doing Classic-only. This was my hardest Iron Cardio session so far, in terms of how hard I had to work during each set.
12/19
Classic w/ Press Ladders
Sets: 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 11111 = 30 total sets
Ladders: 123 123 123 123 123 = 5 ladders = 30 total presses per arm
This is the variation of the Classic circuit in which the press is done in rep ladders. I once again included in my warmup the progressive clean to snatch drills and a couple of snatches just to keep up practice fo snatch technique. Then I set the timer to 30 minutes. When the timer rang I had done 24 sets and 4 press ladders. I felt I could do one more ladder so I went for it. When I did 3 press reps on my weaker arm to finish the 2nd ladder, i barely completed the 3rd rep. I started to think I might not be ready to do the press ladder variation, but I didn't give up on the work out. I pressed on - pun somewhat intended - taking adequate time to rest between sets and doing the Fast And Loose style shaking to relieve tension. 30 total presses is the highest volume I've done yet with the 20kg KB. I think this indicates progress towards being able to do 10 reps of clean+press with the 20kg.
12/22
Classic w/ alternating weights - 20 min.
24kg 11111 111 = 8 sets
20kg 11111 111 = 8 set
This variation is just doing the Classic set with one weight, then a set with another weight, and thus alternating between the 2 weights for the durtion of the session. The 24kg was still too heavy to press so I push-pressed it up and pulled it back down with as much control over the descent as I could muster. Cleaning and front squatting with it were not an issue. I thought I would try this variation and observe where I'm at in my progression towards pressing the 24kg. Based on how I progressed to pressing the 20kg, my chances of pressing the 24kg will go up dramatically after completing The Giant 1.0-1.2 program series with the 20kg. Iron Cardio training is how I plan to progress to being able to clean and press the 20kg for 10 reps, which is the recommended prerequisite for starting The Giant 1.0
Thursday, December 11, 2025
Iron Cardio: Week 2
12/8
Classic - 26 sets in 20 min.
12/10
Clasic + Chinup x 3
Classic - 28 sets
Chinup - 42 reps
I wanted to see if I can induce some bicep and upper back hypertrophy by doing chinups at least 40 total reps. I was able to handle the volume, but it took about 50 min. of training to do all this work. I don't want to spend that much time on training all the time. I don't the Iron Cardio manual recommends it either. I think it would be better to wait for my strength and endurance to improve. As strength improves, each set will take less effort to execute. As endurance improves, less rest will be required between sets. Thus over time I should be able to do more sets in one session without increasing training time.
12/12
Classic + Snatch + Chinup x 2 in 30 min.
Classic + Chinup x 2 - 14 sets
Chinup - 14 reps
I decided to try doing full snatches instead of half snatches. I needed the confidence that I can handle the eccentric phase of the movement. It's critical that the KB travel down a nearly vertical arc. If it travels on an outward arc instead, it could injure the lower back. My technique felt smoother on the right side. I did an extra snatch on the left side because on the next to last rep, I messed up with the KB handle getting caught on my palm again. I tried to observe why the snatch felt smoother on the right side, beside the grip being consistenly loose enough to allow the KB to rodate. It seems like on my right side I'm just better at "looking at my watch" on the way up, and leading with my elbow to drop the KB. However, I might have a tendency to flip the KB up and out, which should be corrected. Overally, full snatch has a higher energy expenditure than half snatch, and this seems to be reflected in how many sets I was able to do, compared to when I did the half snatch last week. I needed more rest between sets.
This video shows the wristwatch cue for the concentric phase of the snatch:
This video has nice tips for the eccentric phase of the snatch:
I'm thinking of doing these Iron Cardio variations next week. I'll do some sets of chinups after the sessions to try to compensate for the pronation-dominant work. I'm not giving up on practicing the snatch. I just want to try these Iron Cardio options which I haven't tried yet, without the complication that would be introduced by also including the snatch option.
Classic - 26 sets in 20 min.
12/10
Clasic + Chinup x 3
Classic - 28 sets
Chinup - 42 reps
I wanted to see if I can induce some bicep and upper back hypertrophy by doing chinups at least 40 total reps. I was able to handle the volume, but it took about 50 min. of training to do all this work. I don't want to spend that much time on training all the time. I don't the Iron Cardio manual recommends it either. I think it would be better to wait for my strength and endurance to improve. As strength improves, each set will take less effort to execute. As endurance improves, less rest will be required between sets. Thus over time I should be able to do more sets in one session without increasing training time.
12/12
Classic + Snatch + Chinup x 2 in 30 min.
Classic + Chinup x 2 - 14 sets
Chinup - 14 reps
I decided to try doing full snatches instead of half snatches. I needed the confidence that I can handle the eccentric phase of the movement. It's critical that the KB travel down a nearly vertical arc. If it travels on an outward arc instead, it could injure the lower back. My technique felt smoother on the right side. I did an extra snatch on the left side because on the next to last rep, I messed up with the KB handle getting caught on my palm again. I tried to observe why the snatch felt smoother on the right side, beside the grip being consistenly loose enough to allow the KB to rodate. It seems like on my right side I'm just better at "looking at my watch" on the way up, and leading with my elbow to drop the KB. However, I might have a tendency to flip the KB up and out, which should be corrected. Overally, full snatch has a higher energy expenditure than half snatch, and this seems to be reflected in how many sets I was able to do, compared to when I did the half snatch last week. I needed more rest between sets.
This video shows the wristwatch cue for the concentric phase of the snatch:
This video has nice tips for the eccentric phase of the snatch:
I'm thinking of doing these Iron Cardio variations next week. I'll do some sets of chinups after the sessions to try to compensate for the pronation-dominant work. I'm not giving up on practicing the snatch. I just want to try these Iron Cardio options which I haven't tried yet, without the complication that would be introduced by also including the snatch option.
- Mon: Classic (Clean+Press+Squat) - 40 sets
- Wed: Classic with Alternating 20kg and 24kg - 30 min.
- Fri: Classic Traveling 2s - 30 min.
Iron Cardio: When To Increase Difficulty
An Iron Cardio workout has many possible variations:
- Classic (Clean + Press + Squat)
- Classic + Snatch
- Classic + Snatch + Pullup/Chinup
- Classic + Pullup/Chinup
- Traveling 2s
- Weight Ladder
- and many more...
Saturday, December 06, 2025
Finished 1st week of Iron Cardio
Here's a good video by Hardstyle Kettlebell Pro that summarizes Iron Cardio:
For my last session the week, I went back to my regular warmup, ditching the TGU, SLDL and Airborne Lunge.
Set timer to 30 min.
Classic + Half Snatch: 20 sets
Chinup: 20
When the timer rang, I had done 18 sets. I felt I could keep going a little more so I did. On my 19th set the press felt harder than usual so I called it after the 20th. I felt like I worked appropriately for the hard session of the week.
I wanted to do at least one session with snatches. One of the goals of Kettlebell Burn was to get you ready to do your first snatch, if you hadn't done them already. Coming off of Kettlebell Burn I thought I might as well try the snatch. I last did snatches in winter 2024 so I knew I'd be rusty. Initially I tried to do full snatch but my form was not that great. As the kettlebell is going up, after you reel it in so it goes more up than out, you have to slightly loosen your grip to all the KB to rotate so that it will end up hanging behind your forearm. I was having trouble with this timing that so that the KB wasn't rotating when it needed to. The handle was getting caught in the calluses of my palm. After a few sets my execution improved. However I decided to continue focusing on the concentric half of the snatch. I'll do the full snatch when I feel better about my half snatch techniqe.
I'm glad I switched from Kettlebell Burn to Iron Cardio. I look forward to my workouts with more enthusiasm. I don't dread my workouts anymore. Kettlebell Burn promises rapid loss of visceral fat but I don't have a particular deadline to reduce my bodyfat. For example I don't need to get my bodyfat percentage down to 10% by January or anything like that. I don't mind leaning out at a slower rate than that. Iron Cardio was designed to be a general endurance program. Practicing it should improve endurance without beating you up, and making you feel beat up for days on end afterwards, like glycolitic exercise programs. This appeals to me. It should also improve strength which is also appealing.
I plan to do similar sessions next week. Easy: Classic Medium: Classic + Chinup x 2 Hard: Classic + Half Snatch + Chinup x 2
For my last session the week, I went back to my regular warmup, ditching the TGU, SLDL and Airborne Lunge.
Set timer to 30 min.
Classic + Half Snatch: 20 sets
Chinup: 20
When the timer rang, I had done 18 sets. I felt I could keep going a little more so I did. On my 19th set the press felt harder than usual so I called it after the 20th. I felt like I worked appropriately for the hard session of the week.
I wanted to do at least one session with snatches. One of the goals of Kettlebell Burn was to get you ready to do your first snatch, if you hadn't done them already. Coming off of Kettlebell Burn I thought I might as well try the snatch. I last did snatches in winter 2024 so I knew I'd be rusty. Initially I tried to do full snatch but my form was not that great. As the kettlebell is going up, after you reel it in so it goes more up than out, you have to slightly loosen your grip to all the KB to rotate so that it will end up hanging behind your forearm. I was having trouble with this timing that so that the KB wasn't rotating when it needed to. The handle was getting caught in the calluses of my palm. After a few sets my execution improved. However I decided to continue focusing on the concentric half of the snatch. I'll do the full snatch when I feel better about my half snatch techniqe.
I'm glad I switched from Kettlebell Burn to Iron Cardio. I look forward to my workouts with more enthusiasm. I don't dread my workouts anymore. Kettlebell Burn promises rapid loss of visceral fat but I don't have a particular deadline to reduce my bodyfat. For example I don't need to get my bodyfat percentage down to 10% by January or anything like that. I don't mind leaning out at a slower rate than that. Iron Cardio was designed to be a general endurance program. Practicing it should improve endurance without beating you up, and making you feel beat up for days on end afterwards, like glycolitic exercise programs. This appeals to me. It should also improve strength which is also appealing.
I plan to do similar sessions next week. Easy: Classic Medium: Classic + Chinup x 2 Hard: Classic + Half Snatch + Chinup x 2
Friday, December 05, 2025
Iron Cardio: 2nd Session
Today was supposed to be my Medium session: Classic + Chinup. My easy session was just Classic - Clean, Press, then Squat with 1 kettlebell for 1 rep each. So in theory, adding the Chinup should raise the difficulty from Easy to Medium.
After further review of Brett Jones' Iron Cardio and Mind The Gap videos, I decided to add the Turkish Get Up, Single Leg Deadlift, and Airborne Lunge to my warmup routine for Iron Cardio. All of these exercise are unilateral lower body exercises that complement the Single Front Squat which is in the Classic set. I did one TGU rep per side, then 3 reps per side of the other 2 exercises
After finishing my warmup with these 3 exercises, I was a little tired, so I took a break from exercise to walk around a bit, shaking my limbs Fast And Loose style. After I felt I took a long enough break, I started my Iron Cardio medium session.
I set the timer to 20 minutes. By the time the timer rang, I'd done 9 sequences, with one sequence being:
Classic (Clean, Press, Squat) on left side, Classic on right side, then 1 Chin Up
Thus I did 9 x 2 sets of Classic for a total of 18 sets plus 9 Chin Ups. By Brett's reckoning if you do one set on one side, then another set on the other side, you're doing 2 sets. Anyway, 18 sets plus 9 chinups seems like a drop from the so-called Easy Session I did Monday, in which I did 32 total sets in 20 min. Perhaps it was the pre-exhaustion effect from adding those 3 exercises to my warmup. I thought at the time I had rested enough after the warmup, but maybe I needed to rest more. Or perhaps my circadian rhythm was just off today. I only did one chinup at a time. One chinup was not that tiring for me.
I think next week, my easy session will be Classic + Chinup since I ended up doing so little work compared to Monday. As I rewatch the Iron Cardio video I realize Brett's sample warmup for Iron Cardio does include the TGU, but not the the SLDL or Airborne Lunge. I'll take those 2 out of my Iron Cardio warmup for now and find another place for them in my schedule. My right hip/glute area continues to be sore from the training I did in Kettlebell Burn so those exercise are a little uncomfortable on my right side anyway.
After further review of Brett Jones' Iron Cardio and Mind The Gap videos, I decided to add the Turkish Get Up, Single Leg Deadlift, and Airborne Lunge to my warmup routine for Iron Cardio. All of these exercise are unilateral lower body exercises that complement the Single Front Squat which is in the Classic set. I did one TGU rep per side, then 3 reps per side of the other 2 exercises
After finishing my warmup with these 3 exercises, I was a little tired, so I took a break from exercise to walk around a bit, shaking my limbs Fast And Loose style. After I felt I took a long enough break, I started my Iron Cardio medium session.
I set the timer to 20 minutes. By the time the timer rang, I'd done 9 sequences, with one sequence being:
Classic (Clean, Press, Squat) on left side, Classic on right side, then 1 Chin Up
Thus I did 9 x 2 sets of Classic for a total of 18 sets plus 9 Chin Ups. By Brett's reckoning if you do one set on one side, then another set on the other side, you're doing 2 sets. Anyway, 18 sets plus 9 chinups seems like a drop from the so-called Easy Session I did Monday, in which I did 32 total sets in 20 min. Perhaps it was the pre-exhaustion effect from adding those 3 exercises to my warmup. I thought at the time I had rested enough after the warmup, but maybe I needed to rest more. Or perhaps my circadian rhythm was just off today. I only did one chinup at a time. One chinup was not that tiring for me.
I think next week, my easy session will be Classic + Chinup since I ended up doing so little work compared to Monday. As I rewatch the Iron Cardio video I realize Brett's sample warmup for Iron Cardio does include the TGU, but not the the SLDL or Airborne Lunge. I'll take those 2 out of my Iron Cardio warmup for now and find another place for them in my schedule. My right hip/glute area continues to be sore from the training I did in Kettlebell Burn so those exercise are a little uncomfortable on my right side anyway.
Wednesday, December 03, 2025
Switched from Kettlebell Burn Reloaded to Iron Cardio
I watched the Iron Cardio video course and studied the manual. I then came up with this program for this week. I'm using the Light/Medium/Heavy concept, which I think is also referred to as Easy/Medium/Hard. To increase difficulty from Easy to Medium I'm adding a Chinup. I've noticed that Chinup practice helps manage my lingering golfer's elbow pain. I've done 4 sets of 3 chinups, for a total of 12 reps, after clean+press sessions. Within the Iron Cardio framework, I'll be doing quite a bit more chinup reps. Brett says several times in the video course that adding a Snatch to the Classic set increases difficulty exponentially, so I have the Classic + Snatch session as my Hard session. There is a chance I may have gotten the Medium and Hard sessions backwards in terms of training difficulty but I won't know until I execute the sessions. Each session will be about 20 minutes.
Today I did the Easy session. I didn't push myself too hard because I wanted to focus on correct practice of the recommended breathing pattern:
The first time I tried the Single Front Squat - the squat of choice in Iron Cardio - I struggled to keep the KB racked while sinking into the squat. I think the Reverse Lunge training, with the KB in a contralateral rack hold, that I did in Kettlebell Burn helped there. Also, at that time I was trying to stick to Geoff Neupert's style of squatting, which is to keep the feet as close as possible to parallel which helps prevent the knees from collapsing inward. When I did today's Iron Cardio session, I allowed my feet to point outward more, which is more in line with Brett's philosophy of letting foot placement match your hip structure. When I did Goblet Squats in Kettlebell Burn, my feet naturally shifted from parallel to pointing outward as I sank into the bottom of the squat. I quickly got too tired to fight the movement of the feet and just let them be, as my knees felt fine, as well as my low back due to maintaining upright posture.
In about 20 minutes of training, I executed 32 sets, which was 16 sets per side. This is how Brett likes to count sets. I could have done 36 sets if I shaved off a few seconds here and there of my rest times between sets but this being the first ever Iron Cardio session, I felt it was more important to practice the proper breathing pattern and get a feel for the Classic set. This was such a refereshing workout after all those weeks of Kettlebell Burn that felt like torture sessions. Temperatures in this area have been dropping so I've been using house heating more. My body temperature remained elevated after the session, so that I didn't have to turn up the thermostat for a good hour and a half or so. I had a similar effect after some Kettlebell Burn sessions, though I had to put in much more work under that program to get the same effect.
- Easy: Classic Set (Clean+Press+Squat)
- Medium: Classic + Chinup
- Hard: Classic + Snatch
Today I did the Easy session. I didn't push myself too hard because I wanted to focus on correct practice of the recommended breathing pattern:
- Inhale: Clean to rack
- Exhale: Press to lockout
- Inhale: Active pull from lockout back to rack and hold breath while lowering into squat
- Exhale: Stand up from squat
The first time I tried the Single Front Squat - the squat of choice in Iron Cardio - I struggled to keep the KB racked while sinking into the squat. I think the Reverse Lunge training, with the KB in a contralateral rack hold, that I did in Kettlebell Burn helped there. Also, at that time I was trying to stick to Geoff Neupert's style of squatting, which is to keep the feet as close as possible to parallel which helps prevent the knees from collapsing inward. When I did today's Iron Cardio session, I allowed my feet to point outward more, which is more in line with Brett's philosophy of letting foot placement match your hip structure. When I did Goblet Squats in Kettlebell Burn, my feet naturally shifted from parallel to pointing outward as I sank into the bottom of the squat. I quickly got too tired to fight the movement of the feet and just let them be, as my knees felt fine, as well as my low back due to maintaining upright posture.
In about 20 minutes of training, I executed 32 sets, which was 16 sets per side. This is how Brett likes to count sets. I could have done 36 sets if I shaved off a few seconds here and there of my rest times between sets but this being the first ever Iron Cardio session, I felt it was more important to practice the proper breathing pattern and get a feel for the Classic set. This was such a refereshing workout after all those weeks of Kettlebell Burn that felt like torture sessions. Temperatures in this area have been dropping so I've been using house heating more. My body temperature remained elevated after the session, so that I didn't have to turn up the thermostat for a good hour and a half or so. I had a similar effect after some Kettlebell Burn sessions, though I had to put in much more work under that program to get the same effect.
Monday, December 01, 2025
Kettelbell Burn: Phase 2: Week 2
For the Monday session, I decided to do a bridge hold between the Dead Bug and the Pump portions of my warmup. The bridge was a substitute for the kneeling lunge stretch which I did to stretch the hip flexors which were worked in the Dead Bug. The hip flexors also get a stretch in the bridge though not as intense. I figured that unlike the kneeling lunge, the bridge would also help me improve my shoulder flexion strength and flexibility. At my current skill/flexibilty level my bridge would be at what GMB would consider a low bridge. I did the bridge hold for about 20 seconds. When I proceeded to clean+press training, I was only able to do 3 reps/side once. On the other attempts to do 3 reps, I failed on the 3rd rep. On the failed reps, I paused for a few seconds, then did makeup singles. Last week I was able to do 3-rep sets but did not include the bridge in my warmup. My muscles did not feel unduly fatigued from the bridge hold. Maybe it was the CNS that was affected by it. Thus I decided to drop the bridge from my warmup.
For the Session A session I switched from the 16kg KB back to the 20kg for the Turkish Get Up. I suspected the switch from the 20kg to the 16kg for TGU was another possible factor in the loss of 20kg KB pressing strength. I had some extra time so I went well over the recommended training time to do 6 singles per side, resting for a generous amount of time after each single to ensure my CNS and muscles all felt as fresh as possible for the next single.
For the final Session BA workout of the week, I also had extra time to train so I went over the recommended training time to do 24 total reps of clean+press. I figured the increased volume would improve my performance of 3-rep sets. I did 3 ladders for 18 total reps. After that I wasn't confident I could do another 3-rep set so I did 3 doubles to arrive at 24 total reps. For the Session BB workout, I did the partial TGU with the 20kg. This exercise alone wasn't much more demanding with the 20kg than it was with the 16kg.
Phase 3 is when we start doing the KB Snatch and Single KB Front Squat. I'm thinking of switching programs instead of continuing on to Phase 3 of Kettlebell Burn Reloaded. The program I am thinking of switching to is Iron Cardio by Brett Jones. One reason is I want to stop doing the Turkish Get Up as a main strength exercise. Kettlebell Burn Phases 3 and 4 will have you continuing doing the TGU as a strength exercise, then as a metabolic conditioning exercise. I understand the benefits of TGU practice but I'm not sold on the TGU as a conditioning exercise as it seems dangerous to do when you're getting exhausted. Brett recommends practicing TGU as part of the warmup for Iron Cardio, but the TGU is not a featured exercise within the main Iron Cardio workout. I'd rather practice the Snatch and Single Front Squat within the context Iron Cardio rather than Kettlebell Burn.
Another reason I chose Iron Cardio is the AGT (anti-glycolitic training) aspect. Brett discusses AGT a bit in this interview. Kettlebell Burn in all its variations was created before StrongFirst coaches and associated coaches such as Geoff Neupert began releasing AGT programs. One of most obvious signs Kettlebell Burn is glycolitic is the persistent soreness I've been feeling for days on end, especially the glute and hip muscles. Other people seem to be pleased with the results of completing Kettlebell Burn, but to get there you're going feel the burn, and lots of it. I like avoiding the burn and multiple days of soreness, which is what AGT is about. Finally I always hated the feeling I got during metcon style training, like in Kettlebell Burn, where I'm gasping for air, feeling like I'm barely hanging on, and feeling a sense of dread when the timer beeps to let me know it's time to go back to work. If I were offered a role in a big time TV or movie production on the condition I cut my bodyfat dramatically in a month, then I'd put up with the discomfort of a program like Kettlebell Burn or Kettlebell ICT. Since I'm not actually required to cut my bodyfat to X percentage within a short timeframe, I'm fine with not subjecting myself to further torture of a rapid fat loss program.
For the Session A session I switched from the 16kg KB back to the 20kg for the Turkish Get Up. I suspected the switch from the 20kg to the 16kg for TGU was another possible factor in the loss of 20kg KB pressing strength. I had some extra time so I went well over the recommended training time to do 6 singles per side, resting for a generous amount of time after each single to ensure my CNS and muscles all felt as fresh as possible for the next single.
For the final Session BA workout of the week, I also had extra time to train so I went over the recommended training time to do 24 total reps of clean+press. I figured the increased volume would improve my performance of 3-rep sets. I did 3 ladders for 18 total reps. After that I wasn't confident I could do another 3-rep set so I did 3 doubles to arrive at 24 total reps. For the Session BB workout, I did the partial TGU with the 20kg. This exercise alone wasn't much more demanding with the 20kg than it was with the 16kg.
Phase 3 is when we start doing the KB Snatch and Single KB Front Squat. I'm thinking of switching programs instead of continuing on to Phase 3 of Kettlebell Burn Reloaded. The program I am thinking of switching to is Iron Cardio by Brett Jones. One reason is I want to stop doing the Turkish Get Up as a main strength exercise. Kettlebell Burn Phases 3 and 4 will have you continuing doing the TGU as a strength exercise, then as a metabolic conditioning exercise. I understand the benefits of TGU practice but I'm not sold on the TGU as a conditioning exercise as it seems dangerous to do when you're getting exhausted. Brett recommends practicing TGU as part of the warmup for Iron Cardio, but the TGU is not a featured exercise within the main Iron Cardio workout. I'd rather practice the Snatch and Single Front Squat within the context Iron Cardio rather than Kettlebell Burn.
Another reason I chose Iron Cardio is the AGT (anti-glycolitic training) aspect. Brett discusses AGT a bit in this interview. Kettlebell Burn in all its variations was created before StrongFirst coaches and associated coaches such as Geoff Neupert began releasing AGT programs. One of most obvious signs Kettlebell Burn is glycolitic is the persistent soreness I've been feeling for days on end, especially the glute and hip muscles. Other people seem to be pleased with the results of completing Kettlebell Burn, but to get there you're going feel the burn, and lots of it. I like avoiding the burn and multiple days of soreness, which is what AGT is about. Finally I always hated the feeling I got during metcon style training, like in Kettlebell Burn, where I'm gasping for air, feeling like I'm barely hanging on, and feeling a sense of dread when the timer beeps to let me know it's time to go back to work. If I were offered a role in a big time TV or movie production on the condition I cut my bodyfat dramatically in a month, then I'd put up with the discomfort of a program like Kettlebell Burn or Kettlebell ICT. Since I'm not actually required to cut my bodyfat to X percentage within a short timeframe, I'm fine with not subjecting myself to further torture of a rapid fat loss program.
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