Kettlebell Training

The Hardstyle Kettlebell Basics for Hiking

September 14, 2020 By Shawn Burnah Leave a Comment

In 2005, I was deployed to Afghanistan as an Infantryman in the Hindu Kush mountains and found some odd shaped weights stamped with “DragonDoor.com”. I did a search and found the book, The Russian Kettlebell Challenge. After reading the advertisement for the program and how it would build strength and endurance for soldiers and fighters I was sold.

After following the manual and video religiously, I was done with the “globo gym” and long runs, as my abilities surpassed my peers’ on the mountainous patrols. I practiced kettlebells and select calisthenics for years and was always more than capable to meet the challenges of rucking and jiu-jitsu. In 2017 I retired and now spend the majority of my free time in the mountains hiking and snowshoeing.

The RKC Plank:

The plank strengthens the body so it can remain upright while hiking under load. Maintaining a strong posture with a pack allows you to enjoy the views—instead of falling into a “pack mule” mode, where your head drops, and you plod along with one foot in front of the other. An upright posture also allows you to keep your lungs open and your focus on footing and route selection.

The Kettlebell Swing:

The Hardstyle kettlebell swing builds lungs, legs, and back strength as well as a strong core—all which are especially important for hiking. Contrary to popular belief, hiking requires more hamstring than quadricep involvement. Having attended courses which focused on performing a lot of air squats while wearing body armor, many of my classmates were still not prepared for the challenges of the mountains in our training. Fortunately, I had also added a liberal dose of swings in my off time. I practiced Bud Jeffries’ protocol outlined in I Will Be Iron and thrived on the trail while others collapsed in exhaustion.

Like the RKC plank, the kettlebell swing—particularly the one-armed swing (OAS)—builds the strength to keep the torso upright while walking with a heavy pack. The OAS also builds the strength to maintain stability as your weight continuously shifts back and forth from foot to foot. The momentary lock out at the top of the swing is also extremely important. It’s training for the “lock step” hikers use when going uphill that allows the bones to support the load for a brief rest, extending a hiker’s endurance. When training for hiking, consider swinging an RKC Snatch Test sized kettlebell for your weight class for many reps with good form. I was training with several hundred swings! Try to reach your rep goal without setting the kettlebell down.

The Goblet Squat:

When we step up vertically while hiking, the quadriceps enter the scene. The quads act as shock absorbers, aid in speed control, and injury-proof your knees during all aspects of hiking, but especially when descending a mountain. The quadriceps are also prime movers for hopping around difficult terrain and help maintain stability when doing so. Practicing goblet squats is also similar to standing up with a heavy pack. Squats benefit hikers, but in a different way than most believe.

The author's son navigating obstacles on the trail — The author’s son navigating obstacles on the trail

The Get-Up:

The get-up mechanics are useful for hikers who are trying to rise from the ground with their pack on. When under a heavy pack like the military uses (60 – 100+ pounds), the ability to stand up smoothly prevents you from flailing like a beetle! By pressing and externally rotating the free arm downward and getting your leg underneath you, you allow yourself to rise evenly and under control. The get-up also increases strength and mobility of the spine and hips allowing you to step up, twist over, and move around obstacles.

The Hardstyle Push-up:

Triceps strength plays a role in scrambling uphill and lowering yourself down from a platform—instead of just dropping down and risking a lower body injury. Practicing Hardstyle push-ups also build the strength you will need to push up and over an obstacle.

The RKC Kettlebell Row:

Strong lats and rear delts assist in maintaining a good posture while wearing a pack. Rows build the strength required to climb up a sharp incline, or to pull a rope, tree, rock etc. The row also teaches you how to brace and pull to assist a fellow hiker up and over difficult obstacles like ledges.

While the exercises taught at the HKC (and through the online HardstyleFit program) may not cover every aspect of hiking, they are a solid foundation for you to start thriving in the mountains.

***

Shawn Burnah, RKC. Contact him through his Dragon Door Instructor page: Shawn Burnah, and Follow him on Instagram @shawn.burnah

How To Fix 4 Common Kettlebell Swing Mistakes

September 4, 2020 By Ryan Jankowitz Leave a Comment

The kettlebell swing is a phenomenal exercise. I think it should be part of every training program. It addresses explosive power, the posterior chain, anaerobic conditioning and even grip strength. The kettlebell swing has many awesome qualities!

It’s also the foundation for more advanced kettlebell movements like one-arm swings, cleans and snatches. Before progressing to those more advanced movements, make sure that your two-hand swing is dialed in and that you can maintain proper technique with heavy kettlebells and high reps.

Let’s dial in our kettlebell swing technique by avoiding these four common mistakes.

Common Kettlebell Swing Mistake #1:
Poor Setup

There are several key concepts to remember for the kettlebell swing setup.

How far away are you from the kettlebell? If you’re too far from the bell, then you might shift too much weight forward and shrug your shoulders up to your ears while reaching for the bell.

Ideally, you want to sit back with your shoulders pulled down and the kettlebell tilted toward you.

Also, make sure that your hips are below your shoulders. If your hips are too high, then you may not be able to generate a lot of power with your first rep. And the swing is all about power.

Common Kettlebell Swing Mistake #2:
Arms Disconnected from the Body with Wrong Hip Hinge Timing

This mistake can cause discomfort or even injury to your lower back, so let’s dial this one in!

Each time the kettlebell is swung between your legs, even from the initial hike, your arms should connect to your torso. Upper arms connect to your ribcage and forearms connect to your inner thighs.

This will allow the hips to propel the kettlebell forward creating much more power.

Once you’ve reached the top of the swing, you want to stay standing tall for as long as possible while the kettlebell comes back down. Essentially, you’re playing chicken with the kettlebell.

Pushing your hips back too soon—while the kettlebell is still out in front of you—can cause unnecessary stress on the lower back.

The hips push the arms forward, the arms push the hips back.

Common Kettlebell Swing Mistake #3:
Using Your Arms and Shoulders to Raise the Kettlebell

The kettlebell swing is an explosive hip hinge, not a shoulder raise or shrug.

If the kettlebell is drooping at the top of the swing, or your shoulders and neck are feeling it, then you’re using your upper body way too much.

The arms are simply a tether holding onto the kettlebell. They shouldn’t do the heavy lifting. If you’re having issues with this, then check out the towel swing drill in the video below.

Common Kettlebell Swing Mistake #4:
Not Fully Locking Out Your hips or Knees at the Top of the Swing

In order to fully express your power, you must have full extension from the hips and knees. This doesn’t mean hyper-extending your knees, rather straightening your knees by flexing your quads.

You also don’t want to leave your hips back. You MUST contract your glutes hard at the top of the swing for maximum power and to protect your lower back.

Watch this video to see each mistake and correction.

I hope these tips help you master your kettlebell swing. When you get the swing dialed in, it’s one of the best exercises you can do for your fitness.

Keep Swingin’!
Ryan Jankowitz, RKC II

***

Ryan lives in Maryland with his wife and two dogs. They love to go hiking and spend time on the beach. When he’s not telling his dogs to stop chasing squirrels, Ryan enjoys spreading the RKC message and teaching others how to train with kettlebells. He’s got a 90-day coaching program that helps busy adults get into shape, look and feel better by working out with kettlebells and eating healthier so they can elevate their self-esteem. Visit his website rjkettlebell.com or schedule a free call with Ryan: https://go.oncehub.com/RyanJankowitz

Four Kettlebell Workouts to Maximize Fat Loss

August 21, 2020 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment

As coaches, instructors or personal trainers, our clients often come to us for help with a fat loss goal. And while there are many ways that we can help our clients achieve their goals, the most important factor to consider for fat loss is nutrition.

There are no specific workouts that can help someone “out train” a bad diet. If someone is still consuming more calories than they are burning, then they will not receive the maximal training effect from a fat loss workout. But, once a client can change the way they eat, then they can really gain the most out of these workouts.

Once nutrition has been handled, strength training is the best way to help your clients lose weight and gain strength. Training in every plane of movement is important for sustaining optimal joint and muscle health. After the strength portion of the session, finish up with a conditioning workout such as the ones listed below. This approach will cater to your client’s specific weight-loss goal.

Here are four example workouts you can add at the end of your clients’ sessions to help with fat loss!

EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute)

Popularized in CrossFit training, EMOM stands for “Every Minute On the Minute”. This type of workout can even be done with one tool and one exercise. You can either work for a predetermined number of reps or for a time interval. If you choose a time interval, be sure to keep the work to rest ratio at 1:1 (30 sec on, 30 sec off) or 2:1 (40 seconds on, 20 seconds off).

Example:

10-15 minutes

Kettlebell Swings :20 seconds
Rest :40 seconds

Density Training

In fitness, density is the amount of work you do within a given time. With this training format, we are not as focused on the amount of weight lifted, or the speed we’re working. The focus is on completing the most amount of work during a set amount of time. This focus will help sustain a decent heart rate throughout the workout.

Example:

30 minutes

Kettlebell Snatch x5
Get-Up x1
Kettlebell Front Squat x6
Kettlebell Bent Over Row x8
Kettlebell See-saw Press x6
Thoracic Rotation x4

AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible)

Another workout popularized by CrossFit is AMRAP, which stands for “As Many Rounds as Possible”. An AMRAP workout can use any given number of exercises, but typically 2-5 exercises for a set amount of time. The goal is to move as quickly as possible while racing against the clock. Each week try to complete the same number of rounds or more as compared to the previous week. During the workout, the goal is to minimize rest and maximize the work.

Example:

10-15 minutes

Double Kettlebell Clean x5
Farmers Carry :30 seconds
Double Kettlebell Reverse Lunge x5

Circuits

Traditional circuit training is similar to HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training. A circuit can work a few different ways: station to station or exercise to exercise. The goal can be for reps or for time with each exercise. Often, exercises are grouped so that 2-4 exercises are completed per station, before switching to the next one.

Example:

10 min

Single Arm Swing x5
Single Arm Thruster x6

10 min

Goblet Squat x:20 sec
Single Arm Row x:15 sec

10 min

Two Hand Kettlebell Dead Bug x:20 sec
Single Arm Overhead Carry x:15 sec

When it comes to helping our clients achieve their weight-loss goals, we have to remember that it’s most important to address nutrition first. Then, we can choose from a variety of training approaches to reach their goals.

***

William Sturgeon, RKC Team Leader, RKC II trains clients at his gym, Restored Strength. Contact him through his website at RestoredStrength.com or follow him on Facebook: facebook.com/restoredstrength

Why Hikers Should Train With Kettlebells

July 20, 2020 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment

Hiking can be a very vigorous sport, and requires a great amount of strength and endurance. Trekking for hours on steep hills and uneven terrains is very demanding on the body. While out on the trail, you are faced with harsh climate conditions and potential risks for injuries. If you are wanting to improve your hiking and reduce fatigue and injury, you should consider training with kettlebells.

Kettlebell training can complement your hiking abilities in many ways. It is easy to just train for the sport itself, but sometimes that isn’t enough. Using kettlebells as a means of training will help enhance your time out on the trails.

Increase Strength with Kettlebells

One of the greatest benefits of kettlebell training is that it can increase your overall strength. Having greater strength makes it easier to carry more in your pack for longer periods of time.

Goblet front lunges are a great exercise to build stronger legs. Increasing your lower body strength makes hiking up hills much easier. When you’re stronger, your adventures are less taxing and more enjoyable!

Build Up Endurance

Hitting the trails for many hours can be pretty exhausting, so a great way to increase your work capacity is by increasing your endurance. Kettlebell swings are a staple exercise for building stronger lungs. Doing high intensity interval training is one of the best ways to improve your endurance. Working with kettlebell swings for longer intervals with minimal rest will focus on the glutes and hamstrings—and it’s very important to strengthen these muscle groups for hiking.

Help Reduce Risk of Injury

Common hiking injuries involve the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and low back. In order to reduce the chances of injury, it is important to strengthen the muscles in these surrounding areas. Exercises such as single leg deadlifts and lateral lunges are great for creating better ankle and hip stability. Single leg exercises are important because hiking is a single leg sport.

Longer Treks and Bigger Adventures

After increasing your strength, endurance, balance—as well as improving other areas of weakness—you can go on longer hikes. You will have become more resilient and will be able to sustain longer more difficult hikes with greater ease.

I enjoy the simplicity and minimalism that hiking brings to my life. Using the kettlebell is the same for me and my training. It is a simple but very effective tool for progressing towards my fitness goals.

Start using kettlebells to improve your physical strength and endurance to get the most out of your hikes!

***

How To Work Out At Home With Your Kettlebell

July 13, 2020 By Ryan Jankowitz Leave a Comment

We are living in uncertain times right now, and it’s more important than ever to focus on our health and fitness. For better or worse, working from home does have its advantages. I haven’t missed commuting. And working from home has allowed me to get higher quality workouts as I now have more time each day.

Even though I just have a few kettlebells, but I’m still crushing my workouts and feel as strong as ever.

So, I wanted to share my workout formula, so you can experience the joy of kettlebell training at home—even if you only have one kettlebell. I didn’t invent this formula, but it has worked time after time for me and my clients. We will be doing total body workouts to save time and to promote general athleticism.

The simplest way to design full body workouts is to choose a pulling and a pushing exercise. This also creates balance and symmetry. We can get more creative by dividing the pushing and pulling into upper and lower body so that we’ll have upper body pulling, lower body pulling, upper body pushing and lower body pushing.

Pulling and Pushing Exercise Examples

Upper Body Pulling:

Kettlebell rows
Kettlebell cleans
Kettlebell snatches

Lower Body Pulling:

Kettlebell deadlifts
Single leg deadlifts
Suitcase deadlifts
Kettlebell swing variations

Upper Body Pushing:

Push-ups
Military press
Get-ups (can also be used as a lower body pushing exercise)

Lower Body Pushing:

Goblet squats
Kettlebell front squats
Kettlebell lunges

These basic exercises can build a foundation of strength and athleticism and can be used in many different combinations to keep training fun.

The basic formula I use for creating workouts:

Warm-up for 5-10 minutes (get your heart rate up and muscles warm)

Strength Block One:
(3-5x Sets)

Lower body pulling exercise
Upper body pushing exercise
Core exercise

Strength Block Two:
(3-5x Sets)

Lower body pushing exercise
Upper body pulling exercise
Core exercise

Conditioning:
(choose one exercise or create your own combination)

Swings
Sprints
Jump Rope
Burpees
Jumping Jacks

Cool down (light stretching, easy walk)

This formula has served me and my clients well for years. I would love to hear about the workout combinations you create with this formula in the comments section below.

Stay Strong and Safe,
Ryan Jankowitz, RKC II

***

Ryan lives in Maryland with his wife and two dogs. They love to go hiking and spend time on the beach. When he’s not telling his dogs to stop chasing squirrels, Ryan enjoys spreading the RKC message and teaching others how to train with kettlebells. He’s got a 90-day coaching program that helps busy adults get into shape, look and feel better by working out with kettlebells and eating healthier so they can elevate their self-esteem. Schedule a free call with Ryan: https://go.oncehub.com/RyanJankowitz

5 Important Considerations For At-Home Kettlebells Workouts

May 20, 2020 By Joe Boffi Leave a Comment

As a co-founder of Catalyst SPORT in NYC, I’ve been exposed to many different people—people just like you.

One of the most common questions I get from both fitness professionals and enthusiasts is, “What is the best piece of equipment I can buy for a home workout?” Being a long-time martial artist, athlete, and strength coach, I have used a plethora of exercise equipment (in the gym and at home). Without a doubt, my answer is always a KETTLEBELL.

With that choice, I wanted to add my top five things to consider for kettlebell workouts at home.

Space & Obstructions:

A significant concern for effective in-home workouts is the amount of physical space required. But, the beauty of using a kettlebell instead of something like a 7.2’ barbell is that you don’t need much space for most of the exercises in your repertoire. If you can lay on your floor with your arms stretched out over your head, you have enough space to do most kettlebell exercises. This much space will be enough for swings, cleans, squats, and most variations of those movements.

To set up for a swing based exercise, I like to consider whatever object (such as a wall or bookcase) which may be confining my space. I walk up to the wall with my arm and hand extended. When my fingertips touch the object, I take a big step back. I’ve now verified that I have the minimum required space in front of me for swinging a kettlebell.

Next, I need to make sure I have enough room behind me for the backswing. To do this, I turn around in place, then reach forward with my arm and fingers. If I cannot touch anything, I have enough space for backswings. Now, you can turn back around and safely swing, clean, and squat away!

Practicing kettlebell snatches requires one more overhead measurement. If you’re a tall person and have low ceilings (or you just aren’t sure), I would always recommend to err on the side of caution and be precise by making an actual measurement. You’ll need a kettlebell, a helper, a tape measure, and a chair. Stand with your arm overhead and your hand open (fingertips facing upward). Have your helper stand on the chair behind you and measure the distance from your middle finger to the ceiling. Record that number. Now measure the height of your kettlebells. Place your kettlebell on its base and measure the height of the bell from the floor to the top of the handle. Comparing your first measure and the height of your kettlebells. Any kettlebell that measures at least an inch or two shorter than the first number you recorded will give you enough clearance to do snatches.

Normally, this should provide you with plenty of extra space overhead, but make sure there are no light fixtures or any obstructions hanging down from the ceiling in the path of your snatch. I always say, better safe than a hole in your ceiling.

Finally, what about the get-up? This one is pretty easy. Lay on the floor and open your legs more than 45 degrees on both sides, then reach your arms out straight from your sides. If you don’t touch or kick anything, then you’re good! Reaching your arms out entirely to the sides may not be necessary, but if you lose control of the kettlebell, you’ll be at less risk of putting a hole in your wall. Next, you need to measure the space above you by standing up with your arm overhead and your hand in a fist. If you don’t touch the ceiling, you have enough room.

Floor Surface:

You may not have too many floor options in your home, but here are some ideas to keep in mind. Generally, any exercise you do standing, you can do on a hard surface like wood, stone, or tile. A hard surface to stand on will give your brain feedback from your feet and the floor. You will also have a stable platform for producing maximal tension and force.

Remember, you are in your home. Try not to aggressively drag or plop your bell down on these surfaces because you may damage them. I suggest standing on the hard surface and placing an area rug, yoga mat, or towel on the floor in front of you; this can serve as a runway for you to start and park your bell.

If you have a room that has a hard rug, this will work as well. My living room (where I do my home workouts) is a hard-packed rug.

It’s a good idea to avoid very thick and squishy rugs. These surfaces make finding the stability you need for a safe workout a difficult, and the feedback from the ground to your feet and brain gets a little lost.

Sweat:

Be aware while working out on hardwood, linoleum, or any shiny floor, your perspiration will make the floor slippery. Have a hand towel ready to help clean up between sets. Conversely, working out on a rug won’t become slippery, but it is more difficult to clean up, so wiping yourself often and doing get-ups on a couple of mats is a good option.

Shake, Rattle & Oops:

When we are doing ballistic movements like swings, cleans, and snatches, we are producing a lot of force right into the floor. In a structure like a house or an apartment, force travels through the floor and will cause items in your room or even rooms next to you to shake. I recommend doing a couple of reps and listening closely for anything that rattles. If you hear something rattle, move or secure that item. On two separate occasions, in two different apartments, I have rattled picture frames off the wall, and one of my wife’s little trinkets off a shelf.

Weight & Exercise Selection:

While working out in your home, choosing the right weight for you, the exercise, and your environment is extra important. I recommend using a weight that you really OWN—or possibly only slightly heavier—during an exercise, so that you don’t lose control or have to bail out of a movement.

The get-up provides an excellent example of why careful weight selection is essential for safe home workouts. Performing a get-up with a bell that is going to be a personal record (PR) or something that you’ve had extreme difficulty completing may not be the best idea at home. For one, you most likely won’t have a spotter, and second, if you do safely bail out, you will probably damage the floor and anything else in the surrounding area that the kettlebell hits. Ouch.

Similar rules apply for your exercise selections. Doing a V02 max style kettlebell snatch workout in your hallway is not a good idea. Remember that unsafe slippery sweat I mentioned before? You probably will not have enough time to catch your breath, let alone responsibly clean up sweat on the floor or yourself. If you lose the kettlebell because of your max output, then where will it go?

Now don’t get me wrong, I want you to work hard and do swings, snatches, and get-ups. I am just telling you to be smart about your weight and exercise selection. If you can workout outside in your yard, then go HAM! But if you are in your hallway or living room, just dial it back a little.

Working out at home is an excellent alternative to the gym. It may seem like you don’t have enough space or equipment, but all you need is a little guidance (which hopefully this article provided) and a kettlebell.

Be safe, aware of your surroundings, and work hard.

***

Joe Boffi, RKC Team Leader can be contacted at Joe@catalystsport.com. For more in-depth guidance from Joe for your workouts, sign-up for Catalyst’s Online Programming.

8 Essential Kettlebell Exercises for Hikers

May 1, 2020 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment

Kettlebell Get-up William Sturgeon, RKC Team Leader

With summer right around the corner and hikers getting ready to hit the trails, it’s important that we maintain our strength to enhance our time trekking. Hiking can be an exhausting hobby that demands a great amount of strength and conditioning. Using these eight kettlebell exercises will help you set yourself up for a great hiking season.

Kettlebell Swing

The kettlebell swing is a great exercise to help with conditioning the body for those long treks. Using the kettlebell swing as a conditioning tool will help build up the lung capacity needed for the trails.

William Sturgeon Kettlebell Swings

Goblet Split Squat

Hiking is a unilateral sport, meaning we are working one leg at a time. The goblet split squat is going to help strengthen your quads to face those tall hikes.

Kettlebell Press

Trekking poles can be a great tool to use when hiking, but they may also require a little more upper body strength. Practicing the kettlebell press will help you strengthen your shoulders.

Single Arm Row

Carrying a backpack around for long periods of time can take a toll on the upper back. Using the kettlebell row will help your posture and strengthen your back.

William Sturgeon, RKC Team Leader - Kettlebell Rows

Single Deadlift

The single leg deadlift will help strengthen your ankle and glutes. This greater stability can help reduce injuries on the trail.

William Sturgeon RKC Team Leader, one leg kettlebell deadlift

Kettlebell Get-Up

Being on the trail all day long while carrying a bag can be very taxing, use the Get-Up to help build a stronger core from all angles.

Halo

The halo is a simple kettlebell exercise for creating greater shoulder mobility. This will help you when climbing and/or carrying your bag.

Kettlebell Half Kneeling Stretch

Ankle and calves can get really tight from long treks. Be sure to use this exercise to help mobilize the joint and stretch the muscle.

***

4 Standards To Master The Kettlebell Swing

February 27, 2020 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment

To begin learning how to perform a kettlebell swing, you must master the most fundamental movement of the exercise—the hip hinge. Learning how to properly hip hinge, hike pass, deadlift and perform a dead-stop swing will set you up for guaranteed success with the kettlebell swing.

Master Your Hinge:

The foundation of the kettlebell swing is built off a strong hip hinge. When you are able to teach your clients how to optimally use their hips, they will get the full benefits for the proper muscles used in the swing. You will also keep your clients safe and reduce their exposure to injury.

Use these coaching cues:

Start in a tall & tight position with your feet shoulder width apart.
Have a slight bend in your knees.
Reach your hips back.
Drive your hips forward and stand tall.

Master Your Hike Pass:

The next step in the kettlebell swing is to master the hike pass. This motion begins to teach you the momentum of the swing. Learning the hike pass teaches you how to properly propel the kettlebell behind you. The back of the hike pass shows you what the bottom position of the kettlebell swing looks like.

Use these coaching cues

Get into your hip hinge.
Tilt the kettlebell towards you and break the handle in half.
Sit into your hips and toss the bell high into the thigh.
Keep your chest up & eyes forward.

Tilt the bell towards you and break the handle in half.

Sit into your hips and toss the bell high into the thigh.

Master Your Deadlift:

Next is the deadlift. When teaching the deadlift, you are helping your client understand how to properly load the hips. The deadlift teaches you to snap the hips and fully lock out at the top. This is important because this teaches how you should be at the top of the swing.

Use these coaching cues

Start with the kettlebell between your feet.
Go into your hip hinge.
Break the handle in half.
Punch your feet into the ground and snap your hips forward.

Snap the hips and fully lock out at the top.

Master Your Dead Stop Swing:

The last step in mastering the kettlebell swing is the dead stop swing. Mastering the dead stop swing puts all of the other steps into one. You begin by starting in a hip hinge position, next you go into your hike pass, and lastly you go into your dead lift. Each rep is initially starting the swing back over and enforcing all the skills you have learned prior to this step.

Use these coaching cues

Start in your hike pass position.
Toss the bell back.
Explode through the hips and let the bell float up.
Wait for the bell to push your hips back and park the bell.

Explode through the hips and let the bell float up.

To get the most out of your swing and master the basics, review and practice each of these steps.

***

When You Want to Up Your Strength Game, Who Best to Choose?

February 14, 2020 By Andrea Du Cane Leave a Comment

We were recently asked a very good question:

I’m opening a small gym and it will be a strength and conditioning facility that will cater to rock climbers, mace and kettlebell enthusiasts. Here is the conundrum RKC? SFG? Both? Or another cert?”

To be fair we get that question fairly often. The person asking that question is obviously a very thoughtful athlete and business owner and he wants to make a correct and informed decision.

Let me break this down as best I can. John and Pavel started the RKC many years ago – 2001 to be exact. After a number of very successful years, there was a difference of opinion in the direction the RKC should take. I cannot speak for SF, however, the direction the RKC chose to take was one of educating and producing strong and competent coaches. There are still instructor competency tests, but the focus is on corrective, progressive, regressive teaching that allows athletes and coaches to safely reach their potential and goals.

In the beginning, the RKC was run like a hardcore military bootcamp. With nearly an abusive quality to the instruction. Within the first hour, after a short warm-up and no training, the snatch test was given. The people attending were more often military, law enforcement, martial artists etc. In those days, very few personal trainers from the mainstream fitness industry attended.

As we grew, we started attracting medical professionals and mainstream fitness professionals. And thank goodness we changed! The focus became corrective strategies, progressions, and coaching. Our courses have come a long way. Yes, we still expect people to be able to demonstrate the unique strength principles, and for the RKC we expect people to take the time to prepare.

Another core belief is that our courses are not just for personal trainers to get some tools to teach their clients, but also to work on their own athletic abilities. I say it all the time, “how often do coaches get coached?” Our workshops are designed for the participants to get equal experience in coaching and learning the system to teach others, as well as working on their own weaknesses and strengths to become better athletes themselves. In my experience, there are very few certifications that can say that.

This puts our focus on usable information a coach or gym owner can take with them the day after the workshop to implement immediately and to grow their personal and professional goals. Along with the knowledge and expertise gained at the workshop, there is ongoing support and networking though international private RKC Facebook groups.

Included in our kettlebell educational portfolio we have our HardstyleFit on-line courses and the HKC one-day workshops. Below is detailed information for all our workshops and courses.

Dragon Door also provides education and workshops in calisthenics, with our PCC courses. These special courses were created by Paul Wade, author of Convict Conditioning. The PCC is the perfect complement to kettlebell training, and for most athletes – extremely valuable.

We are also launching a new product that incorporates isometric training, developed by Paul Wade. This new system includes an in-depth manual, on-line and live workshops. Learn more about the ISOCHAIN

Dragon Door is the leader in innovative health and athletic training, with the RKC being the foundation of a system embraces the entire athlete and coach.

HardstyleFit Certificate: On-Line Training Only

Complete HardstyleFit Level One to earn 0.6 ACE CECs or 0.6 NASM CEUs.
Complete HardstyleFit Level Two to earn 0.7 ACE CECs.

A users’ course. Follows the structure of the HKC/RKC but without the focus on coaching the movements. HardstyleFit level 1 needs to be completed before level 2, to ensure the basic movements are understood and can be performed correctly.

The on-line written test before the physical video test, is to ensure a deep understanding of the strength principles in lieu of a live instructor providing the opportunity to share the information and provide Q & A.

A 50% discount is offered after passing the HardstyleFit course to apply to either an HKC or RKC. The discount code is good for one year of passing the course. The HardstyleFit program can be used as a “prep” for the in-person instructor courses.

HKC Certification: In Person Training Only

Earn .8 ACE CECs and .8 NASM CEUs

No specific weight class requirements are required. The lead instructor recommends the weight used to produce the best and safest performance for each of the three kettlebell lifts taught. There is no kettlebell prerequisite required. However, an entrance test of a 1 minute plank is administered at the beginning of the workshop to ensure an adequate level of physical preparedness.

It is recommended that participants have either completed the HardstyleFIt on-line training course or trained with an HKC/RKC prior to the course.

The three exercises presented and tested at the workshop are the foundation of the overall Kettlebell system. Safe performance and mastery of each exercise is necessary before moving on to the more difficult exercises of the RKC.

The HKC provides hands-on coaching for the course participants, both as the coach and the person being coached. This back and forth partnering, enhances the learning experience on all levels.

The HKC is considered both a “prep” course for the RKC and a stand-alone certification. Many trainers use the most basic kettlebell exercises for their group classes or clients. The HKC provides those trainers with enough knowledge and coaching experience to deliver results for their clients without the time and money commitment of the RKC. After passing the HKC, the HKC instructor gets a $200 discount on an RKC course within a year of passing the HKC.

The technique test demonstrates the participant’s understanding of the principles as well as the ability to perform the movements correctly. It is necessary to be able to correctly demonstrate each exercise, since a large percentage of the population are visual learners.

HKC Technique Test:

Two-Handed swing (10 reps)
Get-up (1 rep)
Goblet Squat (5 reps)

The Teaching/Coaching Test demonstrates the participants ability to coach the exercise. This allows the lead instructor to see the participant in action coaching another person.

The lead instructor is evaluating the participant on the following criteria:

Correctly demonstrating the exercise
Following the correct teaching progressions
Determining what movement is incorrect or unsafe – and stopping it if necessary
Applying the right correction
Putting safety first and above all other criteria
Picking the appropriate load for the given exercise and client
Using appropriate verbal cues without over cueing

HKC certifications allow 90 days to submit a video of any requirements that were not completed at the course. The participant sends the video in to the lead instructor or visits the instructor in person to retest the skill.

The HKC certification lasts for 3 years. There are 3 options to maintain your certification. Note: HKCs are not allowed to assist at an HKC to recertify.

Attend an HKC at a discount
Attend an RKC at a discount and move up your certification
Submit an online HKC re-cert test (available after 2/18/2020)

RKC Certification: In Person Training Only

Earn 2.5 ACE CECs and 1.9 NASM CEUs

Weight classes are provided to guide the participant to use an appropriate load for general kettlebell training. Weight classes are in line with other strength and athlete competitions. This ensures a safe and level training system. An entrance test is administered at the start of the first day of the 2 (or 3) day course. 10 “Hardstyle” push-ups for men, 3 for women. The Hardstyle push-up is demonstrated at the course by one of the instructors and requires the participant to pause at the bottom and top, while maintaining the plank with spine in neutral. All reps performed at the testing instructors count. This demonstrates a strong core to ensure safety for all the ballistic and strength movements throughout the course.

During the live workshops, the master instructor has the authority to increase or decrease the load during instruction and testing to encourage the best and safest performance of the participants and learning environment. For example, when first learning the get-up or snatch, the instructor may recommend participants start with a lighter kettlebell to learn the basic movement pattern and then increase the load as the skill increases. For learning the swing, going to a heavier than ‘test weight’ will provide a clear understanding of the glute and hip driven nature of the exercise.

In some circumstances during testing, the master instructor has the authority to have a participant take a lighter weight for an exercise ie., a woman on the high end of the weight class may be allowed to use one size lighter for the get-up. Whereas a man who is very strong may be asked to use a heavier than test size kettlebell for the clean or press to facilitate the correct muscular recruitment and produce the correct technique.

Kettlebell training is a strength and ballistic power production system that focuses on the hips and posterior muscles of the body. The RKC requires participants to prepare and train for the workshop. The average amount of time recommended is 6 months.

There are 3 paths recommended to take as preparation:

Attend an HKC in-person certification
Complete HardstyleFit level 1 and level 2
Train with a certified RKC.

The Technique Test includes the 6 kettlebell exercises that comprises the Hardstyle strength and ballistic training. The rep count is designed to follow traditional strength training rep counts, while allowing ample time to demonstrate the strength/ballistic principles of the system. Both sides are tested to encourage a healthy and functional athlete. Exceptions to testing both sides must be cleared with Dragon Door and the Master Instructor. And requires a doctor’s written note as to why the participant cannot perform both sides of an exercise or the need to lower the load from the test size kettlebell.

Requirements for RKC

Single-arm swing (10/10 reps)
Single-arm clean (5/5 reps)
Get-up (1/1 rep)
Military Press (4/4 reps)
Double Front Squat (5 reps)
Snatch (5/5 reps)
Snatch Test: 100 reps within 5 minutes with test size kettlebell.

The Snatch Test is as overall physical preparedness test as well as demonstrating the endurance and strength that was needed in preparation for the course. Participants have the option of not taking the snatch during the course but submitting a video at a later date.

RKC certifications allow 90 days to submit a video of any requirements that were not completed at the course. The participant sends the video in to the lead instructor or visits the instructor in person to retest the skill.

Once completed the certification lasts for 3 years, after which the RKC has three options to re-certify:

RKC II Certification: In Person Training Only

The RKC II is an advanced kettlebell training program for serious professional coaches and athletes. The course focuses neurologically and physically challenging lifts.

It is recommended to spend some time at the RKC level and refine those skills before moving on to the RKC II.

An entrance test is administered at the start of the first day of the 2- day course. 5 dead hang pull-ups for men, :20 flex-arm hold for women both with supinated grip. This demonstrates the participants strength base to perform pull-ups.

The RKC II incorporates two bodyweight exercises the utilize some of the same principles of the RKC Hardstyle strength system. There is a lot of focus on progressions and regressions for all advanced kettlebell and bodyweight exercises. This allows the curriculum to be used with all populations that trainers and coaches work with in their businesses.

RKC Technical Requirements tested at RKC II:

All RKC level one exercises with double kettlebells except for the Get-up and Snatch:

Double Swing
Double Clean
Double Front Squat
Double Press
Get-up
Snatch
5-Minute Snatch Test

RKC II Technical Requirements: Instruction includes all progressions of each exercise and variety kettlebell exercises.

Strict One-Arm Military Press
Weighted Pull-up for Men; Single Pull-up for Women
Pistol
Double Jerk
Windmill
Bent Press (not scored)

RKC II certifications allow 90 days to submit videos of any requirement that was not completed at the course. The participant sends the video in to the lead instructor or visits the instructor in person to retest the skill.

Once completed the certification lasts for 3 years, after which the RKC II has three options to re-certify:

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Andrea Du Cane is a Master RKC Kettlebell Instructor, CK-FMS, CICS, and RIST, ZHealth certified, she has a BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and is also a Pilates instructor. She is the author of several books and dvds including The Ageless Body, The Kettlebell Boomer, and The Kettlebell Goddess Workout. She has over twenty years of aerobics, weight training and fitness experience, with an additional background in… Read more here.

Use These 3 Cues to Teach The Deadlift

August 21, 2019 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment

William Sturgeon Deadlift Coaching Cues

When teaching a client how to deadlift, we must first help them master the hip hinge. Often when we begin to teach someone how to hinge we use the following cues: “keep a slight bend in the knees, push your hips back, keep your back straight, pack the shoulders, push your hips forward and stand tall…”

These cues are effective, but when someone has never done a hip hinge before, all these words may be too overwhelming.

When we’re working with a client, we always want to make sure that they are not confused. We want to make our instructions as clear as possible so that they are set up for success.

Start by teaching your client a tall & tight position.

Tall & Tight

This position begins standing with feet shoulder width apart. Then, instruct your client to pull their hips slightly forward. Tell them to imagine pulling their belt buckle to their chin.
Next teach the tight position. This begins by tucking the ribs down and pinching the shoulders back.
The tall & tight position teaches how to maintain a neutral spine while maintaining tension in the core.

Reach Your Hips Back

Next we are going to teach our client how to reach their hips back. “Begin with a slight bend in the knees. Reach your hips back by trying to touch your butt towards the wall behind you, while keeping the tall and tight position.” These instructions can get complicated quickly, so I use the following cues instead:

I begin by helping people understand this movement by instructing them to place their fists on their hips.
Then I tell them to imagine their body is a can crusher—the upper body being the top half and the lower body being the bottom half of the machine.
Next, I ask them to reach their hips back and “crush their cans.”

Drive Through Your Hips

Lastly we will review “driving through the hips” to finish the exercise.

While maintaining a tall and tight position, push through the hips to the starting position.
Next, think about punching your feet into the ground, while thrusting your hips forward.

Once you’ve mastered this fundamental skill you can now progress to loading your client for a deadlift.

Just remember: tall & tight, reach your hips back, and drive through the hips.

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William Sturgeon, RKC II trains clients at his gym, Restored Strength. Contact him through his website at RestoredStrength.com or follow him on Facebook: facebook.com/restoredstrength