Accommodating Russian Kettlebells
By Craig Culver
Louie Simmons and the Westside Barbell Club employed the band-and-chain accommodating resistance techniques to powerlifting to increase their personal records with great success. My article is about the application of this method to kettlebell lifting. I will briefly discuss the theory, and I urge to you to read the Accommodating Resistance article by Dave Tate in T-Mag.com for further details.
Generally, we are strongest near the lockout of the joint and weaker near the bottom due to leverage disadvantage. Sports scientist Prof. Vladimir Zatsiorsky described in his book Science and Practice of Strength Training ways in which accommodating resistance may be used to maintain the same high degree of difficulty throughout the lift.
In a nutshell, I can fully military-press a 1.5-pood kettlebell. I cannot press a 2-pood kettlebell, at least not from my chest, but I can do lockouts with a 2-pood kettlebell. Or I can add a rubber band or a chain to a 1.5-pood kettlebell. As I am pressing a kettlebell from my shoulder, the rubber band stretches or more chain links come off the floor, so I end up pressing more and more weight as I approach the lockout, finishing with 2 poods at the top.
Note: A pood is a Russian measurement of weight equal to approximately 16kg or 35lbs.
If you choose to use chains, you will need several five-foot sections of 3/8-inch and 5/16-inch chains, one five-foot length of 3/8″ chain as a support chain, two snap rings, and one 2″ ring. All these items are available at your local hardware store. Attach the 2″ ring with one snap ring at one end of the five-foot 3/8″ support chain, and attach a snap ring on the other end of the support chain. Loop the end around the handle of your kettlebell with a snap ring, or you can attach a small loop of cord to your kettlebell handle and then attach the snap ring to it.
Raise your kettlebell to your shoulder and adjust the support chain until the bottom of the two-inch ring just barely touches the floor. Run either a 3/8″ or a 5/16″ training chain until the center of the chain meets the ring. At this point, you are set to go.
A five-foot section of 3/8″ chain weighs about 3 lbs., and five feet of a 5/16″ chain weighs about 4.4 lbs. The total weight of the 1.5-pood kettlebell plus the chain set-up are about 57 lbs. at the bottom of the press. The total weight with the whole chain in the air plus one 3/8″ training chain is 60 lbs. You can add another 3/8″ chain along with the support chain to increase the resistance at the shoulder level to 60 lbs. Just add more training chains and center them through the 2-inch ring to increase the lockout resistance. You just made yourself an adjustable kettlebell.
The Westside Barbell Club found that rubber bands are superior and harder on your body than chains. The negative is more intense, because the band pulls the weight down. The bands are great for developing explosive strength, but they are also more hazardous than chains, so be careful. It’s better to start with the smallest kettlebell and only use 1/2-inch bands. You can get a set of 1/2-inch bands for $20.00 from www.jumpstretch.com or 1-800-344-3539.
The kettlebell band setup is quite straightforward. Attach a short cord to your kettlebell handle and loop one end of the band around the cord. Wrap the other end of the band around your foot. You get more tension if you stand on the band with both feet. Spread your feet apart, and you get even more tension. Experiment and be careful.
Experiment with these two accommodating resistance techniques in your kettlebell workouts. Above all, train safe!