Cast Iron Ken

I am competing in my first Power lifting meet in November. I have cycled through Starting Strength. Completed Pavel's Father's Program. Based on the activity load I carry as a highland games athlete and some issues with cluster headaches, I have decided to follow Dan John's Easy Strength Program. Following Pavel's simple programming and the fact that he and Dan John wrote this together feels like this works for me. I have learned traditional Russian programming from Pavel himself, and feel that Easy Strength is the proper programming for me, as I am not doing this with a single focus and will need to make sure I can recover correctly. I'm not worried about peaking as in their book of the same name, only 20% of Olympic Athletes achieve a season best at the Olympics. The modifications I have made to the 5 lifts, for the meet's purposes are as followed: Deadlift Squat Bench KB Snatch Ab Wheel KB Snatch was picked over swings as I will also have to renew my StrongFirst Certification in October.

Male 198 pounds Deadlift: 455 pounds

I will be using them GTG style. Just got them yesterday, and everytime I walk past them I do 5 per hand. It is now with my backpack so I will have it at work tomorrow, so between classes I will do 5 per hand. Bought the starter one, it is easy but will stick with it for a month and then buy the next one up. I plan on keeping that strategy until I get one that give me trouble.

Well, I recently had to move and my new courage corner doesn't have the height for bottom up presses. I ordered the first level of grip strength trainers from captains of crush and we will see how they go. I based my purchase off a Pavel recommendation so hopefully all works out.

So I have been doing a version of simple and sinister, by version I alternate days between swings and snatches. I am capable of doing the 10 sets of 10 snatches, however I have to attempt doing them alternating hands per set. At the moment I am doing 5L and 5R each set. I am having issues with my grip on the left as I progress. Before I move to doing one hand per set, I feel the need to improve my grip strength. I am looking for suggestions. Currently, I have moved down from 24kg to 20kg and alternating arm per set(1st set is 10 left, 2nd set is 10 right). I am looking at purchasing Captains of Crush grip strength training. Does anyone have information on this product or grip training in general that could help out.

A friend of mine, who trained in track and field in Germany has introduced me to using a medicine ball. We used it as a warm up for our throwing practices(we are highland games competitors), and since then I have bought my own and no obtained a copy of "Medicine Ball Training" by Zoltan Tenky, an old school track coach. I am aiming on making every third day a medicine ball day to go along with my Simple and Sinister kettlebell training. Minimum daily doses. Does anyone have any experience with medicine ball work? If so, what did you find the most beneficial with it?

I will be here for moral support. I myself am moving this week and then will get back to work on the simple and sinister kettlebell plan. The twist is that I alternate days between swings and snatches. My hamstrings are not in good shape and I am working on getting those better with ten minutes of yoga post workout.

I would go with kettlebells all day. As would everyone else that has responded to this. However if you choose dumbbells, Dr. Squat has a book devoted to dumbbell exercises. https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Dumbbell-Training-Scientific/dp/1502496224/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1469127848&sr=1-7&keywords=dumbbell I prefer to stay with kettlebells, but when I venture out of that world, Dr. Hatfield is one of the few resources I will go to.

Presses will work since you don't have room for TGU. You can also work in some overhead squats to work on balance.

Playground equipment is great. You can do plenty of upper body pulling there. If you can try to "Grease the Grove" with your pull ups. When ever you walk by something you can do a pull up on, do 2. Other than that, don't worry too much about the running, there will be plenty of rest waiting to get to the obstacles. While in the park, trying doing box jumps on a bench or picnic table.

If it is rheumatoid arthritis, you should look into trying the Auto Immune Protocol, as RA is an autoimmune disease. I am in the middle of doing it myself and have learned that I cannot tolerate eggs. Once you find the food triggers the joint pain should improve. As well, weight management will also improve once you get healthy. Celiac's Disease(which I have) used to manifest itself causing people to be underweight until full force industrial farming took over. As for exercises, Look at long and slow cardio(walking, biking, swimming) for movement. I just started yoga to help me with balance and flexibility and have seen literature that would help with joint mobility. Tai Chi would even be a good thing, wish I could find a place close to me. With the weights I would keep it simple, do some overhead presses and some walking lunges. If your knees are good work in some squats. Build reps slowly. Start with three sets of each exercise with reps of 5. So your scheme will look like this; OH Press - 5,5,5 Lunge - 5,5,5 (5 with right and 5 with left would be one set) On your next work out you can increase volume by adding 1 rep, so your scheme would be 6,5,5. Then 6,6,5. Then 6,6,6. Each workout just add one rep to one set. If you are tired that day go back to 5,5,5 and then next workout pick up where you left off. Once you are doing 12 reps of each look for heavier dumbbells and start over.

Just got back from Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. I am looking those guys up now to see where they are. It appears that I will have to wait since my wife is still looking for work. I'm going to dial back my training and take a more S&S approach, alternating swings and snatches. I have been using chalk too liberally the past couple weeks and it destroyed my hands. I am going back to a chalkless approach as I didn't have issues before with my hands.

Hoping to get to that point soon.

I am just someone who prefers more dynamic work. TGU are a grind that I need to do but not looking forward to doing. That is why I put them in every workout.

Awesome, I just tore a callus on my hand. Kettlebell break for me.

Tore a callus on Tuesday. Training break.

I am currently in the Tampa Bay Area in Florida.

Everyone has their biases. I am biased toward snatches right now.

Well, I am sitting at 100kg myself right now. I've broken my training down into three phases and know just have to plan out on a calendar to make sure that I am going to be okay heading into the cert. I still haven't booked it yet as I am waiting for my wife to get a job, as I am only a lowly teacher and running a household on that salary doesn't allow much extra cash.

Because of the jumps in weight, I am taking the approach to progress in reps, and then resent the reps with a heavier bell. As body weight work tends to be increase in reps and barbell is increase in weights, this is the middle ground and the combination of both.

I will definitely practice both, thanks for that.

You are correct, thanks for the edit.

Week 1 complete. Starting week 2; Week 2 Training: Day 1: Warm-up; 3x5 12kg Prying Goblet Squat Hip Bridge Haloes Activation; 1x 4+4 20kg Get-up EMOM 20kg 6+6 Snatch Stretch; 90/90 Stretch QL Straddle Day 2: Warm-up; 3x5 12kg Prying Goblet Squat Hip Bridge Haloes Activation; 1x 4+4 20kg Get-up Complex 20kg, 3 rounds(10 sec rest between exercises, 2 min rest between rounds); Swing 11+11 Clean 6+6 Swing 11+11 Press 6+6 Swing 11+11 Squat 11 Stretch; 90/90 Stretch QL Straddle Day 3: Rest/throwing practice Day 4: Warm-up; 3x5 12kg Prying Goblet Squat Hip Bridge Haloes Activation; 1x 4+4 20kg Get-up EMOM 20kg 6+6 Snatch Stretch; 90/90 Stretch QL Straddle Day 5: Warm-up; 3x5 12kg Prying Goblet Squat Hip Bridge Haloes Activation; 1x 4+4 20kg Get-up Complex 20kg, 3 rounds(10 sec rest between exercises, 2 min rest between rounds); Swing 11+11 Clean 6+6 Swing 11+11 Press 6+6 Swing 11+11 Squat 11 Stretch; 90/90 Stretch QL Straddle Day 6: Rest/throwing practice Day 7: Rest/throwing practice

Here is an old simple KB swing workout from when Pavel was with Dragon Door. First, see how many swings you can do without putting it down. Write down that total; Workout 1 - 60% of that total broken into three sets. 2 - 65% 3 - 70% 4 - 75% 5 - 80% 6 - 90% 7 - 95% 8 - 100% 9 - 110% 10 - retest This was originally set up for one session a week. You can keep that format or you can set it up as week 1, 2 sessions of 60%.