How to go from Powerlifting to Kettlebell Lifting

I've two points to open with before todays question..

Point 1: Joint Mobility Fundamentals has been live now for a week, and I

have the first bit of feedback:

"Brilliant course explaining why and how in good detail.

I do it every morning and am able to move better as a result.

It also allows me to explore tight areas and spend more time there if

needed"

This was from RB, a non WG-Fit client, which is great.

The WG-Fit crew have had this info rammed down their throats by me for

years, so to have feedback from outside my little gym in Dublin is great.

The course, like all my Online Courses is included in any and all online

training packages, or can be joined for a small fee.

The fee is so small both my wife and business advisor friend are losing

their mind at me, but I'm also making a larger joint mobility course,

which will be less of a Fundamental follow along and more of an

educational library, that I'll price "properly"

Click the link and have a look: https://www.davehedges.net/onlinecourses

Point 2: Social Media

I have a bone to pick with you about my SocMed posts.

I know you look at them.

How do I know?

I bump into people on the street who mention something about something I

posted, online clients mention stuff I post in their comms with me and

every now and then when one of the newsletter people (that's you

<<First Name>> by the way) replies with a question, often its regarding

something I have posted.

But, you're not pressing like, or share and in many cases, not even

following my account.

To be honest, I'm just happy people are seeing my content and find it

helpful in some way, but to help more people it would be helpful to me

if you lot would hit the like buttons, even share it the odd time.

I don't fully understand SocMed and reach and all these things, it bores

me (visualise my business advisor buddy here shaking her head and crying

into her coffee every time she tells me to do SocMed stuff....)

So give us a like, follow etc.

Now, todays question...

Hard to pick as there are some great q's coming in.

"Hi Dave,

Question re the ‘older’ lifter. Lately I’ve switched my training from

barbell to kettlebell/mace for a number of reasons.

Those being:

Time taken for a workout

Variation

Less taxing on the body

Injury

And boredom. There’s probably more but can’t think of them.

I trained for competitions for many years and the training was nothing

short of brutal. I remember having a 185kg squat and 250kg deadlift. Now

training was one thing but recovery was equally as important.

I suppose what I’m asking is why I find myself as ‘tired’ from the bell

work as I did from the powerlifting training!!!

Is it a mindset that I think it’s not as tough? Being a 50yr+ lifter is

my body taking its toll?

We often talk about training this or that but what about the older

lifter? Pitfalls? Is less more? Or should we just ‘drive on’ at our peril?

Kind regards

Paul"

Paul is an old buddy from the Waterford area who has some impressive

results in powerlifting.

And powerlifting is anerobic dominant when it comes to thinking about

the body's energy systems.

Anaerobic translates to "without oxygen", so it's good for short, sharp,

powerful efforts lasting just a few seconds.

And for a powerlifter, it is their super power.

You also have neural fatigue. Very high intensity efforts (as in at or

very close to your 1 rep max) place a huge load on the nervous system,

as it has to work very hard to contract every muscle as hard as possible

to move that load.

Kettlebells on the other hand are relatively light.

Yes, moving them fast, as in the Snatch and Jerk type movements can be

taxing, but they don't live in that anaerobic space most of the time.

Because kettlebells are lifted for reps, we're usually in that

Glycolytic - Lactate energy system. Which is the energy system that

gives us the term "Ball-Bagging"

Ball Bagging is a very northern english term for becoming very tired due

to very hard work.

And a lot of kettlebell work, and Bulgarian Bag work falls into that

category.

So our hero has gone from specialising in anaerobic excellence into now

needing an aerobic system to support his newer training exploration.

You simply cannot recover from Glycolytic type work if the aerobic

system isn't running well.

Building aerobic fitness isn't particularly difficult, but it can be

time consuming.

Of the three energy systems it's potentially the least intense, many

bodybuilders do "cardio" and say it helps them recover and feel less sore.

So here's what to do:

Walk/Cycle for 30+ minutes 2-5 times per week, ideally breathing

exclusively through the nose.

If you track your heart rate, aim to be in low Zone 2, this will feel

easy, but that is the point.

With the kettlebell, plan a circuit.

Be logical with the exercise layout, refer to the WMD ebook (available

from both davehedges.net and wg-fit.com) for circuit ideas, but there

are a few simple formats you can use:

Push - Pull - Legs - Core

Push - Hinge - Pull - Squat - Core

Upper - Lower - Core

If you use unilateral drills, decide weather the left and right sides

are 2 stations or you alternate them in a single station.

So a forward lunge will be a squat and either 1 or 2 stations. A reverse

lunge probably more hinge. Lateral Lunge, also more hinge.

Now with these circuits, if your goal is aerobic development, we want

the heart rate to average in the Zone 2 area. There are Training Zone

calculators online, but if you lose the ability to have a conversation

and start snatching at sentences, you're probably working too hard!

With aerobic circuits, have the rest periods shorter than the work

periods, 45:15 is a classic.

Now, the age question...

It is true we recover slower with age.

But, recovery is the role of the aerobic system, that "refuels" the

other systems.

Not forgetting calories and counting sheep of course.

So while "muscle is the organ of longevity" (Dr Gabrielle Lyon) it still

requires aerobic fitness.

And the image that goes around as proof of this concept is a side by

side comparison showing cross sectional image of the thigh, showing age

matched males, one who never trained and shows low muscle mass with fat

clearly present, and a triathlete, who's leg looks the same as a 20 yr olds.

Now, is triathlon more anaerobic or aerobic?

It's a bit of an unfair question, and loaded towards my personal biases

as a coach, but you get my point...

Keep the questions coming in

Have a look at the online courses

And interact with my SocMed posts that I know you've been looking at!!!

Chat soon

--

Regards

Dave Hedges

www.DaveHedges.net