Kettlebell Secrets Special Report

Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com

Without a doubt, the hottest trend in fitness today is Kettlebells. They re all over the place and it seems like they re just going to keep spreading. Your probably reading this report because you are either currently using them or are considering using them. (For either, I congratulate you - very wise decision.) !

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However, it s hard to get really high quality information on the subject. !

Every new trainer is putting out his or her own kettlebell DVD and the market seems to be flooded with information. Don t believe me? !

Check out YouTube. Everybody s putting their kettlebell videos up there. !

But how can you know for sure that the information you are getting is accurate? More importantly, how can you know for sure that the information you are getting isn t going to set you up for failure, or worse yet - injury. !

But before we get to injuries, you have to know for sure that the information you are getting is accurate and safe.

Why I Can Help You. My name is Geoff Neupert. I have been using kettlebells both with myself and my personal training clients since January of 2002, including grandmothers, mothers, business executives, police officers, firemen, authors, poets, and an NFL athlete. I have been a fitness professional for over 17 years. And more importantly, I am a Master Instructor - one of only 7 - with the original and best kettlebell certification - the Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC). (RKC). I teach other people - other fitness professionals - how to become certified kettlebell instructors. In other words, I m an “Instructor s instructor.” !

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I am about to have my first book on kettlebell training, Kettlebell Muscle , published. I ve been around the block with kettlebells and I want to set the record straight and make sure you get the absolute most out of kettlebell training. !

Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com

I tell you this not to brag, but just to assure you that I m not some fly-by-night internet pretender. !

So let s get back to kettlebells. !

Has This Happened To You? As I was saying before one of the biggest challenges people face when using kettlebells is using improper technique and hurting themselves. This can all be easily avoided if you just keep one thing in mind. In fact, 95% of the people I ve trained have had to be trained not  to  to use the wrong areas. !

That means if you haven t had at least one kettlebell lesson with an RKC (a certified kettlebell instructor) or studied in depth  the  the material published by the RKC, then there s a very high probability you are susceptible to injury. (I m not trying to scare you, and I m sorry if I am - I just want to fully inform you.) !

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Do you know what the #1 kettlebell injury is?  Low back strain. You may have even experienced that before and honestly, I know how you feel. Because before I knew what I am about to reveal to you, I experienced the same thing, especially with the 2-Hand Swing. In fact, that nearly drove me mad and was one of the three reasons I decided to become a certified kettlebell instructor (RKC.) So, what you are about to learn in this Special Report is exactly  how  how to protect your lower back while using a kettlebell so you can soar to new levels of fitness confidently knowing that you will be injury free.

Where Most People Go Wrong. Most people lift objects from the ground incorrectly. But it s not really their fault - they ve been “programmed” to do so. Most likely, likely, you fall into one on e of the following three categories. !

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1. Lifting Lifting with a rounded lower lower back (with or without straight legs). You may have seen this or even done this before. Many people bend over at the waist and round out their lower backs. This puts unnecessary stress on the muscles in the lower back and can actually rupture one of the discs in the Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com

spine. This is bad - very bad.

2.“Squatting” the weight up, part 1. Unfortunately, Unfortunately, due to well-meaning but misinformed health care professionals, most people lift objects off the floor with their legs. In order to do this, they keep their backs almost perfectly straight up and down in relation to the floor and lift their heels up off the ground in order to pick up the object on the ground. This places way too much stress on their knees and overuses the muscles in the front of the legs (the quadriceps).

3. “Squatting” “Squatting” the weight weight up, part 2. Some 2. Some people have another common problem - they squat “too low.” Now, Now, there really is no such thing as “squatting too low” if you are doing it when you are squatting and you have great technique. But and this is the key point - you can squat too low when your picking something up off the ground. The hips are still disengaged and all the stress is in the quads, which effectively bypasses the hips and places much of the stress in your lower back. This of course is bad. And these faulty lifting techniques are carried over to people s kettlebell exercise technique, which over time, will lead to injury either in the lower back or possibly even the knees. !

So what are you to do? How can you ensure 100% that you won t hurt your lower back ever? !

Well, that s virtually impossible to assure 100%, but if you follow what I m about to share with you in this report, you can pretty much assure yourself a lower back made of steel. !

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Build Up Your Backside And Bullet Proof Your Back. The key to successful kettlebell training is to master lifting the kettlebell with your hips. And that means two things - you must know where they really are and how to use them correctly.

Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com

Now as I mentioned earlier, most people lift the kettlebell with their lower backs. The either round it or bypass their hips altogether by squatting it. Both are bad. To help you remember the best way to lift a kettlebell, I ve come up with an acronym for you to remember how to lift a kettlebell - F.O.L.D. !

F O L D -

Fix Your Mind On The Target Open Your Hips Load Your Hips Discharge the Load

Let s take a closer look. !

1. FIX Your Mind On The Target. In Target.  In order to achieve any goal, you must first envision that goal. It is also called a “target.” Any goal is made up of a series of steps you must take or targets you must hit in order to move to the next target and ultimately achieve your goal. • With kettlebell training, the first exercise you must master is the Swing. It is performed with 2 hands. And it is the foundation of all your current and future kettlebell training. exercise we are going to • For the remainder of this Special Report, this is the one exercise we focus on - the Swing. • Your target for the Swing is the wall behind you. (Don t worry if you don t have a wall - just pretend you do.) !

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Quick Tips...

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The Swing is the foundation for more advanced exercises like the Clean, the Snatch, and the Jerk.

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When you have trouble with any kettlebell exercise, you should revisit your Swing technique. The answer to most kettlebell technique problems is a Swing problem.

• When you perform the Swing, you must constantly focus on hitting your target with your hips (not the kettlebell). They are the the center of your mass and the center of your gravity. gravity.

Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com

• All your body s strength is centered in your hips and your core. To accomplish any physical goal, you must learn how to use your hips properly. How do you do that? !

• That brings us to our next point... 2. OPEN Your Hips. In Hips.  In order to protect your lower back, you must learn how to “open” your hips. As I mentioned earlier, when most people lift anything from the floor or ground, they use their lower backs or their knees. When you learn how to open your hips, you shift the load from your lower back and knees into the strongest muscle group in your body your Gluts. That s right - your butt . !

Your butt is the strongest, largest muscle group in your body. body. At least it s designed to be that way. The problem is, too many of us sit on our butts all day long and they become lazy, flat, and weak. So we literally are forced to lift with our lower backs and our knees. !

Now that you know the problem, let s teach you how to open your hips . !

1) Center  yourself.  yourself. Stand with your feet just outside shoulder width apart with your toes turned slightly out.  the front of your hips with the edges of your hands. 2) Crease  the • There are “creases” in the front of your hips and the easiest way to find them is to envision a lady s bikini bottoms (Fellas - get your mind out of the gutter...). gutter...). They are essentially ess entially a triangle. !

• Place the edges of your hands - so your pinkies are resting against your body - from your groin to your hip bone - in the area where the legs slide into the bikini bottoms. • The tips of your pinkies should be pointing down at an angle and toward each opposite ankle. • The heels of your palms should be firmly against the front of your pelvis. 3) “Chop”  your  your hands into the creases and feel your hips move back han ds • Your stomach will fold over your hands • You should feel a stretch across your butt • Keep your mind on your target - the wall behind you Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com

 “out.” 4) Chest  “out.” • Men - stick your chest out like you were going to the beach • Women - imagine you are going to a party and want to catch a guy s attention - keep your chest like that !

• You ll notice that your shoulder blades will move toward each other and your spine - keep them there !

• You ll also notice that this puts a natural little “arch” in your lower back - or makes it flat. !

 with your lower back “flat.” 5) Continue  with • Many people when they do Steps 1 thru 4 start to fall into the old pattern of rounding their lower backs. Instead, keep on keeping your chest out and that nice new arch in your lower back. • This protects your lower back and keeps your weight and the emphasis of the exercise in your hips. 3. LOAD Your Hips. Hips. Now that we have opened your hips, we now have to “load” them. What does “load” mean? • It means we must create tension in them or put kinetic energy into them. This allows us to lift the kettlebell. We do this by stretching them - but not in the way you are currently thinking and are probably used to doing.

Recall that we just opened the hips. Loading the hips is just the continuation of the opening process. This is a key point to remember. remember . • Nothing changes except for the fact that you will now not only feel a stretch in your gluts, but also down the backs of your legs - your hamstrings.  And this is how you protect your lower back - by mastering • this position - this loading process.

What does this loading process look land feel like?

Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com

 At this this point, point, your upper body body will will be approximately approximately 45 • degrees in relation to the floor/ground. • Your shins will be almost 90 degrees (perpendicular) to the ground. • Most of your weight should be in your heels. • You will feel some mild tension between your shoulder blades. • You will feel a big stretch down the backs of your legs. • You may feel like you will fall backwards - you won’t. • You should feel your abs automatically tighten.

You are now fully ready to swing your kettlebell and ready for the final point. 4. DISCHARGE the Load. Why Load.  Why “discharge?” Because this is an extremely powerful position and your hips and legs are filled with energy just waiting to be released! And if you release the energy correctly - it will literally “explode” out of your body and into your kettlebell driving it up into the air.  From the loaded position, quickly stand up. 1) Stand Up!  From • You will be bent over in the loaded position - every muscle on your backside fully loaded with energy. The easiest way to get out of this position is just to think - “STAND UP!” • And don t waste any time either - do it quickly! Explode!  !

2) Shove Y Shove Your Feet Into The Floor!  • Literally drive your feet through the floor, heels first. This will ensure that your hamstrings and butt work hard and release all their energy for the Swing. 3) Squeeze Your Squeeze Your Gluts! • Imagine you are pinching a coin between your the cheeks of you butt (stop giggling...). Now pinch them so hard that the coin can t fall onto the floor. floo r. That s how hard you should pinch them. !

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 - That s the noise you should make when you sharply exhale your 4) “SSSSST!”  breath. !

Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com

• Do you know the noise a snake makes? “Sssssss...” make that noise but be emphatic about it by putting a “T” on the end of it. In order to do this, place your tongue behind your teeth and then go “SSSSSSST!” Sharply! Quickly! • Be careful not to drag this out. Again, it s quick and sharp and fast. !

• This will make your abs contract in a way that feels like it s from the inside out. !

• This should be done just after you ve squeezed your gluts - almost as if squeezing them forces the air right out of your body. !

Ab s!  5) Stiffen Y Stiffen Your Abs!  • Think about tensing or tightening your abs as if you were about to be hit in the stomach.  from releasing your breath, will give • This tensing along with the “SSSSSST!”  from you a very strong and powerful abdominal contraction. This also protects your lower back. 6) Straighten  Your  Your Arms!  Arms !  you r hands. You You may be tempted to • Remember, there will be a kettlebell in your bend your elbows - Don t! This will “leak” the power you are generating. !

• However, keep your arms relatively relaxed. • And finally, don t let your arms go above parallel to the ground. Keep them about chest-high - or where your sternum is. !

Great job! That s one rep. !

Now, F-O-L-D  Now, F-O-L-D  again  again and again and again. Don t worry about being perfect every time - you won t be. Just keep these tips in mind and keep practicing. Use a lighter kettlebell at first for your Swings. Don t worry - you ll get strong fast if you practice this way. !

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When you are ready, and feel comfortable with these tips, you can use a heavier kettlebell.

Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com

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For a video demonstration, click here...

If You Only Ever Do One Thing... ... Master these tips! It has been said by former Brazilian Ju-Jitsu World Champion and Strength Coach, Steve Maxwell, that the Swing meets an 90% of any athlete s strength and conditioning needs. !

You can get really strong, really well conditioned, and really lean just by doing Swings. Lots of Swings - 2 Hand, 1 Hand, Hand-to-hand - it doesn t matter - just do them and use the techniques and pointers you learned in this report. !

Your lower back will thank you! To Your Success! Succ ess!

Geoff Neupert, Master RKC, CSCS

Copyright Integrated Fitness Solutions, LLC, 2010. www.kettlebellsecrets.com