Are EMOM Kettlebell Workouts Overrated?
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- If you want a mix of OTM and autoregulated Swing programs, check these out.
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EMOM.
Every Minute On the Minute.
Why it’s not EMOTM is beyond me.
Personally, I prefer TOTM - Top Of The Minute or better yet - OTM - On The Minute.
Regardless, it’s become increasingly popular in the last decade or so.
I started using it back in 2004 with my weightlifting partner.
We’d train our Oly work at his place - UNC Chapel Hill Olympic Sports Strength & Conditioning Center - then on other evenings or Saturdays we’d train at my personal training studio.
We just kept it stupid simple - KB Snatches OTM - 2 to 3 reps - for 20 to 30 minutes, 2x week.
It was “enough.”
The results?
Well, I wish I could say my lifts skyrocketed, but they didn’t.
Probably because this was about 6 to 9 months before I injured my hip.
But we did notice an increase in stamina or a decrease in recovery between sets of our Oly work and our assistance work.
And I’ve used OTM on and off over the last decade or so when I train the Oly lift - 1 rep OTM for 10-25 minutes, depending on the load.
But what I’ve noticed is that EMOM is generally abused by most outside of the kettlebell community at large, and probably even more so outside the StrongFirst community.
And that’s because even though you're doing a set OTM…
You still need to be aware of the dominant energy system being trained.
And that’s important because of what occurs in the body and the outcomes you’re producing.
Many people using EMOM either end up “inverting” their rest periods - where their work period is longer than their rest period - 20s work, 10s rest - for example. (Faux Tabata anyone?)
Or they still use excessively short work-to-rest ratios.
Either approach:
[+] Makes you accumulate fatigue quickly
[+] Decreases your force output / power production
[+] Alters your technique
[+] Sets you up for injury
[+] Damages your cell function (mitochondria) in the long run
[+] Damages your heart health and function
So, if you’re going to use OTM, keep your work periods short - or on the short side, unless you're doing GLYCOLYTIC PEAKING for a 400m race or a BJJ tournament or some similar event.
(NOTE: This is where some inverted work-to-rest ratios can be used, if you’re going to use them at all.)
Plus, even if you do get the work-to-rest ratios right, many, if not most folks “push” through “indicators” that they should stop and rest more.
My two biggest are:
[1] Speed drop off - where your reps start getting slower, and…
[2] Nasal Breathing - where you can no longer breathe nasally before your next set and end up mouth breathing with your tongue lolling outside your mouth…
That’s why I’m such a big fan of “autoregulation.”
Autoregulation is essentially where your current state (physical, mental, emotional) determines your output.
Long, tiring day at work?
Don’t expect to have a ton of energy to hit a PR performance.
Great night sleep, feeling relaxed?
You’ll probably do more work than you normally would.
Generally speaking, I think autoregulation is superior to OTM / TOTM / EMOM for most of us over 40, because it accounts for our less-than-optimal recuperation / recovery abilities.
It lets you train hard, but not so hard you crush yourself like you did when you were a kid and could get away with it.
So, if you’re going to use OTM / TOTM / EMOM...
Make sure your recovery ability is high and your technique is solid, especially if you’re using power exercises, like the Snatch.
Start with less reps than you think you can do per minute - usually by about ½ to ⅔ . So if you think you can do 10 reps OTM pretty easily, prove it to yourself by starting with 5 or 6 and go for at least 20 minutes.
And start with "low skill" non-technical exercises first, like the Swing vs. the Clean + Jerk
Stop when your speed drops and/or your breathing is compromised (so your technique doesn’t get compromised and you pave the way for injury).
Hopefully you found this helpful.
Stay Strong,
Geoff
Great content especially for us older guys (I'm 70). Currently using EOMOM (alphabet soup for every other minute on the minute). I'm basically giving myself 2 minutes to complete the set (roughly 30 seconds work / 90 seconds rest). I make sure I'm nasal breathing for the last minute before starting the next set. Seems to be working so far.
I think its my barbell background coming into play but I look at emom as conditioning and when I want to really focus on strength I make sure I am fully rested between sets.
@drunknnirish - THIS is how to perform EMOM/OTM sets. You can still "get conditioned" doing it this way, or using rests where you can pass the Talk Test, or breathe nasally between sets.
I have been doing Iron Cardio but I keep my "minutes" flexible based on my exercise choices. It's easy with interval timers app on the phone. e.g. for one clean/press/squat I set my timer to 70 seconds which gives me 40 seconds of rest for 30 seconds of work. My criteria is to be able to pass the talk test and nasal breathing.
@jvm-tv - Excellent.
The conclusion guidelines is spot-on I think, slavishly following an interval ( EMOMs can vary wildly in intensity depending on variables ) protocol, ignoring how you feel is counterproductive for older ( any ? ) folks IMO.
Here's another take, from what I noticed based off doing Dan John's SH_ABC workout.
Using HR-regulation, I naturally found an interval of 45:45, this was a good pace / intensity for the movements + recovery setup for me. But that's just a E[1.5M]O[1.5]M 😂
The HR graph shows a gradual upward trend over the course of the session, indicating that I'm challenging my system, but not overdoing it.
When I go up in weight I'll review the interval setup.
So every method of autoregulation for sets is actually interval based training by another name, albeit the autoregulated intervals might not be constant over the session.
Agreed. Didn't seem to know how to appreciate "Rest" until it became apparent how important it is.
The body ain't shy no more past 50... It will definitely speak out and let ya know how it's truly feeling. 💯👍🏿
It's hard for me to believe that if you pick the wrong work-rest ratio in your workouts, that can damage your mitochondria, your heart, and even freaking kill you. That for real? I mean I thought that all workouts were good and healthy
No, he's not correct.
He is so wrong that it's not even funny...
Countering each & every mistake/error in this video will take at least a 15 min video of its own! Which I don't have the time, energy or resources to do so.
Suffice to say, he is wrong - flat out!
But, the final 'recommendations' are fine.
This is by far, so far, his most hyperbolic & unscientific (= most idiotic) video!
That was pure BS that if your rest periods are not long enough it would be fatally dangerous.
@@jvm-tv Well, TBH, he didn't exactly say or mean that. You're just engaging in hyperbole to discount his view --- not the most logical/rational method.
However, yes, I do agree with you, that his insistence on the 'right'/'correct' rest periods is a bit overstated...
@jvm-tv - It's the accumulation of those rest periods over the course of time that (a) changes the thickness and function of the left ventricle, causing decreased stroke volume and the ability of the hear to pump blood correctly (mildly important) and, (b) the accumulation of H+ ions damages and can kill mitochondria. Apparently soccer/futbol players are notorious for having heart conditions after their careers. That's primarily from all the interval conditioning they do.
Also, remember Bob Harper from "The Biggest Loser?" He had a widow-maker heart attack while working out. The only reason he survived was that there was an EMT in the gym who attended to him. See if you can guess what were his favorite style of workouts? And see if you can guess what kind of workouts he no longer does?
@shantanusapru - Or... I actually read things other than modern fitness periodicals...
I looked up long term studies for HIIT and I am not convinced. one study was in humans with excessive of 5 days a week and another was in rats. There’s positive studies on it as well so I’m inclined to say that doing a kettlebell workout at higher intensity once a week or so is fine. The S&S has a Tabata btw
@BobaQueenPanda - That's fine. You don't have to be convinced. HIIT is moniker that encompasses A LOT of protocols. The point is, most don't use the appropriate protocols and they use HIIT too frequently. Once a week is fine, assuming the appropriate protocol. Three times a week is fine, assuming the appropriate protocol.
I would say that kettlebells are over rated. I've used them for 20+ years and after switching to trap bar deadlifts and 100+kg sandbags the kettlebell is more of good try at GPP.
If your goal is to lift more with trap bar then that’s how you get good at lifting more with trap bars. Sandbags are good too. All of the methods you listed actually build strength. It’s just a matter of defining what your goals are.
What are you talking about - 20 secs of work and 10 secs of rest is in fact the actual Tabata protocol that was the result of the work of Dr. Tabata when examining the optimal method for training VO2 max. Let's see you post a video of doing 20 secs of all out sprints followed by 10 secs of walking 8 times to make up the four minute period. Let's see you do that and then talk to me about how ineffective you think Tabata is. I will put up 1000 dollars right now that you can't. And when I say sprint, I mean sprint - not some pansy trot like most people do.
As for the mitchondria, if you look at the current research, high intensity intervals, including the Tabata protocol, is maybe the best thing you can do for mitochondrial health.
I'm sure Joel Jamieson, the authority on conditioning, would laugh at this comment.
@@fullmerfitmindandbody Laugh at what, exactly? That I laid out the actual definition and origin of "Tabata"? Because that part is correct. That suggesting doing an all out sprint for each of the eight 20 second intervals followed by 10 secs of walking or jogging is extremely demanding and very few people can actually manage it at an all out full sprint? Because that is also correct.
Let's see you try a round or two of that. I will bet money you can't.
As for the conditioning, I have a resting heart rate of 38bpm and still have plenty of gas in the tank doing what many fit people consider a challenging conditioning work out so I know it works. It is hardly all I do but to suggest true Tabata training (not the bullshit that is called Tabata) is not effective is ridiculous.
Now are you going to just chirp your mouth or are you going to try to prove me wrong?
@jasonwelsh417 not disputing TABATA, you're right about it. For you to claim that is the best thing you can do for mitochondria? That's a bit much.....tabata is cool, but it's not the be all end all. I do Tabata often, depending on what mesocycle I'm running in programming. So stop waving your dick around saying you're so great at it and you have a 38bpm resting heard rate and I probably couldn't do it. You sound like a child. It's really cringe. But then I guess I should have expected that from your triggered comment to Geoff and also to me...
It's a tool in the tool belt. It's entirely anaerobic and glycolytic. You need aerobic and alactic training just as much for the mitochondria.
Tabata is hard. It's supposed to be really all out...as in you can't go any faster. I was able to do it years ago when it first became popular about 20 years ago and I did sprints. I am not built for running and hated it. But it worked to help my fitness and conditioning when I had a tight schedule.
@JosephEGlaser Exactly - sprinting is an "all out" exercises and therefore the exact type of thing you should be doing with tabata. You never see people actually doing tabata intervals correctly.