Dan John Explains ''Simple & Sinister'' and ''Rite of Passage'' Kettlebell Programs

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Dan John has spent his life with one foot in the world of lifting and throwing, and the other foot in academia. An All-American discus thrower, Dan has also competed at the highest levels of Olympic lifting, Highland Games and the Weight Pentathlon, an event in which he holds the American record.
Dan spends his work life blending weekly strength training workshops and lectures with full-time writing, and is also an online religious studies instructor for Columbia College of Missouri. As a Fulbright Scholar, he toured the Middle East exploring the foundations of religious education systems. Dan is also a Senior Lecturer for St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London.
His books, on weightlifting, include Intervention, Never Let Go, Mass Made Simple and Easy Strength, written with Pavel Tsatsouline as well as From Dad, To Grad. He and Josh Hillis co-authored “Fat Loss Happens on Monday.”
Dan is one of the original practitioners of the "Kettlebell Swing" in the US and is widely renowned to be the inventor of the "Kettlebell Goblet Squat". He is the host of the weekly Dan John Podcast; discussing all things strength, kettlebells, Olympic weightlifting and athletic performance as well as doing live workshops, coaching and online personal training.
#danjohn #strengthtraining #nutrition #onlinepersonaltraining #danjohnpodcast #kettlebell #powerlifting #kettlebelltraining

[@Finnegan708]

Started swings,push ups, gob sqts, long walk loaded farmers walk. Thanks for great stuff Dan-

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

You bet. I enjoy doing this...

[@engineerat8]

I recently trained for and got my SFG1 instructor certification. The training method I used was a modified Rite of passage. I used Anthony Diluglio's ETK workbook as a guide for the clean and press ladders, but modified the timing and reps of swings and snatches. Rather than roll a dice for variable times on snatches and swings, I would snatch on Monday's using a 30:30 interval timer for 5 minutes. My goal was to work up to the 100 snatches I needed to perform in 5 minutes required by String First. On Wednesday and friday I would use EMOM swings, 10 swings EMOM for 10 minutes. On days I was feeling strong, I would swing heavy. I felt like the swing and snatch volume was too high (for me) using the workbook. It felt right with my modifications. I began my clean and press ladders with 20kg and by the end of 5 months of training I would sometime complete my 5 ladders with the 28kg. I kept my snatches at 20kg since I deal with a little bit of elbow tendonitis. As a result, I was the oldest person at my certification, and the strongest. Although the 3 days of testing was difficult and tiring, I was never challenged at any one time more than I had challenged myself in training. I crushed my snatch test, 100 snatches in 4:13. I would have been under 4 minutes if I hadn't taken time to rechalk my hands. I understand that if you modify a program that you aren't really doing the program, but for me the modifications were what allowed me to train for success.

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

That book upset some people when it came out, but I certainly know many who used it...

[@Matticus87]

Very interesting!

[@Paul-to6iw]

Great clips easily digested! Best served while doing a few casual sets of snatches, pull-ups and ab rollouts while cooking the dinner. Cheers, from Belfast.

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

One of my favorite places in the world...lots of family there.

[@richardbarnes5418]

Hey Dan, I've been following Rite of Passage for the last couple of years and have progressed to using 40kg for the ladders. The results have been amazing (I've lost about 80lbs and am so much fitter). I've completed the 200 in 10 mins snatch test but was wondering about the half body weight press component. Should it be a strict press before moving on to Return of the Kettlebell? Also, I use leg drive to help with the ladders themselves. Would you recommend this or should I drop the load and focus on preforming them strict? Have searched everywhere online but I'm struggling to find a clear answer. Would really appreciate your advice.

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

That’s what he says in the book. I agree with it, but not everybody does.

[@Jweldsandlifts]

I've found my groove with an idea I came up with using your 2-3-5-10 scheme, but using that pattern as a set scheme instead of a rep scheme. For those interested, it looks like this... Day 1 - 2 sets of 50 swings Day 2 - 3 sets of 50 swings Day 3 - 5 sets of 50 swings Day 4 - 10 sets of 50 swings Day 5 - 1 set of max rep swings Repeat from day 1 OR rest 1 day and then repeat from day 1 Between sets of swings, I practice the ab wheel, goblet or double front squats, and some single or double kb pressing variation. I also do daily bouts of calisthenics during dog walks, hill sprints, and a long ruck or hike every Sunday to round things out.

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

That's a very good idea. Let me know how this goes.

[@JRL6211]

“Your experiment seems interesting to me” and the look on your face … having chatted with you in person … says volumes 😂. I am not, however, at liberty to say what

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

You see through me...

[@opdgrow4life]

Any tips on how to get a way too rough Kab handle a bit snoother and more comfortable?

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

I remember when some of those early brands came out with those really rough grips. The old DD forum used to have lots of discussions about this. I personally would buy another one as the best advice was to file down the grip. As I recall, metal file the big stuff down and sandpaper until safe. I don't know how long this takes, but that was the usual recommendation. At the old gym, I wrapped athletic tape around the handle of one bad KB (we had 113...so that's not bad) and it worked okay because it wasn't just horrid.

[@gorg966]

Good answer Dan! Looking forward to a cycle of ROP myself soon... And by the book snatches are on the light day 👍👍

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

It's a very good program.

[@njakobs]

When is the new book coming out? Have a new cycle starting in 5 weeks and want to see what you have

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

I think we decided on a cover, but I have no idea when it’s going to come out

[@ATMfromNJ]

If you're not following the program, you're NOT following the program. Finish one a couple of times then see if you need to supplement. ROP needs nothing added if you're doing it right. Rite?

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

If that's true, and I agree, why do people ask these questions?

[@ATMfromNJ]

@@DanJohnStrengthCoachprobably because they cannot follow simple directions and need an expert to tell them to follow simple directions. Excuse me for my saltiness.

[@DannyB587]

I think it comes down to the fact that people are impatient and want everything right now. They don't want to take the time to finish a program as it's written because they want to get to the promised land yesterday. They think if they combine programs they'll get the advertised results of both, but actually end up spinning their wheels and then complain about it online.

[@ATMfromNJ]

@@DannyB587 This. Follow the program, keep a journal, debrief when you're finished- share results, theorize, pontificate, learn. At least 2 runs through the program (at some point) until passing judgement or supplementing. This approach is much easier than having what should be called "perfect-program-FOMO." Do the program. You're not smarter than the one who designed it (likely). BTW this simply what I'm telling myself because I've been guilty of F-around-itis. The remedy is simple.

[@13Ambro]

Is it just me but are all of the programs from Pavel lacking leg work or do the TGU / Swings / C&P work the legs sufficiently enough?

[@GregStruminski]

i am on my second week of ROP and I love it. one thing I am still not sure about and trying to figure out is how to approach swings and snatches after C+P, how many sets and reps? ladder? I would be grateful for help here.

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

If you read the book, we are told to roll the dice and pick out random numbers. Personally, I just came up with like a couple of variations and just stuck it out. I was getting ready for the certification so I did a lot more sets of 100 but probably you can get 75 to 250 swings work out And maybe 5250 snatches

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

50 to 150 snatches

[@lisawalls4194]

What did you do during your 1’ rest during swings?

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

Is the audio unclear?

[@emersonbarreras5339]

Anyone else here think DJ kinda looks like Buzz Lightyear?

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

Okay.

[@emersonbarreras5339]

@@DanJohnStrengthCoach what? nothing wrong with that, just saying...I mean without the whole spacesuit thing btw

[@andymax1]

Gave that Rite of Passage work out a go after doing 2 hours of BJJ, I might be sore tomorrow.

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

That's a long day.

[@ianfoster1171]

Your armour complex is fantastic. I do it with double 24 kg 20 sets. Then add in dips and pull ups. EMOM do this once a week

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

That's a good combination.

[@ianfoster1171]

@@DanJohnStrengthCoach thank you

[@Cearball]

Only mentioning this because we are taking about ETK but i am currently using the heavy, medium, easy ladders to do dips. & Pull ups. Follow it up with easy strength style RDL, 2H swings & a solid set of deadbugs at the EES rep range suggestions. An interesting mish mash. I forgot how easy it is to accumulate coming with these ladders

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

I'm amazed, always, how fast I can get to like 100 reps by doing ladders. I think we have to be wise on how we plan the volume here.

[@gregharrington4759]

I combined The Giant (Geoff Neupert) and Pavels Kettlebell Axe. The week looks like: Giant Axe Rest Giant Axe Rest 2 days. It’s worked amazingly well.

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

Okay.

[@Matticus87]

Pretty sure I won’t be doing the wheel barrow with the wife after this for a while.

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

That made me laugh, thank you

[@johngutierrez2687]

Seems like you’d really need to add some squats in there!

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

That's an issue, certainly. Pavel's programs often don't have them...he explains it in Power to the People

[@ianblackhall]

I did a clean and press program and ended up being able to press more than I could squat. They seem so unbalanced.

[@DanJohnStrengthCoach]

That's kind of amazing...

[@farstrider79]

Where is the weak link in your squat? Your legs or somewhere else? I have somewhat the same issue where my OHP and double kettlebell front squat are similar, but that's because previous back issues cause my low back to be the limiting factor. My legs can lift more, but my back can't support it, so I have decent overhead strength and lagging squats.