Beyond Max

Mark and I were the first kettlebell athletes to train Max Vo2 regularly, test it, write about it, and that was way back in July 2007. I, of course, was simply riding coattails of my brilliant husband but the routine, the workout quickly became a favorite. Why? Because someone else was telling me what to do! Oh sure, I was interested in training my body's ability to maximize oxygen uptake, which is the definition of cardio vascular health and strength , at the same time as increasing muscular strength, but having 4-8 weeks of my training mapped out for me was a big relief!

OK, so you've completed 80 sets of 7 or 8 reps using the 15/15 sec protocol, where do you go after Max? Well, you start over, you do it again, maybe with a heavier bell, maybe with more reps....speaking of more reps.... Before I started playing around with taking "traditional Max" beyond 7 or 8 reps per 15 sec I repeated the training many times over in my classes, with my training partners, until it, and we, just became too efficient at it. After all Max Vo2 training is dependent on maintaining your target heartrate....oh and at some point the boredom factor, especially after 60 sets, is not a challenge but an annoyance. Hey, I can do the boring stuff no problem, but I have to be bored and challenged by the workload.

I started to add in some extra reps in a very progressive and deliberate way. I know to some people my training may look "willy nilly", but I always have a vision of where I'm going, creating new and farther destinations as I travel....it's about the journey and what you learn, feel and see along the way. Max Vo2 template is just the starting point to lots of fun and challenging workouts, now let's go "beyond Max"!

I will try and post a new routine based on the original every week. Here in my first progression I add an uphill and a downhill rep ladder. Those of you that do not own my DVD "Programming the Kettlebell Swing" may not be familiar with a method I use to train the swing with what I call "work into rest". "Work into rest" is when you lengthen your training time while reducing your rest simultaneously for only short periods. You do not increase the speed, you keep the same pace and simply keep training past the time of your work interval into your rest interval.

I also like to work in "even" blocks of sets, usually blocks of ten sets.....if you know anything about my training "10" is the magic number! Working in blocks of ten gives me something to focus on instead of the work being done or the time it takes. Ten sets of 15/15 equals 5 min. Start with 15-20 minutes (30-40 sets) and work up to 40 min. This could take 4-8 weeks depending on if you train it once or twice a week.

Here I'm posting video to demonstrate how it's done. I also talk about some other options if you need a slightly less intense progression.

Beyond Max #1

8 sn R, 15 sec rest

8 sn L, 15 sec rest

9 sn R, less than 15 sec rest

9 sn L, less than 15 sec rest

10 sn R, even less than 15 sec rest

10 sn L, even less than 15 sec rest

9 sn R, less than 15 sec rest

9 sn L, less than 15 sec rest

8 sn R, 15 sec rest

8 sn L, 15 sec rest

10 sets = 5 min

repeat.

The reason why I ladder up and then ladder down is, again, to progressively increase the intensity while still leaving room for future workouts...those are coming! Try this one out for a few workouts and let me know how it goes. Enjoy!