kettlebell training

Putting the Power into the Power Swing

January 2, 2019 By Kristy Agan Leave a Comment

Kristy Agan RKC Team Leader Power Kettlebell Swing

When I was introduced to kettlebells in 2006, how to start the kettlebell swing was not something that I was taught. Upon entering the world of RKC, I learned the importance of the beginning of the swing. I was amazed by the instant improvement in my technique from solely focusing on how I started my swing. After all, the start of the swing is where we generate all of our power. If we don’t learn how to begin the swing, then we only end up with terrible looking, inefficient swings. In this blog post, I want to specifically discuss the power swing, sometimes known as the dead start swing. The power swing is a drill that I love to use in my own training and with my clients. Unfortunately, and even after a workshop, it’s easy to forget this humble but effective drill. So, we should revisit and use it that much more in our training.

What is a Power Swing?

In short, it is the “hike to stand” and “back to the start” portions of the swing, repeated for reps.

The power swing is super effective for teaching solid swings because it:

Teaches and reinforces the “hinge” and “back swing”.
Teaches us to create “pulling” power from the lats.
Strengthens the hike to stand portion of the swing—which is where all the power for the rest of our swings in the set comes from.
Increases strength in the hamstring & glutes—much like deadlifts and power cleans.
Correct posture issues in the start position, or will very quickly reveal weaknesses that need to be addressed ASAP to avoid potential injury.
Crosses over to stronger lifts, specifically the barbell deadlift.
Carries over into stronger plyometric movements such as jumping and sprinting, making it essential for athletes.
Teaches a strong start of the swing leading to stronger cleans and snatches.

The power swing can be taught to and used with clients when they are just learning or even struggling with their technique. I like to use “fast and loose” intervals for active recovery when teaching the power swing. It keeps my clients moving, but allows extra recovery time for the hips, hamstrings, and glutes.

If you have clients who especially need to work on their mobility, try super sets of power swings with a mobility drill. They’ll be able to address the mobility issues revealed during their practice sets.

Here are some examples of mobility drills to super set with power swings:

If the client has a rounded back, use the wall hinge drill or thoracic bridge.
If the client doesn’t finish through with their hips at top of the swing, superset with the RKC hip flexor stretch, bridge, or frog stretch.
If the client pulls the kettlebell up with their shoulders instead of snapping their hips, superset the power swings with the towel drill.

How to Teach the Power Swing

Set hike position
Swing once and return to start

Repeat up to 10 rounds depending on the client’s fitness level and technique issues. Add in mobility and/or corrective drills between rounds as necessary.

For high performing clients, you can turn power swings into a grueling strength workout by increasing rounds and/or number of reps per round. Be sure to design the workout with the safety and skill level of the client or group in mind.

In the video below, I purposefully selected a wide range of clients to show how a power swing routine can work for a group with a variety of fitness levels—which most trainers will see any given day. The clients in the video range in age from 18 to 62. Both men and women are following the routine. The group also includes a breast cancer survivor, a client who had hip labrum surgery, a few HKC certified instructors, and a few beginners who learned to swing kettlebells only a week before this video. The finisher in the video is also suitable for a mixed group. Obviously, I can make it much harder for my advanced clients, but for the sake of this video I kept it simple. We focused on the power swings with a few short breaks.

For more specialized groups—martial artists, youth athletes, advanced adults, pair higher rep (or heavier kettlebell) power swings with tougher movements such as burpees, full bridges, advanced push-up variations, renegade rows, heavy kettlebell floor presses, fast & loose drills, and/or sport specific drills.

Below is a short clip of my husband and I demonstrating a ladder routine with power swings and push-ups. Before you begin the routine, line up three kettlebells from light to heavy. Perform three swings with the light kettlebell, two swings with the middle kettlebell, one swing with the heavier kettlebell, and finally one push-up. Each round, increase the push-up reps each round. Set a timer for ten minutes and see how many rounds you can do well. It’s simple, but effective.

Our swings are only as good as the power we are able to create from the ground up. Just like with any sport, teaching and drilling the fundamentals are how star athletes are born. When we forget the fundamentals, we lose our edge. The power swing is a fundamental element many of us are missing in our Hardstyle kettlebell training. It’s time to go back to the fundamentals that made us the solid RKC instructors we are today. It’s time to practice the power swing!

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RKC Team Leader Kristy Agan is also a PCC Instructor, American Council of Exercise (ACE) and TRX qualified personal trainer. She owns and operates KA Athletics in Rome, Georgia. Kristy also maintains an online training business kristyagan.com. Follow Kristy on Instagram @kristyagan and Twitter @kristyagan or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Kristy.Agan.Trainer

How Long Should It Take To Do One Kettlebell Get-Up?

August 29, 2018 By Ryan Jankowitz Leave a Comment

Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Coaching Getup Practice

Occasionally, trainees ask me how long a get-up should take when they’re first learning how to do one. I think it’s a really great question and I’m glad when they ask it—because it means that they are probably starting to really dig kettlebell training. But, my answer always seems to surprise them just a bit. When I tell them that a solid get-up takes at least 30 seconds per side, they start to realize that this exercise requires patience.

My best get-ups tend to take around 36 seconds (clearly, I love to time things). It seems to take about 36 seconds for me to feel like I am owning each stage of the get-up while taking my time.

Each stage of the get-up is equally important and demands equal attention. If one stage is rushed or not performed well, that weak link may negatively impact the rest of the movement. There’s nothing worse than trying to adjust your position while holding a heavy hunk of iron over your head.

I’ve found that going back to naked (no weight) get-ups or using a very light kettlebell with a 3-5 second pause at each stage for several reps is a great drill for reinforcing patience. These drills also allow you or your client to get very familiar with how each stage of the get-up should feel.

Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II and Master RKC Michael Krivka demonstrate the get-up at a recent HKC workshop in Gathersburg, MD. — Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II and Master RKC Michael Krivka demonstrate the get-up at a recent HKC workshop in Gaithersburg, MD.

My intent in writing this blog post was to create a discussion and learn what other kettlebell instructors and enthusiasts think about the timing of a get-up. Have you found an optimal time for the get-up? How long do you think a kettlebell get-up should take? Please leave your answers in the comments section at the end of this post.

I feel that being patient with kettlebell training pays off big time in the long term. In a time when people want to do more exercises faster and faster, sometimes slowing down is actually the best approach.

Performing one repetition of the get-up masterfully is far superior to performing ten sloppy reps. Really, this can be said for any exercise—quality over quantity. If you take your time and master the basics, the rest will fall into place.

All of my best kettlebell lifts and personal goals have come years after I first picked up a kettlebell. I’m in this for the long haul and sometimes I have to remind myself to slow down.

Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

Stay Strong.

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Ryan Jankowitz, RKC-II Instructor, CK-FMS, is a life-long athlete who can’t imagine sitting behind a desk. He enjoys sharing his passion for fitness and spreading the RKC knowledge. Ryan provides online kettlebell training and in-person training in the DC Metro area. You can reach him at ryan@rjkettlebell.com or through his website rjkettlebell.com.

Beyond the See-Saw Press: Two New Variations

August 8, 2018 By Nick Collias Leave a Comment

Z-Saw Kettlebell Press Nick Collias
Some lifts just never feel quite right, no matter how hard we try to force them to do so. Others are a willing dance partner from the first rep. And from the first time I tried it, the see-saw press just felt right.

Unlike the single-arm press, which took months (er, years) to share the ideal groove, the see-saw offered it up instantly. And because it’s a rhythmic push with a bit of a pull (or an eccentric push that feels like a pull), it demands that all manner of anterior, posterior, lateral, and deep core muscles get in the game of tug-o-war. Any experienced RKC can tell you that this extra activation usually allows you to get 2-3 extra reps, maybe more, with any given weight than what you’d manage with either single-arm or double-arm presses.

That translates to extra strength, extra volume, extra activation, and extra-efficient training. Extra awesome.

Those are all reasons to try the see-saw press. But they’re also reasons to explore different variations of the movement. Here are two variations that have quickly become my two favorite presses, period.

To be clear, I make no claim to inventing either of them. Somebody else probably did long ago. I just happened across them in my training, picked them up, and am now passing them along.

Z-Saw Press

This is nothing more than a seated see-saw press in a straddle position, or what is known as a Z-press. But that alteration changes the lift dramatically.

What I dig about it:

Sure, it brings the wicked shoulder pump, but it also ties in more total upper body musculature than any press I’ve tried—even more than the standing see-saw press. All the postural muscles of the upper back light up, but so does the core. When those groups are both working hard, I know I’m doing something right.
Lumbar hyperextension is pretty much impossible with this lift. Not so with the standing see-saw. This makes it a great way to work around an achy lower back, or just one, like mine, that just doesn’t like to work hard early in the morning when I tend to train.
No clean is needed. That’s not an advantage or disadvantage; it’s just a feature of the lift. This means it lends itself more cleanly to an upper/lower split, if you prefer that approach.
Perhaps because the upper back and core are so integrated, I find it also lends itself better than other press variations to grinding out a few hard reps at the end of a set, while still being safe on the shoulder joint.

This is one reason why I like it with a DeLorme Protocol-style approach:

10 reps light, or around half of 10RM
10 reps medium, or about .75 of 10RM
10 reps with more or less a 10RM

Z Saw Kettlebell Press Side view Nick Collias — Look forward or look up; either way, your postural muscles and pressing muscles will both work overtime.

Keeping a set at a 10RM or lighter also keeps you from having to figure out how to get two seriously heavy bells into position. Just curl it up and go.

One more technique note: In a recent email, Master RKC Andrea Du Cane mentioned that she recommends most people—men in particular—sit on a yoga block or something similar during Z-press variations, because otherwise they often struggle achieve a neutral pelvis and spine position on the ground. Me, I like something about half to two-thirds yoga block-height, like one of those hardcover college textbooks you haven’t done anything with in a long time. The Modern Library edition of Plutarch’s Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans is just about perfect.

Swollias Press

This movement took on my nickname at work (I do work at Bodybuilding.com, after all), simply because I’d never seen it before, and the nomenclature alternatives are all pretty complicated. “Alternating see-saw kettlebell thruster,” anyone? No thanks. Let’s go with Swollias.

As with the Z-saw, this isn’t a new lift so much as it is a combination of existing ones. Here’s how to do it:

Clean a pair of kettlebells, either from a dead stop or with a swing. You can do it with two matching weights, or two uneven ones. It works great with both.
Perform a single front squat, and on the way up, press one of the kettlebells up while keeping the other in the rack.
Lower the top bell into the rack. A second clean is optional here.
Squat again, and on the way up, press the other bell. You can then set the kettlebells down and shake it off before going again, or you could keep piston-pumping reps as long as you want.

What’s the advantage? Well, having a bell in the rack means you’re forced to keep an upright torso and tight core. I like the single-kettlebell thruster, but find it can get a little sloppy and forward-leaning under fatigue. This variation holds a little firmer, in my experience.

"Swollias" Kettlebell Combo Sequence Nick Collias — Lots of cleans, lots of squats, lots of time in the rack. What more do you want?

On the flipside, it doesn’t require the same level of thoracic mobility as a double-kettlebell press or thruster, and once again, lumbar hyperextension is hard to slip into with this variation. Definitely not so with the double kettlebells.

With heaver weight, I like to treat these as a little mini-complex, kind of like Dan John’s “Armor-building” complex of two cleans, one press, and three squats. One round of clean, squat, press, clean (optional), squat, press every 30 seconds, or on the minute, is a great routine. Do it for 10-20 minutes, and it adds up to lots of cleans, lots of squats, lots of time in the rack.

Alternately, you could use a lighter weight, up the reps, and just see what cries “Uncle” first.

How To Use These Lifts

There’s a time to train like you’re chasing something—say, a half-bodyweight press for an RKC-II certification—and there’s a time to train like you’re not. And when I’m not chasing, I like to mix my presses up. A lot.

For the last few months, my favorite way to do this is to use Dan John’s press and suspension strap circuit from this article on Bodybuilding.com as a template, and swap out press variations based on whatever feels good that day. Both of these press variations have been regulars in the batting order.

Don’t confuse this with “program hopping,” that oft-maligned symptom of exercise ADD. The parameters and the basic movement patterns don’t change much; just the specifics do. If I want to change every workout, fine. If I want to do the same thing for three weeks, fine.

This approach keeps me excited to train, allows me to sneak into moderate rep PRs regularly, but also allows—or maybe forces—me to learn and explore new lifts, either those that I see out in the world, or that I cook up on my own in a moment of living room inspiration. These are two of the latter. Enjoy!

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Nick Collias, RKC-II, PCC, is the executive editor at Bodybuilding.com, and the host of the Bodybuilding.com Podcast. You can read and hear more of his work at Bodybuilding.com.

How and Why to Practice Slow Motion Kettlebell Get-Ups

June 13, 2018 By Shari Wagner Leave a Comment

Shari Wagner Slow Motion Get-up

At a Dragon Door workshop back in 2010, a Senior RKC taught us how to do slow motion get-ups and my life was forever changed!

In theory, slowing down a get-up sounds simple enough—but you know what they say about “simple but not easy”! When I tried a slow motion get up for the first time, I noticed that I wanted to go through it way too fast. At the workshop, we were instructed to try and take a full minute to get from the floor to standing, and then another full minute to get back to the floor.

I was amazed. Simply slowing down the pace of the get-up amplified every nuance of each step and each movement. The weight is also amplified. At the time, I was able to do a solid get-up with a 16g kettlebell—and sometimes a 20kg. I scoffed when they told the women to use an 8kg kettlebell. Quickly, I realized that when moving slowly, an 8kg kettlebell is no joke! Time under tension is increased—and the whole move is much more difficult.

I found that certain parts of the get-up were excruciatingly had to do slowly—and that the steps requiring mobility in areas where I was tight were the most difficult of all. This slow motion drill was a great lesson. It taught me where I needed to improve my mobility, and where my strength and movement quality needed help.

Shari Wagner kettlebell Get-up Slow motion get-ups are different than doing a get-up at a regular pace and pausing at each step. Perform a slow motion get-up as though you’re watching yourself on video, frame by frame. Definitely pause at each step to check yourself (just as you would in a regular get-up) but move in super slow motion from one step to the next. At first, you may want to try slow motion get-ups with no weight. It’s surprising how challenging this drill can be!

If you find a step where you aren’t able to move in slow motion or where you naturally speed up, then that’s an area that needs some work. You may need to mobilize your hips, shoulders, and/or your thoracic spine. Or, it may be that an area needs more strength and stability. Attack the issue from all angles, but if you feel like your body is stuck, then it’s usually because of a mobility issue.

Another way to improve your technique is to take note of asymmetries in your movements from left to right. These movement asymmetries can also be caused by immobility or lack of strength and/or stability.

Improve Mobility Challenges With These Drills:

When practicing the half get-up (at the elbow or posting to the hand) insufficient thoracic mobility can cause people to slump forward or be unable to get into a tight position with the shoulders packed and the side of the body straight. Another compensation for poor thoracic mobility is compensating by arching the lower back.

Here’s one of my favorite drills to improve thoracic mobility:

Rotational thoracic mobility is also important for the get-up, since the half get-up and half windmill phases are in the transverse plane. Here’s a helpful drill:

For shoulder stability, I love the simplicity of a good waiter’s walk. During the drill, really focus on using your lats to hold your arm overhead. Think about drawing your entire arm and shoulder down into the socket.

The “standing bird dog” is a great drill that delivers a double whammy of shoulder stability, core stability and strength in both areas. Dan John describes it in detail in the Hardstyle Kettlebell Challenge. Start by pressing the kettlebell overhead. Set the arm and shoulder in place, as in a waiter’s walk. Then, lift the leg on the same side (raising the knee up) and hold. When you can no longer keep your balance, put your foot back on the ground and then raise the other leg. Hold then switch the kettlebell to your other arm and repeat the drill.

Good luck with the slow motion get-up and these mobility drills. Please leave your comments below if you’ve tried them before, or if you try the drills for the first time now!

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RKC Team Leader Shari Wagner, RKC-II, PCC, CK-FMS owns Iron Clad Fitness in Denver, Colorado. She can be contacted through her website at IronCladFit.com, email: info@ironcladfit.com or by phone 720-900-4766. Follow her on Facebook: facebook.com/IronCladFitness and Twitter: twitter.com/IronCladFitness.

Rubik’s Get-Up

May 2, 2018 By Annie Vo Leave a Comment

Annie Vo Get-Up Rubiks Cube
When I first learned to perform a get-up, I was unsure of its purpose. It seemed almost like a series of random movements, ultimately resulting in getting off the floor. Of course, being able to get off the floor safely has its advantages, but even when progressing with resistance, it was still somewhat of a mystery to me.

Sometimes in order to understand new information, it is helpful to liken it to something old. The use of analogies in teaching has been shown to have a positive impact on the way we process new data. Analogies foster learning by highlighting the similarities between what we already know and that which we seek. The mind is complex.

Over the years I have come to think of the get-up like a Rubik’s Cube.

The Rubik’s Cube is a 3-D combination puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Erno Rubik. Originally called the Magic Cube, the goal is to align all of the color-coded squares on each side through a series of pivots. The shifts of the cube are smooth, tracking on an internal core track until the final destination is reached. The cube is considered incomplete if the sides are not aligned appropriately.

Although it is widely misreported that Dr. Rubik created “the cube” to be a teaching tool to help his students understand 3-D objects, his actual purpose was to solve the structural problems of moving parts independently—without the entire mechanism falling apart! In many ways, the get-up has the same goal.

Each movement in the get-up is a pivot from the body’s core joints—the hips and shoulders. The pivoting should be smooth. Once the position is established, all “sides” of the get-up cube should also be aligned. The spine must be straight throughout the get-up. The body’s center of gravity must be balanced between the limbs. The angles of the hips and shoulders positioned to provide maximum support and stability. Each limb, joint and muscle must be arranged and coiled underneath the weight overhead to create a solid foundation.

As you develop your technique, you are likely to discover information about how you move, including strengths and weakness, balances and imbalances, and which areas should be developed. Your get-up is your sculpture. It is constantly evolving. The way you perform each pivot, swivel and shift can reveal or obscure what is truly beneath the surface. If you rush it, then you’ll miss the point.

As a Senior RKC Instructor, I’ve had the privilege of teaching the get-up to hundreds of coaches and kettlebell enthusiasts, spanning a multitude of backgrounds. Throughout my tenure, I’ve noticed that there are three common places in the get-up where symmetry and alignment tend to get neglected, even among experienced get-uppers. Here they are:

Initial Shift to the Elbow

The get-up begins in a lying position and is initiated by rolling up to your (unloaded) side. It is to be performed without any jerking or momentum. Imagine your trunk is one unbending steel rod that must be adjusted by wedging between the hip and shoulder. The result is a straight, stacked vertical line from the ground to overhead—a track as clear as the pathway of a Rubik’s Cube’s axis.

However, often the shoulder of the planted arm is forgotten in the pursuit of this vertical line, and sags forward. This is usually the result of not knowing how to find the alignment, and overcompensating. In short, it may feel like it’s lined up but it isn’t. If this is the case, there is unnecessary pressure on the front of the shoulder. To avoid this, make sure to preserve your vertical line by employing the support of the greatest shoulder stabilizer you have—the lat.

Problem shoulder position—Shoulder is rounded and relaxed.

Proper shoulder position—Shoulder is aligned and lat is packed.

Shift to the “Tall Sit”

When moving from the elbow to the straight arm seated position, the support shoulder has a tendency to rotate forward, therefore “exposing” itself and falling out of alignment. The support arm is arguably the most important part of the “tall sit” portion of the get-up because it determines whether you will be able to support your overhead weight (and bodyweight) while your legs swing under you. The support arm (and opposite leg) are responsible for supporting the body as it is lifted and rotated like a Rubik’s Cube.

To perform this transition with the greatest mechanical advantage, make sure your shoulder is in line with your planted hand and also rotated back and down, to ensure that the lat muscle is engaged.

Problem shoulder position—Shoulder is rounded forward.

Proper shoulder position—Shoulder is rounded back and in line with the hand.

Leg Sweep (both directions)

From the “tall sit” position, rotate your leg under your body, and place your knee on the ground. Sometimes people don’t bring the leg far enough under, on the way up. Remember, the angle of your hips should be roughly 90 degrees. Picture how difficult it would be to twist Dr. Rubik’s contraption if its sides were unaligned.

Conversely, a common mistake on the way down is to place the supporting hand (rather than the knee) out of alignment. It’s important to keep your grounded hand extended just beyond the knee. A visible, vertical line should begin from the grounded hand, up through both shoulders, and overhead, ending in the kettlebell held firmly at the top.

Problem knee position—The knee is not drawn underneath far enough creating a less than 90 degree angle at the hip.

Problem hand position—The hand is placed out of alignment from the knee.

Proper hand, knee, shoulder alignment—Hips are at 90 degrees and a vertical line is created from grounded hand to KB.

These are time-tested tips to help improve your get-up. You’d be surprised how often revisiting these basics can help improve overall performance. Do not lose sight of the fact that your training is constantly evolving and never be afraid to revisit your foundation.

“Mind the edges of the cube or else Hell will literally break loose”

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Annie Vo, Senior RKC, PCC Team Leader is a personal trainer, fitness writer and presenter in New York City. Contact her through her website annievo.com.

Finish Your Training Session With The Kettlebell Squat Massacre

April 25, 2018 By Frank Delventhal Leave a Comment

Frank Delventhal's Kettlebell squat massacre

A great training session often ends with a crisp finisher to expend any extra energy. At the end of a recent session, my students weren’t very enthusiastic about doing Dan John’s “6 Minute Squat Challenge” (one goblet squat every 30 seconds and staying in the lower position during the break). I like Dan John’s finisher, but my students wanted something with more variety. One student commented that they’d “rather have something nice, like a mixed grill plate.” That inspired me to name their finisher “Katrins Grillteller.” (Grillteller is the German word for mixed grill plate.) When I asked them if they wanted to do the squat challenge or the “Grillteller,” the decided to choose the “Grillteller” since they didn’t know what it would be. Afterwards, they renamed it the Kettlebell Squat Massacre.

Requirements:

All participants should be proficient in the following squat variants: double kettlebell front squat, single kettlebell front squat and the goblet squat. Be sure to review the correct form for each move and ensure that everyone is safe to complete this intense workout finisher.

Directions:

Have everyone form a large circle. Since most people will accidentally decrease the size of the circle during this finisher, mark the boundaries of the circle with small items.

Each person should choose a kettlebell that they can squat with for many reps. When performing the finisher, everyone squats at the same time—down and up when the trainer instructs them to do so. When everyone is standing again while keeping their kettlebell in the rack position, they march to their next spot on the circle. When everyone is in place, everyone squats together again. If someone’s kettlebell gets too heavy, they should quickly get a lighter kettlebell and rejoin the group.

For groups of less than four people, it’s best to do two rounds, otherwise one round is often enough. Each squat should be held in the bottom position for at least one full breath. Of course longer is always more “efficient.” Staying in the bottom position of the squat for a longer duration is the first way to make the finisher more difficult.

Procedure:

Everyone squats and stands at the same time. When everyone is standing with their kettlebells held in the rack position, it’s time to move forward again. This finisher is not a race, so there is no reason to rush the movements . Be sure to remember where you started on the circle, so you know when one round is complete. If the group is struggling to stay synchronized, be sure that you are giving clear instructions so that everyone can follow your commands.

As a trainer, I like to join in with this finisher. Normally I only lead the training and do not train myself. But I have found that if a coach joins this grind, then everyone seems to be more motivated. If you are the trainer, be fair to your students and pick an appropriately heavy kettlebell. Show that you can do what you expect from your students. “Shared pain is half of the pain.” The goal is for everyone to safely reach their limits and still finish.

Kettlebell Squat Variations

Double Kettlebell Front Squat

Frank Delventhal Double Kettlebell Front Squat

In larger classes it’s not always possible for everyone to have two kettlebells, but this is a great variation when there are not too many people in the group. Fewer people also means that there will be fewer stations on the circle for this difficult squat variation.

Single Kettlebell Front Squat (Left Side)

Frank Delventhal Single Kettlebell Front Squat

Pay attention to the time spent in the squat. At first, participants can stay in the squat longer when they’re “fresh.”

Single Kettlebell Front Squat (Right Side)

As above. Adjust the time spent in the squat, so that all can still hold a correct position.

Goblet Squat

Frank Delventhal Kettlebell Goblet Squat

Since the lower position of the goblet squat is relatively easy to maintain (and also a good mobility exercise in itself), aim to stay longer in the squat. So that “nobody gets bored”, while holding the squat, I recommend trying a few “kettlebell curls” since the elbows are already on the inside of the thighs. When leading the finisher, I will do the following reps: 1, 2, 3, 3, 2, 1. Don’t overdo it. And if you can do more than three curls, the kettlebell you’ve chosen is too light for the squats!

Crawling

The kettlebells are placed inside in a circle, then everyone gets on all fours and crawl once around the circle. Knees do not touch the ground, and keep the torso parallel to the ground. Imagine that you’re a moving coffee table

(Evil) Cardio Variation

Replace each kettlebell front squat round with kettlebell thrusters.

Frank Delventhal Double Kettlebell Thrusters

For an cardio intensive version of this finisher for very fit participants, try double or single kettlebell thrusters instead of squats. To perform this movement, squat down with the kettlebell, then use the explosive power of your squat to continue through your arms, pressing the kettlebell overhead. Since the kettlebell is already in motion from the power of the squat, you can lift heavier weights overhead than with a strict military press.

After the kettlebells are thrusted overhead, lower the kettlebells back to the rack position under control, then walk to the next circle position. For an even more difficult variation, keep the kettlebells overhead (“waiter’s walk”) and walk to the next point before bringing the kettlebells down to the rack position. This challenging variation is a good way to strengthen the shoulders and the top position of the lockout.

For groups with mixed fitness levels, advanced students can opt to do the thruster variation. If it becomes too difficult, the student can just switch back to front squats and walking with the kettlebells in the rack position. Be safe and use common sense.

The Unspeakably Evil Variation:

If you do the double thruster variation, add left and right single kettlebell thrusters before doing a round with regular double kettlebell front squats. (This variation is a good way to see how stupid tough you are.)

Adjustments for making the difficulty easier or harder:

If your kettlebell becomes too heavy to maintain good form, get a lighter kettlebell and rejoin the group.
For a more difficult finisher, do more rounds for each squat variations
Adjust the time spent in the bottom of the squat position
Adjust the time spent in the rack position before squatting down
A larger circle is more difficult, a smaller circle can be easier
Replace front squat variations with thrusters (let the kettlebells sink back into the rack position and then continue)
- To increase difficulty when doing thrusters, leave the kettlebells overhead while moving to the next spot on the circle
Do goblet squats with or without “kettlebell curls” at the bottom of the squat
For masochists, plan to do thrusters before double kettlebell front squats

Video Example (In German)

Conclusion

This is a “delicious” finisher that can be customized and made to be challenging for anyone. Even though it may sound complicated, it is in fact quite simple:

Everyone gets kettlebells and stands in a circle. They squat together, then move to the next position on the circle. When you reach the point on the circle where you started, switch down to an easier squat variation. The last round is crawling. Enjoy your “meal” and let me know how you liked it!

The original article published in German: https://hamburg-kettlebell-club.de/kettlebell-blog/144-katrins-grillteller-aka-kettlebell-squat-massaker.html

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Frank Delventhal, RKC2, PCC, 1 Dan Aikido, performing strongman. Visit his website: https://hamburg-kettlebell-club.de/

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

Why I Like Hardstyle Kettlebell Training

June 14, 2017 By Florian Kiendl 1 Comment

Florian Kiendl RKC Kettlebell Pistol

Whenever I use the phrase “Hardstyle kettlebell”, I find it funny that it is very descriptive if you know the style of training, but at the same time it’s very confusing for someone new to kettlebell training.

An outsider might infer that Hardstyle is a very harsh and intense style of kettlebell training. But, this is not the case. Obviously, any kettlebell work is relatively intense—and the only limit to that intensity is your own physical ability. But, that’s not the point of Hardstyle.

Hardstyle doesn’t defined how hard we train, instead it describes how hard we move. How hard a given workout seems will depend on the volume (total reps), density (time) and intensity (weight or variation) you choose. On the other hand, how hard you execute every single movement does not describe the overall intensity of your training session. A single Hardstyle swing feels more intense than its competition style counterpart, but that still does not depict the whole training session. In the Hardstyle community, we frequently joke about “being lazy” since we do fewer reps harder instead of more reps with lower intensity.

There Are No Hardstyle Kettlebell Competitions…

With Hardstyle technique, it is difficult to compare one athlete with another. For example, performing 100 true Hardstyle swings is a challenging workout, while doing the same number of 90% less than Hardstyle swings will feel much easier. An athlete using competition style technique might choose the same 100 swings as warm-up because his movements are intended to conserve energy.

Even in our well known and feared RKC snatch test, we do not ask for 100 true Hardstyle reps. This is not because it’s nearly impossible to work at the required pace with 100 % pure Hardstyle technique, but because it takes a very experienced referee to see the difference between 90 % snatches and 100 % snatches. The test is still hard enough—believe me. You can’t “win” the snatch test, it’s pass or fail only.

Florian Kiendl RKC Kettlebell Windmill

Why I Like Hardstyle Kettlebell Training

As Max Shank regularly says, “We are all unique little snowflakes and therefore everyone is different.” Some people can work with the same three exercises for years and make incredible progress, while others need to switch their program every four weeks to stay on track. Some people will need a clearly defined goal to work towards, while others work like mules day in and day out. Competitions can be a strong motivation for training, but that same motivation can come at a high price. Whenever you compare yourself with others (who naturally may be younger, bigger, faster, etc.) you will need to overcome your own limitations to defeat them. It is one thing to move past your limits through dedicated training as opposed to working past them by sheer will, or guts to win a competition. It all gets easier with practice, but you must pay your dues. Considering that most elite athletes quit competing before age thirty, the physical price must be high.

Florian Kiendl RKC Kettlebell Clean In my opinion, it is wiser to train in a way that gradually builds you up over time. Work for your health while prepare yourself for whatever might come.

Are You Against All Competitions?

No. If you are motivated by competition, then you should definitely make that personality trait work for you. And even if you don’t like competing, it is still a good idea to try it now and then to gain a better understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. But don’t compete in your training. Hardstyle kettlebell training can provide you with the physical and mental fortitude to succeed in almost any athletic discipline. Use it to prepare yourself for competing in your chosen sport. Obviously, you will also need to train the skills of your sport, but be careful not to mix skill training and physical preparedness. To improve your skills, you should always try to train when you are relatively fresh. When physical preparedness is the goal, you will need more load to force your body to adapt.

Have fun, train safely, and compete wisely!

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RKC Team Leader Florian Kiendl is a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and runs a Martial Arts Gym in a small town close to Munich (Germany). He made it his mission to help his students to improve their movement and overall health. In his search for ways to overcome the movement restrictions of his students (and his own) he found the RKC and now works together with Master RKC Robert Rimoczi and others to help as many people as possible to gain back their Strength and Agility. He writes a regular Blog at blog.kettlebellgermany.de and offers workshops all over Germany teaching the RKC kettlebell exercises: KettlebellGermany.de. If you have questions or comments on the article feel free to email him at florian@kettlebellgermany.de.

Swinging Through Pregnancy, Prenatal Kettlebell Training – Part 2

June 7, 2017 By Kathleen Walters Leave a Comment

Kathleen Walters RKC Kettlebell Snatches

This is the second part of a two-part series about top tips for trainers working with expecting mamas. In part one, we covered the first 3 tips for training pregnant women, and today we take a look at three more important points of advice for coaching women during pregnancy.

While each client’s needs will be individual, know what to look watch out for with exercise choices for pregnant women. Each pregnant woman will have her own limitations, but there are some common issues to watch for with your prenatal clients, such as Diastasis Recti or DR. DR is a separation between the right and left sides of the rectus abdominis muscle that affects approximately two-thirds of pregnant women. Unfortunately, most will not know that they have this problem, and most trainers do not know what to do about it.

Early in my pregnancy, I noticed that my belly was “coning” when I performed exercises like push-ups and planks—even though those are commonly recommended moves for pregnant women. After doing my own research, I realized that this was a sign of DR. When I mentioned this to my doctor, he told me not to worry about it since there was nothing I could do to fix it until after I had the baby. While my research confirmed I could not fix the problem during pregnancy, it also revealed that I could prevent making the problem worse by avoiding certain exercises.

When working with an expecting mom, assess her for DR several times as her pregnancy progresses. Avoid incorporating exercises in your programming that strain or twist the abdominals which can worsen the abdominal separation. Examples of exercises to avoid are: the get-up, windmill, push-ups, and traditional core exercises such as standard planks, sit-ups, crunches, Russian twists, v-ups, leg raises, etc. Additionally, clients should steer clear of exercises that create a risk of falling, such as box jumps. They may also not feel comfortable doing other “jumping” exercises like jumping jacks or jump rope, since these movements can cause increased pressure on the bladder.

Kathleen Walters double kettlebell Front Squat Beginning in the second trimester, it is also important to avoid exercises that require your client to lie flat on her back. This precaution can prevent the weight of the uterus from compressing the vena cava—a major blood vessel—potentially disrupting blood flow to the baby and leaving mom dizzy and short of breath. An easy way to work around this issue is to instruct your client to do these prone exercises, such as floor presses, on an incline instead.

Some of the best exercises to incorporate into a prenatal client’s programming include: goblet squats (which help prepare for labor), seated one-arm military presses, kettlebell deadlifts, suitcase deadlifts or sumo deadlifts, kettlebell swings (as the belly grows, single arm kettlebell swings may be more comfortable), single arm bent-over rows, and alternating reverse lunges. Single-leg deadlifts may also be appropriate earlier in a pregnancy, but it is best to avoid exercises that require great balance as the pregnancy progresses since balance will become compromised as the belly grows.

Remind your client that pregnancy is not the time to pursue personal records, instead she can work on improving her skills or beginning her journey with kettlebells. Prior to my pregnancy, I had never done a kettlebell snatch, but I spent a lot of time studying and practicing the movement while I was pregnant. My training focused on perfecting the movement’s form, and I never used a weight heavier than 8 kg. I also kept my training lower in volume.

Pregnancy is simply not a time to try to pursue a weight or endurance PR. While there are lots of photos and videos online of women who are nine months pregnant squatting and deadlifting very heavy weights, I discourage clients from doing these types of feats. Very heavy lifting can put unnecessary pressure on their pelvic floor, which can cause complications both during and after pregnancy. Pregnancy is also not a time to try to beat your previous times in high endurance sweat sessions. I remind clients that when it comes to strength and conditioning, the goal during pregnancy should be “to maintain and not gain”. Focus on skill development and form.

Kathleen Walters Kettlebell Hike

You might have a new client who is expecting but who was not physically active prior to pregnancy. It is still possible for this client to begin a training regimen, as long as she consults with her doctor, and you avoid programming strenuous and complex exercises. Instead, focus on foundational movements such as bodyweight squats, bodyweight stationary lunges, kettlebell deadlifts, seated military presses and bent-over rows.

Walking is also an excellent exercise to add to an expecting mom’s program, whether she is new to exercise or an advanced athlete. Walking is a full-body exercise that is generally safe to do throughout pregnancy. The intensity can be adjusted based on the client’s fitness level. Additionally, walking has been shown to lower the risk of certain complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. Walking can also help to relieve stress, elevate your client’s mood and give her some much-needed “me time.”

Encourage your client to listen to her own body. Training while pregnant requires a woman to be more in tune with her own body than ever before. When I was expecting, I avoided any movements that felt uncomfortable or strained, and I never allowed myself to become overheated or dehydrated. Prior to getting pregnant, I was always eager to push myself to exhaustion. After learning I was having a baby, I prided myself on taking it “low and slow”. Ultimately, this change allowed me to train consistently 4-5 days a week up until the day before I gave birth. I kept my weight gain within a healthy level, which helped me return to my pre-pregnancy weight less than a month after giving birth. Additionally, although I had never formally trained with kettlebells prior to pregnancy, my focus on skill and form prepared me earn my RKC certification just 7 ½ months after giving birth.

I look forward to sharing the knowledge I gained through this experience to help other expecting moms swing through pregnancy and beyond.

Be healthy, happy and strong,

Kathleen Walters

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Written in collaboration with Master RKC Michael Krivka

Kathleen Walters, RKC is known as the “Kettlebell Mama”. She is a lifelong athlete based in Washington, DC, who specializes in coaching busy moms and moms-to-be in-person and remotely, helping them incorporate healthy fitness and nutrition habits into their chaotic “mom life.” To learn more about Kathleen and her coaching services, email her at kathleen@bellsandpeppers.com, or visit her website and popular blog at http://www.bellsandpeppers.com.

11 Specialized Variety Methods For Blasting Through Overhead Pressing Plateaus

May 31, 2017 By Matt Beecroft 3 Comments

Matt Beecroft BU Press

A heavy kettlebell press—or any overhead press for that matter—will always be a super impressive feat of whole-body strength. For some, getting heavy things overhead is the meaning of life, and I can understand why! There are few better feelings than locking out a heavy overhead grind.

You have probably heard the phrase, “To press well, you have to press a lot.” Technically, this statement is true. But, when you regularly work heavy grinds like the press, or any high tension, high threshold lift for high reps like ladders, it can be pretty unforgiving on the body—especially the shoulders. Like many in our RKC community, I am a big fan of push-presses and jerks, especially since they seem to be a little more forgiving on the shoulders.

Enter one of the programming principles taught in the RKC: specialized variety. This important concept allows us to avoid plateaus, improve a skill (like pressing), and can also help us avoid injury.

The biological law of accommodation holds that the more you repeat a given movement, the less effective it will be for achieving your goals. A biological object’s response to a given constant stimulus decreases over time. Accommodation is your body’s decreasing response to a constantly continued stimulus—so, we will need to vary our training a little.

Another training principle—which seems to be the opposite—is the SAID principle. The specific adaptations to imposed demands (SAID) principle states that the more something specific is practiced, the more that specific skill will improve. In other words perfect practice makes perfect when it comes to developing skills.

With specialized variety, we want to choose exercises that are very similar, but are slight variations so we can keep training a movement without reaching a plateau.

Principle One: Change Your Foundation

Changing your lower body position is a simple way to add specialized variety to your pressing. With the regular press we usually stand in a bilateral stance with our feet square and roughly shoulder width apart. But, when we change position?

In real life and especially in sports, we’re very rarely in a perfect bilateral stance. More often, we’re in lunge like or single leg stances. Some of these variations can also have crossover for better sports performance.

Feet Together

By narrowing your base, your body really has to zip everything up. Pressing with your feet together ensures that you think about drawing everything into your center, while stopping any tension “leaks” of throughout the body.

Inline Lunge

Similar to pressing with the feet together, but place one leg behind the other (kettlebell on same side as the rear leg). This stance introduces a lateral balance demand and forces the body to zip everything up. You can self-limit the balance demand of this technique—make it harder or easier—by changing the distance or width between the two feet.

Contralateral and Ipsilateral Stances

Even though these stances are very rarely seen or used, I love using them to strengthen the body contra-laterally (think of an X across the body from shoulder to hip) or ipsilaterally (shoulder to hip on the same side). If you are interested in fascia and slings (see Thomas Myers) then this will be right up your alley. These press variations are done on one leg and can be really challenging. For the contralateral version, the kettlebell in the opposite hand of the foot you are standing on, and for the ipsilateral version, press and stand on the same side.

Tall Kneeling and Half Kneeling

Without going down the rabbit hole of corrective exercise, both the tall and half kneeling positions give us great pressing options. By taking the knees and ankles out of the movement, we can focus on letting the hips and the core do their work. The goal of the tall and half kneeling positions is to help us create more stability and control while pressing. They can prompt us to tie the upper and lower body together as in the two previous options. The half kneeling option is also self-limiting. Narrowing your base of support (as in the inline lunge press) in the kneeling lunge position creates more instability—and an environment where you will need to stabilize more to keep your balance—just like the standing inline lunge. If you decide to work from a half or tall kneeling position, you really need to make sure your set up in these positions is spot on—a poor setup will not allow you to gain the benefits of these movements.

V-Seated Press

One of my all time favorite all pressing positions is sitting down in semi side split/pancake position with my legs in a V. This is an amazing variation that really helps to tie in the core with the shoulders, lats, and triceps. Watch your lumbo-pelvic positioning in the V-seated position, so your back and lower back stay in a neutral position.

Matt Beecroft V-Seated Press

The Sots Press

The Sots press is a tough variation for those with great squatting technique and good overhead shoulder mechanics. The press is performed by cleaning the kettlebell, pulling yourself down into a squat, bracing, and then pressing from the deep squat position.

Side Press

Often overlooked as an option to improve the basic press, the side press is an awesome variation that again can really challenge the core. It also requires crazy lat firing, or creating a “shelf” with your lat behind your elbow. This tough variation starts with the feet in a windmill position. The press begins at the bottom position—or after coming down to the bottom position—of the windmill, pressing to lockout and then standing up with the bell just like in the windmill. The windmill is taught at the RKC-II with the kettlebell in the top hand already in lockout and then descending up and down—there’s also a version with kettlebells in both hands. If you are not proficient with the windmill yet, I would suggest waiting to try this press variation until you have trained with an RKC-II instructor.

The setup for this lift is the same as the windmill style setup for the bent press (as opposed to the squat variation of the bent press) taught at the RKC Level-II. Unlike the bent press, where you press your body away from the kettlebell, when performing the side press, you are actually pressing the kettlebell away from you.

The Get-Up Press

Want to strengthen each position of your get-up while training for a stronger press? Try pressing at each stage of the get-up for a real challenge. Even in the half kneeling/windmill position, you can bring your elbow behind your body to the lat, as a progression to help your bent press and kettlebell windmill. The get-up press will really highlight any weakness in your get-up, it will really force you to be more stable in each position.

Principle Two: Change Your Grip

The Bottoms-Up Press

If you’ve seen Master RKC Max Shank perform a bottoms-up press, it’s easy to see that it’s a great pressing variation. While the kettlebell’s groove and body positioning are slightly different, the benefits of this pressing variation are huge. Not only does this variation improve your grip strength, core activation, and reflexive stability, it can also be the safest way for those with troublesome shoulders to press a kettlebell without discomfort or pain. Set up for this lift by placing the webbing of the thumb and first finger in the middle of the kettlebell handle so you can balance it on the heel of your palm. Even though the groove of this press is different, it will encourage you to keep your forearm vertical, which can be helpful for improving your regular press. Since you can’t press very heavy kettlebells with the bottoms-up press, it is a great variation to use when you don’t have a heavy kettlebell to press.

The Stacked Press

The stacked press variation really changes the center of gravity—the position—of the weight/load. To perform this lift, stack a lighter kettlebell on top of a heavier one by carefully cleaning both together and around the wrist. The grip requirement for this variation is huge. You have to crush both handles to complete the press. This is also an awesome option when you only have access to smaller kettlebells or if you only have a few big kettlebell sizes, and want to work on something in between. Because the center of gravity of the load and grip are different than a regular press, you probably won’t be able to press as much with this lift.

Matt Beecroft Stacked Kettlebell Press

Side note: there is a bottom’s up stacked press where you can do a bottoms up press with another kettlebell sitting on top. While I like variety, this is probably taking it a bit too far, and is usually only manageable with very light weight. Even then, it’s a very risky lift, and you probably don’t want to be remembered as an epic “gym fail” on YouTube after a kettlebell falls on your head.

The Waiter’s or Palm Press

When performing a waiter’s press (palm press), you hold the body of the kettlebell, not the handle in the palm of your hand. Your palm is facing up, just like a waiter’s when carrying a tray on the palm of the hand. This variation feels really weird, but encourages surprisingly strong shoulder “packing” and lat activation during the press.

Matt Beecroft Waiters Press

Lastly, it can be really cool to pick an option from principle one and combine it with an option from principle two. For example, you could try a bottoms up press from tall or half kneeling, or a stacked press from the V-seated position. The options are endless and they all lead to a better press.

Don’t forget to base your rep ranges on your goals:

For strength aim for total 6-20 reps and 1-5 reps per set: 3 x 3, 3 x 5, 2 x 5, 5 x 3, 10x 1 etc.

For strength and muscle mass aim for 20-40 total reps and 3-8 reps per set: 7 x 3, 8 x 4, 4 x 8, 5 x 5 (my favorite), 6 x 4, 10 x 4, 6 x 6 etc.

When it comes to pressing, apart from the regular single, double or alternating and see-saw pressing with the feet square and roughly shoulder width apart, these two principles will really help you burst through your current plateau without hours and hours of pressing ladders. Especially when there are no heavy bells to press, we can make the press more challenging and get gains in strength by using complexity instead of load and volume.

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Matthew Beecroft is a Master RKC, PCC Instructor, and CK-FMS certified instructor. He is also a GFM and Animal Flow instructor and Expert Level 2 instructor with Krav Maga Global and a Muay Thai coach who has trained amateur and professional Muay Thai champions. He can be contacted through his website www.realitysdc.com.au or Facebook page: facebook.com/MeetLifeHeadOn/