What do you think about this barbell-inspired kettlebell hypertrophy plan?

[missguidedsheep]

Hi there,

I've been doing S&S for about a year now, and I can now comfortably do S&S with 38kg every day. Although not totally untrained, my hypertrophy gains are not that great, so in the hypertrophy-style training, I would say I am pretty much a novice. I decided to switch things up completely to a very hypertrophy-focused program for a while to see what's gonna happen.

My goal is to reproduce a classic barbell program with higher rep ranges, and with uneven kettlebell doubles instead of a barbell. I understand that I would be committing a cardinal kettlebell training sin by not including any ballistics and just focusing on slow grinds instead, but I think that’s more optimal for hypertrophy.

I based my programming on Stronglifts 5x5 program, which is built around 5 barbell exercises: squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press and barbell row. To replicate those, I would do instead:

Workout A: Double Squat, Double OHP, Double Deadlift.

Workout B: Double Squat, Double Floor press (instead of bench), Double Row.

The programming is especially challenging since my equipment is only kettlebells in singles: 12,16,20,24,28,32,38kg, so for doubles I have uneven weights, and can only do increases of 8kg, e.g.: 44kg (20/24), 52kg(24/28), 60kg(28,32), etc. Since I need to switch hands every set, a Double Kettlebell Squat of 4sets x 20reps x 44kg would have to be done like this:

Set 1: 20reps with L 24kg, R 20kg

Set 2: 20reps with L 20kg, R 24kg

Set 3: 20reps with L 24kg, R 20kg

Set 4: 20reps with L 20kg, R 24kg

Overall I plan to do 4-6 sets, and take each set to near failure (1-3 RIR) with a target of 12 or 20 reps. I would alternate exercise’s load/rep range, between High load (~12 reps) and Medium load (~20 reps) to have more variance. If I understand correctly both can stimulate a similar degree of hypertrophy adaptation, so for example a single exercise would cycle like this:

On one day where I do squats, I would do 4x12x52kg (high load: 52kg / med rep:12). The next time I do squats I would do 4x20x44kg (med load:44kg / high rep:20). Next time: back to high load variant, etc.

I think I would have to cycle everything every 2 weeks, so typical 2 week program might look like this:

(Week 1: Workouts A, B A)

Mon (Workout A):

- Squat: 4x12x52kg (High load)

- OHP: 4x12x36kg (High load)

- Deadlift: 4x20x52kg (Medium load)

Wed (Workout B):

- Squat: 4x20x44kg (Medium load)

- FloorPress: 4x12x52kg (High load)

- Row: 4x12x60kg (High load)

Fri (Workout A):

- Squat: 4x12x52kg (High load)

- OHP: 4x20x28kg (Medium load)

- Deadlift: 4x12x70kg (High load)

(Week 2: Workouts B, A, B)

Mon (Workout B):

- Squat: 4x20x44kg (Medium load)

- FloorPress: 4x20x44kg (Medium load)

- Row: 4x20x52kg (Medium load)

Wed (Workout A):

- Squat: 4x12x52kg (High load)

- OHP: 4x12x36kg (High load)

- Deadlift: 4x20x52kg (Medium load)

Fri (Workout B):

- Squat: 4x20x44kg (Medium load)

- FloorPress: 4x12x52kg (High load)

- Row: 4x12x60kg (High load)

So the pattern is this: I workout Mon, Wed, Fri alternating between workouts A and B. Furthermore, on each exercise I also alternate between a High and Medium load which allows me to do near failure (1-3 RIR) sets of ~12 reps (high load) and ~20 reps (medium load).

Progressive overload would first come from increases in the reps I do. Once I do more than 12/20 reps for 4 sets, I would add more sets (from 4 to 6). Once I can do way more than 12/20 reps for 6 sets, I would increase the load and start from 4 sets and 12/20 reps again.

What do you think about this plan, frequency, and set/rep ranges? Am I missing some muscle group? Do you suggest some other grind KB exercise which I could do to 1-3 RIR?

 

[gaconvn]

@missguidedsheep Why not do it for a few months, evaluate and report back? Don’t worry about optimization. With effort even poor programming will “work”.

Anything you’re worried about missing (which is often where people go overboard and cram too much in) you can always shoehorn into conditioning work at low intensities.

 

[missguidedsheep]

@gaconvn Thanks, I guess I'll do that. I also do BJJ couple of times a week which might fill in the gaps.

 

[loves2readya]

@missguidedsheep The only ballistics youve done are swings so you elimimate clean, snatch & jerk (because swings arent optimal for hypertrophy)? Youre avoiding the massive & unique bennefit of the KB - But what do i know?

 

[missguidedsheep]

@loves2readya Sure cleans snatches and jerks are maybe better for hypetrophy than swings, but are they still more optimal than the corresponding grinds (squats, rows, OHPs)?

 

[loves2readya]

@missguidedsheep I do far more ballistics than grinds. You tell me

 

[jccarlos26serra]

@loves2readya I didn’t realize you snatch or clean and jerk more than pressing but both of the former are beast of exercises so no wonder they produce hypertrophy. Swings on the other hand are so basic….

 

[loves2readya]

@jccarlos26serra As soon as you can swing well they should no longer be your main course. Keep doing them, but use as a supplement. That's my (unpopular) opinion

 

[solution4music]

@missguidedsheep

not including any ballistics and just focusing on slow grinds instead, but I think that’s more optimal for hypertrophy.

you believe that based on what exactly?

 

[missguidedsheep]

@solution4music I think more specifically on maximizing time under tension, I also noticed that on an example of Swings.

Even when I 1H swing 38kg bell, I can't help but release some tension at the top of the swing (since the bell is weightless for a fraction second). Sure, I could hold an artificial muscle tension there, but it's not the same as having an actual load on your muscles.

In contrast, when I do a slow grind with squats or deadlifts without resting at the top/bottom (i.e. instead of rest, it's almost a continuous up/down motion), I have a constant tension due to the load at all times, and it's much easier for me to "not resting at the top" since it's a matter of not staying on the fully-extended knees/back (which would otherwise have the weight rest on the skeletal structure, and not muscles).

 

[monstershouter]

@solution4music Beyond heaps of anecdotal evidence supporting it, this paper by Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, is a good starting point. Note the section on Repetition Speed.

https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/...nisms_of_muscle_hypertrophy_and_their.40.aspx

 

[solution4music]

@monstershouter good good. that definitely doesn't support OP's theory though. it basically says go explosive on the way up and controlled on the way down, to put in simple terms. definitely no slow grinds involved

 

[monstershouter]

@solution4music “Grinds” in the context of KB training usually refers to exercises that have a controllable eccentric component, like squats, presses, and cleans so I am assuming that the OP is talking about exercise selection rather than making each rep a “slow grind”. I would agree that intentionally slowing the concentric probably isn’t beneficial in most cases (though there’s a time and application for that) but controlling the eccentric seems to have some benefit for hypertrophy.

 

[missguidedsheep]

@solution4music Hi, thanks for the reply. Judging from what top bodybuilders do, I believe the most bang for buck in size gains comes from maximizing time under tension for heavy load (for 6-20 reps), which I found is best achieved through slow, controlled movements with tension on both concentric and eccentric phase of the movement, taken to near failure (1-3 RIR), without stops at the "bottom" and "top". Example:

I don't feel safe taking any ballistic to 1-3 RIR, and I think power/explosion isn't as important of a factor for hypertrophy as time under tension for the right volume.

 

[jamesfaithpeter]

@missguidedsheep Kettlebell deadlifts are pointless. If you can swing a 38kg just fine, kettlebell deadlifts are irrelevant. I swing a 48kg for 20 reps, but I can deadlift a 155kg barbell for 5.

Deadlifts themselves also aren't the "optimal" lifts for hypertrophy of the hamstrings and glutes, those would be romanian deadlifts or nordic curls for hammies and one of step ups, lunges and hip thrusts for glutes (also single leg deadlift).

Joe Daniels has a bunch of Hypertrophy focused kettlebell programs. Perhaps take a look at those.

 

[bevc]

@missguidedsheep Couldn’t you do 4kg increments by going for example from 20/24 to 20/28 to 24/28?

 

[missguidedsheep]

@bevc The imbalance of having 20kg on one hand and 28kg on the other seemed weird to me when I tried it. I am worried it would come at a sacrifice to the form. I do have KB Tag (https://kbtag.eu/), which can bridge that gap a bit though to a 2kg difference.

 

[marry]

@missguidedsheep The problem I'd see is that you can't increase your weight incrementally like it's suggested for standard basic barbell programs like Stronglift's 5x5.
And I think that is the main point of those programs.

I am not saying you can't to hypertrophy aimed training with kettlebells, this is totally possible.

But if you don't know how to program that yourself, I personally would look for a specific kettlebell hypertrophy program.

 

[missguidedsheep]

@marry Hey thanks for your message. So under assumption that the main factor of hypertrophy is volume, not load for 1RM, I think one can progressively overload volume with reps and sets.

Those 8kg increments are a bit tough to work around, and that's why I assume I can first rely on small reps increments week-to-week, eventually adding set (month-to-month), and only increasing weight once I'm in a very high rep range for 6 sets.

 

[marry]

@missguidedsheep Exactly. You can almost only increase by reps (and of course by shorter break times).

This is a a very specific kettlebell "problem" and therefore I'd look for a reliable and proven kettlebell hypertrophy program rather than trying to make a program fit that is based basically on small increments.