Thursday, August 12, 2010

Double Kettlebell Combinations

I have been doing only single kettlebell work from the beginning. That means 2001. Only one arm swings, snatches, presses, and, when I could still do it, squats. It was the right thing for my back; the asymmetrical loading is just what I needed to create stabilization and really force my weak links to work.

When I did bilateral loading, with both sides loaded equally, the load being two kbs or a barbell my strong sides fired too hard and my weak sides shut down, increasing my asymmetry, not fixing it.
Not to mention creating serious, serious back pain, in the spine and or the SI joint.
One kb two hand swings would wreck me for days. but I always wanted to do this most basic of kettlebell ballistic exercises. The real King of the Kettlebell moves. The " Squat" of all swings.

I got very strong with one arm swings snatches and transfers; and of late have even been able to single kb press again.but I still always kept trying to see if my rehab had advanced enough to allow me to tolerate bilateral movements.

Up until now it had not. But I think something has changed; I think the worm has turned and now, not only can I do bilateral work such as two hand swings, two kettlebell squats and perhaps( have not tested it yet) even squats I think they are what I need. The next level, the next step in my quest to restore my physical balance as much as I can.

This cert taught me a lot; as much about changing the way I look at training, about what 'is' training as anything has. Walking the miles per day I did at the cert was training.Dealing with not training, was training. Sitting on an airplane in a serious flexion position for 10 plus hours was training. Carrying and loading and throwing around luggage was training. And testing.

Not just an hour of swings, what did I do last week and what is my pr? But training. For life. Not just a competition. I've still been training as if I am going to compete, as I have for 39 years, as I always have. But that's over.

Now that I am restoring more and more ability all the time I want to explore all these really cool movements I have been not allowed to play with for so long.To build strength in so many new ways with so many new moves. This will be fun and that's ok.

Robbie Robinson called the gym his playground and that's why he loved to train so much. He used to go into the gym and decide his workout on the fly. CREATE his workout on the fly.I think I am ready to do that.

Tracy has done serious double kb combinations for the last year and a half and I have had to watch from the sidelines. Cleaning double 24's at the cert felt good and I was ready to put some double moves into todays workout, not worrying at all, for a change, about how many total sets I was going to do.

Just a practice.

It will be so cool to be able to train my strength again, some tension moves. Very nice.

2 kb combinations

double swing
double high pull
double snatch
negative press

one rep per exercise, 3 x each

2/12 kg x 2 sets
2/14 kg x1 set
2 16 kg x 5 sets of 3

this was so much fun! way cool. the negative presses, a Tracy original fit in perfectly as well. she regularly has her students do this and it works. Negative work builds some serious muscle and is easy on the joints too. Loved it.I can really see getting into this, providing my back cooperates


These went better than expected,lol. It felt great to go wide again, just like my power squat position.I know it's not a lot of weight but I am totally excited just to be able to do the movement!

If I can truly train bilateral movements again it will be a miracle~!

One KB clean and press, short cycle

16kgx5/5
20 kgx4/4
24 kgx5/5x 3 sets

Finally! These felt as light and easy as they should! It's also cool that I trained yesterday and had no problem getting going today;except for some jetlag!

Snatch Holds
16 kg x 30 sec each arm
20 kg x30 sec each arm
24 kg x 30 sec each arm

Nice. best rotator cuff strengthener ever..

datsit.

max vo2 on saturday

if this keeps up maybe one day I can survive Tracy's class,lol.



5 comments:

ramon25 said...

Hey rif! I been following your blog on and off for a while and u are an inspiration. I have a question regarding foam rolling. How big of a part does it play now in your recovery and how big has it played overall? I am starting it serious now man my glutes, quads and calves are so knotted up! I know some z health guys think its no good, if possible can you share with me why you refute that? thanks and keep at it!

Mark Reifkind said...

ramon,

thanks for reading and for stopping by, glad when I can inspire anybody.

Foam rolling played a HUGE part in my recovery and still plays a leading role although no where near as much as it did.

And that's the point. When people first get on it and it hurts so badly they think that this is what it will always be instead of understanding that the pain is an indicator of how locked up the muscle and fascia are and how much they need the rolling.

AND, that if they use it often and diligently that the pain and necessity will diminish over time.

Basically using the roller is the same in my eyes as getting a massage. Just think how cool it would be to be able to get and afford a massage whenever you needed one. Once a day, twice a day. Everyday. Your recovery would be so much faster.

Pro cyclists get massaged every day to increase recovery.
The Z people are just plain wrong, imo, about this.The fact that I have to use the roller about one tenth as much as I did a few years ago is proof positive to me. PLus when I do use it the pain levels are nowhere near what they were; this is because the tissue quality is so much better.

No one needs to be in excruciating pain when using the roller; you can adjust the density of the roller and how hard you 'massage' yourself to what you can tolerate.

BUT, I don't believe that this pain from the roller use is the negative the z people say it is. Just as getting Rolfed, or Deep Tissue massage or ART hurts and is not 'injurious" to your nervous system neither is the roller imo.
bottom line. it works, that's my favorite refutation.

Diana said...

Mark,
Watching this video actually showed me what I was doing wrong with my high pulls!
As usual, it's form! I did just a few and no pain. I have not done the whole workout yet, so will wait and see how that goes. If still having issues, I may shoot you a video!
Thanks for the help!!

Mark Reifkind said...

very cool diana

once the hips drive the bells and they are weightless one can manipulate them in space easily. if the hips don't initiate the weight will be very heavy in the hands

good luck and glad it helped.

albina N muro said...

I have been doing only single kettlebell work from the beginning. That means 2001. Only one arm swings, snatches, presses, and, when I could still do it, squats. nutrition courses

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 Well this went great. not perfect but the basic premise worked and I'm happy. I was not optimistic at all about this at all given recen...