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RKC School of Strength

Official blog of the RKC

hip hinge

Olympic Lifting’s Best Companion

November 16, 2016 By Maciej Bielski 2 Comments

Maciej Bielski kettlebell press

Almost everyone knows that kettlebell training will help your progress with barbell exercises. Unfortunately it doesn’t really work the other way around, until you’ve built up monstrous levels of strength.

The ballistic nature of the kettlebell swing and the coordination and stability required for a successful heavy kettlebell get-up both feel very different when compared to barbell exercises.

As an amateur weightlifter with over 14 years of practice, I’m certainly not dismissing barbell training. My kettlebell training actually began as a supplement to my barbell lifts—and every single minute of kettlebell practice has been worth it.

Since adding heavy one-arm kettlebell swings to my training, my grip has gotten stronger than ever, and my lower back is stronger and more solid for barbell deadlifts. Bottom-up kettlebell squats have helped me stay upright and composed for very heavy barbell front squats.

Until you get hooked on kettlebells, you might not appreciate the value of using the comparatively lighter weights associated with kettlebells as compared to barbells.

Maciej coaching barbell

Like most weightlifters, I had some issues with my lifting form. In the Olympic lifts and their variations, the second pull was my nemesis. I just couldn’t get the timing right. I trained with straps, pulled from blocks, tried all kinds of variations—but I still couldn’t get it. The timing of the hip snap is so essential for a powerful acceleration of the barbell. The kettlebell cure was silently standing nearby, but I didn’t understand that until the RKC Workshop.

After the RKC certification, I devoted more time practicing what I learned at the course. Most of my life, I have practiced martial arts and knew that while the basics may be boring, they build the solid foundation of every single aspect of your training—and in life. In my own training, I have spent a lot of time on the basic kettlebell swing.

After being taught the proper kettlebell swing mechanics, I bought some heavier kettlebells and started swinging them regularly. I did sets of 10, 30 and 50—for fun and conditioning.

I focused on pulling the kettlebell behind myself, before I accelerating it with my glutes. Locking the quads and bracing the core as a split-second break at the top of the swing taught me more than the past few years of weightlifting alone. I now understood that my movement pattern had been causing the problems in my Olympic lifts. After establishing a solid foundation for the hinge—and its dynamic variations—it can easily transfer to the second pull of many Olympic barbell lifts.

Maciej with kettlebell and barbell

Since that realization, I focused on kettlebell training and stopped Olympic lifting for about three months. I practiced squats, deadlifts and presses but with minimal volume and heavier loads because I was worried that I’d lose some of my maximal output.

But, when I came back to Olympic lifting and tried barbell snatches again, the bar went up so fast on the first attempt that I almost couldn’t control it!

Since then, I’ve applied the same training plan for my clients and students. It’s worked for them as well—no one has problems with the second pull anymore. It used to be the trickiest part of many lifts, but the problems have been eliminated with our kettlebell practice.

The Hardstyle kettlebell swing is a clever teaching method for the hip snap, which is crucial for the correct mechanics on the second pull in weightlifting.

If you don’t want to struggle as long as I did with the second pull of the Olympic lifts, be sure to train with a certified RKC instructor so you can learn the right way to swing kettlebells. Soon, you’ll see the barbell fly up faster than ever before.

Maciej and Max Shank

 

***

Maciej Bielski, RKC is the owner and Head Coach of Crossfit Trójmiasto in Sopot, Poland. He has been very active in martial arts for most of his life. Maciej academics were specialized in physiology and physical effort biochemistry. He now is exclusively focused on coaching. He is currently the leading specialist in Athletic Training and Training Methodology in Poland. He gives lectures and teaches workshops in many locations including Mauricz Training Center. Visit his blog at Ugot2BeStrong and click here for more information about RKC in Poland

Filed Under: Kettlebell Training Tagged With: hip hinge, hip snap, kettlebell training, Maciej Bielski, Olympic lifting, RKC Poland, weightlifting

The Who, What, Where, When and Whys of the Hinge and Wedge

April 15, 2015 By Nick Lynch 6 Comments

Margaret Domka Goblet Squat
Margaret Domka, 2015 Women’s World Cup utilizing the Goblet Squat

Three Examples of World Class Athletes Who Hinge and Wedge:

  • As seen above, Margaret Domka is performing a kettlebell goblet squat in her training for the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Goblet squats and hill sprints. She sprints when the goblet squat is correct, but not until then. First one must obtain the wedge and a proper hinge before sprinting. Margaret has shown a proper hinge and wedge which is why she’s fast and strong and therefore, going to the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Hurrah!
  • Nathan Mackinnon is ranked as the fastest skater in the NHL. Chris Hamelin is a gold medalist in speed skating. Both of these world-class athletes faced off in a short race. Both utilize a very strong and present hip hinge. To actually see what I’m talking about, take a second to search “Nathan Mackinnon vs. Chris Hamelin”. Pause the video when both athletes are in their starting stance. Take note of the hinge!
  • Nine-time gold medalist in sprinting, Carl Lewis, clearly utilizes both the hinge and wedge. His body is connected as one. Take a second to Google Carl Lewis and you’ll see a 0:54-second video. Watch how Carl moves his lower body without breaking the hinge. Carl runs like a 9-time gold medalist, not like a bulldog.

Carl Lewis, Margaret Domka and Nathan MacKinnon are not the only great athletes to have utilized a powerful hip hinge and wedge technique. Spend a few minutes watching the greats such as Michael Jordan in his defensive position, 2014 #1 center in the NFL Alex Mack, and so on. There is a secret which has been exposed thanks to all of us and you within the RKC community and that is this; Hardstyle training works for both high level athletes and pretty much everyone else too!

What is the Hinge and Wedge?

Hinge: move through your hips with minimal flexion through the knees. Stand on your right leg and raise your left knee up to 90 degrees–that left hip would now be hinged. Optimal hinge is approximately 80 degrees as seen on the image below. We hinge to load the largest and most primary muscle groups in the body, the gluteal muscles. Because we’re utilizing primary muscle groups during a hip hinge, our explosive power is greater. Bigger muscles provide bigger output. This is also the main reason why people who use Hardstyle kettlebell training techniques burn so many calories per minute. “They were burning at least 20.2 calories per minute, which is off the charts. That’s’ equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace.” -Dr. John Pocari, UW-Lacrosse. These large muscle groups require much higher caloric output to function.

Andrea Du Cane, the longest standing and first female Master RKC is showing an approximate 80-degrees hip hinge with the single arm swing.
Andrea Du Cane, the longest standing and first female Master RKC is showing an approximate 80-degrees hip hinge with the single arm swing.

Wedging: is tensing the whole body while in a standing position. Your shoulders are packed, hips and knees are locked out, and abdominals are at maximum tension. We wedge to connect our lower body with our upper body. When the lats are contracted they pull down on the shoulders and bring our upper body closer to our center of gravity and hips. Wedging connects the upper and lower body as one! Think of a standing Hardstyle plank. It’s possible to achieve an almost constant wedge-like posture throughout the movement with enough practice. You know who utilizes such a posture with sports? Only the best!

Two Awesome Exercises for Hinge and Wedge

Two exercises which enhance the hinge and wedge are the Hardstyle swing and Turkish get-up. Regardless of your skill level with kettlebells, the Hardstyle technique will enhance your overall athleticism. With 8/10 runners in America injured, it’s clear we have some serious imbalances which need fixing. First we’ll need to get strong enough to hold the wedge while running and performing other physical activities. Ever seen a bulldog walk? Ever noticed the similarities between a bulldog’s stride and someone jogging down the street? Arms are crossing over the torso while the legs are flopping all over the place. Not good!

3 Tips for Enhancing the Wedge and Hinge in the Turkish Get-up

  • Hold the each stage for 5-10 seconds while packing the shoulders and pushing your knee out
  • Shrug and re-pack each stage of the get-up
  • Squeeze the handle as hard as you can at the pause in each stage of the get-up

TGU at Milwaukee RKC Workshop

If hinging your hips and wedging your torso is good enough for the best athletes in the world, I think it’s safe to say it’s good enough for you, me and our loved ones. When I get a room full of athletes at the start of another season and tell them we’re not touching any weights until we get the hinge and wedge down they look at me like I’m nuts. But after 4-6 weeks of hinge and wedge practice they double their mobility, speed and strength. Although they still look at me like I’m nuts they’re happy with their gains. Start simple; train simple and the results will be simply amazing!

I’ll leave you with a picture from the 2014-2015 MSOE (Milwaukee School of Engineering) Men’s Hockey Team. We started the season with loads of injuries, a losing record and 14 freshmen. We’ve finished the season nationally ranked, zero injuries, beat the #1 team in the country and went to the semi-finals in the toughest conference in the country. We hinge and wedge!

MSOE Hockey Team

***

RKC Team Leader Nick Lynch is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Milwaukee School of Engineering University (MSOE). He owns Superb Health Milwaukee, a kettlebell studio in Milwaukee, WI. Most recently, he became an RKC Team Leader. He has 13 years of full-time training and coaching experience and a lifetime of wellness education. Nick lives in Milwaukee, WI with his wife Natalie and son Weston.

Filed Under: Kettlebell Training Tagged With: athlete examples, athletes, Athletic Training, hinge, hinge and wedge, hip hinge, Kettlebell, kettlebell swing, kettlebell technique, Nick Lynch, wedge

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