Each movement ‘flows’ together, you keep your heart rate up, and get a great workout – it’s awesome. And you look like a kettlebell master 🙂
So what’s the secret?
It’s practicing the basic movements and getting them down cold. No ‘secret sauce’ – just practice.
The pitfall you want to avoid is jumping around and doing a million kettlebell exercises just for the sake of getting fancy. This is a little like what I tried to do when I first started training with kettlebells – and it didn’t work very well. Once I really focused in on the basics – the Swing, the Get Up, the Squat, the Snatch, and the Clean and Press – is when it all kind of came together.
Keep practicing those kettlebell drills!
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter while you’re here – and you’ll get a free copy of Kettlebell Rx: 3 Common Training Mistakes and How To Fix Them!
Quality kettlebell training advice can be hard to come by- here’s a short list of resources I’ve used to build my kettlebell knowledge over time – I hope you find it useful:
The premier source of kettlebell training info. Pavel Tsatsouline, the man behind The Russian Kettlebell Challenge, Enter The Kettlebell, Return of The Kettlebell and lots of other books from Dragon Door, is largely responsible for popularizing kettlebell training in the U.S.
The best book, in my opinion, on getting started with kettlebell training. Keeps things basic for you, and Pavel has a both highly effective and highly entertaining way of teaching. A must have for your KB training library. The Enter The Kettlebell DVD is also a great tool.
A good resource with a lot of good stuff – and a lot of bad. I might sound a little like I’m condradicting myself after this post – the rule is to use YouTube at your own risk and, after looking at all the other resources I recommend here, use your knowledge as a ‘filter’ and decide what’s good and what’s not.
This is, at $25 a year, one of the best investments you can make in furthering your general training knowledge. I know the jury is out on CrossFit (I wrote a post about this recently on The Fitness Monster, in fact – you can check it out here), but I think their journal is an awesome resource. There’s not only a lot of kettlebell info here – much of it from Jeff Martone, a former RKC guy – but lots and lots more on every imaginable topic.
This is a killer book if you’re looking to improve your conditioning. A word of warning: the program is hard 🙂 But if you can survive, you’ll probably get into the best shape of your life.
Another cool thing is that Kenneth Jay, author of Viking Warrior Conditioning, has extensive research that he’s performed himself to back up what he’s saying.
What to do once you’re done with Enter The Kettlebell. Covers advanced kettlebell training methods, most notably double kettlebell drills in detail – again, don’t even think about it until you’ve completed the Rite of Passage!
Another former RKC guy, has an awesome free e-book on kettlebell training you get for signing up for his newsletter. Also has a ton of training dvd’s and holds various workshops across the country. Highly recommended.
Great YouTube channel, Art of Strength and Punch Kettlebell Gym is headed by Anthony DiLugo, who got his start with the RKC – seeing a common theme here?
There you have it – a short list of kettlebell training resources that should keep you busy for a while! This list is by no means exhaustive – in fact, feel free to leave links to your favorite places to find kettlebell training info in the comments section.
The majority of kettlebell workouts I do myself and with clients have a time component to them. Whether you’re keeping track of rest periods between sets, the length of your entire workout, if you’re doing as many reps as you can in a pre-determined amount of time, or if you’re doing a specific interval method like the Tabata protocol, having a reliable and accurate way to time yourself is essential.
A simple stopwatch is one solution, but it doesn’t give you much flexibility and definitely leaves a few features to be desired. A great solution is the Gymboss Interval Timer.
There’s all kinds of cool stuff you can do with the Gymboss. You can simply set a specific rest interval, hit the start button every time you finish a set, clip the device to your belt and set it to vibrate every time it’s time to go again – great for keeping your rest intervals consistent. You can program a specific time interval, 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, for example, and set up as many rounds as you want of this interval to lead you thru your workout (perfect for things like the Viking Warrior Conditioning program by Kenneth Jay). You can even use it to learn to run – set up 2 min on, 2 min off intervals, for example, clip it to your belt, and run/walk every time the beeper goes off. Decrease the walking interval and increase the running interval every workout until you’re running continuously for whatever amount of time you’re shooting for. Your imagination is seriously the limit with this thing.
The only downside with the Gymboss is that it’s a separate unit you have to carry around – so it’s not as convenient as, say, a wristwatch. But in my opinion, for the extra features it offers, it’s well worth it.
You can pick up a Gymboss today by clicking here. And if you have one already, I’d love to hear how you like it!
P.S. To make sure you get all the latest from kettlebellbasics.net, make sure to sign up for our newsletter while you’re here – just drop your name and email into the box in upper right hand corner of this page.
Are you having trouble learning the kettlebell Snatch?
Does the ‘bell come around your hand and crash into your wrist, no matter what you do?
Is putting the whole movement together into a smooth, controlled, and efficient movement just seem to be getting the best of you?
Without a doubt, the kettlebell Snatch is a tricky move to master. So I’m here to help –
Based on what I’ve learned as an RKC and what I’ve seen teaching hundreds of folks how to do the exercise properly, here are 7 tips for a better kettlebell Snatch:
Mastery of the HardStyle Swing teaches you how to use your hips properly – and it also forms the foundation of all balistic moves in the HardStyle system.
2. No cork-screw
The kettlebell should flip over your wrist as it comes over the top, not rotate around it.
3. Be agressive
The more tentative you are about punching your hand through and finishing at overhead lockout, the harder the ‘bell will hit you in the wrist. So think about actively getting the hand around the ‘bell instead of letting it passively coming over the top of your hand as it flips over as you complete the kettlebell Snatch.
4. Keep the ‘bell close to the body
Think kettlebell Clean vs. kettlebell Swing. We’re trying to project the force up over our head in a Snatch and out in front of us during a Swing.
5. ‘Throw’ the weight down from the top
Attempt to close the distance from the elbow to the rib cage as fast as possible as the ‘bell comes down in front of you. This will also help you keep the ‘bell closer to the body.
6. Energy is driven from the hamstrings and glutes; load those babies up!
A high rep snatch workout should leave your posterior chain (that’s all the muscles in the back of your body) sore for days.
7. Learn the high pull
Create weightlessness with the hams and glutes. Then progress to High Pull – Snatch – High Pull – Snatch – etc. This is a nice progression that helps a lot if you’re having trouble getting the weight to flip over your wrist smoothly.
The Snatch can be one of the trickiest kettlebell exercises to master; put these seven tips to use and you’ll have it down in no time! Keep training hard!
Forest
P.S. Signed up for my weekly newsletter yet? You’ll get a free KB training video – ‘Kettlebell Rx: 3 common kettlebell training mistakes and how to fix them’ – AND a free copy of my ‘Beginner’s Guide to Kettlebell Training’ – when you do so today … just drop your name and best email in the box at the upper right of the page!!
Perfect swing form builds the foundation of more advanced kettlebell work. Perfecting your swings should be a continual process in your kettlebell training.
A recent email from Dan, a faithful reader of kettlebellbasics.net , provided some great feedback re: a recent training session we did. I’d like to share (with Dan’s permission, of course) a little of what he had to say with you today – these three tips will help a lot if you’re having trouble with your swing form:
“Btw, for your clients that are struggling with unlocking the hips (this is a key to being efficient with your swings) … these (three things have been the most helpful):
1. The Wall Squats. You told me to do two sets of ten and I have been doing those before the 15 minutes of swings on swing day. I have not even started picking up a ‘bell yet but the process of really pushing how low I can get without banging my face into the wall, my knees or failing backwards over my heels has helped a TON. It acts as a stretch too for that lower back/hip area.”
The wall squat is performed by facing a wall with your toes touching it, or least getting them as close as you can, and doing a squat. The key is to stay square, to make sure you don’t twist your body in any way, and to take care that your knees don’t shoot out and bang into the wall.
“2. The visualization of having the bottom of the ‘bell point straight behind you at the lowest point of the swing. Really helps get momentum for the upward swing.”
Think about getting the bottom of the kettlebell to face the wall behind you as you hike pass it back. This will also help you keep the ‘bell closer to the body throughout the movement, which makes for a more efficient and safer movement.
“3. The back definitely has to go forward, but it is straight and not rounded. I don’t look like this, but you should make sure your clients see something like this to help them visualize. With the stressing that the butt goes back and hips bend, its easy to forget that the back has to go forward at an angle. It was weird to watch you do your swings up close because it seemed so violent and quick. When the back is locked and pivots over at 45 degrees and back, it’s a quick violent motion. Definitely was eye opening.”
The main point here is don’t be afraid to let your body come forward; just don’t confuse a straight back with a flat back. In my experience, when people think ‘straight’, they think their body has to be straight up and down. Flat simply means this:
(Thanks for the screenshot from YouTube, Dan)
Just for a refresher, here’s a video I posted a while back about how to do a swing – take note of the things we’re talking about in this post happening during the exercise:
Keep working on your swing technique – it’s the foundation that much future training will be based upon. I hope these tips help accelerate your progress!
Want even more great tips and tricks like these to improve your kettlebell training technique? Pick up a copy of the KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide – today’s your last chance to grab a copy at 50% off! Click here to order today.
One of the hardest basic kettlebell exercises to master is the kettlebell clean. Although you’re more than likely to end up with a sore forearm while you’re perfecting your form on this exercise, there are a few points you can focus on to improve your technique fast. Check out this video for three coaching tips:
Don’t forget: you’ve got until 11:59pm Sunday night, the 24th of January, 2010, to enter to win a free copy of the KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide! It only takes a minute or two … click HERE to leave a comment and enter to win.
Whether you’re trying to evaluate a pre-designed kettlebell routine or you’re attempting to design one yourself, you’ve got to have a way to determine if it’s going to be effective for helping you reach your goals. While there are a lot of factors that can make or break a kettlebell routine, a detailed plan, focus on great technique and emphasis on the basics are three things that are very important components of a solid kettlebell routine.
The number one thing when evaluating a kettlebell routine is to make sure it lays out a very specific and detailed plan. What you don’t want to do is just randomly piece together workouts from this blog or any other source; you want a complete program, such as the one(s) found in theKettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide.
Secondly, great technique is paramount. If you’re training with sloppy form, you’re not only shortchanging yourself on results, you’re putting yourself at a greater risk of injury. Get some instruction, watch videos, study books (probably in that order of importance, too) to master the basics of safe and effective kettlebell training technique.
Lastly, focus on the basics. You don’t need to be doing crecent swings or slingshots if you can’t do a basic swing or snatch; you truly can cover all of your major muscle groups by focusing exclusively on swings, get ups, clean and presses, squats, and snatches.
Having a specific and detailed plan, using great technique, and focusing on the basics are three of the most important things you can do when putting together or evaluating a kettlebell routine. If you want a guide to proper kettlebell training technique and a workout plan to go with it, check out theKettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide. I put this guide together to solve the basic problems that so many people have when getting started with kettlebells. Keep training hard!
P.S. While you’re here, don’t forget to sign up for your free KB training video – drop your name and email in the box in the upper right hand corner of the page!
I remember when I first started training with KB’s: I had a lot of strength training experience, but the kettlebell was different than anything I’d ever trained with. I was honestly surprised at the amount of technique involved.
One important thing to remember is that you have to take the time to learn proper technique with kettlebells before you really start seeing the benefits they can provide. So I’ve created a video that goes over three super common technique problems and fixes.
I honestly think this video and the info in it will help you shorten the learning process considerably. I go over troubleshooting the swing, the clean, and the snatch.
To get access to the video, just enter your name and email in the box up in the upper right hand corner of the page. You’ll also get a free subscription to the Kettlebell Basics newsletter by signing up. What could be better? Sign up today to get on the fast track to fixing your beginner kettlebell training mistakes!
Learning good kettlebell technique is like learning any other skill – it requires regular practice. When I started practicing the basic movements on a daily basis is when I really started seeing measurable progress with my KB program. If you’re serious about getting everything you can from your kettlebell training and realizing its true benefits, you have to focus on good technique. Let’s go over a short example and talk about a good way to structure your daily practice routine.
An example of an exercise that requires a lot of attention to proper form is the clean and press. This is a highly technical exercise. A lot of people – myself included – go out on day one and do a full fledged c + p workout – maybe 50 or so total reps of the movement. The problem is that your form is crappy and you can’t lift as much weight as you could if your form was better and you just end up with a banged up and bruised forearm. So with this kettlebell exercise, just like all the others, the key is practicing and getting your form down before you include it in a full blown workout.
So what do I mean by practice? Just start every workout by practicing the basic drills you’re working on. For example, if you’re learning how to do the swing and the get up, pick a light weight and do a few get ups and a few dozen swings. Practice the various positions of the get up. Go back and forth through the parts of the movement you’re having trouble with. For the swings, do 10 or 12 at a time, focusing on one point for each set – staying tight, keeping the lats engaged, proper breathing, etc. Don’t come anywhere close to failure on either drill.
The key to making real progress with your kettlebell training is proper form. Practice your drills every day according to this basic schedule and you’ll be well on your way to more effective and efficient kettlebell training!
So you’ve (hopefully) done a little research, and you’re ready to purchase a kb or two and get started. But what size to start with? Good question – I’ll try to help you out by telling a little about my own personal experience and that I’ve had with my clients.
The first thing to think about is what exercises you’ll be doing with the kbells. Seems obvious, but for some reason most people don’t seem to give this a lot of thought. Most people – men and women included – could probably handle the Beast (the 106 pounder) for deadlifts. On the other hand, if you’re doing turkish get ups, you’ll probably need a little lighter weight. That being said, the first exercises I always teach my clients and force them to master before moving on to more advanced drills are the swing, the get-up, and the goblet squat.
For those exercises, an average woman would be well served with a 12k (26 pounds) for swings and squats and an 8k (18 pounds) for get ups. Squats could be done with either weight. Most women can progress fairly quickly to the 16k (35 pounds) for swings.
An average strength man will use a 16k for swings and a 12k for get ups to start, and either weight for squats. Most men can progress quickly to the 20k or 24k for swings.
These numbers are guidelines, obviously: you could start higher if you’ve got a solid background in strength training and athletics, or lower if you’re new to working out or just getting back into it.
Like I’ve mentioned before, my personal favorite brand of kettlebells is Dragon Door; if you’d like to know the reasons why check out this post. Above all else, find a quality brand of kettlebells; you’ll be happy you made the little extra investment.
Another thing you might want to check out is the starter kits available from Dragon Door – they give you an instructional book, DVD, and a single kettlebell. This is actually probably exactly what I would buy if I was starting all over again with kettlebell training – Pavel is the man when it comes to kb instruction. And learning to do things right from the start is so important. Click on the banner below to find out more about these packages:
So, use this info to figure out what size kettlebell would work best for you and your goals. Most importantly, pick one up and get started! And remember, if you’d like to receive free email updates from kettlebellbasics.net, be sure to subscribe by entering your email in the box in sidebar!
