After recently battling a nasty cold/flu for two weeks and starting off 2013 changing my nutrition habits with the Whole 30 which resulted in a weight loss of 16 pounds I was searching for a new and interesting muscle building and strength program. The tools available to me are barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells and bodyweight. I have a pretty nicely equipped home gym and have access to a studio where I instruct ketllebell strength and conditioning classes.
After much research and soul searching I chose the Kettlebell Muscle program by Geoff Neupert. I met Geoff one time at the RKC I attended in Chicago in September 2011, he was one of the Master RKC's instructing and over seeing the certification. Geoff is a strong individual with an extensive Olympic lifting background and I really like his no nonsense straight forward approach.
This is my first foray training exclusively with double kettlebells. I purchased the manual Kettlebell Muscle by Geoff Neupert and it was well worth reading. In February while finishing up my second journey through Dan John's Easy Strength I messed around with some of the workouts in my KB class using the double 16kg and double 20kg 'bells. I found out very quickly that this program was no joke. The double 20kg 'bells humbled me very fast I couldn't complete some of the workouts following the prescribed set/rep and rest intervals. On paper the program looks so simple and easy.
One of the statements in the manual is "this program is so hard and so demanding that you really shouldn't want to do anything other than eat and rest." This made me think. I would tackle this challenge alone. So I decided that for the next 12 weeks I would do "this" program. I would follow the program the way it is written and not jump into anything else. A 12 week self experiment.
Here is the program structure:
Monday: Medium Day
Tuesday: Off, Active rest
Wednesday: Light Day
Thursday: Off, Active rest
Friday: Heavy Day
Saturday: Off, Active rest
Sunday: Off
Weeks 1-6 you are performing double kettlebell complexes, then in weeks 7-12 you perform double kettlebell complexes and chains. Like most well written muscle building programs it is intelligently progressive in nature.
That's it, simple as simple can be. The sessions will take between 15 and 45 minutes according to the manual.
My "Active Rest" days will work fine since those are the days that I instruct my general KB S&C class. I do some teaching demonstrations and will get in enough dynamic mobility that it really is not taxing my system but will aid in recovery.
Golf season is also starting up, so I spend time hitting practice shots at my home golf range and when the weather breaks I will start walking 9 holes a few times a week for relaxation and conditioning (occasionally I will enjoy a fine cigar when I am walking, man's gotta have his vice's, no?).
The promise of this program, if you follow it as written, is muscle building.
Here is what you can expect from the program according to the manual:
Each session will feel like a "workout"
Brief training sessions
Psychologically challenged
To be hungry
To be tired
To be sore
To question your manhood or womanhood
Your grip to almost fail
Incredibly high heart rates
To sleep well
To use recovery methods
Most Importantly, Expect New Muscle Growth!
I chose this program because it fits my fitness goals and needs exactly! It is funny how that happens. When the student is ready the teacher will appear, or something like that corny statement that I never believed.
I am into the second week of this journey and will write a recap after the first Six Weeks, so far I like it.
Stay strong! Al al@ironsolid.com
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