I started a new workout routine today. It consisted of the following: - 30 mins cardio on the elliptical trainer - Ab routine (Sit-ups, crunches, flutter kicks, front plank, side plank) - Full-body Kettlebell Routine (The Ultimate Full-Body Kettlebell Workout for Any Fitness Level) I’m more sore than I feel I should be. I used a 30 pound Kettlebell. I also feel that it took a little too long. I’m hoping to keep my workout routine under 90 minutes. I’m not even sure if I’m reading the routine correctly. If you see in the link, it lays out the workout as follows: A1- 3 sets of 10 reps KB Front Squat A2- 3 sets of 20 reps KB High Pulls B1- 3 sets of 10 reps KB Romanian Deadlifts B2- 3 sets of 20 reps KB Swings C1- 3 sets of 10 reps (each side) KB Clean & Press C2- 3 sets of 10 reps (each side) KB Renegade Rows Simple enough, but the routine states “Perform each pair of movements as a superset completing 3 rounds of the first (A1 + A2) before moving on to the second (B1 + B2) and so on.” Am I to interpret the sequence as: 3 sets of 10 reps KB Front Squat 3 sets of 20 reps KB High Pulls followed by... 3 sets of 10 reps KB Front Squat 3 sets of 20 reps KB High Pulls followed by another... 3 sets of 10 reps KB Front Squat 3 sets of 20 reps KB High Pulls ... before moving on to the second group of exercises? I don’t understand why I’m having such a difficult time understanding this.
I believe for supersets, that you'd do 10 front squats, immediately followed by 20 high pulls, which would make 1 set, which you would then repeat 3 times. You would then 'rinse and repeat' with the B and C sets Travess
I think Travess is right, otherwise that seems like a high volume to me. I personally find that the first session or so of kettlebells after a break give me horrible doms, then my body adjusts and it's fine. That link is heavy on your glutes, hamstrings etc, lots of squat and swing motions, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was giving you some trouble Are you using one kb or two?
My goals are to burn fat, build strength, build power, and tone. I use one kettlebell in most exercises with the exception on the Renegade Row, which calls for two. I intend to conduct this workout three times a week, in addition to my Karate classes which are also three times a week.
I honestly think with a weight that light the workout might build some endurance and cardio but unless you are incredibly weak strength gains will be minimal and power gains non existent. The weights seem too light to build strength and the weight and rep/sets scheme wrong for power. But could be wrong let us know how it goes!
I'd build up over a little time. Use the same kb for now, till you get past having issues with DOMS. Once your body has adjusted, add another one, but maybe even lower the weight of both bells so you increase but don't double your load. Keep building and most kb guys seem to recommend 2x20 or 2x24kg bells ultimately. It won't take a very long time, but you need to be really comfortable with the weight at each stage. Because the movements tend to involve so much of the body, and a KB is inherently unstable in a way a barbell isn't, you need to really master it before you increase the weight to avoid injury. There's a lot of stuff on youtube to help, I like Pat Flynn there and on Facebook, as he's realistic about what kettlebells are, not trying to sell them as the answer to everything. pat flynn kettlebells - YouTube
Hey, just curious exactly how you are classifying/ measuring power; is it output of work in a given time for example. if one day I manage more press ups in 30 seconds than the day before, is that a demonstration of increase in power? Or is it/ should it be something else ? cheers
Power for me is the ability to produce maximum force This is a fairly good definition Power - the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movements. The two components of power are strength and speed The weights are too low and the reps too high for that kind of power development. Power really relates to the alactic system so sets reps under 10secs are ideal with maximum rest. For power endurance you would typically use the same explosive movements as you would to develope power, so Sprints Jumps holding weights or kbells bounds, heavy med ball throws, cleans, snatches sub max deads and squats etc But gradually increase the set length from say 7 to 12 seconds over several weeks and also decease the rest periods say starting at a minute and finishing at 45secs. I'd say your example is as much muscular endurance increase as it is.power increase,
Thanks, I know you know your stuff. If you had to measure power though, how would you do it. Yours sounds like a measure of force to me, strictly speaking. Or perhaps put another way 'Max strength'. Although to be sure I'm not set or confident about their strict academic definitions. It's something I notice in martial arts terminology too; people talk about power as if they are improving their level of force. But there is a difference and it feels wrong when I hear it now. Not trying to be critical, rather just making the observation. Endurance in the example I gave would rather than the amount of work in x time, would be how long you could keep up x level of work. Both of us do push ups for a minute; So if we both get 15 press ups in 30 seconds, but then in the next 30 I only manage 10 and you do 13 you have the better strength endurance. Or say you can run for longer than me at the same pace that demonstrates your better endurance also, though that's not so much strength related, moreso to the aerobic system in that case. but basically I like to think of endurance as "stronger for longer". What do you think ? I feel that having a measure can make things bit clearer.
In your example if when you started you got 23 reps in 30secs and three weeks like you got 30reps are you more Powerful or have you simply increased the endurance of your muscles. I know what you mean though force and power are two different things in physics but in the s and c community they are treated as the same. So when I see power I tend to see how can I produce more force: hit harder, jump higher throw further, when I see power emdurance I tend to see how long can I produce that force/power for. Power is usually used in S&C to meam how fast can I move an object so not maximum strength but maximum contraction and is usually measured by things like tendo units which technically should be force but really isn't considered as such. All energy systems have two components the power and the capacity of the system the power refers to well how much output your can put out and the capacity how long you can produce that effort for.
I don't think this was worded as well as it could so: Lets say our rate of work is 25 press ups per minute the system that can maintain that workrate for longer has the better measure of endurance. Had to that as it was bugging me lol. Hi David, you might be on to something in that that training method puts more stress on the endurence of the muscles. So I would say maybe it feels harder, but in a different way - similar to holds; various planks are similar to the push up position. Going quicker puts more stress on other systems besides the muscles but the onset (of difficulty and or fatigue) comes after more reps as you are going quicker. But I'm really just winging it, so take that fwiw. regards
Yep agree but if we did the same test and I could produce 28 press-ups and you 25 I would have the better power output but if in the second set you maintained 25 and my output dropped to 21 you have the better power endurance. I agree with you just the way I look at it all energy systems have a power and a capacity (or endurance) aspect and training is always a balance of trying to improve both.
