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The Usual Suspects

June 26, 2013 By Thomas Phillips Leave a Comment

When I sat with my colleague, good friend and level 4 Z-health trainer / RKC Steve Pucciarelli to create a viable kid’s program to compliment the UTC (www.TheUltimateTransformationChallenge.com), we agreed that kids should be able to identify simple ways to improve performance. We narrowed a long list to ‘5 usual suspects.’ Having successfully completed that task, we agreed that the information should be presented to EVERYONE, not just kids.

This article demonstrates how proper use of kettlebells can address the FIRST ‘usual suspect;’ however, I will be presenting this material in a ½ day seminar along with RKC / Z- health expert Steve Pucciarelli and RKC Team Leader Matt Maher. In fact, on July 14th we will address ALL 5 ‘usual suspects.’

Suspect #1: The “Chest / Reverse breather”

How to address the “chest breather” with kettlebells:

Practice diaphragm breathing

1) Perform a set of 10 dead swings. Count each rep out loud at the top of the swing with conviction. This will assure you have some air in your lungs at the bottom and letting it release up top. Many people mistakenly breathe in at the top of the swing instead of “spitting the air out.” Therefore, think about “spitting the air out” at the top of EACH swing along with the rep number you are currently performing.

2) In between the next set of 10 dead swings, lay on your belly with your elbows under your chest and think about breathing into the floor with your belly. Allow your belly to naturally push into the floor as you visualize sending your breath deep past your belly button and toward your groin. Do this for a minute, then perform another set of 10 dead swings.

3) In between the next set of 10 dead swings lay on your back and allow the back of your head to touch the floor while keeping the neck NEUTRAL. (Note: If your chin is up then you may need a thin pad to put behind your head). Once in place, think about keeping the back of your neck long. Block one nostril with your finger and put the other hand on top of your belly. Finally, breathe deeply into the belly (as described in #2) while maintaining that long neck and neutral cervical spine. Do this for one minute, and then perform another set of 10 dead swings.

4) Once you become comfortable with the 2 breathing techniques described above, try continuing both of those strategies while closing your eyes and consciously attempting to slow your breathing / heart rate. This should result in relaxation of residual tension in your muscles. Do this for one minute, and then perform another set of 10 dead swings.

Practice Hard style breathing

5) Rack a pair of kettlebells and get ready for front squats. Breathe into the diaphragm while standing with the bells racked. Think about making the belly big, then hold your breath and drop into your front squat. Initiate the ascent with a loud and abrupt “up” from the belly. You will only be letting about 10% of your air out when you initiate this sound.

If the sound is initiated incorrectly (from the throat) you will not feel as strong and “connected” on your ascent; however, if the sound is initiated correctly (from the diaphragm) you will hear a better quality of sound and feel a better quality of connection as you ascend.

Understand the difference between the “qualities of sound” in this way:

From the throat think “Bob Dylan” (INCORRECT)

From the diaphragm think “Pavarotti” (CORRECT)

Check out high-level powerlifters or strong men as they squat or deadlift heavy weights. Notice the big breath in, the intensity on their faces and their ability to grind through a heavy rep without panicking. This is an example of mastery of this technique. Take a look at powerlifting legend Ed Coan:

Now, try a heavy set of kettlebell front squats. Perform 5 sets of 5 reps focusing on these principles. At the top of each rep, take another breath and perform the next repetition.

Practice breathing behind the shield.

6) Hold 2 heavy, heavy kettlebells in each hand in front of you while standing with your feet spread slightly wider than usual. Try to create as much tension as possible in your body by doing the following:

a)   Lock your knees and tighten your quads
b)   Squeeze your glutes as hard as possible
c)   Grip the bells with your hands as tight as possible
d)   Tighten your triceps
e)   Tighten your lats
f)   Keep holding… tighter… tighter… tighter!!!

7) You will notice that if you breathe too deeply and hold your breath as described earlier in the front squat, you will not be able to sustain this amount of intra-abdominal pressure very long. Therefore, a different approach is required.

8) Try this: Get into a front plank position (like a push-up but on your elbows), then close your eyes and imagine someone is about to kick you rapidly in the stomach 10 times in a row. This should force you to do each of the following:

1)   Tuck your pelvis
2)   Brace your abdominals
3)   Breathe more shallow

This should also STOP you from doing each of the following:

1)   Sagging your belly
2)   Relaxing your mid-section
3)   Putting your lower-back into extension

From this position, try to create as much tension as possible by focusing on squeezing your glutes as hard as you can. This will help maintain a tucked pelvis and braced abdominals while also giving the opportunity to breathe shallow into the belly.

Here is an example of me utilizing these principles in a plank:

Here is an example of me utilizing these principles in a push-up:

This ability to comfortably breathe shallow “behind” braced abdominals is what we mean by “breathing behind the shield.”

Use this technique for exercises that require isometric holds. Gymnasts must use this technique on the rings, the parallel bars, etc; however, notice how RELAXED their faces are as they utilize this breathing strategy. This is an example of mastery of this technique. However, you can also use this technique during sub-maximal lifting where the goal is to lift a relatively heavy weight for as many reps as you can over a period of time. Here is an example of me lifting 265 lbs for 30 reps in less than 90 seconds at 165 lbs bodyweight. After my AAU meet, I elected to try the “feats of strength competition” in Las Vegas last summer. This was the result using the principles of “breathing behind the shield”:

Practice anatomic breathing:

Suppose the goal is to do as many reps as possible over a longer period of time (perhaps 30 seconds or as long as 5 minutes or more).

Take a light to moderate kettlbell and put it in the rack. Use your legs to help you push press the weight as fast as possible while maintaining good form. For me, a 16 kg bell for 30 reps in 30 seconds does the trick. Take a look:

For this technique I’m using my body as a “spring” and “catching” the bell with my WHOLE BODY. As the bell descends and hits my body I breathe out to “absorb” the force of the bell, then, immediately redirect the bell upward as I breathe in again. You can see this type of speed would be impossible if I were to use Hard-Style, / High Tension / Intra-Abdominal breathing described earlier in the front squat. Instead, I breathe out while moving WITH the force by absorbing this force into the WHOLE BODY, then I “take it somewhere else…” in the example of the push press I absorb and redirect the bell straight back up into the air.

As you can see, breath mastery is critical to performance. Practice the appropriate techniques depending on the task at hand; however, there is NEVER a reason to be a “chest breather.”

To register for the ½ day seminar on July 14th, contact Master RKC Thomas Phillips at fitforlifemarlboro@yahoo.com sign-ups are limited because this seminar is part of a larger seminar series.

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About Thomas Phillips, Master RKC: Being a good student, teacher and athlete has always been a priority. This is why I choose to remain the student and the teacher in all aspects of life. Other than being a teacher of math and philosophy for the past 13 years, I am also a writer, gym owner, as well as a proud father and husband. I continue to challenge myself physically by competing in… Read more here.

www.fflmarlboro.com
www.TheUltimateTransformationChallenge.com
www.TotalAchievementProgram.com

The Dirty Dozen Exercises: Move #4, The Hanging Abdominals

May 24, 2013 By Phil Ross 1 Comment

There is nothing sought after more than a set of “washboard abs.” A set of ripped, hard looking, abdominal region inspires awe and envy in everyone that sets eyes upon them. A “Cut Gut” is a sure telltale sign the the bearer is in incredible physical condition and that they “don’t have an ounce of fat” on them. How do we achieve these legendary abdominals of steel and sinew? How do we develop 6-pack abs that can withstand having cinder-blocks piled on it and being hit with a sledgehammer? Can we develop our midsection so that we can absorb a full power knee drive from a Muay Thai Fighter or an uppercut from a Prize Boxer?

First of all, having a “ripped” abdominal section is not necessarily indicative of abdominal strength. It not simply the appearance, but how did they get those abs? By simply starving themselves or as the result of serious, pointed abdominal training? There are some fitness experts that recommend a thousand abdominal repetitions per day or some type of fitness apparatus that they are undoubtedly paid to endorse. These machines may or may not work and I don’t know how many of us have the time to perform a thousand or more crunches a day. So how do we achieve these legendary abdominals that can withstand having a 2 x 4 broken over them, but fit the workout into our overloaded lives?

If you are engaged in a consistent Kettlebell and Bodyweight training regiment, your abdominals and core are already receiving a great deal of work. However, if you want to take it to the next level and maximize the “best bang for the buck” for your abdominals, then Hanging Abdominal training is a must. You will discover that I do detest long, drawn out training sessions. Who has the time? How long can ANY of us effectively train while maintaining intensity and proper form? Plus – if you are an athlete, you want to leave time to practice your sports skills, not spend the bulk of your day with your strength and conditioning. If you are not a competitive athlete, you probably have work, family or social matters that require your attention. Use your time wisely.

There are several methods of practicing the hanging abdominals. or a beginner, I will recommend that you use (or purchase) the Dip, Pull-up & Ab Machine. The are available new for about $300, used for $100 or less. It will be the most useful apparatus that you ever purchase. No moving parts whatsoever. In addition to the video demonstrating the higher level abs, check out this one on YouTube. It will show the machine. For beginners, simply raise your knees up to chest (or as high as you are able) while keeping your lumbar region (low back) pressed firmly against the back board of the machine. When you able to accomplish 20 repetitions with bent knees, then move to straight legged version and bring your legs up so that your heels are level with your waist. For the next level of this exercise, you bring your feet up to or above head level. Please remember to maintain a flat back against the back pad. Packing your shoulders and assuming a tall chest position are a must.

Once you are able to to perform the suspended abdominals, you are ready for the Hanging Abdominal training. There are three basic movements that I recommend. The Hanging Knee Lift, Jackknife and the Side to Side Jackknife. The easiest are the Hanging Knee Lift. Grasp a pull-up bar with your elbows straight and your shoulders packed. Do not allow for body sway. Contract your abs and raise your knees up to chest level. Work up to at least 20 repetitions prior to advancing toward the Jackknife Abs. For the straight Jackknife abs, assume the same position as during the Knee Lifts. Straighten your legs, steady your body and contract your abs as you raise your legs so that your feet are above the bar. Repeat. For the Side to Side Jackknife, simply raise your feet to one corner of the pull-up bar and then the other. This contra-lateral movement is incredible. As far as repetitions are concerned, start with 3 to 5 and then work your way up to 10 per set. Do not permit yourself to swing. You will not maximize the effect of the movement and you may expose yourself to injury. Packed shoulders, locked elbows and a steady body.

As always, train hard, train often and TRAIN SMART!

Coach Phil

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About Phil Ross, Master RKC, 8^th Degree Black Belt, Specialist in Bodyweight Strength and CK-FMS Certified. Phil Ross’ name is synonymous with Martial Arts and Fitness. He is known as the area’s Kettlebell King and has successfully competed on the National Level in… Read more here.

The Smarter Complex

April 12, 2013 By Josh Henkin 2 Comments

When people ask me, “what got you into kettlebells?” It was simple, kettlebells allowed me to bring exercises that normally would be too difficult to teach and make the drills much more accessible to my clients and create incredibly dynamic and athletic based exercises.

However, as I say this now over ten years later, I have sadly seen the kettlebell for the most part be regulated to a handful of very basic exercises.

Are the basics and foundations important? Of course they are! Are they where we stop with training? Absolutely not! Many people are big believers in the K.I.S.S. method (keep it simple stupid) and believe this is where the majority of your training should lie. Unfortunately, if we are focused on being athletic, mobile, and truly addressing functional based training we need to get out of the very basic movement skills of lifting. Performance coach, Scott Sonnon, gives an opposing view to the K.I.S.S. method and refers to a lot of people being stuck in S.I.S.S. (stuck in stupid simplicity).

I am not going to take away anything from the incredible feats that Powerlifters and Olympic lifters can achieve. However, when I think of a great athlete, if I ask YOU to close your eyes and think of a great athlete, do you think of someone standing in one place? While being “athletic” is as vague as being “strong” or “in shape”, we have a tendency to know what it looks like when we see it.

Often it revolves around people moving in many directions or gracefully through space. They are moving in ways we know are difficult, but they make it look easy. Being a basketball fan most of my life and growing up in Chicago, I can’t help but think of ultimate athleticism when Michael Jordan switched hands in mid air during the 1991 NBA Championships. So amazing, so graceful, so unbelievable, but he made it look so easy. Don’t we want our training to be more of the same?

One of the most common places I see people stuck in just the basics is in the use of kettlebell complexes. A complex is one exercise made up of several individual exercises. Typically they flow from one movement to another making a natural pattern to the overall exercise. This is a phenomenal way to build conditioning, drop fat, build muscle balance, and functional strength.

The father of complexes, Istvan Javorek, believed complexes offered incredible benefits, “The main purpose of combination lifts is to improve and stimulate neuromuscular coordination, increase the workout load and intensity, stimulate the musculoskeletal system, increase the free weight program’s cardiovascular quality, and make a program more dynamic and efficient.The number of combination exercises is unlimited, depending on the coach’s knowledge and creativity, the gym’s equipment and apparatus, and the goals of the coaches and athletes.”

While I am far from the first to see the unique benefits and almost infinite options kettlebell complexes allow, most coaches have lost the true intent of complexes and have become a victim of very repetitive training. What do I mean? In a complex we want to see the body move in a variety of ways stimulating different movement patterns. We don’t want to just replicate what we do in our standard training programs. Such specialized lifting loses some of the essence of complexes, especially kettlebell complexes.

In order to illustrate my point, here is a commonly used kettlebell complex…

Swing
Clean
Snatch

Is this wrong? Maybe the order is slightly, but inherently not “wrong”, but limiting. Here we have three examples of the same movement pattern, the hip hinge. Not only a hip hinge, but a movement pattern performed in the same pattern, same stance, same direction.

A more common complex that at least stresses three different movement patterns….

Clean
Squat
Press

This is better, but still if we stop using our movement skills, can become limiting itself. In addition, the above complex is always limited by the amount we can press as typically one can squat and clean with far more weight. So only one third of the complex is being effectively stressed.

Complexes can range from very foundational to very complex. The number of exercises within a complex should be related to the fitness of the individual and the goal of the training session. Someone with a more extensive background can handle a complex of more exercises than an individual rather new to training. If the goal is a bit more strength oriented less exercises should be used in the complex. Yet, if the goal is more general conditioning we can use more exercises within the complex. Below is a progression of complexes we can use to start from foundational to complex.

Generally, I will work the most challenging aspect of the complex first and as someone fatigues more, move to the more stable or easiest. Take for instance in the example of Clean-Squat-Press, my preferred sequence would be to perform the press for reps then squat for reps, then clean for reps (hardest portion to easiest).

That also brings up how many different ways you can perform a complex. There are typically two different means. The first being performing all of one segment of the complex before moving onto the next.

Press x 6 reps proceed to..
Squat x 6 reps proceed to…
Clean x 6 reps

I generally use this method when there are very distinct differences between the various movements of the complex. Again, the press is going to be generally less than one’s squat or clean. It also makes sense to perform the weakest aspect of the complex first, as fatigue accumulates we can move to our stronger segments.

The other means is to perform one segment right after another. Such a complex may look like the following…

Snatch x 1 rep move directly into..
Rack Drop Lunge x 1 rep move directly into
Press x 1 rep and repeat for 4-5 more cycles.

Today’s video demonstrates some different ways to create complexes. In more advanced variations we want to work various stability patterns, planes of motions, and angles. In more foundational complexes we will focus on building good movement skills and teaching the principles to more challenging movement patterns.

The complex is a wonderful method for a host of different goals and circumstances. If you start to broaden your mind upon with purpose and creativity, you will find that the kettlebell complex offers almost endless productive and fun forms of training.

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About Josh Henkin: Josh Henkin, Senior 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