RKC II is closer than I thought, and with all that in mind it is time to start dialing in training, eating, and all that jazz (not like I haven’t before, but now is the time for the extra push!) . It hasn’t been the easiest of things to do on my end in terms of setting up the actual training. To be perfectly honest, I ended up having to hire a coach because. . .well. . I tend to be an a-hole when it comes to setting up my own training while working with people physically at Primal Fitness Pittsburgh. I have a bad habit of pushing myself to a limit which, in the name of strength gains, isn’t really necessary at all. Level II may not be the 3 day beat down of my Level I workshop, but it is certainly no walk in the part either.
So. . .what does level II training REALLY look like when you have to factor in your performance with clients, daily activity, etc? The answer is . . . well.. . . it’s hard but it a lot more tame than what you may be thinking of at first.
RKC II Training- Easy Strength for the hard working professional
You may notice the title embedded in this post on “Easy Strength”. Really, that’s what my program looks like in terms of programming. First of all, “Easy Strength” by Pavel Tsatsouline and Dan John is an absolute MUST READ for the strength training athlete. I have taken my own dive into Easy Strength before and have used a similar sort of approach to make my 24kg military press look effortless. For more on Easy Strength and to pick up a copy of this book itself, please visit this link.
Now, taking into consideration that I work out a lot with my clients and am looking to maintain my strength for level II, here’s an idea of how to set up training using the principles of Easy strength.
Day One- Medium Load
a). Double Push Presses- Set weights to testing standards. I use Two 20 kgs.
3 sets of 5 reps.
b). Single Arm Swing Practice.
Grad your single arm testing kettlebell and perform basic swings, cleans, presses, squats and snatches on each side. Go for three rounds. Set reps between 5-10 on each exercise.
Day Two- Active Recovery
mobility drills and walking only.
Day Three- Light Load
a). Military Press ladder set at a 1,2,3 drop set. Set weight according to your one arm press weight requirements for Level II. Your 1 rep will be your max, with reps 2 and 3 being set at 50 and 70% below your max.
b). Windmill and bent press practice. 1 rep each side of each exercises x 5. I use your snatch test sized kettlebell for this.
c). Snatch test practice. 100 reps at your test weight in 5 minutes. For more on testing standards, visit this link and this one.
Day Four- active recovery day
walking and mobility drills
Day Five- Heavy Day
a). 3 sets of double jerks for 5 reps. Use your testing weight as practice. again, visti this link and this one for more information on testing standards.
b). Double bell skill practice. Set up the following complex.
Double swings
Double cleans
Double presses
Double Squats
Double Snatches
use two of your snatch test sized bells for the complex and set reps between 5-10 on each exercise.
That’s about it! Again, the routines are simple, but the volume once you tweak the numbers is pretty significant. What I found to be even more significant in this whole process was the unexpected strength gains I experience from the program. In fact, said strength gains recently lead me to a 26kg pistol squat. Don’t believe me? take a look at this video below!
Not too shabby!
Sometimes less really is more. I may be hitting the volume these days, but I most certainly am hitting the volume in a much smarter way. Special thanks to Karen McDowell Smith for helping with the structure of this program to suite my overall needs. This just goes to show you that asking for help is what you need to do sometimes to make sure you reach your goals in an intelligent way.
If you are looking for a smart way to train to reach your overall strength and physique goals, feel free to email me at janelle@primalfitnesspittsburgh.com and request a consultation. I am more than happy to meet with you to discuss your goals and give you the chance to reach your ideal self!
That’s it for today folks! Until next time!
Master your instincts!
