My Journey to RKC II — Part 1: My Training

How I prepared for RKC II

A special Thank you to Master RKC, David Whitley for your instruction and encouragement in my preparation for RKC Level II!

Training Started –January 2011
1. Kettlebll trainng – 3 days per week, focusing on all level I drills
2. Sntach Test – 16kg or 20kg – performed 1x per week
3. 15:15 heavy swings for 10 minutes (20 rounds), started using 24kg, worked up to 36kg and tapered back to using 28kg.
4. 15:15 Snatches – started with 20 rounds, worked up to 80 rounds with 16kg and tapered off the last month of training

January 2011: I started learning technique on Pistol, C&J, Windmill and Bent Press

The Pistol

Performed high rep drills using TRX and agility boxes for assistance. I performed ladders 10-1 for 3 weeks. Once I was comfortable with the skill and pistol technique, I would do pistol ladders mixed with my Press / Pull training.

Bent Press , Windmill & Clean & Jerk

Learning these techniques were a little challenging and out of the box for me, but Master Level instruction from Dave Whitley, MRKC on these skills got me on the right track. I continued to practice these performing 2-3 rounds of 3-5 reps every week.

THE PULL UP & MP

March 2011 – June 2011: I continued to practice Pistol, C&J, Windmil and Bent press with a few reps per week, while my main focus was to get comfortable with a bodyweight pull up. The pull up seemed to be my biggest challenge to passing RKC Level II.

One of my goals since completing RKC Level I was to be able to perform a solid 20kg MP. Although a 20kg was not required for my bodyweight to pass level II it was personal goal for me to achieve prior to attending level II. Following the already established ETK and RTK program design, I am now able to press the 20kg. Patience to allow the program work was the hardest part!

I started my work on the Pull Up and MP in March 2011 adding a day 4 to my weekly practice. I spent two hours every Saturday following Enter The Kettlebell type program design with Press / Pull ladders. My press work consisted of 16kg single presses, 16kg double presses, 12-14kg bottoms up presses.

In between ladders I focused on FMS stability drills. I incorporated ladders of leg lowering drills with core engagement during my Press/ Pull practice.

During my last month I started to supplement my practice with a few Heavy (28kg-32kg) Get-ups / Cleans (24kg-28kg) every week.

Final Training week:

Monday – Final Press/ Pull ladders
Tuesday – 25 minutes ropes and Kettlebell Deadlifts – 30:15
Wednesday – 16 – 16kg, 4- 20kg, 2- 24kg TGU
Thursday – REST
Friday – Sunday – RKC Level II

Now it’s go time…..Stay tuned for weekend updates!

“Why Get Ups” an article by David Whitley, Master RKC

Do you enjoy doing get ups? Check out this great artile by Master RKC David Whitley to answer your quesiton “Why Get Ups?”

Click Here to read the article.

Weekly Practice from the Hardstyle Diva

How can you progress to do a get up with a heavier size kettlebell?
I did this progression on myself to get back up to doing multiple get ups with a 24 kg kettlebell. I had not been practicing heavy get ups and realized I missed being able to just pick up a 24kg and feel 100% confident in the movement. I also tried this progression with our group training class recently and all of the students were able to perform a get up with a kettlebell they had not previously.

** If you are trying a new size kettlebell for the first time, be sure to have a partner to spot when you make your heavy bell attempt.

Choose a your normal size Kettlebell for a Get-up -then select one smaller and one lager. You should now have three kettlebells of varying sizes.
1) Begin using your smallest size bell and perform 3 get ups in a row per side.
2) Now switch to your medium bell and perform 2 get ups in a row per side
3) Lastly switch to your heaviest bell and perform 1 get up per side



I will stress again, if you are lifting your heavy bell for the first time, be sure you have someone to spot you on your attempt.

Perform the above progression 2 -3x. Not only will you find you may be able to lift a heavier bell, but you also got a nice 15-20 minute practice.

I would now follow this up with Swings – heavy of course. Set your timer for 10 – 15 minutes and again choose 3 bells. Using the protocol below, enjoy!
1) Light Bell – 20 swings – perform 3 rounds with 1 minute rest between rounds
2) Medium Bell – 15 swings – perform 3 rounds with 30 sec rest between rounds
3) Heavy Bell – 10 swings – perform 3 rounds with 15 sec rest between rounds


I also added the short video below by Dave Whitley, Master RKC (aka Irontamer), with some pointers on performing his “Furnace” workout.

Enjoy and let me know your feedback!
~hd

Go Viral with this article

In-Your-Face Fitness: Ring the kettle bell. School’s back in

Just an FYI – no further comments from the Hardstyle Diva. Well only one, if you want to learn Kettlebells, find a Certified RKC Instructor in your area, don’t settle for anything less!

Here is the link to the article:
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-fitness-jillian-michaels-20101011,0,2339798.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Ffeatures%2Fhealth+%28L.A.+Times+-+Health%29

Weekly Practice

Here’s a favorite one for beginners, intermediate and advanced kettlebell users.

For beginners you will work for 30 sec and res for 30 sec between every round, perform as many rounds as you can in 15 minutes

For intermediate and advnaced you will work for one minute and rest for 30 seconds between each round. Per form as many rounds as you can in 20 minutes

Performing the ballistic swing exercise with each of the stabilityand stretching exercises below you will condition your swing to become more powerful and stronger. Eventually you will start to swing heavier bells and have more endurance during your weekly practice. Have realistic expectations, you will not mysteriously reach your strenth goals after one practice session, however you should notice a differnce in the power you generate in your swing as you move through your 15 or 20 minute session. This would be recommended to practice one time per week. Enjoy!

Beginners Practice

Pick 1 moderate size kettlebell
Hip Stretch R – 15 sec
Hip Stretch L – 15 sec
Rest 30 sec
Two hand Swing – 30 sec
Rest – 30 sec
Hip Bridge – 30 sec
Rest 30 sec
Two Hand Swing – 30 sec
Rest – 30 sec
Plank – 30 sec
Rest – 30 sec
RINSE & REPEAT for a total of 15 minutes; or 15 rounds if using a Gymboss. Click here to get your gymboss today!
If this feels too easy, shorten your rest periods to 15 seconds, then progress to using 3 differnt size kettlebells and preform with the 15 sec rest period. After you feel comfortable with this, you can begin the
Intermediate / Advnaced Practice below.

Advanced / Intermediate Practice

Pick 3 kettlebells of varing sizes, challenge yourself, but make sure you can swing the heaviest for 30 sec with good form
Hip Stretch R – 15 sec
Hip Stretch L – 15 sec
Two Hand Swing – 30 sec
Rest 30 sec
Hip Bridge – 30 sec
Two hand Swing – 30 sec
Rest 30 sec
Plank – 30 sec
Two hand Swing – 30 sec
Rest – 30 sec
RINSE & REPEAT for a total of 20 minutes; or 20 rounds if using a Gymboss. Click here to get your gymboss today!

Want to train with us in the Brentwood / Franklin / Cool Springs area – check out our TWO WEEK FREE TRIAL at Tennessee Kettlebell NOW!

Want to train in the Nashville Area – check out our TWO WEEK FREE TRIAL at Nashville Kettlebell NOW!

Getting Stronger through Kettlebells

Do you want to get stronger? By strong, I don’t mean bulging biceps and 12 pack abs. I am refering to a strength that will sustain you for a lifetime, keep you pain free and injury free to ejnoy all the things you love doing. The majority of the population has a perception that lifting heavy weights will result in getting big and bulky. I have found just the opposite, that lifting heavy will accelerate fat loss, get you toned and reshape your body. Do you want results quick, Lift Heavy Weights!!

Implementing Kettlebells as my main training tool has helped me reshape my body, loose fat and tone up. I have been working with Kettlebells for 3 years and have made amazing gains in my strength. I have included some videos below to share some of my achievements with you. I can now snatch a 24kg (53lbs) bell for multiple reps and do a turkish get up with a 24kg (53lbs) bell for a total of 18 reps (9 per side). The last exercise may look like it is preformed with much smaller weights, actually it is double 8kg bells (18lbs each), however I would most likely not be able to perform this exercise without consistently lifting heavy weight.

Not all exercises are meant to be a feat of brut strength, but some are meant to be performed with a small or moderate weight focusing more on improving your mobility and stability. Remember that the quality and consistency of your exercise will alter your results!

Enjoy the videos….more to come in August with the 28kg (63lbs), I’ve almost got the 28kg get up on both sides, still needs just a bit of work before I share a video.
~hd

24kg Kettlebell Sntach

24kg Turkish Get up

8kg Double Bottoms up Sots Press

A must have for building stretngth —
Kettlebell Muscle The Secrets of Compound Kettlebell Lifting—for Faster, More Efficient Gains in Strength and Power
Kettlebell Muscle is the doorway to intelligent hypertrophy training. It’s a book about building muscle mass fast. Geoff’s clever use of time is the factor for stunning muscle gains. The tools are simple, the moves are simple, the schemes are simple and the results are amazing.
Kettlebell Muscle The Secrets of Compound Kettlebell Lifting—for Faster, More Efficient Gains in Strength and Power
Kettlebell Muscle is the doorway to intelligent hypertrophy training. It’s a book about building muscle mass fast. Geoff’s clever use of time is the factor for stunning muscle gains. The tools are simple, the moves are simple, the schemes are simple and the results are amazing.

Kettlebell Goddess

Tennessee Kettlebell Workshop – January 2010

Kettlebell Workshop January 16th at Tennessee Kettlebell led by Senior RKC Instructor David Whitley along with the RKCs in the IronTamer Clan! Sign up and get one free month of Boot Camp! Details below!

Click here to learn more about our new year, new you workshop!

Click here to learn more about Tennessee Kettlebell
Click here to learn more about Nashivlle Kettlebell & Sr. Instructor Dave Whitley

Tennessee Kettlebell, No complicated Machines, just exercises that produce RESULTS…Learn from the ONLY RKC certified instructors in Middle Tennessee…Get Fit, Get Lean, Get Strong at Tennessee Kettlebell!

RKC Training – the emotions!

It’s just been one week since I have returned from my RKC certification and still I continue to be amazed at what I have accomplished. I will attempt to put in to words how this all came to fruition.

Back in Spring 2009, I signed up to attend the Russian Kettlebell Certification course scheduled for that August. The nerves and excitement flurried when I received my email confirmation from Dragon Door. After a week or so the excitement had worn off and I began to realize all the preparation necessary for passing the course. See, my husband passed RKC back in October 2008 and I saw first hand the training regimen. PATIENCE, not a virture of mine, was definitely going to be tested as I would fight to prepare and reach the necssary goals to pass each of the daily challenges at the RKC. RKC was still months off and I had nothing to worry about as Matt McBryde, my husband, would tell me — you have plenty of time– you can do it! Also Sr. Instructor, Dave Whitley (aka Irontamer), provided much insight and training tips along the way. As I began my training, my nerves calmed and with the support of Matt and the Irontamer, I began to believe I could really do this.

As several months passed, I enounterd many sources of encouragement along the way. First was Nikki and Mark Snow. I met the Snow’s (Mr. & Mrs SG Human Peformance), when Matt was subbing for the Irontamer’s bootcamp one day. They were a nice couple that showed up for the 6 AM bootcamp in Nashville. At this time they were just a “nice couple”…and they really seem to like this kettlebell thing too. Matt proudly said, Kristen is going to RKC this year. They both spoke about their interest as well. It was morning, my conversation usually limited during those hours (anyone that knows me can attest), was short and sweet. After all, they were still just a “nice couple” 🙂

Through Matt’s relationship with Dave Whitley (the Irontamer), we kept running into the Snow’s and now can look back and see the beginnings of a long friendship in the works! Little did I know the emotions that would propel this meeting into a long lasting friendship.

Before I go any further, I must go back and metion Dave Whitley, the Irontamer. Dave, a Sr. Instructor for RKC, trained Matt for his RKC Certification in Oct. 2008. With Matt and I realizing Kettlebells were not just a passing fitness trend for us, we partnered with Dave to help us get our bootcamp started for Tennessee Kettlebell in Franklin. We are blessed to have Dave’s experience on our side, as we embark on this new venture.

As I continued my training under the instruction from Matt and the Irontamer with demanding workouts 4-6 days a week, I recall Matt telling me that the Snow’s wanted to start meeting on Saturday mornings at 6 am (remember – not a morning person) to begin our final prepartation for RKC just about 2 months away. On our second Saturday monring, I met one more individual Jay Cannon, that would also be going to San Diego in August with us. The RKC Nashville group was growing…this is kind of fun! I was getting more excited about this RKC thing….still not quite understanding what lies ahead! Next, entered David Ebert, yet another RKC hopeful — our group now complete. Each of us bringing our own unique talents and personalities each Saturday morning kept us on track and motivated towards success!

Three weeks before RKC, David Whitley starting coming to our Sat. morning sessions to finish off (and I mean clean up and critique) our preparation for San Diego. I left that Saturday morning, feeling broken down and REALITY had hit! Feelings of self-doubt started to surface. That moring, as with us all (but it felt like only me), the Irontamer laid the smack down on our technique with brutal honesty. By this time I was feeling pretty good about my form and skills until now. I left unsure of anything at all. You see, the Irontamer has a very honest way of trainng, if something is not correct, he will tell you, he won’t sugar coat it either……BUT he will tell you how to correct it! The rest is up to you to practice and repeat, practice and repeat, practice and repeat. On my drive home that morning, I had to dig deep and find that fighting spirit I know is within me to carry on! The course is not cheap, there are no refunds, I MUST finish this…I CAN finish this! As our Saturday sessions were coming to an end, our bond as the Nashivlle Group had only begun to form and this bond would CARRY us through our RKC weekend.

My RKC packet arrived in the mail, I was really excited and completed the forms right away. Name…phone…address…emergency contact…all the usual stuff. List your Athletic Acomplishments, certifications…wait – I don’t have any – is that ok? I started to think what everyone else in our group would write, they all seemed to have something to write in this box. I had completed 3 half marathons, but that seemed to be very minimal to this sort of training! OH Well – this certification would be first ink on my certriciation list. Now – I am excited again!

Final, words from Dave and Matt were “You guys are so prepared”! OK – here we go – I had to believe this — Yes, I did feel prepared – I AM READY!

One week before RKC, I was really getting worn down on training and just wanted Day One of RKC to come. I am in the San Diego Airport, I see Mark and Nikki, then David Ebert. Jay Cannon would meet us later that night. We were all itching to pick up some Kettlebells and get started, but still had about 16 hours til our first test! We had officially named ourselves and will forever be known as the “Irontamer Clan!”

I will never for get you guys, the encouragement, the friendships, the RKC family, the bond that has been created! First of all, I have to say to Matt – I finally get it! I understand it! and I Love You, you are my Motivation! IronTamer…please keep laying the smack down — This is only the beginning! Mark and Nikki…speechless, but can only look ahead to what the future holds. Jay Cannon…I will always remember your sense of humor and Strong Will! David Ebert…WOW, how much can this guy lift, what an inpiration in strength! I do have to give one last shout out, Mrs. IronTamer — Mandy Whitley!

Last but not least…WE ARE HERE FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING! Here’s to the future 🙂

Next blog…what did I do to train for RKC, specifics about the RKC Weekend.