(Part 2) Top products from r/kettlebell

The snatch, in particular the viking warrior protocol, really hits your nervous system hard. The explosive, complex movement requires a strong burst of nerve activity to activate all those muscles.

This ties into mood via polyvagal theory. In particular, vagal tone. Yoga helps people relax by using breathing patterns and movements to improve vagal tone and thus emotional regulation ability. Snatch is kind of the opposite. Possibly some yoga-ish cool downs could help, certainly after a lot of snatches it is important to do something to help calm down. I've found Trauma Release Exercises to be helpful for that.

It is possible to stay low carb and still be able to perform intense exercise, but it takes time to adapt to fat as your primary fuel and a deliberate strategy of light carb feeding (usually dextrose) just before a workout.

Check out the FAQ at /r/ketogains. Those folks are staying on super low carb diets all the time, performing intense workouts and having great results.

There are also a number of elite ultra-endurance athletes that are strictly low-carb all the time. Another great resource is The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance .

Not be be redundant, but diet is going to be the key to your success. I don't work for the authors of these 2 books, but reading them has really changed my perspective on what "healthy" eating is and since adopting the low carb, no sugar principals I have seen great results.

There is growing evidence that calories in, calories out paradigm that we have all been taught is the ideal way to meet our health and nutrition goals is flawed. The 2 books below make a convincing case.

I highly recommend both of these books.

Always Hungry?: Conquer Cravings, Retrain Your Fat Cells, and Lose Weight Permanently https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455533874/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7ZpzzbQHXRSQW

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307474259/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Y0pzzbY9Q0G38

Not any kind of therapist/trainer, just an idiot on the internet - but I've been getting into the Original Strength Resets lately and they seem like they may be helpful for you, it's a series of pretty simple movements done daily that kind help "grease the groove" all over your body. Since incorporating them into my work outs I've been feeling a lot looser.

Here's a book:
https://www.amazon.com/Pressing-Reset-Original-Strength-Reloaded/dp/1624220290

If you don't really care too much about how it works you can just search on youtube for the actual drills there's plenty of demos. Basically you're looking at deep breathing with your diaphram, rocking, neck movements, and various drills where your limbs "Cross" the "center line" of your body, so Bird dogs, Dead Bugs, and Crawling type movements where you move with opposite hand/feet if that makes sense. For example Marching in place where you bring your left knee up while swinging your right arm.

From what I've been reading because the drills are mostly restorative there's not really any limit to how long or how much you can do them since they don't really wear you down. I usually focus about 30-60 seconds per drill then switch and do the whole flow twice - once before and once after my main kettlebell and bodyweight work out.

try some heat, epson salt may help and then try some mobility.

These things are pretty good for building some stability in the shoulders and getting a good stretch. They are a lot cheaper than then Crossover symmetry and does the same thing.

Just be careful smashing a beat up muscle to much.

I’ve had great luck with this:

Metolius Eco Ball Non-Marking Chalk https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000212TGA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_V8lvDb3A779DQ

This will help you: https://www.amazon.com/Return-Kettlebell-Explosive-Training-Muscle/dp/0938045067

Some required reading: http://www.strongfirst.com/things-are-going-so-well-help-me-screw-it-up/
and http://www.strongfirst.com/things-are-going-so-well-help-me-screw-it-up-part-2/

Starting strength is pretty decent if you add some chins and dips. Hypertrophy is about volume , moderate weight and moderate to low rest periods. /r/fitness is a pretty big circle jerk, but any basic program should work if you follow it with adequate rest and diet.

One of my personal favorites is mens health power training. You can get a used version for 5 bucks

http://www.amazon.com/Mens-Health-Power-Training-Performance-based/dp/1594865841

All that said, you can design a decent hypertrophy program with kettlebells and body weight exercises. But it probably won't look like simple and sinister.

I use gloves similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-Power-StretchBack-Glove-Black/dp/B00074H73C/ref=sr_1_4?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1454183430&sr=1-4&keywords=workout+gloves

Been using the same pair steadily for going on two years and they're beginning to show signs of wear.

Why not expand a little on your kettlebell knowledge and put your own routines and programmes together? Cotter's book equips you to do this and also offers some pre-made programmes too.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Kettlebell-Training-Steve-Cotter/1450430112

Based on my reading of the book the program isn't intended to be a posture fix, 100 swings a day aren't going to counteract decades of poor posture.

This, and getting a stand-up desk at work, helped me more than anything. https://www.amazon.ca/Becoming-Supple-Leopard-Preventing-Performance/dp/1936608588

Before reading the book I didn't understand how to stand correctly, and the mobility exercises are designed specifically to address the common outcomes of our postures (e.g. couch stretch to fix hip flexors).

I use these and so far have had no issues. Also there is no wire bouncing off my neck every rep.
Wireless Earbuds, Vislla 5.0 Bluetooth Sport Headphones Stereo Bass Sound TWS Ear Buds Over Ear Sweatproof Headset 8 Hours Playtime Wireless Earphones with Mic & Charging Case for Running/Working Out https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WWG151L/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_I6dZDbKEP671C

Most programs are minimalist in nature and it is explained why in Pavel's books. Over exertion is not the goal. Exercising in a state of exhaustion is also not the goal, if you are to be fresh all the time you can only effectively do a few select drills. You will probably get better results from doing their programs as prescribed vs making up some of your own. A more complicated plan may be more complicated but it may not have better results and may have more specific requirements and goals. In 2012 the RKC published this book. https://www.amazon.com/RKC-Book-Strength-Conditioning-Community/dp/0938045903 I picked it up last year but never did any of the programs. The book is divided into programs and workouts and may have what you are looking for.


If you want complexity one good way would be complexes. You can do them for time or 30 seconds work/30 seconds rest. Sometimes I would do one I learned from boopbod that is, Snatch to Windmill, lower bell, snatch to side press, lower bell, snatch, lower to rack, bent press, lower. Those are some of my favorite movements. I do it with 16-20kg and will generally alternate sides then take a break. I am not really sure how to program complexes as part of a program and will do these as an off day/variety day.


The nature of kettlebell lifting is hard ballistics and hard full body tension. When doing both you really don't have a lot of gas in the tank for much. You can sort of break them up daily if you want. With hard ballistics and light full body work on one day and then the next day do hard full body with light ballistics.

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Honestly though. I would just go with Simple and Sinister and get really good at it. All this complexity will likely not get you any further results than 32kg with S&S.

Just started moving away from S+S and I to am having trouble with racking. I've watched all the how to vids, and have the same problems as OP. Not banging, open palm, hooking in, etc, but damn does it hurt just resting there.

I'm wondering if it's the kettlebell itself? I have a 35lb jfit one, as well as the pro source 45 lb.

Could the shape of the bells be the issue?