goblet squat

How To Improve Your Golf Game With Kettlebell Training

April 11, 2018 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment

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.

My 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

Hacks for an Iron Clad Goblet Squat

December 2, 2015 By Mike Krivka 11 Comments

MikeKrivkaGobletSquatLeadPhoto

What is a hack? Hacks are shortcuts or enhancements and can be technical or lifestyle based. Think of hacks as inside tips to get the good stuff—the stuff that works fast and gets you to the tasty, rich and gooey center quicker! In this case, my goal is to provide you with hacks that will allow you how to get the most out of the kettlebell goblet squat.

What’s the Big Deal?

The goblet squat lies squarely within the realm of “simple but not easy”. But, don’t confuse the goblet squat with something that is so “simple” to master that it’s not worth your time. On the contrary—it is supremely important for all demographics, age groups and athletic abilities. Because it is so “simple”, it is easy to underestimate what needs to be in place for it to be maximally effective. Anyone looking at the goblet squat would immediately think “I can do that” …and they can. Once they get the feel for what the goblet squat really is, then they can then learn the specifics that take the goblet squat from simple to sublime.

By the way, if you don’t grasp the importance of the goblet squat yet, consider this: the goblet squat is part of both the HKC (Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification) and the RKC (Russian Kettlebell Certification). It is also one of the techniques Master RKC Dan John recommends to any and all of the athletes he trains—that should give you some indication of its value and application.

Hacking Away at the Goblet Squat

The following are a series of hacks that will allow you to get the most from the goblet squat. Take a look at the pictures so that you can effectively model the movement.

Elbows to Knees—It’s a Straight Line!

Don’t unload the torso by flaring the elbows outward or forward—you are supposed to feel the weight of the kettlebell on the front of your body, especially the stomach.
Where you start dictates where you end up—if you unload the torso by flaring the elbows, you will find it difficult, if not impossible to find the correct bottom position in the goblet squat.
Kiss your knees with your elbows—go down slow enough so that your elbows and knees barely touch; think of it as a caress! From some of the examples I’ve seen there would be a lot of bloody lips!
Tall and proud—with near vertical forearms, torso, and shins in the bottom position.

Mike Krivka Goblet Squat Elbow Position — Left: correct elbow alignment, Right: incorrect elbow alignment and posture faults

Find the Perfect Stance That Works For You

Heels in your armpits, or slightly wider is a good starting point. Going excessively wide is not going to help.
The toes may face straight forward or slightly turned out within 15-20 or so degrees, depending on each person’s individual hip structure.
Excessive external rotation should be limited. There may be mobility issues that need to be addressed if they flare excessively. This is a real problem especially if the feet rotate outward while squatting.

The Rack Is Where It’s At!

The kettlebell should not be resting on the chest—I know, I know, I know! It’s easier to hold it there but you are offloading the weight to the shoulders and neck.
Wedge it—the kettlebell should be held in a “wedge” created by the triceps locked into the lats and the elbows tight against the ribs.
Short of breath? The “wedge” should focus the load on the abs, lats, and pecs, not the shoulders and neck.
Heavy—the kettlebell is going to feel exceptionally heavy if held correctly in the wedge. Good! You’re doing it right!
Straight wrists—don’t break the wrists while holding the kettlebell. Broken wrists are going to adversely affect the movement down the line and you will be sneaking in compensations to correct them.

MikeKrivkaGoblet Squat Kettlebell Position — Left: correct elbow alignment, Right: incorrect elbow alignment and posture faults

It’s a GRIND, Damn It!

Lock down: “Lock down” your ribs before you start your decent. Some people call this bracing, but the end result is that you are clenching your abs, pulling your ribs down, and minimizing slack in the upper torso and thoracic spine.
Slow down: Slow way the heck down and pull yourself into the bottom position.
Hold it: Once you get to the bottom, maintain the tension. If you release it you’re going to be challenged to get it back and not comprise coming up out of the bottom position.

Bust a Move!

Don’t “pop and drop” into the goblet squat, this refers to the tendency for athletes to load forward through the hips and then throw them back to initiate the goblet squat.
Lock the ribs down first, this will keep you from even thinking about loading forward and backwards to initiate the movement.
Initiate with the hips—but not with a ballistic unlocking of the hips. The hips unlock and are pulled straight down.
Don’t drop—in no uncertain terms, do not drop into the bottom position of the goblet squat. Pull yourself slowly down into the bottom of the squat. Think G-R-I-N-D! I know it sucks, deal with it!

Start Strong to Finish Strong!

Where you start will either help you or hurt you. If you start in a bad position, chances are you are going to end up in an even worse one. With that in mind, your starting position for the goblet squat should be considered very carefully.
Down, not back: Pull yourself straight down leading/initiating with the hips. “Pry” the hips away from the elbows
Face the wall: The goblet squat can (and should be practiced) facing a wall. Start with the kettlebell touching the wall. Done correctly, you will still end up with plenty of space at the bottom.
Enough is enough: The goblet squat terminates when the point of the elbow touches just inside the knee; there’s no reason to go lower unless you are working on mobility.
Stack it up! From the bottom position, keep driving and maintaining alignment until all of the “parts” snap back into place. You should end up exactly where you are started!

Putting It All Together

The goblet squat is part of the “Trinity” in the HKC and “The Big Six” in the RKC for good reason. It looks so simple—and it is—but it will only be effective if you know how to efficiently load and unload it, as well as how to make the transitions smooth and flawless. Making the goblet squat look “simple” is not so much a factor that it is simple to do, but that the athlete has taken the time to properly cultivate the movement. Take some time to explore the points that were made above, get a feel for how the load is set and maintained throughout the movement, and I’m sure that you will come away with a new and profound appreciation for the goblet squat.

I look forward to seeing your thoughts and comments below. Until then, “Squat On Garth!”

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About Michael A. Krivka, Sr. – Senior 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 Senior 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.

The RKC–the Perfect Training System?

August 27, 2014 By Mike Krivka 5 Comments

RKC Big Six Kettlebell Exercises — *Graphic: Senior RKC, Robert Rimoczi*

INTRODUCTION

Everyone is looking for the perfect “thing”–the perfect diet, the perfect car, the perfect vacation, the perfect look, the perfect mate (sorry, not going to happen and this isn’t the venue for that conversation), or the perfect workout. Looking to find the “perfect” anything is a fool’s quest but the pursuit of perfection makes champions. This article will explore what I consider to be the almost perfect strength and conditioning program: the Russian Kettlebell Certified (RKC) Kettlebell training system.

PREFIX

To determine if something is “perfect”, you have to either compare it against other similar items or at least have a list of criteria that you can judge it against. Fair enough. In this instance we are looking for the perfect strength and conditioning program and while I’m not going to point fingers or name names, I will define the characteristics that I think make the RKC superior. In my humble opinion for a strength and conditioning program to be anywhere “near perfect” it needs to have (at a minimum) the following components:

It must address the six basic movement patterns:
- Push
- Pull
- Squat
- Hinge
- Carry
- Groundwork (ex. Turkish Get Up)
It must have both Ballistics and Grinds as part of the training program:
- a. Ballistics for strength endurance and impact generation
- b. Grinds for deep strength and tenacity under pressure

Those are the basic criteria for analysis and they are pretty easily defined. The goal of the perfect system should be to enhance the athlete’s or client’s overall strength, mobility, work output and athleticism. Read on to find out why I think the RKC meets these criteria and much more.

SWING (Ballistic)

To say that the kettlebell swing is the foundation that all ballistic movements with the kettlebell are based on would be an understatement. The swing establishes a deep and powerful explosive groove that allows the athlete to generate power from the ground up. It reinforces transitional and positional strength skills as well as developing a fine tuned ability to go from absolute relaxation to absolute tension in a heartbeat (one that is beating very fast as well).

Training the kettlebell swing develops the hugely important hinge movement in a dynamic manner. Most athletes will train the hinge, or something that looks like it, while doing barbell deadlifts. But the kettlebell swing gives the athlete a platform to practice exploding out of the hinge, dynamically loading the hinge, and teaches how to transition quickly and efficiently from loading to unloading while seamlessly applying force when and where it is needed. This is a tremendously valuable skill for anyone involved in contact sports or who has to move fast and recover quickly–like Moms and Dads chasing kids around!

GOBLET SQUAT (Grind)

The squat has been the staple of most strength and conditioning programs since before the invention of the barbell–as well it should be. The squat develops tremendous strength in the legs, hamstrings and glutes. It also requires the athlete to establish and maintain bracing throughout the torso. Understanding how to squat well is one of the foundational movement patterns and one that is overlooked by many athletes; you know the ones – big guns and chicken legs. In the RKC System, the goblet squat is the primary squatting movement for a good reason: most people (even those who have been squatting for years) lack the strength, mobility, and awareness to squat safely and effectively.

The goblet squat establishes a solid structure for loading the posterior chain, reinforcing the anterior chain, and creating alignment in the joints that ensures safe loading and transitions. For some, the goblet squat takes on a more rehabilitative form since it trains the client or athlete to open their hips and use their knees safely and effectively while teaching how to avoid undue stress on the lower back. The only drawback of the goblet squat is that it cannot be loaded to the same extent as a barbell squat. The inclusion of the kettlebell squat with one or two kettlebells makes this point almost moot. Once again, you can’t go to extreme loads but the efficiency but efficacy of the squat with the kettlebell almost makes up for it.

TURKISH GET-UP (Grind)

The Turkish get-up (TGU) or just plain old “get-up” is new to this generation of athletes and has found many ardent followers. The TGU is relatively hard to categorize. Some people consider it to be a pure strength technique while others categorize it as a mobility or pre-hab/rehab tool. Regardless, the TGU is an essential tool in the quest to make athletes move better and develop integrated strength. With modest loads, the TGU can be used as a strength endurance tool; the stresses placed on the athlete getting up and down are phenomenal for conditioning and rival the dreaded burpee for the language they generate. With heavier loads, the TGU can be used to develop transitional and positional strength like no other technique that I am aware of. Mastery of a number of planes of movement, the ability to maintain tension and establish intermediate loading and unloading positions, are all challenges that must be overcome if you are going to be successful at doing the TGU. From a pure movement perspective the TGU is golden and adequately fills in the “groundwork” section of the basic movement pattern requirements.

CLEAN (Ballistic)

The kettlebell clean is often overlooked and under-appreciated when it comes to developing strength. But I will tell you this from the outset–show me someone with a weak clean and I will show you someone who has an even weaker snatch and military press. The clean is the foundation for all of the overhead ballistics and grinds with the kettlebell and it also establishes an efficient and powerful groove that will be reflected in the kettlebell snatch. The clean, just like the swing, is a foundational move that relies on a powerful backswing to get the kettlebell moving. But unlike the swing, the clean requires that the kettlebell be directed upward as opposed to outward. A “swingy” clean is ugly and painful as well as being inefficient. Once the kettlebell has been “cleaned” it is considered to be in the “rack”–and that is where the magic happens. The “racked” kettlebell is now being supported by a complex symphony of tension from the anterior and posterior chains and is ready to be cleaned again or (military) pressed or jerked. The stability of the kettlebell in the clean (racked position) has to be absolute if it is going to be used to grind the kettlebell overhead via the military press or as a ballistic via the kettlebell jerk.

MILITARY PRESS (Grind)

The military press (MP) is the first overhead technique in the RKC System. The MP trains full body tension, bracing or “wedging” of the body under the load, efficient grooving (the path the kettlebell takes), the overhead lockout, and much more. More than just a mindless pressing movement with the kettlebell, the MP trains the client or athlete to drive from the ground up to press the kettlebell overhead, hold the lockout, and then to pull the kettlebell back into the racked position of the clean. The last five decades or so has seen the MP being supplanted in most strength and conditioning programs by a heavy emphasis on the bench press. While the bench press has many and varied benefits the MP is (in my opinion) superior to developing integration with the torso and power from the upper torso that translates over to many sporting and daily functions. The MP can be very frustrating for both sexes as well. Men who have a “big bench” find that they have puny MP’s. Women who have strong legs and good kettlebell swings are stymied by trying to get even a light load safely overhead. With a little practice and some determination, both groups will find their strength improve and will reap the benefits of being stronger overhead (especially when it comes time to snatch the kettlebell).

SNATCH (Ballistic)

The kettlebell snatch is a riddle wrapped in an enigma. It looks so easy and effortless when you watched it done by a well trained practitioner and it can also look like a tragedy in the making when done by someone without the proper coaching. As a ballistic technique it is comprised of many facets that appear to be one smooth and seamless movement (if done correctly). I have heard the snatch described as a “swing that ends up overhead” but I don’t think that is an accurate assessment of the movement. The swing is more like a clean that ends up overhead. I’ve always said that a “clean is a short snatch and a snatch is a long clean”. Why? Because the trajectory of the clean and the snatch are almost exactly the same; one ends up on your shoulder and the ends up overhead. But why is the snatch such an important part of the RKC? Because it trains the client or athlete to develop and master a number of skills and make them appear as one.

To master the snatch you have to be able to generate, manage, and absorb force; you need to be able to manage tension and relaxation; you need to be able to create and demonstrate positional and transitional strength; and so much more. Hopefully you can see why the snatch is held in such high regard and considered by some as the “King of the Ballistics”.

CONCLUSION

Six techniques – that’s it. With those six you have met all of the requirements of the six basic movement patterns with the exception of one: the carry. That’s pretty easy to fix with some farmers’ carries or walking with the kettlebell in the clean (racked position) or held overhead. Okay, okay – the pull is somewhat sketchy as well, although you are getting some great pulling work out of all the kettlebell ballistics. The addition of renegade rows or pull ups will fill that gap nicely as well.

Here’s the thing – there is no “perfect” system but the RKC comes darn close to hitting the basic requirements that any client or athlete needs to improve their movement, their athleticism, and their longevity. A nice balance of ballistics and grinds as well as a series of movements that hit every major muscle (and most of the minor ones as well) makes the RKC system “near perfect” as far as a strength and conditioning program goes – and that’s about all you can ask for in this lifetime.

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

RKC Kettlebell Hinge Analysis

July 2, 2014 By Mike Krivka 5 Comments

OVERVIEW
There are six basic movement patterns : Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge, Carry and Groundwork (i.e. Turkish Get Up, Rolling, etc.). A thorough understanding and utilization of these movement patterns will make you an exceptional athlete, a better rounded coach or trainer, and will allow you to move and grow old gracefully – which are no easy tasks. Tens of thousands of words have been written in regard to Pushing, Pulling, and Squatting; of late the Hinge, Carry and Groundwork have started to get some well deserved attention as well. Among all of the writing there are some real gems of information and guidance as to how to effectively implement the movements and safely execute them. One area that is referenced a lot, but not clearly defined and explained, is the Hinge. The Hinge is the basis for most of the Kettlebell techniques as well as the foundation for the barbell Deadlift. While it is being taught and practiced by athletes and clients every day there are still some issues with executing it safely and efficiently. The following several paragraphs are my attempt to clarify some “gray areas” regarding the Hinge.

A HINGE IS A HINGE… OR IS IT?
There is a lot of confusion as to what a Hinge is and what isn’t. If you spend any time on YouTube (and I do) you will see a wide variety of examples what people are doing that looks like a Hinge but in reality is something completely different. Let’s define the Hinge first and see if we can identify where people go wrong. First – a Hinge is not a Squat (but the Squat has a Hinge component; we’ll get back to this later on). The Squat requires maximum flexion of the Ankle, Knee and Hip and puts the butt parallel or below parallel. Second – the Hinge is not bending over or what some people call “The Sippy Bird”. Bending over requires that the Hip flexes and the head travels forward over the toes. This type of Hinge presents itself with people who are trying to “pull” the Kettlebell or Bar. Third – the Hinge is not done with a straight back – meaning upright, but a flat or neutral spine. When you do the Hinge, the backin its entirety, needs to stay neutral or flat in order to not only protect it but to “stack” is so that you can transfer power through it.

So we have three things that the Hinge isn’t – so what is it? The Hinge is a loading position that allows you to maximally translate energy from the ground via a ballistic extension of the ankles, knees and hips. This ballistic extension can then be translated into movement of the body or a secondary object like a Kettlebell. There are a laundry list of variables that will affect the volatility of your Hinge (and yes it should be a “violent” extension” but I’m going to save that for another RKC Blog posting). What I want you to imagine that the Hinge should be the position you feel that you can get the most drive or explosion out of. Think “jumping over a building in a single bound” and you’ll get what I’m talking about.

LEADING WITH YOUR HEAD
Here’s the nitty gritty about the Hinge: it’s all about initiating, generating power, and transferring power. And guess where the biggest errors occur? You’d think it’s with generating and transferring – but it’s actually on the initiation. You see when most people do the Kettlebell Swing (or Clean or Snatch for that matter) they explode out of the Hinge position leading with their torso and head (back to that Sippy Bird” thing). Don’t believe me? Then try the simple test outlined in the video below. The first demonstration shows the athlete trying to pull their way out of the Hinge position. This position is so weak that light pressure on the head stalls the whole body. The second demonstration shows the athlete driving up from the ground using their legs and finishing with a powerful Hinge movement. The presence of my hand on the top of the athletes head doesn’t deter them at all.

What you are going to find is that many of your athletes and clients are paying lip service the Hinge but are actually generating power through their lower back and acceleration of their head. It’s going to startle many people when you are able to stop them dead in their track with gentle pressure on their head; careful when you try to demonstrate this because you can easily tweak someone’s neck or back if they try to “fight” their way through the obstruction. Here’s the thing – you can train the Hinge in this manner and get reasonably strong and stay injury-free for a long time. But… and it’s a big one… you are not going to be able to generate as much power as you could if you don’t learn to initiate and follow through with the Hinge from the ground up.

Think about the Hinge this way: the best way to generate power is from a fixed object outward or upward (like the ground). If you are initiating your Hinge by driving off the ground with an explosive push from your feet, the force will be transferred though the ankles to the knees, the knees into the hips, and ultimately into the Kettlebell. This is generating power in one direction. If you are inadvertently generating force by using your lower back and head (once again think “Sippy Bird”) then you have force being generated both upward towards the head and downward towards the ground and only a percentage of that will be able to be transferred into the Kettlebell. Once again – watch the simple hands-on test and cueing that I demonstrate in the video and you’ll see that the most efficient and powerful way to create force in the Hinge is through initiating through the ground up.

WISDOM FROM A MASTER
Marty Gallagher is a master in the realm of strength. He has made a career out producing world record holding athletes, writing about the iron game (have you read his opus “The Purposeful Primitive”?), and working with Tier One Special Operators. To say he knows what it takes to be strong and get strong would be an understatement. I’ve had the pleasure of sitting down and talking about strength training with Marty on a couple occasions and I always come away with insights that are light years away from where I currently am. For instance, we were talking about Barbell Deadlifting (DL) and how many of the current crop of DL’ers you see start way too high and are facing down when they initiate the movement. Sure, you can get the bar moving there but you’re never going to reach your potential using that technique; not to mention you are putting unnecessary stress and strain on your back. According to Marty the best “pulling position” for the Barbell DL is the shins and the torso at almost the same angle – this allows you at to drive off the ground with the legs (squatting) and then transferring the load into the Hinge to complete it. Once again – the Hinge completes the movement; it’s not the whole movement.

So how does this apply to the Hinge in regards to the Kettlebell? Directly! Do not pass Go, do not collect five hundred dollars! While pulling a heavy barbell Deadlift and performing a heavy Kettlebell Swing may look radically different they have a lot of similarities (and several differences). If you look at the Hinge from this perspective it will radically change how much more force you can generate (using the biggest muscles and drivers in your body) and will lessen your reliance on using your arms to move the Kettlebell. Several things that make a difference between the two are the position of the load during execution. The barbell has no choice but to stay in front of the shins during the movement; this will change not only the loading but also affect the angles of all of the major joints. With the Kettlebell you have much more latitude for positioning the load (those pesky shins don’t get in the way) and you can put it between and behind your feet to allow a more direct and powerful loading of the hips, glutes and hamstrings.

Don’t let my explanation of the positioning on the barbell Deadlift and Kettlebell Swing confuse you! The point I am trying to make is that when you are practicing a technique that utilizes the Hinge the key factor is how you are initiating the movement. Are you driving through the Hinge from the ground up or are pulling through the Hinge with your arms and head? There is a HUGE difference and the results are profound…

CONCLUSION
What I’ve outlined above may be common knowledge to some and, even after a video and over a thousand words, will still be a mystery to others. That’s okay! Watch the video, re-read the above post and see if you can work out the specifics on your own or via experimenting with your athletes or clients. The purpose behind the test I demonstrated is not to frustrate or confuse you – it’s to show you a simple and effective way to ensure that your athletes or clients are using the safest and most effective way to generate power for Kettlebell ballistic techniques.

Thanks for your time and attention and I look forward to your feedback and questions!

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…It’s Only the HKC!?!?

March 18, 2014 By Mike Krivka 5 Comments

I’ve had the honor and pleasure to attend pretty much every certification that Dragon Door has offered for over a decade and I’ve always been impressed with the extremely high quality, professionalism, and thoroughness of each and every one of these events. The quality of the instruction and the enthusiasm of the attendees are unparalleled. So when I heard a recent attendee at an HKC certification make the comment “Why are you being so picky? It’s only the HKC?” I had to respond; but only after I was able to excuse myself, get a drink of water and splash some cold water on my face, and come back and address the question with a level head and something approaching my normal blood pressure…

Introduction

The HKC is comprised of a full day of instruction on three tremendously powerful, important and effective techniques:

Kettlebell Goblet Squat
Kettlebell Swing
Turkish Get Up

A whole day to cover just three techniques?!?! Yes–and even with a whole day to cover them, and a handful of variations, you are still only scratching the surface on how to use, apply, and perfect them. These three techniques will make a huge difference in you and your client’s strength, mobility, athletic ability and longevity. While at first glance they seem to be simple to execute and master you will quickly realize that to truly understand them will take thousands of repetitions and hours and hours of work. At the end of the day you will not only be able to safely and effectively know how to execute these three key techniques, but more importantly you will be able to spot good and bad technique, sequencing errors, and weak links in these core movements.

The Heart of the RKC

The HKC is the heart of the RKC. It is the strength, conditioning, and mobility foundation that it creates that will allow you to move onto more technical and challenging techniques. Without the understanding of the Swing, Goblet Squat and the Turkish Get UP being successful at the RKC would be impossible. The bedrock that the Snatch, Clean, and Military Press are built upon is the HKC–and they are also the foundation that the RKC II is established upon as well.

I have heard the HKC referred to as “RKC-light” or the “mini-RKC” and this is far from the truth. The HKC introduces three essential movements that set the foundation for more advanced ballistics and grinds as well as preparing the athlete to understand how to generate, absorb, and redirect force; key and game changing principles that are essential to high-level performance. The HKC is anything but a “light” version of the RKC–it establishes the awareness of a high quality movement baseline that will follow the athlete from the gym to the field, court, or streets.

Dan John, one of the most sought after and influential strength and conditioning coaches of our era, changed the paradigm for the composition of a complete training program from the time honored “push, pull, and squat” to something much, much more. According to Mr. John an athlete needs to train in the following six areas:

Push
Pull
Squat
Hinge
Carry
Groundwork

When assessing where athletes come short in their training programs, in other words, trying to figure out where they have gaps in their training, you need to look at what they are doing and what they are avoiding. Consistently you will find that most athletes are able to rattle off their Bench Press and Squat numbers but start to mumble when you ask about the rest of their training program. They are invariably short in their Pull, Hinge, Carry, Groundwork, and (quality) Squat movements.

So what does this have to do with the HKC? Everything! If you were to augment the athletes (or your clients) training program to include more quality work in Squatting (Goblet Squat and variations), Hinging (Kettlebell Swings and variations), and Groundwork (Turkish Get Up and variations) you would make a huge and lifelong difference in how they move, perform, and recover. Filling in those gaps would make that much of a difference in the short term as well as having a huge impact on how the move and feel in the coming years. NOTE: I didn’t address the weakness in the Pull movement but that can be easily filled by Pull Ups (think Convict Conditioning) and by Farmer Walks (do a search on YouTube; there are lots of good examples).

Who Should Attend the HKC?

If you are truly interested in improving how you move, feel and perform as an athlete you need to attend the HKC. Even if you have no intention in ever teaching someone else how to use a kettlebell, but odds are you will share this newfound knowledge, you should attend. If you are interested in making a huge dent in your weaknesses, be they strength, mobility, or conditioning, then you need to make the investment in yourself and attend.

If you are a coach or trainer that is looking for a way to “round out” your athletes or clients then the HKC is the answer! Most athletes will hide between the movements that they are comfortable with and have no interest in learning new movement and loading patterns unless you can demonstrate and explain the benefits behind doing Goblet Squats, Kettlebell Swings, and Turkish Get Ups. Attend the HKC and you will be armed with this knowledge and much, much more.

If you are in the Military, Law Enforcement, or Fire/EMS service then you are desperately in need of a fast, efficient, and powerful training program that meet the physical demands of your profession. The foundation created by Goblet Squats, Kettlebell Swings, and Turkish Get Ups will go a long way in keeping your body in peak physical condition to be able to perform your job at a high level and return home, safe and sound, at the end of your tour, shift, or rotation. Because of the time commitment that all of these professions require you need to have a training program that will allow you to train efficiently as well as have carryover into your day-to-day tasks–you would be hard pressed to do better than the information that is presented in the HKC.

If you are a “Coach Potato” or “Weekend Warrior” then you can benefit more than you can imagine. This minimalist approach to training can augment, compliment, or out and out replace your exiting training program; and if you’re not doing any strength and conditioning training on a regular basis then this is a great place to start. With these three powerful techniques you can lose fat, gain muscle, move better, feel better and add quality years to your life – and have fun doing it!

Conclusion

If you are interested in improving how you move, feel, and perform then I strongly suggest that you look at the HKC as the answer to your strength and conditioning questions. The training that you will receive at the HKC is an investment in your health that will pay dividends for the rest of your life. It will be an experience that will change your concept of what effective training is and set a foundation for additional skills that will make you stronger, more mobile, and more effective in your sport of choice; even of your sport of choice is “life”.

Still not sure if the HKC is for you? Then I challenge you to get on the Dragon Door website and reach out to an HKC in your area, or anywhere, and get their feedback on the training they received and how it has impacted their lives. I think you will be surprised on how excited they are about the experience and how much that one day has influenced their training and their lives.

NOTE: If we ever get the chance to meet face to face, and I hope we do, please don’t ask me who said “It’s only the HKC!?!?” I have been sworn to secrecy and I can’t tell you who it was. That doesn’t mean I can’t send you a link to a website through an anonymous email account though… just kidding! My lips are sealed!

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Perfecting Squat Mechanics with the Prying Goblet Squat

October 2, 2013 By Angelo Gala 1 Comment

If you have been exposed to the strength training systems of the RKC, then one could assume that you are no stranger to the benefits of squatting. The exercise enthusiast may look at the squat as an important movement utilized on a daily basis, but more commonly as an exercise made famous by its ability to cultivate copious levels of strength for the practitioner willing to put in the grueling work.

What happens when we no longer are able to access the full range of motion of such a fundamental pattern? It’s easy to give up on the lift—excusing age, bad knees or tight hips—and prioritize more of our time training the deadlift, but it has been noted by both Ido Portal and Gray Cook that the bottom position of the squat was formerly considered a position of rest and stability.

Shouldn’t we all make the effort to restore and maintain a movement that is so basic and primitive? The good news is that a little twist on a familiar drill can re-open the door to possibility and help take back the promised lands!

One of the most fundamental movements taught under the curriculum of the HKC is the Goblet Squat. To me this exercise is highly overlooked and its effects are easily understated. Though this is not a lift that will build slabs of flesh that hang off of your knee caps, it is a requisite lift that will teach your body how to properly balance, engage and stabilize throughout the start and completion of the movement creating greater potential for awesomeness down the road.

As is the case with many things that are good for us, there is a way to add to the Goblet Squat making it just that much more amazing!

First let’s look at the HKC standard for the Goblet Squat:

1. The back must remain neutral through the entire rep.
2. Your knees track your toes.
3. Your heels and toes should be planted.
4. Make sure to inhale down and exhale on the way up.
5. Your hips and shoulders must ascend at the same time.
6. Your hips and knees should extend fully at the top of the exercise.

Now let’s put this into application and teach you how to “feel” the movement.

Position yourself slightly behind a light kettlebell with heels shoulder width apart and toes slightly turned out. To find your start position, pull yourself down into the bottom position of a squat where the top surface of your upper thigh by the hip crease is lower than the top of the knee. If mobility is a known issue then sit low enough where the hips begin to slightly tuck under, but not low enough to lose a natural lumbar curve. Focus on keeping a neutral spine with an emphasis on lumbar lengthening. You should be able to feel your hamstrings and outer hips fire and begin to heat up. Avoid collapsing at the hips and resting on our heels with a rounded back at all costs.

Now that we have established the proper start position, reach your hands forward to grab the horns (outside handles), of the kettlebell pinning your elbows to the insides of your knees. Be sure that the boney part of your elbow touches the soft part of your knee, not to be confused with the softer inner thigh muscles. Still emphasizing your long spine, perform a double bicep curl bringing the center of the KB handle to your collarbone while simultaneously using your elbows to drive your knees apart. This “prying” effect will help loosen up tight adductor (groin) muscles that inhibit the outer hips from activating.

Now to teach your legs how to stabilize the squat by actively driving your knees away from your elbows, to create roughly 1-2 inches of separation between elbows and knees. Pause here to feel your deep outer hips activate, and then finally stand up to a complete lockout, raising your hips and shoulders together.

In order to finish the lift, actively tighten your hip flexors and hamstrings to pull your hips back to the bottom position of the squat. Just like the ascent, be sure to drive your knees apart while you reach the top of your hamstrings to the back of your heels.

Once you return to the bottom of the squat, place your elbows back against the soft part of your inner knee and re-extend your arms reaching the kettlebell down to a hover off of the floor. This will pry your knees apart again and set you up for the next rep. Be sure to keep the hips active and counter any forward lean by lifting your chest.

This drill is extremely beneficial when practiced before a squat session to help dial in the movement pattern and engage the posterior chain. Utilizing a small rep range of 1-2 sets of 6-8 reps will be enough to warm up the outer hips and legs in preparation to tackle a more rewarding set of double kettlebell front squats or high bar back squats.

Give this drill a go and keep me posted on how it affects your deep squat mobility and stability under heavier loads.

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

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