StrengthAxis Program Design

Kettlebell - December, 2024

Nov 26, 2024

To show appreciation to all my subscribers, I am offering December’s Program Design for FREE.

I hope you enjoy this training. Happy Holidays!

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To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold. - Aristotle

Leaning into discomfort is a prerequisite of growth. Simply put, developing fortitude amplifies the possibility of achievement. Ben Franklin said it best, “Hard work is the road to prosperity.” With courage and commitment, we manifest our inspired future.

During the holiday season, we must dial in our focus. This means A+ nutrition, diligent training, and presence of mind. The holidays are an easy time to get derailed. But why not lean into our best self? What’s holding us back from our next milestone?

Training

December’s Program Design features the Double Kettlebell Clean + Press and Double Kettlebell Clean + Front Squat to harness high-output kettlebell ballistics and powerful grinds. These movements feature a 0+2121 tempo for directed hypertrophy.

I have added Double Kettlebell Lifts to compliment our keystone movements. They are performed at a demanding 4121 tempo for increased hypertrophy. Bodyweightᐩ calisthenics movements round out the each training session for well-rounded gains.

I purchased Ben Patrick’s ATG Coaching to better serve my knee injury clients. This programming perfectly compliments StrengthAxis Program Design and been inputted into our Warm Ups. Athletes may perform more volume to match their desired prehab/rehab results.

*I apologize if certain movements are repeated month-to-month. I’ve been on a crusade as of late explaining to clients that the basics work. Since my students are experienced athletes, I know they realize that training is doing the same thing over and over while only making small variable changes for novel stimuli.

What’s New With Me

I have gained tremendous appreciation for my career. At one point, training was about me being the athlete. As I’ve matured, training is about about me being a coach. I love my work and I am committed to my clients’ excellence. What beautiful work this is.

I have recently upgraded my home gym with a Titan Squat Stand and Titan Adjustable Bench. This will allow me to focus on barbell programming in future months. I have also procured an X3 Bar and am learning the nuances of variable resistance training.

Diana and I have continued to building the life we imagine. We spend our time training, enjoying nature, eating amazing food, and appreciating art. I hope you share me in gratitude for what you have, what you’ve worked for, and who you have become.

In Strength y con un abrazo fuerte,

John Parker

November 25, 2024

Home Gym Update: Diana and I bought an infrared sauna that will tuck into the nook of our guest room. I have had to rearrange the gym by selling extra weight plates and my Peloton (I’ll focus more on real bike riding now). Diana was confused as I bought squat stands and a bench with the money I just earned from the sale of the old equipment LOL.

Trying out the Elite Band of the X3 Bar - 15 Reps! In the X3 promotional videos, the Founder, Dr. John Jaquish, hits 540lbs of force with the Elite Band.

StrengthAxis Program Design - December, 2024

Schedule

Goals

Keystone Movements: the Double Kettlebell Clean + Press and the Double Kettlebell Clean + Front Squat
1. Hypertrophy: Upper Body Pushing and Pulling Musculature, Lower Body Pushing and Pulling Musculature, Midsection Strength and Stability
  1. Clean + Press, Clean + Front Squat, Floor Press, Renegade Row, Bulgarian Split Squat, Single Leg Deadlift
  2. Pull Up, Dip, Pistol Squat, High Step Up
Conditioning - StrongFirst Snatch Plan 024 - Month 2

Warm Up

Training Session A & C

Foam Roll/Gun Quads/Glutes 60”+ 60”

World’s Greatest Stretch 60”+60” (Pay attention to 06:46-09:00)

Shin Raise x 20
Wall Calf Raise x 20
Reverse Step Up x 20+20*
ATG Split Squat x 20+20*
Hamstring Curl (Slider or Swiss Ball) or Nordic Curl (or Progression) x 5-15

Training Session B & D

Foam Roll/Gun Lats, Pecs 60”+60”

Prone Series 60”+60” (Pat attention to 02:58 and 06:45)

Nutrition

Preferred Method 2: Standard - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + PWO Meal
a. Protein Intake = 1g of animal protein per ideal pounds of bodyweight

Kettlebell Loading

Tactical Load

Selecting a Tactical Load requires choosing a Heavy kettlebell that can be trained with daily. It should deliver power, strength, and conditioning goals sustainably.

The Tactical Load will represent 70% of the athlete’s 1RM Double Military Press:

ie; Double 40kg 1RM → 40 x 0.70 = 28kg → Tactical Load = Double 28kg Kettlebells

The Tactical Load will be our baseline for all upper and lower body training sessions:

December’s Keystone Movements: the Double Kettlebell Clean + Press and the Double Kettlebell Clean + Front Squat maintain a 0+2121 Tempo. The accessory movements harness a challenging 4121 tempo for added time under tension.

Examples:

During the Double Kettlebell Clean + Press, the Clean is ballistic ie; performed with power and speed and there is no count specified. During the Press, the athlete will press upward from the rack with a 2” count, lockout with a 1” count, then lower back to the rack with a 2” count. They will hold the kettlebells in the rack for a 1” count before re-cleaning.

During the Double Kettlebell Front Squat, the Clean is ballistic ie; performed with power and speed and there is no count specified. Starting at the top position with the kettlebells in the rack, the athlete lowers into the squat with a 4” count. They then hold the rock bottom position with a 1” count, then reverse into the upward portion of the squat with a 2” count. The athlete will hold the top position for a 1” count before starting their next squat.

StrongFirst Snatch Plan 024 (Month 2)

Per the All Terrain Conditioning Manual - All Copyright Reserved to StrongFirst.

The goals of the plan are:

Fat loss.
“Conditioning” for sports and activities of significant duration and moderate strength demands (obstacle course racing, etc.).
Building an aerobic base for sports and activities of brief duration and moderate strength demands (e.g., the TSC snatch).

Anaerobic Threshold (AnT) Snatch Test

Select a kettlebell you can snatch for a minimum of 100 reps in 5min according to the TSC rules.

Do your sets OTM, alternating arms every minute. Use the exact technique and power you would use for the TSC or SFG snatch (explosive but relaxed, about 50% effort).

E.g., minute one 5L, minute two 5R, etc. For the first 5min do sets of 5, for the next 5min sets of 6, then sets of 7 reps, etc.

Walk around and shake out the tension between sets. Speak several short sentences right before each set (when the timer shows ~50sec). At some rep count you will reach the point when you are no longer able to do it. Stop and note the rep number, the estimated AnT rep count.

Following is a sample test. You may finish at a different rep count.

Here is how my test looked:

My AnT is 9 reps. You’ll see below that I perform 7 reps (AnT -2reps) for the next month. Because I have performed this test before (2021), I knew that starting at 5 reps would have made the test much longer than needed. Starting at 7 was pragmatic for my purposes.

Training Session Organization

Per the All Terrain Conditioning Manual:

You will be snatching three times a week for 20-50min doing (AnT -2reps) OTM E.g. if you failed the talk test at 10 reps, do sets of 9. If you find that you are unable to pass the talk test at some point in the session or your muscles start burning, call it a day and next session and after subtract one more rep (AnT-3).