This evening I finished my four-week commitment to the clean and press program that you’ve read about if you’ve spent any time here at all. It’s nice to be done and ready to move on to something else, though I don’t plan to abandon the clean and presses altogether going forward. I actually love the clean and press, and it’s an effective exercise for developing overhead (and shoulder) strength and for building some shoulder muscle. For the record, here was the workout:
Workout:
Five Clean and Press ladders, up to four reps.
Roll two dice to determine the number of minutes to do kettlebell swings at 100% effort.
I used the 53# bell for both parts of the workout, and for the first time, I managed to do all five ladders up to four “rungs.” That was encouraging.
For the swings, I rolled an 11. I wasn’t excited about going at 100% effort for that long, so I planned on some strategic rest to best pace myself and maximize the work. I planned poorly. I decided I would do 10 swings, then rest 1o seconds. I ended up only doing 217 swings in the 11 minutes. If I take that approach again, I’d use that formula when planning for 70-80% effort. For a 100% effort, I should have done about 15 swings/10 seconds rest or so. I was still sweating by the middle, but I totally had more in the tank. That part was sort of disappointing.
But the best part of it all – besides being done and having stuck with that particular program for four weeks – was what happened after resting for a few minutes. I picked up the 70# bell and pressed it cleanly with the right side once. I failed on the attempt at a second rep. Then I switched to the left and pressed the 70 pounder not once, but twice! That’s a big deal for me, because I’ve never pressed the 70# kettlebell with my left side once, and I did it twice. In addition, I was able to press more with the left (weak) side than the right (strong). Perhaps it was an anomaly, but it is progress, regardless.
Anyway, that was proof that I’ve gotten stronger on this short program, even if the progress wasn’t dramatic. I’m looking forward to integrating some other movements next week. Stay tuned for more on that.
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