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Successful Training with Kettlebells–Four Things to Consider

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Sebastian Muller Kettlebell Bottom Up

When I started training with kettlebells, and right after I went to a beginner’s kettlebell seminar, it was really frustrating for me to only have a very restricted number of exercises for my training.

I asked myself, “How can I train my whole body with only these few exercises?”

Well, back then I had no clue and had not yet learned the “real” kettlebell training principles. I was taught the basics at the seminar, but I didn’t totally comprehend them. Understanding them took a much longer time.

So I started training by myself, and it ended up taking me a year or longer to fully understand kettlebell training and how I could really use it.

Here are four things that helped me get much more out of my kettlebell training:

1. Strength is a skill.

“How obvious is that slogan?” I thought when I’ve heard it for the first time. Of course, strength is a skill, just like endurance, speed, and mobility. It’s also a matter of how in shape or fit you are. Why are the guys making such a fuss about it?

“Train with kettlebells and you’ll become stronger”, I always thought. But when I understood that I had to train the skill of “strength” to become strong, that’s when I started to get the real benefits from the training. I stopped counting sets and reps and started to practice, to grind movement patterns. I worked on improving my technique and listening to my body while I was practicing.

A good example to explain this “skill” approach is the handstand. When I want to start training handstands, I can’t just start off with the idea like, “Today I’ll do 3 reps of handstands, where I stand for 30 seconds unsupported in the middle of a room”. That’s not how it works. Instead, you should practice handstands. You need to feel what’s important for doing a handstand—when, where and what muscles need to be used. Even if that means 20 attempts at 3 seconds against a wall in the beginning. If you are paying attention, you’ll know when you need to stop, your body will tell you the exact moment (and I don’t mean total muscle failure).

It’s the same with kettlebell strength exercises. If you want to improve your strength efficiently, you need to first master the movement itself. When you’ve learned what and when to contract, and how this movement pattern feels with a certain weight, it is easy to develop strength. If you can’t press one weight it means you’re only allowed to practice that movement with lighter weights.

2. Quality before quantity.

Quality before quantity counts especially when practicing. Once you’ve mastered a movement with weights, movement quality should always be at the forefront. If quantity is more important to you, then reps and sets will always be more important to you than the quality of the movement and body perception.

If you are doing 1 set of 10 reps with a perfect technique, followed by 2 sets with 10 miserable reps just to get to 30 reps, what will your body learn from this session?

I’ll tell you. Your body will get really good at forcing itself through routines. No matter if it needs to compensate here or there, over time, the faulty pattern will be reinforced. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what you see with many recreational athletes. This quantity approach will work until the unavoidable injury and then it’s too late.

What the head commands, the body will always carry out!

So, practice and train smart. Quality is king!

3. Kettlebell training trains the entire body.

At first, I always thought that many different exercises were necessary to ideally train the whole body. That was why I was not satisfied after my beginner kettlebell course. This idea mainly came from my own training history. Today, I know that I can train my entire body with just a few exercises with better results than when I was using 10 different exercises for the same purpose.

There is a big difference in knowing that kettlebell training equals training the entire body and understanding kettlebell training equals training the entire body.

Often, people will ask for more exercises after a few reps of double swings followed by double clean & presses. Instead they should relax, because they have already trained their whole body.

I can’t stress that idea enough—if you practice and train correctly, you are using your whole body on each kettlebell exercise. All muscles need to work together efficiently. Sure, you can always focus on a specific body part, but you are always demanding your body as a whole.

Sebastian Muller Kettlebell Press

4. 80% is enough.

This concept is from Master RKC Max Shank and it changed my training forever.

If you can do 5 reps, only do 4. If you can do 10 reps, leave it with 8. Unfortunately, when I write about not training to muscle failure, people sometimes take that literally and just put themselves into their comfort zone. Then 80% quickly become 50% or less.

When I write about 4 instead of 5 reps, I mean your absolute maximum of possible repetitions. If you can do 5 repetitions and not a single one more, then these are your maximum repetitions in this progression or exercise. Or, 100%.

I keep seeing clients who sometimes spare one rep of their 50% maximum. That’s unfortunately not how this principle works, and it often happens subconsciously. If you don’t know your numbers, it’s hard to know where you stand.

For that reason, it’s a good thing to test where your maximum is once in a while (always with a good spotter, please). Otherwise, it’s very likely that you will keep the reps you do too low, which is as counterproductive as always training to 100%.

Earlier, I wrote about the meaning of practicing, and here, the 80% idea works perfectly. Listen to your body. Sets and repetitions are overrated. I would view them more as flexible guidelines and not carved into stone. Your condition on a given day will always effect your training, and should not be ignored.

If you grimace horribly during training, can’t breathe during an exercise, or your technique falls apart, chances are you were training to your 101%. Pay attention and stop before this happens. Just because your plan was to do 5 sets of 5 reps with weigh X today, it doesn’t mean your condition on that day will allows it to happen.

Let me tell you something—you will still have a good session if you only do only 4 reps in the third set and possibly two in the last two sets. If these reps were your 80%, then congratulations, you suppressed your ego and trained intelligently. And another thing, the kettlebell does not excuse foolishness.

Sebastian Muller Challenge

Save your 100% for competitions or challenges when it’s all or nothing, and perform your training sessions at 80%. If you are not in a competition sport, challenge yourself once a month. Try to set a record on an exercise. That will also help you to know your numbers. You are keeping a training journal, right?

It took me forever to incorporate these points into my kettlebell training, which was probably due to my training history and ego. Maybe you’re not as spoiled and have an ego knows it’s place in everyday life. If so, then get going, get yourself a kettlebell, learn the techniques, and start training!

***

Sebastian Müller, RKC Team Leader, PCC Instructor, FMS, and Primal Move Instructor, trains and instructs at the KRABA location in Wiemar, Germany. He can be contacted by email at: info@kraba-erfurt.de and his website: http://www.kraba-erfurt.de.  His Blog is Vereinfachedeintraining.com

The 3-6-9-12 Program

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3-6-9-12 for Athletic Training

It is when you feel like you can break.

You have put everything on the line.

Heroes have been made, dreams have been dashed.

It is the fourth quarter. I remember playing basketball that time, the time when everything came down to how you prepared. How well could you execute even though you were shaky, exhausted, and had been competing your hardest for three previous quarters.

The fourth quarter is when you knew if you were really ready. All the theories get tested, only results win! You had to be strong, you had to be fit, you had to be mentally tough.

The idea of the fourth quarter helps remind me what our training should really be teaching us. Being able to hit a PR is awesome, lifting big weights, terrific, but if they can’t be used when we need them the most what is the point?

Sports aren’t the only places where we see the fourth quarter mentality. Overworked parents, stressed out jobs, they all challenge us to find inner and outer strength to perform. Can we do it though? Is it possible to have great fitness and strength?

Can We Have It All?

Having extremely high levels of strength or endurance takes some very specific training. The truth is that most of us are looking for really good levels in both. The reality is we can have it all with smarter programs.

Lifting maximal weights is awesome, but life and sport rarely happens on a platform. The truth is, most activities look at how you can repeat high levels of strength and power. In fact, renowned strength coach, Robert Dos Remedios, considers power endurance and work capacity the KEYS to athletic success:

“I’m often asked about my goals in my conditioning programming and my answer always seems to come back to one thing, WORK CAPACITY. If we can continue to turn the knob up and get more and more out of our athletes we will build their ability to keep pushing, to improve their all-important strength and power endurance. In essence we are assuring that over time, we will also be able to train harder and harder for longer periods of time with greater intensity. Perhaps most importantly, work capacity building sessions helps to forge amazing confidence…this is often the psychological variable that can be the difference between victory and defeat.”

Don’t misunderstand Coach Dos, they lift hard, they lift heavy, but they understand how to combine all the elements to being successful beyond the weight room! Can you do it over and over again? Do you have that fourth quarter strength or do you fall apart? Sorry, a few sled runs and pushes don’t do it either.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting the strength endurance crowd has it all right either. Many people think that to develop strength endurance that you simply have to perform outrageous repetitions or destructive workouts. Unfortunately, so many of these people fall prey to really low levels of strength and the engine to their endurance ends up being quite low. Not to mention the amount of overuse injuries they often incur!

The Smarter Fitness Program

When DVRT Master and RKC, Troy Anderson, shared with a much better way of training I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it myself! Troy is no novice to tough training, having played football, served in the military, competed in strongman, and growing up on a farm in Wyoming, Troy knows fourth quarter strength all too well.

The concept is relatively simple. Four sets, increasing repetitions, minimal rest. Well, that’s nothing new right? The structure of this program has important principles that need to be adhered to in order to succeed.

Each series has four intermittent sets of 3, 6, 9, and 12 repetitions. The lower repetitions are designated for heavier or more complex movements, where nine and twelve allow us to work on other fitness qualities. The key is to only give yourself no more than about 20 seconds from one series to the next. Let me give you a few examples using hardstyle and Ultimate Sandbag movements.

Workout 1:

Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift x 3, rest 20 seconds
Ultimate Sandbag Clean and Press x 6, rest 20 seconds
Goblet Squats x 9, rest 20 seconds
Body Rows x 12, rest 1-2 minutes

The above workout showed how we got to load a specific movement pattern (the hip hinge) with heavier loads and as we went through the series went to less complex exercises involving other movement patterns. We began with the hip hinge, moved to an vertical press, then squatting pattern, finally a horizontal pull.

The series began with the drill with the most stability when the body was freshest. That means we are still getting elements of maximal strength and not neglecting strength endurance. After the cycle rest 1-2 minutes and then try to repeat. The goal is to hit 3-4 total rounds.

How would other workouts look? Here are few examples….

Workout 2:

Pull-ups x 3, rest 20 seconds
Ultimate Sandbag Rotational Lunges x 6 per side, rest 20 seconds
Spider man Push-ups x 9, rest 20 seconds
Kettlebell Swings x 12, rest 1-2 minutes

Workout 3:

Get-ups x 3, rest 20 seconds
Ultimate Sandbag Lateral Step Cleans x 6, rest 20 seconds
Renegade Rows x 9 per side, rest 20 seconds
Bear Hug Paused Squats x 12, rest 1-2 minutes

During these workouts you should definitely try to use a challenging load. However, you are going to need to make sure you can repeat your efforts and not have too much of a drop off. For example, if you see more than a 20% drop off in weight you can use, the weight was probably too much. The same can be said if you see a 20% drop off in reps you can complete.

Can You Modify 3-6-9-12?

Of course! You can make it more specific to a training goal. For example, if you really wanted more of an emphasis of strength or power, you could make it 1-3-5-7.

Want to build that type of work capacity and power endurance that leads to championships? Take this challenge from Coach Anderson. Take your 3-6-9-12 plan and after each round (completing the entire 3-6-9-12 series) add a repetition to the next.

Example:
Round 1: 3-6-9-12
Round 2: 4-7-10-13
Round 3: 5-8-11-14

You would still take the rest after each series, but you may have to drop a bit of weight.

Will it be a challenge? Absolutely! Is it designed to destroy you? Not really. If you find it incredibly difficult you might find you had been neglecting the fitness qualities that can really help you make that next jump in your fitness.

Fatigue has been shown to be somewhat movement and muscle group specific. By changing the movement pattern we are taking some stress off the system and muscles. In other words, you should be able to continue high levels of work even in spite of some accumulating fatigue.

I know there will be some that argue that strength should be done without any fatigue, to them I say that isn’t the real world. If functional training is meant to prepare us for the sport and every day life then neither is perfect or ideal. You don’t have to sacrifice great training to grow, rather evolve the way you see fitness!

***

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

Gripping Your Strength

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RKC Team Leader Nick Lynch 2014

The first two body parts to make any form of physical contact (unless you’re in FIFA) are your feet and hands. First feet, then hands. To strengthen your feet, train barefoot. To strengthen your hands, train barehanded and lift heavy stuff with vengeance.

Why should you care about your grip strength? “The tenser your muscles are, the more strength you display and build.” –A quote from the Naked Warrior. In order to withstand your 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th rep with a thicker grip swing, one must remain completely tense to not throw the bell at a loved one or through your neighbor’s window.  “What is truly remarkable is that tightening your fist can enhance your leg strength, as well!” – Naked Warrior. The difference between gripping a 1.5-inch handle and a 4-inch handle speaks for itself. There is 2.5 more inches one must attempt to tighten their hand around. The extra 2.5 inches is harder to grip no matter who you are!

In this program, you will be using the kettlebell swing with a modified grip to strengthen your hands, elbow and shoulder joints.

  • 1st step – Get a 65% max swing weight kettlebell
  • 2nd step – Get a hand towel
  • 3rd step – Learn to perform a swing safely by hiring your local RKC instructor!

The program:

1. Wrap hand towel 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 or fully around the handle of the kettlebell

2. Perform 10 swings every minute on the minute (EMOTM) for 10 sets or 10 minutes

If you find your forearms screaming for mercy, adjust the thickness of grip. Example; Set 3, adjust handle from 3/4 grip to 1/2 grip. Set 4 from 1/2 grip to 1/4 grip. Set 5 from 1/4 grip to kettlebell handle only. Use a ladder format for increasing grip thickness until you can complete 10 sets of 10 reps EMOTM with towel fully wrapped around the handle. Once you can complete this, move up 10% in kettlebell swing weight.

Use this program as a swing supplement to your current program. This can and should be done 1-2 days per week. 3 if you plan on trying out for the over the top sequel… Embrace the power of your grip strength!


Nick Lynch also loves to paint his Dragon Door RKC kettlebells to indicate different sizes.
***
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.

Improve Your Windmill

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Beth Andrews Kettlebell Windmill

The windmill is an excellent exercise to increase mobility, flexibility and core strength. As an added benefit, it also increases shoulder strength and stability. It’s a unique exercise because it engages multiple muscle groups and takes the body through a combined range of motion. Windmills are a great way to get heavy weight over your head in a challenging movement pattern, building the core as strong as the mighty oak tree.

Here are a few tips to improve your windmill:

Beth Andrews loves to paint her RKC kettlebells, to indicate the different sizes. To each his own with color choices we say, but there are a bunch of good reasons that Beth trains exclusively with the RKC brand🙂 –JDC

This next video shows two disadvantages. 1-reaching out, 2-reaching down. The third shows the advantage of focusing on hinging deep into the hips and squeezing shoulders blades together. This creates proper alignment which allows you to stack your body under the weight to gain all the benefits of the kettlebell windmill.

***
Beth is a RKC Senior Instructor, PCC Team Leader, Primal Move Certified, and CK-FMS, She leads and certifies HKC and RKC certifications, assists at the PPC. She became the 5th Iron Maiden in 2013. Beth is the owner of Maximum Body Training and has over 20 years of training experience. She also has a successful on-line training business. For on-line training or to host a certification, Beth Andrews can be reached by email at: bethandrewsrkc@gmail.com. For training tips and workouts subscribe to her channel on YouTube and visit her website at maximumbodytraining.com

Pass Your RKC: A Complete 6-Month RKC Level One Preparatory Program

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RKC Team Leader Nick Lynch Training With Kettlebells

As athletes preparing for a grueling physical feat, we must ask ourselves, “How do I train properly?” There are many outstanding training programs already out there, so my hope for this program is to further help you and your students prepare for a successful RKC certification. I’ve personally had great success with this program, as have my clients. Please, feel free to ask questions about this program, as each individual’s needs differ. I’ll do my best to answer or point you in the direction of a fellow RKC Leader who can help.

A common concern in passing the RKC is the Snatch Test. 100 strict reps in 5 minutes or less proposes many issues beyond tearing hands. What many first time RKC hopefuls don’t account for is that the Snatch Test will occur after already having completed hundreds of swings, countless overhead presses and a plethora of skill refining corrective exercises. You’re already physically fatigued by the time the Snatch Test begins! Another major issue to consider: food and sleep! Your nervous system is taxed and therefore sleep is light (for most of us) and there is little time to eat throughout the day, especially to meet the needs of your great caloric output.

To ensure you’re getting adequate nutrition while training for the RKC keep it basic! Avoid large amounts of alcohol, sugar and refined oils. Stick with nutrient dense foods like sprouted grain cereal and bread, free-range eggs and organic meats, fruits and veggies. Looking for something to drink? Try water.

Hand care is of utmost importance, as is the correct kettlebell. Dragon Door’s kettlebells may cost more than the kettlebell you’ll find at your local used sports store but they’ll help prevent tears as they’re single mold cast iron. Huh? Single mold cast iron bells do not have a bump or ridge on the bottom of the handle. That ridge is best to avoid. It will cause extra friction during kettlebell ballistics. Here is a simple hand care protocol:

  1. Buy a 2-sided callus shaver. Sold at any drug store.
  2. Fill a bucket or pot with hot water.
  3. Soak hands and then shave skin.
  4. Apply Shea butter or Bag Balm (Yup, the stuff for cow udders. Hey! I’m from Vermont and now live in Wisconsin’s Dairyland! What can I say…)

2-3 times per week soak hands in water hot enough to make you think twice for about 5-10 minutes. Thoroughly dry hands with hand towel and wait about 30 seconds for moisture to completely evaporate. Now, take the callus shaver’s rough side and shave calluses for about 20-30 seconds on both hands. Flip callus shaver over to the gritty sand paper side and shave 20-30 seconds on both hands. The dead skin will start to crumble off, leaving your rough hands smooth. DO NOT over shave or your hands will burn.

Now we know how to eat and care for our hands, so how do we train? Good question. Below you’ll find a foolproof training program that’ll leave you with two thick pieces of paper and a shiny, new red shirt that says “RKC Instructor”.

*The following program is based on testing with a 24kg kettlebell. Please adjust based on your test size bell.

Monday – Light Day working on Level 1 skills. Smooth out your form and master the techniques.

Warm up: 12-16kg Arm Bar per side w/20-second hold; Turkish Get Up (TGU) per side; Pull up bar hang x10-seconds w/shoulders packed; hold deep Goblet Squat x10-seconds; x10 Swings; Cobra Stretch and x3-4 deep breaths arching on the inhale, Kime stance on the exhale.

Nick showcasing the mobility enhancing RKC Arm Bar
Nick showcasing the mobility enhancing RKC Arm Bar

x10-minutes TGU with 16kg. Do as many TGUs as possible in 10 minutes with strict form.
*light weight is used to fix form. No record setting here…

x5 sets of x5 Cleans per side

x5 sets of x5 Presses per side

x5 sets of x5 Double Bell Front Squats

x5 sets of x10 Single Arm Swings per side

*all the above exercises are done with a 16KG Kettlebell. Switch in the air.
**allow 20-30 Seconds break in between the ballistics, x45 Sec – 1 minute in between the grinds.

Superset: x10-Second Hardstyle Plank with x5 Straight Leg Raises for a total of x5 sets. Ensure your lower back is hard pressed into the floor during the leg raise.

Tuesday – stretch, practice deep breathing to expand the diaphragm.

Wednesday – medium day

Warm up: same as above

x30 seconds – 1 minute Hardstyle Plank.

x10 2-handed Swings with anywhere from 24kg-32kg bell EMOTM (every minute on the minute) for 10 minutes.
*fast n’ loose between sets of Swings

x2 Single arm Clean, Squat and Press with 20-24kg EMOTM for 10 minutes
*alternate sides each minute

x1 TGU per side with 24-32kg (based on current level of strength) By using strict form you’ll know the appropriate weight to utilize.

x1-minute Hardstyle Plank.

RKC hopeful Natalie showcasing proper TGU form. Note locked out joints and knee-to-hip alignment.
RKC hopeful Natalie showcasing proper TGU form. Note locked out joints and knee-to-hip alignment.

Thursday – same as Tuesday

Friday – Press/Pull Up Ladders

Clean and Press x1-5 reps superset with Pull Ups x1-5 reps

*if you perform x1 clean and press then perform x1 pull up. If you perform x2 clean and presses, perform x2 pull ups and so on; if you cannot yet do pull ups, supplement the number of pulls ups with seconds for a flexed arm hang. Ensure you end each rep with elbows locked out overhead before releasing the bar.

*climb the ladder up to 5 reps a total of twice per side. Example: x1 left, x2 right, x3 left, x4 right, x5 left and then start again with x1 right, x2 left, x3 right and so on…

*bell size is subjective to the individual’s current level of strength. Choose a bell you can perform x2 full ladders utilizing strict form. Practice this high load for about 6-weeks before moving up to a higher bell. Never sacrifice form for pride. If you need to do fewer reps, sets or weight so be it!

*When to move up? Once you can successfully complete x2 full ladders per side for a few consecutive weeks.

x5 set of x5 Heavy Bell Single Arm Swings per side with 32kg, for a total of 50 Single Arm Swings

Saturday and Sunday – Stretch, practice deep breathing, visualize passing the RKC, read Master The Kettlebell by Max Shank and watch Lord of The Rings (the extended versions!)

For the first 2-3 months, pick one Sunday per month grab a 24kg, set the timer for 5-minutes and:
Clean and Get-it-Overhead (without setting the bell down).

Options include: Clean and Press, Clean and Push Press or Clean and Jerk. Your resting positions are overhead or in the rack. This will help build your mental and physical threshold. Use a single kettlebell or if you’re mobility is like that of Bryan (below) use double bells!

Bryan showcasing mobile joints with double 24kg kettlebells locked out overhead.
Bryan showcasing mobile joints with double 24kg kettlebells locked out overhead.

Before you begin incorporating Snatches, I recommend following the plan above for your first 2-3 months of RKC preparation. The purpose of this is to develop mobility, stability and comfort with the RKC standards. There is no use in weight training with improper form. I call this “injury training”. You want to “strength train”. Once the 2-3 month mark hits, practice this Snatch progression in place of the 5-minute Clean and Get-it-Overhead:

Weeks 1-6: 16kg or 20kg

Weeks 6+: 24kg

Week 1: Snatch for 1-minute

Week 2: Snatch for 1½-minutes

Week 3: Snatch for 2-minutes

Week 4: Snatch for 2½-minutes

Week 5: Snatch for 3-minutes

Week 6: Snatch for 5-minutes

Start over with a heavier bell if you achieve 100 strict Snatches in 5-minutes. Focus on form and the biomechanical breathing match.

There you have it! A simple, effective and nourishing kettlebell program. How cool would it be to see 90% + pass at the RKC Workshop in Milwaukee May of 2015?

A word to the wise: If you are not sure of the RKC standards, hire a local RKC to help you prepare. If there are no local RKCs, reach out to me or another member of the community and we’ll do our best to assist you via the Internet.

RKC hopeful Andrew nailing his 5-minute Snatch Test!
RKC hopeful Andrew nailing his 5-minute Snatch Test!

***
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.

Why I Run and How I Keep My Motivation

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Master RKC Phil Ross Running
Technically, I’m on my one week vacation, but I had some thoughts coursing through my head as I was on a 4 mile jaunt this morning. For those of you who have been following my Dirty Dozen exercise blog posts, don’t worry, the installments for the final two movements, #11 The Kettlebell Snatch and #12 The Push-Up are forthcoming. They happen to be my two favorite exercises, so I’m really looking forward to getting the information out.

Why should I run? I do kettlebells, bodyweight and a significant amount of Martial Arts–do I really need to run? Can’t I simply move my bodyweight around, do a weight training circuit, swing some bells or maybe do a little yoga? Ever since the 1970’s I’ve observed a running regimen. I have many reasons not to, there are a vast amount of alternative cardio training methods that I could employ, but yet, I still run.

I run because I hate it.

That statement sounds silly on the onset, but there is a method to my madness. I hate to run, but I love the results and the euphoria when I am done. Years ago, when I was around 18 or so, my instructor and I were discussing running. Despite the fact that I was reasonably fast and had good form, I hated to run. He proceeded to explain to me that it was very important to do something that you hated to do, especially if you were a fighter. It was part of the sacrifice that forged the mettle of your soul. When you are fighting, a lot of things go through your head. You see, if you are in a tough bout and this guy has you in the corner and is pounding away on you, you start to think. You think about the miles that you ran, how much it hurt and how hard you pushed, all of the sacrifices you made and then you start firing back. You didn’t make all of those sacrifices and go through all of that pain to lose to this clown! NO WAY!

If people see me, they think that I have no issue keeping my weight down. WRONG. I can easily put on 10 pounds in one weekend. My grandfather on my mother’s side’s nickname was “The Whale”, my paternal grandfather had 7 strokes and 2 heart attacks and the third one finished him at the age of 72. My father passed away due to congestive heart failure at the ripe old age of 66. Walking around at 5’8” and being 285 lbs is not the best way to achieve a long, healthy life. I am of Italian-American Heritage and love to eat. Therefore, I’m in a constant battle. Running helps me win the life-long war. I want to do everything in my power to avoid the pitfall of succumbing to my natural genetic disposition. Look at it this way, if I want to eat something that is not super healthy, I think about how much I have to work to get rid of it, I then choose a healthier option. However, if I put in a good run and have some hard training sessions, I reward myself. I don’t really do “Cheat Days”, I prefer to partake in “Reward Meals”. It’s a good thing to reward yourself for the sacrifices that you make.

If you don’t make sacrifices, you don’t have discipline. If you have no discipline, you are soft. If you allow yourself to become soft, you will not have what it takes to deal with real adversity and emerge triumphant. Adding running to my training regimen is one of the easiest ways for me to keep my weight down.

Running clears my head. When I first start my run, the toughest part is to “get my feet to hit the floor”. Once I get out there, the rest is easy. Although runs can be difficult at times in the beginning, the first 1/2 mile of a run stinks. Everything hurts, I feel slow and tired. However, I push. Before you know it, I’m cranking away! I do a great deal of thinking when I’m running, but my clarity only comes after I’ve gotten into my zone. I come up with ideas, release frustration and get lost in my thoughts. I do not run with any music, I practice Zen Running. I count my breaths, give myself little goals like, “run to that telephone pole” or “make it to that corner.” By focusing on minor goals, the run does not seem as overwhelming. The task, like most, is better handled by conquering the smaller pieces. I am in-tune with my environment and I listen to sounds, pay attention to sights and am aware to what is happening in my body. Once I have this going for me, the rest of the run is awesome! I’m “In the Zone” and thoughts flow freely. Now I can begin to push my body. The blood fills my quads, my lungs burn and my breath becomes more labored as I pump my arms harder and pick up speed. Yeah, this is the fun part.

You never know when you’ll have to run. I’ve seen those shirts that say, “Running Promotes Cowardice.” Cute. What if you have to catch someone? You have to run then. I may have to run after someone or run to the aid of one of my family or friends. In the face of a catastrophic event you will need to exit the area in an expeditious manner. There are plenty of other occasions that will require you to get from Point A to Point B and quickly. So, you will need be able to run. As with any other skill, if you are not practiced at it, you will not be able to accomplish it. The mechanics of your stride will not be smooth nor will they be efficient.

Running is a basic human movement. As humans, we are supposed to be able to run. Human beings were designed as one of the world’s best long distance, warm weather runners as referenced in this article from Popular Mechanics. We are basically hairless, stand upright and have an endocrine system suited to producing sweat to keep our skin cool and dissipate heat. We can out run a horse or a deer. If you want to consider “Paleo”, we used to track our prey down relentlessly in prehistoric times. So if you have a body or training regimen that does not facilitate running, you are not doing what your body was designed to do.

Running is a very inexpensive activity, especially if you look at the ridiculous amount of money people spend on fitness gadgets, unused gym memberships and expensive machines that wind up collecting dust. Depending upon how much you run, you will need to buy a new pair of shoes once or twice a year. You can get a great pair of shoes for under $100.00. I run outside, so I don’t have to spend money on a treadmill. If I were meant to be a hamster, I’d live in a cage and have a penchant for seeds and grain. Running on a treadmill is not the same as road, beach or trail running. Get outside! Compare the costs of a good pair of running shoes to what a road bike costs–entry level competition grade road bikes are around $7,000.00! I know others who have bikes that cost more than my car. No offense directed toward my cyclist friends, but with three kids, two of which are in college, spending a years worth of tuition on a bicycle is not in the cards for me!

Running is time efficient. In about a half an hour, I can get a great run in. I don’t want you to think I’m picking on the cyclists again but how long does it take to get a meaningful bike ride in? To be fair to my cyclist buddies, let’s consider swimming. Unless you live in a warm weather zone or have an indoor pool, look at the time that it takes to get in the car, head to the pool, change, swim, shower and then drive either back home or head to work. It’s a great deal of time compared to throwing your shorts, t-shirt and running shoes on then heading out the door.

This blog is primarily dedicated to what I consider distance running. Generally, I don’t run less than three or more than five miles. Sprints and more often intervals, were a large part of my running training when I was competing. However, I don’t feel the need to do a lot of sprinting, because I do a great deal of other explosive training work and use my running as more of a restorative training session. Plus, I generally end my runs at a pretty good clip.

There are many more compelling reasons to run. The aforementioned are the main ones for me. I’m certain that you’ll come up with your own. Good luck with your roadwork. Running is one of the basic human movements, and should be worked into your training regimen.

Strength & Honor

Coach Phil

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About Master RKC Phil Ross: Master RKC, 8th Degree Black Belt, Specialist in Bodyweight Strength, PCC and CK-FMS Certified. His name is synonymous with Martial Arts and Fitness. He is known as the area’s Kettlebell King and has successfully competed on the National Level in…  Read more here.

Using DVRT Training to Improve Your Turkish Get-Ups

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Coach Fury Kettlebell Get-Up

It’s time for another fitness tip from your man Fury. The Turkish get-up is one of my all time favorite lifts. The relative simplicity and overall impact of the TGU make it an absolute desert island movement in my book. Few things get me more excited than a beautifully executed TGU (especially when heavy). Sometimes we fall short of beautiful and need to think “out of the box” on how to hit that high standard we strive for. This is where Dynamic Variable Resistance Training (DVRT) and the Ultimate Sandbag (USB) comes into play.

Coach Fury TGU with Human WeightPersonally, I find the three hardest parts of a get-up (regardless of weight) to be the initial roll to elbow, the half kneeling to stand and the final roll from elbow to your back. Whether it’s a kettlebell, barbell or the occasional human being (not recommended), I usually know I’ll make it (or come close) if I get to the elbow. The half kneel to stand will usually by my next sticking point. The roll back down from the elbow is often more nerve racking from a self preservation standpoint.

I think most will agree with me on these three positions within the TGU sequence. Here are three DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training exercises that will help the cause.

1. Ultimate Sandbag TGU. In the DVRT TGU, the USB is loaded over the shoulder and it will drape over part of the back and chest as you move. Some key points here. Being shoulder loaded removes the leverage generally provided by the locked out arm of the kettlebell TGU. The USB is literally pushing you directly into the floor while sand in the front and back of the USB is pulling downward too. The USB is doing it’s best to keep you on your back. What’s awesome about this, is that you truly have to develop the rolling pattern to get to the elbow. You are forced to get that proper diagonal roll from the shoulder to opposite elbow. Given proper thoracic mobility and the ability to lockout the arm, a kettlebell TGU to elbow will feel easier after nailing this down. This delivers the same payday on the descending elbow to back roll. The USB TGU also removes all fear of dropping a bell on your head while training the roll to and from elbow. Strength+Safety=Glory.

2. USB Lateral Lunges. Damn you sagittal plane! That half kneeling lunge to stand is a stability monster when you’re doing a TGU. Sometimes, instead of stepping back from a problem it is best to step sideways. There are a bunch of killer USB Lateral Lunge exercises and any of them will help with your half kneel to stand. Training your lunges within the frontal plane (side to side) will help you build some untapped stability. Spend some time with USB Lateral Lunges and watch how your half kneel to stand becomes a thing to be feared.

3. Rotational Lunge. This move delivers similar benefits to the lateral lunges but now we’re moving in even more plains of motions. Transverse much yo! This will bullet proof your TGU. Ever feel those legs and hips wobble under a heavy getup? Get good at rotational lunges with a USB and see how they feel know. The RT adds another killer bonus: by snapping the hips similar to a swing, but within a lunge pattern, you will very likely find it easier to simply stand up a helluva lot quicker in your TGU.

Now those are three ways to use DVRT/Ultimate Sandbag Training to help your Turkish get-up. I’d bet these lifts would help your deadliest, squat and press too. Doubt me? Try it. These aren’t meant to be quick fixes or voodoo tricks. Step away from your TGU for 1-3 weeks and focus on one or more of these DVRT exercises. Then check out their impact on your TGU and smile big in the post PR selfie you just took.

Please keep me posted on your progress.

I suggest digging deeper into the DVRT Training system by attending a workshop or one of our certifications. Click here to find dates and locations. Yours truly will be leading a DVRT Level I Cert and an HKC Kettlebell Cert at Kathy Dooley, Joe Boffi and Jason Kapnick’s place Catalyst S.P.O.R.T. in NYC on November 1 and 2nd. You can register for one or both (big discount on both) through the link.

I hope to see you there.

-Fury out

Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner, DVRT Master Instructor, Senior RKC, Original Strength Instructor, is a proud member of the Ninja Army training staff at Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC. Fury is available for classes, semi-privates, instructor training and programming at MFF. He also has availability for private training at Five Points Academy and Catalyst S.P.O.R.T. Check out www.coachfury.com, facebook.com/coachfury and Twitter @coachfury for more info.