There was a time when we had students “bond” with their kettlebells at our instructor certifications. It was a fun and challenging initiation in which you had to carry your snatch test size kettlebell with you wherever you went, except the restroom. Imagine the relief of setting the kettlebell down after carrying it for a long while…
Originally it was done to instill respect for our chosen tool of strength and conditioning and to ingrain the perfect mechanics of picking up and setting the bell down. Years later the popular article about the “Kettlebell Mile” made me think of another reason to “bond” with your kettlebell.
It is a feeling similar to backpacking, so I wondered whether I could get my body accustomed to simply carrying a load. |
| | Derek Toshner, StrongFirst Certified Master Instructor, the author of today’s issue of StrongFirst newsletter |
| Thoughts translated to action, and I began to create a plan to add a “carry day” session to my weekly training schedule. On Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday my students and I train using a Strong Endurance™/All-Terrain Conditioning™ plan. Tuesday is a minimalist pistol squat program, and we rest on Thursday and Sunday.
Friday is now the “carry day.” It means grabbing a kettlebell and performing various exercises without setting it down until reaching one of the “stop signs” listed below.
Of course, the exercises for the carry day are not random. I choose movements that make me feel better and/or bulletproof my body for long hikes. These kettlebell exercises might include bottom-up cleans, get-ups, single leg deadlifts, stepdown pauses (see the August 2 issue of the StrongFirst newsletter; if you missed it, stop by our forum and someone will share it), windmills, swings, presses, goblet squats, Cossack squats, farmer carries, racked carries, and overhead carries.
The basic rule for these movements is to act like a child: the second it becomes uncomfortable, stop doing it, and switch to a different exercise. As with most Strong Endurance type work, the goal is to avoid glycolysis or muscle burn.
If you cannot avoid any one of the “stop signs” by changing hands, or changing movements, the session is over. The StrongFirst Stop signs applicable to the carry day are:
- Being on the verge of changing or compromising your technique
- Inability to pass the talk test
- Inability to carry on your chosen breathing pattern
- Feeling a deep muscle burn
Reaching 75min maximal duration is another stop sign.
Generally, the weights for women are 8-16kg and for men 16-24kg. Use your judgment to choose a kettlebell that you can keep “bonding” with for at least 30min. Stick with this weight until you build up to 75min, then increase.
After a few months of using this protocol, hiking with a pack on your back will feel like a walk in the park.
A number of my students just completed 6 mountains peaking over 14,000 feet (4,268m) in just 4 days—and we live in Wisconsin where there are mountains.
If you wish to learn how to build an amazing capacity for adventure, attend the All-Terrain Conditioning course in Oakland, CA or online next month. |
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