Polishing the Floor Here, and Making it Shine Over There (or Grab a Kettlebell and Watch the Magic Happen)
Ok—now what the hell are they talking about? Well, sometimes you can really improve something by working on something entirely different. Let’s look at an example.
Scott’s Squat—A Case Study
Scott recently squatted 150kg (at age 54) . The last time he did that was a good five years ago, and it was a pretty ugly squat—squatting barely to parallel, and torso leaning forward so much that it caused a tinge in the lower back that haunted him for a few months. By comparison, this latest squat was a thing of beauty—well below parallel, torso much more upright, and best of all—no pain during or after. So what was different? Well, he stopped working on his squat. Wait, what? Yup. For the last seven months, he has been swinging a 32kg kettlebell 100 times per day. His other leg work consisted of goblet squats with the 32kg kettlebell, lunges with 2 x 32kg kettlebells, and bottom-of-the-squat kettlebell holds for 30 seconds. These were all done on different days, in a microworkout format (one set x 4 times per day). The result was a much-improved bottom position in the squat, and a big increase in core strength and stability. Just like polishing the floor in one place, and having it shine in another.
In case you may be thinking, “He’s just strong—he can just do things like that,” a couple of years ago, he was following a squat program where he was squatting heavy three times per week. His main focus over three months was getting a heavier one rep max in the squat. His squat went from 140kg to 145kg after all that work, and injuries were starting to develop in his hips and around his knees, due to the large volume.
Is Something Else Going On?
The quick answer is yes, we think so. We believe that most people are overtraining. We have been followers of various strength programs where the volume has been so great, we were in a constant state of inflammation—inflammation you can feel when you attempt to get into the bottom of a squat—inflammation you can even see around your knees in the bottom of a squat.
We also believe that following a “High Frequency Training Program” helps with recovery. Scott’s “Microworkout Program” includes moving four times per day, throughout the day—clearing a lot of the metabolites that sit in muscle tissue and cause inflammation and negatively affect mobility. He is also now doing Heart Rate Variability-Driven Training—meaning that he keeps his daily training just below his daily recovery, as measured by Heart Rate Variability on the Whoop band.
Some Food for Thought
If you are going after a goal—for example a heavier weight on a lift—try actually cutting back on training that particular lift. Add in some other accessory training that doesn’t overstress the joints used in that lift. The kettlebell is a great tool for that. Polish the floor somewhere else, and wait for it to shine where you want it to.
We wish you strength, health, and happiness
Scott & Lennart