Ryan Jankowitz

How Long Should It Take To Do One Kettlebell Get-Up?

August 29, 2018 By Ryan Jankowitz Leave a Comment

Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Coaching Getup Practice

Occasionally, trainees ask me how long a get-up should take when they’re first learning how to do one. I think it’s a really great question and I’m glad when they ask it—because it means that they are probably starting to really dig kettlebell training. But, my answer always seems to surprise them just a bit. When I tell them that a solid get-up takes at least 30 seconds per side, they start to realize that this exercise requires patience.

My best get-ups tend to take around 36 seconds (clearly, I love to time things). It seems to take about 36 seconds for me to feel like I am owning each stage of the get-up while taking my time.

Each stage of the get-up is equally important and demands equal attention. If one stage is rushed or not performed well, that weak link may negatively impact the rest of the movement. There’s nothing worse than trying to adjust your position while holding a heavy hunk of iron over your head.

I’ve found that going back to naked (no weight) get-ups or using a very light kettlebell with a 3-5 second pause at each stage for several reps is a great drill for reinforcing patience. These drills also allow you or your client to get very familiar with how each stage of the get-up should feel.

Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II and Master RKC Michael Krivka demonstrate the get-up at a recent HKC workshop in Gathersburg, MD. — Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II and Master RKC Michael Krivka demonstrate the get-up at a recent HKC workshop in Gaithersburg, MD.

My intent in writing this blog post was to create a discussion and learn what other kettlebell instructors and enthusiasts think about the timing of a get-up. Have you found an optimal time for the get-up? How long do you think a kettlebell get-up should take? Please leave your answers in the comments section at the end of this post.

I feel that being patient with kettlebell training pays off big time in the long term. In a time when people want to do more exercises faster and faster, sometimes slowing down is actually the best approach.

Performing one repetition of the get-up masterfully is far superior to performing ten sloppy reps. Really, this can be said for any exercise—quality over quantity. If you take your time and master the basics, the rest will fall into place.

All of my best kettlebell lifts and personal goals have come years after I first picked up a kettlebell. I’m in this for the long haul and sometimes I have to remind myself to slow down.

Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

Stay Strong.

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Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Instructor, CK-FMS, is a life-long athlete who can’t imagine sitting behind a desk. He enjoys sharing his passion for fitness and spreading the RKC knowledge. Ryan provides online kettlebell training and in-person training in the DC Metro area. You can reach him at ryan@rjkettlebell.com or through his website rjkettlebell.com.

Breathing, Backswings and Ballistics

December 13, 2017 By Ryan Jankowitz 3 Comments

I really love teaching others how to train with kettlebells; it’s what I’ve become most passionate about as a fitness professional. Whether online or in-person, I get a deep sense of satisfaction when a client learns a new movement or refines their technique.

Ryan Jankowitz 1-Arm Swing While it can be exhilarating to learn new kettlebell drills or refine your technique, retaining so much new information—and then applying it to your training can be daunting!

My goal with this post is to create a simple connection between all of the RKC ballistic exercises (swings, cleans, snatches) so that you can easily apply the same knowledge and techniques to all of the movements.

First, let’s start with the timing of the breath. Breathing is one of the most important functions of training and life. At the top of the swing, when the glutes and quads contract, a sharp exhalation is performed. This sharp exhalation helps to compress the midsection and direct more power into the kettlebell. Again, it is coordinated with the glutes and quads forcefully contracting.

The timing of the exhalation remains the same when performing a clean and a snatch. Although the kettlebell will still be traveling after the exhalation has occurred in both the clean and snatch, it still happens when the glutes and quads contract. The exhale acts almost like a rocket booster, propelling the kettlebell into the rack or overhead position with relative ease. If your exhalation occurs when the clean or snatch is in the finished position, then you’ve lost the benefit of the “rocket booster”.

The backswing is another important part of all ballistic movements—and it should be exactly the same from technique to technique. You should be able to smoothly transition from one movement to another without changing your backswing.

Ryan Jankowitz Kettlebell Backswing

Focus on these backswing concepts/tips for one-arm swings, cleans and snatches:

The handle of the kettlebell passes above your knees
Your forearm connects high up on your inner thigh
Your upper arm connects to your ribcage
Your hips flex to a greater degree than your knees
There is a slight internal rotation of the thumb
This is where you inhale
Spine is neutral

Ryan Jankowitz kettlebell clean

I hope these tips have given you some good “food for thought” for your training. If you experience an “aha” moment or were able to improve a technique, then drop me a line and let me know what you experienced.

Stay Strong,
Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II

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Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Instructor, CK-FMS, is a life-long athlete who can’t imagine sitting behind a desk. He enjoys sharing his passion for fitness and spreading the RKC knowledge. Ryan provides online personal training for busy people who want to improve their health and kettlebell training for fitness professionals who want to refine their technique and/or train for a certification. He is available for private kettlebell workshops as well. You can reach him at ryan@rjkettlebell.com or through his website rjkettlebell.com. He also works with clients and teaches kettlebell classes at Fitness on the Run in Alexandria, Virginia. If you’re in the area, visit fitnessontherun.net and come swing some bells with Ryan.

How to Use RKC Level-II Skills with Everyday Clients

May 17, 2017 By Ryan Jankowitz Leave a Comment

Ryan Jankowitz Cossack Squat with Kettlebell

I’m writing this blog while on a train back to DC from New York where I had the privilege of assisting Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner at the RKC-II at Catalyst Sport. The weekend before, I had just recertified as an RKC-II in Atlanta with Andrea Du Cane. This has been a whirlwind “East Coast RKC-II tour” and I’ve loved every minute. Needless to say, I have absorbed a lot of great information from many great people, which has given me plenty of food for thought.

One of the many things I really enjoyed during my recent RKC-II experiences was the programming aspect of the course. During my RKC-II recertification, I was tasked with designing a program for a fellow attendee who is within a demographic I usually don’t train—powerlifters. This challenging assignment forced me out of my wheelhouse to look at programming from a different angle. Then I was also able to hear many different program explanations from great minds in the fitness industry. I came away with many ideas and an interesting question for myself: “Ryan, how will you incorporate this awesome RKC-II information into a typical client’s workout program?”

My typical client is a working professional whose goals might include:

Getting out of pain
Preparing for a 5k
Losing weight and improving muscle definition

The client may be dealing with one or several of the following challenges:

Lack of mobility/tightness
Stress
Lack of time

I wanted to know how to incorporate challenging moves like tactical pull-ups, pistols, windmills, or jerks into a program for my clients. The answer lies in the progressions toward these technical and demanding movements.

For example, the tactical pull-up is a movement many of my clients can’t do yet, or aren’t interested in learning—and that’s okay. But, the different hollow positions on the ground are great for EVERY SINGLE CLIENT. My clients want core work and I want them to create a solid cylinder of muscle. Boom, done! When the time is right to approach the bar for hollow hangs, leg raises or pull-ups, they will already understand how to stay tight.

Ryan Jankowitz Hollow Hold — Hollow hold

Ryan Jankowitz Back pressure crunch with leg raise — Back pressure crunch with leg raised.

The pistol is an awesome movement for developing serious leg strength and it’s a great party trick. But, is it a goal that my clients want to achieve? Unfortunately not, and no one has ever told me they wanted to learn the pistol. However, the progressions leading up to the pistol are fantastic for many clients. The Cossack squat and close stance squat both provide new challenges to the squat pattern and add variety to our training sessions. I really love the airborne lunge in every form—assisted, counter balanced with a kettlebell, and bodyweight. It’s a challenging movement that requires focus and balance. The movement also requires hip dissociation—one hip goes into flexion while the other is extended. Since everyone experiences hip dissociation when they walk or run, training the airborne lunge can help improve our clients’ gait patterns.

Ryan Jankowitz Airborne Lunge

The windmill is a fantastic movement for improving hip and thoracic spine mobility while stabilizing the shoulder. I love the progressions because they can be easily added to any warm-up. These thoracic spine mobility drills can be done on the floor without any equipment and added to a naked get-up practice. The good morning stretch—with feet forward and pointed at 45 degrees—is a valuable drill since it really stretches the hamstrings and calves while preparing the lower body for any hinge movements in the session.

Ryan Jankowitz Good Morning

Lastly, the jerk has quickly become one of my favorite exercises due to its high metabolic demand on the body and required athleticism. The jerk can be a challenging movement to learn, but again the progressions are useful for everyday clients. I have successfully taught the long push press and push press to the many clients who have owned the front squat and overhead press. While these progressions are definitely for clients with an advanced skill level, that skill level is absolutely attainable for those who have built a solid foundation of strength and mobility.

As a fitness professional I feel that it’s important to evolve, expand my knowledge, and add more tools to my “toolbox”. The RKC-II curriculum has done just that for me and I highly recommend pursuing this great certification.

Stay Strong,
Ryan Jankowitz

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Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Instructor, CK-FMS, is a life-long athlete who can’t imagine sitting behind a desk. He enjoys sharing his passion for fitness and spreading the RKC knowledge. Ryan operates a remote fitness coaching service, RJ Kettlebell, and is available for private kettlebell workshops as well. You can reach him at rjankowitz@gmail.com. He also works with clients and teaches kettlebell classes at Fitness on the Run in Alexandria, Virginia. If you’re in the area, come swing some bells with Ryan.

How to Smooth Out the Kettlebell Snatch

October 12, 2016 By Ryan Jankowitz 1 Comment

Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Kettlebell Snatch Drill

At first, the kettlebell snatch exercise can be daunting to learn. However, if you have a solid one-arm swing and are able to keep a kettlebell locked out overhead from a press or a get-up, then the snatch is definitely within your capabilities.

One of the most common mistakes that I’ve seen when teaching someone to snatch is not letting the elbow bend on the way up. This lack of elbow-bend will create a large arc for the kettlebell to travel—far away from the body—before landing overhead. That landing will be very jarring to the shoulder since the energy of the kettlebell will directed back behind you after traveling a large arc. Ideally, you want the energy of the kettlebell to travel a path nearly parallel to the body, then down when the kettlebell lands overhead. This path can only happen when we bend the elbow and keep the arc of the kettlebell fairly close to the body.

To teach my clients how to bend their elbow when snatching, I have them snatch a light kettlebell from the ground without using a backswing as a teaching drill. Start with the light kettlebell positioned between your feet so that it stays close to your body on the way up. From this position, explosively snap your hips forward while pulling the kettlebell straight up along your body. Punch your hand through the handle to finish in an overhead locked out position just like a standard snatch. This drill should be one smooth movement and not a clean and press.

After a few successful reps of this drill, go back to the standard RKC snatch to see how it feels. Hopefully, this will help smooth out your kettlebell snatch and make it much more comfortable on your shoulder.

Stay Strong,
Ryan Jankowitz

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Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Instructor, CK-FMS, is a life-long athlete who can’t imagine sitting behind a desk. He enjoys sharing his passion for fitness and spreading the RKC knowledge. Ryan operates an online fitness coaching service and is available for private kettlebell workshops as well. You can reach him at ryan@rjkettlebell.com or through his website rjkettlebell.com. He also works with clients and teaches kettlebell classes at Fitness on the Run in Alexandria, Virginia. If you’re in the area, visit fitnessontherun.net and come swing some bells with Ryan.

Heart Pumping Ten Minute Workouts

August 10, 2016 By Ryan Jankowitz 3 Comments

Ryan Jankowitz Get-Up

We all know how efficient kettlebell training can be. Kettlebell exercises rapidly elevate your heart rate and require every muscle to work in unison. Kettlebell workouts can combine athleticism and grace, tension and relaxation, and strength and conditioning.

I review my RKC manuals often for workout ideas for my clients and myself. Each time I delve into the manuals again, I always rediscover great workouts and get ideas for programming new ones. Sometimes I use the workouts as they are written, but many times I modify them for a little variety.

The two workouts described below are from my collection of RKC manuals. They’re favorite choices for when I need a short conditioning workout for my remote clients or myself. I also find that these short training sessions work well when I am pressed for time or not feeling 100%.

Workout 1: