Pavel Tsatsouline Kettlebell Strength Training Weight Lifting Workouts Exercise and Flexibility Questions & Answers.

Pavel stated the below: " Com. Simon, most Russian gireviks DL -for reps and not to failure. It is supposed to help snatches. Heavy pulling is not practiced; the Russian National Team's maxes are only around 2xBW. So you may want to do high reps not to failure with 135-225 pounds. Try an overhand grip w/o hooking or straps. The special DL practiced at Westside might work: holding a ligh bar at the lockout witha wide grip quickly push your butt back (arch) and let the bar drop just below the knees. Immediately explode up. High rep SQs are very beneficial, although many prefer half-SQs with a jump -specificity. The 20-re- SQ routine is likely to be very beneficial -if gaining weight is not a problem." ok weight gain wont be a problem as i know i will lose weight while i am not training for the month. a few more questions: 1) Would it be good to train the 2KB military press with a lean for higher reps? 2) The idea of high rep squats and deads is all well and good but i am still of the opinion that working a smolov base just as a once off, then once that has been completed mabey working on higher rep stuff (stil a bit iffy about the higher rep stuff). can others give their ideas of a strength base before moving onto GS specific training.... I am now highly considering the 20-rep squat routine, Rob how do you think this carried over for you? Simon 

Thanks for the answers to my first question. Next one: in my new copy of Hard-Style, on page 4, Pavel notes, "The long cycle C&J is an amazing exercise that leaves no muscle unworked. There is an opinion in the Russian spec ops community that if you work it hard there is not much else you need to do." If a person was going to be focusing specifically on clean & jerks, would an Olympic barbell set not work just as well? That way, you get stronger you could add weights in increments, etc. Trying to figure out what to do for my next step...kettlebells or barbells. Des 

All, I'm a newbie to KB's, having been training with them a few months now. I'm starting to look at increasing both volume and effort in the C&J, and am trying to resolve various inputs. In Andrey's book (a nice resource btw, thx Andrey) he discusses the idea of "catching" the KBs on your chest and shoulders. His video's show him leaning back a bit to make this happen. It's also consistent with the video's I've seen of competition style C&J. In Pavel's book RKC, he states several times to never lean back, and the pictures of him doing C&J show him a bit more upright than the competition lifters. Now my question; Are there 2 forms or styles of C&J? One based for fitness and health which is quite upright, but probably prohibits putting up the numbers you see in competition. And another form optimized for maximal performance? Any insight appreciated. Regards, Francis 

I saw the thread yesterday about competition style lifting vs "athletic" style lifting. I see where the GS competitors are coming from in their dislike of the term "athletic" as applied to the style of KB lifting that Pavel teaches in RKC, but I disagree. Why athletes would prefer the "athletic" style: -Simple mechanics, easy to learn. Athletes have enough complex skills to work on without having to master extra skills that are specific to weights with an offset center of mass. -More powerful hip snap. Obvious benefit to athletes. -Staying tight is generally safer. Why get hurt trying to stay loose? If you are an athlete, taking risks in the weight room is stupid. In learning the athletic style of lifting, which I practice, I looked at Olympic lifters and read about their techniques. I checked out the GS guys and looked at their techniques, but they didn't really mesh with my training goals. My goal was a more powerful pull and the strategy worked. A year ago, the bulldog was all the rage here. Who could press it, who could snatch it, etc. The athletic style works better for moving up to heavier and heavier weights. This year the trend is towards GS, so people are gravitating towards lighter bells and discussing competition style, energy-efficient, bare minimum power techniques. For people purely interested in training, the style they choose is a matter of goals. For athletes who use KBs as a means and not an end, the athletic style is clearly the choice. Yes, the competition style is truly a more athletic movement, in that it is more efficient. But, how many athletes are doing the more athletic full Olympic lifts compared to power cleans and power snatches? The vast majority are doing the power versions. Why? See above reasons. So, when referring to "athletic style KB lifting" we (or at least me) are referring to the target audience and not the movement itself. 

First I'd like to introduce myself to the regulars on this forum. My name is Jake and I'm from the good old state of Indiana. I'm 19 and I've been training with the kettles for a couple years now. I was hoping some of you out there could share some secrets with me about techniques for increasing C&J and Snatch reps for competition. I read Pavel's article in the new Hard-style catalog and I read something about Long Cycle C&J and wasn't quite sure exactly what that was. I also read something about a corkscrew twist on when snatching? If anybody could shed some light for me I'd greatly appreciate it. 

I kickbox and have both RIS and SJ. I have improved my Front and Martial Arts Splits immensely but my seated Groin Stretch is literally stuck and my Side Split is much better. Basically, when I sit and spread my legs, I can not get my upper torso forward without either rounding my back (don't worry, I don't) or using my arms to push my torso forward. (what I usually do) My Hip flexors ares pretty limber but my Groin and Hamstrings are not particularly flexible. My dynamic flexibility is pretty decent and I can kick above the belt without too much difficulty. The main reason I have not pushed my Martial Arts Split is concern over messing up something else while my Seated Groin Stretch is still stuck. How can I correct this? Thanks in advance 

When you're performing 2 KB snatches, are you lowering the bells to the rack position between reps or doing one continuous negative? This is one of my favorite exercises lately, and I was wondering how others do them. Lowering in one continuous movement is HARD. 

Com Pavel...just curious as to why you do not do barbell squats..is it because of the risk/injury factor..lower back...or size thing..I know you prefer pistols and deads..just curious com..much thanks... 

Pavel...I have to say I'm very impressed with the (Power to the People) and RKC...can you give me advice on how to combine both..I would like to do deads and presses one day and KB work on another...would this be too much on the back..much thanks.. Dolphin 

In Staley's answer! Dear Sir: I have seen many articles about hypertrophy training, and they all refer to the Time-Under-Tension concept for the muscles, as well as overloading and Intensity. Basically, you need to go to positive failure in order to recruit as many muscle fibers as possible to force growth. I have also seen that the optimal time-frame for a set is from 30-60 seconds (according to Men's Health, Men's Fitness and similar magazines) or even 40 to 70 seconds, which would be an average of 40-60 seconds, taking the intersecting interval. In any case, they always prescribe a number of reps, done in the classical 2 seconds positive and 4 seconds negatives, or in other forms (1 second positives, 2 or 3 second negatives; or also 2 seconds positives and 3 seconds negatives, and even holding the weights, in a pause to give the muscle a sustained, peak contraction at a specific point of the movement) so if you count the seconds of each rep (pause or no pause) and then you multiply the number of reps by the seconds of each rep and you land in the 30-70 seconds interval of the T-U-T. Now, some magazines say that it doesn't matter how long the TUT is, as long as you reach failure in each set, and you compensate a low time-frame for each set by performing 4 to 5 sets instead of the 2 or 3 that are normally the base of HIT systems. But of course, here is when a question comes to my mind: Does rep speed really count, or you can juggle some of these facts into a coherent program? I mean, I can either do 2 or 3 sets with a rep speed of 1 second up and 2 down ( 3 seconds each rep) and use the T-U-T concept to perform, let's say, from 15 to 20, or even 17-20 reps, so multiplying 3 seconds by 15, I get a T-U-T of 45 seconds, and by 20, a T-U-T of 60 seconds. This is, of course, reaching positive failure at the end of each set. Technically, I could try this, or lower the number of reps, to the 8-12 range, and use a repetition speed of 4 to 6 seconds, then again, for 2 or 3 sets, and still land in the T-U-T zone which is said to be the best, the 30-60 seconds TUT. This should be valid for that concept but then... I can forget about TUT and go straight for overload and intensity? I mean, can I do 4 to 5 sets, instead of 2 to 3, and shorten the duration of each set, because even if the TUT isn't above, let's say, 30 seconds, I still do so many sets to failure that it should produce the same stimuli to the muscle than the 2 or 3 sets of a longer TUT? I wanted to ask you about these two different routes to arrive at the same destination, and I really need your advice on that. On the first route, am I right, and the TUT of 30-60 is what counts, so I can increase the repetitions when I lower the time for each rep, and vice versa, as long as I reach positive failure in each set? And in the second route, am I right and it's good to perform 4 to 5 sets as long as they cause damage and force growth by reaching failure at each set? Are they both valid methods, or you feel like one is better than the other, or they need any adjustments? Please, I need your help on this one, because I am trying to grow big, and strong... Please, help me out on this one, since mathematics may be logical, but physiology isn't, and you are the expert on that field, and I always like to hear good advice. I will owe you a big BIG favor if you help me out on this one. A Great Fan ..... Louis Luthor Coach Staley Replies: Hey Louis, Yes, I'm a great believe in "TUT," in fact, I strongly believe that every time you perform a set, some period of time should elapse. OK, now for a more serious answer... Before I go into my thoughts on TUT, I want to point out something that you may be unaware of: YOU'RE OVERTHINKING THINGS. You really are, and the reason I know is I've been there myself. I've endlessly studied every training nuance you can imagine— post-tetanic facilitation, rate coding, upward versus downward motor unit recruitment, shunt versus spurt muscles, believe me, I can go on and on. When everyone else was talking about TUT, I was carefully analyzing INTRA-REP speed variations. But the funny thing is, when I looked at very successful athletes and coaches, none of them seemed to worry about any of this stuff! They just trained their ass off and left the tech stuff to the science-geeks. Now I AM being just a bit facetious. It never hurts to know your stuff. But some of us (and that means YOU) tend to overthink things a bit. Sure, learn everything you can, but none of it means a think if you don't work hard in the gym on a consistent basis. Now, with that being said, let's explore this concept of "Time Under Tnesion:" For those of you who aren't familiar with this concept, it was first popularized in North America by a now well-known strength coach in Muscle Media 2000 magazine about 6 years ago. This author suggests monitoring the actual time that a muscle is "under tension" during an exercise by using a clock or stopwatch, and recording this parameter in the training log via a numerical system first used by Australian strength coach Ian King. An example of this system might look like this: 5/2/2 Which indicates that the weight is lowered for 5 seconds, paused for 2, and finally lifted over a duration of 2 seconds. It was further suggested that an exercise's TUT should be periodically (perhaps every 3 weeks) varied as a way of respecting the principle of variation. And, many people began to make renewed progress in their training when they started to monitor and vary their TUT, and soon the concept became very popular. Most people's confusion regarding TUT stems from Poliquin's assertion that for optimal muscle growth, a muscle should be under tension for between 40 and 70 seconds on any given set. The problem with this idea is that when you look around at some of the most muscular athletes in the World of sport- namely Olympic weightlifters and powerlifters, you'll find that the average number of reps per set is 2-3, and the total TUT for any set is around 10-12 seconds. It should also be kept in mind that the total TUT for the workout may be far more telling than the TUT for any given set. Therefore, one might rack up only 10 seconds of TUT for each set, but if numerous sets are performed, the TUT for the workout remains high nevertheless. Why has the notion of TUT become so popular? I think in large part because when exercisers began to regulate TUT in their workouts, it simply made them work harder! In other words, it slowed them down, which in many instances helps to create better awareness of proper lifting technique, and eliminates the presence of momentum during the exercise (momentum isn't necessarily a bad thing incidentally; it's just that most lifter's don't know how to apply compensatory acceleration— a subject for a future quick tips). If you'd like to monitor TUT in your own training, the easiest way is to buy a small electric metronome at a music store— the kind that can emit an auditory click every second. This way, you won't need to watch a clock as you lift to monitor TUT. I think you'll find that slowing things down can create a new awareness of your lifting technique, and it certainly can make you work harder. It also tends to improve your eccentric strength, which can have multiple benefits in terms of overall strength and muscle growth. Monitoring TUT is also a valid idea in terms of keeping tabs on exactly what is happening during your workouts— not just sets, reps, and rest periods, but lifting speed as well. The more exacting you are in monitoring training parameters, the better equipped you'll be in knowing exactly what works and what doesn't. Now, another thought for you: A rarely discussed aspect of "time under tension" is intra-rep speed fluctuations. In other words, when you perform the eccentric phase of a squat, should the speed be constant throughout the entire range of motion, or could there be advantages to varying the speed as the weight is lowered? While many possibilities exist, my "rule of thumb" recommendations are as follows: Eccentric speed fluctuations: Using the squat as an example, the lower you go, the weaker and more vulnerable you are, due to compromised leverages. Therefore, begin the descent relatively quickly, and begin to slow down as you near the bottom position. This is done for the following reasons. First, if the bar speed is relatively slow throughout the entire eccentric phase, you'll become fatigued which will impair your ability to lift the weight in a forceful manner. Second, if the bar speed is great toward the end of the eccentric phase, it'll require enormous force to reverse the accumulated momentum of the bar. The solution is found by beginning the descent relatively fast, and ending it relatively slowly. Concentric speed fluctuations: It is a waste of energy to try to move a weight quickly when you are in a position of poor leverage. Using the deadlift as an example, in the early stages of the concentric phase, your hips and knees are flexed significantly, which means that your leverage is poor. Therefore, there is no point in trying to "explode" the bar from the floor. It is more appropriate to "squeeze" the weight from the floor. However, once the bar reaches approximately knee level, the weight can be accelerated because the hips and knees are more extended, which creates better levers. Static/dynamic protocols: Another example of intra-rep speed fluctuations can be seen in the little-used, but highly effective technique of static/dynamic training. In this method, one might (for example) begin to curl a barbell, and then stop one-third of the way up for five seconds, then continue to two-thirds, pausing for an additional five seconds before completing the concentric portion of the curl. The same procedure may be used during the eccentric phase of the exercise. Another variant of static/dynamic training is to use a prolonged (e.g, 10 seconds) eccentric phase, followed by a similarly prolonged pause, followed by a small number (3-5) of rapid full-range repetitions. For example, on the bench press exercise, one could lower the bar for 10 seconds, hold it tightly at chest level for 10 seconds, and then perform 3 rapid repetitions before terminating the set. The contrast between the static and dynamic work is a powerful stimulus for the nervous system, and can be very effective both for plateau-breaking and for overall strength development. Static/dynamic training is particularly effective with exercises which have very short range of motion, such as curls and calf raises, and also for situations where you wish to strengthen a particular "slice" of an exercises range of motion. OK Louis, that's the end of my seminar on TUT! If you'd like to get more information on these and related concepts & principles, allow me to suggest a few resources for you:  

Comrades, I was wondering if I can get some feedback from everyone on the forum. Currently, I am recovering from Iliotibial band syndrome and have limited my running to practically nothing. However, I think I have achieved a higher level of fitness with indoor cycling and kettlebell/calisthentic circuits. M-F I do GTG with pistols and one-arm push-ups, each done throughout the day. Tuesday I'll do some high-rep snatches with the 1.5 pood sets of 20 or go all out and do 200 each side(switch after ten reps each side), pull-up ladder and some Jandas. Friday or Saturday I'll do density training with clean & press with the 2 pood, high sets low reps 3-5. After the cleans I'll do some heavy rows with the 2 pood and my wifes 18 lber(combined in one hand) for 5 reps. I'll do my cycling on my off days from kettlebells and also run a mile after my kettlebell workouts. Taking the running thing slowly until running is pain-free. Feedback is welcome. The new forum format rocks!  

As I get more and more addicted to KB lifting (that miserable cannon ball now calls to me every time I go into my workout room, no matter what I intended to do while out there), I find that other folks just can't get the concept. Somehow, the idea that I would spend time fighting an archaic Soviet bludgeon baffles them, go figure. My wife even went so far as to suggest that Russian convicts were at one time chained to the things, and that Mr. Tsatsouline got hold of a bunch when a Moscow prison closed and marketed them to foolish Americans. I do find that skeptics are suddenly less witty when I have them pick up my KB and try to swing it a half dozen times. Here's the question: I know GS has been around in Russia for ages, but how well known is it there? In other words, is it very common and respected there, or is it like our more obscure activities like lumberjack competitions, rodeo, and arm wrestling. We have "sports" like these that a core group get excited about, but one would hardly expect a satnding ovation if one were to announce at a gathering that he or she just placed well in the US National Equine Sled Pull Competition. Don't get me wrong, whatever the cultural status, I'm sure that my interest in KB lifting will only grow as time goes by. I just wanted to get a better sense of this somewhat "off the beaten path"(By American tradition) sport that is starting to consume my training.  

I decided to end my DL cycle today, my joints were bothering me a little- feels like growing pains - but mostly I was to busy reading SJ (I'm only 16, but I'm in this for the long hual, don't plan on quitting any time soon) today and playing around with the exercises it had so I will have a few ideas of what I want to do with it. Heres my results, I got an 80LB increase to my 1RM in a little over a month 1 2/9/2004 195x5 175x5 2 2/11/2004 205x5 180x5 3 2/13/2004 215x5 185x5 4 2/16/2004 225x5 205x5 5 2/18/2004 235x5 210x5 6 2/20/2004 245x5 PR 220x5 7 2/25/2004 250x5 PR 230x5 8 2/27/2004 300x1 PR 260x5 PR 230x5 9 3/3/2004 265x5 PR 235x5 10 3/5/2004 275x5 PR 245x5 11 3/8/2004 265x5 235x5 12 3/10/2004 285x5 PR 255x5 ‹-was suppose to wait awhile before going back for a new PR, but I felt like I could 13 3/12/2004 265x5 235x5 14 3/15/2004 295x5 PR 265x5 ‹- Same 15 3/17/2004 345x1 PR 345x.9 Should of waited about 60 sec later to go for it, grip gave right before finishing the lift 225x5 I'm really happy about these results, the low volume really worked good for me. I hope I can make similar gains, but obviously I expect somewhat less dramatic, on what could be my last exclusive DL cycle before I begin an all out bear assult. 

I've had alot of success with PTP training, bought PTP book and the techniques learned have been great for increasing my strength. I want to do kettlebell training, but I'm on a tight budget. I've already construced a couple of pipe "kettlebells" one, about 50 pounds, the other about 35. My question is: should I purchase the RKC BOOK or VIDEO?? Does the video cover the same informational aspects that the book does? Thanks Com. TC