ENTER THE KETTLEBELL!: Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen

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These statements are largely harmless, however, and assisted in keeping the book entertaining. There's not much to the complexity and construction of such a simple workout tool. The majority of the book is used to outline standard kettlebell exercises, ranging from an easy movements like the two-handed and one handed swings to more difficult ones like the get-ups and snatches to even risky movements like the snatch where the weight is released momentarily and then grabbed out of the air by the other hand. Even with the simple movements like the swings, risks of injury are there whether it came from bad form or by using too much weight. Most kettlebell exercises highlight explosive movement similar to the mechanics of plyometrics, but there are also slow-moving exercises that utilize stabilizer muscles and immense level of balance. Now, Pavel honed his amazingly effective Enter the Kettlebell! masterplan for elite strength and high-performance conditioning in the trenches of his RKC kettlebell instructor certification training programs...

The face-the-wall squat is a fantastic exercise for teaching proper squatting technique as well as proper swing movement. This exercise is a must do. Modern strength coaches point to his popularization of various high-tension techniques, programs using ascending rep ladders, movements like the RKC plank, and "greasing the groove" by practicing difficult movements throughout the day. Powerlifters can thank (or curse) him for the Smolov squat cycle and other Iron Curtain training relics he helped bring to light.

Strength Secret of the Soviet Supermen

Once one has practiced these exercises for a long time (weeks to months to even years), focusing on finesse over speed and technique over high repetitions, additional exercises can be incorporated. Rite of Passage is a press program from the “enter the kettleball” by Pavel. The goal of the program is to be able to press half your bodyweight and snatch a 24kg kettlebell for 200 reps in 10 minutes. You are supposed to start with your 5-8RM kettlebell, every 4th week you do a test day on the press/snatch. There are several versions of this program, the one in the book but also a workbook by Antonio delugio with a much more aggressive progression. I followed the workbook for my first 1,5 months then another but similar progression I got from a friend who’s an RKC where the light days are much lighter.

In any case, the recommended kettlebell plan at Strong First as I understand it is to start with Simple&Sinister and to achieve "Simple" which means effectively that you are able to do the programme comfortably with a 32kg kettlebell. After you have achieved this, then it is time to start to diversify (if you wish) into other things like snatches and presses etc in a serious way. Reverse-engineering what the greats do naturally… learning how to move like the elite… refining the basics. Russian kettlebells traditionally come in poods. One pood, an old Russian unit of measurement, equals 16 kilograms, approximately 35 pounds. The most popular sizes in Russia are 1 pood, the right kettlebell for a typical male beginner; 1 1/2 pood, or a 53-pounder, the standard issue in the military; and the “double,” as the 2pood, or 70-pound kettlebell, is called. Doubles are for advanced gireviks.Once you have succeeded in making these two straight lines, you are ready for the regular swing. But better finesse your timing first. You will soon notice that there is a time lag between the driving force of the hips and the kettlebell’s flight—like in a punch. The towel reveals this important subtlety of the swing. Keep swinging, and pay attention to the timing of your efforts. Try to make the kettlebell hover weightless for a moment at the apex. Drive your hips explosively, but don’t rush the kettlebell. Let it catch up as your hip drive goes up your body like a wave. Hurrying the kettlebell is like punching with the arm—ineffective. Work some more on your timing. Try to make the kettlebell go a certain height between your waist and your head without scooping your body or pulling with your arms. So I did what others naturally would, I also maxed my DL and OHP since I've swung and pressed so much. My DL went from 170 -> 190 and my OHP from 70-75. Is it the famous WTH effect? (No, there’s no such thing as a WTH-effect, if you exercise and train to become stronger, you do get stronger) I cant for sure tell the reason why, but I think the combination of swing and snatch for months did grease my hinge pattern. However, I do believe that the constant bracing you get from repeatedly pressing bells near your 1-5RM really trains your bracing in general and that’s what helped me the most. Discover a "simple & sinister" routine that delivers both killer conditioning and dramatically muscular shoulders Introduction: When We Say “Strength,” We Mean “Kettlebell.” When We Say “Kettlebell,” We Mean “Strength.” Simple and si nister. —A U.S. Secre t Service Counte r Assault Team in structor on the RKC system of training

El autor, Pavel Tsatsouline, es el responsable de haber puesto de moda estas pesas, y tiene una aproximación muy de la vieja escuela al ejercicio que es interesante y útil. El estilo de escritura es a menudo autoparódico porque se mete en su personaje del Ruso Malvado a tope, te llama camarada cada dos por tres, y cosas así, pero la información es extremadamente útil, y la explicación de los ejercicios (y la preparación para aprender los movimientos correctamente) es impecable. No se puede pedir más en ese sentido.Stay on th e break-in program fo takes to de r as long a velop goo s it d swing and technique get-up . Before you touch a kettlebell, make sure to reread this chapter many times. Ideally before bedtime. Like the Russian military regulations, full of exciting trivia such as the dimensions of the guard tower or the maximum allowed height of the grass around it, it will assure deep, sound sleep within 15 minutes. He lays out a simple progression in the book which takes you from entry level to more advanced, along with periodic self testing you can do to determine where you stand. hen the Communists were plotting their coup on the verge of the XX century, they had a program maximum, for total domination— and a program minimum, for the most important and immediate concerns. The New RKC Program Minimum will deliver

Jon Hinds: Gold Medalist Pan Am Games – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Over ten years of training in BJJ. NBA strength and conditioning coach LA Clippers. MLB strength and conditioning coach, Owner of Monkey Bar Gymnasium and VP of Lifeline USA-Fitness Equipment, Madison, WI So, right now I can swing a 24kg for 12 minutes – 20 seconds on, 40 seconds rest. tomorrow I will attempted 25 seconds on, 30 seconds off. Goal is to eventually master the 32kg. When using kettlebells, one is always in the Yin Yang of relaxation and tension. Like any good martial artist knows, it’s all about timing. If you failed any of the above requirements, you need to practice the following drill daily until you pass. No kettlebells until then, Comrade.He suggests using ladders, starting low. Switching hands, resting. Then slowly building up to fifty repetitions, one hundred repetitions, in a short period of time. Eventually, as one progresses, one will build 1 ladder (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) to 2 ladders, 2 ladders to 3 ladders, and so on. This can take a few minutes, a few hours, or even a full day. Keep in mind that this is only one month into the program. Also it is only the preparation to the actual program. This intro phase consisted of 40min a week of warm ups and 34 minutes of actual workout time for a total of only 1 hour and 14 mins per week. Build up the training load gradually using common sense, and listen to your body. If you have sore elbows, it is your own fault, dude. Doing 50 cleans the first day you learned them was stupid. “The training load” refers not only to the weight, sets, and reps, but also to the flexibility requirements. Don’t force yourself into positions you are not ready for; develop your flexibility gradually. If you bang your forearm during cleans, don’t go clean crazy until you have fixed your technique. Bruised and swollen forearms are signs of impatience, not toughness.