RKC School of Strength

Official blog of the RKC

Motivation

Discover the Greatness that Lies Within You

By 12 Comments

Lori Crock Movestrong Kettlebells

This is the time of year when people adopt new healthy habits.

Gym owners and fitness professionals see an increase in inquiries, and we make an effort to differentiate ourselves from others.

In reflecting on this, and thinking about those of us who teach the RKC System of Strength, I believe it boils down to this: we are on a mission to help you…

Discover the greatness that lies within you.

Your greatness is already there. No matter where you are on your fitness journey.

It’s our job, as coaches, trainers, teachers—whatever you want to call us—to help you manifest this greatness in your training because this greatness carries into everyday life in many ways. Here are some examples:

  • Learning to bend and move using your hips to protect the lumbar spine.
  • Keeping tension out of your neck as you move and lift.
  • Engaging the strong back and abdominal muscles to ease the load on your shoulders.
  • Lifting, carrying and putting down heavy objects safely and efficiently.
  • Moving with ease in positions like the squat and lunge, before loading up with weight.
  • Understanding good posture and how to maintain it in your daily activities.

Lori Crock coaches a kettlebell student at MoveStrong Kettlebells

We coaches are challenged to create meaningful opportunities for you to learn, excel and reach past what you thought was physically possible. Here are some examples:

  • Guiding you from the hip hinge to the kettlebell deadlift, to the swing, to the snatch.
  • Challenging you to set up and finish every movement with the same mindfulness and attention to technique.
  • Helping you learn to listen to your body and understand the difference in feeling fresh, safely challenged, or fatigued. Then we teach you how to applying this to your daily training.
  • Regressing and progressing your training so that you look at your fitness journey in terms of months and years, rather than days and weeks.
  • Teaching you about mobility and recovery. And making it as high a priority as strength and conditioning.

Every time you train it’s a time to discover something new about you.

We who are coaches, trainers, teachers see it every day. We see smart training transform peoples’ lives. They soon have more enthusiasm, confidence, freedom, and joy in their bodies—in addition to the physical results. We see this as greatness and we want this for you.

Greatness has many faces. It’s showing up. It’s learning to move in new ways. It’s lifting heavy, heavier, heaviest. It’s a finding new grace and ease in your body. It’s listening, feeling, understanding. It’s getting up and down off the floor. It’s going faster and farther. It’s moving slower and more methodically. It’s trying something you feared.

Acknowledge improvement and celebrate this as greatness every time you train.

For the seemingly ordinary experience of moving and lifting, learning and practicing, training and recovering, whether alone or with others, touches not only the physical, but also the mental and emotional side deep inside us. This keeps us coming back for more.

For many of us, the most profound moments of discovery occur when we find a weakness, address it, then seek to rise up and defeat it.

Discovery takes courage. Discovery takes mental focus. Discovery takes patience.

We know that some physical skills take years to achieve, let alone perfect. Some physical skills might not be achievable because our bodies are different than they once were. How we respond to this can speed up or slow down the discovery process.

RKC snatch test John at Movestrong Kettlebells

We have imperfections and limitations that have stories behind them. Genetics, athletics, relationships, work, play, and life all impact how we move and feel. However, this shouldn’t stop us.

Stories mean we lived a little or maybe a lot. Some of us have been in harm’s way. Our movement and life stories might not be what we’d like them to be because things are not always within our control … but we can still make progress.

Our everyday lives, and our physical lives, intertwine and support one another.

The coach, trainer, teacher is challenged to work with you in a way that honors your past, guides you in present, and prepares you for the future so that you discover the greatness that lies within you.

 

****

Lori Crock is an RKC Team Leader, PCC, and FMS-II strength and movement coach who owns MoveStrong Kettlebells in Dublin, Ohio. Lori teaches small group strength classes where she is inspired by her students who see their training as vital to their productive and happy lives. You can reach Lori at lori@movestrongkbs.com, her website, and follow her on Facebook.

5 Reasons Every RKC Should Train for the RKC-II

By 1 Comment

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.

 ****

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

The Mindset of Mastery—From Exercising to Practicing

By 12 Comments

Florian Kiendl Mastery Mindset

Watching any true master perform is always a fascinating experience. To the “average Joe” it looks like magic—he is immediately convinced that the master is a prodigy, and that he himself could never reach such a level. He might wonder why he should even bother trying if his own results will be mediocre at best.

But, when someone who has trod the path to mastery—even in a completely different field—watches the same performance, they understand what it takes to reach a high level of skill, and will value it even more.

What is Mastery?

To most people, mastery means performing at a very high level in a given field. They do not understand that high performance and expertise are actually just mere side effects of true mastery.

In my understanding, the path to mastery begins when someone takes action to deeply and profoundly explore their area of interest. Depending on where they are in their journey, their actual skill level might be high, medium, or even low. But, the difference lies in the approach we take to acquire and improve our skills. The “master to be” focuses on the process of honing and refining his or her skills instead of just quickly producing results. Many great masters of the past in strongman feats, martial arts, or any field of the arts acquired their fame fairly late in life—this is because it took time to achieve their extremely high skill level. But, many of these great masters are still known for their skills today.

Giotto di Bondone, an Italian artist considered to be the pioneer of the Italian Renaissance, was once asked by the emissary of the pope to prove his expertise. So, Giotto drew a perfect freehand circle, knowing that true mastery shows best in details rather than in the final work.

Kettlebell Training Mastery

One great master of our time, Taekwondo Grandmaster Kwon Jae Hwa, put it differently when he stated:

“A black belt is only a white belt who never quit.”

A Word on Competition

These days, when everyone can address the whole world with a few clicks, we are becoming more and more competitive. We humans like to show off our skills, which is a good thing as long as it inspires others to follow along. But when this mutual encouragement turns into a competition, it tends to get ugly. When we compete, the goal often changes from self improvement to fast results for conquering our opponents.

In Germany we have the saying, “Sport ist Mord” which means “sports are murder”. For too many people, this idea is an excuse to be in—and stay in—bad shape. Of course any competitive success comes at a price. In sports, your body pays in the end. High level athletes in almost any discipline have only a few years to earn their fame (and money) before their bodies fail them. Unfortunately this often happens while they are still fairly young.

While I do not oppose competitions, it’s important to keep in mind that the most important reason for exercise and training is to make our bodies as healthy and resilient as possible. If you are a competitive person and like to measure yourself with others, use this trait to keep yourself motivated. But, do not trade a few short moments on the winner’s podium for a lifetime with a healthy body. In my opinion, that trade is never worth it.

To Achieve Mastery, Focus on the Process

To master kettlebell training, you need to increase your knowledge and skills. Try to absorb as much information on the subject as possible, then let your mind make the connections during practice. Every bit of information has its time—you might hear it a hundred times before something suddenly clicks in your mind for the next big leap into mastery. Don’t try to force it, but focus on the process of continual self improvement.

Mastering the Kettlebell

As a martial artist, I got hooked on kettlebells because of the depth of the training. Each and every move—as simple as they might look to the uneducated eye—has loads of subtle details. You can literally practice just the swing for years without ever reaching a point of absolute perfection with the movement. Don’t get me wrong, you do not need to practice the swing or any other RKC move endlessly to get it right. It usually just takes a few weeks to learn all six of the basic exercises in our system. But, once you have learned the basics and decide to really focus on the technique, you will find loads and loads of subtleties to work on for years to come.

Last but not least, kettlebell training has a built-in system to gauge your progress. Whenever you feel like you have mastered a move, start over with a heavier kettlebell.

The reward of this approach to kettlebell training is twofold:

  • You will never get bored, because there will always be something to work towards.
  • You are less likely to get frustrated when your progress slows down (which will happen eventually).

Kettlebell Training Mastery

The RKC System—a Masterpiece of Physical Education

You can greatly advance your kettlebell and trainer skills relatively quickly with the RKC system. Dozens of highly skilled trainers from various fields have combined their skills and nearly 15 years of research to create an almost foolproof system. The RKC can turn any motivated candidate into a highly skilled coach and kettlebell athlete within a few short months. Attending one of the three-day RKC Workshops is the pinnacle of this transformation, but only if the candidate has trained hard in the months before—or after the workshop if they were unprepared.

Taking the RKC certification will turn you into a coach who can watch someone move, then systematically help that person improve their athletic abilities. Say goodbye to trial and error, because the RKC provides the tools to make educated decisions about how to proceed with training, based on your observations.

 

***

RKC Team Leader Florian Kiendl is a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and runs a Martial Arts Gym in a small town close to Munich (Germany). He made it his mission to help his students to improve their movement and overall health. In his search for ways to overcome the movement restrictions of his students (and his own) he found the RKC and now works together with Master RKC Robert Rimoczi and others to help as many people as possible to gain back their Strength and Agility. He writes a regular Blog at blog.kettlebellgermany.de and offers workshops all over Germany teaching the RKC kettlebell exercises: KettlebellGermany.de. If you have questions or comments on the article feel free to email him at florian@kettlebellgermany.de.  Special photos by Florian F. of Flowtography

Training Mindfully

By 2 Comments

Robin Sinclear Kettlebell Press

Before becoming a fitness coach, I was a Paramedic for over 20 years. Responding to 9-1-1 calls for that length of time taught me a lot—and I honed the skill of trusting my instincts. I learned how to read people and situations within a matter of seconds. I became acutely aware that situations can change in an instant, and that sometimes we must adapt and adjust even the best plans. I also realized that my temperament, and a calm, confident, commanding presence could determine the outcome of a situation. If I had a poor attitude or questioned my abilities, things could quickly go sour. These abilities became very important life skills that I now use daily when coaching, and in my own training.

These skills came from a need to be aware—a practice of being mindful and present. As a Paramedic, I was taught a step-by-step rapid assessment of the pre-hospital scene and of the patient. Within a matter of seconds, I needed to take in a global view of the scene, establish safety for the patient and practitioners, determine the mechanism of injury, and take action to stabilize life-threatening injuries. Once all of that was done, I constantly needed to reassess the patient’s condition—which could rapidly change for better or worse. I wasn’t “great” at all of those things in the beginning of my career. It took time and practice to sharpen these skills without falling into common traps like tunnel vision or failing to re-evaluate whether my interventions were making my patient better or worse.

Robin Sinclear WindmillBeing mindful requires an attentiveness that helps us recognize the conditions around and within us. Most people are not really “there” most of the time. Instead of being present, their minds are caught up in their worries, fears, insecurities, the past, or the future. All of this disconnect and distraction is not productive when we are training. Injuries, poor performance, or just a lousy workout are often side effects of not being fully present.

Practicing mindful training is a worthwhile discipline. When your mind is with your body, you are established and engaged in the present moment. We can then observe and respect how our bodies feel, then we can work on trusting our instincts. We will know if we need to push harder or back off, if we should add weight or go lighter for more reps? We will also know if our recovery methods are effective.

If you are wondering how to incorporate mindfulness into your kettlebell training, then try this in your next training session to reevaluate your direction on every set:

  • Perform a set of an exercise
  • Take 10 seconds and ask yourself what you should do next
  • Choose from the following
    1. Use a heavier kettlebell for the next set
    2. Decrease weight for next set
    3. All is good, repeat exactly as before
    4. Do less reps
    5. Do more reps
    6. Stop entirely

A training plan—and the workouts within that training plan—must be adaptable and adjustable based on how we feel in the present moment. When we are present and attuned to our bodies, then we can listen to our instincts and align the workout based on those observations. If your training plan calls for a max effort lift on a day you feel less than 100%, it will probably be counterproductive. Why not change or modify your plan until you have a day that you feel like a badass? Why push when it won’t go well, then beat yourself up mentally because you didn’t hit the number you were “supposed” to hit that day? Does it really matter for the big picture?

Robin Sinclear Get-UpIn general, I find that men have a harder time putting their ego aside and dialing back their workouts when they aren’t feeling 100%. Their tendency is often to “push through it”. This is usually when an injury occurs. On the other hand, women tend to fear trying a heavier lift—even if they’re feeling strong. In both situations, it pays to have a good coach who can help you read the signals from your body, and guide you in the appropriate direction.

Your attitude can make or break your performance as well. And none of this is an excuse to phone it in, effort-wise. If you tell yourself you “can’t”, you will be right every time. Remaining calm, confident, and commanding a good outcome will generally lead to great things!

Next time you head to the gym, try practicing some mindful training. I say “practice” because it takes repeating this action to improve. You will catch yourself drifting away many times, and that’s ok as long as you can become aware and shift your mind back to the center. Over time you will learn to read your body and your internal performance cues.

Your body provides you with constant feedback, and you need to listen. The more you listen, the more feedback your body will provide. Eventually you will be able to use the insight and awareness you gain from this practice throughout other areas of your life as well.

***

Robin Sinclear, RKC-II, is the co-owner of Velocity Strength and Fitness in Chico, California. Her website is VelocityChico.com. She can be reached by email at velocitystrong@gmail.com or by phone at 530-520-2297. Follow Velocity Strength and Fitness on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Why Kettlebells Will Improve Your Life

By 25 Comments

The kettlebell—your universal remedy.
The kettlebell—your universal remedy.

In teaching people of all walks of life, I have observed several distinct effects of kettlebell training. Some are obvious, others much less so…

If you are new to kettlebells you might be wondering what impact this new implement might have on you if you start using it consistently. This article should give you a good idea of what to expect, and it will probably strengthen your resolve to give kettlebell training a try.

On the other hand, if you are already an kettlebell expert or an HKC or RKC Instructor, you may find that you have already experienced or witnessed these effects with your clients. When I first started teaching kettlebells, it was sometimes difficult to convince potential clients or new students that kettlebells were right for them. In following paragraphs I will try to summarize my observations regarding the positive impact of kettlebell training.

Kettlebells Are Perfect For Making You Fit in a Limited Amount of Time

We all know that training promotes physical and mental health. What has changed in recent years is that science has now started to explain why. How muscles impact the immune system, or the effects of aerobic exercise on brain function are somewhat new areas of research. In the past, there was only the subjective experience of people like John F. Kennedy or Jack LaLanne who promoted an active lifestyle many years ago, but today we have profound scientific explanations for why everyone needs to move on a regular basis.

Yet, while medical science has started to understand the importance of movement for our overall health, the reality of our lives has also rapidly changed—and many people are more unhealthy than ever before.

Our lives have become faster and more stressful than in the history of mankind. To cope with this increased speed, we rely more and more on technology—therefore we’re moving less than any of our ancestors. Aside from obvious things like driving wherever possible or using escalators instead of stairs, there are more subtle changes that rob you of the opportunity to move. Internet stores make everything—even kettlebells—available at your fingertips without leaving your house.

We need movement more than ever, but we have less time and fewer opportunities for it. The average gym class or 45 minutes on the treadmill can not compensate for the lack of movement during your work-week—unless you can train several hours per day.

The kettlebell is the perfect solution for this problem. With its off-centered mass, it trains your muscles and your heart at the same time. Exercises like swings, cleans and snatches train your entire posterior chain—the group of muscles, ligaments, and tendons most important for a healthy spine and good postural alignment.

Kettlebells Naturally Improve Your Posture

Correctly swinging a kettlebell activates two muscles that are usually dormant in much of modern society: the gluteus maximus and the latissimus dorsi. These muscles are the two most important players in our posterior chain. Luckily, we can use the kettlebell to get them back into action.

The gluteus maximus (or more crudely defined, your butt muscle) is one of the biggest and strongest muscles in the body. If it functions as it should, it enables you to lift heavy objects from the ground and also protects your lumbar spine. In the kettlebell swing, its role is to forcefully lock out the hips. One of the first exercises I use with beginners when I teach the swing is the shoulder bridge (you lie on your back with your feet pulled toward the butt and push your hips to the ceiling). We start with this exercise for only one reason—so the beginners can experience what it feels like when their glutes are tensed. I rarely have my beginners do more than 30-40 swings during the first lesson and they are still sore the next day—guess where!

Active glutes lead to unlocked hip flexors and allow the pelvis to get into a neutral position, the foundation for a naturally s-shaped spine. The activation of the glutes is why sometimes even a few short kettlebell sessions can lead to an improved postural alignment.

The second muscle group, the latissimus dorsi (or the lats) is mainly responsible for all upper body pulling movements, but they also help with your press if you use them correctly. Additionally, the lats are able to stabilize the upper back and protect the shoulders.

In the swing, the lats are used to keep the kettlebell from pulling your shoulders forward and they also counter rotation in one-arm swings.

Kettlebells Bring Vigor and Youth Back

Have you ever noticed that you can accurately guess someone’s age from fairly far away by watching how they move? An older person is usually more restricted and moves gingerly. On the other hand, children move with mobility and vigor—at least until we make them sit still for hours every day.

For beginners, one of the hardest concepts in Hardstyle kettlebell training to understand is the explosive nature of the movements. We are not just standing up with the bell in hand, but are exploding out of the hinge and tensing the whole body in the top position. Movement of this quality simply does not exist in our every day lives. The average adult unlearned fast and crisp movements. With kettlebells, your body learns that it is not dangerous to move fast, and you will soon start to move as you did in your youth.

After beginners understand this idea and move more dynamically, they usually feel very good and empowered. They break the chains which have restricted their movement for years. It’s a great feeling, and you usually can see it in their eyes.

If you are wondering if this paragraph is dedicated only to a certain age group, it is not! Kettlebell training works for people in their late teens as well as for senior citizens older than 60. The only real difference is that older beginners will have more movement habits to unlearn, and will need to be more cautious in the process. A trusted RKC Instructor can be very helpful in these situations.

There is no age limit for kettlebell training
There is no age limit for kettlebell training

Kettlebells Allow You to Express Yourself

The last aspect of kettlebell training I would like to discuss in this article is breathing. When watching people train, one of the first things you will notice is their rhythmic and loud breathing. Some people, especially the ladies will be slightly appalled when confronted with this for the first time. We raised in a culture where the sounds our bodies produce are considered to be inappropriate—which is kind of weird if you think about it. Therefore we always try to avoid or conceal those sounds, so it can be shocking when you first enter a gym and see a group swinging a kettlebells and sounding like a gathering of steam engines! What a strange sight!

Deep and pressurized breathing has several positive effects on our body. Most importantly, it activates the diaphragm.

Aside from these physical effects, I also observed that we are psychologically effected. It is similar to that of the Kiai, the blood-curdling Tae Kwon Do war cry you can hear during the keykpa (board breaking). Beginners always struggle with it and feel strange to call out this loudly. It is the same with the Hardstyle breathing during a good kettlebell session, you will hear hisses, grunts and even yells. Sometimes the rhythmic sounds you hear from a group swinging and pressing together can sound like a weird kind of music 😉

When you overcome the internalized reflexes of your upbringing and allow your breath—the most fundamental function of your physical existence—to be heard, it seems to flip a switch in your brain which makes it easier to express your needs. It literally liberates you to make yourself heard.

Conclusion

If you are already using kettlebells, you will have experienced the transformative nature of this seemingly archaic training tool. I would be glad If you could find the time to share your own experiences in the comments.

If you have not yet started training with kettlebells, I strongly encourage you to give it a try. Expect it to be a humbling experience in the beginning, but know that it has the power to make you better and healthier than you are today. A good coach can help anyone get a good start. It will not be comfortable, it will not be easy, but it will definitely be worth it!

***
RKC Team Leader Florian Kiendl is a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and runs a Martial Arts Gym in a small town close to Munich (Germany). He made it his mission to help his students to improve their movement and overall health. In his search for ways to overcome the movement restrictions of his students (and his own) he found the RKC and now works together with Master RKC Robert Rimoczi and others to help as many people as possible to gain back their Strength and Agility.

He writes a regular Blog at blog.kettlebellgermany.de and offers workshops all over Germany teaching the RKC Kettlebell exercises: KettlebellGermany.de.
If you have questions or comments on the article feel free to email him at florian@kettlebellgermany.de

3 Motivational Tips For Those Who’ve Failed The RKC

By 4 Comments

Group Get-Up s At Superb Health

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

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

1. Batman Begins

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

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

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

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

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

3. A 1997 Study of Elite Athletes

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

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

 

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

“Without fear, life is clear.”

***

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

The Power of One Year

By 14 Comments

Karen Gasparick HKC

Today I’ve learned that my past is not my future. One year ago, I was a scared physical and emotional wreck. But, a little over one year ago today, I took my first step to change that—I had my first lesson at Superb Health with Nick Lynch, RKC Team Leader.

Historically, I’ve had a difficult relationship with food and exercise. I have always been “the fat kid.” I’m a tall woman at 5’-10”. The kicker is that I was 5’-10” in the 6th or 7th grade. Being a full foot taller than the whole class makes you stand out. Looking back at old photos, I see now that I was actually not obese. However, height and weight charts in the nurse’s office at school didn’t say that. TV didn’t say that. Magazines didn’t say that. All of those things told me I was “the fat kid.”

Karen: approximately 14 years old
Karen: approximately 14 years old

I don’t ever remember wearing “cool” clothes designed for children my age. I was always too tall, too husky. Puberty is already a terrible time for everyone when it comes to coordination and growing. So, being bigger than everyone else and having to wear women’s clothing in middle school rather than clothes from the juniors’ department, being clumsy, and being teased for all of that snowballed into really not caring about what I ate. I thought, “Well, I’m already weird, so who cares.” So I ate—and eventually became obese.

My athletic experiences were also terrible. Gym class uniforms didn’t come in my size, and it hurt to always be picked last for the team. I had straight A’s in every class except for Physical Education and watched my GPA plummet from 4.0 to 3.0 because no one explained how to run effectively or how to do a real “not girl” push-up. The teachers just assumed I wasn’t trying, and my grade in PE reflected it. Eventually, I just stopped trying. I became even unhealthier, physically and mentally.

This eventually led to good grades, a quick-witted sense of humor, and diving head first into the visual arts to cope. I coped with the pain of being a woman with body image issues and a very unhealthy lifestyle.

But coping is not living.

Karen & Beardy: 2000
Karen & Beardy: 2000

My career became my identity. I eventually went back to school and earned my Masters Degree from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Unfortunately, I was still only coping, not living. I was hiding behind what other people told me that I was good at. I love art, learning and writing—these are all true passions. But, it was impossible to fully reap the rewards of the focus and drive I had for my education and career when my physical body was decaying.

So many people, women especially, in similar situations of poor health turn to the well-publicized “solutions” being sold by a huge corporation. I believe that many people with poor health and negative body image issues truly want to get better. But I only seemed to find plenty of quick-fix, faddish “band aids”, and no real solutions. It was all so appealing but temporary, fast, and often dangerous. Of course I purchased these products—and of course they didn’t work! The goal of marketing and advertising is to appeal to the customer’s psychological reactions. Even “solutions” promoted by some physicians are ways to sell pharmaceuticals and bring dollars in to insurance companies and hospitals.

So, what changed for me 365 days ago? Why do I look forward with considerably less fear and the kind of determination that gave me my career?

The first domino fell when our trusted family physician said that both my husband and I were very sick. Her candid explanation of what would happen to us played right into my tendency to worry. I was now afraid of my own poor health, but more terrified to lose my husband. As a team, we had to make health changes. We knew we had to change everything. Our mantra became “not optional.”

My husband, Jim was quick to action with diet, exercise and discipline. I followed, but out of fear. I was coping. I was not living. However, I was slowly coming around by seeing him experience the positive results of a total life change.

Unlike a fad, trend, or pharmaceutical “solution,” we started slow. We did not expect instant results and unlike attempts at changing my body in the past, my personal goals were not related to a number on a scale or a size of clothing.

Karen & Beardy: September 2013
Karen & Beardy: September 2013

We started eating healthier. Slow and steady, first focusing on portion sizes. Next came education on nutrients as fuel rather than eating for boredom or comfort. We started to eliminate alcohol from our social lives and dug out our bicycles from their 10-year hiatus in the basement. Instead of eating out, then hitting a bar for entertainment, we joined up with other friends and rode bikes from coffee shop to park to trail nearly every weekend. Then we started commuting to work on bikes when the weather permitted. We really got into maintaining and fixing our bikes. We bought cool accessories and gear.

Then winter came to Milwaukee and biking stopped. Jim discovered kettlebells and instantly fell in love. I was skeptical and thought it looked dangerous and that it required a lot of coordination. To me, exercising with kettlebells looked like something that belonged in the military, and something that was “for dudes.” But, I was still determined to follow. I focused on our mantra: “not optional.”

Karen at Peninsula Point Lighthouse: First 26 Mile Bike Ride – June 2013
Karen at Peninsula Point Lighthouse: First 26 Mile Bike Ride – June 2013

I focused on the positives I saw—kettlebell training and the accompanying exercises such as ballistic body movements, battle ropes, etc. really looked “cool” in a Rocky Balboa, Sarah Connor kind of way. I have a passion for sports stories (fiction and non-fiction) and this looked like Rocky, Muhammad Ali, Iron Mike Tyson stuff. This was Clubber Lang. This was “Eye of the Tiger.”

In Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Sarah Connor is shown doing pull ups at the Pescadero State Hospital on the frame of her bed. She was preparing without Universal Machines or sports shakes. “The future’s not set. There’s no fate but what we make for ourselves.” That’s in the movie too, and I knew it was true. “Not optional.”

So I signed up for kettlebell class.

In the beginning I needed 3 chairs to do a squat—one for each hand and one for me to sit on. Years of sedentary life and a desk job had destroyed my posture. It took at least 6 weeks to begin to remember each “step” of the Turkish get-up on my own, let alone hold a weight above my head. I swung a 10 pound kettlebell for at least two months.

Karen Before Kettlebells: (Left – “ Normal” Posture & Right “Correcting” posture with a broom handle) February 2014
Karen Before Kettlebells: (Left “Normal” Posture, Right “Correcting” posture with a broom handle) February 2014

What changed for me? Why did I continue to come back to Superb Health? Why was quitting never an option? Even though I was struggling, why did coming back every week to Superb Health make me so happy?

In the past, I would have quit even before I started, but now I had a forward focus unlike anything in my life. In hindsight, getting accepted on scholarship to art school, or completing my master’s degree was easier, because I had the talent and love going in. This was different, everything was hard. Yet, everyone at Superb Health was supportive. It was safe. I would not be made fun of. I was encouraged to try. It was ok to go at my own pace. I was instructed with patience. Now, someone took the time to teach me how to do a push-up …and then I did one!

Karen 1 month in at Superb Health 2014
Karen 1 month in at Superb Health 2014

I learned that it’s a forward focus, a safe community, plus support at home that gave me results. I learned to relish each victory. Maybe doing one push up is not significant to anyone else, but to me it was like winning a gold medal. Every victory led me to desire more victories. I wanted to knock down all the dominoes. I learned that coping is not living when I actually felt what living feels like.

Less than nine months since my first class at Superb Health, I participated in the HKC in Milwaukee, WI and am now a certified Dragon Door HKC instructor. Each small victory was like a domino that pushed the next domino down. It starts slow, but the chain reaction gains momentum with determination and focus.

“HKC Day” – February 7, 2015
“HKC Day” – February 7, 2015
4/14/15 – “Milwaukee Day” Photo Shoot for The Beardy Apothecary, LLC
4/14/15 – “Milwaukee Day” Photo Shoot for The Beardy Apothecary, LLC

One trip around the sun can truly change a person. Reflecting on the past is still uncomfortable. But, today, it’s glorious. Learning from the past instead of worrying and coping is living. Living is freedom and I want to share this. I know there must be so many people, especially women, who share similar stories. I want to help free others from merely coping. Superb Health, Dragon Door, and the RKC / HKC methods are promoted as beneficial to so many types of people. But what I want to add an 8th item to Dragon Door’s “Our Difference” checklist:

  1. Are you scared? Do you feel like you don’t fit in with the typical “gym scene”? Do you feel like there’s just something “missing” in your life but you can’t put your finger on it? Do you feel like powerful corporations have mistreated you with profits over people as the mission? Do you feel overly self-critical from years of a beat-up psyche? Do you feel like you are so out of shape that you can’t make a change? Do you feel too old to change your health? Do you feel like you are out of options? Are you tired of industry standards of beauty? Are you just coping and not living? It’s time to start living.

I want to thank my husband. Changing your life is hard and his example was all I had in the beginning. I want to thank Nick Lynch at Superb Health for offering our community a safe place for achieving health and fitness goals. I want to thank everyone who is a part of the Superb Health family. They are true friends. Finally, I want to thank Andrea Du Cane from Dragon Door. Andrea taught me how to start turning fear into power, and with that power I’m learning that I can do anything.

I’m so excited to continue to learn and improve. I can’t wait to see what the next trip around the sun brings.

This is living.

“HKC Day” at Superb Health – Milwaukee, WI – February 7, 2015
“HKC Day” at Superb Health – Milwaukee, WI – February 7, 2015

 

 ***

Karen Gasparick is a certified HKC instructor, owns The Beardy Apothecary with her husband Beardy, and is a full time Designer at Interior Systems, Inc. In Milwaukee, WI.

It’s All About the Data

By 4 Comments

Laurel Blackburn Senior RKC

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

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

That was years ago and my goals have changed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

****

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

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

My RKC Experience

By 2 Comments

Neal DenHartog Snatch Test

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

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

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

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

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

Lori Crock coaching Neal DenHartog

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

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

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

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

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

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

Neal Den Hartog Kettlebell Swing

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

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

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

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

RKC Group Photo Dublin Ohio

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

It is simply a matter of when.

****

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

Kettlebells and Mountain Marathons

By 4 Comments

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

What is a Mountain Marathon?

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

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

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

Requirements for the Challenges

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

Training Examples

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

Kettlebell Training

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

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

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

Example Session:

Warm up 10-20 min
Mobility + TGU

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

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

Block 3: 10 minutes
Different types of carries

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

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

A video posted by Kettlebellspecialisten (@kettlebellspecialisten) on

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

Recovery

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

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

****

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