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RKC School of Strength

Official blog of the RKC

Beast Tamer

The Road to the Iron Maiden Challenge

January 18, 2017 By Katie Petersen 5 Comments

Katie Petersen Iron Maiden Challenge Kettlebell Press

I did it! I finally did it! This was all I could think for at least a month after completing the Iron Maiden Challenge. For anyone unfamiliar with this challenge, an Iron Maiden must complete a pistol, pull up, and strict press with the 24kg kettlebell (Beast Tamer: 48kg). I struggled with each of the lifts in different ways over the years; but did not understand my greatest obstacle until the day of reckoning, when I missed my first pull up. When all the training was done, I had one more beast to defeat and it was not in the shape of a kettlebell. It was the voice inside my head…the mean one…the one that self-sabotages, doubts, and makes me feel small. As defeat loomed, I had to find a way to cross over the dark swamp of uncertainty holding me back from everything I had worked toward. I had to rewrite my belief system; to accept my own moment of greatness; to open my heart to myself and let it shine brightly in the world. Here is my story.

In April 2013, I was doing a kettlebell workout with Rob Miller in a Chicago park. I performed a 24kg get-up for the second time ever, precariously balanced on uneven terrain as the sun’s blinding rays sealed my eyes shut. Ecstatic, I expected to revel in my unprecedented success and call it a day. Instead, Rob says “nice” and “you will have to do the Iron Maiden in October.” Excuse me? A pull up, one-arm press and pistol with a 24kg? I barely got a get-up with the 24kg, which took every ounce of effort I could muster. Was he serious? My final figure competition season had just closed and left me extremely depleted. I was not at all confident that I would regain the strength I’d lost, let alone surpass it. To give you an idea of where I started, I had just worked back up to 5 bodyweight pull ups; was very new to the pistol; had I not pressed anything heavier than the 16kg kettlebell.

My Iron Maiden trajectory began on a slippery slope of disbelief, intrigue, and dare I say, annoyance. Yep, annoyance was probably the biggest driver: annoyance that Rob thought it could be so easy for me;  annoyance that there were 4 or 5 women out there who had done it and here I was doubting myself; annoyance at how incredibly far-off this goal felt. And Rob just decided I would do it at an RKC Workshop in the next 6 months. Most of all though, I felt annoyance at my annoyance…who was I if I wasn’t willing to become greater than this moment? Those questions spun me down a path I did not expect. And so the journey began.

October 2013 simply was not a realistic goal date. But I did step forward with a new sense of discipline. That Summer/Fall I followed a Triphasic program focused around barbell squats and deadlifts to rebuild my strength base. About 4x/week, I worked on my kettlebell technique to prepare for the RKC.

By October, 2013  I attained the following:

  • Pull up: 12kg (26lb)
  • 1RM Pistol: 18kg (40lb)
  • 1RM Press: 18kg (40lb)

Although my baseline was a far cry from a 24kg, it was progress. It didn’t matter how long it would take. After five years of grueling off-season training, an unapologetic in-season diet, endless travel to national stages only to come within two places of professional IFBB status, I desperately needed a goal to fill! I had just gone fifteen months without entering so much as a 5k and had all of this pent up competitive-energy stirring. I was not going to quit until it was done.

I began learning from every blog post I could find about achieving the Iron Maiden or Beast Tamer and/or improving 1RM’s in these movements. Unsure of my next steps, I read Andrew Read’s Beast Tamer, which offered an excellent jumping off point with tips and routines. I discovered much of the material in the book roots from the RKC Level II curriculum. As intelligent and well-written as the book is, mastery of these movements meant experiencing the education for myself. My next move was crystal clear. I signed up for the RKC II in April 2014.   After going through the certification, my body awareness and neuromuscular connection around the pistol, press, and strict pull up grew exponentially. If you have any desire to be stronger these movements (especially if you want to be an Iron Maiden/Beast Tamer), learn from the countless months I spun my wheels with far less progress than I was capable of achieving.

From the beginning, the pull up was my toughest lift. Every week was jam-packed with heavy lifting and a consistent yoga practice—yet, I still managed to avoid my weakest link and didn’t even know it. Sounds naïve, I know, but I was doing them every week with negligible progress. As I look back, though, I can see how they were grossly deprioritized.

I overvalued how much deadlifts and ancillary back exercises would contribute to my pull up game. They inarguably help with strength; but the truth about getting better at pull ups is that you have to do more pull ups. After 8 months, doing low volume/heavy weight (2x/week) increased my 1RM to a 16kg; but I hadn’t added a single measly rep to my bodyweight max. My nervous system was missing literally hundreds of reps needed to genuinely fortify enough pull up strength for a 24kg.

I dug through the Dragon Door forum and found a plan that looked incredibly smart. I later found out, this program is actually in the RKC II manual!   It was time to ramp up the volume and get my baseline strength in order. This plan promised to bring a 5RM (bodyweight) to a 10RM in 1 month…sold! As you can see in the Pull-up Program below, you are supposed to attain a new max rep set every 6 days. It seems like such a tall order that I was shocked and impressed by how well the plan worked. About half-way through, a wrist injury sent me on a 2 week hiatus and I feared major regression.   Not a single rep was lost. I saw clear evidence on how much better a 10-15 min daily practice could preserve my strength than hitting it once or twice a week.

5 RM Pull-Up Program Chart
If needed, add 1 rest day/week. It will take 5 weeks to complete. For results, prioritize the pull up program. If you are not recovering well enough, scale back other training before increasing rest days. (Note: if you have a 9RM, begin there, i.e. Day 1: 9,10,11,12,13 and adjust accordingly).

Over a 6 week period, I glided from a 6RM to an 11RM. After a small recovery period, I attempted my first weighted pull up in 2 months. The 16kg max moved up to an easy 3 reps, as well as earning a new 1RM with the 20kg. Huge progress! I began reintroducing weighted pull-ups in a variety of routines; but gravitated most toward a 5-3-1 model. After years of dreading the pull up, I flipped the script on my “weakest lift” and it has remained one of my most proficient movements.

Katie Petersen Iron Maiden Pull Up

One of the greatest lessons I learned was to not get bullied by my own limiting beliefs. I didn’t feel strong doing the pull up so I unconsciously avoided them. I had become fixated on feeling strong in every workout. That sticking point with my ego had me devoting more time, attention, and planning toward the movements eliciting more progress. Physical weakness is just like any shadow inside–we might ignore it, justify it, or worse yet, accept it–but it will relentlessly beg for awareness in one way or another. Those weaknesses are here to teach us something, not to break us down. Ignoring the hard stuff just equates to a more strenuous lesson down the road, in far more areas than just training. Some of my best advice roots from this realization.

As it applies to training, if you are preparing for the Iron Maiden or any goal, pick your worst/least favorite movement and begin there. Do it every day. Nurture the movement. I no longer viewed the pull-up as part of my workout, the meat of my workout, or as a workout at all. For a measured amount of time, they became a daily practice that needed to feel as routine in my awareness as brushing my teeth. My body began to feel “off”, like I was missing something, on the days I rested. This created a higher degree of “habit” that was needed to groove the movement pattern deeply into the brain synapses, let alone muscle fibers.

Practicing everyday does not mean over-training, however; it also does not need to be a progressive-overload like this pull-up program. It does mean organizing and prioritizing around the goal. For example, if I was struggling with the pistol, I might follow something like this:

Training chart for pistols

In order to follow the pull up program, I had to face down another ego-check. I was accustomed to using weight in every pull-up session and didn’t want to be seen doing only bodyweight reps. That little brush of arrogance zapped pretty quickly as the daily work began. I couldn’t have managed weighted reps with the volume each week required. The beauty of de-loading is an allowance to drastically intensify volume and frequency without getting injured. Every rep is done to perfection or not counted. I can’t emphasize enough how beneficial it was to revisit the proverbial baseline, a.k.a. bodyweight reps vs. weighted reps. If you are stuck on a 1RM, re-programming in a similar system may just blow you away. Take yourself back to the oh-so-humbling 60% max and practice with it. Train with it regularly throughout the week rather than max out every set or every workout. Do something to improve the movement daily, including mobility drills and rest.

I practiced mobility not only on “off” days but also between every pull-up set (scapular pulls, wheel pose, foam rolling, crow pose, wall glides, pec stretches, etc.). In this way, everything I did spoke to my goal. Boldly set your intention: write it down, live it, know the outcome is already happening, and don’t let anything get in its way.

Now let’s talk about the other two lifts. Presses probably got the most attention in my Iron Maiden training. The press wasn’t as defeating as the pull up but it was a greater challenge than the pistol; so it made for the most fun in “seeing progress”.

I approached the press with a three part awareness of the movement:

  • The body has to sense the pattern of movement with total automation
  • The body has to sense the intensity of the goal load to lockout overhead (2nd half of press)
  • The body has to sense the intensity of the goal load to initiate out of rack (1st half of press)

Here’s how these three parts translated unto my training:

A. Patterning/Volume for Automation

Similar to my advice with the pull up, automation requires the pattern of movement to be a deeply rooted habit. With a max rep, not a nanosecond can be wasted for the body to “think” about what’s next. It just fires.   Ladders are a perfect way to pick up volume in a short period of time and jump start strength gains. Below is an example ladder. I followed something similar to this pressing routine 1x/week up until about 6 months out.

Patterning Volume For Automation
1:1 work to rest ratio (You go-I go, if you have a partner). If body is recovering well, add a few single rep sets after the indicated ladders.

B. Desensitizing Goal Load+ at Lockout

Drilling familiarity, stability, and strength with a 24kg+ in the overhead lockout. Below are some ways to make it fun. Adjust the weight according to your current state and goals. As a reference point for the tables listed, goal: 24kg, current max: 20-22kg, snatch test kettlebell: 14kg.

Getting up the Ladder

Each time I did the set of presses, it felt much lighter than expected after holding the heavier load for the duration of a get-up. You can skip rungs on the ladder if you are not making this the core of your workout.

Press Ladder Chart

Each time I did the set of presses, it felt much lighter than expected after holding the heavier load for the duration of a TGU. You can skip rungs on the ladder if you are not making this the core of your workout.

Overhead Walks Chart
Whenever possible, slow the negative/lowering of bell to rack at the finish of the OHW.

Dropset Chart

C1. Desensitizing Goal Load+ into RACK

This speaks to improving the proficiency and load with the clean. The clean bottles all the potential energy necessary to explode into a press. When I am maxing out, there is not a moment’s pause transitioning from clean to press. They blend into one fluid movement. Under this technique, if the clean is sloppy at a max load, the press isn’t going to happen. The practice is to clean heavier than necessary to convince the body of competence at the goal load.

Heavy Cleans Chart

Heavy push presses helps link the transition from rack to press, even with the use of momentum. I would often pair both the heavy cleans and heavy push presses into the same workout.

Push Press Chart

C2. Enhance firing out of RACK

Continuing the current from the clean into a press relies on whole body linkage. Squeeze your quads tighter then tight and push the floor away with your feet immediately upon pressing the bell. Do not let go of the legs. On a 1RM, my quads fatigue, not my shoulder. Below are two ways to practice speed out of the rack position, as well as leg/hip power production:

  • Hold kettlebell or barbell in the rack for 5 counts, then explosively press, singles @ 80%
  • Speed presses with 2 count pause in rack AMRAP @ 60%

I find an explosive clean and press technique can leave the bottom range of the press remarkably weak if slowed down. This is not to be overlooked and can be acknowledged by “revisiting baseline” and grabbing those lighter weights. Here are a few creative ways to pick up strength awareness through that first half of the press:

  • Bottoms up clean and press
  • 1 ½ reps: press halfway up, pause 2 counts, lower to rack; then press all the way up and lower to rack—this is one rep. Move SLOWLY through all portions of the rep.

I incorporate barbell presses to assist with A-C. While it is not an exact match to kettlebell pressing, the pattern is similar. In this way, you can train your body’s leg power, press initiation and lockout under a much heavier load than possible with double bells.

The final piece of the puzzle for both presses and pulls, is to consistently work on shoulder stability and mobility. This includes all the same stretches from the pull up section and adds the following:

  • Bottoms up cleans, racked carry, overhead walk, press, squat, pistol (single and double kettlebells)
  • Arm bar
  • Broken arm bar
  • Get-ups + shoulder circles
  • Windmill
  • Farmer’s walks
  • Racked carry

Once again, so many of the mobility drills, desensitizing techniques, and understanding of body linkage are attributed to the wisdom shared in an RKC-II Workshop.

The final lift, the pistol, was not as difficult to attain but absolutely needed work. I mostly needed to increase strength in the bottom range, as this is where I teetered most. The Beast Tamer book offered useful guidance in this area, too. A few of my favorite tricks:

  • Descend into pistol, hold for 10 seconds; replace the other foot to ground and stand from a close stance squat. Advance to stand up from 1 leg after the 10 sec hold.
  • 1 ½ reps: lower to bottom of pistol, rise halfway, lower back down, stand all the way up. This = 1 rep. Alternate sides at first, and work up to 3-5 consecutive reps each leg.
  • Bottom range reps: lower to bottom of pistol, rise several inches; lower again to repeat for reps.

I had achieved the 24kg pistol but was not rock solid. Back to baseline. Just like pull ups, I set a goal to achieve 10 unbroken bodyweight pistols before returning to weight. I purchased Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning, which was equally entertaining as it was intelligent. Even though I felt skilled in this movement, I didn’t want to skip any steps only to reveal a weak point under heavier load. The book lays out a tier system of movements that must be completed to advance into the next tier. I followed his pistol progressions from beginning to end and the so-called regression work proved unexpectedly challenging!

Once I added weight back to the pistol, I followed a 5-3-1 or 3-2-1 sequence with at the finish of deadlift days. One other day/week, I continued to do a few high rep sets at bodyweight and the bottom range drills listed above.

For many people the difficulty of the movement begins with the mobility. Luckily, I have had a regular yoga practice for over 15 years and did not need to condition this area.   If you cannot easily squat below parallel with your feet touching together, focus on mobilizing. You don’t have to do yoga, but you will need to put calculated effort into improving hip and ankle mobility. It is also important to get comfortable with spinal flexion (practice plough pose + related variations in the side bar). On the other side of that flexion is creating and maintaining a strong, hollow ab position. The RKC II dissects how to conjure maximum cores strength and introduces many unique variations. I strongly recommend attending the Level II; but if you haven’t made it yet, Keira Newton delivers a helpful hollow plank series in this 5-Part Video Blog.

When accomplishing a long sought after goal, in this case about 2 ½ years, I almost forget where I started–the programming, the “un-programming”, the books, advice, practice, injuries, frustration, and oh yeah, life itself getting in the way. My journey was not a straight and narrow path, but I can say one thing for sure; if it was, I would have learned nothing. I ran into many walls and gained insight from each. As lengthy as this article has become, I believe the most valuable part of my achieving the Iron Maiden is the ability to share the inner intricacies of my experience.

So how did my story end? After all of this preparation, I unmistakably veered toward failure and had to conquer one last lesson…

I am staring down defeat, once again. What is it about this moment? It keeps showing up as if I have a choice. There it is…don’t I have a choice? I have just failed my first pull up attempt in the Iron Maiden Challenge and panic is rising in my chest. I gave it EVERYTHING I have and barely got my nose to the bar. I can’t begin to explain how shocked I felt in this moment. I had effectively turned the 24kg pull-up from my most challenging adversary into my most certain lift.   The press, on the other hand, had been tormenting me with a come-and-go as it pleases reliability along with a very fresh trap strain. Yet, somehow, I easily speared that kettlebell overhead several minutes earlier. I was literally in a state of confusion. How did I not do that?   I hear an echo of John Du Cane’s voice, “You have two more attempts. Take as much time as you need.” Half-dazed, I nod and crouch back to the ground, as if to clean my wounds.

Hovering above that bell, the faces, voices, and objects began to fade from the room. In one mosaic flash, 5 years of national figure competitions flooded my mind…predicted to win by national judges, websites, even myself…and year after year, defeat. I could hear my coach’s pep talk, telling me I gave it everything I could; it just wasn’t “my time”; it wasn’t “my turn to be on top”.   Maybe it’s like that today…it’s just not “my time”. It’s OK if I don’t have it today. I can do it at the next RKC… There I was again, feeding it, accepting the failure. Was it really that easy to let it all go?  Those once comforting words of the past were now freezing me in time. In all those years of competing, maybe it was me who wasn’t ready to win; maybe it was me who kept myself flying below the radar; and today, maybe it was me who kept my chin below that pull up bar. The moment staring me down wasn’t defeat. It was opportunity. This pull up will decide whether or not I become an Iron Maiden today. You only have one attempt….that’s all you have, that’s all you need. Pull it together NOW…an unwavering confidence rushed over me… It IS my time to shine. And as it turned out, I did have a choice that day.

The whole world is you vs. you. When I look back to where it all began, standing in the park, shaking my head ‘no’ to Rob’s seemingly absurd suggestion, I knew I was losing. That frustration powerfully transmuted into passion and determination. I have much gratitude for Rob stoking this fire and Dragon Door presenting this intensely rewarding challenge. Ultimately, I want to relay that anything is possible. Cliché? Maybe. I’ll say it again. ANYTHING you DESIRE and CHOOSE to stay COMMITTED to achieving, no matter what the obstacle, is possible. The seed was planted when I first heard about the Iron Maiden. Though, it took days to feel, weeks to want, months to believe, and years to harvest. For me, the road to the Iron Maiden is about so much more than building strength or staying devoted to a goal. Whether you are going after a max lift or simply looking for some motivation, remember that you are infinitely more powerful than your strongest moment and called to learn from your weakest.   I hope something written here might resonate with you and reflect your own inner strength.  Like any worthwhile journey, when you stand up to the struggle, you stand in your truth to embrace everything you can become. And somewhere in this space, you learn that you are becoming everything you always were…a star in your own story. I walked a long road of competitive endeavors in order to finally “see” that greatness is a part of me. It is a part of all of us. Now go out there and shine brightly in the world!

 

***

Katie Petersen is an RKC Team Leader, PCC Instructor, and also holds nutrition/training certifications with Poliquin, Precision Nutrition, and NASM.  She owns Active Evolution, a successful training and nutrition counseling business in Chicago, working with both online and local clients.  Katie also has a niche clientele of fitness competitors (bodybuilding, bikini, figure), as she has several years experience as an nationally ranked NPC Figure Athlete.  For online or personal training, visit her website, www.activeevolution.net or email Katie directly at petersenkatie1@gmail.com. Subscribe to her YouTube channels, Katie Petersen RKC and We Train Chicago to follow her training videos and tips.

Filed Under: Kettlebell Training, Tutorial Tagged With: Beast Tamer, Beast Tamer Challenge, How to train for the Iron Maiden Challenge, Iron Maiden Challenge, Katie Petersen, Katie Petersen RKC Team Leader, kettlebell training, kettlebells, RKC, RKC-II, training guide, training program, tutorial

The Barbell Strength RKC Prep Program

September 28, 2016 By Jason Kapnick 2 Comments

The instructor cadre from last year’s RKC at Catalyst SPORT.
The instructor cadre from last year’s RKC at Catalyst SPORT.

Much has been written about the synergy of kettlebells and barbells. They complement each other’s “blind spots” extremely well. Training properly with either will make you better at both. The RKC is the world’s premier kettlebell certification, and I can tell you first-hand that the skills I learned at the RKC have made me a better powerlifter.

This program is intended for an RKC candidate who wants to keep barbells in his or her program, while still building the requisite work capacity and skill to excel at an RKC Workshop. Whether you’re a powerlifter, football player, strongman competitor, or simply a barbell enthusiast, this program will get you strong, conditioned, and ready to impress at the RKC. It is also great for would-be Beast Tamers (just add some pistol squat practice).

When preparing for the RKC, there are three Pillars of Success you must consider:

  1. Work Capacity. The RKC has evolved beyond its brutal and punishing roots, and is now more focused on teaching skills and helping you become a skilled instructor. But, it is still a challenging three days which will test your fitness. Be prepared for multiple workouts per day, interspersed with lots of drills and technique practice. And oh yeah, there’s a snatch test in there too.
  2. Maximum Strength. The role of maximum strength is less obvious than work capacity (after all, most men won’t have to handle anything larger than 24kg, and women 16kg). Being strong will make your RKC weekend so much easier. When heavy kettlebells feel light, you can more effectively focus on technique.
  3. Movement Quality. It is important to safely and effectively place kettlebells overhead, squat, and have good hip extension.
The rack position is a crucial kettlebell skill. Here the author demonstrates the “loaded clean” to drill lat engagement and rooting to the floor.
The rack position is a crucial kettlebell skill. Jason Kapnick demonstrates the “loaded clean” to drill lat engagement and rooting to the floor.

It is worth noting that I have not included “kettlebell technique” on this list. While having familiarity and skill with the kettlebell will greatly benefit you throughout the certification weekend, it is not essential to show up with PERFECT skills. The purpose of the course is to teach you these skills, and the master RKCs, team leaders and assistant instructors meet will give you all the coaching you need to pass the rigorous skills tests on the last day of the certification. The amount of progress candidates make during the RKC is nothing short of mind-blowing. So, work on your technique and get comfortable handling kettlebells, but don’t sweat it if you’re not perfect.

This program focuses on Pillars #1 and #2 (strength and work capacity), while also giving you ample time to gain familiarity and exposure to the “Big 6” kettlebell lifts tested at your RKC. While Movement Quality (Pillar #3) is absolutely crucial for success at the RKC, it mostly beyond the scope of this article. I highly recommend finding an FMS certified professional in your area for a movement screen before starting this (or any) program.

This program should be run for 6-10 weeks prior to the certification workshop.

The Program:

Day 1—KB Press & Deadlift

A1. Single Arm Press Ladder (1,2,3,4)x3
A2. (Weighted) Tactical Pull-up 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps

  1. Deadlift 5,3,2; then drop 20% and 3×5 with 2:00 rest.
  2. Kettlebell Skill Practice: 10-20 minutes

Press Ladders: Use the classic “Rite of Passage” progression. Add a ladder each week, and then once you get to 5 ladders, start adding rungs to the ladders. Build volume.

Deadlift: In week 1, pick a weight you can perform 8-10 reps with. Perform a set of 5, rest, a set of 3, rest, and then a set of 2, all with that same weight. Then, take 20% of the weight off the bar and do 3 sets of 5 with just a 2:00 rest. Each week, add 5-10lbs per week to the 5,3,2 sets.

Deadlifts are the key to unlocking maximal strength.
Deadlifts are the key to unlocking maximal strength.

Day 2—Snatch Density and Work Capacity

  1. Snatch Density Training

B1. Double Kettlebell Clean 5×8
B2. Double Kettlebell Squat 5×6
B3. Rack Walk 5×10-15 yards

Farmer’s carries will build a strong grip while encouraging good posture and alignment.
Farmer’s carries will build a strong grip while encouraging good posture and alignment.

C1. Farmer’s Carry 2-4 sets of 15-20 yards
C2. Hang from Bar 2-4 sets of As Long As Possible
C3. Ab Wheel 2-4 sets of 5-8

 

Snatch Density: Perform snatches on each arm every minute on the minute (EMOTM). Add reps each week, and decrease number of minutes as necessary. Try to “arrive” at being able to do 10 snatches per arm for 7 minutes (a snatch test plus an additional two minutes). For example:

Week 1: 5/5 x15 minutes
Week 2: 6/6 x12 minutes
Week 3: 7/7 x10 minutes
Week 4: 8/8 x10 minutes
Week 5: 9/9 x8 minutes
Week 6: 10/10 x7 minutes

In reality, your progression might not be as linear or quick.

B1-B3: Perform these as a super-set, without setting the kettlebells down. Rest a few minutes between sets.

 

Day 3—Swings and Get-Ups

  1. Turkish Get-Up – 8-10 Total Get-Ups. Vary the load each week (wave loading).
  2. Heavy Single Arm Swing Volume—20 minutes. Choose a kettlebell 1.5-2.0x your snatch test bell. Perform as many sets of single arm swings as you can. If you manage more than 10 sets per arm, the pick a heavier kettlebell next week.

C1. Single Arm Rack Carry
C2. Chin-Ups
C3. Bulgarian Split Squat

 

Day 4—Bench Press & Squat

A1. Close Grip Bench Press 5×5
A2. Chest Supported Row 5×8-12

  1. Front Squat 5×5

C1. Single Leg Deadlift 3×8
C2. Paloff Press 3×8
C3. Kettlebell Armbar 3×8-10 breaths

The author at a powerlifting meet in June 2015, where he posted a 1,555lb total, culminating with a 660lb deadlift.
The author at a powerlifting meet in June 2015, where he posted a 1,555lb total, culminating with a 660lb deadlift.

 

***

Jason Kapnick is the co-founder of Catalyst SPORT, one of New York City’s top kettlebell training facilities. He has made multiple Elite powerlifting totals, with best lifts of 545/355/660 in the 198lb weight class, and achieved the Beast Tamer Challenge at his RKC in April 2013. He can be contacted through catalystsportnyc.com.

Filed Under: Kettlebell Training, Tutorial, Workout of the Week Tagged With: barbell lifting, barbell training, Beast Tamer, Jason Kapnick, powerlifting, RKC Prep, RKC prep program, train for the RKC, workout

A One-Size-Fits-All Solution for Problematic Kettlebell Presses

December 10, 2014 By Andrew Read 4 Comments

Master RKC Andrew Read Performs a Kettlebell Bottoms Up Press

The learning and skill continuum that begins at HKC and progresses through RKC and RKC-II follows a fairly straight line. We begin with patterning exercises in HKC—two hand swings, the goblet squat, and the get-up—before progressing to one handed variations on these themes such as the clean and snatch, and the double kettlebell front squat at the RKC. The work done on the get-up lends itself to pressing and snatching which in turn leads to the double push press and jerk as well as the windmill and the bent press at RKC-II.

At RKC-II, people usually face one of two problems, either their thoracic mobility is poor and they struggle with the double overhead work (as well as the windmill and bent press) or they struggle to get their heavy press. As much as the old RKC saying, “To press a lot, you must press a lot” does ring true for many, it may also lead to bigger problems down the line.

About a year ago I wrote an article for Breaking Muscle (Single Kettlebell Ballistic Complexes: How to Save Your Shoulders and Still Work Overhead) which explained the three different types of AC joint set up that people have, as well as possible ways to train long term without damaging yourself. But that still doesn’t help us with the heavy press goal if we’re on our way to RKC-II, does it?

When I wrote Beast Tamer, I outlined many different press plans that could help you get through a sticking point in your press training. I’ve learnt a bit since then and want to outline a plan below that will help you get through your sticking points without risking injury.

What we need is a drill that gives us the same feel as the heavy press and the same effort—all without placing the same strain on the AC joint. This is where the bottoms-up press (BUP) comes into play. The BUP is an interesting drill. Interesting in that I have used it as a one-size-fits-all solution for a variety of problems with the press. Not gripping the kettlebell tightly? The BUP will fix that. Not staying tight in your press? The BUP will fix that too.

The BUP is ideal for our needs as it teaches great form while forcing you to use less load. That may sound problematic, but the body doesn’t register how much you lift, only how much tension you generate. If your form is even slightly off, the kettlebell will fall. This is what makes the BUP ideal as a learning tool. It is automatically apparent what needs to happen and where the point of failure is.

Imagine that the fulcrum (center of rotation) for this movement is not the delicate AC joint, but instead a point midway between the deltoid and the elbow—essentially the middle of the bicep. By focusing on having your elbow move around that point while doing a BUP you will teach your whole body to engage during the press. Likely you will find this feels significantly different to what you have been doing when overhead pressing.

One of the things to keep in mind in relation to the BUP, is that it has a great effect up to a point. I don’t believe that past 32kg they do much to boost your press as the skill becomes its own lift. Prior to that they can be a valuable tool to teach you tension and alignment. Do not make the mistake of turning the drill into an exercise. The goal is never to have the best BUP in the world, rather to use the BUP to build your press.

Low reps are a must with the BUP, as the CNS fatigue from the high grip demand is intense. 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps seem to work best prior to your limit presses for the day.

The other side of this equation is that healthy shoulders are not built from pressing alone. For every push, you must have at least one set of pulling to counteract it. While the pull up is usually the choice of functional trainers, I’ll caution against it as the lat also acts as an internal rotator of the arm, so if all you do are presses and pull ups you’re just as likely to end up with bad shoulders as if you only did presses.

At RPT, we use a variety of weighted mobility drills to achieve healthy shoulders. Here’s how a press workout might look:

Lying dislocates with weight – 3 sets of 10 reps. Paired with push-ups for 3 sets of 10-20 reps.

BUP – 2 x 5 at 50%

Y-T-Row – 2 x 5-5-10

BUP – 3 ladders of 1-2-3 reps combined with easy light two-hand swings in between to help shake the tension out.

Perform a rear support—think of it as a face up plank—for 60 seconds and then do a get-up on each side. Perform three super sets of this as a final shoulder health practice. Make sure to stretch after and “unglue” all the tension you’ve built up in these muscles during training. Pay particular attention to the triceps, lats, traps, and shoulders.

***

Andrew Read, Master RKC, Author of Beast Tamer, 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.

Filed Under: Kettlebell Training, Tutorial Tagged With: Andrew Read, Beast Tamer, bottom-up press, bottoms-up press, kettlebell drill, kettlebell press, kettlebell press drill, kettlebell press program, kettlebell technique, military press, overhead press

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Dragon Door Publications / The author(s) and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the instructions or opinions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people, and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.