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The MOST Overlooked Strength-Gaining Method (Of ALL Time) “How can I press the ___KG bell” - PART 4

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‘THE BIG 6’ + 7 BONUS Training Programs: https://salutis.kartra.com/page/BIG-6-w-bonus “Kettlebell STRONG!”:  https://cart.chasingstrength.com/strong-foundation One of the changes my weightlifting coach Alfonso Duran made to my Snatch when I started training with him was to actively pull the bar back into my body with my lats when it was above the knee. As a result, the 2nd pull - from the knee to the hip - became incredibly fast. So much so that I had a 10kg (22lb) PR in right around 6 weeks. Similarly, when Mark Cohen, my first weightlifting coach showed me proper bar position on my upper back for the Squat which made me stay much more upright than I was used to… The size of my quads exploded! (And not surprisingly, my lifts went up as a result.) And when Pavel showed me how to “wedge” at my RKC Instructor Certification, 20 years ago this past June, the pain in my lower back while doing 2-Hand Swings “magically” disappeared. (That was the best $1500+ I ever spent on a certificati...

How can I press the___KG bell? (5 different ways)

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👉 ‘THE GIANT’ - https://salutis.kartra.com/page/oWP219 👉 ‘THE GIANT X2’ https://salutis.kartra.com/page/giant-x That was the question Paul recently emailed me about.. So, I thought that you might want to know the answer in case you’re looking to Press a heavier KB or pair of KBs. For context, here’s exactly what he said: “I know there is know easy answer, but how can I press the 36kg bell? I can press my 32kg twice each arm usually, occasionally 3 times, but the 36k is too challenging!” And you know what, he’s right. There isn’t an “easy” answer per se… But there is a simple one - 5 actually. Here they are: STRATEGY #1 - Press MORE: Depending on how long you’ve been in the Iron Game, this saying may be cliche - “Too Press A Lot, You Must Press A Lot.” And that’s because strength is built from VOLUME - the amount of work you end up doing. Recent search confirms that volume is one of the key drivers for increasing maximum strength. (Not nearly as much as it is for building muscle, thou...

How can I press the ___KG bell? (5 Different Strategies) - PART 2

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“Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells” https://salutis.kartra.com/page/systematic-core-training STRATEGY #3 - Train Your Core: When most of us think of the “core” images of “6-pack abs”, planks, crunches, and sit ups pop into our heads. But there’s A LOT MORE to the core than we were ever taught. In fact, I argue you have 3 “Cores” - [1] Your Inner Unit: (Also known as your Local Stabilizers.) This is the muscle group that generates IAP - Intra-Abdominal Pressure - that’s Mission Critical to stabilize your spine, pelvis, and some even argue - shoulder blades. This is the stabilization you developed as a baby and toddler that got you upright and walking. It also protects your CNS - Central Nervous System - your brain and spinal cord. Without this stabilization, your body “splints” joints by tightening muscles to keep you from moving into ranges of motion it feels like it can’t control and would threaten your CNS. They also protect your lower back while Pressing. If your lower back a...

“How can I press the ___KG bell” (5 Different Strategies) - PART 3

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‘THE GIANT.’ https://salutis.kartra.com/page/alw494 ‘THE GIANT X’. https://salutis.kartra.com/page/giant-x Some guys want a stronger Press without solely focusing on their Press. In other words, they still want to get stronger all over while improving their conditioning. If that’s you, I recommend this program.  https://go.chasingstrength.com/kettlebell-maximorum-e/ You ever hear of a guy named “Pocket Hercules?” I’m guessing probably not. Here’s why he’s important to getting a stronger Press. Naim Suleymanglou was a 4 foot 11 inch Olympic Weightlifting World Champ and Olympic Gold Medalist and dynamo. His moniker, “The Pocket Hercules” came from his short stature and his ability to Clean + Jerk over 3x his bodyweight. So, small yet MIGHTY. One of the things you’ll notice is that he’s muscular, but not overly so. Not like a bodybuilder. So how did he lift such massive loads? Neural efficiency. He literally created incredibly strong neural pathways that weren’t dependent upon muscul...

They get you strong AF…

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“The King-Sized Killer” - https://cart.chasingstrength.com/ksk2 *RESEARCH: Strength and Muscle Mass Gains: Strength: Multiple meta-analyses and systematic reviews report no significant difference in strength gains between training to failure and not to failure, provided training volume is similar. In some cases, non-failure training even showed a slight advantage, but the difference is small and likely not meaningful in practice (Grgic et al., 2021; Davies et al., 2016; Vieira et al., 2021; Suchomel et al., 2018; Santanielo et al., 2020; Davies et al., 2016). Muscle Hypertrophy: For muscle growth, both failure and non-failure training produce comparable results when total work (volume) is matched. Some evidence suggests that training closer to failure may slightly enhance hypertrophy, but the effect is modest (Grgic et al., 2021; Vieira et al., 2021; Suchomel et al., 2018; Santanielo et al., 2020; Robinson et al., 2024). Key Findings from Recent Studies: Training Approach Strength Ga...

How he does 100 Pull Ups - PER DAY! 😮

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“REBUILT AFTER 40” https://go.chasingstrength.com/rebuilt-after-40/ I routinely get emails from guys asking me how they can or whether they should add Pull Ups to their KB workout routines. So I thought we could learn something from the following story. I first started having my son do Pull Ups on the doorway Pull Up bar when he was around 6 or 7. I had him start with multiple sets of 1 rep. His first goal was 5 in a day. His second goal was 10 in a day. His third goal was 20 in a day. And when he was about 8 years old, he did 110 in ONE DAY. But here’s where it gets interesting… Since then, he’s kept up with his daily Pull Up training. Now, at age 14, he routinely does 100 Pull Ups PER DAY. Almost every day. He knows the importance of “waving the loads” - varying the total amount of work from day-to-day and some days he’ll “only” do about 70 or 75. How well does this work? He’s destroying kids his own age and older on the mats. And I can really tell a difference in his strength levels...

How to avoid / get rid of lower back spasms / tightness / soreness from kettlebells

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“Systematic Core Training For Kettlebells” https://salutis.kartra.com/page/systematic-core-training I got an email from “Jay” (not his real name) the other day. He was on day 2 of ‘THE GIANT’ - which he said he loved - when his lower back seized up. I pasted his email below - “On Day 2, I made it about 10 minutes in before my lower back seized. I'm guessing this was either because of horrible form or not enough recovery from day 1 (probably bad form, but felt great after day 1). I was curious if you recommend working with any belts for better support? I know they're mainly designed for powerlifting, but figured I'd get your opinion before starting back up again.” First off, I never recommend using a weightlifting belt unless you’re a competitive powerlifter or Olympic lifter. (Even when I competed, I didn’t use a belt.) I recommend you “build your own belt.” I’ll tell you how to do that in a moment… Second, I love enthusiasm. I think it’s great to “jump in” when it comes to...