RKC School of Strength

Official blog of the RKC

Archives for April 2015

It’s All About the Data

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Laurel Blackburn Senior RKC

I am a data freak. I love tracking my fitness, my nutrition, my accomplishments and my goals. I do this both for my clients and myself.

Back in the day when I first started bodybuilding, I just used a notebook. I jotted down my workouts and food but not much else. I really did not know if I was making progress in my strength. I did however know exactly what I was eating and how many calories I was consuming everyday. Keeping a food journal was a priority because I had to get as lean as possible for every show.

That was years ago and my goals have changed.

Since then I completed two half marathons. I printed out a running program I found online and stuck to that. I never logged my runs or anything else, I just followed the plan. I had days where my runs were horrible and I would end up walking a lot. I had days in which I felt I could run forever.

Had I kept a log and a food journal, I may have been able to see why; on certain days I felt like I was running through mud and why some days I felt like an Olympian. Maybe my nutrition, hydration and sleep had a big effect on my training. I would never know because I didn’t keep data.

Over the past few years my goals have changed. For several years I didn’t do much but train with kettlebells. I went from program to program and tried and stopped every one of them. I had workout dyslexia. I was always getting distracted by a shiny new program.

My personal training business pretty much followed the same fate. I either did not write down programs or I would throw something together before I headed to the gym to train my clients.

They did see results with weight loss and body composition which was fine because that is pretty much all they cared about. I never kept data on their actual progress in the gym. Many times I would have to ask how much weight we used on our last workout. Had I kept data, I would have been able to show them their progress.

Things changed for me when I began setting goals that had deadlines attached to them. Had I not kept data on my training, I doubt I would have accomplished much.

One of my goals, and still is to be the oldest woman to complete the Iron Maiden challenge. For those who may not know; I would need to do a pull-up, pistol squat and press the 24 kilo (53 pound) kettlebell.

First thing I did was to hire a coach. Second thing I did was to get a good log to journal my workouts and more importantly, my progress.

Over the years I have bought, downloaded and made my own workout logs. None of them had ALL of the features I wanted.

Convict Conditioning Log BookI came across the Convict Conditioning Log Book. Even though it’s focus is on the CC program, I loved the layout and used it for my personal goals. I don’t do the CC program and didn’t pay attention to that part of the log. It didn’t matter because the actual log pages had everything I was looking for.

Once I started keeping data on my workouts, I was able to progress and regress as needed. I also was able to share with workouts with my coach. If he asked me about a past workout or weights used, I could flip to the page and let him know.

Having this data was crucial for reaching my goals. My coach was able to use this info to program my training cycles.

That is not the only data I keep. I still log my food and my running.

I am proud to say that I am one of those obnoxious people who have to take 5 minutes before a run to start my heart rate monitor, my Map My Run app, my music and my interval timer.

Funny thing is, I am not even a serious runner and I’m not very good at it. I do it for fun and to spend time with my friends. Do I really need that much data on my running? No. I just love having the data and more importantly, the gadgets.

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Senior RKC, Laurel Blackburn owns Boot Camp Fitness and Training and Tallahassee Kettlebells.  Look for Laurel at www.bootcampstogo.com or www.tallahasseekettlebells.com.

In her early fifties, she is out to prove that age is just a number. Her goal is to motivate and inspire people everywhere, both young and old that strength, flexibility and mobility can get better with age. Follow her adventures on her blog: www.SuperStrongNana.com.

My RKC Experience

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Neal DenHartog Snatch Test

Last weekend I had the opportunity to undertake one of the most rewarding endeavors of my burgeoning fitness career. I attended a three day workshop to become an RKC instructor. I knew going in that it was going to be both physically demanding and extremely educational in terms of refining not only my own technique, but how to teach the skills properly to others. The workshop did not disappoint in either regard and it was easy to see why the RKC is still the Gold Standard when it comes to kettlebell certifications.

I had some reservations going in regarding my readiness. A low back injury in February took away a good chunk of my preparation time. I wasn’t feeling fully recovered until just a week or two out from the weekend. I waited until the last minute to not defer my spot to a later date. If anything, I’m stubborn and when I commit to something I follow through. So, despite my less-than-ideal preparation, I showed up in Ohio ready to learn.

As we met that first day and started introducing ourselves I began to feel even more nervous. Our small class of nine people had pretty diverse backgrounds. Many of them had some coaching experience and most had trained with an experienced RKC instructor. I had done neither and was starting to feel like a bit of an impostor. I was self taught with books, DVDs and good old “YouTube University”, and had been programming my own workouts since January. Was I really ready for this?

My fears were quickly quelled as we started receiving instruction on the basic skills. I have to hand it to the trio of great instructors–they were able to present the various intricacies of each skill in an easy to learn, and easy to assimilate manner. I had to treat myself as a blank slate and erase all of the bad habits I’d formed over the past year and a half, and then build myself back up according to their instruction. We were presented with a plethora of coaching cues and drills that allowed the refinements to slowly integrate into our form.

By the end of the first day I had survived the endless drilling, a couple of workouts, and felt like my skills were improving to the point that I may just pass some of the tests on the final day. The second day was shaping up to be even tougher, with the vaunted snatch test to be thrown into the middle of more drilling, learning, and workouts.

Lori Crock coaching Neal DenHartog

Waking up sore and tired that second day made the idea of surviving a little more far fetched. This is where the magic of the group mission started to take over. We were all in the same boat. We were all sore and tired. At the same time we were all striving toward a common goal of becoming a certified instructor and that common purpose raised the energy of the group. The camaraderie and support was growing and each of us fed off that energy to push past the points of physical and mental fatigue that were threatening to take over.

None of this was more evident that when it came time to execute the snatch test. The snatch test is a simple, but nasty five minutes of work. The goal: complete 100 snatches in less than five minutes. I had done it a few times in training, but it’s not a test that ever gets easy. Add in the additional fatigue from a day and a half of kettlebell training and it’s no wonder many of us were nervous going in.

We had each other’s backs though. There was hooting and hollering, fist bumps, high fives, and boisterous cheers as each and every one of us passed our test. It was a sight to witness and a testament to the character of each participant.

My test was a struggle, as I knew it would be. Much like my endurance racing career, I went out fast and struggled to hold on in the latter stages of the test. I set the bell down late and had to give myself a mental kick the pants to fight through the fatigue and pick it up to finish my last few reps. I’m not sure how, but I knocked out rep 100 a split second before the timer hit five minutes. Success!

As ecstatic as we all were, there was still work to be done further refining our skills for the evaluation the next morning. I woke up even more sore that third day, but there was a light at the end of the tunnel, with the possibility of fulfilling a dream by the end of the day.

The skill evaluation was nerve-wracking, knowing every minute nuance of our technique was being scrutinized by our instructors. With that over, the focus turned to coaching, where we designed and took both a class member and a brave volunteer from the community through a workout. It was our chance to apply what we had been taught to someone else. Every skill, assessment, drill, cue, stretch, correction, progression, and regression we had learned was at our disposal to create a helpful session.

Neal Den Hartog Kettlebell Swing

To top the weekend off, we ended with our graduate workout. It was a brutal session of cleans, presses, swings, and squats. Twenty-five minutes of shear work, where we were only allowed to put the kettlebell down a couple of times. It was the single toughest kettlebell workout I have been through, and the perfect test of physical and mental strength and endurance. Again, the will and determination of the group carried us through the workout and by the time we cranked out our final swing we knew the hard part was over.

After that it was just a matter of awaiting our results from the instructors. There were more tears, smiles, and hugs from the group as we learned our fate. Unfortunately I did not receive passing marks on all of my skills. In the end the get-up got me, but it’s not the end of the road. I will have a chance to retest and ultimately earn my certification.

I won’t lie and say that I’m not a little disappointed, but looking back at where I was at the beginning of the weekend I’m quite proud of what I accomplished. None of it would have been possible if not for the great leadership provided by Master RKC Andrea Du Cane, RKC Team Leader Lori Crock, and RKC Chris Meredith. Their insight, encouragement, and direction over the course of the weekend was invaluable.

My classmates were equally amazing, contributing to the coaching and encouragement as we progressed. Who knew you could have so much fun during such a draining weekend of work?

RKC Group Photo Dublin Ohio

I walked away from the workshop with my confidence at an all time high. Although I still have some work to do on my get-up, I know that I can teach these skills to others, and do a good job of it. I no longer feel like an imposter. It is not a question of “if” I will earn my certification.

It is simply a matter of when.

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Neal DenHartog is an RKC candidate from Ames, Iowa who recently attended the RKC event in Dublin, Ohio. He is currently refining his Turkish Getup in hopes of achieving his RKC within the next 90 days. He can be reached at disturbed275@yahoo.com. His blog is http://iron2ironfitness.com.

The Who, What, Where, When and Whys of the Hinge and Wedge

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Margaret Domka Goblet Squat
Margaret Domka, 2015 Women’s World Cup utilizing the Goblet Squat

Three Examples of World Class Athletes Who Hinge and Wedge:

  • As seen above, Margaret Domka is performing a kettlebell goblet squat in her training for the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Goblet squats and hill sprints. She sprints when the goblet squat is correct, but not until then. First one must obtain the wedge and a proper hinge before sprinting. Margaret has shown a proper hinge and wedge which is why she’s fast and strong and therefore, going to the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Hurrah!
  • Nathan Mackinnon is ranked as the fastest skater in the NHL. Chris Hamelin is a gold medalist in speed skating. Both of these world-class athletes faced off in a short race. Both utilize a very strong and present hip hinge. To actually see what I’m talking about, take a second to search “Nathan Mackinnon vs. Chris Hamelin”. Pause the video when both athletes are in their starting stance. Take note of the hinge!
  • Nine-time gold medalist in sprinting, Carl Lewis, clearly utilizes both the hinge and wedge. His body is connected as one. Take a second to Google Carl Lewis and you’ll see a 0:54-second video. Watch how Carl moves his lower body without breaking the hinge. Carl runs like a 9-time gold medalist, not like a bulldog.

Carl Lewis, Margaret Domka and Nathan MacKinnon are not the only great athletes to have utilized a powerful hip hinge and wedge technique. Spend a few minutes watching the greats such as Michael Jordan in his defensive position, 2014 #1 center in the NFL Alex Mack, and so on. There is a secret which has been exposed thanks to all of us and you within the RKC community and that is this; Hardstyle training works for both high level athletes and pretty much everyone else too!

What is the Hinge and Wedge?

Hinge: move through your hips with minimal flexion through the knees. Stand on your right leg and raise your left knee up to 90 degrees–that left hip would now be hinged. Optimal hinge is approximately 80 degrees as seen on the image below. We hinge to load the largest and most primary muscle groups in the body, the gluteal muscles. Because we’re utilizing primary muscle groups during a hip hinge, our explosive power is greater. Bigger muscles provide bigger output. This is also the main reason why people who use Hardstyle kettlebell training techniques burn so many calories per minute. “They were burning at least 20.2 calories per minute, which is off the charts. That’s’ equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace.” -Dr. John Pocari, UW-Lacrosse. These large muscle groups require much higher caloric output to function.

Andrea Du Cane, the longest standing and first female Master RKC is showing an approximate 80-degrees hip hinge with the single arm swing.
Andrea Du Cane, the longest standing and first female Master RKC is showing an approximate 80-degrees hip hinge with the single arm swing.

Wedging: is tensing the whole body while in a standing position. Your shoulders are packed, hips and knees are locked out, and abdominals are at maximum tension. We wedge to connect our lower body with our upper body. When the lats are contracted they pull down on the shoulders and bring our upper body closer to our center of gravity and hips. Wedging connects the upper and lower body as one! Think of a standing Hardstyle plank. It’s possible to achieve an almost constant wedge-like posture throughout the movement with enough practice. You know who utilizes such a posture with sports? Only the best!

Two Awesome Exercises for Hinge and Wedge

Two exercises which enhance the hinge and wedge are the Hardstyle swing and Turkish get-up. Regardless of your skill level with kettlebells, the Hardstyle technique will enhance your overall athleticism. With 8/10 runners in America injured, it’s clear we have some serious imbalances which need fixing. First we’ll need to get strong enough to hold the wedge while running and performing other physical activities. Ever seen a bulldog walk? Ever noticed the similarities between a bulldog’s stride and someone jogging down the street? Arms are crossing over the torso while the legs are flopping all over the place. Not good!

3 Tips for Enhancing the Wedge and Hinge in the Turkish Get-up

  • Hold the each stage for 5-10 seconds while packing the shoulders and pushing your knee out
  • Shrug and re-pack each stage of the get-up
  • Squeeze the handle as hard as you can at the pause in each stage of the get-up

TGU at Milwaukee RKC Workshop

If hinging your hips and wedging your torso is good enough for the best athletes in the world, I think it’s safe to say it’s good enough for you, me and our loved ones. When I get a room full of athletes at the start of another season and tell them we’re not touching any weights until we get the hinge and wedge down they look at me like I’m nuts. But after 4-6 weeks of hinge and wedge practice they double their mobility, speed and strength. Although they still look at me like I’m nuts they’re happy with their gains. Start simple; train simple and the results will be simply amazing!

I’ll leave you with a picture from the 2014-2015 MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) Men’s Hockey Team. We started the season with loads of injuries, a losing record and 14 freshmen. We’ve finished the season nationally ranked, zero injuries, beat the #1 team in the country and went to the semi-finals in the toughest conference in the country. We hinge and wedge!

MSOE Hockey Team

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RKC Team Leader Nick Lynch is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Milwaukee School of Engineering University (MSOE). He owns Superb Health Milwaukee, a kettlebell studio in Milwaukee, WI. Most recently, he became an RKC Team Leader. He has 13 years of full-time training and coaching experience and a lifetime of wellness education. Nick lives in Milwaukee, WI with his wife Natalie and son Weston.

Kettlebells and Mountain Marathons

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Michael Kruse Mountain Marathon
Soon I will be 55 years old, and have decided to step out of my “comfort zone” in my training. Unfortunately an old shoulder injury prevents me from choosing some of the most daring adventures. After some thinking, I decided to choose a Spartan Race or a mountain marathon. Since I love being out in nature, I decided to train for a mountain marathon.

What is a Mountain Marathon?

As the name implies, it is a run of a marathon or longer in a mountainous environment. Around the world there are many of these races. The oldest and most famous one in Sweden is Björkliden Arctic Mountain Marathon (BAMM).

The BAMM competition is special because it is a two day event—and you must carry all the gear and food needed for surviving those two days on the mountain. Teams of two people compete and run nearly 25 miles each day while climbing approximately 4,900 feet in altitude—each day.

To prepare mentally and physically while testing equipment, I will also participate in a tour around Sweden´s highest mountain, Kebnekaise. The Keb Classic Summer contest is Sweden’s slowest marathon, but perhaps the toughest. Running a marathon with a large part of the race in rocky terrain with a climb of more than 4,600 feet requires a lot of preparation.

Requirements for the Challenges

I will be running in two different types of competitions, one with a backpack and one without. Mountain races place the most strain on the ankle, knee and hip. You must be strong from many different angles due to the substrate, and obviously have tremendous endurance. I will also need to train and practice running on flat land and inclines.

Training Examples

A normal week of training from March:
Monday morning: Running 1 hour
Monday evening: Kettlebell training 1 hour
Tuesday: Interval uphill running 1 hour
Wednesday: Kettlebell training 1 hour
Thursday: Downhill running 1 hour
Friday: Kettlebell training 1 hour
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Long run with backpack 2-3 hours

Kettlebell Training

All strength training is done with kettlebells or bodyweight exercises only. Since I will constantly be in motion, except when reading maps, it is important to choose the right exercises.

Here are my three areas of focus and kettlebell exercise choices:

  • Endurance: One arm swing, two arm swing and snatch
  • Unilateral Stability: Single leg deadlift, airborne lunge, front squat, single arm row, reverse lunges
  • Whole body: Turkish get-up, carry

Example Session:

Warm up 10-20 min
Mobility + TGU

Block 1: 15 minutes
Single leg deadlift 5 reps (posterior strength)
Bottom up press 5 reps

Block 2: 15 minutes (on the minute)
One arm swing (posterior explosivity)
Thoracic bridge

Block 3: 10 minutes
Different types of carries

Depending on how my body feels, I will run various types of workouts with unilateral training. If I feel a bit tired, I extend the warm-up and run a pure endurance workout in 15-20min instead.

Workout 2 for Triathletes and Runners 15 Twoarmsving 10 Front Squat left 5 KB Row left switch side 1 min rest, 3-6 rounds

A video posted by Kettlebellspecialisten (@kettlebellspecialisten) on

To avoid injuries, I almost never go “all out” when doing any of my workouts. The closer you are to your 1 rep max, the higher the risk of injury. A suitable load for the strength training exercises listed above is around 75% -80% of 1RM.

Recovery

For the training to have its maximum effect, you must know the importance of recovery. I can also attest that recovery is even more important as you get older. To tolerate a workout volume of 8-10 hours a week, I have to make sure that my sleep and diet is as good as possible.

Wish me luck with the mountain marathons, I will need it ☺
Michael Kruse

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Michael Kruse, RKC, PCC instructor believes that age is just a number ☺ he can be contacted by email at kettlebellspecialisten@gmail.com, follow him on Instagram @kettlebellspecialisten

Practical Programming

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Max Shank Teaching In Germany

Programming is a scary word for coaches, trainers, and exercisers. There seems to be this mystic fog of confusion centered around the idea that the way you put an exercise plan together will completely make or break your gains. Obviously we are all afraid of wasting our time in the gym, so it’s natural for us to feel this way about it–we want optimal results!

There has been a ludicrous amount of time, energy, and experimentation in trying to determine some of the best training plans and methods. You can take a simple idea: “Exercise=good” and after years and years of research, start to worry about whether you did enough transverse plane movements at 85% of your 1RM on Day 4 in week 3 of your 12-week periodized program within a 3 year macrocycle.

Confused yet? Yeah I know.

Here’s the thing, there is a decent amount of science and experimentation to back this stuff up, so in theory it makes sense.

However, my two main issues with complicated programming are centered around the following:

1) Reality
2) Who is this for again?

In a land where unicorns roam free and butterflies kiss the cheek of every child, maybe these intricate plans make sense. However, we live in the real world. We get in an argument with the wife, the kids keep you up all night, you’re stressed out at work, maybe you got super drunk last weekend or didn’t get enough sleep the night before. Whatever it is, we are not consistent nor are we precisely linear. A good plan allows for wiggle room based on how you feel on a given day. Trying to force a certain amount of reps/sets or movements on a day where you maybe shouldn’t is a surefire way to injure yourself. Don’t force square pegs into round holes. Take advantage of the days when you feel good, and don’t push your luck on the days where you don’t.

Most of the best-known and revered programs in the world all center around heavily specified activities like powerlifting/Olympic lifting or gymnastics. What we fail to remember is that these programs are geared toward PROFESSIONALS in these SPECIFIC sports. Last I checked, most of us are just trying to feel better, look better, and then perform better. I don’t know about you but I don’t get paid by the pound when I do a deadlift. The issue here is that we are sacrificing the main goal (better health and fitness) for the secondary cause (lifting more weight). I know that we love measuring things, and it’s a very efficient metric, but let’s not forget why we are lifting weights or training in the first place!

Professional athletes sacrifice health for performance all the time–because they are paid to do so. If you’re not getting paid to lift more weight, you might want to rethink using a program that is built for those who do.

Here’s some parting wisdom when it comes to putting a plan together.

Your nervous system likes frequency over intensity, so train full body workouts and hit all the main patterns every session.

  • Upper Push
  • Upper Pull
  • Lower Push
  • Lower Pull

Be flexible. When you feel super strong, throw on some extra weight. When you don’t feel 100% focus more on things like flexibility and medium weights.

Max Shank Twisted Flagstand

Build your plan around the rest of your life.

One of the biggest problems with any plan is consistency. So take a look at your schedule for the week and find the BEST times where training will fit around that–you want to remove as many barriers as possible when it comes to working up the motivation to work out. Have a plan for when you can’t make it to the gym so you can still train at home or at the park–it’s always good to have a plan B.

The challenge is not in lifting the weight, the challenge is in having the resolve and forethought to be consistent over the long term.

Better every day.
-Max

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Master RKC Instructor Max Shank is the owner of Ambition Athletics in Encintas, California. He is very active in martial arts, competes in the Highland Games, and promotes a holistic approach to overall fitness. For more information about Max please visit www.maxshank.com.

Max Shank is the author of Master the Kettlebell, now available in paperback and ebook format.

He has also recently released Ultimate Athleticism, an ebook and training program.