Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning Manual

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated training

STRENGTH & CONDITIONING MANUAL

DevelopedbyMattGieringer,MS,CSCS 12/14/2010

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

Disclaimer  I understand by the very nature of the activity, Kettlebell lifting and strength training in general carry risk of  potential injury. No matter how careful the trainee and coach are, understand that there is is a risk of injury. The risk includes minor injuries such as bruising, broken nails, nails, torn calluses and hand skin. In rare but severe instances dislocations and muscle pulls or even dropping the weight implement and causing broken bones can occur. By reading this document you are doing so with the understanding of these risks and should seek clearance from your  physician to participate in strenuous exercise modalities like kettlebell lifting and other forms of training referred to herein. The author and publisher of this document disclaim any liability, personal or professional, resulting from the misapplication of any of the training modalities described herein.

Credit Due I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Kinesiology (Exercise Science) at the University of North Texas. I value that formal education and owe a great deal to my professors and mentors, Bob Patton, Allen Jackson, and Bob Maughan. Above the time spent in the classroom is the time and work invested on the track, the roads, in the pool and in in the weight room. I competed in track, cross country and triathlon for ten years. Through that time I learned a great deal of what NOT to do. I also cultivated an appreciation for fitness that is carved from stone by the daily chiseling away of the instinct to seek comfort. I gleaned from some prolific but relatively lesser-known coaches, Greg Lautenslager, Drew Ludtke, Chris Wyatt, Julie Johnson, Ronnie Curcio and Steve King. I have read from numerous teachers and coaches in the Track and Field and Strength and Conditioning worlds to whom I much of my extra-curricular education: Percy Cerrutty, Arthur  Lydiard, Jack Daniels, Joe Friel, Izumi Tabata, Mike Boyle, Gray Cook, Mark Rippetoe, Mark Twight, Lon Kilgore, Greg Glassman, Greg Everett, Dan John, Loren Seagrave, Mark Verstegen and Steve Cotter. More recently I have been learning from professionals in Physical Therapy including Eric McElroy, Brett Fischer, Mike McKenney, Gary Gray and David Browder. I also need to give thanks to some of the athlete-coaches with whom I have competed and served, side-by-side: Mario Arroyave, Chris Mordecai, Coy Schneider, Charles Keenan, David Trevino, Mike Bieler  and Peter Bell. These teammates, training comrades and coworkers were object lessons for me to see principles principles in action. With a short stint working around Martial Artists and Martial Arts Instructors I have come to value many principles that can/ should be implemented in the discipline of physical training: Sherif Ghaly, Ernesto Perales, Rodney Solis, Charles Adams and Elton Wells. Additionally, nutrition has been a big part of my study time. I put myself through a “Raw Food” diet for six months and found out the true necessity of quality quality protein, even for a distance runner. Some of the influential authors I have learned from are Barry Sears, J. DeAdamo, Gary Taubes, Loren Cordain, John Berardi and Jeff Maffetone. Big thanks to Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Nike and Nathan Pritikin whose well-meaning efforts led to the “Jogging Boom” and Carbohydrate-based Diet/ Belief System respectively. Together these two movements substantiated the need for physiotherapists, chiropractors, personal trainers, strength coaches and other health and fitness professionals to effectively correct for the grave nutritional and biomechanical imbalances they created, en masse What I am getting at is that most of what you are going to read here is an amalgam of the strong threads of truth that I have experienced myself or seen work in the athletes I have have coached. None of this can I take credit for  “discovering”, unless you consider yourself the discoverer of your big toe when you saw it this morning and then read an article about how you have five of digits per foot down there and they are good for balance and tactile feedback from the ground. However true and amazing the new, observable facts are, you should presume that they were there long before you found them out. "Mediocre athletes that tried like hell to get good are the best coaches". -Mark Rippetoe

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Movement Preparation & Warm Up Stretching is not a warm up. Repetitive movements through a large range of motion (R.O.M.) serve as good warm ups. Bodyweight squats, easy-paced burpees, rowing, light KB swings, stationary cycling, easy jogging, and  jump rope are good warm ups if space allows. 3-5 minutes should be adequate unless the training environment is very cold or you are very sore from the previous days’ training. The purpose of the Active Warm Up is to raise the internal body temperature to decrease viscosity in the working tissues (blood, synovial fluid, interstitial fluid). Movement Preparation can and should serve as part of your warm up. A good Movement Prep focuses on activating the muscles about the hip and shoulder girdles and the trunk. The movement prep should also include drills or exercises that mobilize hip, ankle and shoulder joints (specifically the joint capsule). Goblet Squats, Elbow to Instep Lunges, Quadruped Diagonal Hip Rocks, T-Spine Mobility Series, Heel-Toe Raises and the famous “Stanky Leg Series” accomplish both the objectives, Muscle Activation and Joint Mobility adequately. Conceptually the Movement Prep’s purpose is to wake up and prepare all of the STRUCTURAL and FUNCTIONAL components of  human movement and anti-movement. Stretching (static, dynamic, ballistic) does have its place in the periphery of effective training. When an athlete needs to gain extensibility (usually at the cost of elasticity) in a group of muscles, like stretching the adductors and hamstrings for high kicks in MMA, stretching is a means to an end. When stretching is no longer the periphery but the center of focus (more than 15 minutes per day) one should check out why their strength program is not providing adequate R.O.M.. Beware trainers and trainees who vouch that “Yoga makes you stronger.” This is only true for  those who are very, very weak, and/or given to espouse audacious claims with great fervor. They are to be distrusted and can usually be shooed away with a stick or a cut of red meat.

The Relentless Pursuit Approach •

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Do more with less (less equipment, less food, less time, less cost, less finagling). Truth cannot be found, filtered and clarified until it is applied over some considerable time and with a considerable amount of weight. Family and friends (not random acquaintances) are important and should not resent your training regimen because you place it above them in importance and inflexibility. In order to “look” like you are accustomed to hard physical exertion you must experience hard physical exertion. If you don’t track a particular characteristic of fitness with quantitative data in your training (and life) you cannot objectively measure progress. And if you cannot measure progress then you do not know what may need to be changed, making it very difficult to positively affect that characteristic. Thusly, training is not as effective as it could/should be. This can be as simple as a stopwatch, a measuring tape, and the amount of weight on the bar  moved with repeatable form.

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Objective-Based Training Performance Data Tracking

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Objective Measures of Progress

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Affective Changes

àEffective

Training

Use Principles to govern Strategies to develop Protocols, grouped together and progressed to form Programs. Principles àStrategiesàProtocols àPrograms

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Principles Governing Fitness Progressive Overload- More difficulty or different tasks are required to CONTINUE to grow in strength, power  and work capacity (not necessarily size). Specificity- You can be extremely good at one thing or pretty good at a few things, but not great at everything. Type of training stimulus will decide the physical adaptation. Transferability- Some adaptations from physical training can carry-over to tasks other than the exact training modality. This is in light of the above principle. Transience- Effects of physical training will reverse if stimuli are not maintained (and progressed). Gains from training are impermanent. Individuality- People are genetically different and are constantly affected by different environmental factors. Therefore the same training stimulus can have different effects on people. Example: someone who eats like crap will not recover from the same workout as well as their training partner who eats with informed discipline. Commonality- We are all humans and therefore should have a generally similar response to a given training stimulus. Some of the above-stated principles seem contradictory. Actually they are paradoxical. Much like God, the Maker of the Universe, who is supremely  just or right but is also absolutely merciful . They are two sides of the same coin and one cannot really be expressed in the absence of its counterpart.

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10 Physical Skills by Jim Cawley & Bruce Evans, Founders of Dynamax Medicine Balls I. Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance - The ability of the body systems to gather, process, and transport oxygen. II. Stamina - The ability of the body to process, store, deliver, and utilize energy. III. Strength - The ability of a muscular unit, or combo of muscular units to apply force. IV. Flexibility - The ability of maximizing range of motion at a given joint. V. Power - The ability of a muscular unit, or combo of muscular units to apply maximum force in minimum time. VI. Speed - The ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement. VII. Coordination - The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement. VIII. Agility - The ability to minimize transition time between one movement patterns to another. IX. Accuracy - The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity. X. Balance - The ability to control the placement of the bodies’ centre of gravity in relation to its support base. These 10 physical skills are also attributes of a person’s physical ability. Someone can be weak or strong in each of them. We want to intentionally train for each of these however, not in the same proportions all of the time. -Matt Gieringer 

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Hierarchy of Fitness Components (adapted from Mark Twight’s Gym Jones Manual) 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Right nutrition affects every cell and every cell affects performance. Metabolic Conditioning builds work capacity through more efficient ATP production and O2 delivery. Gymnastics movement skills train full body relative strength, kinesthetic proprioception and coordination. Lifting, tossing, throwing and carrying external objects is necessary for many sports and occupational tasks. Sport/ Tasks are the culmination of what we train for. From Brazillian Jiu Jitsu to Fire Fighting to HomeMaking and Child Care.

-This diagram was adapted from an earlier version developed by Mark Twight, Mountain Mobility Group Understand that the 10 Physical Skills are the qualities required to perform the top 4 layers of the Fitness Components Pyramid. Each layer of the pyramid builds on the layers below it. Without strong foundations or  previous layers the next layers will suffer or fail to be completely expressed. If nutrition is poor, energy production is negatively affected, work capacity is decreased or recovery between lifting sets is less effective.

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Right Tool for the Job If you have ever remodeled a home or repaired a component of your automobile you know that for every job there is a right tool. The job may be able to complete without the particular “right” tool, however the “right” tool would make that job much easier and can affect how well the job is done. Kettlebells are meant for improving work capacity. Work capacity can also be referred to as whole body muscular endurance or metabolic conditioning. This is a combination of repeated force production and anaerobic endurance. They do not lend themselves to maximal strength improvement because they cannot be incrementally increased like a barbell. The traditional KB lifts are performed for a maximum number of repetitions per time duration or for a rate of reps per minute. The barbell is ultimately the best tool for pure strength, because one can add small amounts of weight to eventually build the strength for the particular lift very high. Thusly the Strength Lifts are performed one rep for the most weight possible. For aerobic endurance development locomotion of one’s body are chosen: running, cycling, rowing and jump rope are preferred methods.

Traditional Kettlebell Lifts The traditional KB lifts are the Clean, Jerk and Snatch. These lifts are contested in what is called Girevoy (Russian) Sport or Kettlebell Sport in the US. To progress in the traditional lifts Swings, Presses and Push-Presses are also practiced. While some prefer to stick to these lifts primarily I will present a training plan that includes more strength and assistance lifts to compliment the traditional lifts.

Deadlift (KB) Shoulder-Width Stance Grip KB with 2 hands Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature Hinge at the Hips Slight bending of the knees (not a Squat) Neck is neutrally aligned with the trunk Pick Up the KBà Straighten to hip extensionà HoldàLower KB • • • • • • •

Swing • • • • • • •

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Shoulder-Width Stance Grip KB with 2 hands Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature Hinge at the Hips Slight bending of the knees (not a Squat) Neck is neutrally aligned with the trunk Reach KB Between Legs BehindàChange direction of KBàDrive Forward à Squeeze Glutes at top of extension Swing up to Eye-Level

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Clean • • • • • • •

• •

Shoulder-Width Stance Grip KB with 1 hand Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature Hinge at the Hips Slight bending of the knees (not a Sq uat) Neck is neutrally aligned with the trunk Reach KB Between Legs BehindàChange direction of KBàDrive Forward à Squeeze Glutes at top of extension Pull the KB vertically Catch the KB in the Rack Position

Press • • • • • • •

Shoulder to Hip-Width Stance Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature Grip KB with 1 hand and Clean the KB up to the Rack position Squeeze the KB with the grip and engage the Lat Push straight up and spiral the thumb from facing you to facing medially Hold at the top, with elbow locked out; This is called fixation Descend back down to the rack position

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Push Press Next progression; similar to the Press, but add a “dip and drive” with the knees in order  to initiate the upward motion of the KB. Jerk Next progression; similar to the Push Press, but after a “dip and drive” with the knees in order to initiate the upward motion of the KB, then quickly dip again under the KB. Snatch Shoulder-Width Stance Grip KB with 1 hand Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature Hinge at the Hips Slight bending of the knees (not a Squat) Neck is neutrally aligned with the trunk Reach KB Between Legs BehindàChange direction of KBàDrive Forward à Squeeze Glutes at top of extension Pull the KB vertically past the shoulders Catch the KB in the same position as the top of the Jerk, with Elbow locked out Hold at the top for 1 to 2 seconds, fixation Descend carefully using the “cork-screw’ method, rotating the ball around the handle • • • • • • •

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Strength Kettlebell Lifts Front Squat Hip-Width Stance Grip 2 KB and Clean them up to the Rack Position • •

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

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Arms may rise off of chest as you descend into the squat depending on back extensor extensibility and Arm and Torso segment lengths Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature to maintain rigid spine Start the squat by sitting back (like into a chair) àHinge at the Hips first Then bend the knees until the hip joint travels below the horizontal made by the top of the knee joint Maintain intra-abdominal pressure during short pause at the bottom of the squat (like a ‘Box’ Squat without the box) Squeeze Glutes while you Drive Up, “out of the hole” Hold at the top, inhale, exhale before next rep

Overhead Lunge Start by Pressing or Snatching KB up to locked out Overhead Position Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature Step back into backward lunge with contralateral leg (opposite leg from the side you are holding the KB) Maintain intra-abdominal pressure Drive Up with the front leg, “push the heel through the floor” Perform all reps on one side before switching to other side • • •

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Floor Press Start in the supine position with the KB beside your chest, on the ground •

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

• • • • • • • • •

Reach over with both hands and grab the handle Pull to one shoulder, sitting KB on your Anterior Deltoid Orientate your arm so that you are gripping the handle with palm facing the sky Push elbow down to the ground and lift KB off the shoulder  Engage the lat and abs for stabilization of the Scapula and T-spine respectively Initiate the Floor Press by pushing with Iso-lateral leg and bridging off the ground This hip drive off of the ground is similar to the hip motion that precedes a punch Push straight up, maintaining tight neutral wrist (engaged forearm flexors) Descend back to chest slow and deliberately

Staggered Stance (SS) Row Stand with one leg forward and the other leg back, like a lunge The arm on the back leg side will be rowing the KB Lean the trunk forward from the hips to make a straight line from the back leg, up through the trunk Do not put the free hand on the forward thigh Grip the KB and pull straight up vertically Return the KB to the ground • • •

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Turkish Get-Up Safely bring the KB to the shoulder and press it up over the chest. Right knee comes up if the KB is being held in the right hand. ‘Punch’ towards the sky with the KB. Use your obliques on the right side and drive through the right heel for leverage. The movement is more like a roll than a sit up. Continue the movement and come up to the left elbow. Straighten the left elbow. The KB should now be at arms length in front of your body and the left arm should be straight – you’re resting on the left hand. You should be able to hold this position for a while if you’re doing it right. Pick the body up. I like to do the RKC-style bridge. Swing the leg through. Keep looking at the KB. Come up to a knee. (Go back and forth through these positions a few times while you’re practicing your form.) Stand all the way up. Reverse the entire movement and finish lying on the floor. Repeat on the other side. • • •

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Renegade Row Place two KBs about shoulder-width apart on the floor. Get in the top position of a push-up with your hands on the handles. Isometric Co-contraction of the trunk. Squeeze the handles as if you were going to crush them. With your right hand, push hard into the ground while pulling the weight to the waist with your left. Lower the weight slowly and with control. Repeat on the other side. • • •

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RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

Romanian Deadlift Shoulder-Width Stance Grip KB with 2 hands Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature Hinge at the Hips & Drive your butt backwards until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings Almost no bending of the knees Neck is neutrally aligned with the trunk Pick Up the KBà Straighten to hip extensionà HoldàLower KB • • • •

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Single Leg Deadlift (SLDL) Stand on Left foot Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature Grip KB with right hand and start from the “down’ position Maintain trunk stability while driving the foot through the ground to rise Hips should come up and translate forward Keep hips and shoulders “squared” • • • • • •

Side Bend Hip-Width Stance Hold KB in one hand Place other hand lightly on your head Contract abdominals Bend away from the KB side, staying in the Frontal Plane (Right to Left) Bend back to the KB side, slowly yielding to the weight Repeat on both sides • • • • • • •

Good Morning Hold KB by the horns behind the neck, hanging on the upper back Shoulder-Width Stance Isometric Co-Contraction of trunk musculature Hinge at the Hips & Drive your butt backwards until you feel a stretch in the hamstrings Almost no bending of the knees Keep eyes on the horizon to maintain back extensors • • • •

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Triceps Extension Start in the supine position and place KBs behind the head Pick the KB up with palms facing the sky Extend the elbows to lockout, while slightly extending the shoulders 10 degrees • • •

V-Sit Twist Sit on the floor, pick up the KB with two hands on the horns Balance on the sit bones Keep feet off the ground, together and knees together  Rotate the KB side to side while maintaining abdominal contraction • • • •

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

Training Templates Novice KB Plan  ________ 

Exercise KB V-Sit Twist Swing Front Squat SS Row Press

 _________ 

Wt. (Kg) x x x x x

reps/ time 30 10 5 5 5

x x x x x

Warm Up Run

x x x x

5' 200m

x x x x

Slow Bicycles Clean OH Lunge Renegade Row Floor Press

x x x x x

30-45' 8 5 5 5

x x x x x

Warm Up Distance Run

x x x x

3' 20'

x x x x

KB V-Sit Twist Snatch Front Squat SS Row Press

x x x x x

30 6 5 5 5

x x x x x

Warm Up Run

x x x x

5' 100m

x x x x

x x x

x x x

sets 3 3 3 3 3

4

RPM

rest 1'

3 3 3 3 3

3 3 3 3 3

8

rest 30"

Total Vol.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

 ________ 

Exercise KB V-Sit Twist Swing Front Squat SS Row Press

 _________ 

Wt. (Kg) x x x x x

reps/ time 30 10 5 5 5

x x x x x

Warm Up Run

x x x x

5' 200m

x x x x

Slow Bicycles Clean OH Lunge Renegade Row Floor Press

x x x x x

30-45' 8 5 5 5

x x x x x

Warm Up Distance Run

x x x x

3' 25'

x x x x

KB V-Sit Twist Snatch Front Squat SS Row Press

x x x x x

30 6 5 5 5

x x x x x

Warm Up Run

x x x x

5' 100m

x x x x

x x x

x x x

sets 3 4 4 4 4

5

RPM

rest 1'

3 4 4 4 4

3 4 4 4 4

10

rest 30"

Total Vol.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

 ________ 

Exercise KB V-Sit Twist Swing Front Squat SS Row Press

 _________ 

Wt. (Kg) x x x x x

reps/ time 30 10 5 5 5

x x x x x

Warm Up Run

x x x x

5' 200m

x x x x

Slow Bicycles Clean OH Lunge Renegade Row Floor Press

x x x x x

30-45' 8 5 5 5

x x x x x

Warm Up Distance Run

x x x x

3' 30'

x x x x

KB V-Sit Twist Snatch Front Squat SS Row Press

x x x x x

30 6 5 5 5

x x x x x

Warm Up Run

x x x x

5' 100m

x x x x

x x x

x x x

sets 3 5 5 5 5

6

RPM

rest 1'

3 5 5 5 5

3 5 5 5 5

12

rest 30"

Total Vol.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

 ________ 

Exercise Prone Plank Side Plank Swing

 _________ 

Wt. (Kg) x x x x x

reps/ time 30" 20" 12

x x x x x

Warm Up Distance Run

x x x x

5' 20'

x x x x

Slow Bicycles Clean & Press

x x x x x

30-45' 10

x x x x x

Warm Up Distance Run

x x x x

5' 20'

x x x x

KB V-Sit Twist Snatch

x x x x x

30 10

x x x x x

Warm Up Distance Run

x x x x

5' 20'

x x x x

x x x

x x x

sets 3 3 5

3 5

3 5

RPM

Total Vol.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

Integrated KB-MetCon Plan  ________ 

 _________ 

x x x x

reps/ time 30 5 5 5

x x x x

Warm Up 1. Swing 2. Burpees rest

x x x x

5' 10 10 1'

x x x x

4 4

Slow Bicycles OH Lunge Renegade Row Floor Press

x x x x

30-45' 5 5 5

x x x x

3 3 3 3

Warm Up 1. Clean 2. Jump Rope rest

x x x x

3' 5 1' 1'

x x x x

5 5

KB V-Sit Twist Front Squat SS Row Press

x x x x

30 5 5 5

x x x x

3 3 3 3

Warm Up 1. Snatch 2. Lunge Walk rest

x x x x

5' 6 50yd 1'

x x x x

5 5

off 

x x x

Exercise KB V-Sit Twist Front Squat SS Row Press

Wt. (Kg)

x x x

sets 3 3 3 3

RPM

Total Vol.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

 ________ 

 _________ 

x x x x

reps/ time 30 5 5 5

x x x x

Warm Up 1. Swing 2. Burpees rest

x x x x

5' 10 10 1'

x x x x

5 5

Slow Bicycles OH Lunge Renegade Row Floor Press

x x x x

30-45' 5 5 5

x x x x

3 4 4 4

Warm Up 1. Clean 2. Jump Rope rest

x x x x

3' 5 1' 1'

x x x x

6 6

KB V-Sit Twist Front Squat SS Row Press

x x x x

30 5 5 5

x x x x

3 4 4 4

Warm Up 1. Snatch 2. Lunge Walk rest

x x x x

5' 6 50yd 1'

x x x x

6 6

off 

x x x

Exercise KB V-Sit Twist Front Squat SS Row Press

Wt. (Kg)

x x x

sets 3 4 4 4

RPM

Total Vol.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

 ________ 

 _________ 

x x x x

reps/ time 30 5 5 5

x x x x

Warm Up 1. Swing 2. Burpees rest

x x x x

5' 10 10 1'

x x x x

6 6

Slow Bicycles OH Lunge Renegade Row Floor Press

x x x x

30-45' 5 5 5

x x x x

3 5 5 5

Warm Up 1. Clean 2. Jump Rope rest

x x x x

3' 5 1' 1'

x x x x

7 7

KB V-Sit Twist Front Squat SS Row Press

x x x x

30 5 5 5

x x x x

3 5 5 5

Warm Up 1. Snatch 2. Lunge Walk rest

x x x x

5' 6 50yd 1'

x x x x

7 7

off 

x x x

Exercise KB V-Sit Twist Front Squat SS Row Press

Wt. (Kg)

x x x

sets 3 5 5 5

RPM

Total Vol.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT integrated  training

 ________ 

Exercise Prone Plank Side Plank Swing

Warm Up Distance Run

 _________ 

Wt. (Kg) x x x x x x x x x

reps/ time 30" 20" 12

5' 20'

x x x x x

sets 3 3 3

x x x x

off  x x x

x x x

Warm Up Distance Run

x x x x

5' 20'

x x x x

KB V-Sit Twist Snatch

x x x x x

30 10

x x x x x

Warm Up Distance Run

x x x x

5' 20'

x x x x

off 

x x x

x x x

3 3

RPM

Total Vol.