Week B1, Day 3

KB 40kg

A1 2H Clean 5,3,2
A2 Goblet Squat 2,2,2

B1 Floor Press Assisted 2,3,2
B2 Single Arm Row 2,2,2

C One Leg Deadlift 2,2

1min rest between all sets

Week B1, Day 2

KB 40kg

TGU Progressions
1-5 Floor to Kneeling Windmill

Week B1, Day 1

KB 40kg

A1 Floor Press Assisted 2,2,2
A2 Single Arm Row 2,2,2

B1 Goblet Squat 1,1,1
B2 2H Swing 5,5,5

C Side Bend 3,3

1min rest between all sets

GymRat Style

Truth.

 

In the absence of updates, I will post a hypertrophy program I wrote up for a gym-rat friend, who, when he follows it to the letter, does see a noticeable increase in muscle mass, with or without pharmaceutical assistance, and has passed on the program to other gym rats who have noticed muscle increase. I wish I had photos to back all of this up, but blurry facebook pics or snapchat pics aren’t really gonna cut it. I decided to call it GymRat Style.

Day 1	Shoulders + Biceps	Sets	Reps
	*Barbell Military Press	2-3	5-8
	Lateral Raises	2-3	8-12
	Arnold Press	2-3	8-12
	Barbell Biceps Curls	3	8-12
	Concentration Curls	2-3	8-12

Day 2	Legs	Sets	Reps
	*Squats (front or back)	4	5-8
	Good Mornings	3	5-8
	Single-Leg Press	2-3	8-12
	Calves in leg press	2-3	12-15

Day 3	Chest + Triceps	Sets	Reps
	*Bench Press	4	6-8
	Dips	2-3	12-15
	Incline Dumbbell Press	2-3	8-12
	EZ Bar Pullover/Triceps Extensions	2-3	8-12
	Floor Flyes	2-3	6-8

Day 4	Back	Sets	Reps
	Power Clean	2-3	5-8
	High Pull	2-3	5-8
	*Deadlift (Sumo or Conventional)	2-3	5-8
	Stiff-Legged Deadlift	2-3	5-8
	Barbell or Dumbbell Row	2-3	5-8

Notes
If you must, an addition of Day 5 of Biceps and Triceps only training is ok.

Abs:  1-4 times per week at the end of scheduled workout.

Rest: 30sec-3mins

*Denotes lifts that must be performed, otherwise all lifts are interchangeable and may be performed in any order, to accommodate use of equipment in a busy commercial gym. If you only have time for one lift, do these.

Sets: Prescribed sets are working sets, and you may take as many warmup sets as you like.

Reps: For example, if prescribed 5-8reps, pick a weight that has you failing, or nearly failing, within that range. If you can hit 8 reps easily, increase weight, or if you have trouble getting 5 reps, reduce weight.

Duration: Try to keep workouts to 75mins or less. 60mins is better.

Diet: Eat a lot. Common sense.

Sleep: Lots. 8hrs minimum.

Once a month, reduce rep range to 3-5reps. You can also rotate the days you reduce reps. For example, Week 1, reduce reps for Day 1 only. Week 2, reduce reps for Day 2 only etc.

Keep a log.

Generally, try to stick with the program. You may add, subtract, or substitute any lifts, except for the denoted lifts, and stick with the general rep and set range.

If anyone tries this, go with it for at least a couple of months, and let me know how you go.

Bench Press or Bench Row?

When life throws a spanner in the works

Work has been hectic busy for me lately, hence no training or blog updates. Whilst the Program Maximum type of thing I had going was working well, I did have to reassess and eventually change it to a Program Minimum schedule, as 70+hours, 6 and a half days week, puts a quick stop to any strength program. Even then, I have concocted a bare-assed program utilising only a single 40kg kettlebell. We’ll see how that works out.

Week A8, Day 7

11:07mins

SFG Prep Day 1 – Single 24kg
Swing x 15
Clean & Press x 5/5
Swing x 5/5
Clean & Front Squat x 5/5
H2H Swing x 20
Turkish Get-Up x 1/1
Swing x 15
Snatch x 5/5
Swing x 5/5
30sec rest between lifts

Week A8, Day 6

85mins

Turkish Get-Up + Windmill
16kg x 2x2/2
20kg x 2/2
24kg x 1/1
32kg x 1/1

Bent Press
16kg x (1,2,3) x 1/1
20kg x (1,2,3) x 1/1
24kg x (1,2,3) x 1/1
32kg x 3/3

5mins rest between sets

Snatch 20kg x 100/9:00mins
(10/10) x 1 every 2mins

Week A8, Day 5

25mins

 

‘Armor Building’Complex – Double 16kg’s x 15/20:00mins

Cleans x 2

Press x 1

Front Squats x 3

 

Perform in sequence for AMRAP

Hardstyle Plank 3x30sec

Pull-ups 1x5

Flexed Dead Hang x 40sec

Week A8, Day 4

30mins

A1 Double Clean & Press 20kg’s x 3
A2 Double Front Squat 20kg’s x 3

Alternate A1 and A2, with 2mins rest between sets, for 6 rounds

Hardstyle Plank 2x30sec

Throughout the day
Double Clean & Press 20kg’s x 5x3

Week A8, Day 3

30mins

A1 Get-Up segment series 24kg x 1/1
A2 Turkish Get-Up 16kg x 5/5
A3 Turkish Get-Up 32kg x 1/1

Snatch 16kg x 100/4:55mins
(10/10) x 5

Hardstyle Plank 3x20sec

Hanging Leg Raise 2x5

Week A8, Day 2

Throughout day

Long Cycle Clean & Jerk 16kg’s x (2,4,6) x 5

Week A8, Day 1

35mins

Bent Press 16kg x (2,2,2,2) x 1, 24kg x (2,2,2,2) x 1, 32kg x (2,2) x 1
5mins rest between series

Snatch 24kg x 96/12:00mins
(8/8) x 6

Week A7, Day 7

15mins

Kettlebell Complex – single 16kg
Clean & Front Squat x 5/5
Swing x 10/10
Clean & Front Squat x 5/5
Clean & Press x 5/5
Clean & Front Squat x 5/5
Turkish Get-Up x 5/5
Clean & Front Squat x 5/5
Snatch x 10/10
Clean & Front Squat x 5/5
12:55mins

Week A7, Day 6

40mins

Kettlebell Complex – single 16kg
Swing x 10/10
Clean & Press x 5/5
Swing x 10/10
Clean & Front Squat x 5/5
Swing x 10/10
Turkish Get-Up x 5/5
Swing x 10/10
Snatch x 10/10
Swing x 10/10
10:15mins

Kettlebell Complex - double 16kg’s
Clean & Press x 5
Swing x 20
Clean & Press x 5
Clean & Front Squat x 5
Clean & Press x 5
Turkish Get-Up x 5/5
Clean & Press x 5
Snatch x 20
Clean & Press x 5
17:55mins

Week A7, Day 5

20mins

A1 Double Clean & Press 20kg’s x (1,2,3)
A2 Double Front Squat 20kg’s x 5

Perform A1, then A2, in sequence, for 4 rounds.

2mins rest between sets

Partial Pull-ups, top-range 2x10

Week A7, Day 4

40mins

A1. Get-Up segment series 24kg x 1/1
A2. Turkish Get-Up 16kg x 3/3
A3. Turkish Get-Up 32kg x 1/1

Perform A1, then A2, and A3, in sequence, for 2 rounds.

Week A7, Day 2

30mins

Long Cycle Clean & Jerk 16kg’s x (2,4,6)x5
Every 5mins

Front Snatch 16kg x 2x(10/10)

Hanging Leg Raise 2x5

Week A7, Day 1

35mins

Double Military Press 16kg’s x 5x8
One-Legged Deadlift 16kg’s x 3x5

4mins rest between sets

Neck Bridges x 5mins

Iso pull-ups, 10sec holds @ 5 positions

KettleBear Program

There are countless ways to gain "functional" bulk with kettlebells, usually involving Cleans & Presses and Squats, performed with two kettlebells, otherwise known as doubles. This program was designed for my personal training clients who only had approximately 30mins per session and 2 days per week to train, on top of their other training.

It's common for my clients to compete in one or more sports or martial arts, then yoga for 1-2 days per week, then other strength/boxing/ma/swimming work for 1-2days per week, on top of their busy professional careers - so the program had to be minimal and efficient.

Enter the KettleBear - a narrow focus of Double Cleans & Presses and Double Front Squats to efficiently morph a busy cub into daddy bear. Everyone who has done it gained a minimum of 5kg’s in less than 3 months. I personally gained 5-6kg in approximately 6-7weeks.

KettleBear
To begin with, perform DCP x (1,2,3) + DFSQ x 3-5 for 8 rounds, with 60-120sec rest between sets.

DCP + DFSQ	LADDERS + STRAIGHT SET: (1,2,3)reps + 3-5reps
Rest	60-120sec
Repeat	8-20 rounds
Duration	30-60mins

So, perform your Double Cleans & Presses, and immediately upon completion, perform your Double Front Squat set, then rest. Also, each comma represents a clean before the number of press reps eg. one press, one clean, two presses, one clean, three presses…

Goal: DCP x (1,2,3,4,5) + DFSQ x 8 for 10 or more rounds within 30-60mins, twice per week.

Background
This program is fairly straightforward, and based on sound, popular concepts found among hardstyle lifters, so this program may have been done before without my knowledge. I first used it just over a year ago, with great success, which prompted me to write this up.

I also realise there are other programs out there with the same title, but I feel that my program is a truer and more accurate representation of the spirit of Pavel's original Bear program, so don't mind me for going with KettleBear.

I named it KettleBear in honour of Pavel’s Power to the People “Bear” program, only utilising kettlebells instead of barbells. The original Bear from PTTP calls for 10-20 sets of 5 reps in two lifts - a push and a pull. KettleBear has a push/pull combined, and a squat! If you’re familiar with Pavel’s works, you’ll notice the lifts are not-so-strangely dissimilar to those found in another of his excellent works, Return of the Kettlebell.

Explanation
I went with Double Cleans and Presses because they will work the upper body thoroughly.

I chose Cleans instead of Snatches because my clients couldn't learn them quickly enough, or perform them safely under fatigue. If you are competent with Snatches, then maybe try one session with snatching before pressing and the other session with cleans before presses.

Double Front Squats will take care of the lower body.

Before the shit hits the fan
You must have a solid technique that allows you to work hard whilst fatigued without injury, so, this is not for beginners. It is designed for active clients requiring a kettlebell program for bulking, or “functional” hypertrophy, who either have a solid base of kettlebell or lifting technique, or, are lifting under the guidance of a knowledgeable coach.

However, you can use kettlebells, strongman log, barbell or even sandbags - as the weight stays fairly much the same throughout the cycle, the key variable will be sets and reps. Also, let me know how you go if you try the KettleBear with something other than kettlebells.

For an in-depth explanation of technique and instruction on the lifts, consult Sergio Merino’s article at t-nation.com.

Expansion
Sets & reps; use ladders for presses, and straight sets for squats. For more info why, consult ROTK by Pavel. Ladders of (2,3,5), (3,3,3), (3,5,3) are also acceptable – basically, get to 10-15reps total per set. Add reps when you can.

Duration; usually with clients I’ll have them work 8 sets in 35mins, so a round every 4mins. If you have more time, then go for it.

Rest; take 60-120sec between sets. Anymore, and you're going too heavy. You will be breathing hard.

Frequency; twice per week, sessions 3-4 days apart.

You can use load variability if you're really strong and you're finding it difficult to progress.
Mon - hard out 100%, eg. (1,2,3,4) + 6 x 5 rounds, and (1,2,3) + 5 x 3 rounds.
Thurs – approx. half to two-thirds of Monday’s session, eg. (2,3) + 3 for 8 rounds.

Otherwise, 100% effort is expected on both days.

Programming;
Monday - KettleBear
Wed - sports practice
Thurs - KettleBear
Sat- sports competition

Tues/Fri works well too, also Wed/Sat.

Slot KettleBear sessions between your busiest days or where sufficient rest is allowed. You get the idea.

Duration; follow for 6-12 weeks, then move into a more strength orientated program.

Insights
-Eat a lot; lots of meat, lots of protein, lots of eggs, dairy, and lots of fruits, veges, and ingest a lot of water. Your urine will tell you how much fluids you need. Surplus calories will be your motto. Don’t be caught without food in your paws. Or else.
-Rest a lot. Expect to be tired. Even though you're active you're gonna want to hit the hay a couple hours earlier than your usual bedtime.
-Try to get your training in first thing in the day. It's a matter of prioritising.
-Any size weights will do, even light ones - although it may take a while to notice any gains, as you need to push your body to notice results.
-You may experience a delayed response, that is, until your strength catches up with your conditioning. You may go for a month with no sign of progress and then in a couple of weeks gain 5kgs of bodyweight. Trust the process.

Any questions, feel free to ask, and report your progress if you give it a shot.

Happy lifting!

Week A6, Day 7

Double Front Squats 16kg’s x (1,2,3) x 4

Week A6, Day 6

Turkish Get-Up 16kg x 5/5, 24kg x 3/3, 32kg x 1/1

Bent Press 16kg x (3,5,3) x 1, 24kg x (3,5,3) x 1, 32kg x 2/2

Snatch 20kg x 88/4:50mins
(10/10) x 4, (4/4) x 1

Week A6, Day 5

Seesaw Press 16kg’s x 5x5

Double Snatch 16kg’s x 5x5

L-Pull-ups: 5x1

Week A6, Day 4

A1.Double Clean & Press 20kg’s x 5A2.Double Front Squat 20kg’s x 5
A3.Long Push Press 20kg’s x 5

Perform in sequence, so, A1, then A2, then A3, and repeat for 3 rounds total.
1-2mins rest between all sets.

Pull-ups x 6 reps
Very easy – could’ve got 8 or 9 reps. No pain.

Week A6, Day 3

Long Push Press 32kg x 5x1

Snatch 32kg x 1/1, 2/2, 1/1

Isometric pull-ups – 5 position: 7sec hold

3-5mins rest all sets

Week A6, Day 2

Turkish Get-Up > Windmill > Bent Press 24kg x 1/1Hand-to-Hand Soft Swing 24kg x 20

Snatch 24kg x 50/7:53mins
(5/5) x 1 every 2mins
Set length 0:32-0:34sec

Isometric pull-ups – 5 position: 3,3,3sec holds (L)

Week 6, Day 1

Double Military Press 20kg x 32/9:00mins
(1,2,3) x 5
+2

Double Front Squat 20kg’s x 24/7:37mins
(1,2,3) x 4

Double Clean & Press 20kg’s x 12/5:40mins
(1,2) x 4

Isometric pull-ups - 5 position: 3,5,3sec holds (M)

Week A5, Day 6

Variety 2

Backup Press 32kg x 5x1
DSW 32kg/24kg x 3x8

3-5mins rest all sets

Week A5, Day 5

M Ballistics

TGU + Windmill 24kg x 1/1
Sw 24kg x 5/5

Sn 24kg x 64/6:53mins
(8/8) every 2mins x 4
Set length 0:56-0:53

Isometric pull-ups – 5 position: 3,3,3sec holds (L)

I slightly altered my form, and switched to a softer girevoy sport type corkscrew technique, which proved effective – no pain anywhere and the sets felt smooth.

Week A5, Day 4

M Grind

DCP 20kg’s x 18/10:24mins
(1,2) x 6

DFSQ 20kg’s x 12/6:00mins
(1,2) x 3

DCP 20kg’s x 9/4:00mins
(1,2) x 3

Isometric pull-ups – 5 position: 3,5,7sec holds (H)

Left triceps very tight, causing some elbow discomfort, otherwise its feeling fine.

Week A5, Day 3

Variety 1

Backup Press 32kg x 5x1

Sw 32kg x 2x10/10

Isometric pull-ups – 5 position: 3,5,3,5sec holds (M)

3-5mins rest all sets

Half Sn 32kg x 3/3

Week A5, Day 2

H Ballistic

HGU 24kg x 1/1 + rotation
Sw 24kg x 10/10

Sn 24kg x 80/7:48mins
(10/10) x 1 every 2mins
Set length 1:12 – 1:00

Left grip was loosening on the last couple of reps.

Isometric pull-ups – 5 position: 3,3,3sec holds (L)

Week A5, Day 1

L Grind

Kettlebell Military Press 20kg x 7/6:00mins
Single roughly on the minute

Double Front Squat 20kg’s x 9/8:00mins
Singles roughly on the minute

Double Clean & Press 20kg’s x 6/5:00mins
Singles roughly on the minute

Isometric pull-ups - 5 position: 3,5,7sec holds (H)

Double Swing Fail

Here’s what happens when you lose concentration whilst double swinging 24’s.

For the reader’s delight, I chose the two most unattractive angles from which to take photos.

 

On the downswing, I wasn’t paying attention and the right kb tried to put a dent in my right knee. My immediate concern, soon as I had put the bells down, was trying to work out what the damage was, as it felt like a really solid impact. It shows too, I don’t bruise easily, and the pics were taken 3 days after the fact, because that was the first I had noticed of the aftermath. Anyways, after moving around a little with no restriction or undue discomfort, I got straight back into finishing my set.

The point? In my case - don’t be a goose, for others, focus on what you’re doing.

 

Week A4, Day 6

Variety 2

A1 Loaded Clean 32kg x 5/5
A2 TGU 32kg x 1/1

Alt A1 & and A2 for 3 rounds

B DSW 24kg’s 3x5

3-5mins rest

Week A4, Day 5

M Ballistics

HGU 24kg x 1/1 + rotations
Sw 24kg x 5/5

Sn 24kg x 48/4:51mins
(8/8) every 2mins x3

Pullups: Isometric holds

Week A4, Day 4

M Grind

A DCP 20kg’s x 27/9:00mins
(1,2) on the minute x 9

B DFSQ 20kg’s x 27/9:45mins
(1,2) x 9

C DCP 20kg’s x 21/6:50
(1,2) on the minute x 7

D Pullups: Isometric holds

Week A4, Day 3

Variety 1
A Floor Press 32kg x 3x2

B Sw 32kg x 2x10/10

3-5mins in between sets

Week A4, Day 2

L Ballistic

Sn 24kg x 40/5:26mins
(5/5) x 4

Week A4, Day 1

H Grind

A Kettlebell Military Press 20kg x 24+24/6:00mins
(1,2,3) x 4

B Double Front Squat 20kg’s x 27/7:00mins
(1,2,3) x 3

C Double Clean & Press 20kg’s x 24/8:00mins
(1,2,3) x 4

D Double Swing 20kg’s 21/7:00mins
Triples on the minute x 7

Week A1-A3 review

I introduced Fatigue Cycling with signs of success; increased work-rate; efficiency in training. Obviously the greatest benefits can only be reaped with continual use, which I am not doing, because I needed a slightly more flexible program, due to a change in my schedule. To fit in the required work, I can now use multiple 5-15min sessions throughout the day, rather than committing to a single session. In light of this last condition, I also felt it necessary to step up from 5 days of training to 6 days. Do note that I have kept the same lifts, and that varying reps, sets, frequency, rest or load is a legitimately successful way to train.

Snatch times have been gradually improving. I can now consistently achieve 8/8 snatches with the 24kg in 50sec without any undue strain on my elbows or grip. As a result the 24kg feels lighter than it did a few weeks ago.

The pulse pull-ups have also showed promise, and are evolving into an isometric component of my training, and hopefully rehab for my elbows. I will post a lengthy segment on isometric training in the coming weeks, with a review of my progress also.

Alexander Zass – The Amazing Samson

One of the earliest proponents of isometric training developed amazing strength, obviously.

Turkish Getup 40kg

Here's what you do on a rainy Saturday morning;

This isn't picture perfect form, as I've recently moved to a viewpoint that any reasonable means of performing a Get-Up is ok, as long as it meets my main criteria that any movement is deliberate and controlled. If you don't know why or are unaware as to what you are doing whilst doing these then you need to pay more attention to your form. Also, whilst there are certain methods of performing a Get-Up as taught at kettlebell certifications and such, I believe that allowing each trainee the opportunity to discover how to move on their own and perform this movement is extremely valuable. This is not a dismissal of knowledge in this area, as I encourage everyone to seek further understanding, but a call to greater self-reliance-- rather than rely on remembering a multitude of technique cues, the trainee listens to feedback from their body, and hopefully a coach, for maximum performance. I might cop some flak for that, but I learn a movement more effectively by paying attention to what I’m doing, and not necessarily what some “rules” would have me do.

Week A3, Day 6

TGU 16kg x 4/4, 24kg x 3/3, 32kg x 1/1, 40kg x 1/1
SN 16kg x 5/5

SN 24kg x 164/35:51mins
(10/10) x 5 in first 20mins
(8/8) x 4 in the remaining time

Today was random day. I wasn’t feeling quite well from the week and had poor sleep the night before, but still managed put up an ok 40kg TGU, whilst Snatch training was randomized—I started with 10/10 every 4mins and reverted to 8/8 towards the end. I had effectively performed the same volume from the previous week but decreased the time by 10mins, with no grip or elbow issues.

Week A3, Day5

TGU 20kg x 1/1 + rotations
GSQ 20kg x 5
OLDL 20kg x 4/4

Workout C
DSW 20kg’s x 5x3
DFSQ 20kg’s x 5x3
DCP 20kg’s x 10x3

1min rest between all sets

Several pulse pull-ups; elbow's starting to feel much better after I do these.

Week A3, Day 3

HGU 20kg x 1/1 + rotations
GSQ 20kg x 5
OLDL 20kg x 5/5

Workout B
DFSQ 20kg’s x 3x3, 2x4
DCP 20kg’s x 8x3, 2x4
DSW 20kg’s x 5x4

1min rest between all sets

Hanging Leg Raise and various pull-ups

Week A3, Day 2

RKC Armbar > TGU > Windmill > Bent Press @ 16kg x 1/1
TGU 24kg x 2/2, 32kg x 1/1
OLDL 16kg x 5/5
SN 16kg x 5/5, 24kg x 5/5

SN 24kg x 50/4:31mins
(5/5) x 1 On the minute x5

Average set length is 31-32sec

Week A3, Day 1

Partial TGU progression 20kg x 1/1 > floor to lunge

Workout A
DCP 20kg’s x 8x3, 2x4
DFSQ 20kg’s x 4x3, 1x4
DSW 20kg’s x 2x3, 3x4

1min rest between all sets

Hanging Leg Raises 3x4 + 1 pulse pull-up

Week A2, Day 6

Partial TGU progression 20kg x 1/1 > floor to lunge
TGU 16kg x 3/3, 32kg x 1/1
GSQ 16kg x 5
SN 16kg x 5/5, 24kg x 5/5

SN 24kg x 160/45:51mins
(8/8) x 1 every 5mins x 10

Average set length 50-51sec.

Today’s session was much easier. I still had to go hard, but it felt easier. Once I get 12 sets of 8/8 easily, I will move up to sets of 10/10 x 10, and progress to 12 or more sets.

Same story with the Get-ups: once the current kettlebell feels light, progress to more reps or a heavier kettlebell eg. When 16kg x 5/5 is reached, start with 20kg x 2/2 and progress to 5/5. In this way, slow and steady improvement is assured. It’s momentum that I am looking to build. Remember, its consistency and moderation over intensity.

Week A2, Day 5

Partial TGU progression 20kg x 1/1 > floor to kneeling windmill
GSQ 20kg x 5

Workout C
DSW 20kg’s x 4x3, 1x4
DFSQ 20kg’s x 4x3, 1x4
DCP 20kg’s x 9x3, 1x4

1min rest between all sets

Week A2, Day 3

Partial TGU progression 20kg x 1/1 > floor to lunge
OLDL 20kg x 5/5
GSQ 20kg x 5

Workout B
DFSQ 20kg’s x 5x3
DCP 20kg’s x 9x3, 1x4
DSW 20kg’s x 4x3, 1x4

1min rest between all sets

Hanging Leg Raise x 4x3 + 1 Pulse pullup

A pulse pullup is starting at the bottom, and pulling up a couple of inches and lowering one or two inches, and continuing up until the neck or chest is touching the bar.

This is kind of counter-intuitive given my elbows are wrecked. I visualize my arms as hydraulic rams lifting my body, and I find this constant tension is beneficial as my elbows feel good afterwards. I’ll keep an eye on it.