Having just returned from the San Diego RKC, I had plenty of scribbled notes, new cues, and fun combos for my kettlebell small group class... and don't worry, Wednesday people, your time is coming! :) One of the TOUGHEST kettlebell exercises to learn and to teach can be the clean. But, it's incredibly worthwhile to persist with it, even though it can be frustrating. I … [Read more...] about Tough Love for the Kettlebell Clean Part TWO – a Practice Workout
practice
Let’s Talk About Designing Kettlebell Workouts….
There was a LOT of interest—we were babbling about it excitedly on Facebook, twitter, the Dragon Door forums, possibly even Pinterest?!—the ebook edition of The RKC Book of Strength and Conditioning came out yesterday. Judging from my own reaction and the reactions of others about this "can't put it down, ooo look what's on the next page" book, it's already an "instant … [Read more...] about Let’s Talk About Designing Kettlebell Workouts….
The Attitude Adjuster Kettlebell Workout
If you've followed this site for even a short period of time, you know how much I focus on form, and the constant improvement thereof. Today was no exception, this was a collection of a few ideas from various places (the dead swing I-go-you-go ladder was inspired by the Chicago RKC this past year). This workout mainly focuses on the total basics - swings and get ups, with a … [Read more...] about The Attitude Adjuster Kettlebell Workout
Mindful Monday Kettlebell Swing Fine Tuning Workout
It was time to really hammer on the basics again - as the proper execution of the kettlebell swing is so crucial to getting the most benefit from it - don't let youtube or goofy things on tv tell you otherwise! We began with the usual joint mobility warm up exercises - adding in a few of the favorite pump stretches. And continued with a review of the hip hinge - we even … [Read more...] about Mindful Monday Kettlebell Swing Fine Tuning Workout
Hold It Right There, Practice and Circuits – a Kettlebell Workout
Here's a version of a fun one we did this week in small group - it's been modified to be a little more general - we worked on some specific stuff in the actual class related to the progress of those in attendence. ANYWAY - since if you train with me, it means you'll learn to loooooooooooooove kettlebell cleans. Or, maybe will give up on hating them. More yabbering about why … [Read more...] about Hold It Right There, Practice and Circuits – a Kettlebell Workout
Tough Love for the Kettlebell Clean Plus a Practice-Based Workout
Unlike some exercises, many of the kettlebell movements have a learning curve and need to be practiced. Trendy fat-loss focused "kettlebell trainers" will seldom lead a group or individuals in properly learning the kettlebell clean. Admittedly, it is a difficult move to teach (to be fair, the RKC Manual says "The clean is one of the easiest exercises to do... and one of the … [Read more...] about Tough Love for the Kettlebell Clean Plus a Practice-Based Workout
Fitness Conspiracy Theories and How To Fight Back!
It's funny - every time I hint about a "conspiracy theory," many of you perk up, some of you text, some email, some even call! If I'm ever feeling lonely, I really know what to do. HA. I don't have a case of the lonelies today, but I did want to get your attention and tell you some of my theories and why they are so insidious. And also how YOU can be smart and beat... THEM. … [Read more...] about Fitness Conspiracy Theories and How To Fight Back!
Katie’s Kettlebell Journey – from Beginner to HKC in Modesto California
By Katie Harrell, HKC I started training with kettlebells with Adrienne Harvey of GiryaGirl.com in May of 2011 when I lived in Florida. The kettlebell bug bit me pretty hard. I have struggled with being heavy and out-of-shape for my entire life. Needless to say, the results of training have been extremely gratifying. Being a musician, I understand the importance of practice, … [Read more...] about Katie’s Kettlebell Journey – from Beginner to HKC in Modesto California
A Serious Clean and Press Practice Workout
This is adapted from one of the workouts in a brutal plan created for me by Tim Shuman, RKC2 - I used his plan to prepare for the RKC Workshop in 2010. The original set of workouts consisted of 3-4 different patterns which all emphasized the crucal RKC 6 exercises: swing, clean, press, front squat, snatch, and get up. My small group class focused on swings this past Friday … [Read more...] about A Serious Clean and Press Practice Workout
Elegance and Efficiency
I may have a slightly different definition of "elegance" than most - and its origin is oddly enough, Computer Science! In CS, sometimes we talk about elegant code, or an elegant system. And this is essentially something like a large task accomplished with as few keystrokes, or as few lines of code or even characters as possible. One of my favorite college computer science … [Read more...] about Elegance and Efficiency
