Everyone who is not 'in' the kettlebell community wonders what type of things we do with minimal equipment. Here is a sampling...more videos like this to come.
Showing posts with label kettlebell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kettlebell. Show all posts
20070801
20070526
Saturday Morning Epiphany
e·piph·a·ny /ɪˈpɪfəni/ (noun)
3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
What I am about to describe is common place to me and other trainers familiar with kettlebell training. It takes place in gyms, fitness centers, garages, basements, etc. almost on a daily basis now that kettlebells have began to invade the general population, although still most prevalent in 'underground-in-the-know' trainers and other folks.
Stay with me here as I paint the picture...
Today in my beginner kettlebell class, one of my new grasshoppers is a very successful executive. He runs 10ks and half-marathons on a regular basis. He does very little strength training. Now what makes this individual who we will call 'Bill' different from other people who walk in to my studio? Well, he's stopped in about 5 times 'checking things out' but never really understood the mystique behind kettlebells because he had never touched one or swung one ...until today.
Today was his 'epiphany' in many forms. Let me explain. You see our society has created a bunch of people who blindly follow whatever when it comes to fitness, exercise and dieting. The latest infomercials are full of gadgets, potions, and not so truthful statements surrounding WHAT IT REALLY TAKES to look great naked.
'Bill's' Epiphanies
#1 How difficult SIMPLE exercise can and should be in terms of form, proper technique, and conditioning when it is all put together
#2 Why all of my class members are walking around in circles when he has stopped by to watch all of those previous times...THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO RECEIVE OXYGEN INTO THEIR BODIES
#3 Distance running and machine weight training are for all intents and purposes 'pseudo-exercise' ...THEY ALLOW YOU TO FEEL ALL WARM AND FUZZY BECAUSE YOU ARE 'EXERCISING' BUT THEY DO VERY LITTLE FOR ACTUALLY CHANGING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION.
#4 The weights are in KILOS not pounds...this always serves up a nice slice of humble pie...I leverage the kilos to my favor. Women think they are only doing 8 lbs instead of 8 kilos and guys think they are wussies, what a great concept to put them in kilos.
#5 and the most important of all...
"I went through Mayo Clinics 'Executive training program battery of tests' and they told me I was in great shape."
In shape for what? Obviously not in shape for whatever is next! How PREPARED are you for anything? Are you 'in shape' to get through your day? Are you 'in shape' to have enough energy at the end of the day to play with your kids? Are you 'in shape' when an unwanted person comes through your front door and he doesn't realize who is going to get the raw end of that situation (which hopefully never happens)? Are you in shape for the 10k / 75 obstacle ...Volkslauf obstacle course in Bakersfield California on October 13 of this year which we are taking multiple teams to? You see 'in shape' is relative. There is ALWAYS another level.
By the way, for those of you not familiar with the Mayo Clinic it is considered to be THE BEST collection of medical doctors IN THE WORLD and it's based in Rochester Minnesota. Now they have incredible doctors and I have seen some miraculous surgeries in various people that I personally know...however, my question to you is do you strive to be 'in shape' to pass some stupid test on a treadmill or are you working towards being 'in shape' because it is in every fiber of your being?
In the words of the Philadelphia Kettlebell Club:
"Don't rely on anything you can't carry, in case civilization is temporary."
'Bill' had an epiphany or two or five today.
How many people have you helped have an epiphany?
3. a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.
What I am about to describe is common place to me and other trainers familiar with kettlebell training. It takes place in gyms, fitness centers, garages, basements, etc. almost on a daily basis now that kettlebells have began to invade the general population, although still most prevalent in 'underground-in-the-know' trainers and other folks.
Stay with me here as I paint the picture...
Today in my beginner kettlebell class, one of my new grasshoppers is a very successful executive. He runs 10ks and half-marathons on a regular basis. He does very little strength training. Now what makes this individual who we will call 'Bill' different from other people who walk in to my studio? Well, he's stopped in about 5 times 'checking things out' but never really understood the mystique behind kettlebells because he had never touched one or swung one ...until today.
Today was his 'epiphany' in many forms. Let me explain. You see our society has created a bunch of people who blindly follow whatever when it comes to fitness, exercise and dieting. The latest infomercials are full of gadgets, potions, and not so truthful statements surrounding WHAT IT REALLY TAKES to look great naked.
'Bill's' Epiphanies
#1 How difficult SIMPLE exercise can and should be in terms of form, proper technique, and conditioning when it is all put together
#2 Why all of my class members are walking around in circles when he has stopped by to watch all of those previous times...THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO RECEIVE OXYGEN INTO THEIR BODIES
#3 Distance running and machine weight training are for all intents and purposes 'pseudo-exercise' ...THEY ALLOW YOU TO FEEL ALL WARM AND FUZZY BECAUSE YOU ARE 'EXERCISING' BUT THEY DO VERY LITTLE FOR ACTUALLY CHANGING YOUR BODY COMPOSITION.
#4 The weights are in KILOS not pounds...this always serves up a nice slice of humble pie...I leverage the kilos to my favor. Women think they are only doing 8 lbs instead of 8 kilos and guys think they are wussies, what a great concept to put them in kilos.
#5 and the most important of all...
"I went through Mayo Clinics 'Executive training program battery of tests' and they told me I was in great shape."
In shape for what? Obviously not in shape for whatever is next! How PREPARED are you for anything? Are you 'in shape' to get through your day? Are you 'in shape' to have enough energy at the end of the day to play with your kids? Are you 'in shape' when an unwanted person comes through your front door and he doesn't realize who is going to get the raw end of that situation (which hopefully never happens)? Are you in shape for the 10k / 75 obstacle ...Volkslauf obstacle course in Bakersfield California on October 13 of this year which we are taking multiple teams to? You see 'in shape' is relative. There is ALWAYS another level.
By the way, for those of you not familiar with the Mayo Clinic it is considered to be THE BEST collection of medical doctors IN THE WORLD and it's based in Rochester Minnesota. Now they have incredible doctors and I have seen some miraculous surgeries in various people that I personally know...however, my question to you is do you strive to be 'in shape' to pass some stupid test on a treadmill or are you working towards being 'in shape' because it is in every fiber of your being?
In the words of the Philadelphia Kettlebell Club:
"Don't rely on anything you can't carry, in case civilization is temporary."
'Bill' had an epiphany or two or five today.
How many people have you helped have an epiphany?
20070521
Simple.
Brutal. Savage. 'Fun.' -- All in the name of today's training.
I am beginning to adapt very quickly to all of my training. I really have to keep things creative right now and rarely do the same exercises two weeks in a row. I am doing some lab rat experiments as I am the rat. My CNS is very amped right now and highly malleable to all training stimulus. I am very surprised and encouraged about how 'smart' my body has become over the last 6 months.
Here's how today went down.
Z I Phase for about 30 minutes.
Training:
A1 Split Jerk 79/10 sets of 3 l,r
A2 Pistols 79/ 10 sets of 1 l,r
rest 4 minutes
B1 Double Snatches 70s/30 sets of 2
Total time 48:42
Felt really great. My mind was going crazy. For some reason simple brutal training causes my neurons to go on a creative mission to daydream new training structures and plans for me and my clients. Ohhhhh, only to their benefit!
I am beginning to adapt very quickly to all of my training. I really have to keep things creative right now and rarely do the same exercises two weeks in a row. I am doing some lab rat experiments as I am the rat. My CNS is very amped right now and highly malleable to all training stimulus. I am very surprised and encouraged about how 'smart' my body has become over the last 6 months.
Here's how today went down.
Z I Phase for about 30 minutes.
Training:
A1 Split Jerk 79/10 sets of 3 l,r
A2 Pistols 79/ 10 sets of 1 l,r
rest 4 minutes
B1 Double Snatches 70s/30 sets of 2
Total time 48:42
Felt really great. My mind was going crazy. For some reason simple brutal training causes my neurons to go on a creative mission to daydream new training structures and plans for me and my clients. Ohhhhh, only to their benefit!
20070313
I'm back
After a 3 month blogging hiatus (ironic that I am writing this right after my last blog '3 levels of quitting') I am ready to coherently structure my thoughts on numerous topics taking place in the last 3 months.
For those of you that are following I have:
1 a major website overhaul at www.keperformance.com
2 a brand new personal training studio open in Woodbury MN
3 kettlebell classes already going on daily. Check my website for details.
The topics you can look forward to are:
1) Z Health ...just returned from Level II and registered for Level III in June (if you are remotely serious about your training and coaching email me at brad@keperformance.com to discuss this further)
2) motor learning (the way I wish I would have learned it in college)
3) anatomy (same as above)
4) the S.A.I.D principle revisited
5) motivation: self and helping others
6) yin/yang
7) amp your nervous system
8) Perfect Rep Principle
9) Efficiency
and of course numerous philosophies from the neurons in my never-ending sequence of thought possibilites.
Feel free to email me questions and or comments.
For those of you that are following I have:
1 a major website overhaul at www.keperformance.com
2 a brand new personal training studio open in Woodbury MN
3 kettlebell classes already going on daily. Check my website for details.
The topics you can look forward to are:
1) Z Health ...just returned from Level II and registered for Level III in June (if you are remotely serious about your training and coaching email me at brad@keperformance.com to discuss this further)
2) motor learning (the way I wish I would have learned it in college)
3) anatomy (same as above)
4) the S.A.I.D principle revisited
5) motivation: self and helping others
6) yin/yang
7) amp your nervous system
8) Perfect Rep Principle
9) Efficiency
and of course numerous philosophies from the neurons in my never-ending sequence of thought possibilites.
Feel free to email me questions and or comments.
20061129
I Seek Wisdom
Continuing the Andy Andrews series...
Principle #2
I seek wisdom.
I am in constant refinement of what I have learned from numerous mentors in the strength and conditioning field. Major influences of been Pavel of the kettlebell world and Dragon Door, Dr. Eric Cobb of Z Health and my college strength coach Joe Hadachek.
These 3 and numerous others laid the foundation for my learning at a young age. However, I have learned that too much information is not good without applying it to training situations. So make sure that you gain insight and then put it into practice. Try something new in this next 4 weeks of training...you might like it!
Principle #2
I seek wisdom.
I am in constant refinement of what I have learned from numerous mentors in the strength and conditioning field. Major influences of been Pavel of the kettlebell world and Dragon Door, Dr. Eric Cobb of Z Health and my college strength coach Joe Hadachek.
These 3 and numerous others laid the foundation for my learning at a young age. However, I have learned that too much information is not good without applying it to training situations. So make sure that you gain insight and then put it into practice. Try something new in this next 4 weeks of training...you might like it!
20061120
Lessons from the Deads...
Today marks the beginning of Week 6 into a new deadlift (DL) program that I am following. Prior to 5 weeks ago I hadn't DLed in 4 1/2 years. I was quite surprised that I was able to do 405 for two sets of doubles at the end of my 3rd week (only 9 DL training sessions).
The fourth week was a back-off week and will continue that way every fourth week. My focus will be to do singles, doubles, and triples with linear progressions. I am pleasantly surprised with my sustained numbers, which I attribute to both heavy kettlebell training and gaining movement proficiency in the Z Health specific joint mobility.
The purpose of this entry is for the first time in 5 weeks did the DL feel 'right' this morning. It took me 5 weeks to get back to a proper groove where I felt the way I knew I could. This is intuition from the 2 1/2 years I spent DLing sometime back. This is directed at the many trainees that think we should have the entire training program and protocol packaged in a 'to go' box and opened like take out when you get home and/or go train after being inspired by someone you admire or just read about.
The DL bug has bit me once again and I look forward to my goal of pulling 500lbs raw by March 1, 2007 (current PR is 440) and then progressing from there. There are many cues to think about throughout the form and currently I am minimizing tension while focusing on lengthening through the tailbone and crown of the head simultaneously. I also focus on re-stacking the joints. Tension will have it's time and place...when it gets heavy, and that's when it gets 'fun.'
The fourth week was a back-off week and will continue that way every fourth week. My focus will be to do singles, doubles, and triples with linear progressions. I am pleasantly surprised with my sustained numbers, which I attribute to both heavy kettlebell training and gaining movement proficiency in the Z Health specific joint mobility.
The purpose of this entry is for the first time in 5 weeks did the DL feel 'right' this morning. It took me 5 weeks to get back to a proper groove where I felt the way I knew I could. This is intuition from the 2 1/2 years I spent DLing sometime back. This is directed at the many trainees that think we should have the entire training program and protocol packaged in a 'to go' box and opened like take out when you get home and/or go train after being inspired by someone you admire or just read about.
The DL bug has bit me once again and I look forward to my goal of pulling 500lbs raw by March 1, 2007 (current PR is 440) and then progressing from there. There are many cues to think about throughout the form and currently I am minimizing tension while focusing on lengthening through the tailbone and crown of the head simultaneously. I also focus on re-stacking the joints. Tension will have it's time and place...when it gets heavy, and that's when it gets 'fun.'
20061115
The QUEST seeking TRUTH...
This is my first post on my blog. Here's to many more!
I wanted to expand on a recent post I wrote over on the Dragon Door forum. The topic is about programming and starting...this could relate to anything in life worth doing.
Here was the post from over at DD with some additions...
I see this question asked a lot by comrades on the forum. If you are new to kettlebell or PTP style training you are in the right place. If you are new to training altogether you are in the right place.
There are hundreds if not thousands of programs in the archives of the articles on this site, the books sold here (Power to the People, Enter the Kettlebell, Beyond Bodybuilding) and in the training logs of the dedicated few 'doing it.'
My encouragement to ANYONE who asks the question 'has anyone done xxx program' is do it yourself...commit to 6, 8, 12 week cycles or whatever the program calls for and DO it. What works for some on here will not work for others. You may expect similar results but they will not be EXACTLY the same.
You must...
1) DEFINE your training goals
2) COMMIT to a specific program (if not sure, a few on here offer online training)
3) have the DISCIPLINE to see the program through NO EXCUSES
4) apply appropriate INTENSITY
5) report RESULTS (make sure you keep a training log!!)
Do these 5 simple (but not easy) steps and you will be on your way to a better YOU.
Last but not least...look at your goals over the course of the next 1 year, 2 years, 3 years...when you look at them in this manner you will see massive gains and improvements regardless of your goals. (this I finally "got" last year at age 29 after 15 years of dedicated training ;)
Another way to sum this up is in "Unleashing the Warrior Within" by Richard J. Machowicz which I HIGHLY recommend. He sums it up this way:
I wanted to expand on a recent post I wrote over on the Dragon Door forum. The topic is about programming and starting...this could relate to anything in life worth doing.
Here was the post from over at DD with some additions...
I see this question asked a lot by comrades on the forum. If you are new to kettlebell or PTP style training you are in the right place. If you are new to training altogether you are in the right place.
There are hundreds if not thousands of programs in the archives of the articles on this site, the books sold here (Power to the People, Enter the Kettlebell, Beyond Bodybuilding) and in the training logs of the dedicated few 'doing it.'
My encouragement to ANYONE who asks the question 'has anyone done xxx program' is do it yourself...commit to 6, 8, 12 week cycles or whatever the program calls for and DO it. What works for some on here will not work for others. You may expect similar results but they will not be EXACTLY the same.
You must...
1) DEFINE your training goals
2) COMMIT to a specific program (if not sure, a few on here offer online training)
3) have the DISCIPLINE to see the program through NO EXCUSES
4) apply appropriate INTENSITY
5) report RESULTS (make sure you keep a training log!!)
Do these 5 simple (but not easy) steps and you will be on your way to a better YOU.
Last but not least...look at your goals over the course of the next 1 year, 2 years, 3 years...when you look at them in this manner you will see massive gains and improvements regardless of your goals. (this I finally "got" last year at age 29 after 15 years of dedicated training ;)
Another way to sum this up is in "Unleashing the Warrior Within" by Richard J. Machowicz which I HIGHLY recommend. He sums it up this way:
Gut Check
Are you willing to make a choice?
Do you have the courage to start?
Will you make the commitment to finish?
"A lot of people make a choice. Few people have the courage to start. Rarely do people have the commitment to finish. The people who do are those who have the guts to get through the losses along the way in order to reach the victory at the end." "...It's not until you make a target a matter of life and death that you end up living."
My challenge to you today is to commit to the finished product. It won't be easy, but then again EASY doesn't pay!.
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