Uncategorized

The Kettlebell Jerk

July 10, 2013 By Mike Krivka Leave a Comment

Overview
The strength of the RKC is its reliance on the development of the six fundamental techniques that are taught as part of the baseline RKC curriculum: the Swing, Clean, Front Squat, Press, Snatch, and Turkish Get-Up. These foundational techniques give the trainer and the athlete a solid foundation to start with and enough variety in movement and skills mastery to keep them busy for years to come. But is there a missing link? Is a critical technique excluded that would round out the six and make it a lucky seven? I think the missing link would be the Kettlebell Jerk and in the following paragraph’s I’ll try to explain to you my reasoning.

BTW – the Kettlebell Jerk is part of the RKC II curriculum so fear not—it’s part of the program!

What is the Kettlebell Jerk?
The Jerk, by extension, is within the same family as all of the other overhead techniques that can be performed with the Kettlebell. Meaning that it is related to the Press and Snatch – at least it’s a distant cousin of both. In reality it is part of the loading progression to getting heavy weights overhead; starting with the Press, moving on to the Push Press, and then ending with the Jerk. The Jerk isn’t as “ballistic” as the Snatch, but its close; and it’s not as “grinding” as the press, because it shouldn’t be. This means that the carryover skills that you will develop when practicing the Jerk will benefit both sides of the movement coin.

The Jerk is comprised of the “Dip and Drive” of the Push Press followed by a soft lockout in a high Overhead Squat or high Hip Hinge. The key behind having success with the Jerk is in how well you can translate the energy behind the Dip and Drive into the Kettlebell and get it moving overhead. If your Dip and Drive isn’t strong enough to get the Kettlebell to “float” then you won’t be able to get under the it and “catch” it with a locked out arm. Now if your Dip and Drive really is strong enough to “float” the kettlebell, but your initial racked position is weak or loose, then there’s no way you’ll get it overhead or you’ll struggle to press it out. Your racked position has to keep the Kettlebell in the perfect alignment with the torso and legs to accept the power from the Dip and Drive, and the elbows have to be tight against the body and ready to transition from holding to driving upward once the legs have done their job. So you might say that your Jerk depends on fast knees and tight elbows.

So far we’ve talked about transferring energy from the lower body to the upper body—now we need to talk about what the lower body is doing to set up the energy transfer. First thing you need to think about is your stance width or how far apart your feet are. Many people take a wide stance assuming that if their feet are far apart they will get more power. Well in this case it just doesn’t work that way. Remember, we are trying to create a ballistic transfer of energy from your legs to the Kettlebell. To do that you want to have a shoulder-width stance (be realistic about how wide your shoulders are) that will allow you to drive hard off the ground and get a maximum contraction of the glutes. If your starting stance for the Jerk is too wide then you won’t get maximum glute contraction and you’ll have to make up the difference somewhere else. So, after you’ve got the perfect stance you need to make sure that you Dip doesn’t go too deep. The Dip should be a quick and forceful bending of the knees (not the hips) that lets you get underneath the Kettlebell and start driving it upwards. The Drive starts immediately after the Dip; don’t hesitate – explode! Once you starting driving off of the ground through the knees you need to make sure that you follow all of the way through to engage the glutes and transfer the energy into the torso.

Now that your Dip and Drive are in place and working the way you want them to, you still don’t have a Jerk yet. What you’ve got is the underpinnings for a decent Push Press. Now you have to master the most difficult part of the Jerk: the Drop. This seems to be the most common area of confusion and difficulty for most athletes when in actuality it should be the easiest.

Then why is it so hard for most people? All you have to do is look back at their Dip and Drive. If they aren’t fully transferring the energy generated by the Drive into the torso, thereby allowing the Kettlebell to float, then they are going to be stuck under the Kettlebell and won’t be able to drop underneath to catch it. Remember: you can’t effectively drop out from under the Kettlebell if you are still loaded with it. You’ve got to off-load the kettlebell and then quickly drop or hinge out underneath it.

If all of the elements described above line up, then the Kettlebell will be caught in the overhead position with a locked elbow but a “soft arm.” What do I mean by a “soft arm?” It means that you shouldn’t be punching through the lockout with any more force than what’s needed to brace the arm for receiving the load from the Kettlebell.

Better than the Kettlebell Snatch?
Is the Jerk (or the Clean and Jerk to be specific) better than the Snatch? It could be—it just depends on the person and what they are training for. The Snatch, when executed properly, trains a laundry list of qualities that will benefit the athlete. It trains maximizing the Backswing, taming the arc, transitioning from pulling to punching, the overhead lockout position and the commensurate mobility required to attain it, maximizing the trajectory of the Kettlebell throughout the movement, and other important qualities. The Jerk, also when executed properly, trains a similar list of qualities. Foremost are translating energy/motion from the legs to the torso, translating energy/motion from the torso to the arm via the elbow, perception of movement and split-second timing while under load, transitioning from driving to catching, and anticipating load and velocity while in motion. Sounds pretty complex and it is; but the work is worth it once you get the proper timing and sequencing down.

So, it looks like they are both pretty beneficial—so which one comes out on top? Well if you are looking for a great way to build up your grip and develop explosive power from ground to sky then the Snatch will fit the bill. It’s also a great way to build up some serious anaerobic endurance. Don’t believe me? Ask someone who trains for the RKC Snatch Test what it feels like around minute four. Oh I’m sorry, they can’t talk right now, they’re gasping for air!

In regards to the Jerk, I think it comes out on top for someone who is trying to move a near one-arm maximum load in a ballistic manner and learn how to deal with it in the overhead lockout. For the combat athlete it is a great technique to develop a more intimate appreciation for how to apply maximum force to any upper body striking technique and how to conserve energy until the very last millisecond. Remember that time under tension is how you get strong and the Jerk will allow you to put a greater load overhead and train you to manage the position as well.

Conclusions
Training the Jerk will benefit anyone who has mastered the “Big Six” Kettlebell techniques already and are ready for a challenge that will allow them to develop the strength to manage a heavier load overhead. While it is a simple technique, it is not easy to master—and success with it will be dependent on not only have a strong Press and Push Press but also a relatively high degree of physical awareness and how to manage quick height transitions. If you are truly interested in learning how to perform the Jerk, I strongly suggest you find an RKC that can help you fine-tune all of the precursors to this dynamic, fun and positively challenging technique.

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

Troubleshooting the Squat with Master RKC, Keira Newton

July 3, 2013 By Keira Newton Leave a Comment

The Goblet squat and the Front squat are two of the most important, and most neglected of RKC exercises. In this video, Master RKC Keira Newton demonstrates with student Brittany Branch where some problem areas typically are—and how to fix them.

***

Master RKC, Level 3 Z-Health, MCT. Keira first picked up a kettlebell in 2005 when her husband challenged her to stop laughing and start swinging. She stuck with the challenge when she realized that she could get an all-in-one workout in a fraction of the time she spent at the gym. Keira was convinced… Read more here.

The Usual Suspects

June 26, 2013 By Thomas Phillips Leave a Comment

When I sat with my colleague, good friend and level 4 Z-health trainer / RKC Steve Pucciarelli to create a viable kid’s program to compliment the UTC (www.TheUltimateTransformationChallenge.com), we agreed that kids should be able to identify simple ways to improve performance. We narrowed a long list to ‘5 usual suspects.’ Having successfully completed that task, we agreed that the information should be presented to EVERYONE, not just kids.

This article demonstrates how proper use of kettlebells can address the FIRST ‘usual suspect;’ however, I will be presenting this material in a ½ day seminar along with RKC / Z- health expert Steve Pucciarelli and RKC Team Leader Matt Maher. In fact, on July 14th we will address ALL 5 ‘usual suspects.’

Suspect #1: The “Chest / Reverse breather”

How to address the “chest breather” with kettlebells:

Practice diaphragm breathing

1) Perform a set of 10 dead swings. Count each rep out loud at the top of the swing with conviction. This will assure you have some air in your lungs at the bottom and letting it release up top. Many people mistakenly breathe in at the top of the swing instead of “spitting the air out.” Therefore, think about “spitting the air out” at the top of EACH swing along with the rep number you are currently performing.

2) In between the next set of 10 dead swings, lay on your belly with your elbows under your chest and think about breathing into the floor with your belly. Allow your belly to naturally push into the floor as you visualize sending your breath deep past your belly button and toward your groin. Do this for a minute, then perform another set of 10 dead swings.

3) In between the next set of 10 dead swings lay on your back and allow the back of your head to touch the floor while keeping the neck NEUTRAL. (Note: If your chin is up then you may need a thin pad to put behind your head). Once in place, think about keeping the back of your neck long. Block one nostril with your finger and put the other hand on top of your belly. Finally, breathe deeply into the belly (as described in #2) while maintaining that long neck and neutral cervical spine. Do this for one minute, and then perform another set of 10 dead swings.

4) Once you become comfortable with the 2 breathing techniques described above, try continuing both of those strategies while closing your eyes and consciously attempting to slow your breathing / heart rate. This should result in relaxation of residual tension in your muscles. Do this for one minute, and then perform another set of 10 dead swings.

Practice Hard style breathing

5) Rack a pair of kettlebells and get ready for front squats. Breathe into the diaphragm while standing with the bells racked. Think about making the belly big, then hold your breath and drop into your front squat. Initiate the ascent with a loud and abrupt “up” from the belly. You will only be letting about 10% of your air out when you initiate this sound.

If the sound is initiated incorrectly (from the throat) you will not feel as strong and “connected” on your ascent; however, if the sound is initiated correctly (from the diaphragm) you will hear a better quality of sound and feel a better quality of connection as you ascend.

Understand the difference between the “qualities of sound” in this way:

From the throat think “Bob Dylan” (INCORRECT)

From the diaphragm think “Pavarotti” (CORRECT)

Check out high-level powerlifters or strong men as they squat or deadlift heavy weights. Notice the big breath in, the intensity on their faces and their ability to grind through a heavy rep without panicking. This is an example of mastery of this technique. Take a look at powerlifting legend Ed Coan:

Now, try a heavy set of kettlebell front squats. Perform 5 sets of 5 reps focusing on these principles. At the top of each rep, take another breath and perform the next repetition.

Practice breathing behind the shield.

6) Hold 2 heavy, heavy kettlebells in each hand in front of you while standing with your feet spread slightly wider than usual. Try to create as much tension as possible in your body by doing the following:

a)   Lock your knees and tighten your quads
b)   Squeeze your glutes as hard as possible
c)   Grip the bells with your hands as tight as possible
d)   Tighten your triceps
e)   Tighten your lats
f)   Keep holding… tighter… tighter… tighter!!!

7) You will notice that if you breathe too deeply and hold your breath as described earlier in the front squat, you will not be able to sustain this amount of intra-abdominal pressure very long. Therefore, a different approach is required.

8) Try this: Get into a front plank position (like a push-up but on your elbows), then close your eyes and imagine someone is about to kick you rapidly in the stomach 10 times in a row. This should force you to do each of the following:

1)   Tuck your pelvis
2)   Brace your abdominals
3)   Breathe more shallow

This should also STOP you from doing each of the following:

1)   Sagging your belly
2)   Relaxing your mid-section
3)   Putting your lower-back into extension

From this position, try to create as much tension as possible by focusing on squeezing your glutes as hard as you can. This will help maintain a tucked pelvis and braced abdominals while also giving the opportunity to breathe shallow into the belly.

Here is an example of me utilizing these principles in a plank:

Here is an example of me utilizing these principles in a push-up:

This ability to comfortably breathe shallow “behind” braced abdominals is what we mean by “breathing behind the shield.”

Use this technique for exercises that require isometric holds. Gymnasts must use this technique on the rings, the parallel bars, etc; however, notice how RELAXED their faces are as they utilize this breathing strategy. This is an example of mastery of this technique. However, you can also use this technique during sub-maximal lifting where the goal is to lift a relatively heavy weight for as many reps as you can over a period of time. Here is an example of me lifting 265 lbs for 30 reps in less than 90 seconds at 165 lbs bodyweight. After my AAU meet, I elected to try the “feats of strength competition” in Las Vegas last summer. This was the result using the principles of “breathing behind the shield”:

Practice anatomic breathing:

Suppose the goal is to do as many reps as possible over a longer period of time (perhaps 30 seconds or as long as 5 minutes or more).

Take a light to moderate kettlbell and put it in the rack. Use your legs to help you push press the weight as fast as possible while maintaining good form. For me, a 16 kg bell for 30 reps in 30 seconds does the trick. Take a look:

For this technique I’m using my body as a “spring” and “catching” the bell with my WHOLE BODY. As the bell descends and hits my body I breathe out to “absorb” the force of the bell, then, immediately redirect the bell upward as I breathe in again. You can see this type of speed would be impossible if I were to use Hard-Style, / High Tension / Intra-Abdominal breathing described earlier in the front squat. Instead, I breathe out while moving WITH the force by absorbing this force into the WHOLE BODY, then I “take it somewhere else…” in the example of the push press I absorb and redirect the bell straight back up into the air.

As you can see, breath mastery is critical to performance. Practice the appropriate techniques depending on the task at hand; however, there is NEVER a reason to be a “chest breather.”

To register for the ½ day seminar on July 14th, contact Master RKC Thomas Phillips at fitforlifemarlboro@yahoo.com sign-ups are limited because this seminar is part of a larger seminar series.

***

About Thomas Phillips, Master RKC: Being a good student, teacher and athlete has always been a priority. This is why I choose to remain the student and the teacher in all aspects of life. Other than being a teacher of math and philosophy for the past 13 years, I am also a writer, gym owner, as well as a proud father and husband. I continue to challenge myself physically by competing in… Read more here.

www.fflmarlboro.com
www.TheUltimateTransformationChallenge.com
www.TotalAchievementProgram.com

It’s All About the “C” Word

June 19, 2013 By Angelo Gala Leave a Comment

Have you ever looked at a professional athlete in total amazement as they gracefully move through the air in a gravity-defying move to score a game winning goal?

Scratched your head in total confusion wondering how that weightlifter in your box just dropped under a barbell to catch a snatch with 225 pounds when you are struggling to secure the bar overhead with just 135 pounds?

How about those bikini and figure models strutting around showing off their beautifully sculpted 6-pack of abs?

Its all too easy to sit back and cop out an excuse that these individuals are just gifted. To say that they are “freaks of nature,” or accuse them of having way more time available to train. The truth is that we all are capable of amazing ourselves with personal accomplishment. Maybe our window of opportunity to become a pro ball player has closed a little earlier than we would have hoped, but don’t throw in the towel just yet. You still have plenty of time to achieve great things.

What builds great athletes happens behind closed doors when no one is watching. Everyone struggles when they have goals that scare the sh*t out of them. The secret to success is persistence through the tough times and consistently working to move forward no matter the resistance that is faced.

It is too easy to watch any athlete on a National or International stage and overlook the work it took to get there. Of course I have to acknowledge that many athletes do possess a genetic predisposition to be great at what they do. Some endurance athletes are blessed with an astronomical lung capacity (think Lance Armstrong), perfectly shaped musculo-skeletal system for their given activity (Michael Phelp’s wing span and hand size) or even fiber typing within the muscle itself that can predispose someone to naturally be more explosive (Pyrros Dimas). Please don’t let this discourage you in your journey to crush personal records in training whether you compete or are simply a fitness enthusiast.

It’s funny how many things come in 3’s. A sneeze frequently is followed by a second and third subsequent blast out of the nose. Tibetan Buddhism prayer verse is typically repeated in three’s. Traffic lights in the United States have 3 signals. Traditional nutrition tells us to eat a protein and two sources of vegetables (that’s a combination of 3) and we all know that it takes at least three months of effort to make noticeable change to the body. So what does this tell us? We need to be patient and persistent to accumulate enough volume to make the desired change we seek.

Lets break this down specifically to fitness. Say you have a weight-loss goal. It takes three weeks to make a habit stick. So in the course of those initial three weeks you may focus on making small changes. Initially frequency and timing of food may be the top concern. Once you have adjusted to eating regularly you may begin to add in more fresh produce. Before you know it, those initial three weeks have ended and you are starting to get frustrated with a lack of results or even an increase in total body weight. Don’t worry because we still have plenty of room for improvement. Now that we know you are proactively battling the blood-sugar regulation game we can pull out all grains and starchy foods. Sorry man, that means no more bread, rice or pasta and white potatoes. All of a sudden, BOOM! Some of that extra padding begins to melt away.

When it comes to resistance training and even flexibility (shout out to my fellow Yogis out there!) we need to see the same persistence and consistency. Strength training should be performed on 3 or MORE days a week if you would like to make gains. Now if you are like me, over 30 and slowly losing peak hormone levels, then a greater priority on frequency should be observed otherwise you may find yourself treading water at best. In the yoga community we have a saying that goes something along he lines of “stretch once a week to feel better, stretch twice a week to maintain your current flexibility, stretch 3 times a week to make a change.”

Now general rules of physiology apply to flexibility just as much as they do to strength. In a given strength session, a minimum of three sets of a given exercise are needed to provide enough stimulus to improve strength or promote hypertrophy.

Accumulated volume towards the improvement of muscle length and specific flexibility should be noted as well. If you are working on improving your backbend in a bridge posture, just hitting your maximal global spinal extension for one uncomfortable hold or repetition isn’t going to cut it.

First you should prep your body by opening your hip flexors, thoracic spine and throw in a shoulder stretch or two. Now that your body is ready to bend, try setting up your bridge for a solid 5 slow breaths or thirty seconds, lower to a resting position for a few breaths and repeat the exact same posture for at least two more sets. It’s never enough to just go through the motions one time and expect great change. Don’t forget that to improve your bridge it should be performed with the same care on two other training days that same week!

In regards to all aspects of the body we need to understand that it takes consistent and repeated practice to make change. For some enthusiasts the change may come as fast as a few days or weeks and for others it may take months or even years. As long as we keep chipping away at our goals by taking small bites at a time, success is as sure to come, as the seasons are sure to change. I challenge you to stay present and be mindful during your journey as you very well may learn something new about yourself along the way.

***About Angelo Gala, RKC Team Leader: Angelo Gala has been a fitness professional in the Boston area for greater than 11 years. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NCSA, has studied the Pranavayu system of yoga under David Magone and he is a Dharma friend at the Sakya Center of Buddhist Studies in Cambridge, MA where he completed a 1 year intensive study of Mangalam Yantra Yoga Under the guidance of Lama Migmar Tseten.

He considers himself an all-around fitness nerd and endurance junkie who refuses to fall under the category of a one-trick pony. Gala continually works to better himself and inspire others by leading a lifestyle conducive to physical, emotional, and spiritual development. He believes that no one should focus too much time and energy on a single dimension of fitness. The body craves all different types of movement that is not limited to just running, jumping, swimming, biking or lifting things up and putting them down again and again. He teaches clients to train with intention progressively, intelligently and with as many different modalities as the heart desires. Do this and the body and mind will be forever grateful.

My Best Friend …

June 11, 2013 By Phil Ross Leave a Comment

Are you a fitness enthusiast that takes their running shoes on trips, only to feel uncomfortable road running in unfamiliar areas? Are you tired of endlessly waiting for cardio equipment to free up at your gym, only to feel like a hamster running on a wheel? Do you love to run outdoors, yet shy away from putting on five layers of under-armor and sweats on in order to brave the sub arctic temperatures?

Well, let me introduce you to my “Best Friend,” the jump rope. You can take it anywhere, you do not need much space, it does not matter what the weather is like outside, you do not need expensive equipment ($2.00 to $20.00 for a rope, my favorite costs $8.00) and you can vary the routines and movements to keep it interesting. My Grandfather was a boxing trainer in Paterson, NJ back in the 30’s, 40’s and into the 50’s. He instructed me on how to jump rope as a teenager as a means to improve my foot speed and endurance for wrestling and football. I then began to realize the incredible benefits of jumping rope.

If you jump rope at a good pace for 5 minutes, it’s equivalent to running a mile! The coordination of your hands and feet moving in rhythm with each other is essential for a fighter. All of my martial arts classes begin with 3 to 5 minutes of jumping rope. In addition to the coordination development, jumping rope is an incredible means to warm up the body.

Even if you are a beginner and you miss on your jump, keep moving your feet. To learn how to jump, here are a couple of tips:

1) Play some music that you like with a good beat. You should put together a playlist for at least the same amount of time that you want to jump for. Use your favorite, upbeat songs & make a mix. Or, for those with obsessive, manic personalities, repeat the same song as an extended version. This also helps you jump rope longer. You basically fool your self into NOT thinking that you are jumping that long.

2) To initially get your timing, watch as the rope hits the ground. That’s when you time your jump. It may take a few weeks to get your timing, but keep working, it will eventually happen.

3) If you are still having issues, try putting the rope in one hand and jump up and down while rotating your wrist. This will help you to find your timing.

4) Remember the less movement of your arms, the better. Your wrists are the primary focus of the rotation. Try also to keep them in the same spot, approximately chest level. This does not hold true when you are doing more advanced movements, like crossing the rope or double jumps.

5) You do not have to jump very high. You only need to jump high enough to allow the thin rope to pass under your feet. Get your rhythm and all else will fall into place.

If you’d like to workout the rest of your body, try performing push-ups and abdominal exercises in a rotation with jumping rope. You can start with 100 jumps, 20 push – ups and 30 abdominals. Start with 3 rotations and then increase to 5. You may also execute additional push – ups or abdominals. What a great way to start the day!

Victory Favors the Prepared!

– Phil

P.S. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach me at www.philross.com.

About Master RKC Phil Ross: Master RKC, 8^th 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.

Melt Fat Like Raw Meat on a Hot Grill with These 7 Time-Crunched Kettlebell Workouts

June 5, 2013 By Pat Flynn 11 Comments

Workout #1: The Chewie

The scene of this tale is set in my very own home, approximately three days ago, and is the particular account of how I tested the workout which you will find down below on my willfully obedient St. Bernard puppy.

I would have used a human subject, but I didn’t have one handy. I’ve run out, you see.

And so one does what one can. The subject—name: Chewie Patrick Flynn, age: 2.5 months—has a gentle face, a loose jaw, and a congenital proclivity to slobber. He sports a dirty brown coat with a white underbelly. His face hides behind a black mask, causing him to look like a bandit. But then he has these delightful little freckles scattered about his nose. It looks inconsistent. Either way his background checks out. He’s clean. Just don’t ask him to whistle. He can’t. But then again neither can a catfish. Anyways, he lives his life largely in leisure. This is to say he knows more about napping than the fellow who invented it.

“Chewie, come.”

“My dear Sir and Kinsman, could you not plainly see that I am in the middle of something enormously important. What is it that you would seek of me?”

“Good boy!!!”

“Make it quick, jester, I must return to my muttons.”

“Ok Chewie, I just need you to do something for me real quick. It’s just a short little workout I came up with, won’t take long, just a few minutes.”

“I must say the quality of discourse between us has taken a steep plunge as of late. Let us have done with this frivolous talk—advance your proposition at once.”

“Ok here’s what I got. I call it a time-crunched workout. You know, for those times when you just don’t have any time, and need to get in something real quick. It’s mostly made up of kettlebell complexes. Nothing you don’t know. Super for blasting fat, building muscle, and all that, which means it’s got something of the demoniacal in it—WINK WINK! But it’ll be fun, promise!”

“As you wish. But first, be a respectable fellow and deliver me that stuffed giraffe right there, if you please—you can’t possibly expect me to entertain just one bully bone all day, now can you.”

Chewie gave it a few squeaks then whirled it up into the air, like a pancake, where it did a few somersaults. He then began clobbering it about the head, stomping his paws with all the malicious intent of a homicidal maniac. How adorable!

“Ah, that’s better. Now on to business. Please continue.”

“Ok, so the first complex is all double cleans and front squats, but it’s done in a kind of odd sequence. It goes eight double cleans, five front squats, five double cleans, three front squats, three double cleans, two front squats, two double cleans, and one front squat. And I want you to run three rounds of it. Think you got that?”

“Father, please, I can call out a Fibonacci sequence quicker than a terrier can smell out a mole.”

*Complex details:

8 x double clean
5 x double front squat
5 x double clean
3 x double front squat
3 x double clean
2 x double front squat
2 x double clean
1x double front squat

Recommended weight: Males and Females: 2 x 20kg or 2 x 24kg kettlebells

“Ok, Chewie, so, how was it? How do you feel?”

“I must say my contentment is quite complete. I’m so happy I could maim you.”

I stepped back, just out the way of his reach.

“Ok, well, we’re halfway done, next up is the Holy Fiver, you might remember this one from Racked and Loaded, my free eBook containing 101 of my personal favorite kettlebell complexes for blasting fat and building muscle.”

“Never read it.”

“Oh, well, no matter. It’s just five reps of the following exercises: double swing, double snatch, double clean and press, and front squat. Simple enough, right? And again, I want you to run three rounds of it, if you wouldn’t mind.”

*Complex details:

5 x double swing
5 x double snatch
5 x double clean and press
5 x front squat

Recommended Weight: 2 x 20-24kg for males, 2 x 12-16kg for females

“So…?”

“To give a fair account, I will say that in the first round my life-force traveled in straight channels—that is, it followed a smooth and advantageous course. The task was not a burden, and I was not in need of a breather. But on the second I freely admit that I was assailed at all angles. The rapid and repeated contractions of the striated muscles grew to be very nearly unbearable, as if someone had driven railway spikes into my thighs. Hence, the panting. On the third set I am fairly certain that I met God. Please put that down in your notes.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

“Yes, just one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m pooping.”

6 More Time-Crunched Kettlebell Complex Workouts

I’m done writing, for now.

If you have any questions, drop them in the comments, email me at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength.com, Tweet at me, or come say hi on Facebook. Whichever you’d like.

Workout #2: Swing Mountain

Perform 2-3 rounds of the following complex:
2 x two hand swing
1 x goblet squat
4 x two hand swing
2 x goblet squat
6 x two hand swing
3 x goblet squat
8 x two hand swing
4 x goblet squat
10 x two hand swing
5 x goblet squat

Recommend weight: 24kg kettlebell for males, 16kg kettlebell for females

Workout #3: Fresh Off The Yacht

Perform 5 rounds of the following complex :
5 x one arm swing
5 x one arm clean
5 x one arm snatch
5 x one arm jerk
5 x reverse lunge

Workout #4: The Hellion

Perform 1-2 rounds of the following complex:
2 x two hand swing
2 x one one arm swing
2 x squat to press (aka thruster)
Add two reps to each movement the next time through. Continue adding two reps with each cycle until you reach ten. Then go back down in the same fashion.

Recommend weight: 16-24kg for males, 8-16kg for females

Workout #5: The Viking Warrior

Perform 15 minutes of the following snatch interval sequence:
15 seconds x one arm snatch (right arm)
15 seconds rest
15 seconds x one arm snatch (left arm)
15 seconds rest

Workout #6: The Good Samaritan

Perform 3-5 rounds of the following complex
5 x double military press
30 seconds x overhead hold
5 x double front squat
30 seconds x rack hold

Workout #7: The Great Destroyer

Had to.

Perform 1-3 rounds of the following complex:
10 x double swing
10 x double snatch
10 x double clean and press
10 x front squat
10 x push up

Recommend weight: 16-20kg for males, 8-12kg for females

***

About Pat Flynn: Pat Flynn is a certified Russian Kettlebell Challenge instructor, fitness philosopher, and 7th degree blackbelt in hanging out. Pat is the founder of ChroniclesOfStrength.com and chief contributor to the Chronicles of Strength Inner Circle where he shares his best ideas on how to chop fat and multiply muscle through kettlebell complex training. Pat also offers online coaching. It’s expensive, and certainly not for those who are fragile by nature. Email Pat at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength.com with the subject line of “online coaching” to learn more.

Run for Your Life

May 29, 2013 By Andrew Read Leave a Comment

Distance running was indispensible; it was the way we survived and thrived across the planet. You ran to eat and avoid being eaten; you ran to find a mate and impress her, and you ran off with her to start a new life together. You had to love running, or you wouldn’t live to love anything else. And like everything else we love – everything we sentimentally call our “passions” and “desires” it’s really an encoded ancestral necessity. We were born to run; we were born because we run. We’re all Running People, as the Tarahumara have always known. – Christopher McDougall, Born to Run

Like many who found Dragon Door, I first came to the site looking for kettlebell information. Back then I was looking for a training method that didn’t make me feel so awful all the time. I wasn’t training stupidly, far from it, but I was starting to notice that my body wasn’t feeling good very often. My back would be stiff like a block of wood and no amount of foam rolling, mobility work or massage was even making a dent in it. But it wasn’t until my shoulder started to act up that I really started to look in earnest for whatever piece of the puzzle was missing.

Up until that point I’d had what I thought of as a fairly active life. I’d done martial arts for more than twenty years with some decent competitive results, spent some time in the mud and fooled around with just about every form of training you can think of – from sandbags to Olympic lifts to body weight and everything in between I’ve pretty much done it. (No Shake Weight though, because, well….you know.)

But I’d never really done much running. Growing up I’d been a good swimmer and spent many hours in the pool but ‘d never been comfortable as a runner. Even when I was in the military and would run most days it was a rare occasion that I would finish a run feeling the same sense of whole body joy that I did from a good weights session.

But once I started training with kettlebells I found a whole new level of what I should be thinking of as “good”. My movement got better; I became accidentally more mobile. I was really only training with a single bell at this time learning the lifts but the benefits started happening so fast that they were impossible to miss. The odd thing was that as my movement got better my desire to move more increased too. Suddenly I wanted to run.

The problem with that, as any person over thirty will tell you, is that if you haven’t built the skill as a runner early in life you are going to suffer when you take it up later on. But as McDougall says in the quote above – we are hardwired to run. Without it we’d all have never made it out of the Paleolithic era. And the better my body felt the more I wanted to run, because the human animal is designed to run.

One of the things that often draws people to the kettlebell is its usefulness as a go anywhere, train you for anything, all in one hand held gym nature. It’s for that reason that they’ve been taken up by many military units around the world so they can set up small workout areas, so called “courage corners”, on far flung bases to help keep the men fit.

The modern fitness world is full of people telling you that such and such is the key to tactical fitness or that this certain thing is what SEALs use to stay in shape. But the bit no one is telling you, is that the toughest, fittest, baddest men on the planet all have one thing in common – they run.

Man evolved to be an apex predator because of our running abilities. We aren’t the fastest by any means but given time we can run down just about anything eventually. Due to our ability to regulate heat without needing to stop and pant we can literally run an animal to death by heatstroke. Persistence hunting has been around for about two million years and was one of the main ways we could catch more nutrient dense prey when all we had was rocks for weapons.

Over the last few years this idea has become more and more firmly planted in my head – that training has to be about movement. Not just mobility work but being outside, connected to our planet, moving over the earth – and that our fitness work should support that instead of being done solely inside an artificial environment and judged against artificial parameters – who really cares how fast you did a workout, or if you lifted slightly more weight? How did it make you a better animal and get you back closer to your apex predator status?

So how do we transfer our gym fitness to actual useful fitness? I have to be honest and say that there is often, in the world of performance training, an over simplification by people with vested commercial interests in saying things like “just get stronger”. While many people do need extra strength, when it comes to covering ground quickly, particularly with a heavy pack, there is no substitute for putting in the miles. Getting miles in the legs has been a time proven method of developing Spartan stamina and elite fighters for as far back as we can find records. From Ali to Dan Gable, from Tito Ortiz to SEALs and the SAS, aerobic efficiency is the most highly prized commodity and the only way to gain that is to spend time practicing it.

I’ve been fooling around a lot with this for the last two years, developing a base strategy to use for anyone that covers a lot of ground. From Ironman triathletes to those attending special forces selection the results are now there to show that it works across the board. Here’s my list of essential exercises:

Hinge exercises –

The single leg deadlift is king here. Many will wonder why no barbell deadlift. To them I say go try to run for two hours the day after barbell deadlifts and you will understand the reason. Single leg training gives you the same hip strength benefits, plus anti rotation and a stable single leg stance from which to base your stride. Because the loads used are lower there is less stiffness in the following days meaning you are better able to swim, ride, run or pack march. While there is a place for maximal strength work it needs to be well away from operational periods or racing.

The swing. Kettlebell swings have a therapeutic effect on the back. Because they can be done for higher reps it’s possible to flush large amounts of blood into the back and offer it some relief. Believe me when I say that a hundred swings the day after a six-hour ride in the aero position will make you feel like a new man.

For lower body assistance work nothing beats a sled/ prowler. Concentric only work is similar to cycling in effect, has near zero cost in terms of muscle soreness and helps get you up hills faster. If you have no sled then high rep step ups can be substituted (step height needs to be high enough that thigh is parallel to floor).

Upper body –

Nothing beats body weight work. If the goal is to move your body fast for extended periods of time you need to practice moving your body. My personal favourite are ring dips and pull ups, or if you’re able, muscle ups. While barbells and kettlebells have a place here one of the problems faced is extra weight being added to the frame. Speed and efficiency have a lot to do with how heavy you are, and on operations that extra muscle needs feeding too. Keeping your bodyweight down has many big benefits too in terms of injury prevention. (A 2kg/ 5lb weight gain is equivalent to dealing with an extra 15,000kg/ ~7,000lbs of extra force through your spine and joints while running over 5km).

Core work –

Keeping your spine in place for long periods of time means you need to spend time on core training. Many relegate core training to the banished list figuring that all the load bearing activity they do is enough. It’s not. My current training sessions are roughly two hours long and I’m focusing on many harder body weight skills. These skills all have one thing in common – every single one of them is a plank or hollow position drill. With limited running since an Ironman event I am actually running faster – my body feels far more stable and locked in place when I run, thanks to my daily single leg deadlifts and core work.

Assistance/ conditioning work –

There’s only two lifts worth worrying about here for my money. Snatches and long cycle clean and jerks are the two biggest bang for your buck kettlebell exercises. But unlike normal training sessions where your goal is a certain number of reps you need to focus instead on time. I often intersperse these with some running – think of it as kettlebell roadwork. A minute of long cycle followed by an 800m run, four times through is a solid session. I tend to reverse these so that a longer interval of snatches or long cycle is followed by a shorter interval run and vice versa. Don’t try to do five minutes of snatching then a 1km interval run. (Because you’ll only try that the one time, trust me).

Running and walking –

While elite runners are out there pounding away daily we do need to make some concession to them being elite runners – in other words they are genetically selected to being able to withstand daily running. At Read Performance Training we use a run/ walk strategy alternating each daily. Walking has an enormous recovery benefit, is a good way to continue strengthening your aerobic system, and also to keep building the body to handle more running. Don’t discount how powerful walking can be. Our running is built around three to four days per week with two easy runs of 30-40 minutes and a longer run of up to two hours with the last 20-30 minutes hard. If they can handle a fourth day we do a harder interval session, like the long cycle/ 800m run option listed above. On non-running days our clients walk for an hour.

Now you’ve got the tools, get out there and get moving. You were born to do it.

***

About Andrew Read, Senior RKC, Dragon Door Australia: Andrew Read, Senior RKC, is head of Dragon Door Australia and Read Performance Training. Recognized as Australia’s leading functional strength trainer he is a regular contributor to Blitz, Inside MMA, International Kickboxer, Oxygen, Ultrafit and Breaking Muscle. His coaching background spans nearly twenty years having worked with many Olympic and world championship level athletes.

The Dirty Dozen Exercises: Move #4, The Hanging Abdominals

May 24, 2013 By Phil Ross 1 Comment

There is nothing sought after more than a set of “washboard abs.” A set of ripped, hard looking, abdominal region inspires awe and envy in everyone that sets eyes upon them. A “Cut Gut” is a sure telltale sign the the bearer is in incredible physical condition and that they “don’t have an ounce of fat” on them. How do we achieve these legendary abdominals of steel and sinew? How do we develop 6-pack abs that can withstand having cinder-blocks piled on it and being hit with a sledgehammer? Can we develop our midsection so that we can absorb a full power knee drive from a Muay Thai Fighter or an uppercut from a Prize Boxer?

First of all, having a “ripped” abdominal section is not necessarily indicative of abdominal strength. It not simply the appearance, but how did they get those abs? By simply starving themselves or as the result of serious, pointed abdominal training? There are some fitness experts that recommend a thousand abdominal repetitions per day or some type of fitness apparatus that they are undoubtedly paid to endorse. These machines may or may not work and I don’t know how many of us have the time to perform a thousand or more crunches a day. So how do we achieve these legendary abdominals that can withstand having a 2 x 4 broken over them, but fit the workout into our overloaded lives?

If you are engaged in a consistent Kettlebell and Bodyweight training regiment, your abdominals and core are already receiving a great deal of work. However, if you want to take it to the next level and maximize the “best bang for the buck” for your abdominals, then Hanging Abdominal training is a must. You will discover that I do detest long, drawn out training sessions. Who has the time? How long can ANY of us effectively train while maintaining intensity and proper form? Plus – if you are an athlete, you want to leave time to practice your sports skills, not spend the bulk of your day with your strength and conditioning. If you are not a competitive athlete, you probably have work, family or social matters that require your attention. Use your time wisely.

There are several methods of practicing the hanging abdominals. or a beginner, I will recommend that you use (or purchase) the Dip, Pull-up & Ab Machine. The are available new for about $300, used for $100 or less. It will be the most useful apparatus that you ever purchase. No moving parts whatsoever. In addition to the video demonstrating the higher level abs, check out this one on YouTube. It will show the machine. For beginners, simply raise your knees up to chest (or as high as you are able) while keeping your lumbar region (low back) pressed firmly against the back board of the machine. When you able to accomplish 20 repetitions with bent knees, then move to straight legged version and bring your legs up so that your heels are level with your waist. For the next level of this exercise, you bring your feet up to or above head level. Please remember to maintain a flat back against the back pad. Packing your shoulders and assuming a tall chest position are a must.

Once you are able to to perform the suspended abdominals, you are ready for the Hanging Abdominal training. There are three basic movements that I recommend. The Hanging Knee Lift, Jackknife and the Side to Side Jackknife. The easiest are the Hanging Knee Lift. Grasp a pull-up bar with your elbows straight and your shoulders packed. Do not allow for body sway. Contract your abs and raise your knees up to chest level. Work up to at least 20 repetitions prior to advancing toward the Jackknife Abs. For the straight Jackknife abs, assume the same position as during the Knee Lifts. Straighten your legs, steady your body and contract your abs as you raise your legs so that your feet are above the bar. Repeat. For the Side to Side Jackknife, simply raise your feet to one corner of the pull-up bar and then the other. This contra-lateral movement is incredible. As far as repetitions are concerned, start with 3 to 5 and then work your way up to 10 per set. Do not permit yourself to swing. You will not maximize the effect of the movement and you may expose yourself to injury. Packed shoulders, locked elbows and a steady body.

As always, train hard, train often and TRAIN SMART!

Coach Phil

***

About Phil Ross, Master RKC, 8^th Degree Black Belt, Specialist in Bodyweight Strength and CK-FMS Certified. Phil Ross’ 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.

The Windmill: Safe and Effective Implementation

May 22, 2013 By Mark Bixby 1 Comment

The windmill is an outstanding advanced kettlebell move that combines shoulder stabilization, thoracic rotation, plus hip and hamstring mobilization. Mastering this exercise will improve functional qualities like dynamic motor control and mid-line stabilization. It will also improve your overhead lifting skills. Unfortunately, the windmill is usually misunderstood as a basic side-bend like something learned in yoga. The following breakdown provides a useful and safe progression to learning the windmill.

Step One: Start in a half-kneeling position, not standing. The outstanding FMS dvds Kettlebells from the Ground Up 1 and 2 provide detailed tutorials on these kneeling positions. Part 2 of the series focuses almost extensively on these positions. Do yourself a favor and make them part of your training library.

To get in the open-half-kneeling position (the easiest position), assume a lunge position on the floor where the front and back legs are at 90 degrees. Swivel the shin of the back leg (the one with knee down) in 90 degrees (shin should be perpendicular to the heel of the standing leg). Raise one arm overhead (the arm that coincides with the standing leg, if right leg is standing, right arm should be overhead) in an elbow-locked, shoulder-packed position. The bicep of the raised arm should be even with (not touching) your ear. Now, hinge back in the hip of the standing leg and drop your non-raised arm to the floor straight in front of the kneeling knee (it should be 10-12 inches forward of the down knee). You should be looking up at the raised arm. Now, you’re in the hip-hinged, trunk-rotated position that will eventually be the bottom of your windmill.

The next step involves keeping the exact same setup as before but with an additional flexibility component that will more closely approximate the flexibility needed to actually windmill. From your open-half-kneeling position with arm raised, start to descend to the floor by this time reaching for the top of your standing foot with your descending arm. Cup the top of your foot with the hand, hinge back in the folding hip and try to bring your elbow and forearm to the floor. You should feel this in the backside of your hip—not your low back. If you feel it in your low back, you’ve gone too far. You don’t have to reach the floor with your elbow; instead go as far as is comfortable.

Step Two: Repeat this drill on the other side of your body. Then, to gain more stretch and the closest approximation to a standing windmill, do the exact same drills from your regular kneeling lunge position. You’re now lunging on “railroad tracks,” without the turned in back shin. These will be more difficult.

Step Three: After you feel comfortable in these positions, the next task is to add a kettlebell. Use a light bell and repeat the previous drills with a kb in the half-kneeling positions. To repeat, you should not feel this in your low back. If you do, you probably lack either hip mobility or thoracic rotation.

Step Four: You are now ready to try this standing. As before, you will do these drills unloaded first and then add a kettlebell. Assume a shoulder-width standing position. Let’s assume we’re working on our right side. Swivel on your heels so that you’re right foot is turned left at about 30 degrees and your left foot is turned left 30-45 degrees. Raise your right hand overhead to the press lockout position. Look up at your raised hand. Now, hinge back in the right hip and try to visualize that your hip is hinging in a line with the 30 degree line of your right foot. Your right leg should stay straight as you descend and rotate (just keep your eye on your pressing hand, and you’ll properly rotate). The knuckle-side of your left hand should be tracing a line down the inside of your left leg (which can be slightly bent). Most of your weight should be in your back leg (right leg in this case) at probably an 80/20 ratio. Now that you’re standing, you will feel the stretch in your hinging hip and the hamstring of your straight leg. Only reach as far down your front leg as you can without deviating from the straight back, hip-hinged position. Eventually, you will be able to touch the floor or pick up a kettlebell with the reaching hand. For now, just make sure that you can do the move with perfect technique and no pain. Repeat this sequence on the other leg.

Step Five: Once you have accomplished the progression, you are ready to add a kettlebell. Either clean/press or snatch the bell up, and then follow the exact same cues as are detailed in Step Four. Once you have mastered the technique of windmills, you can add them to the beginning or end of your workouts. Or, they are a great stand-alone drill on a rest/mobility day.

Step Six: Mastery of the windmill (including the ability to do it perfectly with substantial weight) will allow you to start learning the kettlebell bent press, which is an even more advanced windmill progression that allows for greater load bearing. Practice these drills sequentially and safely, and your overhead kettlebell skills and total body coordination will improve dramatically. Enjoy.

***

About Keira Newton, Master RKC Instructor: Master RKC, Level 3 Z-Health, MCT. Keira first picked up a kettlebell in 2005 when her husband challenged her to stop laughing and start swinging. She stuck with the challenge when she realized that she could get an all-in-one workout in a fraction of the time she spent at the gym. Keira was convinced… Read more here.

“I was Stuck With Needles for Research.”

May 17, 2013 By Laurel Blackburn Leave a Comment

I have always wondered which exercises gave me more bang for the buck. I like going to my gym and knocking out quick workouts and I don’t like to waste my time training with isolation exercises.

You can go to your local grocery store and see fitness magazines touting the best exercises. For women, it’s normally the butt and for guys, it’s biceps and chest. I always wondered how they can come up with anything new. If you read through them, the exercises are usually the same. It’s lunges for ladies and bicep curls for the guys.

I’ve been using and teaching Kettlebells for close to seven years now and it never fails, someone always asks, “Which muscle does this work”? The thing I love most about using Kettlebells for myself and my clients is that I can hit every muscle and get an incredible fat torching workout in 30 minutes or less.

But you already know that.

For several years, I have been trying to get my husband to do an Electromyography (EMG) test on me so that I could see which exercises target specific muscles the most. He kept saying that I did not want to do that because it will hurt. He tried to make me shy away by talking about how he would have to stick needles deep into my muscle bellies. I never let that deter me from finding the answers to my questions.

This past weekend I finally tied him down and we set a time. Again he told me how his patients have cried, cringed and about passed out from the pain. This time I almost changed my mind, but I was too excited to find out the answers to my questions.

Oh, I guess this would be a good time to let you know that my husband is a Neurologist. He has been practicing medicine and doing EMGs for over 21 years. I knew I was in good hands and if you can’t trust your husband to stick needles in you, whom can you trust?

We decided to this on a Sunday afternoon while the office was empty. We made a list of exercises to do and compare. Knowing that his EMG machine has better results with static movements, I decided to compare the most common exercises while holding the end part of each one in an isometric contraction. In other words, I held the hardstyle lock out of the top of a swing with needles in different muscles while Rick interpreted the data.

Keep in mind this is very basic research. In order to get numerical values and dynamic readings, we would have to find a different EMG machine.

The first thing Rick did was to place electrodes on my stomach. Then came the needle. I braced and prepared myself for pain, but was surprised to find it didn’t hurt at all.

With the needle in my abdominal muscle, I positioned myself in the hardstyle lock out of the swing. I contracted as hard as I would as if I had a Kettlebell. We knew that the lock out would be more significant if I had been doing swings with a Kettlebell.

I braced my abs as if I were taking a punch and I was breathing “behind the shield” while the contraction was recorded. With this type of EMG, you can see and hear the output of the muscle contraction. There was significant muscle activation, but not nearly as much as I had hoped for.

I then got on the ground and held a traditional crunch in the up position. The crunch lit up the machine much more than the top of the swing (don’t worry, you don’t have to do crunches to engage and activate your abs, bare with me).

The last thing I did for the abs was to hold a normal gym goer plank verses our RKC Hardstyle Plank. There was a big difference. Not much activation in the abs with the traditional plank that most people do. The HSP was clearly the winner.

So for maximum abdominal contraction; the crunch was first, the HSP was second, the swing was third and the regular person plank was last.

Next test was the glutes (here I turned off the camera). Rick had to get an extra long needle and I wasn’t sure if he was trying to tell me something. He said it was a big muscle…

For testing glute activation, I again held the top of the swing, held the bottom of a lunge, held the bottom of a deep squat and lastly performed a deadlift without weight. I got into deadlift position and contracted as if I was pulling a heavy load. The deadlift outperformed all the exercises in glute activation, then the swing, lunge and squat.

Next up was the quadriceps muscle. For this we compared a regular squat just to parallel, verses a deep squat. a pistol squat and the swing. To my surprise the most muscle activation was the down leg of a pistol squat. I was surprised because the only time my quads get sore is from doing pistol squats and I always assumed it was from the up leg. The swing was almost equal in quadriceps activation and the other squats were last.

Last but not least, Rick stuck a needle in my Lats. Again I held the top of the swing position and did an isometric lat pull down. The Lat pull down was just a head of the swing but the lats were definitely activating during the lock out at the top of the swing.

The take away is that, yes, isolating muscle groups has more activation than our Kettlebell exercises, but most of the Kettlebell exercises target ALL of the muscle groups. If you want to spend 2 hours in the gym isolating every muscle group, have at it. If you want to activate all of your muscles and get a killer calorie burn, improve endurance and torch fat, the Kettlebell swing can not be beat.

Next time your clients asks you, which muscles they are working during the swing, you can tell them, “All of them”.

Stay tuned for more EMG reports. Next time we are bringing the EMG machine to the gym to see if we can capture results while doing dynamic movements.

***

Laurel Blackburn is an RKC Team Leader and owner of Boot Camp Fitness and Training and Tallahassee Kettlebells.

Getting ready to turn 51 in June, 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