The first time I saw a kettlebell, I must admit I was quite skeptical. After all, how can something so small and compact give me any results? Well, like the saying goes, good things come in small packages, and the kettlebell is no exception to this saying, except the package I’m referring to here is more like TNT.
On February of ’07 my training partner, Rolando Garcia and I embarked on a 28 week training regimen that completely tested our will to become RKC’s. Here is my story.
Overreaching was going to be the name of the game. Each week consisted of seven training sessions. We trained 6 days a week. Monday thru Friday once a day, and Saturday had morning and evening sessions. This lasted for 16 weeks! Writing this now, I am thinking that we must’ve been completely insane.
We would split the 16 weeks into four 4 week cycles. Starting each first week with a low intensity regimen, ramping up our intensity each week of each cycle to peak on the fourth, eighth, twelfth and sixteenth week.
Just to give you some insight into some of the exercises we did, I will list a few here:
- Turkish Get Ups with an 85 lb. barbell going into 2 hands anyhow
- 54321 Bench Press, 200 snatches
- Goerner Long-Cycle C&J Chain
- Farmer’s Walk
Like I wrote before, these are just some and not all.
As a martial artist I am not unfamiliar with extreme training, but this definitely took the cake. We were practically bumping into walls and wanting to smash everyone and everything in our way. This is not something that I could have done on my own. It required a mutual commitment by both of us to get to that next level. We both contracted bronchitis and tendonitis during this phase but trained through that as well.
After taking 2 weeks off, it was now time for the second half of our journey. Bulgarian Super Compensation. For the next 12 weeks we followed a Bulgarian training model where we peaked every 3 weeks followed by 3 weeks of tapering/sports specific training. All in all, the training was insanely brutal, but we both knew how necessary it would be: we needed to know, when we were out on that field during the RKC in Minnesota, that physically and psychologically we had already been there - many, many times before.
I want to note that during this time it was crucial that we hit our snatch numbers at least 4 x’s or better during these 28 weeks of hell. We did.
The following charts outline our training schedule:
“Hot Gates” Weeks 1-16
Monday
• 200 Rep Snatch w/ 1.5 pood (for time)
• 54321 Barbell Floor Press (max on last set)
Tuesday
• Savate
Wednesday
• HOC 12 minutes – Single arm swings (1pood)/Bag work (Shield/left-right elbow/double rear knee/right elbow)
• Windmill w/ 1 pood
• Windmill w/ 1.5 pood
• Two-hands anyhow
• 1 sets of singles (each side)/1.5 pood and 1 pood
o 3 sets of singles (each side)/1.5 pood and 1.5 pood
• Barbell TGU/Windmill/Two-Hands Anyhow (Single for each side)
o 45lbs./1 pood
o 65lbs./1 pood
o 85lbs./1 pood
• Outside Leg Swings (for back development)
o 2x10 each side
Thursday (The Hot Gates) - FOR TIME
- 2 hand 2 pood Swings 3x5
- Maxwell Snatch Routine (1pood - 20l, 20r, 15l, 15r, 10l, 10r, 5l, 5r)
- Bear Crawls/Swings 3x10 1.5 pood
- Burpee Double cleans (2 pood) 3x5
- Crush Lift 1 pood - 3x5 (A1)
- Rows 1 pood - 3x5 (A2)
- Deck Squat 1 pood 3x5 (A1)
- Seated Oblique Twists 1 pood - 3x5 (A2)
Friday
- Snatch w/ 1.5 pood (RKC test style)
- 54321 Floor Press
Saturday
Jiu Jitsu – No Gi
Farmer’s Walk (15 minutes – Double 1 pood, 1.5 pood, 2 pood)
o Hanging (Deadlift)
o Rack (Double Cleans)
o Overhead (Double Snatch, Double C&J)
Goerner Long Cycle C&J Chain (20 minutes - Double 1 pood, 1.5 pood, 2 pood
Sunday
JKD
“GS 2007” Weeks 19-21 & 27-30
Monday (50%)
o Snatch RKC Style (50%)
o Floor Presses 3x5 (80%) – 3x5/Jump Shrugs
o Snatch RKC style (50%)
Tuesday
o Savate
o Bent Press
Wednesday (80%)
o Snatch RKC Style (800%)
o Two Hands Anyhow (2 pood and 1.5 pood) - 3x1
o Barbell TGU/Two Hands Anyhow - 3x1
o Snatch RKC style (80%)
Friday (100%)
o Snatch RKC style (100%)
o Swing/High Pull combo with 2 pood – 3x5
o Floor Press 3x5 (80%) – 3x5/Jump Shrugs
o Snatch RKC style (100%)
Saturday
o Jiu Jitsu – No Gi
o Farmer’s Walk
Sunday
o JKD
Notes: Add reps and sets accordingly.
“Summer of Iron 2007” Weeks 22-24 & 28-30
Monday
o 200 snatches (for time)
o 54321 floor Press
Tuesday
o Savate
o Bent Press
Wednesday
o TGU/Two Hands Anyhow (2 pood and 1.5 pood)
o Double C&P 2x5
o Seesaw Press 2x5
Thursday
o Swings (2 pood) 3x5
o Maxwell Snatches or Front Squats 5x5
o Bull Simple
o Alligator Crawl/Swings (extended version)
o Alternating cleans to burnout (drop sets)
Friday
o Snatch (RKC Style 80%)
o 54321 Floor Press
Saturday
• AM
o Jiu Jitsu – No Gi
o Farmer’s Walk
o Goerner Chain
• PM
o Suitcase Deads
o Outside Leg Swings
o Russian Bear
Sunday
o JKD
Notes: This is Sparta.