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Simple Hand Training Drills To Compliment Your Kettlebell Training

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Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II

Full disclosure—I love kettlebells. With that out of the way, I can share a few tips I’ve learned along my fitness journey. Some of these things I’ve learned through positive experiences, like reading a book, attending a certification, or studying martial arts. Other things I’ve learned through injury.

Let’s talk about the importance of training your hands to support and enhance your kettlebell training. If you are wondering how to train your hands and why, I will do my best to enlighten you. When I train my clients or myself, a lot of the movements we perform involve gripping the kettlebell, barbell, pull-up bar, etc. The amount of time we spend with our hands open pales in comparison to how much time we spend gripping objects. That alone is reason enough to keep performing push-ups and crawling movements. If we spend so much time gripping, then we may unknowingly create an imbalance. I learned this first hand after straining a muscle in my inner forearm—an injury which put me on the shelf for a couple weeks. (My massage therapist discovered the imbalance in my forearm.)

That injury occurred several years ago and I vowed to not let it happen again. So far I have been successful and would like to share the simple drills I use to train my hands and forearms so that you can also avoid this annoying injury.

Drill #1 – Wrist Circles

I first learned this drill while studying Kung Fu. It was part of our joint mobility warm-up. I was pleasantly surprised when we went through a similar mobility complex during my RKC Level 1 back in 2011. This is another example of the many parallels between martial arts and kettlebell training. If you look at your RKC or HKC manual, then you will see that this is the second drill in the mobility complex section. I do this drill every morning as part of a quick 8 to 10-minute Qigong Recharge. This drill gently works the wrists through their full range of motion, lubricates the joints, and brings healthy blood flow to the wrists.

I have also taught this drill to clients with carpal tunnel or who experience discomfort in their wrists. The results have been either positive or no change in discomfort—both of which are certainly better than a negative result.

To perform this drill, start by interlocking your fingers and bringing your palms together in front of your chest. Gently roll your wrists around, making sure to also reverse the direction.

Drill #2 – Wrist Flexion and Extension

This is another drill that I learned from studying Kung Fu. It was one of many hand-training drills we practiced. Now, I find this drill to be very beneficial for my clients and myself. The stretch is amazing and it hits parts of my forearm that I had usually neglected. In one instance, I actually cured a client’s wrist pain with just 5 reps of this drill!

To perform this drill, straighten your arms and bring them up and out in front at chest level. As you straighten your arms, push through the heel of your palms and try to pull your fingers back toward your face. Hold for just a few seconds, then start to pull your arms back into your body by bending your elbows. As your elbows bend, bring all of your fingers together to form a crane’s beak, then try to bring all of your fingers to the inner part of your forearm. That’s one rep. Perform 5-10 total reps.

https://youtu.be/H20gV0h9Ork

Drill #3 – Hand Whipping

This is yet another drill that I learned from Kung Fu. I also read about a similar drill called “shaking out” in an old Dragon Door book, Beyond Stretching: Russian Flexibility Breakthroughs, that employs the same technique for strengthening the tendons and ligaments in your legs. This drill is a bit more advanced than the previous two, but definitely worth trying.

Begin the drill with your arms relaxed by your sides. Slowly bring your hands up to your body and when your hands reach your chest, quickly whip them out in front of you. Although you are moving very fast, try to stay as relaxed as possible.

https://youtu.be/FbF1q2sBWKo

Thank you for reading my first RKC Blog post! Try these drills and let me know what you experience.

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 operates a remote 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.

Be More Human

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Kettlebell One Arm Swing

I’m in a great position nowadays. I get to counsel many younger coaches and hopefully teach them the lessons I wish I’d known when I was first starting in fitness. Even so, I keep hearing the same question:

“Which book or program do I use… so I don’t make mistakes?”

I always have to explain that making mistakes is part of the learning process. Mistakes are only a problem if they’re repeated. That philosophy really resonates with me because I grew up in a family of teachers. My mother, father, grandmother, and my aunt were all teachers and professors.

This is why I don’t ever consider mistakes to be a bad thing. In fact, the mistakes I’ve made have helped me become the coach I am today! Through that evolution and experience, my thoughts on “strength training” have changed quite drastically.

I went through several stages of what I THOUGHT strength training was all about:

  • Lifting as heavy as possible
  • Getting as tired as possible
  • Doing the “magical” lifts

If you can name it, then I have probably tried it at one point or another. But, nothing ever felt quite right until now. Now, what I see as strength is actually inspired by the old ideas from physical culture. Originally, exercise was never solely a physical venture, but included the whole person.

Then I realized that the real purpose of strength training was to help people become better humans.

At every RKC and DVRT program, I ask the class, “Do you believe in functional training?” Almost everyone does, but they look puzzled when I ask them to define functional training. Usually I get answers like, “Functional training makes people better in their lives.”

Who could argue with such an answer, even if it is really vague. But, approaching a training methodology in this philosophical way gives us no clear vision. We often forget what makes us human. Yes, people will tell us that we squat, hinge, push, and pull, but a list of such general movements is almost as vague as the term “functional training”!

I ask our classes to think about THE most common movement they all perform. I get answers like squats and deadlifts—but how much of that do you really do during the course of a day? The answer I am REALLY looking for is “walking”! Did you just hit yourself in the forehead? Walking contains elements of many different movement patterns that most people would consider to be part of a training program. I bring up walking because most of our REAL human activities are not singular motions found in the gym, but a combination of simultaneous movement patterns.

I know, we think of walking as simple, while a swing or snatch is complex. Everyone can walk, but not everyone can do a Turkish get-up. Well, lets put it this way—not everyone walks well! To put things in perspective, my wife, a physical therapist, spent a whole semester learning gait analysis (watching and examining how people walk). And most experts agree that there are between six and eight phases to the act of walking. Not so simple, right?

Lifting more for the sake of lifting more doesn’t really do us any good unless it increases our movement efficiency. Renowned physical therapist, Gray Cook, had a really good statement about this type of training:

“In other words, we want adaptable strength that can work in changing environments. Adaptable strength is developed though complex movement patterns, not over-rehearsed, over-coached lifts in a never-changing environment. The athlete, warrior, outdoor enthusiast or physical adventurer embraces change and challenge, while the gym rat needs comfort and consistency for a happy workout.”

How does this idea apply to your strength training? We tend to live in a value system where the heavier weight is the better option, while we forget the benefits of moving to more complex movements.

https://youtu.be/Tqed0CCRhPY

A few weekends ago, I taught a sold out New York RKC. We were discussing the one-arm kettlebell swing, and I asked the class what real life movement it most resembled. People looked at each other, and a few shouted out answers before I simply said, “Walking”. You would have thought I had had a mic drop moment when I gave the answer in that context.

Why walking? Because it includes reciprocal arm swing. This basically means that your arm swings with the opposite leg. This movement pattern happens for many reasons, but we all do it. Walking also requires us to push down into the ground and project our bodies forward. Guess what else walking needs? (Hint: the answer is also one of the biggest reasons that we swing only to chest height and not over our heads.)

I’m not saying that the one-arm swing is EXACTLY like walking, but it involves the same foundational skills required in this very common human motion we perform every day. With this in mind, you might appreciate that the BEST exercise might not be the one that is only heavier, but the one which places a more complex demand on the body and requires us to become better moving humans!

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Sign up for the Las Vegas RKC with Master RKC Josh Henkin

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.

Master RKC Josh Henkin 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.

Friend Zone Exercises

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Max Shank Side Plank With Leg Lift

Ladies, you have that friend who is awesome in every way but just doesn’t excite you. He’s funny, smart, nice, and doesn’t look horrifying–but for some reason he just doesn’t strike passion in your heart.

Because of this, whether he knows it or not, he is stuck in the friend zone.

Let’s take a moment of silence for all the gentlemen before us who have fallen into the friend zone.

In today’s world, the same thing has happened with certain exercises. Because social media is now a window into people’s lives, you’d think that training was all back flips and heavy deadlifts. The problem is that anyone who doesn’t have a thorough understanding of exercise and building a well-balanced program, doesn’t see the important foundational stuff.

The following exercises get no love because they just aren’t that sexy.

  • Rows
  • Split Squats
  • Push Ups
  • Side Planks
  • Single Leg Deadlift
  • Mobility training in general

Rows always get cast aside in favor of pull-ups or chin-ups. This is not to say that these exercises are bad, but rows are actually the better choice for most people. The postural benefits along with the promotion of shoulder health and biomechanics from rows far outweigh pulls or chins. Consider adding rows to your session either as a big strength movement or as a high rep accessory work movement toward the end of your session. Then, even if it’s not considered all that cool, post it on Instagram with the hashtag #IDoRows.

Split squats, walking lunges, rear foot elevated split squats, jumping lunges are all great exercises. The humble split squat is another exercise that gets little to no love. First, they are extremely user friendly. Second they do a terrific job of mobilizing the hip flexor/quadriceps and ankle/toes of the rear leg. The toe and ankle mobility is easy to avoid during normal lunges and other substitute exercises. Lastly they also are crucial for owning split-stance balance which will have a good carryover to other areas of life.

Push-ups… if you’re not clapping your hands or spinning around like a whirling dervish, then push-ups just don’t have that “shiny-thing” appeal. However, if done properly, the push-up will help you get stronger upper body pushing muscles. Also, push-ups train the abs to maintain stability–which has been proven to help prevent back problems. The push-up also allows for full scapular movement–important for maintaining shoulder health–unlike the bench press.

Side planks don’t look that cool, but they really turn on your lateral chain. The oblique and gluteus medius are important for stabilizing the pelvis (especially while you’re on one leg). This is sometimes a magic bullet for improving function in the upper and lower body.

Master RKC Max Shank Single Leg Deadlift with Barbell

The single leg deadlift is another exercise that is absolutely awesome for improving mobility, strength, balance, and coordination–all which have great carryover to athletics. The main criticism is that it’s just not heavy enough.

I beg to differ (barbell and kettlebell examples):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbsETxo8Vps

Wake up your glutes and get to work on some single leg deadlifts. They are especially challenging if you hold the weight in the hand opposite of the leg you are standing on.

Joint circles for mobility training aren’t all that cool looking, but they are a key component of a well rounded health and strength plan. In the RKC we take care to mobilize the joints before heavy lifting to prevent injury and enhance strength. Most people are too stiff, not too loose–you have to mobilize those joints every day if you want to be able to stay loose.

Side note: Mobility drills actually look kind of cool at 4x speed in my #5minuteflow video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3ZD8s15ckc

Don’t forget the exercises that will stand by you through thick and thin, and reward you with sustainable progress through your whole life.

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

5 Reasons Every RKC Should Train for the RKC-II

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Matt Beecroft Kettlebell Pistol

In 2008, in Hungary, I completed my first RKC. As one of the longest-certified RKCs in Australia, one of the most important things that has kept me motivated as an instructor is furthering my education. Constantly learning, evolving and setting new goals every year has kept me passionate about the fitness industry. Most importantly, I have sought out the best knowledge to help my clients be healthier and to become better athletes.

The RKC has always been touted as the “black belt” of kettlebell certifications—and it is! Earning it comes with a great sense of pride, achievement, and status within the kettlebell community. As a martial artist who holds qualifications higher than black belt in two different systems (which took me many years to achieve), I can say that earning your black belt is not an end point. There is much more beyond earning your black belt. In many systems, the black belt is just the beginning—it’s a rite of passage for practice at a deeper level.

For me, earning certifications isn’t about the ranking or increase in my perceived status, nor is it about the piece of paper. It’s is all about what is learned along that journey—that is the real gold. While the certification experience itself is amazing, the golden nuggets are found along your journey to the RKC. And the same is also true for the RKC-II.

I think many people shy away from the RKC Level-II because it may seem like too lofty a goal. The techniques are challenging, and for people without a big background in strength training, the strength prerequisites can be daunting. In the past, people have gotten injured while they were training for it, and some even arrived injured at a Level 2 workshop, knowing they wouldn’t pass the certification. Coincidentally that is exactly what happened to me the first time around. Even though I knew I was injured and wouldn’t pass, I still decided to attend. I traveled to the other side of the world to gain the knowledge and experience to bring back home to my clients. And it was well worth it. Afterwards, I came back home, healed my injury and embarked on a new training program with a coach. I reinvented myself and came back to smash the test and achieve my goal. I had the sweet satisfaction of overcoming my challenges and achieving my long term goal—and not quitting.

However, what I learned along the way was far more valuable. In my own training, the biggest growth periods seem to happen because of an injury. Making mistakes and overcoming obstacles often means big time growth.

As an RKC, the RKC Level-II might be the single best thing you aren’t training for at the moment. Training for and earning your RKC Level-II certification demonstrates a number of things:

  1. It shows that you can be a client.

If you are a personal trainer, but have never trained with a personal trainer or a coach then you will probably struggle to understand the experience of being a client. It’s hard to lead someone through something you haven’t experienced for yourself.

It’s best to train for an RKC workshop or the Level-II by finding an RKC-II instructor to train you and write a program for you. This also means you will need to be a client. Dan John has eloquently said, “ A coach who coaches himself has an idiot for a client”. While I was able to train myself for the RKC—at the time, there were only a few RKCs spread out across Australia, so training with an RKC meant a few hours on a plane for a training session—training myself for the RKC Level-II wasn’t as successful. I needed someone to carefully assess my level, weaknesses, strengths, and technique. I needed honest feedback and a program specifically designed for me and my level of training at the time. This kind of instruction can only happen face to face, not with cookie-cutter, generic training programs. I needed a program written by a skilled coach.

  1. It shows that you are coachable and can follow a program.

The only program that works is the one you will actually follow—and the devil is in the details. Preparing for and passing the RKC Level-II demonstrates that you can follow multiple programs for a long period of time. At the time of my first RKC Level-II certification, the guys had to press ½ their bodyweight. Without enough absolute strength in the “strength bank” for a few years prior, candidates would need to follow a strict program to increase their overall strength over a period of six months to two years. In my opinion, many people attempt the Level-II too soon after their RKC Level-I. They sometimes overestimate how strong and mobile they are, only to discover that they may need another six months to a year—or even longer to really be prepared. Following a program also shows that even as a coach, you are still coachable.

  1. It shows you can take care of your body and auto-regulate your training.

In the lead up to my RKC Level-II, I became too focused on quantity to get the volume up for my big lifts. Once I started sacrificing quality for quantity, and pushed through workouts when I was fatigued, it only led to one thing—injury. Statistically, I am sure about 30% of potential candidates don’t make it to the Level-II because of shoulder or other injuries. Another 30% (or probably more) arrive to the certification with an injury. Preparing for and passing the Level-II demonstrates that you can sweep emotions aside, listen to your body, and auto-regulate your training so that you do not get injured. In other words, it demonstrates that you can train intelligently.

  1. It shows you have learned about programming and progressions.

How do you improve program-writing skills? You improve by following a great program a coach has written specifically for you. Some of the biggest things I learned while training for my Level-II were about writing programs. I learned the most by talking to my coach and trying to understand the “whys” of my program. My understanding of the benefits and pitfalls of particular exercises and programming principles skyrocketed. Learning from a textbook will only get you so far. Nothing can replace the experience—and more importantly the feeling—of following specific programming, particular exercises, and how they all fit together. Writing programs is a science and an art. Many trainers make the mistake of writing programs for clients without first testing them on themselves or someone else. It helps to know firsthand how these programs and exercises will affect your clients. It is challenging to know when a client is ready to progress, and when to hold off. Learning progressions and regressions of kettlebell exercises is a big part of programming, and you learn all of this on the road to the RKC Level-II.

  1. It shows you have the required mobility, stability and strength.

Learning and successfully executing the windmill, pistol, jerk, and bent press means you have earned the prerequisite mobility, stability and strength! These lifts demand that that you have the required blend of t-spine, hip, and ankle mobility/stability and strength. These specific lifts are a demonstration of your athleticism. Some trainers may say that these lifts are “circus tricks” and there is no need for clients to learn them, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Comments like these often come from trainers who don’t have the athleticism to do these techniques well, if they can even do them at all. While the bent press is an old-time strongman lift, it is also the perfect demonstration of hip mobility, thoracic mobility, and shoulder stability. Old-time strongman lifts and “circus tricks” like the bent press demonstrate strength, flexibility and athleticism—why wouldn’t I want my clients to possess these attributes? Sure, it is easier to be mediocre and not an athlete, but for those who want to deepen their practice and their movement quality, I can’t think of many other lifts with the perfect blend of athleticism that these lifts demonstrate.

RKC-Level2-LogoSo, are you up for the next challenge in your kettlebell practice? While full of challenges, the road to the RKC Level-II is rich with the priceless experience and knowledge for your development as a girevoy and fitness professional. As a RKC, it could be the single best thing you aren’t training for right now.

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Matthew Beecroft is an RKC Team Leader, PCC, and CK-FMS certified instructor. He is also a GFM and Animal Flow instructor and an Expert Level 2 instructor with Krav Maga Global. As a Muay Thai coach, he has trained amateur and professional Muay Thai champions. He can be contacted through his website: www.realitysdc.com.au

How to Become a Kettlebell Professional

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Shari Wagner Double Kettlebell Swing Setup

A recent conversation with a client went something like this, “Of course you can do [insert exercise]…you’re a professional.” A little while later, a prospective client asked, “Do you think I have the potential to be good at kettlebells?” Combine that with another amazing weekend hosting an RKC workshop, and this blog post was born.

Of course I can do all of these kettlebell lifts, I’m a professional. But how do you think I became a professional? I certainly didn’t come out of the womb able to do all of this stuff. I had to learn it and practice it, and be open to more learning and more practicing. Every. Day. Every day until I earned my RKC and every day since I earned my RKC.

I didn’t just pick up a kettlebell and magically start using it perfectly. I was once in exactly the same position as anyone who comes to my gym to learn kettlebells. I had to learn each exercise from square one, just as all of my clients do. Truth be told, it took me a long time to learn a proper swing! That deep hike and explosive hip snap was as foreign to me as it is to you. After lots of dedicated practice and consistency, it’s now feels so natural it’s hard to remember how awkward I once felt.

Even after 6+ years of being an RKC, I still don’t just pick up a kettlebell and magically start using it perfectly. Every time I pick up a kettlebell, I focus on all the components that I know make up proper technique.

I make sure I set up with proper form and I make sure I swing, clean, press, etc. with proper form. I think about making every rep the best I can make it. I concentrate on how each rep feels… “That one needed a little more tightness in my snap, I need to make sure I keep my back flat when I hike.” I video myself now and again to check and hone my technique. I never approach or pick up a kettlebell on auto-pilot.

I’m better able to recognize and make micro adjustments, but that certainly didn’t happen overnight either! It took a lot of time, patience, practice and consistency. It sometimes took losing my patience a bit. It certainly took lots of coaching and the ability to be coachable.

At an HKC workshop several years ago, after all the other participants and instructors introduced themselves and told about their vast athletic backgrounds, I said “I have a background in nothing.” I wasn’t an athlete and I didn’t participate in any sports. I had a history of being sedentary and inactive or yo-yo exercising, until I found kettlebells in my late 30’s. That is when I found the athlete inside me.

Shari Wagner Kettlebell Press and Strength Quote

Some people are more naturally athletic and can learn technique more easily than others. I’m not one of those people, but that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of learning a new technique. For me, it just means that it might take me a little longer to learn something new, and I might have to put in a little more time practicing a new skill but I’m okay with that. I allow it to leave me with a bigger sense of accomplishment.

I believe that anyone can become an RKC, and the recipe is simple. Start with a dedicated mindset to your training practice, add to it lots of hard (but smart) work and consistency, and sprinkle in some patience and time. Yes you; the one who picked up your first kettlebell today! Or you;  the one who’s been using kettlebells for a few years. ANYONE willing to put in the time and dedicated effort to good technique can achieve RKC status, or any goal you set for yourself. Some of you may be like me and might have to work a little harder or a little longer than others, but either way, I truly believe that anyone can do it.

The way the RKC course is structured, everyone learns the progressions and regressions for each exercise so that you are able to teach people of all fitness levels. In the process, you are learning what you need to improve your own technique. The structure of the course also allows you to constantly practice coaching others, so you can hone your teaching skills while you’re learning everything. Combine that with the plethora of valuable resources offered by Dragon Door, titles like Master the Kettlebell, Strong Medicine and Mental Muscle and you have everything you need to succeed.

Over the years I’ve participated in several RKC workshops. Whether the participants are seasoned athletes or new to training and whether they do or do not pass the requirements, the one common theme I see among them is that the RKC was the best course they have ever attended and many report that it was life changing. It certainly was for me!

So, what’s stopping you? Go sign up for those kettlebell lessons or for an RKC workshop!

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Shari Wagner, RKC-II, CK-FMS owns Iron Clad Fitness in Denver, Colorado. She can be contacted through her website at IronCladFit.com, email: info@ironcladfit.com or by phone 720-900-4766. Follow her on Facebook: facebook.com/IronCladFitness and Twitter: twitter.com/IronCladFitness.

So, You Want to Train Athletes…

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Tallahassee 2015 RKC Group Photo

Recently, I had the pleasure of assisting Master RKC, Keira Newton at the Tallahassee RKC. We spent a lot of time talking about and practicing drills, modifications and regressions for training the average client. By average, I am referring to the clients most likely to come to you for training.

When I began my journey as a trainer and gym owner in 1998, I had visions of training elite athletes. I fantasized about working with high school, college and professional teams. I had visions of taking athletes to the “next level” and eventually being hired as a trainer with a professional football team—preferably, the Indianapolis Colts.

I know I am not the only trainer or coach who doesn’t fantasize about this.

Several years ago, I set up an appointment with the new strength coach at Florida State. Go Noles!! I remember being both scared to death and excited at the prospect of bringing kettlebell training to the football team. I arrived at my appointment totally prepared to wow the staff with my knowledge and skills. When I arrived, the coach was in a meeting so I waited and waited. After about an hour, I left. My dreams were dashed and my hopes were crushed.

Then I got a call from the strength coach at the University of Florida. Boo Gators! Yes, they were our biggest rival but I couldn’t give up this opportunity. They placed a big order with me for kettlebells, so I loaded up my truck and headed down to Gainesville. I sat with the coach and we talked about training with kettlebells and all the benefits that would help the team. He even had me doing Turkish get-ups in his office. I drove back to Tallahassee, planning my new life as part of the training team for the Gators.

I waited for the call that never came. I knew from my conversations with the assistant strength coach, that he had been training with kettlebells while at Texas Tech. Although he wasn’t certified, I knew that he felt he could train the guys with kettlebells. With my dreams dashed again, I continued training average clients.

My average clients are people who have many issues including obesity, very poor movement and the over 50 crowd.

I found I couldn’t do anything fancy. Most of the time I had to progress them very slowly and come up with my own creative ways to help them learn the kettlebell basics while improving their movement and overall strength. One of those clients, Helen, is an 82-year-old woman who suffers from a rare bone disorder, Hereditary Multiple Exostoses.

She required multiple surgeries to remove excessive bone growths. She has some bones that are shorter than others as well as bowed limbs. She has the inability to fully straighten her arms and legs—and of course, all of that affects her movement and ability to do many of the exercises I would normally use in training. To top it all off, she was run over by farming equipment and suffered severe injuries. Helen is one tough broad!

I began each session with ankle mobility. She sat and I manipulated her ankles and feet until she was able to do it herself. One of her main goals was to lose weight and be able to complete a .6 mile walk around the park without stopping. My workout program for her included full body strength and conditioning. An important goal for older clients (that I think many of us miss) is to regain the ability to get up off the ground.

Most of the injuries in the elderly result from falls. There are many horror stories out there about people who fall and can’t get up. I’m sure we all remember the commercial, “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”. So, I make getting up from the floor a priority.

We did a lot of squats. In the beginning, I put her on a box with bumper plates to raise her high enough so she could stand up without much trouble. I set up elevated boxes about 10 feet from each other so that she could get up, walk and sit back down. I progressed her by lowering the height and adding small hurdles or cones to help her with agility. Yes, older people need agility!

We did very modified get-ups using a wedge so she didn’t have to lay flat on the floor. We did a lot of band work and then started adding kettlebells. Doing swings and goblet squats were out of the question. We worked deadlifts, lots of deadlifts.

A sample-beginning workout that I have used with Helen and other elderly clients would look like this:

  • Seated mobility drills beginning with ankles
  • Seated thoracic spine mobility
  • Seated cervical spine mobility
  • Box squats elevated to client’s ability x5
  • Box squats with walk to another box x2
  • Deadlifts with kettlebell elevated enough to allow good form x5  (or behind-the-back deadlifts)
  • Band pull-downs x8
  • Band presses or wall push-ups x8
  • Elevated get-ups x2/2
  • Getting off the ground x2 (They can do whatever they need to do, including grabbing on to something)

Depending on the client, I might do add exercises that are a little more challenging:

  • Kettlebell rows from an elevated plank position x5/5
  • Rolling to a get-up x3/3
  • Suitcase deadlift with kettlebell elevated to allow good form x5/5

This is just a sample. I encourage you to use a lot of creativity to progress your client safely while focusing on workouts that will improve function in their day-to-day living.

When I began my RKC journey, I thought I wanted to train athletes. But, training my “average” clients has helped me grow and become a better trainer. I have experienced incredible joy watching them get stronger, move better and live healthy, productive lives.

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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, Laurel 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.

Hacks for an Iron Clad Goblet Squat

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MikeKrivkaGobletSquatLeadPhoto

What is a hack? Hacks are shortcuts or enhancements and can be technical or lifestyle based. Think of hacks as inside tips to get the good stuff—the stuff that works fast and gets you to the tasty, rich and gooey center quicker! In this case, my goal is to provide you with hacks that will allow you how to get the most out of the kettlebell goblet squat.

What’s the Big Deal?

The goblet squat lies squarely within the realm of “simple but not easy”. But, don’t confuse the goblet squat with something that is so “simple” to master that it’s not worth your time. On the contrary—it is supremely important for all demographics, age groups and athletic abilities. Because it is so “simple”, it is easy to underestimate what needs to be in place for it to be maximally effective. Anyone looking at the goblet squat would immediately think “I can do that” …and they can. Once they get the feel for what the goblet squat really is, then they can then learn the specifics that take the goblet squat from simple to sublime.

By the way, if you don’t grasp the importance of the goblet squat yet, consider this: the goblet squat is part of both the HKC (Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification) and the RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certification). It is also one of the techniques Master RKC Dan John recommends to any and all of the athletes he trains—that should give you some indication of its value and application.

Hacking Away at the Goblet Squat

The following are a series of hacks that will allow you to get the most from the goblet squat. Take a look at the pictures so that you can effectively model the movement.

Elbows to Knees—It’s a Straight Line!

  • Don’t unload the torso by flaring the elbows outward or forward—you are supposed to feel the weight of the kettlebell on the front of your body, especially the stomach.
  • Where you start dictates where you end up—if you unload the torso by flaring the elbows, you will find it difficult, if not impossible to find the correct bottom position in the goblet squat.
  • Kiss your knees with your elbows—go down slow enough so that your elbows and knees barely touch; think of it as a caress! From some of the examples I’ve seen there would be a lot of bloody lips!
  • Tall and proud—with near vertical forearms, torso, and shins in the bottom position.
Mike Krivka Goblet Squat Elbow Position
Left: correct elbow alignment, Right: incorrect elbow alignment and posture faults

Find the Perfect Stance That Works For You

  • Heels in your armpits, or slightly wider is a good starting point. Going excessively wide is not going to help.
  • The toes may face straight forward or slightly turned out within 15-20 or so degrees, depending on each person’s individual hip structure.
  • Excessive external rotation should be limited. There may be mobility issues that need to be addressed if they flare excessively. This is a real problem especially if the feet rotate outward while squatting.

The Rack Is Where It’s At!

  • The kettlebell should not be resting on the chest—I know, I know, I know! It’s easier to hold it there but you are offloading the weight to the shoulders and neck.
  • Wedge it—the kettlebell should be held in a “wedge” created by the triceps locked into the lats and the elbows tight against the ribs.
  • Short of breath? The “wedge” should focus the load on the abs, lats, and pecs, not the shoulders and neck.
  • Heavy—the kettlebell is going to feel exceptionally heavy if held correctly in the wedge. Good! You’re doing it right!
  • Straight wrists—don’t break the wrists while holding the kettlebell. Broken wrists are going to adversely affect the movement down the line and you will be sneaking in compensations to correct them.
MikeKrivkaGoblet Squat Kettlebell Position
Left: correct elbow alignment, Right: incorrect elbow alignment and posture faults

It’s a GRIND, Damn It!

  • Lock down: “Lock down” your ribs before you start your decent. Some people call this bracing, but the end result is that you are clenching your abs, pulling your ribs down, and minimizing slack in the upper torso and thoracic spine.
  • Slow down: Slow way the heck down and pull yourself into the bottom position.
  • Hold it: Once you get to the bottom, maintain the tension. If you release it you’re going to be challenged to get it back and not comprise coming up out of the bottom position.

Bust a Move!

  • Don’t “pop and drop” into the goblet squat, this refers to the tendency for athletes to load forward through the hips and then throw them back to initiate the goblet squat.
  • Lock the ribs down first, this will keep you from even thinking about loading forward and backwards to initiate the movement.
  • Initiate with the hips—but not with a ballistic unlocking of the hips. The hips unlock and are pulled straight down.
  • Don’t drop—in no uncertain terms, do not drop into the bottom position of the goblet squat. Pull yourself slowly down into the bottom of the squat. Think G-R-I-N-D! I know it sucks, deal with it!

Start Strong to Finish Strong!

  • Where you start will either help you or hurt you. If you start in a bad position, chances are you are going to end up in an even worse one. With that in mind, your starting position for the goblet squat should be considered very carefully.
  • Down, not back: Pull yourself straight down leading/initiating with the hips. “Pry” the hips away from the elbows
  • Face the wall: The goblet squat can (and should be practiced) facing a wall. Start with the kettlebell touching the wall. Done correctly, you will still end up with plenty of space at the bottom.
  • Enough is enough: The goblet squat terminates when the point of the elbow touches just inside the knee; there’s no reason to go lower unless you are working on mobility.
  • Stack it up! From the bottom position, keep driving and maintaining alignment until all of the “parts” snap back into place. You should end up exactly where you are started!

Putting It All Together

The goblet squat is part of the “Trinity” in the HKC and “The Big Six” in the RKC for good reason. It looks so simple—and it is—but it will only be effective if you know how to efficiently load and unload it, as well as how to make the transitions smooth and flawless. Making the goblet squat look “simple” is not so much a factor that it is simple to do, but that the athlete has taken the time to properly cultivate the movement. Take some time to explore the points that were made above, get a feel for how the load is set and maintained throughout the movement, and I’m sure that you will come away with a new and profound appreciation for the goblet squat.

I look forward to seeing your thoughts and comments below. Until then, “Squat On Garth!”

***

About Michael A. Krivka, Sr. – Senior RKC: Michael A. Krivka, Sr. is a Washington, DC native who has been involved in Kettlebell training for over a decade and is currently a Senior RKC and member of the RKC Board of Advisors and the RKC Leadership Team under Dragon Door (where he has been listed as one of the top reviewed RKC’s in the world for the last five years). He is also the author of a bestselling eBook entitled “Code Name: Indestructible” and is in the process of finishing up several other eBooks on Kettlebells, body weight, and the integration of other tools into an effective strength and conditioning program. Mike has traveled extensively throughout the United States teaching Russian Kettlebells to military (USMC, USN, USA and USAF) and law enforcement personnel (FBI, DEA, USSS and CIA)… read more here.

How to Turbo Charge Your Big Six (Part 2)

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Master RKC Phil Ross RKC Plank

To get the full effect of these routines it’s important that you’ve read the first part of this series. If you haven’t, please consult my previous blog post: How to Turbo Charge Your Big Six (Part 1).

Now, we will continue our heavy load volume training with the next two workouts. As explained in Part 1, although the movements are relatively basic, these workouts should only be attempted by experienced kettlebell lifters. There is a great deal of volume involved and one must possess the strength, muscular endurance and technical skill to complete the workouts as designed.

Workout #3: Press Pyramid, Row Ladder and Cleans

Pick a bodyweight warm-up, then perform 2 sets of the following:

  • Armbar
  • Lying side press, 10 each side
  • Kettlebell pullover, 10 reps

Press Pyramid:
Strategically plan out which kettlebells you will be using. Again, I start with the RKC Snatch Test sized kettlebell. Do 5 reps with the first kettlebell on each side, then go up in weight and do 4 reps, increase and do 3 reps, go up again in kettlebell size and do 2 reps. When you get to your heaviest chosen weight, perform one rep on each side. Now we go back down the pyramid, but not all the way. Once you get to kettlebell # 3, perform 3 reps on each side and stay at this weight for the 4 rep and the 5 rep sets. If you are not able to increase the weight each set, then simply stay at the highest weight you can do and simply decrease the reps. If you want to make your pressing pyramid more challenging, do the “bottoms-up” version of the press.

Row Ladder:
These static kettlebell rows are a double kettlebell exercise. To understand the importance of stability in this exercise, sssume the bent over kettlebell row position, contract your lats and pack your shoulders. If the kettlebells touch the ground, your position is not stable.

Your palms are facing forward while you are in the racked position. NEVER begin this exercise from the bent over position, start by grasping the bells, standing straight up, then lowering yourself into the 10 & 4 position (head at 10 o’clock and tail at 4). Employ a 180 degree rotation as you allow one kettlebell to descend so that it is in front of your knee, while keeping the other kettlebell racked. Bring the kettlebell back, pause, then repeat this on the other side. Envision pulling your chest through the kettlebells to help counter the temptation to be standing more upright. The reps are 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, & 5, 5. Repeat this series 2 more times.

Bottom-Up Clean and Hold:
During this exercise we will alternate between the ballistic clean and the full body tension of the hold. You must use tension through your abdomen, trunk. lats, glutes, pecs and legs to maintain this position with a heavy kettlebell. We will perform 5 reps on each side for 5 sets. There will be a 3 second hold at the bottoms up racked position. Clean the bell, beginning with your thumb facing forward, especially if you are using a heavy bell. This is virtually the only exercise that I recommend performing the backswing between your legs in this fashion. It’s difficult to control a large kettlebell while twisting it into a secure bottoms-up position. It’s far better to take a straight line approach.

Cool down and you’re done. Be sure to de-load your forearms during your cool down, your grip will get very taxed during this session.

MasterRKCPhilRossKettlebellSnatch

Workout #4: Snatch Pyramid, Squat Ladder and Planks

Choose from one of the aforementioned warm up routines from Part #1 and then you are good to go!

Snatch Pyramid:
Take your RKC Snatch Test sized kettlebell and begin. The idea is to move through the routine without resting between the sets. Perform these reps in succession on each hand. 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8, 9, 9, 10, 10. And then back down – 9, 9, 8, 8, 7, 7, 6, 6, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1 & 1. Shake your arms loose and stretch out your forearms.

Squat Ladder:
5 reps each side, 10 sets. As with most of the other exercises, we begin with our snatch test size kettlebell and increase the weight each set, if you can. If not, stick with the heaviest possible kettlebell you can manage and complete the remainder of the sets with that particular size. We do not travel back down the ladder, we end with the highest weight that we are able to use for 5 repetitions on each side.

Planks:
I call this “Just Plank Fun.” If you have a training partner, switch off and on, holding each other’s feet up in the tall plank and then release one foot. You may also pick one hand off of the ground or if you are adventurous, have one foot in the air and pull the adjacent hand off of the ground, while keeping your hips and shoulders in the same plane. If you are alone, you may use the wall to press your feet against and remove one foot and then switch. You may also remove one hand from the floor as well.

For less conditioned students, plank practice is always beneficial. RKC-style planks (on your elbows), power planks, tall planks or side planks may all be used to finish up the training session. Again, this depends on your level of expertise and fitness.

PhilRossRaised_Plank

Workout #5 Fun Friday: Toss, Sprint, Push-up, Sprint, Toss, Abs & Repeat

On Fridays, I like to have some fun and mix up my workouts. Living in the Northeast, training a great deal of the time outside is not very practical. So during the warmer months, I like to get into nature and enjoy. On a recent Friday, I did the following and I really got into the zone – it was great! I felt like the Energizer Bunny, because I just kept going and going. Check out this workout and have some fun!

First, I grabbed a 20kg kettlebell from the garage and farmer carried it through the woods behind my house and to an open field. I had done a 1/2 hour of bodyweight exercise and an hour of No-Gi Jiu Jitsu a few hours before, so I didn’t need to do a complete warm-up. If your workout wasn’t preceded by what I did, I would suggest a thorough 15 minute warm-up including hip openers and hamstring stretching.

After I got to the field, I kicked off my flip flops, did a light warm up. I jogged to the 50 yard mark and set my towel down. I jogged back and did some cossacks and hamstring stretches. Then I got to work…

Here was the routine:

  • One kettlebell toss: Either straight out or overhead.
  • 50 yard sprint (to the towel)
  • 15 Push-ups
  • 50 yard sprint (back to the kettlebell)
  • One kettlebell toss
  • 50 yard sprint (to the towel)
  • 20 abdominals
  • 50 yard sprint (back to the kettlebell)

I repeated this for a total of 40 sprints which also yielded 20 kettlebell tosses, 150 push-ups and 200 abdominals. I was sweating and PUMPED! There’s not a great deal of thinking involved, so you can allow yourself to “get into the zone”.

I cooled down and farmer’s walked back home. I did have to change hands once on the way back to my house as I went through the woods.

There you have it, five workouts, four that reinforce the basic kettlebell movements and one that’s a total burner to round things out–all accomplished while providing a challenging set of sessions. Put these routines into your training cycles and enjoy improvement with all of your movements!

Enjoy!

Coach Phil Ross

 

****

For more information on Master RKC, 8th Degree Black Belt, and Bodyweight Specialist Phil Ross’s strength and conditioning programs, videos (including The Kettlebell Workout Library), and workshops, please visit www.philross.com.

Why The HKC Is The Answer To (Almost) Everything

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HKCKettlebellGetUp1

Sometimes, when I repeat the same answer to a question more than a few times, I begin to wonder why people even ask me questions.

Exercise for Fat Loss?
“Swings, goblet squats and Turkish get-ups.”

Elderly clients?
“Swings, goblet squats and Turkish get-ups.”

Travel related issues for elite athletes and collision occupations?
“Swings, goblet squats and Turkish get-ups.”

Most people come to coaches and trainers wanting a magic wand treatment, Harry Potter and the Six Pack Abs, but what they NEED is hip flexor stretching, t-spine mobility, rotary stability and basic movements. They NEED to move. They NEED to open the hips and spine and shoulders.

They need the information from the HKC.

I have spent my life trying to understand weightlifting. It seems to me that there are three important keys:

  • Fundamental Human Movements
  • Reps and Sets
  • Load

Sadly, I think this is the correct order that we should approach weightlifting. First, we need to establish the correct postures and patterns, then work around reasonable “numbers” of movements in a training session. Finally, we should discuss the load. Sadly, the industry—and I am guilty of this as well—has switched the order and made a 500 pound deadlift the “answer” to improving one’s game or cutting some fat.

And, please note, I said “training session.” Oh, I can work you out:

“Hey, go run to Peru!”
“Hey, go do 50,000 burpees.”
“Hey, go swim to Alaska.”

But, please don’t think any of that is going to improve your skill set or your long term ability to do anything from sports to simply aging gracefully.

At the HKC, we learn what I consider to be the key patterns to human movement: the swing, the goblet squat and the get-up. The “Hip Displacement Continuum” (HDC) is a term I invented to discuss hip movement. The HDC has two ends: the swing and the goblet squat. The swing demands maximal hip hinge and minimal knee bend while the goblet squat demands maximal hip hinge along with maximal knee bend.

HKCNicoleKettlebellGetUp

They are the same—but different—in their ability to remind the body of the most powerful movements it can perform. The get-up (not the “Turkish sit-up” as I often note) is a one-stop course in the basics of every human movement from rolling and hinging to lunging and locking out.

So, the HKC covers basic human movements in a way that is unlike any other system or school. As I often argue, add the push-up and, honestly, you might be “done.” Here are the basics of proper training:

  1. Training sessions need to be repeatable.
  2. Training sessions should put you on the path of progress towards your goals.
  3. Training sessions should focus on quality.

So what it the key to quality? I have a simple answer for most people: control your repetitions.

In teaching the get-up, or when using this wonderful lift as a tool to discover your body, keep the reps “around” ten. Now, you can think about this as a total of ten with five on the right and five on the left, or you can try ten right and ten left. But, please don’t make a war over the numbers. Do the get-ups, feel better and move along.

I have noted that if I do get ups as part of my warm up along with some get up drills for “this or that” (the highly technical name I use for correctives), I am sweating and pushing into a “workout” around ten total reps. Certainly, at times you can do more. But, week in and week out, think “around” ten reps for the get-up.

The goblet squat seems to lock in around 15-25 reps per workout. I offer you the “Humane Burpee” as a way to try this concept:

10 Swings
5 Goblet squats (put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the push-up position (walk on your hands)
5 Push-ups
Inchworm back to starting position
10 Swings
4 Goblet squats (put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the push-up position (walk on your hands)
4 Push-ups
Inchworm back to starting position
10 Swings
3 Goblet squats (put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the push-up position (walk on your hands)
3 Push-ups
Inchworm back to starting position
10 Swings
2 Goblet squats (put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the push-up position (walk on your hands)
2 Push Ups
Inchworm back to starting position
10 Swings
1 Goblet squat (put the bell down between your feet under control)
Inchworm out to the push-up position (walk on your hands)
1 Push-up
Inchworm back to starting position

Finished!

That’s 50 swings, 15 goblet squats and 15 push-ups. 8-5-2 will give you the same results with less swings, if you need to do less (Only 30!).

One of the great insights, among many, that I picked up at the RKC is the idea of doing twenty swings with one kettlebell and ten swings with two kettlebells. After doing literally hundreds of swings a day, I noted that my technique held up fine in that ten and twenty range. It is the basic teaching of sports: don’t let quantity influence quality. In other words, ten good reps is far better than dozens of crappy reps. If you want more volume, just do more sets.

Absolutely, there are times when you should do more than twenty. There are times when you want to do all kinds of things. But, most of the time you just want to keep moving ahead. I usually call these the “Punch the Clock” workouts and I think they are the key to staying in the game.

So, you may ask, is this enough?
Over time, yes!

Tim Ferris, RKC-II, tells us in his excellent book, The Four Hour Body that there is a minimum effective dose (MED) of everything fitness related. Although the number I am about to share has a bit of wiggle room, it seems that 75-250 swings a day is the “wheelhouse” for the swing MED. Yes, you can do more, but you want to be able to do it literally day in, day out, year in and year out.

Finally—and don’t take this as a joke, I mean it—if it is too light, go heavier. And, if you went too heavy, try a lighter bell. Doing the little “Humane Burpee” with a big kettlebell is a killer workout. But, it is simple to scale it up or down by simply changing the kettlebell, it’s that simple. When you look at movement first, then reps, then for whatever reason, the loading makes more sense too.

This is the essence of the HKC and I love it. In a one-day course, we learn and do (a lot of “do”) the three core movements of the kettlebell world.

Prepping for the HKC is not as complex or deep as the three-day RKC. Showing up “in shape” and ready to learn would be ideal, but I would also recommend include some additional mobility work and perhaps some work on the hinge, squat and some basic rolling to prep for the event.

The time you spend prepping for the event pales in comparison to what you do AFTER the HKC. I always send along the following Twenty Day Program to guide our attendees deeper along the RKC path.

(One note: during the HKC, I always include waiter walks and rack walks as part of the get-up section. From there, I show the one arm press and introduce the kettlebell clean. This way, the participant has the tools to prep for the RKC. I trained for the RKC with clean and press, swings and what I thought were snatches at the time. So, I ask people to press as soon as they can with kettlebells.)

HKCKettlebellGobletSquat

The First Twenty Days

Fresh from a new learning experience, there is always a tendency to want to do everything at once. But that approach is tough to do and fraught with long and short term issues. The first twenty days after the HKC experience should be a time to strive for mastering the movements and training the positions. Don’t add speed and volume to poor movements—take your time to practice.

These twenty workouts can be done five days a week (for a total of four weeks) or three days a week (sneaking up on two months) or any way you choose. These will provide the ground work for a solid base. Strive for mastery.

Daily Warm Up

It is generally a good idea to go through some mobility drills especially for these areas:

  • Neck
  • Shoulders
  • Thoracic mobility
  • Hips

Each week, take one day to do a full “toes to top” mobility workout.

It is recommended that you do the hip flexor stretch during each warm up and cool down period; it can be done very well with an easy set of goblet squats. Many find a few easy sets of swings, a few goblet squats and a weightless set of one to five get-ups on both sides to be enough of a warm up.

Day One

3 Get-ups right, 3 Get-ups left

Practice hip hinge

Goblet squats: 2-3-5-2-3-5-2-3-5

15 Two hand swings
1 Goblet squat
Ten reps of high knees “March in Place” (Each time the right foot hits is “one rep”)
Recovery breathing (up to two minutes)
Do this for a total of 3 rounds.

5 Minutes of pressing practice.

Day Two

2 Get-ups right, 2 Get-ups left

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2-3

Day Three

1 Get-up right, 1 Get-up left

30 Seconds of two hand swings/30 Seconds of “Fast-Loose” drills
20 minutes total time

Practice goblet squat

Day Four

10 Minutes of get-ups (alternate right and left)

15 Two hand swings
1 Goblet squat
10 Reps of high knees “march in place” (each time the right foot hits is “one rep”)
Recovery breathing (up to 2 minutes)
For a total of 3 rounds

Day Five

5 Get-ups right, 5 Get-ups left

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2

Day Six

3 Minutes of get-ups (alternate right and left)

30 Seconds of two hand swings/30 Seconds “Fast-Loose” drills
10 minutes total

Goblet squat: Several sets of 5 with a pause at the bottom

Day Seven

1 Get-up right, 1 Get-up left

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
2-3-5-2-3-5-2-3-5

Day Eight

10 Minutes of get-ups

Practice hip hinge

Practice goblet squat

Practice press

Day Nine

15 Two hand swings
One goblet squat
10 Reps of high knees “march in place” (Each time the right foot hits is “one rep”)
Recovery breathing (up to 2 minutes)
For a total of 5 rounds

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2

Day Ten

5 Get-ups right, 5 Get-ups left

30 Seconds of two hand swings/30 Seconds “Fast-Loose” drills
5 Minutes total

Goblet squats
2-3-5-2-3-5

Day Eleven

5 Minutes of get-ups (Alternate right and left)

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
1-2-3-5-1-2-3-5-3

15 Seconds of two hand swings/15 Seconds “Fast Loose” drills
10 Minutes total

Day Twelve

1 Get-up right, 1 Get-up left

30 Seconds of two hand swings/30 Seconds “Fast-Loose” drills
5 Minutes total

Goblet squats
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2

Day Thirteen

10 Minutes of get-ups (Alternate right and left)

15 Two hand swings
One goblet squat
10 Reps of high knees “march in place” (Each time the right foot hits is “one rep”)
Recovery breathing (up to 2 minutes)
For a total of 10 rounds

Day Fourteen

1 Get-up right, 1 Get-up left

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
2-3-5-2-3-5-2-3-5

Day Fifteen

1 Get-up right, 1 Get-up left

30 Seconds of two hand swings/30 Seconds “Fast-Loose” drills
5 Minutes total

Goblet squats
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2

Day Sixteen

15 Two hand swings
5 Goblet squats
1 Push-up
10 Reps of high knees “march in place” (Each time the right foot hits is “one rep”)
Recovery breathing (up to 2 minutes)
For a total of 10 rounds

Day Seventeen

5 Minutes of get-ups (Alternate right and left)

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
2-3-5-2-3-5-2-3-5

Day Eighteen

3 Get-ups right, 3 Get-ups left

30 Seconds of two hand swings/30 Seconds “Fast-Loose” drills
20 Minutes total

Day Nineteen

Goblet squats
5-10-5-10-5

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
2-3-5-2-3-5-2-3-5

Day Twenty

1 Get-up right, 1 Get-up left

30 Second of two hand swings/30 Seconds “Fast-Loose” drills
5 Minutes total

Goblet squats
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2

One hand press (Start with “less strong arm” and alternate arms. “One rep” is one arm right hand press and one arm left hand press)
1-2-3-1-2-3-1-2

HKCKettlebellSwing

So, there you go! The HKC is more than just the entry into the kettlebell world. It is the foundation of everything you will learn. The three movements of the HKC are the core to conditioning, mobility and goal achievement.

Welcome aboard.

***

Master RKC, Dan John is the author of numerous fitness titles including the best selling Never Let Go and Easy Strength.

Register for the Upcoming 2016 San Jose, California RKC taught by Master RKC Dan John with Senior RKC Chris Holder, and RKC Team Leader Chris White

Dan has spent his life with one foot in the world of lifting and throwing, and the other foot in academia. An All-American discus thrower, Dan has also competed at the highest levels of Olympic lifting, Highland Games and the Weight Pentathlon, an event in which he holds the American record.

Dan spends his work life blending weekly workshops and lectures with full-time writing, and is also an online religious studies instructor for Columbia College of Missouri. As a Fulbright Scholar, he toured the Middle East exploring the foundations of religious education systems. For more information visit: http://danjohn.net

New Fury. New RKC.

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NewRKCCatalystInstructors

I am not tactical. Though I’ve done some work with the Marines, I’ve never been in the Armed Forces. I’m not an operator. The closest I get to tactical are my 5.11 backpacks.

Do tactical pull-ups make me tactical? Nope.

Recently, I taught an RKC Workshop with Master RKC, Josh Henkin at Catalyst SPORT in NYC. The group bonded quickly and in a fantastic fashion. Early on, it was obvious that something special was happening at this certification but I couldn’t quite place it at first.

My first RKC was five years ago. That experience had an incredibly positive impact on my life, and it’s what got me here. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I loved it. But with all of that said, I wouldn’t do an old RKC again. Current day Coach Fury would have walked out the moment someone told me to take my kettlebell to the bathroom. Yes, that happened.

As a middle-aged father of two, what does carrying a kettlebell to the bathroom teach me? Punishment swings and carries? The polite version of what present-day Coach Fury would say about that is “No thanks!”

I can only imagine how actual present/former military personnel felt about these drill sergeant tactics. The RKC is a system of strength and education, so why were we trying to be some faux-military group? While I don’t have an answer to that, I fully admit to buying into it at the time. Fortunately, I’ve grown as a person—and so has the RKC.

Punishment swings, carries, and taking the kettlebells to the bathroom haven’t happened in years, and that’s a testament to the growth and evolution of the RKC. Due to the continued efforts of the entire RKC leadership team, we are purposefully blazing a new path. The NYC RKC is exactly the type of event I would want to attend. The new RKC community is exactly the type of group where I want to be a member.

Education comes first, not intimidation or fear. From a psychological standpoint, the former style of intimidation does bring a certain amount of respect to the material and the course. However, I think there are better ways to achieve the same effect.

RKC Workshop at Catalyst SPORT

The participants at the RKC workshop we held at Catalyst SPORT were an incredibly diverse and open-minded group. This group included local coaches, enthusiasts (like I was at my first RKC), a pack of DVRT instructors, and people who had previously certified with a different group who wanted to see what we were teaching. Josh Henkin and I quickly set the tone for the weekend. People came in nervous and scared. After all, we still have the snatch test, and we still work hard—we’re just not jerks about it! We do our best to get people to relax so they can focus on the material, instead of just thinking about the five minutes of snatches.

Our hosts and assistant instructors, Jason Kapnick, Joe Boffi and Kathy Dooley were stellar as well. All of us freely answered any questions and delivered tips, cues and suggestions without ego or intimidation. We used to wonder why people used to be afraid to ask questions… well the old days of 100-swing punishments may have had something to do with it! But, this RKC weekend was all about the candidates, not about us. In return, the attendees gave so much more back to us. There was so much heart in the room—it was honestly emotional!

RKC Workshop at Catalyst SPORT

I never assume myself to be the best coach in the room. And if I am the guy who knows more about kettlebells in the room, that doesn’t make me better than anyone else. All the attendees registered, paid and spent their time to be there. So, I’m going to deliver a positive experience and do my best to show them why I love the RKC.

I know that I am not alone in this, the RKC is more than a system, more than an organization, and more than a team. We are a family.

We are the new RKC.

New RKC instructors at Catalyst SPORT

I’m very proud to be a part of this change. John Du Cane, the entire leadership team, and all the new RKCs are part of our progression. I want to thank everyone for their role in our growth. It’s exhilarating to see it happen. The RKC has evolved and so have I.

Sign up for a course near you.

I hope to see you there.

-Fury

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Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner’s superhero headquarters is Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC. Fury’s a Senior RKC, a DVRT Master Chief, and an Original Strength Instructor. He is available for classes, semi-privates, instructor training and programming at MFF. Check out coachfury.com, facebook.com/coachfury Instagram @iamcoachfury and Twitter @coachfury for more info.