Archives for June 2015

Living the Standard–A Snatch a Day Will Keep the Doctor Away

June 24, 2015 By Troy Anderson 5 Comments

RKC Instructor, Troy Anderson

Dan John is famous for the exposing the fitness world to an action-oriented quote from the legendary wrestler and coach, Dan Gable:

“If it is important you should do it every DAY!”

This idea has subsequently taken hold of the kettlebell—specifically the kettlebell swing. You don’t have to search hard to see the swing implemented in a huge variety of daily practices. The kettlebell swing’s extreme popularity has spawned a ton of swing challenges and a nearly obsessive quest to swing heavier and heavier kettlebells.

While the kettlebell swing is undeniably a great, unique drill—and a drill best suited to the kettlebell, I find it perplexing how the kettlebell swing has come to totally dominate the kettlebell landscape.

Unfortunately, the kettlebell snatch—deeply important to our kettlebell heritage—seems to be much less popular. I suspect this has happened because the kettlebell swing is extremely accessible and great for getting folks involved with kettlebell training. But, the kettlebell is much more than just a one trick pony. And while the kettlebell swing is very popular and powerful, we shouldn’t think that it can carry over to absolutely every attribute of physical culture.

This post contains my personal biases and appreciations of the kettlebell snatch as a move that combines violence and art. As a member of the kettlebell community, just like you, when I first learned about kettlebells, I was challenged by the trials and triumph of the kettlebell snatch.

Imagine for a moment if we as a COMMUNITY snatched every week. Imagine the knowledge we’d gain from honing that skill. And, having a common dialog in our community has always added depth to relationships within.

The swing is undoubtedly the “gateway drug” of kettlebell lifting. These days it seems like every Tom, Dick, and Jane Fonda is trying to teach kettlebells swings… And while WE KNOW the best practices, and correct techniques, the consumer does NOT.

The kettlebell snatch can be our OPPORTUNITY to stand out as practitioners and coaches. Even though the snatch is an advanced drill and many people are not yet ready for it, it is extremely valuable as a rite of passage.

In 2012, American Council on Exercise (ACE) choose the kettlebell snatch as the subject of their study on the effectiveness of kettlebell training. If a non-biased organization like the ACE found enough value to fund research using the kettlebell snatch, shouldn’t we pay more attention to it?

If you’re still skeptical about the teachable value of the snatch, consider the three ways that the kettlebell snatch differs from the kettlebell swing:

Fewer people are familiar with the lift
The weight travels a greater distance
The move has a defined “catch” at the top of the movement—a n0n-debatable end point.

During RKC testing, there is a lot of anxiety and pressure associated with the snatch test. The test–whether someone has passed or not–should not be the end of practicing the kettlebell snatch. Training with the kettlebell snatch can benefit you for a lifetime with the following:

Power: One of the first things to diminish as we get older—unless we take action.

Mobility: If you are not yet mobile enough to get your arms overhead for snatching, then it is time to work on mobility. Snatches can help maintain that mobility as well.

Stability with integrity: kettlebell snatches involve an asymmetrical load and anti-rotational training.

Conditioning: You can do a lot MORE work in less time (the ACE study supports this finding).

For most people, snatching in the context of the RKC snatch test is just too difficult. It can be uncomfortable and might even make some people a little nauseous! But that doesn’t mean that the drill itself is “too hard to teach”. The snatch is a more complex movement to teach than kettlebell swings, but isn’t rocket science either.

It takes a real coach to teach a snatch, because the margin for error is slimmer than with other drills—but part of why we are all part of the RKC community is to coach people UP. The sense of accomplishment we can help people achieve with good kettlebell snatches is incredible!

My challenge to the community is to Live the Standard Every Week.

Here are 7 examples of what 100 snatches per week might look like:

Option #1 – Lateral Stepping: 5 sets 10/10 with a medium to medium-light kettlebell
Option #2 – Sprinter Stance: 10 sets for 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest with a medium-light to light kettlebell
Option #3 – Low Volume / High Load: 10-12 sets 5/5-4/4 with a heavy to medium-heavy kettlebell
Option #4 – High Volume /Low Load: 2 sets 25/25 medium-light to light kettlebell
Option #5 – Complex Every Min on the Min for 10 Total Minutes: 10 snatches and on odd-numbered minutes do two kettlebell front squats. On even-numbered minutes, do one windmill
Option #6 – Tempo: 2 snatches every 15 seconds for 13 minutes with a medium to medium heavy kettlebell
Option #7 – Test or Modified Test: Take the RKC Snatch Test. Try to improve your performance, increase your pace, perform more reps in the allowed five minutes, or try it with a heavier kettlebell. See if you can do more than 50 reps in half the time as an experiment. Always track and document your results.

**IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: All of these options were written under the impression that the trainee is able to complete the RKC Snatch Test—which roughly equates to doing one snatch every three seconds**

https://youtu.be/Op_aNN_0v1o

While swings are definitely useful, unique, and accessible as a primary ballistic lift, even more athleticism can be gained by also practicing the kettlebell snatch. I challenge you to raise the bar—or rather raise the kettlebell into the snatch position and get to work! Live the standard as a practitioner, a coach, and as a community.

***

Troy M Anderson, RKC Instructor, DVRT Master Instructor is a farm kid driven to spread the good word of the ACCESSIBILITY of kettlebells, sandbags, bodyweight training, and UN-Apologetic Living. His website, Alpha Kettlebell also features many kettlebell workouts: https://alphakettlebell.leadpages.net/kbwod/

3 Motivational Tips For Those Who’ve Failed The RKC

June 17, 2015 By Nick Lynch 4 Comments

Group Get-Up s At Superb Health

If you failed the testing at an RKC workshop, I have a message for you—CONGRATULATIONS! You can still pass and you can turn failure into success! Everyone in your life has experienced failure. Failure is an opportunity to evaluate weaknesses, which enables us to build strength. There is no strength without weakness just as there is no success without failure. If you’ve failed the RKC, I have a few motivational stories and tips to encourage you to still obtain your certification. As soon as you are ready to get rid of the fear of failure, you can start to enjoy the opportunity for success. “Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.”

James "Beardy" Gasparick at his HKC after 20 years of obesity. — James “Beardy” Gasparick at his HKC after 20 years of obesity.

1. Batman Begins

In Batman Begins, Thomas Wayne gives Bruce some priceless advice after a nasty fall: “And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up again.” Why did you fail your RKC? So you can learn to pass it. Which tests did you fail? What were your instructor’s notes? Do you know what you need to improve and how to do it? Have you reached out to anyone in the RKC leadership for advice since your workshop? Ask yourself these questions and be honest. Trust me, the truth can hurt. But, endure the pain and you’ll heal with renewed strength.

Natalie Lynch getting her first headstand post-pregnancy after weeks of failed attempts

2. John LeClair, NHL all-star, Olympian, Stanley Cup Champion and Legion of Doom.

John was cut from his public high school hockey team. Imagine if he quit playing when he was cut from the team! Instead, he got back up and played more vigorously than ever in men’s leagues. Did any of John’s high school teammates make it to the NHL? The Olympics? Did they win a Stanley Cup? The answer is no—but they did make the high school team… What might seem like the worst thing that could ever happen to us in the moment of failure may some day become a distant and insignificant memory of the past. We fall down so we can learn to get back up again. Use the right amount of time to fix your mobility, create more stability, and enhance your skills. When you’re ready, re-test and you’ll succeed!

Hundreds of failed attempts later, Bryan Beaver enjoys the pistol squat

3. A 1997 Study of Elite Athletes

In 1997, head researchers Dr. Roesch and Dr. Amirkhan concluded that elite athletes are less likely than less successful athletes to use situational variables as an “excuse” of poor performance. For example, a less successful athlete might blame the weather if they lost a game. This means the best athletes in the world assume personal responsibility for putting on a poor performance while their lower ranking teammates or competition tend to blame others for their problems. You must take responsibility for yourself in life if you wish to be successful. If you’ve failed the RKC, then so what? You can still pass! Take a moment and reflect on what needs to change in order for you to pass. If we always blame others, then we’re never to blame which means we’re perfect and being perfect is impossible!

Weston Lynch hangs for a few seconds after hundreds of failed attempts

In closing, being an RKC is more than just passing the kettlebell snatch test or the technique tests, it’s about being part of an elite group of professionals who take responsibility for our own actions and believe in making the world a better place. The members of the RKC leadership team have all experienced failure at some point and have empathy for you! Don’t fear the possibility of success and what it means to achieve it. Yes, you’ll need to dig deep and face your weaknesses and fears, but guess what? Those weaknesses will soon turn to strengths and fear to bravery. If you’ve failed your RKC, we of the RKC community invite you to allow us the opportunity to help you pass. Send in your videos or stop by for a class or training session.

“Without fear, life is clear.”

***

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 Moving Planks

June 10, 2015 By Josh Henkin Leave a Comment

Josh Henkin Half Kneeling Kettlebell Press

If you want core strength, the “Fitness 101” answer is that you must do planks. While the plank is a great starting point and should be well established in any fitness program, it is not nearly the end of smart core conditioning. That’s is why there’s a plethora of plank variations—from the innovative to flat-out goofy!

The biggest problem with the plank is that when practicing it, you CANNOT MOVE! The whole point of the plank in the foundational phases of training is to teach the body how to resist movement by integrating the body’s entire chain. But, MOST of the things my clients and I do require movement.

Think of the plank as a reference point. Of course we want to establish strength in the plank, but we also want to use it as a reminder of concepts we want to use in other movement patterns. The beautiful thing about kettlebells is that they allow us to create many different functional variations of moving planks. We need to produce and resist forces at the same time. I will describe three easy ways to use kettlebells to create extremely functional plank variations.

Overhead Pressing

I love overhead pressing because it is basically an extended plank. If we start on the ground and assume a standard push-up position, we have the beginnings of overhead pressing. By simply walking the hands further and further forward, this straight arm plank variation becomes more difficult. And the problem with continuing on the ground is that we will eventually fall on our faces! Instead, by standing and pressing kettlebells overhead we can train that extended plank.

Of course the other beautiful thing about overhead pressing is that it points out any lack of mobility. Both the hips and upper body can cause us to have major compensations because places which lack mobility will usually cause us to recruit stability from an inefficient place. In other words, mobility issues cause compromised movement.

Assuming we have good mobility, there are so many awesome ways to use kettlebells with overhead pressing. I think of these progressions as similar to moving from a standard front plank before adding more side plank elements over time. You will see this progression in how we lift the kettlebells, and how we stand when we lift the kettlebell—or both! Here is a series you can use to progress from easiest to most challenging variation.

Overhead Pressing Variations	Positional Emphasis	Type of Plank
Standing Double KB Press	KB movement	Front Plank
Loaded KB Press	KB movement	Front/Side Plank
Alternating KB Press	KB movement	Front/Side Plank
One Arm Press	KB movement	Front/Side Plank
Military Double KB Press	Body Position	Front/Side Plank
Half Kneeling Alternating Press	KB Movement/Body Position	Front/Side Plank

Frequently Asked Questions:

What about the Turkish get-up? It’s very different from a plank and emphasizes rolling patterns instead.
Where is the bottoms-up press? It’s a personal preference, but I find that the progressions listed above are accessible for more people.
Where are drills like push presses and jerks? These are all further progressions of plank training. When you add speed, you must have a more reactive core—which is definitely more advanced training.

One more note about pressing overhead. Some people may be wondering about the side lean that some trainees seem to use with kettlebell pressing. While I understand the idea of using leverage to help press the weight overhead, this approach does not build the core strength we can develop with the overhead press and may explain the lack of carryover these same trainees experience with other exercises or implements.

Hip Hinge

I have to credit kettlebell training for raising the awareness of the hip hinge pattern. While I had performed deadlifts and cleans in the past, the emphasis on quality of motion was something I really took home from my first RKC way back in 2003.

The hip hinge is actually a more complex plank variation than an overhead press. We can use it to create the pelvic “lock” used in overhead pressing in the beginning phase of the hip hinge. Because the torso changes angles during the hip hinge, the stress on the core constantly changes.

While most people might think kettlebell hip hinging is only for deadlifts, swings, cleans, and snatches, I am really happy to see the re-birth of bent rows with kettlebells! While it’s not nearly as sexy as many of the other kettlebell lifts, it’s probably one of the most important!

The bent row really challenges our core strength and endurance! Most people can’t maintain the proper hip hinge in the bent row without altering their posture. It’s pretty common for people to creep upwards and end their set more upright, or to speed through their bent rows because they don’t have the core integrity to perform them well.

The bent row should be a cornerstone drill for anyone progressing towards ballistic kettlebell exercises. Having the capacity to tolerate multiple sets of the bent row while maintaining the same hip hinge is a great indicator that the lifter really has excellent core strength and endurance.

Having said that, most people will fatigue in the bent row, so combining the bent row and kettlebell deadlift will allow us to introduce more time under tension without causing bad form from exhaustion.

Here is a series of big “bang for your buck” row and deadlift variations for the hips and plank. Again, move from least to most complex…

Bent Row & Deadlift Variations

Bilateral Deadlift and Row

Bilateral Deadlift with Alternating Row

Suitcase Deadlift with Row

Sprinter Stance Deadlift and Row

Sprinter Stance Deadlift with Inside Row

Sprinter Stance Deadlift with Outside Row

Rear Step Deadlift and Row

Rear Step Deadlift with Inside Row

Rear Step Deadlift with Outside Row

Manipulating the body position and which side the kettlebell is on allows us to challenge ourselves beyond just loading. These variations introduce anti-rotational forces, lower leg stability, and many more benefits as we progress. These kettlebell variations allow you to eventually progress and succeed with familiar but advanced drills like renegade rows.

Lunges

You may have expected me address squats next, but I find so much more value in the vital role lunges play in core strength. I know, you HATE lunges, but that’s all the more reason we need to use them. So many of us need MORE lunges in our training. Lunging is much closer to everyday movements like walking, running, etc. than almost anything else we do in the gym. The lunge is a very functional drill!

As soon as we go into the split position, we can almost instantly see where people lose their plank. Remember, the core is not just a fancy word for your abs, but an integration of your hips, and even your feet—one reason that barefoot training became popular.

The popularity of the half kneeling position for overhead pressing should tell us how important lunges are to real core stability and strength. For the sake of this blog post, we will keep things simple and focus on the reverse lunge which is the easiest to progress people. With lunges, we can vary load placement, and direction of the lunge to challenge the movement. For now, we will focus on using different kettlebell loading positions to build some incredibly strong moving planks!

Lunge Loading Progressions

Suitcase Double Lunge

Double KB Rack Lunges

Off-Set Loaded Suitcase Kettlebells

Suitcase Contralateral

Suitcase Ipsilateral

Off-Set Rack Kettlebells

Rack Contralateral

Rack Ipsilateral

Tactical Lunge

Double Overhead Lunge

Overhead Contralateral

Overhead Ipsilateral

This is the REALLY cool part—we are not just building MANY more kettlebell movement variations, but increasingly more meaningful progressions. Changing the intent of familiar, and often underestimated movements gives them new meaning and value.

You will never really outgrow the plank, it evolves over time just like kettlebell training. The purpose of the HKC and RKC are to give you a very strong foundation to kettlebell training. Most people underestimate the incredible value and versatility of kettlebells if they get stuck in the habit of just performing a few movements. But, if you understand that gaining proficiency in one drill opens the door to another, you will find infinite uses and benefits to every drill in your kettlebell toolkit.

***

Josh Henkin, Master RKC, CSCS has been a RKC instructor since 2003 and has implemented kettlebell programs for major Division I programs, SWAT teams, and many different general fitness programs. Josh is also the creator of the DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training system where he is a highly sought after presenter worldwide. He can be reached at info@ultimatesandbagtraining.com or http://DVRTFitness.com. Josh Henkin is also the author of DVRT, The Ultimate Sandbag Training System now available in paperback and ebook format.

Movement and Learning the Get-Up

June 3, 2015 By Paul Britt, DC 1 Comment

Paul Britt Coaching Get-Up

movement (ˈmuːvmənt)
noun
Movement –

The act or an instance of moving; a change in place or position.
A particular manner of moving.
A series of actions and events taking place over a period of time and working to foster a principle or policy
A tendency or trend
An organized effort by supporters of a common goal.

Movement is the back bone of athleticism and life. But, as a society we do not move the way that we did in youth. We are tied to desks, vehicles, and entertainment that requires us to just sit and become one with a chair. I started this post with the definition of movement as a beginning reference point.

The first two parts (a & b) of the definition are easy to cover and understand. We all move, and each of us has a particular way of moving. The question is, are we moving well? Most people seem to live in a position of flexion. We sleep, eat, drive and watch television from a bent and hunched position. We slouch and sag all day long. Guess what? Our bodies will take the path of least resistance and will stay in the posture that we live in. We were not created to just sit around; we were created to move, run, jump and play.

The third and fourth parts (c & d) of the definition describe what we need to change. We need to change our daily actions and events so that we restore the movement potential we were given at birth. It is time to get off the couch, up from the desk and actually start moving. We need to change our daily habits to allow our bodies to re-learn the movements and positions that we were born to do. Our kids are becoming slugs, thanks in part to videogames and constant visual entertainment. I have seen some kids play twelve hours of PS3, all while slouched and bent into weird positions. What happened to being outside all day, every day until the street lights came on?

The positions that we’re in all day do not help us live a full life. They prevent us from being able to run, play catch, or to live everyday life in the most efficient manner possible. We are held back by being bent and twisted in a life of sitting down. Sitting has been shown to increase the risk of death. Research has shown that sitting is associated with a higher risk of death after controlling for factors including age, gender, smoking status, physical activity, education, body mass index, and living in an urban/city environment.

I know that everyone wants to be active with their friends and family, and stay pain free and mobile into old age. I know I do! I want to be a pain in the rear of my family as long as possible! I think the best way to do this is to be 90 and move so well that no one can catch me!

We should move as much as we possibly can. Better movement allows us to have fewer injuries, live longer and have more productive lives. It is the cornerstone for our overall health.

How Do We Improve Movement Quality?

I teach the get-up as an antidote to improper movement and posture. The get-up is one of the best ways to battle the less-than-ideal positions our bodies grow into from our daily life of texting, sitting, and while working at most jobs. I find that while the get-up works wonders as a transformational exercise, many clients have a hard time learning it. Some even need to earn the right to perform it.

I teach the steps a little different than most trainers. I like to teach the get-up from the bottom to the middle, and from the top to bottom. This approach seems to work really well for grooving the correct patterns into the neurological system.

Get-Up Tall Sit

I start from the Pick Up to the Tall Sit position. In the first step, roll from your side to prone. This strengthens a primal rolling pattern. Rolling patterns are great tools for teaching the body how to engage the core and stabilize the body under load. Why is this important? It allows the body to develop its innate stability and to connect the lower body to the upper body for more strength.

The next step is the Tall Sit. It allows you to work on shoulder mobility and stability. It will reinforce the connection the core has with the upper body. This is often the step that most of my clients need if their mobility is compromised. I kept one client at this stage for nine months while we worked on improving his thoracic mobility and core strength. During that time, the heaviest weight he used for the training was 4kgs. If we had forced the issue, he would have been injured. He was 60 when he began, and last I checked, he was using a 20kg kettlebell for full get-ups at age 63.

I teach the Hip Lift only as part three of the movement. I find that the movement becomes a little harder for my clients to perform after that point. They cannot initially get the idea of the moving from the low sweep to half kneeling or they do not have the proprioception to make the transition.

The next step that is taught is from standing down to half-kneeling. This allows the student to develop leg strength and improve their stability. It has been my experience that many clients lack stability in the lunge position. By working from standing to half kneeling, then moving through the reverse lunge under control, you can train stability while detecting any asymmetries the student may have. This lets us correct the asymmetry before continuing and possibly causing an injury.

Coaching the Get Up

Once the student has practiced the get up from the floor to low hip lift, and standing to half kneeling, it is time to teach the entire get up. I start from the top and have the student work from the standing position to the half kneeling position. We add the low sweep to the tall sit at this time. They finish the get up to the prone position. Then, they stand back up (not doing a get-up, they simply return to a standing position) and repeat the sequence a few times on each side. The student will perform the get up from standing to prone before reversing the process and performing the get up from the pick up to standing.

I have found that this approach has helped my students learn the get up much faster. By working on these pieces as needed, their mobility and stability has improved even on their first day. This sequencing seems to be less threatening and neurologically taxing for my students, which also allows them to learn it faster.

If you look back at the definition of movement at the beginning, the get up fits it to a “T.”

***RKC Team Leader Paul Britt has been an RKC kettlebell instructor since 2006. He trains clients at Britt’s Training Systems, his award-winning Hardstyle Kettlebell Training Facility in Rockwall, Texas. Paul has served as an assistant instructor at many RKC and HKC Courses, is a Certified Kettlebell Functional Movement Specialist (CK-FMS) and works with some of the top Chiroprators in North Texas. Please visit his website brittstrainingsystems.com for more information.