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

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