… And how conditioned would you be IF…
… And how shredded would you be IF…
IF what?
That’s a question I’ve asked many people for over 15 years now when it comes to lifting kettlebells.
And to complete the question -
IF…
You could Clean + Press a set of 48kg (106lbs) kettlebells - 10 times in a row.
Now before you have a immediate response and think / say, “I could never do that!”...
Just sit there for a minute or two and think about how much WORK would go into achieving that feat from where you are.
Personally, I’ll be straight up - I can’t do that right now. (I’ve only ever done single reps with a pair of 48s.)
And in order to get there?
It would actually take some commitment.
I don’t know when the last time you did a heavy set of 10 Clean + Presses was, but it definitely takes its toll , if you know what I mean.
So, training to get there?
You’d have to:
[+] Increase your strength capacity
[+] Increase your muscle mass (most likely)
[+] Increase your conditioning
And if you did adjust anything about your diet?
You’d still lean out and get more muscular.
Your body would be made to adapt.
It would be physically impossible to stay the same .
Just think about it.
More muscular arms and upper body that filled out a real t-shirt, instead of those “tailored” ones they sell now…
A athlete that tackled the stairs or slopes with ease , without feeling short of breath …
And a waist that no longer looked like… a heap of garbage.
The Truth?
You may never get to Clean + Pressing a pair of 48s for 10 repetitions .
But imagine how you’d look and feel if you “only” got to a pair of 40s?
Or a pair of 32s?
Or a pair of 28s?
Here’s what one of my customers, Cutter Ulhorn, said about a 18-month journey with the Clean + Press:
How much could your physique change in 18 months’ time?
How about your energy reserves ?
Would they be improved ?
Of course they would.
How would you get started on such a journey?
Straightforward.
One step at a time. Put one foot in front of the other and walk forward , keeping your eye on check here the prize and the goal in sight.
Here are specifics:
1- Learn, train, and polish Double KB Clean and Double KB Press techniques .
They’re different from the singles.
Set up, stance, stroke , body position.
Similar, but different.
2- Build your strength.
This should be obvious.
You may have to use some assistance exercises:
Double Front Squats
Double Swings
Double High Pulls
Renegade Rows
Hanging Leg Raises
L-Sits
… for example.
(Yeah, I did just put some core work in there. You can’t shoot a cannon from a canoe, ya know.)
3- Pack on some muscle.
Which then in turn supports your strength.
More muscle = more potential strength.
4- Improve your conditioning.
This is developing your “motor” - your heart and lungs - along with your peripheral vascular system - your arteries, veins, and capillaries.
This allows you to recover so you can lift more frequently… with ease.
A bit higher reps .
Shorter breaks .
All of the above.
5- Practice PATIENCE.
Yes, patience.
The one characteristic we could all use more of .
Patience defines your ability to follow the process.
Remember, the tortoise won against the hare.
Just imagine if half a year from now you could Clean + Press 10 reps with the next bell size up?
2x24kg → 2x28kg
And then one year from now , you increased another bell size?
2x28kg → 2x32kg
And 18 months from now , similar to Cutter, you’d upped the size of your kettlebells by about 70%?
2x32kg → 2x36kg
And then in two years ?
2x36kg → 2x40kg
It seems less daunting when it’s written down, does it?
Again, the problem most guys have is PATIENCE.
We want results now yesterday .
So we “program hop.”
And 2 years later?
Not much to show for it .
Hopefully this brings more clarity, focus, and direction .
Stay Strong,
Geoff Neupert.