Attention StrengthAxis Program Design subscribers! Our December programming goals are to negate Holiday sloth. We will be working hard with the DBCJ and One Arm Swing. I will release the new training sessions on November 29, 2022. As a bonus, all subscribers will now have access to my DISCOUNT CODES from Thorne Supplements, Vivo Barefoot Shoes, and more.
Training is the catalyst of our personal growth. As strength athletes, we realize enormous benefit in discipline, mindfulness, and committed self-improvement. The Hardstyle Manifesto seeks to embody these elements of our lifelong practice.
This methodology drives the nuance that sets us apart. We are artists of physical culture, warriors of movement, and epitomize the skill of strength. We train not just for ourselves, but for the collective. Our goal is to make the world a stronger place.
I have used a philosophical scaffolding to bolster my strength training practice. My hope is that my peers can share and build upon this framework; taking what is useful, adding their own insights, and evolving the environment of strength at large.
In this article I promote Hardstyle Kettlebell Training using five key philosophies: minimalism, ritual, practice, resilience, and improvement. I will also provide a six-week Simple & Sinister Swing Program aimed at achieving S&S timed standards.
Minimalism
Favoring reliability over novelty, the minimalist discards the nonessentials, focusing their efforts on a deeper understanding of the fundamental six kettlebell movements: The Swing. The Get Up. The Clean. The Military Press. The Squat. The Snatch.
Kettlebell athletes prioritize mastery of the basics. Our goal is to embody the “inch wide, mile deep” philosophy. We seek to build our biological engine, reinforce our physical structure, and sustain these efforts sustainably. Simplicity breeds compliance.
Rejecting “variety for variety’s sake,” we replace an entire gym with a curated collection of cast-iron kettlebells. We find meaning in constraint, bolstering our efforts through deliberate and unyielding dedication to the craft of Hardstyle Training.
The athlete who dedicates themself to minimalist ideals reaps the benefit of myopic focus: mastery of the basics, sustainable training, and freedom from overwhelm. We eliminate excessive choice, instead amplifying the holistic benefits of the essentials.
Coda: I recommend minimalism philosophies in both training and lifestyle. This not only includes exercise selection, programming, and equipment, but in nutrition, wardrobe, belongings, digital possessions, and the pursuit of hobbies.
I promote “rational minimalism,” not an ascetic lifestyle. I see minimalism as utilitarian: minimize what is not important so you can maximize what is.
Ritual
Honing a training ritual creates present awareness in our strength. When we develop a modus operandi around formality, we gain insight into the individual components that lead to sustainable and effective Hardstyle Kettlebell Training.
The kettlebell athlete who strives for uniformity builds a state of “no mind.” This mindset reinforces the determination and discipline required for progressive overload. Ritualized practice builds the aptitude of observance, attention, and action.
The rite of Hardstyle Training promotes unfettered potential of movement with stark carryover to our lifestyle at large. With this intention, our strength training is limitless. Our ceremony honors our intention. Our intention honors our strength.
The athlete who dedicates themself to a creating a training ritual reaps the benefit of a practice of deeper self-awareness. The conditions of our impending success are built on our foundation. To become strong, we must first become disciplined and orderly.
Coda: A ritual around training matters. If we are to progress, how can we do so without a keen awareness of what goes into our practice? I promote cleaning one’s training area, writing in one’s training journal, and honing a proper mindset leading into training.
Personally, I ritualize these elements in my training and practice walking meditation daily.
Practice
As Hardstyle practitioners, we do not “work out,” we “practice.” This is the essence of who we are. Our training practice is a process of excellence driven by smart work. We know it is not about the destination, but the steps we take in our journey of strength.
We incline the mind when our training practice is built on perfecting our movements. We must see the forest for the trees, realizing that each individual rep adds to a collection of deeper and more nuanced movements. Perfect practices makes perfect.
But our practice also encompasses a deeper meaning: our training strengthens our spirit. Mental resiliency develops through a dedication to our ideals. Through our strength practice, we bolster awareness in being comfortable in the uncomfortable.
The athlete who dedicates themself to practice reaps the benefit of deeper mindfulness in movement and mental wellbeing. Our dedication promotes self-love, service to others, and our goal of uplifting the collective consciousness in strength.
Coda: Training is practice. When we are able to analyze our technique, breathing patterns, tension generation, and relaxation, we become better. Our goal isn’t to lift the heaviest weight per se, it is it to lift the heaviest weight with the most beautiful and crisp form possible.
Practice has no boundaries. Training is the easiest way to get one’s foot in the door. It is unlikely that the athlete who practices daily doesn’t start to see changes in their other habits.
Resilience
Our culture is rattled with complacency in quotidian comforts. But the kettlebell athlete does not not embody fragility. We are nourished by effort. Our creature comfort is hard work. We strengthen our spirits through our dedication to strength.
Hardstyle Training is the engine of our mental and physical wellbeing. Although our training is difficult, we find solace in focused effort. Our methods forge capacity and toughness. We embrace our tribulations because we recognize resilience is pragmatic.
Without methodical training, our physical bodies crumble. The kettlebell athlete hones an aptitude for strengthening the mind and body. We find beauty in the stress required to overcome weakness. Our goal is to inspire others to find their strength.
The athlete who dedicates themself to resilience reaps the benefit of a stronger mind and body. We create a balance that serves the community to become better. We inspire higher ideals that reinforce order. We are the strength we wish to see in the world.
Coda: Resilience is more than physical toughness. It is a lifestyle. We strengthen our bodies through Hardstyle Training and we strengthen our mind through dedicated and directed effort. Our “antifragility” inspires others to rise above their perceived discomforts.
Resilience is a balance of toughness and suppleness. A robust human acts toward their most noble self and helps others see the bigger picture.
Improvement
Improvement is more than physical progression. It is the balance between where we started and where we are going. It is the realization of our self-worthiness, the recognition of our willpower, and the cognizance of our unlimited capabilities.
Improvement is the medium between torpidity and advancement. This progression is built upon small victories that sum to the creation of our strongest ideals. But we cannot attach ourselves solely to progression, only to our unique journey within it.
We relish in the minute details along our path. But most importantly, we realize that improvement is not the pursuit itself, but the embodiment of the steps we took to get there. Our goals are codified through the determined effort being a lifelong student.
The athlete who dedicates themself toward improvement reaps the benefit of continual growth: they put their willpower into masterful and determined effort. Perfect practice builds perfect improvement.
Coda: I recommend viewing improvement through small victories. Becoming too attached to ideals has the opposite effect on longterm growth. We must find solace in our day-to-day efforts. This is a tedious balance but one we must learn to live by.
Improvement happens when we forgo idle temperament. Right action is the process of decidedly putting forth the effort toward our goal without attaching ourselves to the outcome.
My Training Creed
My practice is my art.
My intention is my resolve.
I am the product of my effort.
It is with high hopes that The Hardstyle Manifesto encompasses the elements that support our lifelong practice of strength. I have been heavily influenced by the Stoics, Zen Buddhists, and the teaching of Jesus Christ in writing these Rites of Hardstyle.
My firm belief is that our training is the gateway to our higher selves. Training opens the door, then it’s up to us to find our purpose on earth. If you’re like me, your spirit is awakened by the spark of Hardstyle Kettlebell Training.
John Parker
November 22, 2022
Simple and Sinister Swing Programming
Goal:
Simple and Sinister
Method:
Build glycolytic capacity through volume accumulation and progressively compressed work:rest ratios
Load:
“Heavy +” kettlebell
Notes:
This program is designed to get the kettlebell athlete familiar with the demands of their “Heavy +” kettlebell test weight. This program is for advanced kettlebell practitioners only.
Due to the intensity of this six-week program, the kettlebell athlete should exclusively practice this program only. They will simultaneously train their Get Up based on their individual needs to meet the timed requirements for S&S.
The program prioritizes a “Heavy +” kettlebell for all one and two arm swing training. A “Heavy” kettlebell may be used if the athlete needs a deload. Refer to the Kettlebell Loading Parameters for a breakdown of appropriate bell sizing.
In week 2, you see numbers like “ + 1 on minutes at 12:00 & 13:00.” This represents adding + 1 rep to the 7 listed reps at the designated time(s). Minutes 12:00 & 13:00 would require performing 8 reps total. This allows the athlete to attain the required 100 repetitions for the training session.
Training is performed with a timer starting at 00:00. This is important: the time from 00:00–01:00 is the first minute. The interval is the total time spent training.
I will be publishing the Get Up protocol I used alongside the S&S Swing Program soon.
I hope everyone enjoys this article! I've been thinking about writing The Hardstyle Manifesto for the last two years. I am very happy with how it turned out!
Liking it a lot.. safe to assume you can also do single bell black book chains/MED chains on off days?