58861130 introduction to kettle bell and barbell training ebook
TRANSCRIPT
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The Dragon Gym and Chronicles Of Strength Presents
INTRODUCTION TO KETTLEBELL &BARBELL TRAINING
Build aphysique to withstand all odds
and befree from ailments as far as
practicable
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DRAGON GYM MARTIAL ARTS ANDFITNESS
www.dragongym.com,www.chroniclesofstrength.com
INTRODUCTION TO KETTLEBELL &BARBELL TRAINING
2011 by Dragon Gym Legacy Inc, All Rights
Reserved Worldwide.
This publication is for personal use only and may notbe copied or distributed without prior writtenpermission.
Limits of Liability and Disclaimer:
The authors and publishers of this book have madetheir best efforts to ensure that the informationprovided in this publication is accurate and assume noresponsibility for errors or omissions. Additionally,
you should use this information as you see fit andentirely at your own risk.
Lastly, use common sense and good judgment.Nothing in this publication is intended to replacecommon sense, legal, medical or other professionaladvice and is meant only to inform and entertain thereader.
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Dragon Gym Martial Arts & Fitness and theAuthors recommend the following resources:
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Without your body, you are nothing invest wisely when it comes to yourmost precious asset!
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Part 1: Introduction and What to Expect
Who is Pat Flynn RKC ?
A quick history
I grew up a pretty fat kid.
I am no longer a fat kid.
I changed my life not only through discipline and diligence, but also through
continued education. I learned how to manipulate my body, through
experimentation and by first learning how it works. You see, if you can understand a
system of fixed and variable inputs, and you have the ability to manage thosevariable inputs, then you will inherently have at least some control over the output.
The human body is just that; it is a system of fixed and variable inputs. The fixed
inputs include things that in our current time we cannot alter, such as genetics, sex,
etc. The variable inputs however, we do have control over. They are what we do and
what we eat. All of this contributes to the output, which is our overall wellbeing,
appearance, and performance. Through my experience, I have concluded that the
variable inputs have a far more profound effect on the output, than the fixed inputs
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do. Sure, we may be somewhat limited by our genetics, but only to a certain extent.
Everybody has the ability to maximize his or her genetic potential, whether he or
she chooses to do so is up to him or her.
Also, make a strong mental note of the following conclusion:
Nothing can take the place of persistence. Commitment to even a shitty program will
often yield better results, than somebody who is only partly committed to a very
good program.
I have worked with all walks of life, including various college level and high school
athletes, ABA basketball players, martial artists, stay at home moms, geriatrics,
people who are disabled either physically or mentally, and hundreds of normal,
everyday people who just want to improve the quality of their life. I do personal
training, group fitness classes, athletic enhancement, workshops and clinics, and
even have given a few lectures. And what have I learned from working with such a
diverse group of individuals in such a variety of manners? Absolutely everything,but at the same time absolutely nothing.
What I have also come to realize is that each and every person is incredibly unique
(even more so than your own mother would tell you), and that there is no one
single, cookie-cutter approach that can be taken to every new person I work with.
But while each and every persons own personal goals are also unique; they can all
essentially be boiled down to one of two things;
Improving their self-esteem and/or quality of life.
Well it makes sense doesnt it?
Why do we work out? Why do we train? To lose weight, to gain muscle, to get
stronger, to enhance our athletic abilities, and so on and so forth. Ive just about
heard it all. But what people really desire, when you get down to the root of it, is
increased self-esteem and an improved quality of life. Can you really argue against
that? I cant.People want to look better and perform better, because it makes them
feelbetter about themselves.
Everyday I help somebody reach a goal. I have designed hundreds of programs,
ranging from bodybuilding regimens, to strongman protocols, to marathon and
triathlon training, to periodized sports specific and athletic enhancement programs.
I get just as much joy and satisfaction from helping someone be able to move freely
and without pain again, as I do from having a client reach a weight loss goal, or
watching an athlete that I have worked with dominate the competition. Helping
someone reach a goal is an incredibly rewarding experience for me, and is why I
love to do what I do.
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So what is it that I have to offer you with this book? You took the time to purchase it,
and since I value your time, I have no intention to waste any of it. So, lets get right to
it shall we?
What I have to offer are solutions, because thats really what your looking for
isnt it? Think about this
You dont really buy a product or a service do you? The truth is, you are purchasing
a solution. When you buy a drill, you arent really paying for a drill you are paying
for holes! So when you hire a personal trainer, you really arent paying for their
services, rather you are paying for a body that is leaner, healthier, more muscular,
etc.
This book offers solutions. Is your problem weight loss? This book offers a solution
to that. Or maybe your problem lies within unrealized sports performance
potential? Well, this book offers a solution for that. Perhaps you are having a hard
time putting on muscle mass? The solution for that is also found in this book.
You have a problem and I have the solution.
Thank you for purchasing this book, and enjoy!
Who Is Somnath Sikdar RKC?
Working with Master Somnath Sikdar at Dragon Gym has been an absolute life
changing experience. I first met Som when he began coaching my university Tae
Kwon Do Team. He quickly introduced me to kettlebells and the RKC school of
strength. I have worked with many different instructors and trainers in the past, yet
none have inspired me or helped me reach my full potential like training with Som
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has. He has an incredibly deep understanding of martial arts, fitness, and self
discipline, but the most important, which truly makes him one of the most
outstanding professionals I have ever worked with, is his patience. Som takes the
extra time, and goes out of his way to make sure you understand and that you
succeed. It was by training under Som, that i was able to obtain my RKC, and without
his help, I really doubt I would have ever done that. I can not recommend hisservices enough, if you ever have the chance to work with Master Sikdar, take it
immediately!
Master Somnath Sikdar is the Head Instructor at the Dragon Gym and has been
training in Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido for 25 years. He is currently a Fifth degree
black belt and is certified by the World Taekwondo Headquarters (Kukkiwon). His
training has covered a broad spectrum of martial arts to include a variety of
weapons, self-defense, traditional and sport Tae Kwon Do. He has also studied
Hapkido under Grandmaster Han Jae Ji. In conjunction with martial arts, he has
been studying and training with the Russian Kettlebell, and currently holds the
Level 1 RKC Certification.
Master Sikdar has competed successfully in local, state, and collegiate tournaments.
In addition, he continues to study western boxing, Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
He has attained a BSE in Electrical Engineering, along with minors in Systems
Science and Economics, from the University of Pennsylvania. While completing this
degree he was the President, Head Instructor, and Coach of the University of
Pennsylvania WTF Tae Kwon Do Team.
Master Sikdar still coaches competitive Taekwondo athletes and is an active advisor
to the UPENN WTFTKD Team and the West Chester University Taekwondo Team.
What is covered in this Book?
Through my research, people generally want one of, or a combination of four things
out of their fitness regimen.
1. Lose weight (preferably bodyfat)2. Put on muscle mass (preferably lean muscle mass)3. Get Stronger4. Improve Athleticism
In this book, I will introduce you to the tools you will need in order to obtain the
results you want. I will offer to you a variety of options as to how to implement anduse those tools effectively, so that you get what you want, in the least amount of
time possible.
The tools are exercises/movements. There will be a vast amount of exercise
tutorials in this book including, but not limited to kettlebell training, conventional
barbell lifts, Olympic lifts, bodyweight exercises, plyometrics, and more. You must
first understand how each tool works, before you try to use it. What good is a
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hammer if you hold it upside down? I will do my very best (and I happen to be very
good at what I do) to explain to you exactly how to perform each movement safely
and effectively, and the purpose/benefits of doing so.
The second part of this book is about implementation. How will you use the tools
that you have learned in the first part to get stronger, get leaner, increaseathleticism, put on muscle mass, or a combination of all the above. I will present to
you a variety options for program design to help you reach your goals as quickly and
effectively as possible.
TANSTAAFL and the Three Forms of Selfishness
(tan-staff-uhl)
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
Remember this.
Never, ever forget it.
If you want something, then you have to work for it. I can only show you the path,
but ultimately, you are the one that has to walk it. Youhave to put in the time and
the effort. I can teach you what you need to know in order to reach your goals, but
such knowledge is useless without a strong sense of intrinsic motivation. You have
to want it. You have to chase it. And you have to commit to it.
There are, however, three things that I simply cannot teach you; which are
undeniably crucial to your success. I can only make you aware of them. I am talkingabout learning to be selfish. Let us consider the three most important forms forms
of selfishness.
1. Self Discipline Self-discipline is about doing. Sometimes it may be doing what
you want to do, but more often, it is doing what you do not want to do. Self-
discipline is about putting in the work needed to achieve a certain output, and
continuing to do so until you have accomplished what you set out to achieve. I
cannot teach you self-discipline.
2. Self-Control Self-control is about notdoing. It is about restraint. Self-control is
resistance to temptation. Self-control is not putting that warm, moist piece ofchocolate cake into your mouth. Self-discipline and self-control must work hand in
hand to ensure success. I cannot teach you self-control.
3. Self-respect Self-respect is about caring. Caring about yourself, and respecting
your mind and body enough, to want to take care of the vessel in which you reside. I
cannot teach you self-respect.
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Pat 1: What is Strength? What is Power?
Without getting overly technical, strength is simply the ability for our muscles to
generate internal tension.
For our purposes we are concerned with three types of strength.
The first is muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is when you perform some sort
of pushing, pulling, or pressing movement for multiple repetitions. An example of a
muscular endurance activity would be performing as many push-ups or pull-ups as
you can possibly do, so long as the load is sub-maximal. If the load is maximal or
above that, like in the case that you are unable to perform a single pull up, then the
movement is no longer about muscular endurance, but rather maximal strength.
The second is maximal strength. Maximal strength or true muscular strength, again
involves a pushing, pulling, or pressing movement of a maximum load. It is all about
just how much force can you exert for one rep or how much weight you can move
just one time. An example would be a one rep max squat, bench, or dead lift.
The third type of strength we are concerned with is static strengthor isometric
contractions. An example of this type of strength would be holding a plank position,
or the top of a chin up. The muscles are forcefully contracted and internal tension is
generated, but there is no change in a joint angle.
Are strength and size related?
It is a fallacy that strength and size are related. You do not have to be big to be
strong, and just because you are big, does not mean you are strong. Strength is more
of a neurological adaptation, then a morphological one. What this means is that
strength is a skill acquired through practice, and not necessarily from the result ofputting on muscle mass. The key to getting stronger is to program yourself to
become more efficient at certain movements. In this book we will differentiate
training for strength and training for hypertrophy (muscle growth), because if you
truly want to become stronger without putting on bulk, then the last thing you want
to do is be training like a bodybuilder! It is true however, that after time, the
neurological adaptations of strength gains will often attribute to an increased size of
muscle fibers, as well as possible anatomical changes in connective tissues. But fear
not ladies! These changes will not make you appear bulky or herculean, but rather
toned and defined.
What is Power
The definition of power is force over time. So logically, power is the ability to
generate as much force in as little time as possible. It is important to difference
strength and power. Strength does not have a time element, but power does. It may
help to think of power as speedy strength. Power movements include swinging a
baseball bat, snatching a barbell overhead, a slap shot, a high jump, etc. It is
important, not only for athletes, but for everybody to train both strength and power.
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Power movements have additional benefits that are often left out of most strength
training routines, including increased strength gains, caloric expenditure, and
metabolic conditioning.
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Part Two: Other Things to Consider Before GettingStarted
The Law of Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands and the Overload
Principle
The law of adaptations to imposed demands states that our body will adapt to the
rigors and stressors put upon it. The overload principle is all about pushing harder,
so that our body will adapt to the increased load, volume, density, intensity, etc. We
want to elicit an adaptation, because it is through these adaptations that we become
stronger, leaner, and more powerful. If we do not adequately stress ourselves, then
our body has no need to change. So no bullshit, and no fluff here. If you want results,
you will have to continuously push yourself, in a smart manner of course.
Overtraining
On the other end of the spectrum is overtraining. Overtraining is a prolonged
phenomenon. It occurs when the body is not sufficiently recovering for long enough
periods of time. Really, all it means is that you are pushing yourself too hard for too
long. Now, controlled periods of overtraining, also known as overreaching, can be
quite beneficial if properly planned. But truly prolonged periods of overtraining are
actually quite counterproductive and can lead to more problems down the road.
Signs of overtraining include but are not limited to:
1. An elevated resting heart rate. Here is a test you can use. When you are sureyou are fully recovered and not overtraining, take your pulse upon waking
one morning, assuming you are not startled. This will serve as your baseline
resting heart rate upon waking. A good indicator of overtraining, is if your
pulse is elevated anymore than 7 beats per minute above this baseline.
2. Low Libido. Overtraining can actually lead to a lower level of testosterone. Soif your sex drive suddenly plummets, it may be time to taper off.
3. Weight Gain4. Feelings of depression and anxiousness5. Restlessness and trouble sleeping
As you can see, prolonged periods of overtraining can be quite serious. So be sure to
carefully monitor for signs of overtraining, and to taper off and rest up when
necessary. The best thing you can do for yourself is always listen to your body.
Remember that a good program is like a flexible budget, it outlines and plans your
long-term goals and strategies, but must be able to flex to accommodate certainfluctuations in life.
The Law of Specificity
In the RKC community, we are big fans of the law of specificity. All this states is that
in order to get good at something, you have to do that something! If you want to
improve your squat, then you have to squat. If you want to get better at golf, then
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you have to golf. Sounds pretty logical doesnt it? But there is a little more to it.
Obviously you cant squat your max load everyday, youd probably end up seriously
injured or kill yourself. So what we must take into consideration is specialized
variety and tactical periodization. What you want to do, is make your training,
specific to your training goals, but also consider the fluctuation of certain variables
such as intensity, density, frequency, and volume. It sounds almost like anoxymoron, but you want to vary your specificity. Um what? Just bear with me for a
minute here. Lets take the back squat for example. Say you want to improve your
back squat numbers. Well obviously you want to focus on training a lot of knee
dominant squatting movements. But what weight should you choose, and how many
days a weeks should you squat? Weight is a variable(intensity), and so is how many
days a week you squat(frequency). Also, how many sets and reps should you be
performing (volume and density)? All of these must be taken into consideration
when developing a tactical and periodized program. As for specialized variety, all
that means is performing subtle variations that compliment your training goals. For
example, a front squat would be a subtle but complimentary variation to your back
squat. Perhaps you want to improve your kettlebell military press numbers. Wellinstead of doing strict military presses everyday, somedays you may wish to
substitute in long push presses, or even bent presses, as some specialized variety.
Variety is the spice of life, remember that, but also be sure not to stray far off from
what you are trying to achieve.
What The Hell Is With All This Functional Strength Nonsense?
Im going to put this to you all as delicately as I can. Standing with one leg, on a bosu
ball, performing a single arm bicep curl, is NOT functional strength training.
Functional training has become so distorted and clich in the past decade, that I
almost go out of my way to avoid using the term functional, because I simply donot wish to be associated with most of the trainers that promote themselves as
functional fitness experts.
For example, a few years ago, a new client walked into my kettlebell class with a
bosu ball. He told me that he uses a bosu ball in all fitness classes hes ever taken, so
that he gets more of a functional workout. Im going to tell you exactly what I told
him.
Who the hell ever decided that training on a wobbly, unstable surface is functional.
When, do we as humans, ever have to operate or perform on such an unstable
surface? I can think of almost no time ever where this is the case. Sure, there is
core recruitment for doing such a ridiculous thing, as well as proprioceptivebenefits, but you can obtain the same benefits elsewhere and in half the time. My
point being, that we as humans, rarely perform on unstable surfaces. Uneven
perhaps, but mostly we perform on stable surfaces, but have to handle unstable
loads!
I apologize for my tangent, but the notion of functional fitness today is absurd. True
functional fitness is really only one thing, and that is smart training!
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Ill let you in on a little secret
How would you like to know the most functional exercise of all time?
Guess what, its the freaking deadlift!
Thats right, what other movement is more comprehensive and functional then thedeadlift. Everyday you pick shit off the floor, so why not learn to do it right! Yet,
rarely will you ever see a functional fitness expert teaching a client how to deadlift.
Instead they have them looking like a clown, performing movements that have little
to no benefit and/or carryover to their everyday activities.
Part Three: Movements
Human movement occurs in three planes. The frontal plane which involves lateral
(lateral meaning to the side) movement such as a kettlebell windmill, the sagital
plane which involves forward and backward movements, and the transverse plane
which involves movements around your body such as a Russian twist. Do not worryso much about the planes of movement, I just want you to have a basic
understanding to help comprehend certain exercises later on.
The Core Eight Movements of a Balanced Program
Over my years of studies, experience, and working with some of the brightest minds
in the industry, I feel it is best to brake down exercises into eight simple categories.
These eight categories are eight different types of movement that make up a
balanced, effective, and worthwhile fitness program. You must include movements
from each category into your routines, to ensure maximum results and muscular
balance. The core eight movements include:
1. A vertical press a vertical press is any sort of overhead pressing movement,such as a single arm kettlebell military press, or a standing overhead barbell
press. I like to use the term press for vertical movements, and push for
horizontal movements for the sake of simple differentiation. A vertical press
is any movement that moves vertically if you are in a standing position.
2. A horizontal push A horizontal push, is a movement that would be movinghorizontally if you were in a standing position. For example, the bench press
is a horizontal pushing movement, only because you are lying down is the
bar moving in a vertical motion. If it were possible to bench press standing
up, then you would see how this is a horizontal pushing movement.
3. A vertical pull a vertical pull, is any sort of pulling movement that movesvertically if you were in a standing position. A classic example of this would
be the pull up.
4. A horizontal pull a horizontal pull, is any sort of pulling movement thatmoves horizontally if you were in a standing position. A good example of this,
would be a bodyweight row, or bent over row.
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5. A Knee dominant movementA lower body knee dominant movement isprimarily dominated by an extension of the knee joint. Examples of a knee
dominant movement would be front squats, lunges, pistol squats, etc.
6. A hip dominant movement A lower body hip dominant movement isprimarily dominated by an extension of the hips. Now please note that a hip
dominant movement might include knee extension, and a knee dominantmovement might include hip extension (most due), but you must classify the
movement either by which extension plays the biggest role in completion of
the movement, or which extension initiates the movement. An example of a
hip dominant movement would be a kettlebell swing, or a Romanian dead lift.
7. Explosive movement An explosive movement is a power movement. Theyare all multi-joint compound movements.
8. Core work (stability, rotational, linear) It is incredibly important to workthe core in three manners. Stability is the sole purpose of your core. It is your
core that stabilizes your spine and torso. Your core also works as a stabilizer
and mobilizer for torso rotation, as well as spinal flexion and extension. For a
strong, functional, and balanced core, you must train all of your cores coreresponsibilities equally.
Classifying Movements
My goal here is to give you the biggest bang for your buck exercises, and weed out
all the unnecessary movements. There are literally hundreds of exercises that I
could list under each movement category, but it would be both a waste of my time as
well as yours to try and cover them all. Under each category I will provide what Ifeel to be the most comprehensive and effective movements, all of which are
inherently multi-joint compound movements with large amounts of neuromuscular
activation. For example, the kettlebell military press puts the shoulder through a
greater range of motion and is much more demanding than the tradition shoulder
press you find most wanna-be meatheads performing with a dumbbell. Sure, you
could argue that since the shoulder press with a dumbbell covers only a partial
range of motion as the kettlebell military press, you could therefore move more
weight, and possibly increase the strength of your kettlebell press. My argument for
that is that there are much more effective ways to increase your kettlebell military
pressing strength, than trying to overload with a shoulder press. One example
would be to do heavy Turkish get ups, or heavy long push presses. Another optionwould be to perform a heavy yielding kettlebell press. I will give you all the tools
you need to succeed, without any of the noise and confusion of ancillary movements.
Also note, that some movements may be repeated, because they fit into multiple
categories. For example, the Viking push press is a vertical press, but it is also an
explosive movement. The Turkish get up has a knee dominant component(lunge),
but is also a fantastic core stability movement.
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One last note: unilateral means that one limb works in isolation of another to move
a weight. A bilateral movement is when both limbs work together to move a weight.
Bilateral movements obviously allow for greater strength gains, but since your
dominant side will typically negotiate more of the weight, performing solely
bilateral movements can eventually lead to unwanted muscular imbalances.Unilateral movements help to correct weaknesses and muscular imbalances. Every
workout should include bilateral and unilateral movements. An example of a
bilateral movement is the front squat, where as the pistol squat is unilateral. An
overhead barbell press is bilateral, but a double kettlebell military press is actually
unilateral since you are moving two separate weights, each moving independent of
each other (two kettlebells instead of one barbell), regardless of whether or not they
are moving simultaneously or at the same tempo.
The Core Six Kettlebell Movements
The Core Six Kettlebell Movements
The core six kettlebell movements should be the first exercises you learn with a
kettlebell, and you should be proficient at them all before advancing to any other
techniques, especially double kettlebell movements.
They core six movements are:
1.Kettlebell Swing
2.Turkish Get Up3.Kettlebell Goblet/Front Squat
4.Kettlebell Clean
5.Kettlebell Press
6.Kettlebell Snatch
It does not matter which of the first three exercises you learn first, but all of the first
three of the core six movements (swing, squat, and get up) should be mastered
before moving onto the last three (clean, press, and snatch). The reason being that
the first three set the foundation for the last three. If your swing technique is no
good, then your clean and snatch technique will suck. If your get ups suck, then you
are not ready for the press. As with anything else, you must learn to walk before youcan run. Spend as much time as you need perfecting your swing, squat, and get up
before moving onto the clean, press, and snatch.
The Kettlebell Deadlift
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Before we get into detail about any of the core six kettlebell movements, we must
first make sure that we have a proper deadlift. The movement pattern of the deadlift
must first be established before moving onto the kettlebell swing.
Start by standing on top of the kettlebell, with your stance approximately shoulder
width apart or perhaps even a tad wider. Position yourself so that the handle of the
bell is directly between your heels.
Now shift all of your weight onto your heels, and begin to push your butt back (as ifyou are reaching for a chair that is just out of reach), and hinge (fold) at the hips. It is
incredibly important that we maintain a neutral spine throughout this movement. We
never want to deadlift with a rounded gorilla looking back, so keep your chest up
and out like you are very proud of yourself, as you push your butt back as far as
possible. Keep your eyes focused on the horizon, or where the wall meets the floor,
do not look down because cervical flexion will often lead to flexion throughout the
rest of your back. You should feel a tight pull/stretch in your hamstrings as you are
lowering yourself into position; this is desired.
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Notice that in this position my back is flat (well, there should actually be an arch inyour lower back), my shins are almost perfectly vertical, and my hips are lower than
my shoulders. My posterior chain is stretched and loaded with tension, like a rubber
band ready to snap.
To begin the ascent, forcefully contract your glutes, and visualize that you are trying
to push the ground apart with your heelsas you begin to drive your hips forward
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to stand straight up.
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Now heres a little trick you can use to really help learn how to get your butt back
and load up your hips. When you reverse the movement to put the bell back down,
try and place the bell behind your heels; not by swinging or reaching with your
arms, but rather by pushing your butt back as far as possible. You should really feel
an incredible stretch in your hamstrings if this is done right. Just be sure that your
hips stay lower than your shoulders, and you maintain a neutral spine at all times.
Breathing:
For each movement, there will be a section to describe the type of breathing you
should use.
For the kettlebell deadlift, we want to take in a belly full of air before we begin our
descent. Breathe in deeply through your nose, trying to inflate your stomach. This
diaphragmatic breathing will serve as a natural weight belt, and is one of the safest
and most effective breathing methods for grinding movements. When we execute
the lift, we want to breathe out through clenched teeth, with the tongue on the roof
of our mouth. If done properly it should make a hissing sound, and feel very
pressurized. Dont be shy about this my friends. Hiss away. We want to takeadvantage of this style of breathing to maintain that abdominal pressurization
which will help to keep our spine safe throughout the lift. Do not exhale all of your
air. Keep at least 1/3 of your air in your stomach at all times. This type of breathing
is known as power breathing, remember this because it will reoccur often!
Elements of a proper deadlift:
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1. The back is flat (neutral spine)
2. The heels are planted on the ground
3. The knees stay in line with the toes, but do not come forward
4. The arms are straight (triceps are tense) and are simply acting as cables
connecting the bell to your body5. The shins remain near vertical throughout the movement (minimize any forward
ankle flexion or translation of the knees forward)
6. At the top, hips and knees are fully extended, and you are standing tall (do not
overextend the hips or lean back
The Kettlebell Swing
I must stress yet again how important it is that you have a proficient deadlift before
moving onto the kettlebell swing. All of the qualities that make up a good dead lift,
such as a neutral spine, deep hip hinge, vertical shins, etc, carry directly over to the
kettlebell swing. If there is a weakness or flaw in your deadlift form, then you must
correct it before moving onto the swing. See an RKC instructor if at all possible!
The kettlebell swing is an explosive movement, whereas the deadlift is a grind. Like I
said, the movement pattern is essentially the same, but the manner in which the
movements are performed is completely different.
The first difference between the deadlift and the swing is the set up. For the swing,
we do not want to start with the bell behind our heels, but rather we want to
position the bell about a foot in front of us. Once the bell is in position, we push our
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butt back and assume a deadlift position, then reach our hands out and grasp the
bell. If done right, the bell should tilt slightly towards you. Tension should be loaded
throughout your posterior chain at this point, and you should resemble a center
about to hike a football back to a quarterback.
From here, the first step is to engage your lats (back and armpit muscles) to screw
your shoulders back and down. This is a technique known as packing your
shoulder, which we will become more familiar with in the Turkish Get Up and
Kettlebell Press section. Just know that we want to keep our shoulders pulled backand down, and to not let the force of the kettlebell pull our shoulders out at anytime.
A visualization that may help is to think that you are trying to hold a very thin piece
of paper in your armpit. As a matter of fact, it wouldnt be a bad drill to even have a
partner put a piece of paper or a card of some sort in your armpit and see if you can
hold it there while you perform a couple of swings.
Screwing our shoulders back should tilt the bell, or even drag it slightly toward you.
Once this happens we want to immediately hike pass the bell back between our
legs, like a center hiking a football to a quarterback. Really throw that bell back and
load up your posterior chain with as much tension as possible. Keep your back flat
and eyes focused on the horizon as you forcefully throw the kettlebell back behindyou.
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Think of this backswing as the stretching of a bow. The bow is your posterior chain
(hamstrings, butt, and lower back muscles), and the arrow is the kettlebell. The
more tension we can load with the backswing, or the more we stretch the bow, the
more powerful and explosive our swing will be.
Once the bell has reached the height of the backswing, and your bow is fully
loaded with tension, it is time to explode and project the force outward. Squeeze
your butt as hard as you can, and snap your hips forward as you stand straight up
(do not lean back or overextend your hips). This will propel the bell forward,
hopefully with an incredible amount of force. Remember that with the swing we
want to project the force outward, not upward. Far too often, people swing above
their chest, this is not only unnecessary, but is actually counterproductive. Swinging
higher than the chest not only creates a disconnect and will put you into a position
of compromise, but the bell is now traveling a greater distance, and in turn will
increase our cycle time, or the total number of reps we get in a certain amount of
time. When using the swing as a conditioning tool, we want to decrease our cycle
time, and get as many reps in as possible in the least amount of time. So shoot your
force forward, like a punch when you swing. The bell should form an extension of
your straight arms at the top of the swing.
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Be sure to tighten everything up at the top of the swing, bracing your abs and glutes
as hard as possible, as well as tensing your quads and pulling your kneecaps up. This
full body tension will only last less than a second, but is an important skill to acquire
when learning the kettlebell swing. Remember that explosive movements are about
both tension and relaxation. Throughout the swing there are elements of tension,
and elements of relaxation. Too much tension and you will be slow, and too much
relaxation and you will be soft and weak. You must learn when to be tense, and
when to be relaxed in order to maximize power, endurance, and strength.
Never try and slow the bell down as you come back into the backswing. If anything
speed it up, and help it along its way by actively throwing the bell back into the
backswing. Be sure that the handle of the bow never passes below the knees when
swinging, as this will surely lead to a rounded back. Keep your downward swing
trajectory high, and just move your hips out of the way at the last second to bring
the bell into another backswing.
Breathing
For the kettlebell swing, we want to take advantage of the biomechanical breathingmatch. This implies that we match the breathing to the movement; meaning that we
take a sharp inhalation through the nose on the backswing, exhale forcefully during
the concentric or upward portion of the swing. The exhalation should be crisp and
forceful, much like how a boxer would breathe when throwing or taking a punch.
Elements of a Proper Swing
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1. Heels are planted at all times
2. Knees stay in line with your toes at all times and they do not translate forward
(maintain vertical shins)
3. The back is flat (neutral spine)
4. The handle of the bell never passes below the knees on the backswing5. The force of the swing is projected outward, not necessarily upward
6. The bell forms an extension of your arms at the top of the swing (if the bell is
lagging/sagging behind, that is an indicator that you are performing more of a delt
raise, than a powerful hip drive)
7. The lats are engaged and the shoulders are packed
8. The hips and knees fully extend at the top of the swing (but do not overextend
your hips or lean back)
9. Biomechanical breathing match
One Arm Swing
Essentially identical to the two hand swing, except now only performed with one
arm attached to the bell. The key here is to keep your shoulders and chest square,minimizing as much torso rotation as possible. Also, be sure to keep your shoulder
packed, not allowing the kettlebell to yank your arm during the movement.
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Double Kettlebell Swing
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For this you will need to widen your stance to more of a sumo stance in order to
clear the bells through your legs. You may also rotate your thumbs inward,
internally rotating the shoulders, so that the handles of the bells twist inward and
clear your knees as well. Other than those minor points, the mechanics are same as
the single kettlebell swing.
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The Goblet Squat
The goblet squat is a wonderful prerequisite and primer for the front squat. This
movement has a variety of applications, but is primarily beneficial for opening up
the hips and developing a proper squatting movement pattern.
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For the goblet squat, you will hold the kettlebell in front of your chest by the
horns/ the sides of the handle.
Initiate your squat my actively pulling yourself between yourlegs, and pushing
your knees apart. Your butt should come down at about seven oclock, remember
that this is NOT a back squat, this is a front squat, and never do we want to back
squat our front squats. The knees and hips flex at the same rate on a front squat,
and your knees will indeed translate forward, but this is not an excuse to let your
heels pop off the ground. Keep your heels planted, and the majority of your weight
on them. Push your chest out and maintain a big arch in your back, staying as
upright as possible as you pull yourself into the hole.
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Most peoples squats would stop about here, or when their thighs are parallel to the
ground. But for now on, We will instead opt to not squat like sissies anymore. It is a
myth that you should not squat past parallel, or that your knees should never come
over your toes. The knee is actually strongest when fully flexed, what we do have to
watch out for however, are the knees bowing inward, or not staying in line with the
toes. This is when anterior cruciate ligament (acl) and other knee injuries can occur.
Not only will we learn to start squatting past parallel, but also we eventually want to
start squatting full ass to the grass. Squatting to this depth has numerous benefits,
including the strengthening of your knees! The stress and hormonal response from
squatting past parallel (especially once you start moving serious weight) is far
greater, and we want to take full advantage of that. Remember, humans are
designed to squat past paralleljust think about itwhat do we do everyday that
requires us to squat? Ill leave that question unanswered for now.
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Notice that in the bottom of the goblet squat position, my back is not only arched,
but it is also near vertical. People often get confused when it comes to the squat andthe swing. For the swing we just want a flat back, but not necessarily a vertical back.
For the squat however (front and goblet squat that is, backsquat is a different
animal), we want both, a flat and vertical back. We want to stay as upright as
possible on our front squats, so push your chest up and out as much as possible!
Also look at the position of my elbows; they are planted right inside my vastus
medialis muscles or those tear drop looking muscles that are part of your inner
quads. My elbows are placed here in order to stop my knees from bowing inwards,
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but it also sets me up in a position where I can stretch my hips out, by prying them
apart with my elbows.
This prying stretch will help loosen up tight hip hips, and improve your squat
mobility. Shift your weight from side to side as you use your elbows to pry your hips
open, you should feel a stretch in your groin area. As you are doing this, try and find
space to sink lower into your squat, think about trying to reach your tailbone down
toward a curb, but keep your spine long, and your chest and head up. You will be
surprised, as you will surely find yourself sinking deeper into the squat, and
becoming more comfortable in the bottom position the more you practice this
prying stretch.
When you are ready to come out of the squat, think about trying to spread the earth
apart with your heels. Or even better yet, think about trying to spread the earth
apart, from your glutes! This visualization will help your knees stay in line with your
toes and will also help with improving the strength of your squat. Your hips and
your shoulders should ascent at exactly the same rate when performing the
concentric portion of a squat. Do not allow your butt to come up first, and finish the
movement by performing a good morning, as this happens far too often when
people try to front squat more weight than they can handle. Instead, power breathethrough the movement, squeeze your glutes, and keep your hips under you at all
times. Trust in your hip drive and do not cheat the rep! This should not be a problem
with a goblet squat, since the weight being moved is relatively light, but once we
move onto heavy kettlebell and barbell front squats, I will become adamant about
this!
The Racked Squat
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Exactly the same movement as the goblet squat, except now you hold the bell in the
rack position. Please continue to read the clean section first, so that you have a
prior understanding of a proper rack position before attempting this squat
variation.
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Breathing
Take a belly full of air as you descend into the hole. If you are going to perform the
prying stretch, than you may breathe normally, but before you come back up, take
another belly full of air, and power breathe on the way up.
Double Kettlebell Front Squat
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This is where you will start to move some serious weight when it comes to squatting
with kettlebells. The kettlebell front squat is also more user friendly for those who
lack the wrist flexibility to do barbell front squats.
Again be sure you are proficient at both your clean and double clean (read ahead if
you have to) before attempting this exercise. Again, all the same squatting
mechanics apply as before, and some will be covered in more detail once we get into
squatting with a barbell, so do not rush into double kettlebell front squats!
Once you are confident in your double clean the movement is fairly simple,
assuming you have mastered your goblet squat.
Rack two bells.
Pull yourself into the hole.
Push yourself out of the hole.
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The Turkish Get Up
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The Turkish get up is a movement so comprehensive that its almost impossible to
classify. The get up is known for effectively training primitive movement patterns,developing resilient, mobile, and flexible shoulders, and promoting incredible
overhead and core stability.
Note that the get up is not just a strength movement, but a diagnostic and corrective
tool as well. It is one of my personal favorite full body warm up movements, and
many movement specialists prefer the get up as an assessment tool, since it is such a
sophisticated movement. But for our purposes, we will focus on the get up as a
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strength movement; since this was it was originally intended to be. The get up is
also a prerequisite for any and all overhead lifts
I prefer to break the get up down into seven steps. They are as follows:
1. The Set Up2. The forearm position
3. The hand position
4. The high bridge position
5. The sweep/windmill position
6. The lunge position
7. The standing position
Lets start with the set up.
Lie on your back with a kettlebell of to your side. To pick up the kettlebell, roll
towards it (you should look like you are in a fetal position) and slide your working
side hand through the handle to secure a grip on the bell. Be sure the handle is deep
in the base of your palm and that your wrist is straight (a straight wrist is when
your front two knuckles are lined up with the bones in your forearm). Take your
free hand and place it on top of the hand securing the bell. Hug the bell close to your
body and roll onto your back, brining the bell with you, and keeping it inline with
your naval.
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Now that you are on your back and securing your bell, it is time to set up the get up.
Realize, that your Turkish get up will only be as good as your set up. If your set up is
crap, then your get up will be crap. Garbage in, garbage out. The set up for the get up
starts by pressing the bell up overhead, similar to a one arm bench press, except you
will use both hands (we get in the habit of using both hands because eventually we
want to be able to do a get up with a bell heavier than we can press). Keep your
shoulders packed down, your lat engaged, and your scapula depressed as you lock
the bell out. Once the bell is locked out, you then may remove your overlapping
hand.
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The set up from here is fairly simple. Your working side leg (side you have the bell
in) is bent, with your heel planted close to your butt, and angled out at about a forty
five, but no more. Your opposite side leg is extended out at about a forty-five as well,but in the opposite direction. Your opposite arm is also extended out at a forty five
degree angle (keep your forearm off the ground however), and about parallel with
the extended leg. I realize this may be hard to visualize from all this wordiness, but
just look at the picture below and you will see exactly what I am attempting to
explain.
Notice in the photo above that I am not holding a kettlebell. It would be wise to first
practice your get up naked or without a bell until you feel confident with the
movement.
The forearm position:
The next step is to push from your planted heel, and pull from your planted elbow tohelp you sit up and prop yourself up onto your forearm. As you may have guessed, I
like to call this the forearm position; other RKCs may refer to it as the sit up
position, or the punch and crunch. In this position, be sure to keep your core tight,
elongate your spine and push your chest out to sit nice and tall, and keep your
shoulders (yes both of them!) packed down (the more distance between your
shoulders and your ears the better).
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The hand position:
The next step is probably the simplest. All you are going to do is press down and
pivot on your palm to straight your elbow, propping yourself up on your hand. Be
sure not to lift your hand and reposition, rather just let it pivot, almost as if it were
nailed to the ground. Again, do not let your shoulders shrug up, keep your lats
engaged and keep those shoulders packed.
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The High Bridge:
While there are get up variations that omit the high bridge, I feel you will get the
most out of your get ups if you include the high bridge position, especially from the
stand point of mobility and stability.
The movement is quite simple if your set up and preceding steps were all correct. All
you have to do now is squeeze your glutes, drive from your planted heel, and raise
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your hips as high as possible. There should be a straight line now connecting the
kettlebell to the ground through your arms, and your non-working side leg should
still be straight. Im going to say it over and over again, keep your lats engaged and
those shoulders packed, both of them! Often, people focus too much on the shoulder
bearing the weight, and let the shoulder that is actually holding them up shrug up
towards their ears. Do not let this happen!
The Sweep/Windmill Position:
This is the part, which gives people the most trouble. They either get confused on
which leg to sweep back, or they try and sleep it back into an improper position
and/or uncomfortable position.
The goal here is to bring your straight leg (thats the leg that is not support your
weight, or your non-working side leg), underneath your body, and plant your knee
directly in line with your hand. Your legs should form an L if done correctly,
meaning that they are perpendicular, not parallel to each other. Mistakes people
make include trying to sweep their leg back and keep their knee forward, which
awkwardly contorts their body and puts them into a vulnerable position. All you
want to do is get your knee back and in line with your hand. Oh, and keep those
damn shoulders packed!
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The lunge position:
This is another simple transition. Now is the time when you want to assume a
forward lunging position. Pivot the bottom part of your leg around your planted
knee, so that your legs are now parallel and both knees are facing forward. As you
do this, simultaneously life your planted hand and pull yourself upright into a tall
forward facing position. Your hips and shoulders should now be squared, and the
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bell is still locked out overhead. Also note my gaze! At all times throughout the get
up you should have kept your eyes fixed on the kettlebell, but now, you want to look
straight ahead.
The standing position:
Probably the simplest of all the transitions, however there are a few things to be
aware of. Notice in the picture above my bent legs toes are pointed and I am
maintaining plantar flexion. We want to be on the ball of our foot, so that we may
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use our back leg to help drive us up. The second thing to notice is that you still want
to keep looking straight ahead as you stand up. Stand nice and tall as you squeeze
your glutes and propel yourself out of the lunge.
Congratulations, if you have completed all of those steps successfully, then you have
done your first proper Turkish get up! But now, what comes up must come down. To
get back down, simply reverse all of the steps you made to get up, except the high
bridge, which is optional on the way down. If you choose to opt out of the high
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bridge on the way down, just sweep your leg back through and come right onto your
butt. As with on your way up, be sure to look back up at the bell once you are in the
windmill position, and to keep your shoulders packed at all times!
Breathing:
There is no strict breathing requirement for the get up. I prefer to power breathe
through each step. You must however maintain abdominal pressure and tightness
throughout.
No Kettlebell? No Problem.
The barbell Turkish get up is equally effective.
Be sure to clear plenty of room around you however, as the barbell will surely
rotate.
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Here are two Turkish Get Up Videos to help you along even further. One is an in
depth tutorial I put together a while back, and the other is a demo fo the Turkish get
up with a barbell.
Turkish Get Up Video Tutorial
Barbell Turkish Get Up
The Kettlebell Clean Single and Double
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The clean is a movement designed to bring a weight from the ground, into a
supported position from which you can move the weight overhead, or perform a
variety of other movements. The clean got its name, because it is to be performed in
a clean, or fluid manner. In the case of the kettlebell clean, the objective is to bringthe weight up from the ground, into the rack position. From the rack position you
are able to perform a variety of other movements, such as presses, jerks, squats, etc.
But the clean is not just an intermediary exercise! It also teaches the athlete not only
how to produce force, but also how redirect it and reduce it. Proper impact
absorption is crucial for heavy kettlebell cleans, a skill highly valuable for any
athlete partaking in a contact sport. The clean will teach you how to brace and
breathe when taking a hit. Nothing comes closer to taking a punch than performing
a few sets of heavy kettlebell cleans.
The set up and start of the clean is identical to the set up for the swing or the one
arm swing. Forcefully hike the bell back to load the hips. Note that before movingonto double kettlebell cleans, but be sure to first practice your cleans with a single
bell and become proficient on both sides.
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Now squeeze your butt and drive your hips forward viciously like you would a
swing. Except now, we want to redirect the force. To accomplish this, you want to
plant your elbow against your side, keep your shoulder packed and lat engaged, and
uppercut through the bell as it approaches hip height, to direct its path up and
toward you. The uppercut motion of punching through the bell should be violent,
and straight up your centerline, almost like you are zipping up a big coat. Far too
often people approach the clean as if it were a bicep curl. This fallacy offends me; as
this is intended to be a power movement from the hips! Remember! The hips are the
engine and your arms simply act as the steering wheel to redirect the force and
trajectory of the bell. Loosen your grip on the kettlebell so that the bell rotates freely
around your hand. The goal is to get the bell to wrap around your wrist and roll
smoothly onto your forearms, rather than to have it fly over your hand and bang
beat the hell out of your forearms. This will take much practice to perfect, so keep
your reps low enough at first, so that you do not bruise your forearms up too much.
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The clean goes down essentially the same way it comes up. Do not cast or throwthe bells out, rather just let them drop straight down, and move your hips out of the
way, leading them into another back swing. You want to be fairly efficient with the
clean, meaning you do not want the bells to travel farther than they have to. Keep
the bells as close to your body on both the way up and the way down, because you
do not want the bells to travel in a large semi-circle. In order to manage the arc of
the clean, timing of your uppercut is critical. Punch through the bells too late and
they will greet you with an overly brutal impact. A good tip is to think about
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cleaning to your hip rather than your shoulders, indicating that you want to start
your uppercut as the bells approach hip height, and zip them straight up your
centerline.
In the finished rack position, the handle of the bell lies deep in the base of the palm
and the wrists are perfectly straight. Your elbows are down and the weight is infront of your chest and resting on your rib cage. Ladies may have to adjust their rack
slightly more out to the side to accommodate for being female. The body is tight in
the rack. Glutes are forcefully contracted, core is engaged, lats are tight and
shoulders packed down, and there is absolutely no leaning back in a strict rack
position.
Be patient. The clean takes practice. Unfortunately, almost everyone pays their dues
initially with bruised and bumped up forearms, but play it smart and keep your
volume low enough initially so that you dont abuse your forearms too much Focus
on quality reps and improving your technique, not quantity when learning the clean.
Breathing:
I prefer two breathes when performing a clean. I inhale sharply on the back swing,
and let out a sharp exhalation as I receive the bells into the rack to absorb the
impact. This sharp exhalation upon impact becomes incredibly important once
yours start working with heavier bells, as softies will surely get the wind knocked
out of them.
Here is another videothat demos the clean, as well as some other of the core six
kettlebell movements. Enjoy
The Kettlebell Military Press Single and Double
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There is something to be said about pressing heavy weight overhead. It just makes
you feel good. Sounds primal, and it sounds barbaric, but its the truth, and its
exactly why the strict kettlebell military press is one of my favorite kettlebell
exercises.
The press is not a delt and tricep isolation exercise, but rather a full body grinding
strength movement. Pressing a kettlebell overhead is both an art and a science, and
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there is a lot more involved when it comes to perfecting the press than most people
would think.
Start by cleaning a kettlebell to the rack position. Realize that your press will only be
as good as your clean. If your clean is sloppy, then you have just set yourself up for a
weak press. Clean with intent and load your body with tension upon receiving thebell into the rack. Engage your lats, visualize that you are trying to squeeze a deck of
cards in your armpit.
Again in the pictures I am demonstrating with single and double kettlebells, but like
always, start by perfecting your single bell military press before advancing to
doubles. The technique is the same, except when working with double bells you
cannot get away with a sideways lean (lateral deviation) like you can when working
with a single kettlebell. Do your best to not lean when pressing a bell overhead, but
if you must, then only lean to the side by kicking your hip out in the opposite
direction. Never lean back!
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Before you start to hoist the weight overhead, squeeze your glutes, brace your abs,
and crush the kettlebell handle as hard as you can. Feel the tension generate
throughout your body.
The path that the bell travels during the military press is not a straight line to the
top, but actually more of a semicircle. The groove is both outward and upward,
allowing the shoulder to externally rotate and the palms to face forward (pronate).
Think not about pressing the bells up, but rather yourself away from the bells into
the earth.
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Keep your lats tight, using them as the base for your press, and try and keep your
forearms as vertical as possible as you grind the bells up.
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Continue to keep the glutes tight and your abs braced, and power breathe as the
bells elevate.
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At the top your elbows should be locked out, and your biceps should be positioned
next to or even slightly behind the ears, so that the weight of the bells is distributed
down your posterior/back side. Do not exhale all of your air at the top; maintain
your abdominal tightness and pressure.
Now its time to bring the bells back to earth. Do not let gravity do the work for you.
Actively pull the bells down, as if you are performing a chin up. This will feel
awkward since gravity is working with you, but will ensure that you are engaging
the lats and prepping them for the next rep. Continue to pull the bell down to the
rack for the next rep. You may re-clean, or you may not. I prefer to re-clean between
every press.
Breathing:
You want to power breathe through the entirety of the press, both on the way up
and on the way down. Some strong dudes may even hold their breathe during the
press, I will leave that option up to you!
Here is a view from the front
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Here is one of our oldRKC Training Logswith some great double clean and press
footage!
The Kettlebell Snatch
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Often hailed as the tsar of kettlebell lifts. And I will not argue this claim. The
kettlebell snatch is an explosive lift designed to drastically improve cardio-
respiratory endurance, and force production, redirection, and reduction.
The snatch requires a solid swing foundation, and some commitment. There is a fear
factor that one must get over about propelling a ball of cast iron steel over theirheads.
Just like the clean, there is a higher learning curve to the snatch, so be patient, and
keep the volume low enough at the beginning so you do not bang your forearms up
too much.
The set up for the snatch is identical to the set up of a one-arm swing. Hinge about a
foot behind the bell, secure the handle with one arm, and forcefully hike the bell into
a backswing.
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Do not make your initial hike back weak. Throw that bell back and load your hips up
as much as possible. Stretch that rubber band that is your posterior chain. At the
height of your back swing, squeeze your butt as hard as you can, drive your heels
forcefully into the ground, and violently snap your hips forward just as you would a
one-arm swing.
Now here is where the force redirection comes into play. The force of your swing is
projected outwards. But now we want to redirect that force up and backwards. We
will do this with a technique known as taming the arc. The bell wants to go out, but
instead we are going to give it a slight tug with our elbow and try and drag it straight
up our centerline. Obviously it is almost impossible to drag the bell straight up,
especially if you have great hip drive, but we want to keep the path of the bell as
vertical as possible, rather than the bell swinging way out in a large semi-circular
fashion.
Remember, your hips are still the engine. They power the movement entirely. Your
arms are just the steering wheel. The tug you are giving is just to redirect the force
up and slightly back, not to produce any more.
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By now, the bell should be elevating upwards and towards you, completely powered
from the violent snapping motion of your hips.
Now for the tricky part
As the bell is in elevation around forehead height, what you want to do is to loosen
grip and spear your hand through the handle of the bell. What this will do is allow
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the bell to rotate smoothly around your wrist and lie on your forearm. We want to
loosen the grip, because a tight grip on the bell will only slow the rotation, and lead
to some nastily bruised forearms. Instead, think about spearing your hand through
and getting to the lockout position before the bell