Congratulations

Congratulations to the following kettlebell students who have set new personal bests in the last week

Kelly:
for completing passing the HKC and becoming a Hardstyle Kettlebell Certified Instructor. Our classes at the Southwest YMCA now feature 2 RKC certified Kettlebell instructors and one HKC Instructor. That's the most certified kettlebell instructors you'll find in any facility in Nebraska.

Janae:
for setting an outstanding new personal best by achieving a 37% increase in reps performed in her 15 minute EDT sessions.

Suzanne:
for achieving a new personal best body fat %

Don, Brooke and Rachel
for setting new personal bests in their jump rope training.

Vivek:
for completing his first set of throat to the bar pull-ups.

Julie:
for completing 20 minutes of Viking Warrior Conditioning 15:15

Deb: for completing a 1/4 bodyweight one arm press... and making it look easy.

Nancy: for learning how to perform the hardstyle lock and breathe behind the shield.

Rosie: for achieving sets of getup doubles

Dallas: for starting press ladders with the 20kg

Lakshmin: for completing 15 minutes of VWC 15:15 and making solid progress in press ladders with the 40lb kettlebell

Sri: for making progress in press ladders with the 30lb kb.

Jenny, David and Leslie: for surviving their 1st kettlebell sessions and coming back for more.

Bottom line....

Attend our hardstyle kettlebell classes and become better. Period.

Escalating Density + Russian Ladders a Beautiful Combination

Variations on the tradition Russian Press Ladders are a common occurrence in my kettlebell classes. However building up to 5 ladders of 5 rungs with a heavy kettlebell can be very time consuming and easily eat up the majority of a 1 hour class. Since I want my students to see results AND work on more than just presses, my solution has been to combine the RKC style Russian press ladder with Charles Staley's Escalating Density Training protocol.

Let's say the class is working on press ladders as a group, but everyone is using different weights, different numbers of rungs (sets) and ladders (sets). In the tradition of EDT students have a set amount of time complete their goal of X ladders and Y rungs. In my classes I limit EDT press ladders to a maximum of 15 minutes. If a client completes the workout in under 15 minutes he is done with that segment of  the training for the day and will advance to the next step in the progression at the next training session. If the client cannot complete the prescribed goal of X ladders and Y rungs in 15 minutes the client will repeat the workout on another day and try to complete more reps each workout until X & Y can be accomplished in under 15 minutes. At that point the client may try complete the same reps in less time or a new goal of A ladders and B rungs is prescribed with the either the same size or a heavier kettlebell. Each client's progress is recorded daily so students are always competing against their past performances. Training days cycle between light, medium and all out effort. Clients are asked to set a new personal best each week.

Today's workout featured a 3 rung ladder of presses followed by five front squats. Beginners use a single kettlebell and advanced use doubles.  Rungs of [1,2,3] ,  [1,2,3,4] or [1,2,3,4,5] or [2,3,5] presses are followed immediately by five goblet squats in the case of a single kettlebell or front squats in the case of two kettlebells. Reverse ladders are allowed only during the last five minutes.

Using this method makes progress easy to track. Numbers don't lie and improved fitness is obvious to both the client and the instructor. Motivation is high because students are regularly achieving new personal bests.
Back off weeks are encouraged every 4-8 weeks and a new variation upon the press ladder template may be used.

Status Update

This morning I performed the "1200 calorie per hour", workout a.k.a. Hardstyle snatches. Currently recovering from yesterday's session of weighted pistols (one-legged squats) and preparing for high volume pullups: 100 reps.

Study Shows Kettlebell Workout Burns 1200 Calories and Hour!

According to the January 2010 ACE Fitness Matters Magazine a recent study by the American Council on Exercise has shown that a kettlebell workout burns 1200 calories per hour. The article goes on to state that this is the equivalent of running a six-minute mile and the only other activity that even comes close to burning that many calories is cross-country skiing, uphill, at a fast pace. [Read the article here]

As the word gets out many personal trainers who offer kettlebell training will promote their own services citing the 1200 calorie per hour potential of a kettlebell workout. What I want people to be aware of is that simply performing random exercise with a kettlebell will not burn 1200 calories an hour, not even close. The average individual untrained in proper technique, without the guidance of a certified RKC Kettlebell instructor and without knowledge of how to determine the correct weight, and cadence to use for this protocol will likely crash and burn.

If someone assumes that any kettlebell workout will burn 1200 calories, they are wrong. What most people will not take the time to find out is that the aforementioned study used a precise combination of  experienced kettlebell users, a very specific kettlebell protocol developed by Master RKC, Kenneth Jay, a carefully determined weight and cadence for each individual and a very specialized kettlebell technique. To achieve a 1200 calorie per hour burn is going to require the correct combination of all these elements.

Can Kettlebells burn more than 1200 calories per hour?

As previously stated, the article failed to mention that it was not just any random kettlebell workout that burned 1200kcal/hr it was a very specific protocol. To be exact, it was the first (a.k.a. "easiest") in a progression of six protocols devised by Master RKC, Kenneth Jay. The average person will need to follow each protocol for about one month before he is able to complete or survive just one protocol as written. The first protocol by itself is tough enough for the average mortal. The second protocol will make you wish you were never  born. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse the 3rd, 4th, 5th protocols will show you that you aint seen nothin' yet. Finally, there is a 6th protocol entitled "The Berserker" Protocol... which I'm a little scared to even read about.  If the easiest of the six protocols can burn 1200 calories and hour I will leave you to imagine what the other five could do.

Do you want to learn how to burn 1200 calories an hour?

If you are serious about achieving a 1200 kcal/hr burn you MUST learn the RKC hardstyle technique from a certified RKC instructor or by attending the RKC certification itself.  As a certified RKC instructor I use the very same protocol and specialized technique in this study regularly during my group kettlebell classes at the Southwest YMCA here in Omaha, NE.  I've used this program personally to lower my resting heart rate into the mid 40's and helped many students improve their endurance, vertical jump, body composition and lower their resting heart rate . If you want to learn how to achieve these results, I can teach you. It will not be easy, but with perseverance I can guarantee that you can accomplish it and the rewards will be great.

Hardstyle Kettlebell T-Shirts

Kettlebell T Shirts....  Wear one and show the world that you've got a pair (of kettlebells).


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