group fitness

To Open or Not to Open? A Georgia Gym Owner’s Dilemma and The Story So Far…

May 25, 2020 By Kristy Agan Leave a Comment

Regardless where you find yourself politically, our current culture is turbulent for everyone. Business owners are faced with very tough decisions right now. We risk alienating some, or possibly losing our livelihood. In recent weeks I have found myself struggling with how to make the best decision for everyone involved. I reached a profound conclusion…you can’t please everyone. And, if you are like me, you are in the same seemingly unwinnable spot.

My decision came down to choice. I had to choose whether or not to open my business back up and provide people the opportunity to make a decision for themselves. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter what political party you are a part of, or if you’re part of one at all, but I believe we all have a choice. My choice is still to provide my clients with a safe environment for them to be able to continue their journey that we have been on for a very long time.

Many of my clients are choosing to stay home and I will continue to send them programming until they are ready to return. But those who choose to come to my facility are now allowed to do so. This decision has warranted some heated debates & comments from some that I was putting people’s health at risk. Trust me, as the mother of a child with a weakened immune system I understand the risks. But I also understand the risks of not taking care of ourselves physically and mentally.

I do not own a mega gym. My facility is small, easy to control, and easier to keep clean then larger facilities. With that said, I do feel like I am at an advantage compared to larger corporate gyms who are facing an uphill battle keeping facilities clean and managing social distancing guidelines.

For the eight weeks that I was closed, I taught my clients online or sent them workouts for them to do at home. But the number one thing I heard every day was how they missed the personal interaction with me and with their fellow gym members. I’m not sure at the end of the day what is special about me, but that was the common thread. People wanted me there with them on their journey.

While online training is a great option during times like these for many people, humans by nature are a social species. Because of this need for human connection, nothing replaces in-person quality training. For this very reason, I made the decision to open as soon as my state allowed me to do so.

My clients are more than a paycheck. They are an extension of my family and my goal every day is to take care of my family. Despite this, I still struggled with my decision to open. I knew there would be clients (and people in my city) who would not support my decision. I also knew there would be many who would.

At the end of each day, it still feels like a massive balancing act between providing a safe/clean environment, being vigilant to not put people at more risk, being sensitive to those who aren’t ready to return, answering questions & comments from those who don’t support my decisions, and still providing good solid programming for those who step through my doors.

No one will know whether or not we as business owners are making the right decisions. Those answers may not be clear this month, next month, or next year. But I do believe that we have to keep moving forward. Moving forward will look different depending on what set of lenses you are viewing your world through and your individual circumstances. Either way, what better way to keep moving forward then with people you trust. At the end of each day, I feel like that’s what I have…people who trust me.

Our Experience So Far…

Since my re-opening three weeks ago, things have gradually started to come to life as expected. I have seen a handful of clients quit completely, for fear of being at the gym with other people. I have a few clients who are remaining at home due to current health issues, or the health issues of a family member, but I am providing them with online workouts for as long as they need them.

But thankfully, the majority have returned to their normal training times at the gym. The ones who have chosen to return are all very respectful of people’s space and everyone is pitching in to help clean up equipment between classes. My facility is around 4500 square feet and classes usually range from 5 to 12 people so we have plenty of space to spread out. I have three hours between each group training session which allows us to clean after each use. Being a smaller facility definitely provides me with an advantage as I can more easily control my headcount and keep the facility much cleaner than if I had a larger space.

If you are a gym owner who is struggling with the decision of opening your business, I can’t make that decision for you. Depending on where you live, staying closed may be the best decision. For some of you, the best decision may be to open. But that decision is now left up to you and you alone.

Do some soul-searching, and determine what path is best for you and your clients. If your clients are as invested in you as mine are in me, they will support you regardless of what path you take.

7 Guidelines for Keeping it Safe

If you are thinking of opening your doors here are a few things that I do on a daily basis to keep my clients safe:

Keep a certain number of people in the building based on square footage. Check your State/Country’s social distancing guidelines and then follow them.
Clean equipment between every group training session or private client. Although this means more expenses for cleaning supplies, It will go a long way towards making your clients feel safer.
Provide training times for the clients who feel comfortable coming in, but be willing to also provide online programming for those who just aren’t ready yet. These workouts need to be simple and easy to do with little to no equipment. During times of stress your clients do not need workouts that will just put more stress on their bodies.
Provide them with plenty of bodyweight or kettlebell workouts if they have the equipment, but make sure to include lots of mobility or yoga that will address mobility/stress issues.Right now many people are working from home and sitting even more than normal so mobility segments are more crucial than ever before.
Do not allow children to come into the gym. It will keep head count lower and leave more room for clients.
Require clients to wash their hands before and after their workouts as well as wipe down any equipment that they use before they leave.
Provide disinfectant wipes throughout the gym for cleaning equipment, as well as, have hand sanitizer dispensers mounted in the front and rear of the gym.

At the end of the day, how we tackle this new normal of ours should be up to us as individuals. Some of you reading this article do not feel comfortable opening your business and I believe it is your right to remain closed. Some you want, or need to open, and I believe it is your right to do so. But throughout your decision-making process, be sensitive to your clients expectations, fears, and the world around you. Be smart and provide your clients with a clean and safe environment, as well as, provide options for training at home should they need or choose to do so.

Regardless of what side you find yourself on amid this chaos, let’s choose to encourage each other and support each other as gym owners, as trainers, and as citizens. We are, and will remain, stronger together.

Wondering how my clients have felt about the reopening experience?

I asked! And some of them have been kind enough to comment:

“COVID-19 has definitely changed the way a lot of us live our lives. From the way we shop, interact with others and travel our lives have been altered due to this pandemic. One thing that has stayed the same through all of this is my love for KA Athletics. When I walk through the doors of KA I am greeted by Kristy whom has the warmest smile and makes her gym feel like the safest but deadliest place all at the same time.

As soon as KA was able to open those doors again I came running. I knew before this pandemic that Kristy’s gym was clean and safe due to her dedication to her gym and community she’s created. Those four walls might be just a “gym” to some but to Kristy that’s her passion, livelihood, heart and soul. There was no doubt in my mind her space was as clean as it possibly could be. The only thing dirty in her gym were the looks I might give her and her workouts on the board. To add though like most people I go to the gym to better myself and my body. Although my body needed the gym after quarantine, my mind needed it just as well.” — Carly Duke

“I don’t mind saying I have been cautious, not because I’m afraid, but because of immunosuppressant medication. Your online workouts have been my connection to physical wellness….I am so thankful for those! I desperately miss you, my trainer and my workout buddies! I will be back the beginning of June and can’t wait! Thank you for your support through this whole process!!!!” — Pam Green

“Kristy is fanatic about keeping the gym clean. After working out with her through Zoom, I jumped at the chance to get back into the gym as I knew she would take every precaution to keep her space clean for us. She genuinely cares for us like she does her own family. I am grateful for her courage to open back up amidst the controversy of doing such. And my body feels so much better.” — Ashlie Harper

“I have been training with Kristy for many years, and she is the absolute best. This is not only because of her knowledge and passion for training, but she really loves and gets to know her clients individually. I have a very medically fragile daughter who depends 100% on me to meet her daily and living needs, so I am unable to step foot in public right now. My anxiety and stress levels have been triggered more and more lately, and I am so grateful to Kristy for providing me with home workouts each day. Not only do they help with my mental health, but she keeps me accountable and on track with my health and fitness goals, even during this difficult time.” — Jenn Morash

“Until I had to stop attending the gym due to COVID-19, I didn’t realize how much working out with Kristy Agan and my gym family contributed to my overall mental health. The comradery of the people I work out with and Kristy at the helm provided much more than a “workout “. As soon as I heard she was opening back up, I did not hesitate to return as I knew she was going to take the strictest precautions to protect us. Although she provided online workouts, returning to the gym was a relief mentally and felt like a big family reunion!!” — Emily Kitchens

“Thank you for a great workout this morning! I’ll admit I was nervous but after seeing the precautions and small group I felt better. I would not have gone to just any gym, and that’s the beauty of KA. I know the small group of people, I know you and I know we are all trying to be safe and sensible.” — Jennifer and Andy Bressette

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Kristy is a Senior RKC and PCC Instructor with DragonDoor. She also owns and operates KA Athletics in Rome, GA where she is joined by her husband, Joe Agan (PCC, RKC, HKC) and Donna Martin (HKC, RKC).

You can follow Kristy on Instagram & Twitter @kristyagan and Facebook @Kristy.Agan.Trainer. And don’t forget to follow KA Athletics on Facebook, Instragram, and Twitter @ka_athletics to stay updated on gym events.

How to Coach Effective Group Kettlebell Training

February 13, 2019 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment

William Sturgeon, RKC-II Squat Progression

We can all agree that group training can come with inherent risks if the participants are not coached effectively. Unfortunately, we have all also seen group fitness classes where students are performing rough looking swings, squatting with all of their weight on their toes, or deadlifting like frightened cats!

As coaches, it’s our responsibility to make sure that we always prioritize the safety of our clients and set them up for success in their training. It can be difficult to accomplish a level of high quality training in large groups—especially since groups tend to include people with different skill and fitness levels, past injuries, learning styles and other variables.

So, how do we control the chaos in group training—especially if we are using kettlebells? We begin by learning to regress and progress movements and exercises for our clients. Many coaches will choose a baseline exercise—and also have a regression and progression on hand to modify the workout or program as necessary.

How to Regress and Progress Kettlebell Exercises

Regressing and progressing an exercise for a given client can be complicated if you are not prepared. During an RKC certification workshop, you will learn many ways to regress and progress the Big Six for a variety of a clients. With the information from the weekend workshop—and reviewing your RKC manual—you’ll have many ways to cue, correct, and ultimately guide your clients through the progressions of the Big Six.

To begin, choose a baseline exercise—for example, a kettlebell deadlift, assuming a majority of your clients in class can do it. From the baseline exercise, choose one regression and one progression.

With our kettlebell deadlift example, the regressions might be raising the kettlebell on a yoga block, having practice an RDL, or if they’re absolute beginners or very deconditioned, they could work on fully mastering the hip hinge. You are the chef in your own kitchen and must decide what is best for your situation.

To progress the kettlebell deadlift, we can have clients perform double kettlebell deadlifts, eccentric deadlifts, explosive deadlifts, and many other advanced variations which can make this exercise more challenging. It’s always less of a mental challenge to make an exercise more difficult—it’s much more challenging to make exercises easier. Develop a collection of progressions and regressions to commonly use with your clients then modify them as needed for your specific group setting(s).

William Sturgeon, RKC-II, Hinge And Deadlift Progressions

Selecting the Correct Exercises

Choosing appropriate exercises is crucial for designing and evaluating your programs. While there are thousands of exercises you can choose for training your clients, all of the different tools and implements can lead to overly complicated workouts.

To simplify this process, begin by categorizing the exercises under consideration by movement pattern. For example, I might consider an exercise to be one of the following: lower body pull, upper body push, lower body push, upper body pull, mobility, single leg knee/hip, or core/carry. There are other classifications you can use, but this is what I use for my business.

Instead of trying to include every exercise you can think of, consider the population you are serving and their needs. Also take a look at what exercises you are typically programming for them. Keep it simple. If you’re work with general populations, your exercise selection will be minimal. This is extremely helpful when working with a group of clients who have different athletic abilities. Some clients will be more advanced than others, and some may have never touched a kettlebell before! It’s useful to have a systematic approach for running your classes.

Using Timed Blocks

When I first started leading group classes, I had a difficult time programming the workouts with just straight sets. The participants all moved at different paces, some people needed more coaching while others rushed through the workouts. There’s nothing wrong programming straight sets, but it can be difficult in a group class with a variety of fitness levels.

William Sturgeon Training Template

Using set blocks of time can help create a controlled environment for smoothly running classes. Set blocks of time allow you to attend to those who need extra coaching or attention, while allowing for clients moving at a faster pace to get more volume in their workouts—instead of finishing their set and waiting to move on.

Timed Training Session Example:

Warm Up together, 10 minutes
Block A 8 minutes
Block B 10 minutes
Block C 6 minutes
Block D 5 minutes
Cool Down, 5 minutes

While this example works very well for my group classes, please be sure to consider the individuals you are training in your group(s).

Having systems and structures to organize your programming is essential to running an effective kettlebell group class. Begin by choosing appropriate baseline exercises, choosing progressions and regressions for each, then breaking the session into timed intervals.

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

Kettlebells for Life

March 28, 2018 By Lori Crock 1 Comment

Lori Crock Kettlebell cossack squat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lori Crock assisting at an RKC Workshop

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Theda and Al Training Mobility

An Example Close to Home:

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

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

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

Kettlebell Training for Life

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

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

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

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

How to Lead the 10,000 Swing Challenge with Small Group Classes

August 3, 2016 By Lori Crock 9 Comments

Lori Crock MoveStrong Kettlebells

You may be familiar with the 10,000 Swing Challenge shared by Master RKC Dan John. In the challenge, you complete 500 kettlebell swings per day, five days a week, in a 30-day period.

In this post, I will share how I’ve adapted the 10,000 Swing Challenge for a small group class environment. My version of the plan lasts for a few months since my students are typically in the gym for class 2, 3 or 4 times each week. We do 100 to 300 kettlebell swings per class, so depending on how often they train per week, it will take 5-6 months for the average student to complete 10,000 swings.

In a 45-minute class, we prioritize swings but include many other lifts and movements such as the press, snatch, clean, squat, and Turkish get-ups. We also do carries and bodyweight movements such as planks, push-ups and pull-ups along with kettlebell and barbell deadlifts. Mobility is a high priority. We allot 10-15 minutes of class time for mobility drills relevant to the work we’re doing that day.

I like the 10,000 swing program for a small group class environment for three key reasons:

The challenge builds excitement for kettlebell swings and helps people set goals in a competitive but good-natured environment. We can see everyone’s swing totals on a white board, so we encourage, cajole and challenge each other to keep going strong. People often start doing swings outside of the gym when they can’t make it to class.

Everyone’s kettlebell swing technique improves dramatically, and that makes everything else we do in the gym better. Swings are fabulous for hip mobility, glute, back and abdominal strength, cardiovascular endurance, and overall strength and conditioning for life and sport.

Our other lifts and movements naturally get stronger when we do more swings. When we do barbell deadlifts every two weeks, we see PRs nearly every time when we have increased swing training. Snatches are easier, cleans are stronger, grip improves, and torso strength goes through the roof.

In my experience, there is no downside to this program as long as students learn safe technique from an RKC instructor. Students must also be careful to keep up with mobilizing tight muscles, continuing to train other lifts and movements and not to overtrain.

Lori Crock Group Kettlebell swings

Programming Guidelines:

Use one and two arm kettlebell swings as the base of the program. Include hand-to-hand swings, too.
Use other types of swings, but less often—examples include low swings, pendulum, eccentric, walking, double kettlebell, dead-stop, and mixed double kettlebell swings.
Have students perform their swings individually, or with a partner (or in two groups) using a you-go-and-I-go format. Try a “swing wave”: when one person finishes their swing, the next person starts their kettlebell swing.
Use complexes, chains, ladders, pyramids, and AMRAP (as many reps as possible; we use 2-10 minute sets) workout formats to create challenging sessions.
Encourage your students to swing different weights. Do sets of 30-50 swings with light kettlebells, and sets of 20 with moderate weight kettlebells. Use heavier kettlebells for sets of 5, 10, or 15 swings with 30 to 60 seconds of rest. Try swinging heavy, medium and light kettlebells in succession. There are no rules or limits other than to simply be smart and don’t overdo it.
Use “duos” to practice other skills at the same time with these combinations: swing-snatch, swing-clean, swing-squat, and swing-high pull.
Pair mobility work with swings for practice and recovery; see the get-up and swing training example below.

Small Group 10,000 Kettlebell Swing Challenge Training Examples

Deadlifts, Get-Up Mobility, and 120 Kettlebell Swings

Warm-up: T-spine mobility, RKC hip flexor stretch, and RKC arm bar

Sumo deadlifts: 5 sets of 5 reps, then 5 sets of 8 reps while progressively increasing the weight

Get-up to post 3L + 3R
3 x 10 two-hand heavy kettlebell swings
Get-up leg sweep and crooked arm bar in half-kneeling 3L + 3R
3 x 10 two-hand heavy kettlebell swings
Get-up high bridge 3L + 3R
3 x 10 two-hand heavy kettlebell swings
Get-up step-back lunge and step up with kettlebell overhead 3L + 3R
3 x 10 two-hand heavy kettlebell swings

Mobility cool down: 5-10 minutes (include a full get-up on each side)

Work-Rest Interval Kettlebell Lifts, Carries and 160 Swings

Warm-up: Squat mobility, hip openers, shoulder circles, lunging, skipping and crawling

Goblet squats: 30 seconds on, 20 seconds off x6
Carry: goblet lunges x10
Two-arm kettlebell swings: 20 seconds on, 15 seconds off x 6
Carry: single kettlebell suitcase walk or lunge 10L + 10R
Push-press: 30 seconds on, 15 seconds off x6
Carry: single kettlebell overhead walk or lunge 10L + 10R
Clean: 20 seconds on, 15 seconds off x6
Carry: single kettlebell racked walk up to 2 minutes on the left side then repeat on the right

Finisher: 100 hand-to-hand swings

Mobility cool down: 5-10 minutes

Swings, Squats, Push-ups, and 200 Kettlebell Swings

5 rounds:

Two-hand walking kettlebell swings: 10 reps, active rest with fast & loose, 10 more reps
Single kettlebell racked squat, 5L + 5R
Push-ups: knee or strict 1-20 reps (or Hardstyle plank or tall plank for 30 seconds)

5 rounds:

Single-arm kettlebell swings 10L + 10R

Mobility cool down: 5-10 minutes

Bottoms-Up and Swing Variations with 300+ Kettlebell Swings

Warm-up: choose a light kettlebell for halos, good mornings, French press, prying goblet squat, RKC hip bridge, planks, t-spine bridge. Include wrist and finger mobility, and shoulder rolls

3 rounds:

Bottoms-up cleans: 5L + 5R
Bottoms-up clean to squat: 3L + 3R
Bottoms-up clean to squat to press: 3L + 3R

5 rounds:

Two-arm pendulum swings: 20 reps

Complete the following sequence of two-arm kettlebell swings without putting the kettlebell down:

5 reps low swings
5 reps standard swings
5 reps eccentric over-speed swings

6 rounds:

Windmills for recovery (choose a light kettlebell or no weight): 3L + 3R

AMRAP kettlebell swings: do as many single-arm swing variations as possible in 5 minutes. Choose standard, pendulum, hand-to-hand, low and dead-stop swings with various kettlebells.

Lori Crock Group Kettlebell deadlifts

If you’ve used the 10,000 kettlebell swing challenge with your clients in a small group format, please comment below to share your experience.

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Lori Crock is an RKC Team Leader, PCC instructor, FMS-I & II, USAW-I and owner of MoveStrong Kettlebells in Dublin, Ohio. Lori teaches small group kettlebell, bodyweight and mobility classes to all ages and fitness levels. Lori can be reached at lori@movestrongkbs.com, www.movestrongkbs.com and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MoveStrongKBs/

Fitness Freedom + Play = Increased Strength and Conditioning

May 6, 2015 By Lori Crock 1 Comment

Lori Crock Movestrong KB Pull Up

Fitness classes are social by nature and lend themselves to incorporating occasional play components to explore new, interesting and challenging movements and lifts with less structure, measurement or a set goal.

I call this Fitness Freedom.

The keys are:

1) Keep it exploratory

2) Give the student some control over how much they do and how they do it, and

3) Keep it safe.

Note: Play is not training riskier than usual; it is practicing relevant skills in creative ways when your students are ready for it.

You can encourage creativity by using different fitness tools and combinations of movements that feel physically and mentally freeing, while still conditioning and challenging the body and the mind.

Stir the Imagination, Stimulate the Brain, and Reach into the Soul with Play

In Stuart Brown, M.D.’s book Play, he describes play “as important as diet and exercise to health.”

I agree.

So how do we incorporate play into our busy lives?

Our physical lives are the the perfect arena to explore play in a spirit of fitness freedom.

But we should already be thriving and enjoying our physical training–the everyday work should still feel fun.

Adding occasional play components can rev up our skill set in a new way and still be compatible with our current training methods.

For example, bottoms up kettlebell carries are challenging, but feel like play to me, and I like to find new ways to challenge myself with them. In the video below, I am balancing and moving mindfully with a kettlebell in the bottoms up position.

Often play starts out one way, and morphs into another way once our imagination kicks in.

Play is in the eye of the beholder and only limited by the imagination.

This opens the door to learning, creativity, improvisation and advanced skill development as individuals explore movements and lifts in a relaxed and exploratory environment.

I like to practice a climbing technique that I refer to as a jungle-up, and that often leads to practicing other hanging/pulling techniques on our suspended pullup bars. The jungle-ups condition the body for all types of bodyweight movements.

How Do Students Respond?

Some students enjoy the change … the freedom, the laughter, the ability to set their own limits and to try something new.

Others may tell you they prefer more structure with the reps, sets, and specific goals, but those are probably the students who will gain the most from fitness freedom.

How Often to Incorporate Play into Small Group Classes?

Play works well as an occasional warm-up component, a finisher, between sets, or as the main element of a lighter training day.

It can also be ideal for special occasion classes (holidays, open houses, family and friends events, special workshops, hump day, etc.)

You might decide to include a play component in Saturday classes when people are not rushing off to work and they have a more relaxed mindset. Or, you could add it as a recovery tool at the end of each round of a strength circuit

Play Examples for Small Group Kettlebell Classes

The Kettlebell Ameoba… often we are standing in one spot while we swing, clean, press, snatch, etc. Getting outside and moving as a group while we handle a kettlebell can feel playful while providing some great conditioning.

Sample Ameoba Programming with a Single Bell
(We use this is two teams, outdoors, and rest after each set of 10 paces.)

Walking 2-arm kettlebell swings – 10 paces down and back
1-arm suitcase carry – 10 paces down and other arm back
1-arm racked kettlebell lunge – 10 paces down and other arm back
Goblet hold and shuffle sideways – 10 paces down and back
Your choice carry – 10 paces down and back
Finish with single kettlebell figure-eight practice in the grass.

The Kettlebell Swing Wave… this idea came from Superb Health where we did it with a large group event. We used it when the Ohio State Buckeyes (our local team) were off to play for the national football championship. Our heavy 2-arm swing wave lasted as long as the Ohio State fight song and we started the swing as soon as the other person had the bell in the air–wave style.

Hand-Foot Crawling with Torso Stability Animals… the dog toys I keep in the gym for our occasional furry guests, come in handy when we are hand-foot crawling (great for warmup or as part of a circuit.) If the animal falls off a student’s back, add another animal and another to help them zero in on tightening their torso and moving the shoulders and hips.

Roxanne… playing the song Roxanne (or any song) and squatting (or any movement) every time you hear the word ‘Roxanne’. This is a great for warmup or a finisher–thanks to one of our gym members for this idea.

You-Go and I-Go Swings in Teams… two teams (one at a time) do 2-hand heavy swings in a 10-9-8 … 1 ladder (and maybe back up). We maintain active rest and cheer on the opposing team as they swing.

Kettlebell Figure-8s / Kettlebell Juggling… moving the bell in this way feels like play, but requires concentration, coordination and strength. Go light if you are new to this and make sure the flooring can handle an occasional dropped kettlebell — or better yet, head outdoors in the grass, to a volleyball sandpit or to the beach.

Push Exploration… set up an area with yoga blocks, Neuro-Grips, kettlebells for students to explore various push variations such as uneven push-ups, planks, kneeling fingertip push-ups, one-arm Neuro-Grip holds, ab wheel and so on. Not familiar with some of these? You might want to check out the PCC workshop. This is great fun. great conditioning and as a coach, you get visual feedback about your students’ strengths and weaknesses. We also use Pull Exploration with lots of hang and pull-up variations.

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Lori Crock is an RKC Team Leader, PCC, MovNat-II and FMS-II strength and movement coach based in Dublin, Ohio (Columbus area.) She owns MoveStrong Kettlebells where she practices fitness freedom with her students who continue to amaze, inspire and educate her in small group classes. Lori can be reached at lori@movestrongkbs.com, www.movestrongkbs.com or on Facebook.

Stumped on Warm-ups?

April 16, 2014 By Laurel Blackburn 5 Comments

Laurel Blackburn Stretch I remember being a newly minted RKC back in 2009. I couldn’t wait to get back and start training clients. I had a head full of knowledge and a heart full of pride and excitement.

One of the things that stumped me a bit was doing warm ups and movement prep for my classes. Yes, we learned some basics such as the pumps and hip flexor stretches, but after doing that class after class, I was looking for something more. Something my clients and I wouldn’t get bored with doing before every class.

As I continued with my education through Dragon Door and the RKC, I was able to add to my knowledge and my toolbox. By taking the CK-FMS in 2010, I learned about compensations for proper movement, and how to correct them. I added many of the correctives to my own movement prep/warm up as well as my classes.

I noticed that my client’s movement improved and their performance skyrocketed. The workouts that followed a good movement prep helped them perform the Kettlebell exercises with much better form. The better the form, the more they got out of our workouts.

My classes are thirty minutes and many of my personal training sessions are thirty to forty minutes, so I was looking for something that I could do with them that didn’t take a lot of time. The movement prep had to hit all of the areas that are crucial to getting the most out of their workouts. The movement prep also had to give me the most “bang for my buck” in addressing some of the most common problems I see in many of my clients such as ankle, thoracic spine mobility and proper breathing techniques. Again, I added to my arsenal by continuing my education by taking the Primal Move certification. This certification was the final piece of the puzzle in providing my clients and myself with everything needed to address the biggest movement and mobility issues.

I took everything I’ve learned through certifications and workshops and came up with my own movement flows. They are quick and easy and my clients enjoy them.

I’ve included one of my favorites and I will be posting a lot more in the near future. I hope you enjoy this, more importantly, I hope your clients enjoy them. Let me know what you think and please let me know if you have any special cases or issues with your clients that need specific drills. Chances are I have a movement flow that will address these issues.

Have fun and get moving!

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Laurel Blackburn is an RKC Team Leader and owner of Boot Camp Fitness and Training and Tallahassee Kettlebells. Look for Laurel at www.bootcampstogo.com or www.tallahasseekettlebells.com.

At 51, she is out to prove that age is just a number. Her goal is to motivate and inspire people everywhere, both young and old that strength, flexibility and mobility can get better with age. Follow her adventures on her blog: www.SuperStrongNana.com.