2008-05-25: Hard style / fluid style

I haven't posted for a while. In the last 3 weeks or so I've shifted from using ETK / RKC methods to the GS style of kettlebell lifting. This came about because of some chats I've had with Steve Cotter on facebook. I came to the conclusion that your own body is the ultimate laborotory. At the moment I'm using this instrument (my body) to test the effects of GS style training. The experiment calls for going back to absolute basics. In stead of constantly pushing towards heavier weights I've decided to go back to the 16kg kettlebell in order to see how far I can take my body with this relatively light weight (light because I can currently press the 40kg without too much strain.) On my first day of GS training it was a struggle to jerk the 16kg non stop for 4 minutes. I'm now up to 8 minutes (a total of 72 reps) after just three weeks of training. I've decided to stick to this protocol for a while because it seems to be "healthier" for my body for now. My joints and tendons feel better and I'm experiencing an increase in overall well-being rather than feeling constantly sore. My thoughts on mastering a certain weight is shifting away from the ability to press a heavy weight once towards being able to work with that weight for an extended time period. Only when able to maintain a certain work ratio will I feel that I've owned the weight.