I don't understand S&S strength standards

[khohanguc]

Basically it is: 32kg which is "simple" and 48kg which is "sinister".

So just numbers without taking your own weight and height into account? How can that be realistic ? Age could count too.

I'm 171cm/5'7 and 63kg/137lbs, 35yo male, been training KB for a few months, started with 12kg and I now do the 100 one handed swings with a 20kg bell and the TGUs with a 16kg.

My goal is to do the entire S&S routine with 24kg by end year.

But when I see that Pavel calls 32kg just "simple" or the first milestone I'm dumbfounded. That's literally half my bodyweight, how doing one handed swings and TGU with 50% your bodyweight just an entry point and not a great fear of strength?

For a 183cm/6' 90kg/200lbs man I understand. But not taking peoples weight and stats into account makes it almost an arbitrary choice IMO.

Whta's your opinion on that ?

 

[loves2readya]

@khohanguc the real question is - why do you care about S&S "standards"? why do you think what pavel says is the "standard"? i mean, train swings and getups all you want. be safe, train smart, and what happens happens. assigning value based on some guys opinion isnt worth it.

 

[khohanguc]

@loves2readya I care because if that's what he deems "simple" that means I should be able to hit it or I'm under the community "standard". It's a goal he has set and many people try to achieve so I'd like to. But it seems way less reachable than let's say a 33% BW standard for simple and a 50% bodyweight standard for sinister because 32kg is already 51% for me.

 

[loves2readya]

@khohanguc why does his opinion matter to you? he doesnt know you and likely never will.

why should you be able to do anything that is labeled "simple"? i mean, what is simple for one isnt for others. we're all different for a reason, regardless what society preaches. his opinion on "simple" should mean nothing to you. its all marketing anyway

 

[khohanguc]

@loves2readya You're right. It did matter because he's a reference in this area. But yes all that you said is on point

 

[loves2readya]

@khohanguc people worship pavel. its.... weird, honestly. he's no doubt done a lot for KBs as a whole in the US. great business man. "HS" methods certainly have a place in training and can benefit many people. easy to learn and apply. but he's done nothing (that i can see) that makes him the unquestioned authority on KB training.

 

[lostanlooking]

@loves2readya I kinda had that moment of realization when I was training for Beast Tamer. I wasn't enjoying my lifting, and one day I just said out loud "why am I pretending to care about this?" And now I just do whatever I want.

 

[loves2readya]

@lostanlooking its gotta be enjoyable

 

[monstershouter]

@loves2readya The Rippletoes of kettlebell

 

[ffrankie]

@monstershouter https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nvEXYVHbFBE/UoiJEdG5joI/AAAAAAAACFk/oy0GkcPyPc4/s280/PIo8E.jpg

 

[monstershouter]

@ffrankie This is gold!

 

[khohanguc]

@monstershouter There's a pretty funny video of Allan Thrall on the delusion that comes with being a Starting Strength coach. Here it is :

 

[birdbrain27]

@monstershouter Yeah, it’s pretty dumb given that the weights for women is 24kg for Simple and 32kg for sinister (I think). So the standard for a 250 pound woman is still only 75% of the standard for a 130 pound man. Because size has nothing to do with strength. Y chromosomes, that’s where all the power lies.

 

[jllcml]

@monstershouter LOL I agree to a certain extent - Pavel can be a little dogmatic and some kettlebell users can be a bit cultish, but I don't think it's anywhere near Rippetoe and the SS crew.

 

[nikpraw]

@monstershouter

 

[lostscaredme]

@khohanguc People rip on him for stating he reached Master of Sport numbers but there’s no proof to the claim.

 

[khohanguc]

@lostscaredme What are the master of sports numbers ?

 

[loves2readya]

@khohanguc Depends on event & weight class

 

[hoanphamkhong1]

@loves2readya The irony.

 

[lostscaredme]

@khohanguc Pavel is smart but you have to understand that he is a businessman. Creating a system that can be somewhat easily followed with minimal effort on his part will mean that he can get lots of sales and profit. Just follow the program with a weight that works for you and see how it goes. This program is not like those “a strong man should be able to bench press 1.5X body weight” kind of programs.