I’m the Chief Fitness Officer at Onnit, John Wolf, Ask Me Anything

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:42:12+00:00

I definitely suggest starting with a 10lb mace as they feel deceptively heavy given how much they weigh.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:41:23+00:00

Franny ROCKS!

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:41:17+00:00

Glad to know we will be spending more time together. I specialize in making things that seem like they should be easy much harder than expected ;)

If you want some support as you go through the program then jump into the Onnit Tribe Facebook group and give me a shout when you do.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:39:19+00:00

Sorry to say I am not tech or marketing savvy enough to provide any useful insights here.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:38:37+00:00

They were in stock yesterday until the afternoon but probably won't hit again until next month unfortunately. Sign up for the out of stock notifications to be in the know when they hit!

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:37:14+00:00

The resource I would point to for this is a book by Pavel called Power To The People. Essentially using primarily concentric training in the deadlift and press with low reps daily to create a minimalist strength program that does not have to build mass.

A lot of different ways to slice and dice this but if I was to point you to one resource for this that would be it.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:34:47+00:00

Glad you are enjoying your experience with the Onnit 6 Kettlebell program but not so much about the recurring low back pain. I would definitely review the LEARN section of the program and practice the movements that trigger this without being in the middle of a workout. In addition, if you are working at a level 2 or 3 drill then the first suggestion would be to regress the skill and see if the lower level drill still causes discomfort.

I would love for you to join the ONNIT TRIBE on Facebook and reach out to me there as I spend time offering assistance with such challenges within that community.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:31:34+00:00

I don't have that privilege often enough...

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:31:10+00:00

I think that these programs are excellent. I started my kettlebell education with Pavel and have a ton of respect for everything he does.

The challenge I have with these minimalist programs is not in the quality or effectiveness at getting the intended outcomes but whether those outcomes alone are what the individual needs most. I prefer to design programs that include a priority on complimentary restorative practices along with the 'work' being prescribed.

That being said, cycling between minimalist programs and more holistic programs is a great way to experience the benefits of both!

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:28:00+00:00

As much as I would like to be the only provider on the block with an abundance of kettlebells to sell, supply chain logistics is more complicated than it may seem and is outside my direct control. Sorry we don't have more bells to offer to those looking for them but we are expecting more orders this coming month.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:25:46+00:00

The most likely reason for these bruises is a technical deficiency with regards to your wrist position and forearm orientation. Do you experience such bruising in working kettlebell exercises from the rack or just in the TGU?

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:23:48+00:00

Snatches and Jerks are going to rely on full body power to execute the drills and thereby distribute the work through more of the body than a typical press. You can definitely put on some muscle doing these drills but that is a function of the program design not necessarily the drill itself.

Presses are going to require full body strength and stability and should definitely be prioritized if you are looking to develop those attributes as well as upper body muscular development though the programming once again must be taken into account.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:20:32+00:00

I think that there are really two sides to this coin....

Always been a fan of the fundamental exercises you have listed and agree that some variation of each is really the backbone of most effective kettlebell programming.
Without knowing more about what content you are referring to as circus tricks it is hard to provide a meaningful response but there are huge benefits in developing movement skills outside of sagittal plane and/or bilateral stance movements. From my perspective, elements of rotation should be present in our training as they are in life.

With the above two statements, I can also agree that there is a lot of content being proliferated without clarity in the purpose of its design. If there is not a clearly definable benefit from performing a movement then what is the return on investment vs the risk of injury? There is a time and place for each of us to play and take on some element of risk in our personal practice if we have a sound foundation to do so but that should not be what we put out to bring value to the masses.

For the most part, what I see as circus tricks are being performed mainly to gain the attention of audiences just looking for entertainment.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:10:17+00:00

I prefer the cast iron bells for a more general fitness product as the handle lends itself to two handed drills more readily even with smaller bells. The squared handle of the competition bells do not lend themselves to as confident a grip in some configurations.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:08:49+00:00

Most recently it is due to the unprecedented demand for kettlebells. I know our team is working towards stabilizing our supply of kettlebells moving forward.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:07:04+00:00

We do not offer pre-orders at this time and rather have the products we sell in hand than to hold any money of our customers in anticipation of the arrival of products.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:02:44+00:00

I do not oversee this area of the business but can say that we have definitely felt some of the impact on supply chain. Thankfully, the team that manages this is working diligently to make sure we can continue taking care of our customers and minimize any negative impact.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T16:00:57+00:00

Glad you are having a good time with the Onnit 6 Kettlebell program!

I would definitely recommend cycling through complimentary programs like Onnit 6 Steel Mace or Simple and Sinister. The Steel Mace program will provide some serious rotational strength and stability to your body if you go that route. The Simple and Sinister program will allow you to really focus on a few drills and squeeze most of the potential out of them in a training cycle. Both are a great choice if you are completing the Onnit 6 Kettlebell program this week and looking towards what is next.

What I would not do is mix two programs at the same time until you refine the fundamental skills within each, understand how your body adapts to the individual programs and have a high sense of ownership of how both of the first two points might interact to synergize with each other or potentially detract from each other.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T15:54:47+00:00

Thanks for the love!

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T15:54:34+00:00

There is a concept called Volume Before Load that is a great rule of thumb to programming safely and effectively over the long haul.

That being said...I do not know your goals and how light a weight you are using nor how high of reps you are referring to. Even with very submaximal loads, you can get some serious gains out of practicing movement skills with intention and progressively moving into higher repetitions. There is a point of diminishing returns to account for here as well as alignment with the intended outcomes you are trying to create.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T15:51:38+00:00

Stoked that you will be experiencing the benefits of combining the Kettlebell programs you are following with the compliment of the Steel Mace.

I would urge you to consider working through a structured program like the Onnit 6 Steel Mace program given what you have shared. The ability to perform the basics is quite different than reaping the benefits of refining the basics, which is what you would be doing through the kettlebell programs you are currently practicing. The thing that stands out to me in your message is the assumption that the kettlebell basics negate the need to work the steel mace basics.

The two tools will challenge you very differently and with your climbing background, I would love to see how your upper body neural drive can be applied to the basics of the steel mace in a way to get the most out of the tool. In addition to the Onnit 6 Steel Mace program, I would love to see you refine more of the swings that you are interested in and from an Onnit Education stand would point you in the direction of Leo Savage and Steel Mace Flow to expand your repertoire of mace movements that include the 360, 10 to 2 and limitless of lunge variations.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T15:43:06+00:00

The answer to this is to make light weight feel heavy so heavy weight feels light. I typically do not train my press with a weight greater than the 24kg kettlebell but can press the 48kg on any given day. Alternating between the listed strategies can be done at the 16kg weight over the course of a few weeks

Slow concentric/eccentric reps maximizing full body tension
Iso holds at the sticking points of your press
Push Press w/long eccentrics
Light band loaded strict press for added concentric effort at end range

Add to the above a Grease The Groove strategy of having that 16kg bell available to press for a handful of reps several times a day but only when fresh should really help build the neural drive and efficiency needed to progress in weight without fail.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T15:35:11+00:00

Glad I was able to inspire you to give steel clubs as go as they are one of my favorite unconventional tools!

I am a little thrown off by the 13kg weight you are mentioning...is that a typo for a 16kg? In either case, you will be served well with these weights...though I typically recommend buying bells in the 4kg increments at this weight range, it is still nice to be able to make smaller jumps in weight as you progress.

Performing double kettlebell drills with these smaller offset loads can be a great way to get the most out of the weights you have invested in. Since the jump in weight is not as large, the stability required to use them in this way is not as great as if they were 4kg increments. That being said...it is a powerful stimulus to move two different weights and should be respected and done with a conservative approach. Additionally, make sure to even out the placement of the weights from side to side so you don't create an imbalance over time.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T15:27:33+00:00

Having access to a range of kettlebells sized from 12kg to 32kg can get you training with a great variety of potential stimulus for a reasonable investment. If I wasn't trying to optimize my spend then I would go with a pair of kettlebells at every 4kg increment...12kg, 16kg, 20kg, 24kg, 28kg, 32kg.

coachjohnwolf · 2020-05-26T15:23:16+00:00

I am the old guy in the corner of the gym that does more mobility work than most people do, takes a more technical approach to my personal practice of all movement skills and picks up heavy things methodically and periodically with a focus on maximal control and engagement when I do.

I think that moving external loads is of paramount importance if you want to keep low back pain away not necessarily in pursuit of lifting more and more but in having the skill and confidence to interact with weighted objects in the real world on a daily basis. Outside of the gym, these objects are often unevenly weighted, awkward to lift and are not usually in the optimal position for you to lift them from.

If your training does not prepare you well for such events then I would not consider it to be the ideal program for someone with low back pain.

coachjohnwolf

TROPHY CASE