Looking for advice on my Long Cycle (sport style) technique. this is really only the fourth or fifth time I have tried it and I know I am still getting a lot of hard style bleeding in. This is after a hard full body work out of sandbags, ABCS, calisthenics, and mace work, and even then I feel like I could do a full ten minutes with the double 16s - in terms of cardio it feels like nothing, I don't feel any fatigue anywhere except in my biceps so I am wondering if that is a technique issue. If it is, I want to address it before I throw the double 24s around so I don't injure myself.
Sorry I have to drop a link to the youtube video because the native app on my phone is being buggy and I can't upload the video from there.
Biggest thing to work at would probably be keeping your forearms on the body while bumping the bells. To do this I would focus on doing the first dip not as a squat, but tucking your tailbone "under" you and sliding your knees forward.
A technical cue I like is trying to get your body under the bells instead of bumping the bells over you.
Hard to say what's causing the biceps fatigue, could be the clean. You're not using a sport style back swing with a double knee bend. In my experience a deep backswing relieves tension and causes less fatigue all over, including the arms. If the clean works for you I wouldn't try to change it first though. One thing at a time and a rep is counted overhead, so start changing what counts.
@wakemantk Good stuff. If you feel like you could do the 10’ with the 16s I say go for it — seeing where your technique breaks down when you’re tired or actually struggling will be much more informative than theoretical improvements when the weight or reps isn’t challenging.
And I suspect on a longer set you won’t clean the bells so high and some other oddities may work themselves out. GS is all about efficiency, so if you notice you’re using excess effort somewhere you could play around with finding the minimum necessary and see if that reduces the fatigue. The bottom of your clean also looks a little off, but that’s how I still do it when I get tired, so I can lt criticize!
@evilarm Agreed, longer sets tend to be a good thing to do once or twice a month for the reason states above, it's amazing how well the technique works.
@evilarm Yeah I rolled out of bed and did 6 minutes at a faster pace than in this video easily this morning. It felt just like a warm up even with my shoddy technique.
EDIT: biceps again were the only thing feeling any fatigue
@wakemantk That’s great. I did my first foray into GS with the 24s — the 16s can be pretty light. The first six minutes are the easiest part of a ten minute set, so I think a somewhat methodical approach could be worth it, doing a ten minute set with the 16s this week, then 18s or 20s next week, then heavier again the week after, logging your score to get an initial baseline could be fun. If the 16s are light try for >12 reps a minute for the full 10, then see how it drops off as the weight gets heavier.
I followed the eliteFTS program below with the 24s when I first dabbled with GS if you’re looking for ideas:
@wakemantk It’s very hardtyleish, which will penalize you for longer sets. But it’s clear you are not new to kettlebells.
The arms should have full contact with the body on the backswing, on the end of the backswing your legs should extend so you use the inertia of the bells better. The rack needs work as you won’t be able to rest in that position with heavier bells. The jerk doesn’t look bad at all.
If you feel you can do it, do a test run at the 10’ and see where you land. The IKO tables are great for this.
If you are serious about the sport, using shoes can help with the rack and overhead position (and are mandatory at comps).
@wakemantk Getting those elbows onto your torso will be biggest bang-for-your buck in terms of relaxing in rack and transferring power in jerk.
This may take some mobility work. Unless you have very favorable anatomy, you'll need to rotate your hips up and depress your shoulders down.
A simple mobility progression:
Work on actively getting your elbows to your hips (ideally near the iliac crests.)
At first you might not get there. Just work on getting closer.
You also might need to bend your knees to get enough hip rotation. This is okay to start, but you will lose a lot of energy standing with bent knees.
After you can reach your hips/torso, work on doing that with your legs straight. (Just slowly work on getting them straighter.)
After you can get your knees straight or close to it, work on holding that position repeatetly and for long periods. (At this point, just focusing on getting into the position during LC / jerk sessions will help.)
@wakemantk Id love to see your attempt at the full 10 minutes! Cardio wont be your downfall when you go for 10 minutes, maintaining your form to preserve your muscle endurance is the most challenging part of a 10 minute set, I suspect you will find that out around minute 4 or 5
I was a burpee machine before I started GS and a 10 min long cycle set humbled me like nothing I've ever felt before.
I don't have much else to add on your technique outside of what others have already posted, you have the basics down pretty good, so very well done there!
@1straightshooter I rolled out of bed and did 6 minutes after a quick dog walk before work and it still felt easy, more like a good warm up than anything. I think you hit on a point though - I don't care enough about Sport Style to work on a technique that is specific to that sport, when I don't intend to compete in it. I would never manipulate an object in the real world the way I seem to need to with GS so if I don't intend to compete I think I might just keep doing hard style and some hard/sport hybrid technique even if it is less efficient. Hill sprints will always be enough for conditioning anyway
@kris8585 It is exactly what I said - as I am reading these responses I am thinking of why I am not sure working on sport style is what I want. It seems like I would have to spend a lot of time practicing and refining a technique that really only benefits kettlebell sport. And since kettlebell sport seems to involve things like a rack position that is a rest position instead of the high tension rack of hard style (or something like carrying a sandbag) it just isn't what I want out of the kettlebells. I am not saying one is better than the other, I am saying that when I am lifting kettlebells I don't want to be resting in the rack. I wouldn't do rack carries that way, front squats, etc. It just doesn't make sense to me if I am not going to get into KB Sport. I was curious, tried it, and will continue to do a sort of hybrid technique with comp bells sometimes.
And sure I can film a 10' set. It doesn't seem very hard with the 16s. With the 24s I am sure it is quite difficulty and I am sure that to do it, I would have to adapt to sport style technique, which brings me back to my above points.
But yeah the next time I feel like doing some of this I will film a 10' set. But this is prime hill sprint season and that is where I will be for most of my conditioning unless snow sprint season starts.
@wakemantk I say go for a 10 min set. Even if your technique is not 100% GS it doesn't matter. Go for the 10 min set.
Keep your elbows in contact with your body during the bump/jerk phase. Watch out for the handles slamming together on the drop from overhead, it's the quickest way to destroy a finger.
All in all a great effort. If you do go for the 10 mins record it and compare with your shorter efforts.
