Old Question Returns...

[Peter]

Coach Sonnon,

I asked this question in an old post here on the Program Design Help Desk, and you were busy so you asked me to remind you of the question. Well, the question slipped my mind, and I have recently remembered it and am curious about the answer. Here is the question:

"My question is this: I am contemplating taking time off from my kettlebells entirely to focus on loosening up that which the kb's have tightened, but I don't want to lose what I've gained through snatches and windmills. Is it possible for me to do some Clubbell® exercises (with my 15lb. Clubbell®) that would maintain those same muscles at their present capacity (if not improve them?)? If so, what exercises should I do?"

Since I asked that question, I have received a 25lb. Clubbell®, so I can work with that as well.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Scott Sonnon]

Peter,

Compensating for imbalances created by kettlebells will only IMPROVE your overall strength, performance and health.

Yes, you can use your clubbells to compensate for those imbalances, since only a Clubbell® can move multi-planar. Couple this with daily Warrior Wellness.

[Peter]

Coach Sonnon,

Thanks for your quick response!

[Peter]

I am still trying to wrap myself around the ideas here, and this is the latest thing that I am working on...Thanks for your patience with me, maybe too much Tai Ji has made me too slow!

Thanks to Coach Sonnon's help, I can now do snatches with my 24kg kb again with no soreness but I can't help but notice that there is still some stiffness that remains--no discomfort, I just find that my lower back doesn't move as smoothly as I would like it to. I am doing Warrior Wellness (some beginner, some intermediate) at least 3 times per week--some of the movements I'm doing daily, plus Spinal Rock Plows. Nevertheless I am not happy with my ease of motion, which seems like a higher priority than raw strength.

Hmm, how do I condense all of these thoughts in my brain down into an actual question?

Let's try these: Are Clubbell® movements (lately I've been doing Whack-A-Moles with the 25lb. and Mills with the 15lb.) going keep my back strong and supple, or are there other exercises I should be doing? I am seeing this from too narrow a perspective? Maybe it is simply moving as a unit, it isn't about strength, its about how well the system works together?

Thanks again for all of you patience and help.

[Scott Sonnon]

I am still trying to wrap myself around the ideas here, and this is the latest thing that I am working on...Thanks for your patience with me, maybe too much Tai Ji has made me too slow!

Thanks to Coach Sonnon's help, I can now do snatches with my 24kg kb again with no soreness but I can't help but notice that there is still some stiffness that remains--no discomfort, I just find that my lower back doesn't move as smoothly as I would like it to. I am doing Warrior Wellness™ (some beginner, some intermediate) at least 3 times per week--some of the movements I'm doing daily, plus Spinal Rock Plows. Nevertheless I am not happy with my ease of motion, which seems like a higher priority than raw strength.

Hmm, how do I condense all of these thoughts in my brain down into an actual question?

Let's try these: Are Clubbell® movements (lately I've been doing Whack-A-Moles with the 25lb. and Mills with the 15lb.) going keep my back strong and supple, or are there other exercises I should be doing? I am seeing this from too narrow a perspective? Maybe it is simply moving as a unit, it isn't about strength, its about how well the system works together?

Thanks again for all of you patience and help.

Congratulations on your initial successes, Peter!

Remember that as you evolve in your training, you'll evolve in your line of inquiry. It's not so much that we get the 'answers' as we gain experience, so much as we ask better questions of ourselves.

Yes, the CST System was designed for the optimal balance of stability and mobility, strength and suppleness.

Yes, it's about how well you integrate the system within yourself.

Trust your intuition, because you're spot on, amigo. Keep patient, keep incremental, keep compassionate, and you'll continue to progress pain and injury free.

[Peter]

Coach Sonnon,

Thanks for the ultra-quick reply! One the one hand, I've heard the idea that for martial arts, more strength can't hurt, but that statement doesn't seem to take into account that a) training just for strength takes away time from other aspects of one's development and b) strength is one of but many attributes a martial artist must seek, and those other attributes can suffer if strength is overdone. So the question I've never answered--and I know I need to answer it for myself as I find my own personal way, is just how much strength do I actually need? Right now I'm feeling that the answer is certain parts of my body have enough, others do not have enough, and I need to work in ways that will balance everything out.

Thanks again for you help and encouragement.

[Scott Sonnon]

Peter,

More strength is not better - for the reasons you describe well.

Skill is a strength. This is why the CST System is built upon such an idiosyncratic developmental approach (the Training Hierarchy Pyramid.)

As a martial artist, and as a human, you only need to be as 'strong' as you need to be to 'function' within your sphere of influence. If you become 'stronger' to the point that you overspecialize (say in bench press) you suffer in the opposite direction (read "Complementary Movement" in the archives.)

Your best approach would be to abandon all notions of trying to 'apply' general strength goals to your sport. And reorient all of your focus on establishing where you would wish to be specifically in your skill mastery, and then reverse engineer the Training Hierarchy Pyramid backwards so that your GPP builds into your SPP builds into your SSP builds into your MEP.

[JasonE]

Peter -

One CB exercise I like for opening back mobility is a Dual 1/2 Reverse Parry Cast, occasionally called something else by others... (cool name to come). If you don't feel very comfortable with the Parry Cast and Reverse Parry Cast yet, get them solid individually first.

Anyway, take your 2 CBs of matched weight and perform a Reverse Parry Cast with both hands at the same time. Stop when your CBs reach Back Position, then Parry Cast them down to starting position. To do this right, you need to do a spinal wave with integrated Performance Breathing. It's a coordination challenge at first, but you'll thank me later. When you first try it, you might want to do a couple of reps one side at a time to get the basic feeling in each side, then go for both.

We did this one at my CST clinic yesterday, and people were very surprised at how it opened the back up. However, I recommend doing your unweighted mobility practice first, to make sure everything is lubed up.

Have fun!

[Peter]

Sounds like a great exercise--thanks Jason!

[JasonE]

No prob, enjoy!