Marathon Kettlebell Challenge

Ronnie "Legbelu1" Caldwell

June 3, 2002 10:54 AM

This article is entitled Marathon Kettlebell Challenge but it is not intended to be just for people who intend to run Marathons and would like to know how to effectively use kettlebells. This article and following training regiment is for those who want to take their lactic acid threshold through the roof, increase their "wind", and become a nonstop powerhouse.

Before I get into the routine I guess it would be appropriate for me to let you know a bit about myself. By learning about me you'll also learn about how I came up with this protocol which is about to change your life and I'll be selling on infomercial for only 19.95 plus shipping + handling. Moving On. I have been training with weight seriously, which is suppose to mean fairly consistently, for about three years now. I'm one of those rare breeds of ironmen who strive on new challenges and the thrill of new ways to test my "Herculean" physique. All propaganda aside, what I am really saying is I can never stick to a routine. This also has roots in the fact that I always try to fancy myself as someone who is a free thinker and likes to find my own way.

I basically always have close to 2,714 completely authentic lifting routines in my head EVERYDAY. I assume this gross overproduction is the reason I am still a struggling unheralded strength guru. Because of this I quickly liked what I heard about Pavel's concepts in Kettlebell training. Being the free thinker I am, I quickly applied these concepts to DUMBBELL training, just have to be different and I felt the dumbbell suited my metaphysical needs at that stage in my ongoing development. I was being cheap.

Soon however I began to turn other friends of mine onto Pavel's ideas and soon enough one of my good buddies bought a kettlebell. This happens to be the same kettlebell that I have been using. You see as a believer in the collective nature of man I felt that this was a perfect opportunity to take my friendship with my buddy Ian Mosher to a whole new platonic level. I am the large leech engulfing his heart.

Soon I realized the unbelievable variety of the Kettlebell and how many exercises I could do that were in Pavel's book, I did buy that, as well as exercises I could improvise on my own. I wanted to invent a protocol that had great variety but that could also keep me in a state of continuous work without failure while at the same time building my lactic threshold. For activities like boxing, wrestling, NHB fighting, basketball, rugby?etc. you are constantly using both aerobic and anaerobic facilities. I felt that it would be effective to be able to use the kettlebell for an extended period of time without having to take a rest or at least while resting still remaining active.

Going along with the insights of Charles Poliquin, I went along with the assumption that the build up of lactic acids in the body also increases the output of growth hormone. This release of GH has positive effects on both muscle growth and fat burning, for all the hidden pretty boys on the board. The initial idea came while I was reading a book dealing with the training of marathon runners. I noticed that marathon runners work to increase the time spent running per week throughout a cycle of sixteen weeks. I thought to myself that in order to build the type of endurance necessary for sports like wrestling and boxing, two sports in which I am engaged in and have been overlooked by the professional ranks, one should concentrate more on time than reps. What I mean to say is that I began to focus more on timing my sets than counting reps. As in the old Catch Wrestling matches wrestlers had to be able to wrestle aggressively as well as rest while engaged in battle, being that there were no breaks. These thoughts lead me to the routine that I am about to outline for you.

In order to embark on the Marathon Kettlebell training routine one must have imagination and the will to keep going. You will perform an exercise as quickly as possible without compromising form for one minute and without rest immediately switch to another exercise. Again, performing it as quickly as possible for another minute. You will continue in this manner until you will begin to cry. Usually, I perform this routine from anywhere between eight to sixteen minutes. (So that means eight to sixteen different exercises without stopping.) I suggest switching off between difficult and easier exercises. For example, I may perform a set of one-handed snatches and then follow it with passing the bell between my legs.

This routine will allow you to use a lot of variety and force you to listen to your body. This enables the person to sustain an increased heart rate and lactic threshold for an extended period. As a result, after performing the routine three or four times you will find that your "wind" and your ability to sustain a powerful output have greatly improved. I try to do this routine every other workout. I do suggest a day of rest after each marathon. I have found that I am now hard pressed to find any kettlebell routines that are as difficult. In general activities like hitting the bag or running up and down the basketball court my level of stamina has gone through the roof.

So my fellow comrades, if you are interested in accepting the advice of a greatly unappreciated, as genius always is, mastermind of physical training please take up the Marathon Kettlebell Challenge. ​

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