Prepare For StrongFirst Kettlebell Instructor Level 1: Week 4: Swing Progressions.

QUICK SUMMARY: I’ve decided to Re-sit the whole 3 day-30 hour StrongFirst Instructor Certification this June in Sydney. I could re-qualify in about 20 minutes, so why would I want to re-sit 30 hours of in-depth instruction and brutal practice sessions when I could easily assist 2 Master Instructors and probably learn just as much? 3 reasons:

1) It gives me something to “train for.” I believe we all need something, it puts more “uumph” into our training.

2) I want to come into this one in a totally different state than the last one. If you missed the first instalment, you can see it HERE. I was wrecked. So, this time it’s a totally different approach. I hope these articles might help you rock up to the Cert raring to go rather than burnt out and over-trained like the majority of attendees.

3) The challenge. Working hard with kettlebells for 30 hours is very demanding. I am getting older (54 as of writing) I want to keep improving AND challenging myself.

This week we are looking at the progress over the last 4 weeks and where we are going from here.

Get it right!

Here’s a video I made some time ago that highlights the “Tipping Bird” i.e. the lack of back swing and just bending forward during the swing. There’s a drill in there to help fix it.

#1 Priority: Get your swings right, they are the centre of all your kettlebell training.

Swing Progressions:

Last week, I was struggling with the last few reps on my 2 hand swing. 16 reps every minute on the minute (EMOM) for 10 minutes with the 32kg bell. Well, after repeating that for 3 sessions in a row, I overcame the hip drive problem. It became easy and I had earned the right to progress to the 36kg kettlebell. 10 sets of 10 reps was sooooo easy! Progress baby, progress!

Let’s look at some options for swing progressions. Where can we go from here?

• We can keep climbing in the 2 hand swing i.e. up to16 reps EMOM then to a 40kg kettlebell.
• We can go to 1 arm swings (at this point this is my desired choice)
• Hand 2 hand swings i.e. changing hands each swing. (Has its place but not at the moment.)

Why 1 arm swings? So, the testing in the StrongFirst Kettlebell Instructor Certification is all 1 arm.

Swings, Cleans, Presses, Squats, Snatches, Get Ups. So, it makes sense to train what we are going to be tested on. I won’t give up on the 2 hand swing altogether, it’s just not a priority. More in a minute.

So where to now?

Next week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday we are doing the following:

1. 1 arm clean & press ladders. 5 ascending ladders of 1-2-3 (light) Monday 1-2-3-4 (medium) on Wednesday and 1-2-3-4-5 (heavy) on Friday. Super-setted with pull-up ladders as above. Get this free pdf  Enter The Kettlebell.
2. This is followed by 1 arm Swings 24kgs 5/5 EMOM x 10 mins Monday (light day) Snatches 24kg 3/3 EMOM x 10 minutes adding 1 rep each week working to 8 reps on Wednesdays (medium) and Friday sees me doing 1 arm swings 10/10 24kg to start EMOM x 10 min (heavy)

On Tuesday & Thursday I will do:

1. Get Ups, 3-4 ea. side with a 24kg and progressing to a 28kg when I “Own” the 24kg.
2. Swings, 2 arm, 36kg x 10 EOMO for 10 minutes. Consolidate
3. Carries for 10- 15 minutes. Overhead, rack, suitcase, left then right. Never put the weight down Gray Cook style see video HERE.

That’s pretty simple, it’s not easy, but it’s simple.

Bottoms up presses. Keep you in the moment.

I’m really looking forward to “light, medium, heavy” training. Coax the gains, not strain the gains.

Next stop StrongFirst Workshop here in Sydney. see HERE

That’ll be great! Sean Cairns master SFG and 3 other StrongFirst Instructors will be teaching us loads of Swing Progressions plus Get ups, Squats and Presses

If you have any comments or questions, pop them below or email me directly HERE

If I can help you with your training or you need info regarding workshops and Certs, just let me know.

Work on your swings progressions. Start easy, progress slowly.

Thanks for reading.

Peter Bolsius SFG1                                                                                                                                                                  Owner & Founder Mojo Strength Sydney

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