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The Single Rep Dead Stop Swing, Clean, Snatch Workout

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Master RKC Andrea Du Cane and Senior RKC Timothy Spencer Demonstrate the RKC Arm Bar

As I travel around teaching HKC and RKC workshops, I notice a common problem (theme – challenge), the sloppy start/stop of a kettlebell ballistic lift.

Imagine this scenario: someone is getting set up to swing; it doesn’t matter if it’s 2-handed, single arm or double. They stand over the kettlebell, lift it up, and rock it back a couple of times between their legs and THEN swing it back far enough to load their hips and explode up.

What’s wrong with this picture? The set-up was not correct. It was not focused or properly executed. There must be an intention and preparation before the start of the pull—before anything happens.

I like to say in regards to all kettlebell lifts, “You’re only as good as your set-up”.

Here is the correct way to start a swing (clean or snatch):

  • Place the kettlebell a foot or two in front of you.
  • Bend forward and grab the kettlebell handle.
  • Pull the kettlebell slightly toward you, while engaging your lats.
  • Set your weight way back on your heels, while keeping your feet planted & spine neutral.
  • “Hike” the kettlebell back behind you—fast.
  • Explode your hips forward and feet down into the ground. Let your arms be propelled forward by the force of the hips.

That’s it. Simple. No lifting the kettlebell up and rocking it a couple of times before hiking it back and exploding up. One crisp explosive hike pass and forward movement is all it takes!

This is the same for ALL the kettlebell dynamic lifts; including double kettlebell swings and cleans.

Scenario #2: someone has just finished a great set of swings, but on the last rep they fall forward while rounding their back and then dropping the bell down in front of them.  They nearly topple forward.

No further explanation is needed here, this is simply dangerous. The most common time for an injury to occur during any kettlebell exercise is on the last rep or while the kettlebell is being set down.

In both cases—the first rep or the last rep of a set—the lack of focus, intention and safety is to blame.

The answer to this problem is to training your single-rep or dead-stop swings. In essence that is what the single-rep is: the start and end of a swing, clean or snatch.

Programming single-rep sets is an easy way to reinforce good technique throughout a set of any ballistic lift.

The truth is, they are HARDER than continuous reps because you lose the assistance of gravity during the backswing. With single-rep workouts, each rep is initiated by the power of the lifter. The hips and lats have to work that much harder to generate the force to project the kettlebell up. Hence, an additional bonus is increased force production and explosive power. So this type of training is perfect for any athlete.

You can also modify single-rep workouts for any level kettlebell lifter.

Single-rep 2-handed swings are a progression to learning continuous swings, but for the advanced lifter, doing single rep heavy cleans or snatches or double swings and cleans, puts the burn in your butt!

Here are some workout examples (note: “SR” stands for Single Rep):

Beginner:

SR-Swings:   2-handed for 5 reps

Continuous:   2-handed for 10 reps

Repeat as long as you wish

OR use timed sets for 25-30 seconds of work to equal rest

 

Intermediate: (proficient with cleans and snatches)

SR-Swings 1-arm   5-10 reps left/right

Continuous 1-arm   10 reps left/right

SR- Cleans 1-arm   5-10 reps left/right

Continuous 1-arm   10 reps left/right

Repeat as long as desired or timed sets

 

2nd workout

SR-Swings 1-arm   5-10 left/right

SR- Cleans 1-arm   5-10 left/right

SR-Snatch 1-arm   5-10 left/right

Repeat as long as desired or timed sets

 

Advanced

SR-double swings   5-10 reps

SR-double cleans   5-10 reps

Repeat as desired or timed sets

***

Andrea Du Cane is a Master RKC Kettlebell Instructor, CK-FMS, CICS, and RIST, ZHealth certified, she has a BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota and is also a Pilates instructor. She is the author of several books and dvds including The Ageless Body, The Kettlebell Boomer, and The Kettlebell Goddess Workout.  She has over twenty years of aerobics, weight training and fitness experience, with an additional background in… Read more here.

The Best and Simplest One Kettlebell Workout

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Max Shank Single Kettlebell Workout

With the following single kettlebell workout, you can work on all your strength movements in one session with 2-6 sets of 3-8 reps. Each movement provides an adequate amount of rest for the next item in the superset. The finisher, which consists of swings and planks or pushups is a great way to add some cardiovascular work as well as some extra core/arm training.

Superset the exercises below for 2-6 rounds:

Press (up to 80% effort)
Row (up to 80% effort)
Squat (front squat or goblet squat)

Then perform kettlebell swings and planks (or pushups) for 2-5 sets

Together, this workout covers all the main strength movement categories:
Upper Push (press and/or pushups)
Upper Pull (rows)
Lower Push (squats)
Lower Pull (swings)

Part of the reason that programs generally work well is that they provide workouts which are already designed for you. If you struggle to think of what you should do at the gym, you’re less likely to do as much work–or any at all! It’s very helpful to at least have a go-to workout in your collection.

Another great thing about the workout listed above is that you’ll probably want to do more reps of rows than presses anyway. This often happens because  most of us can row with more weight than we can press. In other words, you’ll likely press the same kettlebell 5 times and then row it for 8-10 reps with the same weight (which will put both exercises at 80% of your effort). That’s a good thing!

Finally, this takes very little time–I was recently able to do 3 rounds of each part in about 12 minutes.

It’s so simple that it almost seems too silly to work, but it does–and it covers all of your bases regardless of which kettlebell you use. For example, if you choose a kettlebell that you can press once, the workout might look like this:

Press x 1
Row x 5
Squat x 6
Or whatever rep range is within your 80% effort.

It’s beautifully simple, and it can really remove some potential barriers to training consistently–you can do a version of this workout anywhere in a very short amount of time.

****

Master RKC Instructor Max Shank is the owner of Ambition Athletics in Encintas, California. He is very active in martial arts, competes in the Highland Games, and promotes a holistic approach to overall fitness. For more information about Max please visit www.ambitionathletics.com.
Max Shank is also the author of Master the Kettlebell, now available in ebook and paperback format.

The Sweaty Beast Workout

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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.
belly button up to chin. This will help bring low back to the 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

Advanced Kettlebell Workout: Forget the Snatch

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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

From Broken to Team Leader

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Paul Britt Double Press At RKC

I was broken in October 2012 at the RKC-II. It happened because I was stupid and I let my ego get the best of me at the certification. I thought that I only had a minor training injury prior to arriving in St. Paul for the workshop. I had been working on heavy double presses on a day that I was tired, but due to having to attend this particular cert, I stayed with my “program”. In the middle of my final set, I felt a sharp pain on my left hip and back. I dropped the kettlebells and decided to take a few days off. It was still bugging me a few days later, so I went to a chiropractor. The consensus was that it was just a minor strain and that I would be okay to attend the certification. So off I went, with some kineseo tape to hold me together for the three days ahead of me.

I knew the snatch test would probably put too much stress on my back, so decided that I would wait till the last day to take it. I was able to get through all of my Level 1 skills and the half-body weight press on day 1 without too much trouble. But, I had a few problems with stability that I should have paid more attention to during the skills test. I noticed that I struggled with my foot on the left side for the get-up as it did not want to stay locked down as I moved through the different parts of the movement.

I initially started out with lighter weights than normal, just to allow me to get through the certification. I had a past Master RKC give me a hard time about the weight and I let my ego override what little sense I had and I bumped my weights up. Sometime during the day, I felt a pop in my back on the left side. I did not really feel a lot of pain at the time, so I kept on training. I got back to the hotel in a lot of pain and barely slept. When I got up the next morning, I literally had to drag my leg as I walked down the hall to find some Advil. I ended up buying eight packages and using four to get to breakfast and the first half of the cert. I had to take the other four to get through the rest of the day. The last day was even worse, I thought about just quitting, and I should have. Unfortunately, I am a little stubborn and hate to give up. At that point, nobody really knew what was going to happen to the RKC after that weekend, so in my head, I had to get through the weekend and earn what could possibly be the last RKC-II certification. So I pushed through and passed all of the tests except for the Jerk and the Snatch test. I knew that I had 90 days to send the video into someone to pass those two skills. Turns out that was not going to happen for a long time.

I knew as soon as I got off the airplane in Dallas that I was not right. I struggled to get out of the seat, get to my bags and walk to my car. I ended up getting home and telling my wife that I had screwed up and was badly injured. The pain was pretty constant, so I took off from all training for what was supposed to just be November, but it ended up being a nine month break. I had to train my lead coach, Justine Deets RKC, to pass her HKC and RKC skills without being able to perform them myself. She was my gym replacement while I was recovering. I hosted an HKC in January, but was unable to assist because even picking up 12kgs caused me a lot of pain.

I was not healing, so after the first of the year, it was time to see someone about it. I ended up being referred to the top spine doctor in the area. At my appointment he told me that I had herniated discs at L4-L5 and L5-S1, both on the left side. He informed me that it was a lifelong injury and that my days of heavy lifting were over. To say that I was not thrilled by that was an understatement, so I decided to show him that I would be back to heavy lifting again. I went with a non-surgical solution for the problem and had a series of injections into my back that gave some minor relief. While the injections did not allow me to start lifting again, they did allow me regain some everyday quality of life. It was at that time I met Dr. Steve Horwitz, DC (and now RKC instructor). Dr. Horwitz worked with me on my nutrition and showed me how to ease the inflammation and pain with proper supplementation. Once my nutrition was dealt with, I was able to start healing and training again.

I had scheduled an HKC/Primal Move Certification Weekend with Master RKC, Andrea Du Cane and Senior RKC Jay Armstrong, but was not really doing much in the way of training yet. Andrea knew about the injury, so she would not let me do much during the HKC. I was the ‘go-fer.” While I was finally moving better, I was still in pain with bad movement patterns most of the time. I was able to participate in the Primal Move Certification that weekend and found that it was life changing for me. I was able to go through the workshop pain free. It was amazing how much better I felt just going through the workshop. The one day workshop was like a reset button. It was the first time I was pain free during my day to day activities of living. It improved my movement, eased my pain and that definitely helped my outlook. I had been in a depression since being injured because I was unable to train and burn through my day to day frustrations.

Andrea and Jay also showed me a few drills, including pendulum swings. I also started playing with Figure 8’s as they allowed me to strengthen my posterior chain without moving through painful patterns and positions. I also went to town with Primal Move and added in Convict Conditioning on a daily basis. I would train something every day, but never to failure or into pain. That was my training program for about 3 months and every day I felt better, moved better and got stronger. My focus was on healing and avoiding pain. I spent lots of time on the pullup bar, doing handstand pushups and Convict Conditioning skills on top of daily Primal Move work.

In October of 2013, I hosted an RKC with Andrea Du Cane, Master RKC leading the workshop. She asked to see my skills as an Assistant. I hadn’t trained with any weight over 16kgs in any of the RKC Basics prior to the certification weekend. This was one year after blowing out my back and I figured that it would be ugly. I had not even attempted any of the skills with my snatch test weight prior to this attempt. I was actually scared when I was asked to do it as I knew it was going to be a hot mess. I was pain free and nailed my skills test. After that it was as if I had been freed from a dark hole. Andrea had to keep me reined in all weekend because I was so excited that I was able to train again. She told Shane England RKC, that they had “unleashed a monster”, I could not stop playing around with the kettlebells. I participated in as many of the drills as the attendees did as I tried to fix the bad habits that got me into the position I was in.

After that weekend I continued to train and work on a lot of rehab style work to get back to a decent level of strength. In that time, I was able to host and assist at several HKC’s and RKC’s. I improved my skills and movement at every event I attended. Andrea let me assist at every event and she helped me improve my skills at every certification. If it had not been for her friendship and mentoring, I would not have been able to train or teach at the level I am at now. In July, I was promoted to RKC Team Leader, based in part on my ability to come back as a better instructor because of my injury. It forced me to re-evaluate everything that I was doing as an RKC. Prior to this, my skills were not as good as they should have been. The injury made me a better coach, and I became stronger because of it. I have to use the RKC Principles correctly to avoid being injured again.

Paul Britt Coaching

I was able to get to the point where I was able to press half bodyweight again and knew that I had to try RKC-II again. In October, I hosted the RKC-II at my gym. We had a great group of strong people in attendance. Like the last time, Day 1 was RKC I and our strength requirement test. I felt that it was the easiest and best RKC recert test that I have ever performed. My skills were dialed in and the snatch test was by far my best one that I have ever completed, it was almost easy (the snatch test is never really easy). I passed RKC-II after a long weekend of heavy lifting. I had gone into the weekend with some trepidation, because I had been hurt. It was probably harder for me mentally than physically due to my last attempt ending so badly. I was nervous going into the testing as I did not fully believe that I could get through it without being injured, but I only had a slight issue with my left side pistol stability.

RKC-II Group Photo in Texas

What did I learn from all of this? I learned a lot, though I wish I had learned it without being injured. I was once taught that experience came after you needed it. I hope that someone uses mine to avoid taking the same path. Do not terrain into pain. If you are injured and your life is not in danger, take a break and heal. Do not let your ego cause you to do stupid stuff. There is no certification that is worth permanent injury and we hold a lot of certifications during the year. That is why I am glad that I chose to stay with the RKC. Dragon Door and the RKC’s focus on being a great instructor and their focus on the safe building of your skills is why I am proud to be a part of this community.

What’s next? I am training for the Beast Tamer. The plan is to do it for my 48th birthday at the October 2015 RKC led by Master RKC Andrew Read. There is still room and time to sign up for that certification.

***
RKC Team Leader Paul Britt has been an RKC kettlebell instructor since 2006. He trains clients at Britt’s Training Systems, his award-winning Hardstyle Kettlebell Training Facility in Rockwall, Texas. Paul has served as an assistant instructor at many RKC and HKC Courses, is a Certified Kettlebell Functional Movement Specialist (CK-FMS) and works with some of the top Chiroprators in North Texas. Please visit his website brittstrainingsystems.com for more information.

10 Reasons to Hire an RKC to Learn to Use Kettlebells

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RKC Team Leader Lori Crock Coaching at Movestrong Kettlebells
Photo: Leenabee Photography

An online fitness magazine caught my attention recently when the headline read, “The Problem with Kettlebells is …”

The article explained that the problem is there are not enough certified kettlebell coaches to match the interest in kettlebells at the average gym. The result is poor technique and injuries resulting from no understanding of how to do the movements and lifts.

But there are plenty of Russian Kettlebell Certified (RKC) coaches out there who can not only keep people safe, but help them reach the next level of fitness.

Here are my 10 reasons why you should hire a certified kettlebell coach:

1. Train Safely – at all of the RKC certification events, safety is the number 1 priority. You will use kettlebells safely or you will not be using them at all. A certified coach is a representative of the RKC community and we are responsible for keeping our clients safe and safely progressing in their kettlebell skills and mobility work.

2. Get Strong – our certification prepares us to design programs to get our students stronger using smart, proven hardstyle technique that yields results. An RKC has learned and practiced numerous regressions and progressions to address movement challenges and adapt the skills to different fitness levels. For example, if a student is struggling with the swing, we have multiple methods to address issues such as a lack of hip mobilization, squatting or hip pop timing issues and so on.

RKC Team Leader Lori Crock Coaching Swings
Photo: Leenabee Photography

3. Move with Power and Precision – people sometimes ask me, “How long before I get really comfortable with the technique?” That will depend on many factors, but RKCs teach you to move with power and precision on Day 1. There is no short-cut for perfect technique and we keep working with our students, their anatomical structure, their former injuries, their goals and so much more to help them to achieve strength and movement efficiency.

4. Regain Foundational Movement – being able to move well is something we never stop learning, teaching and practicing with our own training and with our students. Movement always comes before strength. A certified coach will challenge their students to address whatever issues present with the FMS or other movement assessment tool. Some foundational movement improvements realized with RKC coaching include: squatting, lunging, reaching, hinging, lifting, carrying and single-leg balancing.

5. Acquire a New Skill – when people inquire about kettlebell training I compare this to learning a skill like golf or skiing. It takes time and practice to get really good at this. But even in the first month, under the direction of a certified coach, students can become skillful at the key lifts. They can take this skill with them into the rest of their lives … into any gym, home, on vacation or at the office. The kettlebell is a handheld gym, so this is a skill that they can use often in varied environments.

6. Understand Your Body to Prevent Injury – there is absolutely no way to train with kettlebells and not learn something new about your body in terms of posture, breathing and muscular-skeletal activation. A physical therapist friend said that he had no idea about the power of the latissimus dorsi until he started using kettlebells. Understanding how and when to engage and use the lats and other key muscles, such as the glutes and hamstrings, is something that many life-long exercisers have not paid much attention to. This understanding of how and when to engage muscles and use the biomechanical match breathing can take one’s physical training to a new level.

RKC Team Leader Lori Crock Coaching a client with double kettlebells
Photo: Leenabee Photography

7. Train with Goals in Mind – there is nothing random in our training methodology. This is training to get strong and to move better using a variety of ballistic movements and grinds, upper and lower body, push, pull, lift and carry and ongoing mobility work to reach goals. I highly recommend the book, Master the Kettlebell for more information about RKC methods and programming.

8. Integrate with other Fitness Practices – programming at my gym is 80-90% kettlebell-focused. This will vary among certified kettlebell trainers of course, but programming kettlebell training along with barbells, TRX, Crossfit, yoga and the martial arts works and yields great results in terms of building strength and resilience.

9. Address Weaknesses and Asymmetries – an RKC certified coach will teach you single-arm and two-arm movements and lifts. With the single-arm kettlebell training especially, weaknesses or asymmetries may become apparent. An RKC is trained to address/improve/eliminate imbalances to prevent injury and increase performance–and refer someone to a medical professional when someone has pain or seriously dysfunctional movement.

Lori Crock Coaching Kettlebell Cleans
Photo: Leenabee Photography

10. Learn from Someone Who is a Coach First – the RKC program focuses on making us good kettlebell coaches. RKCs enjoy training with kettlebells, but we know the power in this is teaching the art of safe, efficient kettlebell skills to our students. We love to share our passion and we take pride in being RKC. We work hard to uphold the high standards set before us. Our certifications are physically and mentally demanding and we ask instructor candidates to take their preparation very seriously months in advance. RKCs recertify every two years and we have a community of coaches that support each other.

Looking for an RKC instructor in your area? Search our world-wide listing. Ready to sign up for an HKC or RKC certification event? Register for your life-changing experience now.

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

Improve Your Windmill

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Beth Andrews Kettlebell Windmill

The windmill is an excellent exercise to increase mobility, flexibility and core strength. As an added benefit, it also increases shoulder strength and stability. It’s a unique exercise because it engages multiple muscle groups and takes the body through a combined range of motion. Windmills are a great way to get heavy weight over your head in a challenging movement pattern, building the core as strong as the mighty oak tree.

Here are a few tips to improve your windmill:

Beth Andrews loves to paint her RKC kettlebells, to indicate the different sizes. To each his own with color choices we say, but there are a bunch of good reasons that Beth trains exclusively with the RKC brand🙂 –JDC

This next video shows two disadvantages. 1-reaching out, 2-reaching down. The third shows the advantage of focusing on hinging deep into the hips and squeezing shoulders blades together. This creates proper alignment which allows you to stack your body under the weight to gain all the benefits of the kettlebell windmill.

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Beth is a RKC Senior Instructor, PCC Team Leader, Primal Move Certified, and CK-FMS, She leads and certifies HKC and RKC certifications, assists at the PPC. 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 a certification, Beth Andrews can be reached by email at: bethandrewsrkc@gmail.com. For training tips and workouts subscribe to her channel on YouTube and visit her website at maximumbodytraining.com

The RKC–the Perfect Training System?

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

 

INTRODUCTION

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

PREFIX

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

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

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

SWING (Ballistic)

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

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

GOBLET SQUAT (Grind)

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

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

TURKISH GET-UP (Grind)

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

CLEAN (Ballistic)

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

MILITARY PRESS (Grind)

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

SNATCH (Ballistic)

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

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

CONCLUSION

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

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

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

Importance of the Overhead Lockout

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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.”

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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

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

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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/

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Take Those Kettlebells Outside

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It’s spring, the weather is warming up, the flowers are blooming and the sun is shining.

If you’ve been hibernating all winter and your workouts have gotten dull, now is the time to breathe new life into those workouts by taking your Kettlebells outside for some fun in the sun.

The possibilities for outdoor workouts are endless. I’ve been outside with my clients for several weeks working on some fun variations for outdoor workouts. Obviously, you need to be in a large grassy area or you could be liable for destroying property and we certainly don’t want that.

The workouts I’ve included are just a few of the fun variations that you can use. Get creative!

To get a full body workout, I start with bent over rows and push-ups. You can either do them once at the start of the workout or you can have them do the rows and push ups each time they pick up the bell.

Depending on how far you want to go down the field, you can vary the reps. If I plan to go far, then I will do 1 rep of each, swing, squat, curl and press before I throw the bell. If you want you can have your clients do several reps of swings, squats, curls and presses before they throw the bell.

Another option is to add a rep of each for every time they pick up their bell.

This can also be a time to work on form. At the end of the video, I included a “stop and throw” swing. This requires a very powerful hip snap in order to heave the bell as far as you can.

Hopefully this will give you some fun ideas and motivation to get you outside and enjoy the spring time.

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

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.