On footwear - again, CONTEXT is King.

As many of you know, the topic of appropriate kettlebell training footwear has been discussed exhaustively, on blogs, at RKCs, in books, on the forums.
The standard is: Barefoot, or a thin, flat, hard sole. Nothing cushy.
[If you are not yet familiar with the reasons for this, the primary reasons are: 1) Rooting and 2) Activation (as opposed to suppression) of mechanoreceptors.]

Until today, I had considered the Nike Frees to be an acceptable choice... and then I thought about it. The Nike Free is designed to: more closely resemble the mechanics of barefoot running, as compared to that with traditional running shoes. (The 5.0 is considered a half-way compromise.)

And the keyword there is: RUNNING!

The reason the Free falls into the "barefoot" shoe category is the deeply waffle-cut sole, which allows the shoe's sole to bend and flex with the foot, as it rolls through its ground contact with each stride.
What's important to note, is that there IS no such motion involved in kettlebell training. We don't, ever, roll from our heels and push off our toes. We stay ROOTED through our heels, always connected with the ground.

The Frees still have cushioning. It's simply a flexible cushion. It is still designed to soften the impact of runners' heel strikes (which, by the way, turns out to be a self-fulfulling prophecy - buy a shoe to "soften" the impact, and you end up striking harder! And the "requirement" for the cushion is reinforced...Brilliant. See the article linked below, for additional information on this.)

Of course, in the context of kettlebell training, that "flexible cushion" feature is completely wasted. Cushion the heel? That's the opposite of what we want in kettlebell training! Stay rooted! Tension from the ground up. STRENGTH from the ground up. Can you shoot a canon from a canoe???

Hardstyle Kettlebell Training:
Zero impact.
Strengthen joints, rather than pound on them and weaken them.
Become more in-tune with your body.
Superior cardiovascular conditioning. In 2 minutes, you know it.
Balance of anterior and posterior muscle chains, stabilizers along with movers: nothing is over- or under-developed (common to runners and traditional weight-training, and yes - this leads to injury).
The carryover to every other movement and/or performance and strength-based activity is second-to-NONE.

And by the way, just because a trainer has you using a kettlebell - remember that it's just a weight. It's just a tool. Nothing more. EVERYTHING depends on how it's used. I see a LOT of people performing bad movement with a kettlebell. It's not the kettlebell that makes training good (safe, effective), it's the movement. A kettlebell simply allows the perfect execution of movement, with an added load. Please be aware of the difference!

So I went off-course for a moment, but the conclusion is: the Frees are officially off my "ok" list.

(Still on the list: Vivo Barefoots, Vibram Five Fingers, Chuck Taylor Converse, others upon inspection)

And here is another recent article regarding the problem with running shoes (thanks for sharing it, Brett).

Another Hazard in Kettlebell Training

Long fingernails!
Keep em short, otherwise you'll squeeze them right into the flesh of your palm. Not good!

And on the topic of hand care, my two favorite callous tools are:
PedEg. They're at most grocery/drug stores, or online.
Diamancel callous conquerer, also online, and also to be used dry. You need a file to reach the callous under your ring fingers (PedEg won't reach it), and this one works wonderfully. It's heavy-duty, and very long lasting. (I've had mine for several years now).

Many people include corn huskers lotion in their arsenal. I own it, and never use it. Just don't find it necessary. Others swear by it. To each his own. :)

But most importantly, keep your fingernails short, and file your callouses regularly! They WILL get better over time, so just be patient.

Caution - A Hazard of Kettlebell Training

If you practice hardstyle kettlebell training, you may undergo sudden, unexpected fatloss. If this should occur, you may experience simultaneous loosening of your training shorts or pants. Please be advised that when your pants start hanging off your hips, butt and thighs, performing a tight backswing (as with kettlebell swings or snatches) becomes a challenge, as the area of your pants formerly occupied by a sagging rear-end now hangs right in the path of the hiked kettlebell. If and when this should occur, you must attempt to tug the pants up and cinch or roll the waistband tighter. If the problem persists, you may need run inside and change into a smaller pair of training pants before resuming your kettlebell session.

Okay Now Tense Even Harder

You know how Pavel says that when we tense "as hard as we can," and are then told to tense even harder...and we do... so that obviously, the "as hard as you can," wasn't really?

Principle in action last night, practicing 20kg presses.
(Which, by the way, have gotten much weaker! Lack of practice.)

Anyway, the point of the blog post is this: I am FULLY aware of the importance of tightening your whole body to perform heavy presses. Feet, heels, knees, legs, glutes, abs, lats, fist/grip... right. I always say that you should be feeling the work in your legs from doing heavy presses, and it's true... but EVEN SO, I realized at points last night that when I clean and establish that full-body tension for a press, it is OFTEN (if not always) still a few steps below that maximum tension. When I pause for a moment, and find more places to squeeze even harder... it works. The press is stronger.

One place specifically - pulling up my kneecaps.
You hear Pavel point this one out frequently. It was major for me last night. Squeezing squeezing, and then, oh, kneecaps - and BAM! THAT's the tension I was looking for.

It takes practice. And awareness. ALL the time.
Good study last night.

BTW, Deadlift (for record keeping) was 175# for 2 sets of 5, then dropped down to 170# for the 3rd set of 5. The 175# got REAL heavy on those last reps. Dropping down was a good move.

MVO2 is a real A$$ Kicker.

Really.

Wednesday finally made it to 50 sets of 7 on 16kg :15/:15 MVO2.
Annoyingly, Monday's 40 sets were much easier, but restricted to 40 on account of blister threats. So it goes!

Did not do any pistols. I don't think pistols go with MVO2. Where to fit them in... Fridays probably? Randomly during the day, whenever? I'm realizing why setting up a specific schedule has been so difficult! :)

Also, because the deadlifts are only 2 or 3 times a week, I'm doing three sets of 5 reps, rather than 2 sets. Last session was 165#. Will probably test my 1RM after this cycle - I've never actually tested it.
Presses are ROP ladders.
Still loving heavy getups. Realized I've left no room in the training schedule for 24kg snatches. Uggghhhhhh, more tweaking needed!

Refining the Training Plan

This was sooo necessary. I know the list of goals is still a bit too long to attack very effectively... but I don't want to abandon any of them.

Monday - MVO2, pistols
Tuesday - 16kg BUP, deadlift
Wednesday - MVO2, pistols
Thursday - 20kg & 24kg MP, deadlift, MAYBE some 16kg BU getups
Friday - 28kg getups
Saturday - 20kg snatches, maybe add-in Sunday's work
Sunday (only if feeling good) - 16kg BU getups, deadlift

This will still probably require some further adjustment, but it's at least a step in the right direction...

Is a Kettlebell Really Expensive?

Let's think of it yet another way. If you transition from running or standard "gym" workouts to kettlebell training, you won't have to keep buying expensive running shoes. Kettlebell training is best done barefoot!

16kg Dragon Door kettlebell:



$113.45 (this includes shipping.)
The bell will last you a lifetime.





Nike Shox:


$110
The shoes will need to be replaced every 300 miles. They might last a year, maybe two. For some just a few months.






Those expensive cushy shoes are bad for your feet, anyway. :)

A kettlebell is a better choice, my friend!

Student Surpasses Instructor

YES!!!

I would like to take this moment to brag about one of my students, Rachel.

She has been one of our most dedicated and focused kettlebell students - as well as one of our very first. She ALWAYS gives her full effort at class, with laser-like focus and attention to every detail. You can see the internal awareness, the focus on compression, linkage, tension. Not to mention the willingness to continually challenge herself with heavier bells. (It is not uncommon to see her grabbing the 32kg for warmup swings!) And the results have been truly awesome to witness. A really inspiring transformation.

...All leading to a thrilling moment last night, where upon practicing double 12kg snatches for the first time, and with ease!, she moved on to "try out" the 16kgs for double snatches, (which I struggle to perform with any confidence), and ROCKED them!

Rachel you are a badass, and I'm so proud of you.

BASELINE

Kettlebell training in Palisades Park, Santa Monica. The "front yard." I took my time last night, the weather was perfect. It's just such a nice place to be. Well, with the exception of a group nearby being led to perform 10lb front raises, I'm sure under the title of "kettlebell swings." Uuuugghhhhhhhh that's so hard to take. Seriously. I wonder what their instructor said regarding my "different" looking swings. And snatches, and getups. (They were watching.)


Attempted a 20kg snatch test.
72 reps in 5:00
So there's the baseline. Only going up from there! My goal is to have the 100 reps by the San Diego RKC in August. I think I'll just keep taking the 5:00 test a couple days a week, on non-MVO2 days.

a few 16kg pistols
a few 16kg BUPs
a few 16kg sots presses
one 28kg snatch (hurt hand)
several 16kg, 20kg, 28kg swings
oh, and a few handstands. I'm still pretty good at those.

28kg TGU 1L/1R for 7 sets
arm bars on the 6th set

A nice, long variety day.

The New RKC Snatch Test - It's Not Easy! And a weightloss update.

Well, for some it may be easy - Gabi, Peggy, Laura, Amy - just some names that come to mind. Then again, considering the snatch training I've been doing, I thought the test would be much easier than it was. It is no cake-walk!

100 16kg snatches in 4:30. With a rest after 60 reps.

So there you have it. Lots of progress can and should be made here. Is 16kg MVO2 sufficient? Perhaps not - this may require re-testing at least once per week, perhaps on deadlift days (as yesterday was.) (Actually it was also a KBLA day, so I might have just been overworked a little? Maybe.)

Speaking of deadlifting, yesterday was 185# for 1,2,3,1,2,3. I'll cycle back down to maybe 155# for 2 sets of 5, and work up to 190 or 195, then cycle down again...

Weightloss continues, feeling good. Still have more to go, but it's going very nicely. And I'm really never deprived. For example, I still eat pancakes, bacon, danishes (one almost every day)... wine, lots of cottage cheese, bananas, raw cashews and brasil nuts, macadamias, prosciutto, oh - gelato!! My saving grace is the Ultimate Meal. I can have pancakes with butter and syrup, bacon (6 strips is common)... danishes.... and feel satisfied for the rest of the day. Train in the evening, and have a little whey protein and an Ultimate Meal shake, and I'm good. Maybe a glass of wine. It's working. It's awesome.

28kg TGUs felt heavy last night. Again, this was after lots of heavy deadlifts, KBLA class, snatch test... and the pancake breakfast - haha. So, it might have just been an "off" day for those. Training presses has been focused on 16kg BUP lately. I've lost some strength here, but expect to regain it. The weather has been AWESOME lately, and I intend to take greater advantage of that. :)

I will be assisting at the San Diego RKC, and am VERY excited about that!!! And I'll finally get to meet Sr. RKC David Whitley, as well. It should be an awesome time. Three months to go. :)

Another update on 2009 Goals

*Press the 28kg*
still not close. Did push press it the other day, and very nearly push-pressed the 32.... presses have been weak lately - I've been neglecting them.

*BU press the 20kg*
Achieved April 9, but this is not consistent - I miss it a lot (most?) of the time.

*BU TGU the 16kg on the left*
achieved in February

*BU TGU the 20kg on the right*
came incredibly close a while ago. Need to try it again!! Before the week is over.

*Pass my snatch test with the 24kg*
Well, the snatch test rules have changed again... I don't think I'll be doing 100 in 5 minutes this year. ;) What should this goal evolve to... maybe 100 with the 20? Suggestions welcome. :)

*Pistol the 28kg*
Haven't been training this at all. Okay seriously, have to find more time for presses and pistols!

*80 sets of 16kg MVO2, 6 reps*
achieved in March

*80 sets of 16kg MVO2, 7 reps*
Training has been going well - last session was 46 sets. This week hope to get to 56 sets.

*FMS arm-leg raise*
Still haven't tried at all. :/

*Turkish... I know I have the 40 in me. Why not train for that this year? Lots of 28kg TGUs to get there.*
I did a 36kg TGU on Sunday. I was pretty surprised with it, actually, and it felt AWESOME. First time having this heavy of a weight overhead. Pushing from kneeling to standing was pretty difficult, but successful! Strong all the way through, really, until my shoulder blades touched the ground again and I lost the bell. I'll keep working on these, I love heavy getups!

*2xBW Deadlift*
BW currently is around 143? And I've got 10-15 pounds to lose still. The DL training is good, though. This week is 1,2,3,1,2,3 with 170# (re-do from last week - pulls were slow, felt heavy) and 175#.

Kettlebell demonstration on The Biggest Loser

This is what NOT to do, guys.
Please, please do not let any of your friends take kettlebell training tips from Jillian Michaels. (Or any other non-RKC for that matter!)
Please do not use a tiny blue 10lb(?) kettlebell and expect to get any results. Please view this video as a great example of what to avoid!
If you have a trainer who advocates these ridiculous front raises - run away, and quickly!!



If you would like to learn the correct, safe, and effective way to incorporate kettlebells into your fitness routine, send me an
email. Or, simply attend one of our group kettlebell classes, for all levels, at Clover Park in Santa Monica, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm.
Follow the link to KBLA on the right for more information and a map, if desired.
And if you bring one of those tiny bells with you... well, we'll help you find a more suitable use for it. ;)

Progress is addicting.

Still making progress on those 2009 goals.

My last 16kg MV02 session went to 40 sets of 7.
(Grip was a bit of a challenge - something wonky with my form, or is that just part of it?)

Last night I bottoms-up pressed the 20kg for the first time.
(and got it every try thereafter, for a total of 4.)

I'm adding a deadlift goal of 2xBW... my training is currently in two sets of 1, 2, 3 reps, and my last session was 150lbs. Curiosity got the best of me a few nights ago, and I achieved a strong single pull of 205lbs. I'll continue adding 5lbs per session until 185, then will start a new cycle, per Pavel's instruction.

I've lost about 5 pounds, (maybe a little more?), it's hard to say. But the muffin top I was sporting in my skinny jeans has vanished! 15 more to go.

Coming up - the 20kg BU TGU, and the 28kg pistol.