RKC School of Strength

Official blog of the RKC

How To Improve Your Golf Game With Kettlebell Training

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William Sturgeon Kettlebell Get-Up Kettlebells for golf

Whether you’re a golf athlete or enthusiast, there’s always room for improvement in your sport. While there are plenty of things you can do to improve your golf game, nothing is as powerful as strengthening your body. Strengthening and mobilizing your body will improve the quality and power of your swing. Kettlebell training can take your golf game to a new level!

Why Kettlebell Strength Training Can Improve Your Golf:

Kettlebell training has the ability to improve sports performance in many ways. Increasing your overall strength can lead to greater power for your golf swing. Strength training can help you achieve greater speed and more control over your swing. Training with kettlebells also helps you manage fatigue. Since golfers are typically in a fixed bent-over position for many hours at a time, they are at risk for a lot of stress on the lumbar spine. Lastly, kettlebell training can reduce the risk of injury and increase your playing longevity.

Common Golf Injuries:

Low Back Pain

Golfers commonly deal with low back pain. The repetitive rotational motion through the lumbar spine is often a major cause of low back pain in golfers. Having a weak low back can be dangerous since golf requires a lot of flexion and rotation through the lumbar spine. Mobilizing and strengthening the low back can reduce the risk of injury in this area.

Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff is located within the shoulder and consists of four small muscles—the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis—which stabilize the shoulders. Shoulder impingement is a common injury amongst golfers. Shoulder impingement occurs when the tendons of the rotator cuff become inflamed and irritated as they move through the subacromial space. If the shoulders are not mobilized or strong enough for the repetitive motion of the swing, then compensational movement patterns will occur. These compensational patterns cause weak, immobile shoulders and injury.

Elbow Tendonitis

The two most common instances of elbow tendonitis with golfers are tennis elbow (the outer tendon is irritated and inflamed) and golf elbow (the inflammation and irritation of the inner tendon). These injuries can be caused by the repetitive swinging motion in golf. To heal these injuries you will need to hang up the clubs for a little while to allow for a quicker recovery. But, by adding kettlebell training to your routine, you will be able to help strengthen and mobilize the shoulders and the thoracic spine to help reduce the risk of this injury.

Why Kettlebell Training?

Kettlebell training has been shown time and time again to be a very effective training modality. A single kettlebell can be used for strength training, mobility training, rehabbing injuries, and conditioning. You can even train with kettlebells at home, and at any time that fits with your schedule.

Kettlebell training for improved performance in golf does not have to be complicated or rigorous. Strength training is best kept simple and effective. At my facility, we train our “7 big rocks”: single leg, squat, hinge, trunk, mobility, upper push, and upper pull. These movement categories cover a full body approach and ensure we cover every plane of motion in our training. Full body training with kettlebells allows you to utilize your time more effectively and basically train anywhere.

Kettlebell Swings for Golf William SturgeonMy Top Five Kettlebell Exercises for Golf:

Swing

The kettlebell swing creates powerful and explosive hips. It has been known to aid in reducing low back pain. The swing strengthens the low back and increases the strength of the glutes–the powerhouse of the hips when applied to your golf swing. Stronger, more explosive hips will aid in a stronger swing with greater distance potential.

Get-Up

The get-up is a powerful exercise that serves many purposes at once. Benefits of practicing the get-up include: scapular stability, trunk stability, cervical and thoracic mobility, upper and lower body strength, and grip strength. The get-up teaches you how to control yourself under the weight of a kettlebell, move through different ranges of motion, and gain greater stability. The get-up is great for strengthening the shoulders and trunk while mobilizing the whole body.

Bottom-Up Press

The bottom-up press is great for repairing and strengthening the shoulders and rotator cuff. When the kettlebell is in the bottom-up position, a majority of the pressure is held within the palm. This takes tension away from the shoulder and places the elbow in a better position. The challenging bottom-up press forces you to have greater core stability throughout the movement. During this press, the scapula moves through its full range of motion while requiring great control throughout the exercise.

Bottom Up Half Kneeling Kettlebell Press

Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is the best way to load the squat if you are a novice lifter. The goblet squat is user-friendly because it doesn’t force the lifter into a fixed position. By comparison, the barbell back squat requires a lot of mobility. The goblet squat strengthens the glutes, and quads along with the core. The goblet squat can benefit the golfer by strengthening the tendons and joints in the lower body which can get irritated or injured in golf.

Farmers Carries

Farmers carries build grip strength, trunk strength, and create better posture. Golf involves a lot of flexion throughout the spine. Farmers carries require extension from the spine and shoulder retraction. With the head in a neutral position, the trunk is engaged, and the kettlebells are carried at the side in neutral position as well. Practicing farmers carries can offset the typical positions required for playing golf.

A Final Word…

If you are an avid golfer who wants to increase your athleticism, begin to learn and use kettlebells in your strength training sessions. Not only will this improve your ability as a golfer, it will allow you to keep playing long term. If you are considering training with kettlebells make sure to find the nearest RKC instructor in your area to show you how to properly and effectively use them.

 

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

Kettlebells for Life

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Lori Crock Kettlebell cossack squat

Every Spring, I enjoy looking back and reflecting on what I am grateful for over the last year. One of those things is the RKC School of Strength and my students who enjoy using kettlebells as much as I do.

As I reflect on seven years of teaching strength and conditioning (and a dozen certifications and workshops later) I can honestly say that what has prepared me best to be a strength coach is the RKC School of Strength.

Here’s why: I don’t have to struggle to plan programming for my students. It’s all here—a way to train students to become stable, mobile, strong and flexible for life. This system is safe, interesting to the mind and body, and accessible to all fitness levels. It’s fun, time-efficient and truly a system of health that promotes longevity.

I’m grateful for my students who keep coming back for more…

At my gym, our programming is 80% kettlebells and 20% bodyweight. It’s based on both the RKC and PCC (Progressive Calisthenics) fitness systems.

Many of the students have been training with me since the beginning of my kettlebell journey more than five years ago. They keep coming back for more because the RKC School of Strength challenges both the brain and the body.

I find that students can continue to train this way for life. We can easily adapt the training to their changing personal health and fitness levels. Wherever my students are in the moment—and this true for D1 athletes, everyday working folks, or retirees—they can train optimally.

Lori Crock assisting at an RKC Workshop

The RKC system is inexhaustible—there’s always more to learn about our bodies, the movements, and kettlebells to make us better for life and sport.

The physical and mental stimulation from our training applies to everything we do: lifting, carrying, reaching, bending, sitting, getting up and down off the floor, standing, walking, running and resting. All aspects of our lives can benefit from what we learn about our bodies using the RKC system.

We do not entertain our students with workouts. The challenge of moving well under load is entertaining in itself.

Our system is a way, not a workout. Those who understand this concept can’t get enough of it! I feel blessed and grateful to retain so many students for years.

I’ll be honest. It can take time to find people who appreciate our somewhat “counter-culture” methods. We don’t promise visible abs in six weeks or make other outlandish marketing claims.

First and foremost, the student has to show up and work under the leadership of an RKC certified coach. Both parties—the coach and the student—must make a commitment to see results.

Students who commit to learning our methods stay and flourish. As a teacher, it’s exciting and incredibly rewarding to build long-term relationships with my students and help them achieve what they never dreamed possible.

Theda and Al Training Mobility

An Example Close to Home:

Before training with me and using the RKC system, my husband Al trained on his own or with his buddies. Three shoulder surgeries later—including two surgeries on one shoulder—I told him he needed to start training with me.

Now, he hasn’t had any more injuries and his shoulders are strong and stable. He consistently trains three days each week, and he improves in some way each session. Believe it or not, the strict press has become his strongest movement!

It isn’t easy to coach your own spouse, but it is a joy to watch him to lift while moving with ease and strength—especially since he’s been pain and injury free for the past five years. We both hope to train with this system for the rest of our lives.

Kettlebell Training for Life

I could share a story about each of my students and how the RKC School of Strength has helped them achieve something in their lives that they never imagined—in and outside the gym. I’m sure you can too, if you use the RKC system.

It’s a privilege to train people with a system I’m confident in—and to use honorable, time-tested methods that make people better and more courageous athletes for life and sport, at every age.

Feel free to share your “kettlebells for life” story in the comments below.

 

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Lori Crock, RKC Team Leader, FMS II and MovNat MCT II. Lori owns MoveStrong Kettlebells in Dublin, Ohio where she teaches small group kettlebell classes to all ages and fitness levels and continues to be amazed, inspired and educated by her students. Her email address is lori@movestrongkbs.com

How to Effectively “Cue” a Client

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Angelo Gala coaching

We all know that communication skills can make or break any relationship. As a coach, you may possess all the knowledge in the world about progressions, regressions, proper loading parameters and rest intervals. But, if the delivery of the material is not understood, your good intentions may fall short. You may even lose an excellent client to a less experienced but more articulate coach. As a coach, learning how to effectively communicate your skillset with your clientele during a training session is paramount.

It’s very easy to get lost in the journey of finding THE magic word that connects with everyone for a particular movement. Let’s first acknowledge that we will never find the perfect way to communicate proper movement mechanics because everyone absorbs new material and ideas differently. A good cue is like a good pass in football. You can throw a “perfect” ball to someone only to watch it bounce right off their finger tips—and you can throw out a prayer that is ripped from the air and ran in for six points. At the end of the day, a good pass is a caught pass. The following are some guidelines that will keep you in the ball park and drive up your success rate.

3 Steps and 3 Articulations of a GREAT Movement “CUE”

If you are teaching a new movement to a single client or to a group (large or small), follow this sequence:

Demonstrate => Teach => Demonstrate

Demonstrate

Your first step is to name the movement or exercise, then immediately demonstrate the proper execution of the movement. Without doing this, you are assuming your clientele already speaks your language.

Teach – It’s as easy as 1,2,3….

Assume nothing, teach everything.

Avoid having your client(s) jump right into the full expression of the movement regardless of their experience levels. Break down the movement into smaller steps (progressions) that will later add up to the movement’s full expression. In the RKC School of Strength, we teach many progressions and regressions for the standard six movements of the Level 1 RKC curriculum.

As a gross generalization, women do a great job communicating what they are FEELING. But, men on the other hand tend to have a more difficulties. Because of this, I always teach coaches to EMBRACE their feminine energy (yes men, we have plenty of it) and to use their words. The more colorfully—but concisely—you can communicate what the client should be FEELING in a given position, the greater chance they have to follow your directions correctly. Imagine you are telling a fitness story. Give them all the gossip and get them excited about what’s about to happen.

Here is how to successfully deliver your material

  1. Tell them and show them where they are going.
  2. Give them clear and concise directions on how to get there.
  3. Let them know how THEY can tell that they have arrived.

Angelo Gala Coaching Cues

My approach to cueing is to deliver the material so the client(s) see it, touch it and feel it. This covers the spectrum of how different people learn. First they visually SEE where I want them to go by demonstrating the skill. We may use tools like PVC pipes, bands or even my hands to TOUCH them, engaging their bodies to find the proper position. Then I ask them to connect to the position by observing or FEELING the internal signs and landmarks of proper alignment.

Demonstrate

Finally, you can pull I all together by demonstrating the proper execution of the movement again. A successful cueing progression through the 3 steps to teaching will often connect some dots previously missed in their first visual interpretation of the movement.

Next time you have the opportunity to teach a new skill or fine tune old skills, give this teaching progression a whirl and notice how the interpretation, execution, and retention of your clients’ skills sky-rocket!

 

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Angelo Gala is a Master RKC, PCC Team Leader and Co-Owner of EDX CrossFit in Lafayette, CO. He has been a fitness professional for over 15 years working day to day with a wide range of clientele. He helps the average “Joe” get fit and out of pain and prepares athletes to qualify and compete at the CrossFit Games. His specialties include improving restricted movement, getting strong(er) and energy system development. Angelo is available for remote coaching and on-site workshops. For scheduling he can be reached at angelo@edxcrossfit.com

The Happy Challenge

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Suzanne Bos-Betlem, RKC

Two things I am very passionate about are music and kettlebells. They both cheer me up incredibly and I cannot imagine my life without them. But, bring these two together… and that’s when the magic happens!

Music can be a great stimulus during a workout. It’s a powerful tool that can take your training to the next level. For quite some time, I’ve been looking for a good song-based kettlebell workout. I specifically looking for a cheerful tune—an upbeat song that could effectively brighten up your day. Even more importantly, I needed a song that would respect the kettlebell principles I strongly believe in. So, there would be no rushing or pushing through with sloppy technique, definitely no reps over form. I was looking for a happy song that would help you rather than hurt you while working with kettlebells. And I found it! The universe gave me…. “HAPPY”, the Pharrell Williams song that was released in 2013 and featured on the soundtrack of Despicable Me 2.

Here’s the workout I designed to go with the song, AKA The Happy Challenge:

Start off with double kettlebells in the rack position. This is your basic position throughout the song.

Each time you hear the word “Happy,” you perform a military press on one side. Alternate sides with each “Happy.”

No need to rush. The “Happy” part (including “clap along…”) allows plenty of time to press your kettlebell up and bring it back down to rack. That’s the beauty of the song!

Between the presses, maintain the basic position (double kettlebells in the rack position) solid and strong. At Trainingscentrum Helena, we also call this double kettlebell rack position the Trojan Pose.

At the song’s bridge, Pharrell sings “Bring me down”. When you hear this part, perform a double kettlebell front squat. This will come to eight squats in the first bridge and four more during the second.

At the end of the song (in just under four minutes) you will have done 24 military presses (12 on each side), 12 squats and a lot of static rack holds. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Give it go and let me know what you think in the comments below!

P.S. In my classes, I give my clients the option to switch to push-presses if they lose form on their military presses. If they fail a press entirely during the workout, I’ll tell them to put the kettlebells down and continue with “imaginary” heavy kettlebells.

 

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Suzanne Bos-Betlem is a PCC, RKC and Trojan Workout certified trainer in Haarlem, The Netherlands. In addition to bodyweight and kettlebell training, she is an enthusiastic Krav Maga practitioner and yoga-lover.

Is a “Fun Workout” an Oxymoron?

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Mike Davidov and Dan John

Is there actually such a thing as a “fun workout”? This might be one of the fitness industry’s most perpetuated myths. What’s behind the sales pitch? The two terms—fun and workout—are individually open to interpretation. When combined, it’s almost impossible to argue against someone convinced that their exercise is as fun as watching their team win the season.

Could the promise of a fun workout mislead a vulnerable newbie into thinking they can take the work out of their training?

To me, the word “fun” describes things like eating ice cream or seeing my favorite band play live. Working out is, well, work. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been putting in the work. I’ve worked out for five years straight and before that, sporadically since I was a teenager. I have definitely enjoyed a great deal of the process. In fact, I think getting strong is the coolest thing you can do—and virtually everyone has the power to do it.

But, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t days I had to begrudgingly drag myself to my living room to do a brutal kettlebell or barbell workout. I’m only human—and that means at least subconsciously trying to expend as little energy as possible while consuming everything in sight. Any other behavior is unnatural, and this is what we’re up against!

Of course, some workouts are fun. When I look through the glass wall into Studio A at my local gym, I see a ton of smiling faces. They’re having a blast in there. But are they working out …or dancing? Is there a difference? Let’s leave that question alone for now, but they are definitely in the class for the purpose of fitness—burning calories, getting in steps, working to stay head in the uphill battle to feel good. Everyone has their own reasons—fitting into smaller size clothes, keeping up with the kids, or feeling strong and mobile.

In Max Shank’s book Ultimate Athleticism, he lists three categories of fitness goals: aesthetics, performance, and health. He argues that if you focus on health, the other two usually follow—to a point. I tend agree. Healthy is attractive, capable, and powerful. I believe that if you want to truly call yourself physically healthy, you must strive to strike a balance between endurance, muscular endurance, and strength.

Mike Davidov, RKC-II

I didn’t always love to lift. But once I learned the skills and set solid goals with a structured plan to achieve them, I was hooked. For me, that’s fun, it’s also work, but it’s fun work. If I want to optimize my health, I need to address my glaring weaknesses in endurance activities, and I swear, I’ll start tomorrow…

The group class in Studio A is crushing it with endurance, but are almost completely neglecting strength training. They were promised a fun workout. Lifting heavy weights is hard, has a steep learning curve, can be monotonous, and the strength payoff can take months. Try selling that to someone who just signed up to have a little fun while they take a bit off the waistline! Most will go for the path of least resistance. And at no fault of their own, there’s very little chance that they will make the leap to the other side of the gym.

So, while I could really use some of the class (or time on the track) it would just be work to me—even though I would be improving my health. Similarly, those in the cardio and met con class can benefit from learning some of the skills of strength. I would encourage them to hire a trusted coach and take a page from Dan John’s playbook: pick one move for each fundamental human movement—a push, pull, squat, hinge, and a carry. Then, just stick to those five movements for a few months.

Cardio and metcon workouts can be a delightful surprise each and every time, but strength is different. Strength takes time to develop, and the discipline to keep the workouts simple. If you try and go too heavy too soon, the risk of injury can be high. Start slow, learn the moves and keep the effort at a safe and comfortable threshold. Add just one or two reps or a few pounds to the lifts each week. You’ll know when you’re ready to push it. While you might not sweat as much, embrace the fact that getting strong is a fantastic way to get lean.

If we’re lucky, most of us are fond of at least one pillar of fitness, and can enjoy the path. But to be well rounded, and truly fit, we’ll need to do some work—but it will be worth it. We can also be grateful that at least some of our workouts will be “fun”.

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Mike Davidov, RKC-II is also a NESTA certified personal trainer, and host of the Strong Arguments Podcast.

Shoulder “Packing”—The Right Way

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Matt Beecroft Shoulder Coaching

The kettlebell community has taught the concept of shoulder packing to stabilize the shoulder for a very long time. I have seen it cued, taught, and discussed for about 14 years! As a Master RKC, I see this concept taught worldwide. But for a long time I’ve wondered if everyone really understands the cues.

The premise of “shoulder packing” is to prevent the shoulders from rising towards the ear at the beginning and end of the press—and to keep the shoulder from excessive elevation during the lock out and overhead lifts. The use of the cue “pack the shoulder” or “engage the lats as you initiate the press” is a simplification for the average client. It cues them to avoid excessively using the upper traps and levators to initiate the press. Instead, they should keep the shoulder stable by engaging all four shoulder rotators, the lower traps, and the subclavius (which helps to seat the clavicle in the sternoclavicular joint).

Most clients are desk athletes that come into our gyms with protracted shoulders and a forward head position. Many of them are also upper trap dominant and have poor T-spine mobility. The easiest cue to help someone keep their shoulders from rising to their ears, and thereby risking shoulder impingement and injury has often been: “pack your shoulders by engaging your lats”. But, a better cue might be to engage your entire mid-back along with the shoulder muscles. And it’s also important to remember that over cueing or using unnecessary cues can lead to other shoulder movement problems and issues.

Let’s explore how the lat attaches to the body from a textbook anatomy perspective. Then from a functional anatomy perspective, we can see what it actually does.

Attachment: Function: Requirements for a great press:
Thoracolumbar fascia: 4-8 vertebrae or illium Humeral extension /adduction Humerus flexion/abduction
Ribs Internal rotation Ext rotation for healthy position
Scapula (40% of population ) Weak horizontal abduction Upward rotation and slight posterior tilt of scapula
Intertubercular groove of humerus Lumber extension Stable core
(can differ for people) Lateral flexion Rib cage in neutral alignment
Involved in core, neck and respiration

 

In the last column above, I’ve described what happens when we press overhead or hold a weight overhead. Activating the lat strongly does the exact opposite of what we want to do when we press or go overhead. When we use the cue “pack the shoulders with the lat”, we can cause scapula depression because of all of its attachment points—which will force the downward rotation of the scapula. This is in direct opposition to the upward rotation of scapula required in an overhead lift. If we “pack the shoulder with the lat” we close the space in the AC joint, and since the lat is also responsible for internal rotation, we are more likely to get some cuff impingement.

Upward rotation of the scapula is perfectly normal and healthy as long as the person has good T-spine mobility and sufficient external rotation of the humerus. In fact, many people need to focus on external rotation when pressing overhead so that they naturally and unconsciously fire the lats, rotator cuff, rhomboids and lower and middle traps in a perfectly synchronized and sequenced way.

Remember, head forward position, poor motor control with the external rotators, and poor T-spine mobility are often the causes of shoulder impingement. When someone performs a good overhead press, they should also have a stable core and neutral rib cage, with no rib flare.

An important component of healthy overhead lifting is unconsciously activating the pesky lower traps in your mid back. While they have no direct control of the humerus, they are an integral part of upward scapular rotation. They are also responsible for some posterior tilt and retraction of the scapula required for correct overhead mechanics.

The activation of the lower trap along with the muscles of the rotator cuff, serratus anterior, rhomboids and lats in the correct sequencing actually helps clear the space in the shoulder for the humerus to move. When we see someone’s shoulder come back to its optimal position, we usually see the upper back contract very subtly. Perhaps the correct strategy for optimal shoulder position is firing the lower traps-not the lats.

The shoulder “packing” cue needs to be used very carefully—much like the cues “pull the belly button in” for core activation (when the core unconsciously fires in a perfectly healthy person), pushing the knees out for correct knee and toe alignment (even when alignment is fine, hence sending someone into varus—the opposite of “valgus” collapse) or the “big chest” cue that can cause undesirable rib flare in some lifts. Trainers should not cue clients on autopilot without observing the actual situation.

Matt Beecroft Shoulder Coaching

Trainers using cues unnecessarily, misunderstanding the nuance and subtleties of the cues, or not understanding the logic behind cues can cause real problems. Better education and understanding of why specific cues are given needs to happen so we can all abide by the first rule of training others: do no harm. Perhaps the cue should be to “activate” the upper back to keep the shoulder in a natural position without overly sucking it down or packing it down. Or maybe some clients would better respond to the cue: “relax the shoulder away from the ear”. Regardless the words chosen, we should only use cues when necessary, not all the time.

Many haphazardly overused cues in the fitness industry also expose a poor understanding of functional anatomy and nuance. Without that understanding, we could be creating some long term negative effects with incorrect cuing. When the shoulder “packs” naturally, it’s a very subtle movement. The human body is amazing, and sometimes trying to outsmart it to make it better can have the opposite result.

 

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Matt Beecroft is a Master RKC, PCC Team Leader and CK-FMS instructor with over 17 years as a personal trainer. He is a national fitness presenter with Thump Boxing, an Expert Level 2 Krav Maga instructor with KMG, Muay Thai coach and movement specialist in systems such as CST, Ground Force Method and Animal Flow. He writes for various publications including Breaking Muscle and Blitz Magazine and can be contacted by his Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MeetLifeHeadOn/ or his website https://www.realitysdc.com.au/

Breathing, Backswings and Ballistics

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Happy New Year 2018

I really love teaching others how to train with kettlebells; it’s what I’ve become most passionate about as a fitness professional. Whether online or in-person, I get a deep sense of satisfaction when a client learns a new movement or refines their technique.

Ryan Jankowitz 1-Arm SwingWhile it can be exhilarating to learn new kettlebell drills or refine your technique, retaining so much new information—and then applying it to your training can be daunting!

My goal with this post is to create a simple connection between all of the RKC ballistic exercises (swings, cleans, snatches) so that you can easily apply the same knowledge and techniques to all of the movements.

First, let’s start with the timing of the breath. Breathing is one of the most important functions of training and life. At the top of the swing, when the glutes and quads contract, a sharp exhalation is performed. This sharp exhalation helps to compress the midsection and direct more power into the kettlebell. Again, it is coordinated with the glutes and quads forcefully contracting.

The timing of the exhalation remains the same when performing a clean and a snatch. Although the kettlebell will still be traveling after the exhalation has occurred in both the clean and snatch, it still happens when the glutes and quads contract. The exhale acts almost like a rocket booster, propelling the kettlebell into the rack or overhead position with relative ease. If your exhalation occurs when the clean or snatch is in the finished position, then you’ve lost the benefit of the “rocket booster”.

The backswing is another important part of all ballistic movements—and it should be exactly the same from technique to technique. You should be able to smoothly transition from one movement to another without changing your backswing.

Ryan Jankowitz Kettlebell Backswing

Focus on these backswing concepts/tips for one-arm swings, cleans and snatches:

  • The handle of the kettlebell passes above your knees
  • Your forearm connects high up on your inner thigh
  • Your upper arm connects to your ribcage
  • Your hips flex to a greater degree than your knees
  • There is a slight internal rotation of the thumb
  • This is where you inhale
  • Spine is neutral

Ryan Jankowitz kettlebell clean

I hope these tips have given you some good “food for thought” for your training. If you experience an “aha” moment or were able to improve a technique, then drop me a line and let me know what you experienced.

Stay Strong,
Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II

 

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Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Instructor, CK-FMS, is a life-long athlete who can’t imagine sitting behind a desk. He enjoys sharing his passion for fitness and spreading the RKC knowledge. Ryan provides online personal training for busy people who want to improve their health and kettlebell training for fitness professionals who want to refine their technique and/or train for a certification. He is available for private kettlebell workshops as well. You can reach him at ryan@rjkettlebell.com or through his website rjkettlebell.com. He also works with clients and teaches kettlebell classes at Fitness on the Run in Alexandria, Virginia. If you’re in the area, visit fitnessontherun.net and come swing some bells with Ryan.

How to Replace Expensive Equipment With Kettlebells Part 2

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In How to Replace Expensive Equipment With Kettlebells Part 1, I showed you how to make your own sleds with just a tow strap, belt and kettlebells. I also included a bunch of different exercises and workouts you can do on your own or with your clients.

I am always looking to add new tools to my boot camp and kettlebell classes, without spending a fortune.

I love coming up with creative ways to make my own equipment. If you want to add some new tools to your workouts or your gym but are on a budget, then this blog is for you.

Last year I purchased an Earthquake bar for my other gym, The Tallahassee Strength Club. It was expensive but I knew my members would love it. I spent well over $200. Online you will find prices from $269 up to over $300.

On one of my visits with my physical therapist, he showed me how he uses the bar to rehab his client’s shoulder injuries. The instability of the bar (while doing simple bench presses and shoulder presses) works and strengthens all of the stabilizer muscles in the shoulder. I couldn’t believe how challenging this was–and I was using very light weights.

After I balked at the price, he showed me a rod he got at Lowes. I can’t remember exactly what it was but either a steel fence post or a strong metal closet rod. I did the same exercises with the rod and didn’t notice much of a difference between it and the expensive Earthquake bar. He gave me the fence post to use at my gym.

My trainers and I played around with the bar using kettlebells attached to the ends with small jump stretch bands

We started with simple overhead holds. It was unbelievably challenging. Every muscle in my body had to work to keep the bar stable. We got a little more daring, which is common when we get together. We did overhead squats, deadlifts, single leg deadlifts, overhead walking, bench press and of course, I had to try a get-up.

You can modify the exercises with the placement of the kettlebells and the length of the band. The closer the weight is to the center of the bar, the more stable it will be. The band length can be shortened to make it easier or long, to make it much more challenging.

It’s an amazing, challenging tool and super simple to set up. You’ll need a fence post top. For a more challenging workout, get a pvc pipe.

You can get a fence post top at Lowes for less than $12
A piece of PVC pipe is even cheaper for around $10.00
Jump Stretch mini bands on Amazon start at $7.95

You can also use rope or chain to hook your kettlebells to the bar. Go way lighter than you think you would because these are no joke.

Give these a try and let me know what you think in the comments below.

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

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

How To Avoid Back Pain From Kettlebell Swings

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Wayne Pallas HKC, Swinging A Kettlebell

I earned my HKC in April of 2016, and began working with clients shortly afterward. The most common complaint I have heard has been lower back pain after swinging. Since I have always been careful to teach proper technique (e.g. packed shoulder blades, loading the glutes, keeping the head up, etc.), I was puzzled and decided to figure out what was causing this problem.

One possible cause is over-lordosis, arching the back at the top of the swing. I think the best remedy is to teach and practice a vertical plank. Full body tension, especially in the core, helps keep the back properly aligned.

I also noticed is that swinging with a kettlebell is different than practicing the hip hinge without weight. Weight changes the way the upper body moves during the hip hinge. The heavier the weight, the greater the risk that it will alter a proper hip hinge, putting more stress on the lower back (see photo below), especially if you keep your arms perpendicular to your torso on the way down.

Lower Back Stress From Incorrect Swing
The heavier the weight, the greater the risk that it will alter a proper hip hinge, putting more stress on the lower back, especially if you keep your arms perpendicular to your torso on the way down.

If you think of the upper body as a lever, with the navel area as the fulcrum, the weight of a kettlebell during a swing or snatch will tend to pull the shoulders down and in turn, move the hips up, which engages the lower back (see photo below). The solution I came up with is to “sit” into the hinge more, which feels like you are moving closer to a squat than a hinge, but relieves lower back stress.

Upper Body As A Lever
If you think of the upper body as a lever, with the navel area as the fulcrum, the weight of a kettlebell during a swing or snatch will tend to pull the shoulders down and in turn, move the hips up, which engages the lower back.

You can experiment with adjusting your hip hinge while moving or you can adjust your technique statically. Hold a fairly heavy kettlebell as you would for a squat and assume a hip hinge stance. Bend forward slightly visualizing your immobile upper body moving around a fulcrum (the red dot in the photos above). You should be able to feel your lower back reacting to the weight. From there, rotate your shoulders up (and hips down) until the back stress disappears (see example below). This approximates the proper stance while swinging with weight.

Lower Back Swing Experiment
Rotate your shoulders up (and hips down) until the back stress disappears.

After adjusting the hip hinge using weight, my clients and I have become more aware of our posture, and have been able to adjust it even while swinging, avoiding back pain.

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Wayne Pallas, HKC is a retired Colorado teacher (40 years, math/music), avid runner, personal trainer, and former martial artist. Over the past five years, he has sent out a monthly general fitness newsletter, Wayne’s Fitness Tips & Tricks, to several hundred readers. He is currently training for the Denver RKC in September.

Is Certification Worth It?

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Master RKC Michael Krivka Kettlebell Swing

Education, training, and certification are expensive propositions. Training certifications can last several days and cost well into thousands of dollars—even before adding in the cost of time away from your business and family, transportation to and from the certification, hotels and other extraneous expenses. So, if you are going to invest your hard earned cash in a certification, it sure as heck needs to be worth it and then some! I’m not talking about making back your initial investment, but making back the costs several times over. With those parameters in mind, it makes sense to think twice about seeking additional certifications.

Which Certification Should I Attend?

How do you sift through all of the certifications out there to find ones that you can: a) afford to attend, b) allow you to make back your initial investment several times over, and c) provide you with information that will benefit your athletes today and tomorrow?

Consider these items before attending:

  • Location
  • Instructor
  • Certifying organization
  • Credential status
  • Content
  • Can you use the techniques, tips, correctives, regressions and progressions?
  • Does the certification fit the abilities and goals of your client demographic?
  • Can you immediately apply what you’ve learned at the certification to your current clients?
  • Does the certification provide actionable content or is it too specialized, obscure or advanced for your current (or projected) clients?

While all of these criteria are important to consider—and should play a role in the decision making process—what is the most important thing to consider? Far and above all of these considerations should be the contents of the course and how it applies to your clients.

A good certification will provide you with eighty to one hundred percent actionable material. That’s a pretty high percentage, but it also shows that the certification is dialed in and not just hours of “fluff” or useless content. It also shows the maturity of the content, the instructor and the organization behind it. An ideal certification workshop will have little or no wasted time, and the majority of the time will be spent on training and hands-on work to reinforce the principles and techniques taught.

A poor certification will provide you with very little actionable material; less than fifty percent actionable and a high percentage of theory, conjecture and anecdotes. These certifications are “personality-driven” and are usually nothing more than a handful of tips. The remaining time is often spent listening to stories and fluff to fill in the time.

Along with the RKC and PCC, two examples of excellent one-day certifications which provide near one hundred percent actionable material are the HKC (Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification) and the SCC (Strength Calisthenics Certification). Both of these certifications are tremendously powerful and provide attendees with a high percentage of actionable material that they can immediately apply to their current (and future) clients.

Focus on the HKC

The HKC focuses on a very precise number of core techniques; the kettlebell swing, the kettlebell goblet squat and the get-up. These three techniques are individually very powerful, but together are game-changers for athletes of all levels and clients of any caliber.

The kettlebell swing is the foundational ballistic of Hardstyle kettlebell training. It is the base that all ballistic techniques are built upon. Errors and bad habits with the swing will be transferred to all of the other ballistics, so it is imperative that the swing is base lined and solid. The swing has tremendous carryover to athletics and is an amazing conditioning tool. The swing trains and teaches the athlete how to add explosiveness to movement. It “fills in the blanks” of any client’s strength and conditioning program.

Michael Krivka goblet squatThe goblet squat is the foundational grind in Hardstyle kettlebell training. Squatting, while a basic human movement pattern, has become a difficult competency for most people of ANY age. Training with weight machines and avoiding the movement altogether has only exasperated the problem. The goblet squat will help restore lost functionality in those who currently don’t squat and will create a new baseline for those who are currently training with squats.

The get-up is neither a ballistic nor a grind, but rests solidly in the realm of functional movement patterns that set the foundation for excellent movement and mobility. The get-up is unique in that it establishes linkages across the entire body. It trains the athlete to establish positional and transitional strength from the ground to standing, and develops exceptional mobility and range of motion in the hips and shoulders.

In addition to the swing, goblet squat and get-up there are several other techniques that are introduced at the HKC. These techniques reinforce loading and unloading principles, mobility issues, and bracing. In particular, the deadlift, the RKC plank and the “naked” get-up are taught and examined so that the trainer has an even greater understanding of the three primary kettlebell techniques.

Focus on the SCC

Like the HKC, the SCC focuses on a very specific group of techniques: push-ups, pull-ups, squats, inversions, leg raises and bridges. Even though these techniques are well known—at least superficially—they are infrequently fully explored or understood. At the SCC, these seemingly simple techniques are taught, examined and developed in such a way that a trainer can apply them to any training situation with any client. Key elements of the SCC provide trainers and instructors with the knowledge, tools, and cues to help even the most de-conditioned clients begin their calisthenics journey. Likewise these same elements can be used to continually progress the same basic exercises to elite levels. Body awareness, muscular tension, and coordination are common threads throughout all the drills taught and coached at the SCC.

SCC Austin Group Photo 2017

Push-ups: While nearly everyone has performed a movement called or presented as a push-up, few have really been taught how to do the push-up in a way that will safely and effectively build usable strength. The SCC teaches participants how to coach this powerhouse movement from the ground up. Far from just being an “upper body” exercise, participants are shown how a properly performed push-up engages the whole body.

Pull-ups: The SCC brings this challenging-to-general-populations exercise down to earth. Get your clients of any level started towards this empowering strength and confidence-builder. Even if a client is very de-conditioned, they can still get on the pull-up bar to begin the powerful lead-up drills taught at the SCC.

Squats: As in the HKC, the essential human movement–the squat–is taught in great detail and is regressed and progressed for nearly anyone who walks through the door to train with you. Desk jobs and sedentary lifestyles have robbed many people of their human birthright to squat. The SCC can teach a trainer how to get their clients past bad habits and movement difficulties over time. Basic bodyweight squats have the potential to improve your clients’ quality of life, strength, and injury resistance.

Inversions: Let’s face it, many of our clients will be very uncomfortable getting “upside down”. The SCC teaches several important steps to ease our clients into these healthy, fun, and empowering positions. Crucial cues even experienced trainers may not know will be introduced for headstands and handstands along with gentle alternatives for clients who may not yet be ready.

Leg raises: the leg raise family both on the ground and from the bar are taught at the SCC in great detail. While all the movements taught at the SCC engage the midsection (aka the core or the abs), the leg raises really focus on the area. Desk-bound and sedentary clients often find great relief after conquering the first few steps of the leg raise series. Building a strong midsection—and giving your client the “ab focus” they want (which helps keep them coming back) has so much more benefits beyond an aesthetically pleasing six-pack.

Bridges: While the full bridge is taught, the real gold with the bridge series lies in the earlier steps. Instead of breezing past these powerful mobility and strength enhancers, the SCC teaches the details of these steps. How many of your clients have tight hip flexors and forgotten glutes? The bridge series can be a surprising secret weapon. The very first step is a game changer!

Programming principles and creative modifications are taught for all of the movements in the SCC. Likewise the manual includes sample workouts which will no doubt give you many ideas for creating group and individual programs. When you go back to the gym on Monday to lead your clients or groups, you can bring a new plan of attack.

Adrienne Harvey Senior PCC, RKC-II Push-Up

Summary

At the beginning of this post it was stated that you should be evaluating a certification by looking for one that provides a high percentage of the material being actionable and applicable to your clients. If you look carefully at the content of the HKC and SCC you will see that fully one hundred percent of the material will benefit your clients. This includes clients who previously have experience training with weights or were competitive athletes in the past. It also includes clients who have never had any training, or enough time has passed, that the training is in the distant past and all the skills need to be dusted off and reintroduced. All of techniques can be scaled or modified to meet the needs of your clients, by either making them easier or more difficult, and all contribute to their overall athleticism, mobility and movement. In addition, most of the techniques can be modified or scaled to help work around common injuries/complaints i.e., back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, etc.

Before you decide to spend your time and money on any certification be sure to take some time to evaluate what actionable and applicable skills you are walking away with. Are you going to get skills and understanding that you can use daily with your clients? Bottom line: look for certifications that will allow you to help all of your clients (in a number of areas) as well as give you skills that will help enhance your reputation and increase your income.

Join Master RKC Michael Krivka and Senior PCC, RKC-II Adrienne Harvey at the upcoming SCC/HKC workshop in Gaithersburg, MD February 2018, or look for an SCC/HKC combination workshop weekend in your area.

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

Adrienne Harvey, Senior PCC Instructor, RKC-II, CK-FMS, has been RKC Certified since 2010, and RKC Level 2 certified since 2011. Kettlebell and bodyweight training have been crucial in Adrienne’s personal quest for fitness.  A core member of the PCC team, Adrienne loves sharing her knowledge with small groups and individuals. She also loves to develop recipes and workout programs to further support performance, body composition, and of course—FUN. Go to http://www.giryagirl.com for more information about Adrienne.