kettlebells

The Sweaty Beast Workout

May 13, 2015 By Beth Andrews 4 Comments

Beth Andrews Senior RKC

I live for a great workout. Do you? This is one of my favorite workouts and it’s a hit with my students as well. I thought I would share some of the kettlebell love and sweat with you. This workout is challenging, fun, will leave you in a pool of sweat and feeling like a beast when you’re done.

You can take this workout and grow with it by challenging yourself with heavier weight. I would first suggest you complete it with a kettlebell that’s your snatch test weight. When you can successfully do that, you can advance to the next size kettlebell. 🙂

Most people are familiar with the snatch and goblet squat, but are unfamiliar with the one arm chest press. Here are a few things to remember when performing the one arm chest press, a few options for the workout, a quick video tutorial and a demo sample of the workout.

1.There are many different ways to do the one arm chest press. My preference is to perform it with both legs down and both arms off of the floor, in the video below. This variation requires more body control/core stability. If you can’t keep your low back flat and your bum tight, bring one or both knees up. I prefer both knees up or both down. Please option it out if needed. See pictures below.

Beth Andrews Chest Press Legs Up option — Yes! Legs up, bum tight, low back on floor.

BethAndrews Chest Press Legs Down Option — YES! Legs down, bum tight, low back on floor.

No! We want to prevent arching the low back.
Focusing on squeezing the glutes and pulling
belly button up to chin. This will help bring low back to the floor.

2. It can be challenging to chest press with your snatch test weight. No worries, just drop down to a lighter weight for that exercise.

3. You have 25 min to complete the workout. This workout is not about beating the clock, the timing is to keep you focused. It is all about good form, you gain nothing by racing through and taking shortcuts with form. Finish strong, my friends!

4. There are two ways I like to mix up the reps: a 10-1 countdown on all exercises, in a circuit fashion, or stay with 5 sets of 10 reps on everything for a beastlier challenge.

Check out the One-Arm Chest Press video tutorial:
(All kettlebells in the videos below are official Dragon Door kettlebells that have been painted)

Now you’re ready to give the The Sweaty Beast Workout a try! 🙂

***

Beth Andrews is a Senior RKC, PCC Team Leader, and CK-FMS. She leads HKC and RKC certifications, and assists at the PCC. She became the 5th Iron Maiden in 2013. Beth owns Maximum Body Training and a successful online training business. She has over 25 years of training experience. For online training or to host a certification, email Beth at: bethandrewsrkc@gmail.com. For more training tips and workouts subscribe to her YouTube channel, Beth Andrews RKC or visit her website at maximumbodytraining.com

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.

***

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.

It’s All About the Data

April 28, 2015 By Laurel Blackburn 4 Comments

Laurel Blackburn Senior RKC

I am a data freak. I love tracking my fitness, my nutrition, my accomplishments and my goals. I do this both for my clients and myself.

Back in the day when I first started bodybuilding, I just used a notebook. I jotted down my workouts and food but not much else. I really did not know if I was making progress in my strength. I did however know exactly what I was eating and how many calories I was consuming everyday. Keeping a food journal was a priority because I had to get as lean as possible for every show.

That was years ago and my goals have changed.

Since then I completed two half marathons. I printed out a running program I found online and stuck to that. I never logged my runs or anything else, I just followed the plan. I had days where my runs were horrible and I would end up walking a lot. I had days in which I felt I could run forever.

Had I kept a log and a food journal, I may have been able to see why; on certain days I felt like I was running through mud and why some days I felt like an Olympian. Maybe my nutrition, hydration and sleep had a big effect on my training. I would never know because I didn’t keep data.

Over the past few years my goals have changed. For several years I didn’t do much but train with kettlebells. I went from program to program and tried and stopped every one of them. I had workout dyslexia. I was always getting distracted by a shiny new program.

My personal training business pretty much followed the same fate. I either did not write down programs or I would throw something together before I headed to the gym to train my clients.

They did see results with weight loss and body composition which was fine because that is pretty much all they cared about. I never kept data on their actual progress in the gym. Many times I would have to ask how much weight we used on our last workout. Had I kept data, I would have been able to show them their progress.

Things changed for me when I began setting goals that had deadlines attached to them. Had I not kept data on my training, I doubt I would have accomplished much.

One of my goals, and still is to be the oldest woman to complete the Iron Maiden challenge. For those who may not know; I would need to do a pull-up, pistol squat and press the 24 kilo (53 pound) kettlebell.

First thing I did was to hire a coach. Second thing I did was to get a good log to journal my workouts and more importantly, my progress.

Over the years I have bought, downloaded and made my own workout logs. None of them had ALL of the features I wanted.

I came across the Convict Conditioning Log Book. Even though it’s focus is on the CC program, I loved the layout and used it for my personal goals. I don’t do the CC program and didn’t pay attention to that part of the log. It didn’t matter because the actual log pages had everything I was looking for.

Once I started keeping data on my workouts, I was able to progress and regress as needed. I also was able to share with workouts with my coach. If he asked me about a past workout or weights used, I could flip to the page and let him know.

Having this data was crucial for reaching my goals. My coach was able to use this info to program my training cycles.

That is not the only data I keep. I still log my food and my running.

I am proud to say that I am one of those obnoxious people who have to take 5 minutes before a run to start my heart rate monitor, my Map My Run app, my music and my interval timer.

Funny thing is, I am not even a serious runner and I’m not very good at it. I do it for fun and to spend time with my friends. Do I really need that much data on my running? No. I just love having the data and more importantly, the gadgets.

****

Senior RKC, Laurel Blackburn owns Boot Camp Fitness and Training and Tallahassee Kettlebells. Look for Laurel at www.bootcampstogo.com or www.tallahasseekettlebells.com.

In her early fifties, 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.

Combining Ancient Practice and Modern Sports Science

March 18, 2015 By Florian Kiendl Leave a Comment

RKC Team Leader Florian Kiendl KB Split

Because I come from a classical, non-contact school of Tae Kwon Do, the RKC has caused huge a paradigm shift in the way I approach my training. Many classical martial arts have a Zen like approach—just do the movements and see what they will teach you over time.

A fellow taekwondo friend, Valentino Solinas from Italy, recently posted a quote that sums up this idea:

“You may begin the study of martial arts and you may quit the study of martial arts, but you can never complete the study of martial arts…”

Training with this mindset can eliminate potential frustration if results are not coming easily or quickly. This mindset also reduces competitiveness among students which can sometimes otherwise lead to hubris and all its related problems.

Even if progress seems stifled, training with this mindset can be very rewarding over many years—regardless of one’s physical condition at the beginning. I have witnessed my former teacher’s mother start practicing Tae Kwon Do several times a week even though she is well over 70 years old and has a medical history that could fill a book. She once told me if she had known how good this training would make her feel, she would have started much earlier and that it might have prevented many of her health concerns. There’s no way she would ever learn to kick to head level or do a controlled spin kick, but it did not matter. She trained with beginners and black belts—and I think she taught everyone a lesson for life. Her last training session was one day before she died.

My RKC Epiphany

When I was introduced to RKC kettlebell training in 2009, I had the martial arts mindset. It struck me from the beginning when many concepts I had intuitively grasped over many years of training were explained to me in mere minutes in plain and simple words. How much easier could I make it for my students if I used the RKC teaching concepts? With a deep understanding of human movement, training progress can be planned and obstacles avoided before they even show their ugly faces. To me this was an epiphany and it immediately changed my views on training. I started learning and experimenting with it and continue to today.

In recent years, I learned how to integrate both systems to fill gaps or avoid roadblocks for my students and I. I want to give two examples—one I use in my own training sessions and one I use to teach my students how to perform better kicks.

Integrating Taekwondo Forms in Kettlebell Sessions

One example of combining my martial arts practice with my kettlebell training is to use Tae Kwon Do Hyongs as a warm up or in between my strength sets as physical and mental resets.

Florian Kiendl Hyong

Hyongs are predefined sets of movements that simulate combat against several attackers. The higher the form, the more difficult and complex it is—some forms have more than 100 movements. Hyongs present a martial arts movement flow that allows a student who has mastered the general flow of the form to immerse himself in the movements. The student will also learn to understand the movements in the context of a fight. There is a massive difference between performing a single strike, blow or block in practice and performing the same movement in context of a series of attacks and parries. In the time before protective gear was available, these forms presented the only option for practicing combat situations with full force without risking injury to oneself or a sparring partner.

By integrating Hyongs into my kettlebell sessions I gain big benefits:

Most of the movements are performed over a full range of motion, and work as a complete reset of all major joints.
All movements are executed with full force, but without any external resistance or long isometric contractions. Every muscle is activated without getting fatigued.
The quick movements ensure that I don’t get tight or stiff.
I get to practice my Hyongs more often 😉
The average Hyong takes 30 or more seconds to perform and is non-taxing aerobic activity between sets.
Most forms are complex enough to require enough concentration that an advanced practitioner will enter an almost meditative state of mind. This works as an effective mental reset, if the last set did not go well and my mind is distracted, the forms will help me avoid a downward spiral.

Using Tension Techniques to Teach Better Kicks

From all martial arts I know, Tae Kwon Do has the highest physical demand. Bringing your leg to head level with force and accuracy takes extreme mobility, crazy-strong hips and superb coordination. All these perquisites don’t come easy, especially if you start past your twenties.

Florian Kiendl SLDL

For years I watched new students explore these new movements with varying success—some are naturals who walk in the Dojang and start training as if they never did anything else, and they are a pleasure to teach. On the other hand, some train for years and years with dedication and simply do not progress past a very basic level. When I started holding Tae Kwon Do lessons in my first teacher’s school, I assumed that it was something genetic, a Tae Kwon Do gene that made the difference!

After learning and understanding the concept of tension, I made an effort to integrate the drills and techniques we use in the RKC for teaching a good swing, snatch or military press in my Tae Kwon Do lessons to facilitate good kicking mechanics.

The fundamental concept is the same for kettlebell swing and high kicks—the tighter we stay while only moving the necessary joints to accomplish the task, the more force we can generate.

By adding the RKC tension techniques to my Tae Kwon Do sessions, I managed to create “aha”-moments for my students so the would know how it feels when the technique is executed correctly.

Here’s how:

I demonstrate a drill or technique and have my students practice it for a while.
As soon as they have the general idea, I let them practice on their own or with a partner and observe which problems occur.
Usually I find a pattern that could be improved and I try to figure out which drills could help.
I stop the practice and have them do the drill that I assume will help the most.
Immediately afterwards we return to the original exercise and see if it worked.
Sometimes it takes several attempts to find the drill that will work best or we may use more than one to address the different issues.

Using this approach, black belts have come to me after the session saying things like, “I finally understand how to execute this technique!”

Conclusion

Don’t see the RKC System as a closed environment, or the drills we use as special and exclusive to the kettlebell. Experiment with different combinations and observe the results. The RKC System is designed to improve any athletic endeavor. Be creative and learn the best ways to improve your game.

Have Fun.

***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

Advanced Kettlebell Workout: Forget the Snatch

December 24, 2014 By Beth Andrews 9 Comments

Senior RKC Beth Andrews

Are you a good snatcher? Is your kettlebell snatch effortless and smooth? If you love to snatch try this combo. Add a lunge to the snatch. Your concentration will heighten with the multiple movements. This combo will set your heart rate on fire, scorch your legs and challenge your mind. You’ll actually forget that you are snatching. Start with a light kettlebell to groove the pattern then go as heavy as you can handle.

One of my favorite workouts is to clock in for 15 min. Or my goal would be to do a 10-1 countdown of the lunge snatch and combine it with goblets squats 10-1. As always, form is more important than time or weight. Let me know how your legs feel after this workout!

IMPORTANT:
* This is an advanced combination move for both the Lunge and Snatch technique. Be aware of the hip power and extension throughout the exercise. Make sure your Lunge and Snatch form are spot on before attempting the combination exercise.
** The kettlebells used in the video are official Dragon Door kettlebells I color coded by different sizes.

Watch the video to get the finer points. Have FUN…see you on the other side…

***Beth Andrews is a Senior RKC Instructor, PCC Team Leader, CK-FMS, and Primal Move Instructor. She became the 5th Iron Maiden in 2013. Beth is the owner of Maximum Body Training and has over 20 years of training experience. She also has a successful on-line training business. For on-line training or to host an HKC or RKC certification workshop with Beth, email her at: bethandrewsrkc@gmail.com. For training tips and workouts visit her Youtube channel or her website at http://www.maximumbodytraining.com

3 Traits of Those Who ‘Have What It Takes’ for Kettlebell Training

November 19, 2014 By Nick Lynch 5 Comments

Nick Lynch RKC Team Leader Committed to Kettlebell Training

To properly train your body with kettlebells, you must continually enhance your skills. Correct me if I’m wrong but the Wright brothers crashed many model planes before they actually took flight, right? That’s because they were learning something new. Since each day brings new challenges, each day’s training session is a new opportunity for growth. The kettlebell requires commitment, consistency and willpower for that growth to occur.

Commitment

Has anyone started a new job without any sort of onsite training? Sorry, but we don’t come out of the womb with a tool belt, construction hat, and the know-how to build a house! To build your first home, more likely than not, you’ll collapse a few walls, stub some toes, nail a finger or two to the wall before your dream stands sturdy and proud. If you’re really serious about getting started with kettlebell training or continuing your path of training, commitment is mandatory. A practice regimen of once per week won’t cut it. Kettlebell training is a 7-days-a-week commitment regardless if you’re swinging, pressing or just working on mobility. During your training, all your thoughts and movements should be focused on enhancing your skills.

I recommend picking up Max Shank’s Master The Kettlebell. Read it! Now read it again. And then? Read it again. Hire a local RKC Instructor and have them teach you the basics. At first, go light to go right. Don’t worry, I assure you the beast tamers who may have inspired you started just like this on Day one.

Senior RKC Robert Miller pressing a kettlebell twice the size of his head!

Consistency

It may not be a good fit for everyone to lift weights 7-days per week. Your body will tell you if it’s a day to go crazy or a day to stay away; waving loads is essential when training consistently. One must be skilled in knowing when to go heavy, when to go light, or when to not to go at all. Programming with consistency is what kettlebell training is all about! I’ve seen the best results with a Monday/Wednesday/Friday routine: Monday’s light, Wednesday’s medium and Friday’s heavy. I practice swings, calisthenics and mobility on the days in between to prepare myself for the next lifting day.

What is consistency? Consistency is following though with a training schedule. Our lives are centered on some sort of schedule. Each commitment requires a consistent schedule to succeed. You have to train your body properly everyday if you want real results. Set a schedule that works for you and don’t let anyone or anything get in the way. Consistency allows you to achive progress and is essential for growth.

Willpower

If we’re all being honest with ourselves, we will admit that it takes willpower to consistently commit to any type of program. Kettlebell training is complex and requires both commitment and consistency. Regardless of what your goals are, you’ll need willpower. You’re going to have that coworker who guarantees what you’re doing is a waste of time. You may even have some friends who are upset that it’s Friday night and while they’re on shot #3 and beer #4 you’re busy with Turkish Get Up #4 on minute #3. Willpower is required to stand up to the inevitable temptations. Remind your friends that you want to enhance your health. Who can argue with that? By surrounding yourself with things and people conducive to your goals and tuning out the rest, willpower grows!

Cultivate willpower, become consistent and be commited to your kettlebell program. If you don’t know what to do, hire a local RKC Instructor. If you don’t have a local RKC, hire one via the Internet. With commitment, consistency and willpower prepare for some serious strength and conditioning gains! Thanks for reading and feel free to ask some questions in the comments section below. I’ll do my best to answer or point you in the right direction!

In the following video, I press a 36kg kettlebell after years of practicing with commitment, consistency and willpower. For these long legs and skinny arms this a most excellent feat of strength!

***

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.

The 3-6-9-12 Program

October 29, 2014 By Josh Henkin 1 Comment

3-6-9-12 for Athletic Training

It is when you feel like you can break.

You have put everything on the line.

Heroes have been made, dreams have been dashed.

It is the fourth quarter. I remember playing basketball that time, the time when everything came down to how you prepared. How well could you execute even though you were shaky, exhausted, and had been competing your hardest for three previous quarters.

The fourth quarter is when you knew if you were really ready. All the theories get tested, only results win! You had to be strong, you had to be fit, you had to be mentally tough.

The idea of the fourth quarter helps remind me what our training should really be teaching us. Being able to hit a PR is awesome, lifting big weights, terrific, but if they can’t be used when we need them the most what is the point?

Sports aren’t the only places where we see the fourth quarter mentality. Overworked parents, stressed out jobs, they all challenge us to find inner and outer strength to perform. Can we do it though? Is it possible to have great fitness and strength?

Can We Have It All?

Having extremely high levels of strength or endurance takes some very specific training. The truth is that most of us are looking for really good levels in both. The reality is we can have it all with smarter programs.

Lifting maximal weights is awesome, but life and sport rarely happens on a platform. The truth is, most activities look at how you can repeat high levels of strength and power. In fact, renowned strength coach, Robert Dos Remedios, considers power endurance and work capacity the KEYS to athletic success:

“I’m often asked about my goals in my conditioning programming and my answer always seems to come back to one thing, WORK CAPACITY. If we can continue to turn the knob up and get more and more out of our athletes we will build their ability to keep pushing, to improve their all-important strength and power endurance. In essence we are assuring that over time, we will also be able to train harder and harder for longer periods of time with greater intensity. Perhaps most importantly, work capacity building sessions helps to forge amazing confidence…this is often the psychological variable that can be the difference between victory and defeat.”

Don’t misunderstand Coach Dos, they lift hard, they lift heavy, but they understand how to combine all the elements to being successful beyond the weight room! Can you do it over and over again? Do you have that fourth quarter strength or do you fall apart? Sorry, a few sled runs and pushes don’t do it either.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting the strength endurance crowd has it all right either. Many people think that to develop strength endurance that you simply have to perform outrageous repetitions or destructive workouts. Unfortunately, so many of these people fall prey to really low levels of strength and the engine to their endurance ends up being quite low. Not to mention the amount of overuse injuries they often incur!

The Smarter Fitness Program

When DVRT Master and RKC, Troy Anderson, shared with a much better way of training I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it myself! Troy is no novice to tough training, having played football, served in the military, competed in strongman, and growing up on a farm in Wyoming, Troy knows fourth quarter strength all too well.

The concept is relatively simple. Four sets, increasing repetitions, minimal rest. Well, that’s nothing new right? The structure of this program has important principles that need to be adhered to in order to succeed.

Each series has four intermittent sets of 3, 6, 9, and 12 repetitions. The lower repetitions are designated for heavier or more complex movements, where nine and twelve allow us to work on other fitness qualities. The key is to only give yourself no more than about 20 seconds from one series to the next. Let me give you a few examples using hardstyle and Ultimate Sandbag movements.

Workout 1:

Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift x 3, rest 20 seconds
Ultimate Sandbag Clean and Press x 6, rest 20 seconds
Goblet Squats x 9, rest 20 seconds
Body Rows x 12, rest 1-2 minutes

The above workout showed how we got to load a specific movement pattern (the hip hinge) with heavier loads and as we went through the series went to less complex exercises involving other movement patterns. We began with the hip hinge, moved to an vertical press, then squatting pattern, finally a horizontal pull.

The series began with the drill with the most stability when the body was freshest. That means we are still getting elements of maximal strength and not neglecting strength endurance. After the cycle rest 1-2 minutes and then try to repeat. The goal is to hit 3-4 total rounds.

How would other workouts look? Here are few examples….

Workout 2:

Pull-ups x 3, rest 20 seconds
Ultimate Sandbag Rotational Lunges x 6 per side, rest 20 seconds
Spider man Push-ups x 9, rest 20 seconds
Kettlebell Swings x 12, rest 1-2 minutes

Workout 3:

Get-ups x 3, rest 20 seconds
Ultimate Sandbag Lateral Step Cleans x 6, rest 20 seconds
Renegade Rows x 9 per side, rest 20 seconds
Bear Hug Paused Squats x 12, rest 1-2 minutes

During these workouts you should definitely try to use a challenging load. However, you are going to need to make sure you can repeat your efforts and not have too much of a drop off. For example, if you see more than a 20% drop off in weight you can use, the weight was probably too much. The same can be said if you see a 20% drop off in reps you can complete.

Can You Modify 3-6-9-12?

Of course! You can make it more specific to a training goal. For example, if you really wanted more of an emphasis of strength or power, you could make it 1-3-5-7.

Want to build that type of work capacity and power endurance that leads to championships? Take this challenge from Coach Anderson. Take your 3-6-9-12 plan and after each round (completing the entire 3-6-9-12 series) add a repetition to the next.

Example:
Round 1: 3-6-9-12
Round 2: 4-7-10-13
Round 3: 5-8-11-14

You would still take the rest after each series, but you may have to drop a bit of weight.

Will it be a challenge? Absolutely! Is it designed to destroy you? Not really. If you find it incredibly difficult you might find you had been neglecting the fitness qualities that can really help you make that next jump in your fitness.

Fatigue has been shown to be somewhat movement and muscle group specific. By changing the movement pattern we are taking some stress off the system and muscles. In other words, you should be able to continue high levels of work even in spite of some accumulating fatigue.

I know there will be some that argue that strength should be done without any fatigue, to them I say that isn’t the real world. If functional training is meant to prepare us for the sport and every day life then neither is perfect or ideal. You don’t have to sacrifice great training to grow, rather evolve the way you see fitness!

***

Josh Henkin, Master RKC, CSCS has been a RKC instructor since 2003 and has implemented kettlebell programs for major Division I programs, SWAT teams, and many different general fitness programs. Josh is also the creator of the DVRT Ultimate Sandbag Training system where he is a highly sought after presenter worldwide. He can be reached at info@ultimatesandbagtraining.com or http://DVRTFitness.com. Josh Henkin is also the author of DVRT, The Ultimate Sandbag Training System now available in paperback and ebook format.

Why are you working out?

June 25, 2014 By Jay Armstrong 1 Comment

Seesaw Press 2 - Red Shirt — **Could exercise be fun and help you undo the dysfunction of your daily non-activities?**

Most people treat exercise like it is a bad tasting prescription from the doctor. They HAVE TO do it because someone told them to do it. And what exactly are they supposed to do? Well, of course they need to get into shape, because if they get into shape they will reduce their risk of heart disease, cancer and premature death. At all costs we must avoid death. Bad news happy campers and kiddie troupers. It ain’t gonna happen. For most of us … death is unavoidable.

Here is an alternative plan. Exercise, work out, train, or play with the purpose of feeling better and being able to live life more fully. Make yourself strong and mobile and develop some endurance. As a result of your continued exercise program you should be able to engage in whatever physical activities give you joy.

If you are an American, you probably spend a lot of time at a computer, much of your day sitting at a desk texting, typing, or on the phone, and hour upon hour riding in a car. As a result of these many cumulative hours spent sitting on your all-too-wide and weak butt, you may be ill equipped to engage in many intense exercises for 1 hour, three times per week. This amount of exercise will probably not significantly change your weight. (That is mostly about diet and hormones.) These exercise programs may in fact cause you more harm than good. Furthermore, the thing you most need is to UNDO the damage done by the hours of maladaptation that is caused by sitting.

What kind of bad stuff is happening to your body and to your natural athleticism as a result of all this seated work?

While you are seated your glutes are generally turned off (as are your abs). So when you stand your hip flexors will seem overly tight and your pelvis will tip forward. This puts stress (and excessive curvature) on your lower back.
While working on the computer, your chest is collapsed (adversely affecting your breathing) and your shoulders are rounded forward. This causes your upper back (or thoracic spine) to become stuck and excessively curved in the opposite direction of your lower back.
Your eyes are fixed on a computer screen in an intermediate distance. Your inner ear (responsible for balance and coordinated movement) is not being challenged because your body is not changing position.

So, consider this… Choose some fun and engaging exercises that will help offset or counteract the ill effects of the daily desk job demise.

The kettlebell could be the training tool you have been looking for that will help you begin your rehabilitation. Unlike most exercises on machines in a gym, kettlebell training requires you to stop sitting and stand up. This might be the very first step to improved posture and a better you!

The kettlebell swing, the most fundamental move of the RKC system, includes a strong contraction of the glutes at the top of the swing. This “hip-snap” helps open up the hip flexors and helps teach the athlete to once again contract the glutes during loaded movement. The kettlebell swing and the lunge position of the Turkish getup both work to open up or release your tight hip flexors.

Putting a kettlebell overhead will help mobilize your upper back (or thoracic spine). The kettlebell press, the kettlebell snatch, and the Turkish getup all involve movement with a weight overhead. You must develop a strong, braced posture and a lengthened, erect spinal position to master these techniques. Once your thoracic spine is mobile and you can neutrally align your pelvis, you are well on your way to improved posture and reaching your next level of athletic performance.

Your vision and vestibular system (the inner ear) will be stimulated whenever you move the torso. This occurs when you turn around, bend over, lie down, stand up, etc. The kettlebell swing and the kettlebell snatch both involve a hip hinge and a tipping forward of the torso. This action will provide a significant amount of sensory input to the brain from the vision and vestibular systems. An even greater challenge is provided to your balance and sense of 3D orientation while performing the Turkish getup.

The best exercise program for most people is one that UNDOES the damage caused by lack of daily mobility and the hours of our seated work. Exercise programs must make you feel better, move better, and be able to handle the daily demands of life. If you workout program isn’t fun, you probably will not be able to sustain the practice for a very long time.

Kettlebell training is fun and challenging and is an engaging skill practice. Regular practice of the basic kettlebell drills will help you undo some of the damages of the standard American working environment.

***

Jay Armstrong is a Senior RKC, 6 Degree Black Belt TKD, and Master Z-Health Trainer. The past 30 years have been dedicated to helping others develop confidence through increased strength and pain-free, exceptional mobility. His quest for knowledge continues. He runs The Kettlebell Club in Houston, Texas and can be reached here.

Why The Double Kettlebell Push Press

June 12, 2014 By Aaron Pierson Leave a Comment

aaron_pierson_dbl_kb_pushpress — **Aaron Pierson performs a double kettlebell push press.**

The double kettlebell push press may easily be one of the most under-used skills when it comes to training clients. In many circles it’s become known as the “cheater” press or the equivalent to a kipping pull up. For some individuals the push press may not always translate over to a stronger strict press and because of that, many people feel it’s a skill not worth working on.

Most people would agree that the best way to improve a strict press is to work the strict press on a regular basis. What about those who are not concerned with max strength or those who have a history of shoulder injuries? How about the athlete who needs to focus on strength endurance or power rather than raw strength? For those people, the push press may be the perfect answer.

The push press and the strict press have similarities. Both require an appropriate degree of shoulder mobility as well as core and shoulder stability. However the push press offers many qualities the strict press does not offer.

The push press allows a heavier working weight and/or higher repetitions. Consider a person working the strict press with a basic ladder of 3 x (1-2-3-4-5) for a total of 45 reps with double 24kg kettlebell. That same person can nearly triple the amount of work completed with the same weight using the push press ladders of 3 x (2-4-6-8-10).
Another benefit often forgotten about with the push press is the utilization of the legs. Instead of initiating the movement from the upper body, the push press utilizes the legs as it’s driving force. Add a clean between each push press and you have a very powerful full-body workout.
The third piece the push press can offer is shoulder protection for those with a history of shoulder problems. Obviously this is dependent on shoulder mobility and injury history but let’s face it, not everybody is built to overhead press. In this case the push press may be the better alternative considering it bypasses the most risky part of the overhead press.

When building a program for yourself or clients, keep the big picture goal in mind. If the goal is to improve GPP, lose weight, increase muscle mass or increase power, the double kettlebell push press should be considered a top candidate for exercise selection.

***About Aaron Pierson RKC Team Leader: Aaron has been apart of the RKC since 2010. He currently works full time as an EMT and owns Fundamental Strength in Fort Collins, Colorado. He can be reached at [email]aaron@fundamentalstrengthllc.com[/email] or by visiting www.fundamentalstrengthllc.com

Importance of the Overhead Lockout

June 4, 2014 By Tabitha Dearle Leave a Comment

So many kettlebell exercises go overhead.

Some move quickly like the Snatch (top left picture) and Jerk. Some move slowly like the Press (top right picture) and Bent Press. And some are simply just held overhead like the Turkish Get Up and Windmill but every single one of them should look identical in the lockout position.

When the kettlebell is overhead your body should have tension running through it from top to bottom, reaching the top of your movement is not a moment to relax. Keeping your lats activated, your belly and glutes tight, the arm sucked into the shoulder, wrist straight ensures safety and strength.

Breaking down the Overhead Lockout:

The Wrist: When the wrist is in the correct position the muscle in your forearm remains active. Maintaining a straight wrist with knuckles facing the sky can be a challenge for some, especially when using a lighter kettlebell that sits higher on the wrist and presses on bone. If the pressure on the wrist is too much when you are starting out grab some sweatbands and cover the wrist for protection (not for continual use to cushion a kettlebell banging onto your wrist, that is a different issue altogether).

Keeping the wrist straight is essential in reducing injury, the “Broken Wrist” position will eventually lead to exactly that…

I asked fellow RKC and Physiotherapist Craig Soley for a breakdown of the dangers of incorrect wrist position, the following is his response –

“One of the most common mistakes in KB pressing activities is wrist position. So we can be clear, wrist (neutral) extension is described such that if I drew a line from your knuckles along the back of your hand and down your wrist is would be a perfectly straight line. If the wrist is flexed (a less common mistake) the knuckles would be in front of the wrist and forearm. If the wrist is extended then the knuckles would be located behind the bones of the wrist and forearm. Holding the KB in wrist neutral, the load is carried through the joint and held by muscular effort – this is good. In wrist extension, the load is carried on the joint, less muscle effort and the weight is resting upon the bony structures – over time this is bad and it is bad practice.

Why? Think collapsed arches and flat feet, hyperextended knees and hyperlorditic lumbar spines as other examples of resting on your joints. If you continually rest on your joints they will eventually wear out. Also, if you are training, train! Use your muscles to do the work and take the load off your joints! Keeping your wrist neutral trains for function and longevity.”

The Elbow: The elbow, as with the wrist, should maintain a straight alignment. The extended arm should run parallel to your head with your bicep inline with your ear. If you are hypermobile through the joint you will need to be more mindful of your movements as they are more likely to sustain injury due to the unstable nature of the joint.

Shoulder/Ear Poisoning: Over and over throughout all of my kettlebell learning I’ve heard the phrase “Your ears are poison to your shoulders”, simply meaning that if you’re overhead and the shoulder is close your ear then you’ve lost all stability and strength from the shoulder girdle being in a shrugged up position. Keep the arm securely in the socket and activate your lats for upper torso strength.

Core/Glutes: If you are planning to conquer The Iron Maiden Challenge (or for the fellas The Beast Tamer Challenge) you know that a good heavy Press comes from strong glutes and having your core locked tight. It is the solid base that stops you from leaking power and maintains control. Finish your lift strong by keeping them all engaged – meaning no disengaging in the middle.

Get moving before going overhead: Always warm up before any workout with your aim to target the muscles that are going to be used. PFE warm-up, Halos with Kettlebell, rotating all joints through their full range of movement.

Can’t Maintain Lockout? Thoracic Spine Extension Mobility plays a big part in maintaining posture in the overhead lockout. If you are lacking in thoracic mobility work on it with some of the following stretches/exercises –

Foam Roller on the thoracic spine
Armbar or Crooked Armbar
Thoracic Bridging

Always seek out professional help if you are suffering pain in any overhead position.

***

Tabitha Dearle, RKCII based in Perth, Australia, and is Co-owner of Perth Kettlebell School of Strength. She spent the first decade of her working life managing fast food restaurants before making a life-changing decision to become a Personal Trainer. Since then she’s been helping many, from athletes to seniors to children, change their lifestyles to become fitter, healthier and more mobile mostly through using Kettlebells. You can follow her blog at http://tabidrkc.wordpress.com/