calisthenics

Is Certification Worth It?

July 13, 2017 By Michael Krivka and Adrienne Harvey 3 Comments

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 squat The 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.

The Fitness Program of the Future—Now!

July 5, 2017 By Kirk Adams 3 Comments

Kirk Adams, RKC Get-Up

I’ve been in the fitness industry for almost 18 years. Most of that time has been spent looking for answers to age old questions:

How can I best help my clients reach their goals?
How can I get my clients to workout more consistently?
What are the best tools and exercises to get them the most effective results?

There are many sources for answers—and many great systems producing outstanding results. About eight months ago, I was fortunate to join the Dragon Door family when I passed the RKC Level 1. It was an amazing weekend filled with learning, challenges and camaraderie. Since then, I have taken RKC Level 2 and have been fortunate to assist with an HKC and RKC Level 1. While these experiences have taught me many things, the most important is that what Dragon Door has to offer—specifically in the RKC and PCC—is exactly what people and the fitness industry need!

To get the most out of a fitness program, make progress and reach goals, it is important for people to work out as consistently as possible. Just the thought of having to travel to a gym before or after work—then spend an hour or more fighting over equipment—is enough to keep even the most dedicated person from sticking with a fitness program.

Kirk Adams, RKC Push-Up

An ideal fitness program—the fitness program of the future—would be short, portable, and use minimal equipment. Kettlebells and bodyweight training check all three of those boxes. Get-ups, swings, and complexes like cleans and presses offer so much “bang for your buck” that you can get a great workout without committing much time at all.

With a few kettlebells and maybe a pull-up bar, you can create a workout program with almost endless variety and challenge. These exercises are also extremely portable. Whether you’re at home, the office, or on the road, it’s easy to get in your workout—and there’s less room for excuses.

Kettlebell and bodyweight training reinforce several of the most positive aspects of the fitness industry. Most people would benefit from mastering and strengthening basic movement patterns with exercises that focus on improving their ability to squat down, lift, push, pull, and carry weight. This more functional approach can help people easily accomplish daily tasks and with less pain.

Kirk Adams, RKC Goblet Squat It’s important for a successful training system to be appropriately challenging for everyone—no matter where they are on their fitness journey. Some of the best elements of both the RKC and PCC Workshops are the built in progressions and regressions for each exercise. Whether it’s someone’s first day of training or they’re an elite level athlete, these systems have safe exercises and workouts which will challenge someone to improve. This is an excellent way to bring more people into a fitness lifestyle and encourage them to continue training for a lifetime.

Training consistently and reaching your fitness goals is always harder when you go it alone. Having a community by your side with standards that hold you accountable help increase your chances for success. Dragon Door has built that community through its courses, books, and instructors. A community gives people somewhere to turn to when they have questions or need support along their journey. Dragon Door has also set standards for basic and exceptional levels of fitness based on gender, age and weight. These standards are excellent training goals. These goals and community accountability can help everyone stay consistent with their training even when personal motivation drops.

The most successful fitness programs have a few things in common: consistent workouts which can be done any time, anywhere and exercises that improve our ability to move well and get stronger no matter our current fitness level. But, people also need a community for support and standards that motivate. That’s why I’m excited to be part of the Dragon Door family. They’ve provided me with the knowledge and tools to help myself and my clients be better tomorrow than we are today!

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Kirk Adams, MS, RKC is the Head Performance Coach at Golf & Body NYC

How to Keep Training When Life Gets in the Way

July 6, 2016 By Phil Ross 4 Comments

Phil Ross Master RKC One Hand Handstand

Other than the excuse of “I don’t have the money to train”, the other top excuse for not exercising is “I don’t have time”. The money issue is usually more a question of priorities. At my gym, it costs about five dollars a day to join my classes. That’s not much when it seems like many people spend $3 to $5 on their morning coffee, $10-15 on lunch and waste even more on other frivolous expenditures. If it still isn’t in the budget, people can always work out at home with books like Convict Conditioning, Survival Strong, or Master the Kettlebell for a small one-time investment. But, budgeting to join a class could be as easy as packing your lunch and making your own coffee. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’ve been almost penniless—twice—and never stopped training. Excuses are like armpits, everyone has them and they all stink! But, my focus for this post isn’t savings, it’s time allocation.

“No time, no time, no time…” That’s no excuse. Make time! It doesn’t take much. Pick an activity and do it for one hour, three times a week. Do something else for 20 to 30 minutes a day on your “off days”. If you still can’t manage one hour, three times a week, start by doing this little workout to get your juices flowing—all you need is 30 minutes, a floor and a $10 jump rope:

The goal is 1000 jump rope skips (200 per round for 5 sets), 100 push-ups (25 per round for 4 sets) and 120 abdominals (30 per round for 4 sets). Here’s the order: jump rope, push-ups, abs, jump rope, push-ups, abs, jump rope, push-ups, abs, jump rope, push-ups, abs, jump rope. End the workout with planks, bridges and stretching.

With kettlebells, you can do a 12 or 20 minute Tabata interval sequence. Pick 3 to 5 exercises, and set your interval timer for 20 seconds of work/10 seconds of rest and hit it! Your heart rate will rise and you’ll be sweating in no time! For example, you could pick three exercises like double kettlebell swings, double kettlebell front squats and double kettlebell presses. If you pick five exercises you might add double kettlebell rows and cleans. There are endless combinations. Pick a few that work well together. A bodyweight exercise only version could be burpees, push-ups and abs. End the workout with bridges and stretch out. There are endless possibilities.

Here’s a real life example of how I kept training in a very busy time…

It was crunch time. I had less than three weeks before the photo shoot for my upcoming book with Marty Gallagher, Ferocious Fitness. I needed to be in peak condition, so missing my training was out of the question. My training had been going according to schedule, but then life happened—as it often does—when you own a business, are a parent, a spouse, have older parents, and have dogs, too.

Right before noon, I got a call from my six year old daughter’s school. She was sick and needed to come home. Since my wife was at her job 40 miles away from home, I also needed to take my daughter to the doctor. I told my blue belts what to cover in our noon Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class, and I was out the door.

The first available doctor’s appointment was 2PM, and it was already 12:22 by the time I picked up my little one. After I situated her on the couch at home, I had 1 hour and 38 minutes to workout, eat, shower and get her to the doctor. Game on!

I went into the garage and hit it. I started with the 5 Geometric Bando forms (Point, Square, Cross, T and the Line), three times each. Then I did a nonstop circuit with Neuro-Grip push-ups and kettlebells. I did four sets of the Neuro-Grip push-ups and three sets of the other exercises:

25 Neuro-Grip push-ups
10 hand to hand kettlebell swings
Table top push-downs, 10 seconds, 6 reps
Single kettlebell front squats, 5 reps each side
WOD-QB roller: 5 seconds out and back, 5 reps to the center and each side
Single kettlebell high pulls, 8 each side
4 way neck, 10 seconds dynamic tension in each direction
Single kettlebell rows, 8 each side

I ended the workout with 5 sets of uneven kettlebell shrugs (20 reps per set).  Since I didn’t have time for a “real” lunch, I made a shake with a banana, a splash of OJ, water, a tablespoon of peanut butter, and egg white protein powder—then chugged it. I took the next 7 minutes to shower, get dressed and get in the car. (I’m glad I’m bald at times like this!) At 1:45PM we were off to the doctor’s office, and made it on time. It even worked out that we were able to pick up her prescription, and drop her off at home with the sitter by 3:15PM. I had plenty of time to teach my 4PM kettlebell class, and since my wife got home from work early, I was able to teach my classes through 9PM.

I could have easily bypassed the workout and no one would have thought less of me—except for me! My point is that these scenarios happen fairly often. A sick child, a parent who needs help, a dog eating the carpet, network problems at the studio… Life happens, but if you roll with the punches, you can still fit in your workout. You can do it!

Strength and Honor,

Coach Phil

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Master RKC Phil Ross is the creator of many strength and conditioning programs, including The Kettlebell Workout Library DVD set. Visit www.philross.com to learn about his programs, classes, and workshops. Subscribe to his YouTube channel for more workout and exercise info.

One Strength, Two Strength’s, Three Strength’s… More!

February 15, 2013 By Russell Andrews 5 Comments

I was reading Survival of the Fittest, not too long ago, and it got me thinking about the different strengths needed for different sports. For example, when I was watching the Strongman competition on TV, I noticed that the strength of those very powerful men was tremendous. Whether it was lifting the back end of a car for reps, throwing kegs, pulling the bus up the incline via a rope, or pressing the log—it is beyond question that the competition demonstrates great feats of strength.

Who is strong? What’s the gauge or the measure of strength? Is it even possible to have a universal description and fit all these strong people from across the sports world landscape into one category?

How do we compare the strength of a gymnast to the strength of a powerlifter? Those strengths won’t necessarily crossover into the other’s playground. Is it fair to compare a swimmer that obviously possesses great cardio-muscle strength and stamina to the marathon runner who just has cardio strength and endurance? Or compare one dude that can bend nails and tear books, to the dude that can’t do either one, but can hang from a pole like a flag? It’s all strength, isn’t it?

What I found from my reading of Survival of the Fittest, is that there are many different types of strengths we can possess.

Trying to figure out which strength is the ultimate strength is equivalent to trying to figure out who is the greatest athlete of all time. Who is the greatest home run hitter, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays or the Babe? Is Jordan better than Wilt or Jabbar better than Magic? What about Carl Lewis, Michael Phelps, Bruce Jenner, Tiger, Herschel, Bo Jackson, Ali, Jack LaLanne, Jesse Owens, Dan Gable, or Jim Thorpe? I could go on, but who is the best? I say that they all are.

I can tell you about one athlete that I witnessed in high school back in the 70s that I’d put up against anyone. His name is Larry Kinnebrew. He was the State Champ in heavyweight wrestling, state champ in the discus and shot, won the 100 yard dash in 9.6, ran a leg on the region champ 440 yard dash team, won the area weightlifting meet, and was All State in football as a RB/LB (actually was named both). He could even dunk a basketball, and let me mention he was 6’1″ 245 pounds. (Although that’s standard size for today’s football player, back in the 70’s high school, that was huge.) He played for the Bengals and Bills in the NFL.

He can chef up some mean BBQ too.

Note the size difference:

1. Bodyweight Strength

If it’s not the ultimate genuine physical strength, it probably should be. Watching the gymnasts hang, flip, twist, hold, etc., through all the different contorted body positions, I come away saying, “That’s Strong.” Can a Gymnast bench 500 pounds and squat 700 pounds? Does it even matter if they can’t? They can suspend themselves in midair at arms length holding onto rings in an iron cross.

The body is our “equipment” we use to play in sports. It has to be trained in its own domain without the use of any traditional equipment to be functionally strong. The body is a tool all to itself. The stronger the body becomes by using its own weight, the more prepared the athlete becomes. Let me say this about bodyweight strength-—if you are fighting for your life hanging off a ledge or a cliff, who cares how much you can squat?

2. Functional Movement Strength

I love this one, the movement athletes. It’s what most of us do, the type of athletes we train, and across the board, the strength needed for most sports we play. Most of our idols or heroes play in this arena. My favorite all time athletes are in this group; Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, Willie Mays, Bill Walton, Edwin Moses, Jack Lambert, and Fran Tarkenton, to name a few. This is where speed, power, strength, flexibility, and pure athleticism combine to form the functional athlete. These are the athletes that push the limits in their respective sports. They break the records and raise the bar for the next generation. Everything they do bears some attribute of speed, strength, stamina, power, and endurance.

3. Cardio Strength

Cardio endurance is another strength. These long-distance travelers may not look the part, but they still possess cardio strength that the strong guys usually don’t possess. Marathon runners possess strength endurance to climb long, slow inclines and run through city streets. Back in the day, a five-minute mile was excellent. That was the time to crack—then it was four and half minutes—then four minutes. Now the world record is 3:43. That takes a combination of endurance and speed strength.

Speed is a form of strength also. Speed engages the muscular system yet taxes the cardiovascular system also. Long-distance speed is probably the rarest strength, but those that have it, must use it often to maintain it. I heard a saying once, “If you were the slowest gazelle in the pack on the plains you would probably be someone’s lunch that day. If you were the slowest lion in the pack on the plains, you might not get to eat that day. So whether you are a gazelle or a lion, it’s best to be moving fast often.”

4. Powerlifting, Isolation, Strongman Strength

I grouped all these together because they seem to have the same blood-line—brute strength. These guys are mad strong, like my friend Joe Majors who competed world-wide and squatted 903, benched 655, and pulled 760 in Germany. And that was after both triceps were surgically repaired. (Not too shabby for a guy in his 50s!)

Even taking it down to the nail benders, arm wrestlers, and brick busters, brute strength is strongman stuff. I saw a guy curl a hundred pound dumb bell once. Back in the 80s at a charity function, he curled half his body weight of 65 pounds 1,088 times in six hours!

The rule was you could pause for three seconds between reps. What was funny about it was the camera crew filmed only a small portion at first. They left for lunch, came back and he was still going. The crowd really got into it with him around rep 600 to shoot for 1000 reps. He was crying, hands were shredded, but he made it. Was that strength or endurance? Or just crazy?

Strength is wrapped in different packages. All of us possess one or more of these strengths. It really isn’t a cancellation of strength if a gymnast can’t bench 500 pounds or if a powerlifter can’t do pull ups. Both are very strong at their craft.

But there is one strength that is the truth serum. The one strength that defines the elite, the best. The one strength that drives the person to finish, to conquer, and to reach the level of accomplishment. And that is…

5. Mental Strength

I once asked a group of high school athletes what they thought the strongest part of the body was. The answers were typically the back muscles or quads. However, it’s the mind that is the strongest part of the body. Everything begins in the mind.

If it isn’t resting in the five inches between the ears, then more than likely it isn’t going to happen. Mental drive and self-belief is the ultimate strength that is the universal description that we can attach to all these strong people. And it applies, not just to the athlete, it also applies to any and all that use their mental capacity to accomplish their dreams, goals, or ideas.

The refusal to lose is powerful, more powerful than the biceps or pecs. More powerful than the iron cross or picking up the stones and placing them on the top shelf. Without belief and the self-drive, we don’t hear Ali yell, “I’m the Greatest”. We don’t see Bobby Thompson and the “Shot heard around the World”. We don’t know about Wilt’s 100 points, Michael Phelps eight gold medals, The Williams Sisters’ ten Wimbledon Championships between them, or Jack LaLanne pulling a row of boats swimming in handcuffs.

The mind is the ultimate strength. Mental strength is the only comparison between the strongest participants in the different sports categories. And it’s an equal comparison. They are all equally strong, for without their mental strength, there would be no strength at all.

Who is the strongest? The one who thinks he is.

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About Russell Andrews, BS, DC, HKC, FMS, SSC: Russell Andrews is a Chiropractor, and is certified in kettlebells, certified in functional movement, certified in strength and conditioning. Russell’s focus is training young Athlete’s in functional movement. He maintains Thunder and Lightning Performance Training in Cartersville Georgia. He is a speaker for the Glazier Clinic speaking on Building the Functional Athlete to Improve Performance, and Functional Training for the High School Athlete. He has over 35 years experience as a lifter and over 25 years as a trainer. He also maintains a private Chiropractic service in Cartersville.

You can find him at: Thunder and Lightning Performance Training
www.drruss21.com