Back to gym today. My back is feeling ok, and it's time to start doing something sensible, trainingwise. For a whiule I have decided to stick to front squats. The weight I am starting with today is for kids, but hell, there is no hurry, and if today's squatting does not give me problems I will catch up with my former self quickly. Oh yeah, I am also going to squat to the bottom. I did it to parallel (it allows lifting slightly bigger weight, Mother Vanity), but by doing that I may have screwed the technique.
Front squat: 40 kg x 5 x 5 sets alternated with
Chin ups: 5 x 5
Vasili Ginko is coming to Sydney in July, and I booked myself for Level I course. I was tempted to go to Level II as well, but I am on call on that weekend and will not be able to swap it. I don't need it anyway: I am not planning to coach people any time soon, and for my own training whatever methods I picked from the Net are sufficient, at my current level. Still, I would like my technique checked and corrected by the real Russian (Latvian) Master, so a little outlay for the course is justified.
I have been thinking a lot lately about my training. As I said from the very start of this blog, one of the goals of my training is to be injury free. This goal by far outweighs the desire to achieve whatever numbers of kilos or reps. Yet I was in crooked for two months. What went wrong? Is it my technique? My methods? I am hardly overtraining, working out couple of times a week at the most. What is the best, or rather optimal way to train for someone in mid forties and beyond?
I honestly don't know. GS is a good way to keep fit and very time efficient. On the other hand, continuous banging of the torso with heavy kettlebells may lead to wear injury - spinal arthritis and even spondyllolisthesis. Barbell is also a great tool and let's you get strong fairly fast. Squatting with 90 kg with the bodyweight of 70 feels good (except for the sore back). Running/jogging is also good. It is such a natural activity of primates, it must be good for us. So maybe doing a little bit of everything with more concentration on the favorite activity is the way to go? I don't know, maybe the Dragondoor way is more suitable for the average dad? A bit of grinding, a bit of ballistics, nothing too complicated or challenging.
My next project will be research on training older athletes. What are the physiological changes occuring with age as applied to sports? What is best in the context of ageing, endurance or strength training? What are the limits? What is the risk of being found dead in the basement as the result of Long Cycle? I am not joking, sudden death among amateur athletes is not that rare. So far I haven't seen much, and some articles in the peer journals are not better than those in Men's Health. I gave up a while ago to look for nutritional info, it is too politicised and dogmatic, there is just no meaningful research going on. I wonder if research on older guys who want to train is any better. I will keep you posted.
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Girevoy Sport info: methodology of training and sharing my own modest experience and observations.
7 comments:
Nice that you are back training! I missed your blog posts.
Ginko is a great teacher, you will surely enjoy.
I am convinced that a more varied training (than a GS-focused one) is kinder to the body. However, in my personal case, I would then lose motivation... the aspect of fun has to be weighed in :-).
Look forward your research on old people/training.
Tata Mrkl
Ps! I have one wild idea, based on my various testing w 16s, 20s and 24s. Is it possible that for young people high-rep training can generally be said to be safer than low-rep. But for old people, the risk of overuse injuries becomes higher so that the
risk/gain correlation between high- and low-rep becomes a bit different?
May I make a suggestion about your back? I am 68 and have been using Kettlebells for 18 months. One of the biggest benefit of KBs for me has been the elimination of back pain. It was eliminated through the KB swing, the first exercise I concentrated on. Perhaps if you focus more on that exercise it will provide you the same benefit. I could tell the difference in my back after 3 or 4 months of swings.
Good luck with your program.
Eugene, we both migrated from strictly hard style to GS at the same time, but we have gone about it differently. I have never touched a barbell or done any stressful plyometrics like running or treadmilling. I have only been lifting the one and 1.5 pood kettlebells five days a week and I have never had an injury.
There are too many variables in this equation, so I will not try to draw any facile and reductive conclusions. I just wanted to give you my experience as data for when you start researching the way to proceed
Eugene I turned 45 today. I agree a little grind and some of the classic KB ballistics, you can't go wrong.
HI Eugene, do you have any more info on Vasily Ginko's course?
Eugene, can you check your blog posts up to and including the time of your injury?
how were you feeling when the injury occurred, physically and emotionally? what about BEFORE the injury, days and weeks before hand? were you sleeping? resting enough?
as a user of the kbs for close to 7 yrs, the swing is the key to a strong back, but surely you must know that. ive never had an injury in all that time other than a couple of torn callouses.
i will also book into Ginko's course and also doing Paul Tucker's workshop in GS this coming saturday.
good luck :)
Peter
i forgot to also mention that a lot of research was done on older people by Prof Patrick O'Shea in Quantum Strength Training II: Gaining the Winning Edge. A brilliant book in my opinion with solid science behind it.
Peter
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