Strength Training to Survive

[Dragon]

Today a question was posed to me that was interesting. "What type of strength isn't truly functional?" Ultimately I couldn't think of any, because any amount of strength you gain will help you overall.

I'd been on a workout hiatus beginning when I tore my ACL and MCL in August '10 and just started back into things in April. Now I'm just over 8 weeks in and making big neurological gains in strength and a small amount of endurance. So I figured I'd post up a bit of what I do to stay prepared and why.

First, today's routine.
Warm-up:
100 seconds jumping rope
100 Kettlebell Swings 35lbs Hand 2 Hand

Workout:
Pull-ups in hammer grip/neutral, strict form deadhangs, so no kipping or swinging.
1 set x 10 reps, 8 sets x 3 reps, 3 reps x 1 set with 15lbs added, 3 reps x 1 set with 35lbs added, 1 rep x 1 set with 53lbs added, 3 sets x 3 reps, 1 set x 10 reps = 60 total pull-ups and the rest time between sets was around 90 seconds.

15 total minutes of core work using a Stabiliball/Swiss Ball, Resistance Bands, and a partner. These exercises are too difficult to explain and I don't know all of the correct names.

10 Push-ups Warm-up

All of the following sets are done with 2 kettlebells of equal weight and on a Bosu Ball instead of a bench starting in the rock bottom position of the lift.

1 set x 3 reps x 35 lbs
7 sets x 3 reps x 53 lbs
Rest periods between sets were for as long as necessary to return to normal state and allow ATP back into the muscles.

20 Push-ups

Active Recovery:
200 Hand 2 Hand Kettlebell Swings 35lbs

Now for the why on reps, scheme, sets, etc,. Kettlebells are very versatile, easy to use once you understand how, and are more fun for me to use. I add stability into as many exercises as possible when working with strength because it's an added benefit that cannot be taken for granted.

The sets are kept high, and reps are kept low to build strength primarily. I don't care about getting big, I care about becoming brutally strong in every aspect. 3 Reps seems very easy, and 106lbs doesn't sound like a lot but anyone who's done bench press with dumbbells knows that it's almost totally different than using a flat bar. The stabilization required is very good for you, then add a Bosu Ball instead of a bench and it becomes even harder.

Warm-up and active recovery using a kettlebell is always great. Today I kept it simple and quick because I knew my workout wouldn't be exactly short/quick with the amount of strength work/rest times I had involved.

This sample/type of workout isn't for everyone depending on their skill level and fitness level but it is where I'm at in my training as I am trying to gain back strength I've lost during time out of the gym. I do this all at home, as I have plenty of kettlebells and other equipment and the only things I really need to go to the gym for are olympic lifts, squat, heavy bench press, and deadlifts.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I will be posting more of what I do in the near future.

Thanks,
Michael Kinnett
Kettlebell Athletics Certified Instructor

 

[flatlander]

Looks good except I work high reps/ med sets and have great strength gains. Everybody needs to do strength training as far as I'm concerned. If the do-do hits the fan, the better shape you start in may give you the edge to make it instead of dying. Good job
Bob

 

[MidwestMuzzleloader]

Lots of Pushups/Pullups/Situps and running in the summer is my routine. In the winter, I workout with heavier weights doing two push/pull workouts a week (usually 5 sets of 5 reps at working weight). Along with the two push/pull I will had two other workouts for explosive work (hanging cleans, jump squats etc) along with lots of pushups/pullups/situps. I do this year round despite what might happen in the future.

 

[Dragon]

Looks good except I work high reps/ med sets and have great strength gains. Everybody needs to do strength training as far as I'm concerned. If the do-do hits the fan, the better shape you start in may give you the edge to make it instead of dying. Good job
Bob

High reps will not give you the strength gains that lower reps will. Higher reps will get more into hypertrophy and/or muscular endurance. I do however agree, the better you are in the beginning the more likely you are to last.

 

[GPD177]

Brother I feel your pain, 6 years ago I blew the MCL, tore the meniscus, tibial plateau fracture and severely sprained ACL ( still think that one was a partial tear). My leg training had never recovered fully. I just cannot get the strength back that I had before.

Right now, I hit the gym at night after I get off work. First up is a half hour run on the treadmill. If I feel good, I go faster, If I feel puny I take it a lil easier. Weights come next broken down as follows:
day 1----chest abs traps forearms
day 2---- biceps triceps abs hamstrings
day 3----thighs, deadlifts ( no cardio this day )
day 4----shoulders calves abs
day 5----lats traps abs

these are done circuit style, but heavy 6-12 rep range. Not at all like a high rep traditional circuit. The bodyparts on a given day are spaced out enough that you can hit each of them real hard on the circuit.

 

[Dragon]

Brother I feel your pain, 6 years ago I blew the MCL, tore the meniscus, tibial plateau fracture and severely sprained ACL ( still think that one was a partial tear). My leg training had never recovered fully. I just cannot get the strength back that I had before.

Right now, I hit the gym at night after I get off work. First up is a half hour run on the treadmill. If I feel good, I go faster, If I feel puny I take it a lil easier. Weights come next broken down as follows:
day 1----chest abs traps forearms
day 2---- biceps triceps abs hamstrings
day 3----thighs, deadlifts ( no cardio this day )
day 4----shoulders calves abs
day 5----lats traps abs

these are done circuit style, but heavy 6-12 rep range. Not at all like a high rep traditional circuit. The bodyparts on a given day are spaced out enough that you can hit each of them real hard on the circuit.

I never like to hear about other people being injured, it just sucks period!

A couple of questions about your workout though. What are your goals? Why do you do cardio before lifting? How much rest time between your sets when doing that style of circuit? Do you rest between those workout days?

I'm definitely inquisitive as I've gone through countless routines, methods, and I'm still learning a ****load about how things work. Fortunately I've been spending time everyday with a friend who's a C.S.C.S. and certified USA Weightlifting coach.

 

[Dragon]

Oh here are a couple of my favorite workouts which are VERY simple but extremely effective at training cardio and strength endurance.

Workout 1:
Using the Tabata Method of 15 seconds exercising and 15 seconds of rest.
Round 1: 15 seconds kettlebell swing, 15 seconds rest.
Rinse and repeat trying to get to 10 rounds or 20 if you're brave.

Next I use either kettlebell swings or cleans and burpees.
You can either work from 10 reps down to 1, or 1 rep up to 10.
1 kettlebell clean, 1 burpee
2 cleans, 2 burpees
3 cleans, 3 burpees
continue until you've done 10 cleans and 10 burpees and try to do it in less than 5 minutes. Very challenging!

Another is a variation of the 300 workout that I sort of made my own. Either choose 30 exercises that can be done in a circuit for 10 reps each, or any variation that equals 300 reps and try to complete it with good form, safely, and as quickly as poossible. Record your time and try to beat it every day you do the workout. It's a great challenge to yourself and an easy way to break-up the monotony of the daily routine.

These are the types of things I love to do and have found great success in for overall health and fitness.

 

[HatTrix]

3x's a week 3x5 or 5x5 squatz ..oatz and a gallon of milk a day (gomad) That's all you need really.

 

[flatlander]

High reps will not give you the strength gains that lower reps will. Higher reps will get more into hypertrophy and/or muscular endurance. I do however agree, the better you are in the beginning the more likely you are to last.

Wording was possibly different, I'm an old fart, but that is exactly what I meant. The need for endurance is more useful, imo, over the long run. I usually do 4sets of at least 15 reps of any weight exercise before adding more weight and starting over with6-8 reps. It works for me so of course YMMV
Bob

 

[lovemachine]

Some advice, because I know fitness more than guns.
If you must do cardio in the same workout as strength training, do cardio last. Only stretch and do a lil warmup. Jumping jacks and pushups are fine. But do any other cardio, like the treadmill, after your lifting.

Brother I feel your pain, 6 years ago I blew the MCL, tore the meniscus, tibial plateau fracture and severely sprained ACL ( still think that one was a partial tear). My leg training had never recovered fully. I just cannot get the strength back that I had before.

Right now, I hit the gym at night after I get off work. First up is a half hour run on the treadmill. If I feel good, I go faster, If I feel puny I take it a lil easier. Weights come next broken down as follows:
day 1----chest abs traps forearms
day 2---- biceps triceps abs hamstrings
day 3----thighs, deadlifts ( no cardio this day )
day 4----shoulders calves abs
day 5----lats traps abs

these are done circuit style, but heavy 6-12 rep range. Not at all like a high rep traditional circuit. The bodyparts on a given day are spaced out enough that you can hit each of them real hard on the circuit.

 

[GPD177]

There is a method to my workout madness. A little background first. I am 41 now and have been training since I was in high school. In my early 20's I was very much into the bodybuilding, although I had no desire at all to put on skimpy trunks and get on a stage and compete. All through my 20's I just got bigger and stronger. Early 30's I topped out around 290. A lot of beef, but more fat than I wanted. Started loosing mental focus and concentration that it takes to do that heavy-high intensity training. Started a family, a new job and the training took a back seat. About 5 years ago I decided that it was time to get rid of a lot of the bulk and fat. Strict diet and cardio-high rep workouts got me down to 215. I looked like a cancer patient. Took the weight back up to 260, then last year down to a stable 235ish.

I do cardio first because if I don't I usually sluff it off and wind up not doing it. I also have a lot of wear and tear from the years of heavy lifting and this really gets me warmed up and lubed up for the wight training. It was tuff at first to get used to it, but now if I dont do it I feel like crap and have poor workouts. I also think that as we age the cardio becomes very important health wise.

My weight training is still somewhat heavy but also a circuit. An example would be day 1 ( chest-abs-traps-hamstrings) Every time I do this workout the specific exercises changes. I might do a set of Incline Bench press followed immediately by a set of incline sit ups followed by barbell shrugs followed by leg curls. Then I will rest 1 to 2 minutes. Rep range 15 down 6-8 on the heavier sets. I might do 5 or 6 circuits this way. I then might do 4 sets of flat dumbell press-leg raises-dumbell shrugs-leg curls. Then it might be 3 sets of cable cross overs- abdominal twist-high rep bar shrugs-standing leg curls. The overall principal is to keep moving, pyramid up to heavier weights, and then the last three circuits or so come back down to lighter weight high rep to really burn and force blood into the muscles.

I hope that was somewhat clear, LOL.

 

[Dragon]

Yeah, it's understandable now GPD, I at least see the method in the madness. However I do agree with LoveMachine in that it is more beneficial to do your cardio after lifting. Ideally for metabolic boost cardio should be done first thing in the morning before eating.

If you do cardio in the A.M. before eating you can compile a metabolic boost ranging from 25-50% higher than normal as long as you don't go 48 hours without getting your cardio in. I've had clients in the past whom I've helped lose weight this way, cardio in the A.M. and then we workout in the early evening. 30-45min of cardio, and then strength training later in the day yields phenomenal results and gives good energy boost once the body begins adaptation.

 

[jdhaines]

Using the Tabata Method of 15 seconds exercising and 15 seconds of rest.
Round 1: 15 seconds kettlebell swing, 15 seconds rest.
Rinse and repeat trying to get to 10 rounds or 20 if you're brave.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but my research has shown that Tabata training is 20 seconds of hard work and 10 seconds break for 8 rounds totalling 4 minutes in a set. It's 4 minutes long, but you are really only working out hard for 2 minutes and 40 seconds of that 4 minutes...however it's 2:40 from hell!. The idea is to get you into oxygen deficit as quickly as possible and get the benefits of high intensity interval training (HIIT) such as the state you are in after a sprint without having to do the sprint. You have to start again right as your body tries to react and attempts to grab as much air as possible. Very effective due to the short rest cycle.

My favorite tabata cycle with kettlebells is

20 seconds swings
10 seconds rest
20 seconds goblet squat
10 seconds rest
for 8 cycles total. (What's typed out would be 2 of 8 cycles.)

This works opposite parts of the legs and really destroys all the muscles equally.


I've used the 15/15 method as well with 15 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest but you can sustain that. I've done it for 45 minutes before on snatches (about 6-7 each cycle) with the 24kg (52lb) kettlebell switching arms each time and it is really a killer regarding total power...but my breathing never got really out of control. I think I heard it described under the name "Viking Warrior Workout" or some silly thing. Neat workout though.

 

[Dragon]

Tabata is a term I use loosely because the method can go many ways as I've learned it. Whether rest and exercise times are equal, or exercise time is double was how I learned it traditionally but since I've adapted it into my workouts and at times will go up to 4 times longer on exercise than rest.

I've don't 20/10's, 15/15's, 30/10, 30/15, etc,. depending on the difficulty of the exercise. Another thing I enjoy doing is kettlebell complexes for time. Let's say I do Complex 1 - Swing, Clean, Jerk, High Pull then switch hands and do it again. Lets say that takes me 20 seconds, then instead of taking a rest period I'll do push-ups or burpees. Then I repeat the entire thing over for as many sets as I can make it through within a set period of time.

My training cycles between Strength, Power, and Strength Endurance, and sometimes all three together.

By the way, my roommate tried the Viking Warrior Workout and honestly I think it's a waste of time. Sure snatches are great and they burn something like 21 k/cals but high pulls can do nearly the same in calorie burning and with MUCH less room for error on technique through high reps. I would personally find something more fun to take up my time, this is why I own 3 tractors tires, 2 sledgehammers, a 15lb maul, chinese padlocks, and Kushti Clubs/Gadas.

 

[jdhaines]

Sure, I guess you can use any amount of time for work and rest, I just thought that Isumi Tabata tested lots of intervals and found 2:1 to be the best based on the goals of his experiment...which is why they call 20/10 Tabata.

I really like snatches. (That's what she said.) I don't do the 15/15 with snatches very often, but when I do, I'm not worried about the use of my time. I have a couple other implements too but I build strength from kettlebells the most. Sounds like you are a lot more complex than I am. I guess we'll agree to disagree on the usefulness of the 15/15 snatches (although I admit the name is stupid and useless). I only do 6 workouts with my kettlebells

Snatch
Clean & Press
Turkish Get-Up
Goblet Squat
Swing
Windmills

And I took a month or two and learned the proper form on the Bent Press because I think it's the most bad-ass looking exercise I've ever seen, if the most complicated. It's no wonder they used to call it the king of lifts because if you have a weakness anywhere a heavy bent press will find it. I can do snatches with a 40kg kettlebell and yet can only bent press about 95-100lbs max with a long bar. Every time I do the lift something different is sore suggesting different things are currently lacking the furthest behind, often my legs.

To me, Arthur Saxon at 5'10" and 200lbs bent pressing 374lbs and doing a 448lb two-handed-anyhow are the most impressive weight lifting feats I've ever heard of.

 

[Dragon]

Saxon was a beast, one of very few who have truly impressed me with feats like that. The grip masters of old and new(Captains of Crush #4), Bruce White who worked on biorhythms for years while breaking world records in deadlift, and Saxon.


I use the variations to keep my mind fresh actually. I've been using kettlebells since attending a seminar in 2002 hosted by Dave Randolph and got to meet and train with Pavel Tsatsouline, Steve Maxwell, and others. I didn't get my RKC then because I wasn't interested in teaching, but once I did I went with Jason C. Brown and Pamela Macelree because they built what they do off of RKC as Jason was one of Pavel's Senior RKC's for a long time, and they were MUCH more affordable.

I don't work with as heavy of a kettlebell as you do(Only up to 32kg) but I do a lot of complex movements as well, and my heavy lifting is primarily done with a flat bar(olympic or heavy grinds). I'm a big fan of pistol squats, overhead squats, sots press, and others not coming to mind right now as well as the lifts you've already named. Kettlebells in my opinion are one of the most functional tools that one could get and very easy to use once you know how.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Some advice, because I know fitness more than guns.
If you must do cardio in the same workout as strength training, do cardio last. Only stretch and do a lil warmup. Jumping jacks and pushups are fine. But do any other cardio, like the treadmill, after your lifting.

This... and to piggyback, cardio first ruins your lifting form (makes you cheat)

 

[GPD177]

Cardio doesnt ruin anything. If your form sucks it is because you are using too much weight.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Cardio doesnt ruin anything. If your form sucks it is because you are using too much weight.

Oh Geez, ok, I'll allow you to be technical. If you life 185lbs prior to cardio with perfect form, you won't be able to life 185lbs afterwards with perfect form. Even though you may still get the weight up. Is that an acceptable clarification?

 

[Dragon]

Cardio doesnt ruin anything. If your form sucks it is because you are using too much weight.

Or because you don't know what you're doing. Many people are injured because of being too proud to learn the right way to do things. I have people at gyms tell me all the time I dunno what I'm doing with kettlebells, then I see them hit the preacher curls for the next 45 minutes with too much weight forcing them to hitch with their entire body to get it up.

Instruction isn't cheap and you have to swallow your pride to do it, this is why I've had probably 15 times more female clients than males.