Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning Manual

7/29/2019 Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning Manual

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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING MANUAL

DevelopedbyMattGieringer,MS,CSCS

12/14/2010


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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 arisk of injury. The riskincludes minor injuries such as bruising, broken nails, torn calluses and hand skin. In rare but severe instancesdislocations and muscle pulls or even dropping the weight implement and causing broken bones can occur. Byreading this document you are doing so with the understanding of these risks and should seek clearance from yourphysician to participate in strenuous exercise modalities like kettlebell lifting and other forms of training referred toherein. The author and publisher of this document disclaim any liability, personal or professional, resulting from themisapplication of any of the training modalities described herein.

Credit Due

I completed my Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Kinesiology (Exercise Science) at the University of NorthTexas. 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, inthe pool and 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 thedaily 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 andField and Strength and Conditioning worlds to whom I much of my extra-curricular education: Percy Cerrutty, ArthurLydiard, 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, GaryGray and David Browder. I also need to give thanks to some of the athlete-coaches with whom I have competed andserved, side-by-side: Mario Arroyave, Chris Mordecai, Coy Schneider, Charles Keenan, David Trevino, Mike Bielerand Peter Bell. These teammates, training comrades and coworkers were object lessons for me to see principles inaction.

With a short stint working around Martial Artists and Martial Arts Instructors I have come to value many principlesthat 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 protein, even for a distance runner. Someof the influential authors I have learned from are Barry Sears, J. DeAdamo, Gary Taubes, Loren Cordain, JohnBerardi and Jeff Maffetone.

Big thanks to Dr. Kenneth Cooper, Nike and Nathan Pritikin whose well-meaning efforts led to the JoggingBoom and Carbohydrate-based Diet/ Belief System respectively. Together these two movements substantiated theneed for physiotherapists, chiropractors, personal trainers, strength coaches and other health and fitnessprofessionals 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 coached. None of this can I take credit fordiscovering, unless you consider yourself the discoverer of your big toe when you saw it this morning and then readan article about how you have five of digits per foot down there and they are good for balance and tactile feedbackfrom the ground. However true and amazing the new, observable facts are, you should presume that they were therelong 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 goodwarm 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 isvery cold or you are very sore from the previous days training. The purpose of the Active Warm Up is to raise theinternal 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 onactivating the muscles about the hip and shoulder girdles and the trunk. The movement prep should also includedrills or exercises that mobilize hip, ankle and shoulder joints (specifically the joint capsule). Goblet Squats, Elbow toInstep Lunges, Quadruped Diagonal Hip Rocks, T-Spine Mobility Series, Heel-Toe Raises and the famous StankyLeg Series accomplish both the objectives, Muscle Activation and Joint Mobility adequately. Conceptually theMovement Preps 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 andhamstrings for high kicks in MMA, stretching is a means to an end. When stretching is no longer the periphery butthe center of focus (more than 15 minutes per day) one should check out why their strength program is not providingadequate 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 bedistrusted and can usually be shooed away with a stick or a cut of red meat.

The Relentless Pursuit Approach

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 aconsiderable 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 dont 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 bechanged, making it very difficult to positively affect that characteristic. Thusly, training is not as effective as itcould/should be. This can be as simple as a stopwatch, a measuring tape, and the amount of weight on the barmoved with repeatable form.


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Objective-Based Training

Performance Data Tracking Objective Measures of Progress Affective ChangesEffective Training

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

PrinciplesStrategiesProtocolsPrograms


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Principles Governing Fitness

Progressive Overload- More difficulty or different tasks are required to CONTINUE to grow in strength, powerand 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 trainingmodality. This is in light of the above principle.

Transience- Effects of physical training will reverse if stimuli are not maintained (and progressed). Gains fromtraining 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 willnot 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, theMaker of the Universe, who is supremelyjustorrightbut is also absolutely merciful. They are two sides of the samecoin 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 persons physical ability. Someone can be weak or strong ineach 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 Twights Gym Jones Manual)

1) Right nutrition affects every cell and every cell affects performance.

2) Metabolic Conditioning builds work capacity through more efficient ATP production and O2 delivery.3) Gymnastics movement skills train full body relative strength, kinesthetic proprioception and

coordination.

4) Lifting, tossing, throwing and carrying external objects is necessary for many sports and occupational

tasks.

5) Sport/ Tasks are the culmination of what we train for. From Brazillian Jiu Jitsu to Fire Fighting to Home-

Making 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 FitnessComponents 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 isnegatively affected, work capacity is decreased or recovery between lifting sets is less effective.


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Right Tool for the JobIf 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 wouldmake 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 bodymuscular endurance or metabolic conditioning. This is a combination of repeated force production and anaerobicendurance. They do not lend themselves to maximal strength improvement because they cannot be incrementallyincreased like a barbell. The traditional KB lifts are performed for a maximum number of repetitions per time durationor 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 themost weight possible. For aerobic endurance development locomotion of ones 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-Pressesare 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 KB Straighten to hip extension HoldLower KB

Swing




Hinge at the Hips



Reach KB Between Legs BehindChange direction of KBDrive Forward

Squeeze Glutes at top of extension

Swing up to Eye-Level


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Clean


Grip KB with 1 hand


Hinge at the Hips



Reach KB Between Legs BehindChange direction of KBDrive Forward

Squeeze Glutes at top of extension

Pull the KB vertically

Catch the KB in the Rack Position

Press

Shoulder to Hip-Width Stance


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 PressNext 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 inorder to initiate the upward motion of the KB, then quickly dip again under the KB.

Snatch


Grip KB with 1 hand


Hinge at the Hips



Reach KB Between Legs BehindChange direction of KBDrive ForwardSqueeze 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

Strength Kettlebell Lifts

Front Squat

Hip-Width Stance

Grip 2 KB and Clean them up to the Rack Position


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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) Hinge at the Hips first

Then bend the knees until the hip joint travels below the horizontal made by the topof the knee joint

Maintain intra-abdominal pressure during short pause at the bottom of the squat (likea 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


Step back into backward lunge with contralateral leg (opposite leg from the side youare 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

Floor Press

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


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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

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 youre resting on the left hand. You should be

able to hold this position for a while if youre 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 whileyoure practicing your form.)

Stand all the way up.

Reverse the entire movement and finish lying on the floor. Repeat on the other side.

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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Romanian Deadlift




Hinge at the Hips & Drive your butt backwards until you feel a stretch in thehamstrings

Almost no bending of the knees


Pick Up the KB Straighten to hip extension HoldLower KB

Single Leg Deadlift (SLDL)

Stand on Left foot


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



Hinge at the Hips & Drive your butt backwards until you feel a stretch in thehamstrings

Almost no bending of the knees

Keep eyes on the horizon to maintain back extensors

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


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Training Templates

Novice KB Plan

________ _________

Exercise Wt. (Kg)reps/time sets RPM

TotalVol.

KB V-Sit Twist x 30 x 3

Swing x 10 x 3

Front Squat x 5 x 3

SS Row x 5 x 3

Press x 5 x 3

Warm Up x 5' x

Run x 200m x 4 rest 1'

x x

x x

Slow Bicycles x 30-45' x 3

Clean x 8 x 3

OH Lunge x 5 x 3

Renegade Row x 5 x 3

Floor Press x 5 x 3

Warm Up x 3' x

Distance Run x 20' xx x

x x


Snatch x 6 x 3

Front Squat x 5 x 3

SS Row x 5 x 3

Press x 5 x 3

Warm Up x 5' x

Run x 100m x 8 rest 30"

x xx x

x x

x x

x x


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________ _________


TotalVol.


Swing x 10 x 4

Front Squat x 5 x 4

SS Row x 5 x 4

Press x 5 x 4

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x


Clean x 8 x 4

OH Lunge x 5 x 4


Floor Press x 5 x 4

Warm Up x 3' x

Distance Run x 25' x

x x

x x


Snatch x 6 x 4

Front Squat x 5 x 4

SS Row x 5 x 4

Press x 5 x 4

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x

x x

x x

x x


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________ _________


TotalVol.


Swing x 10 x 5

Front Squat x 5 x 5

SS Row x 5 x 5

Press x 5 x 5

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x


Clean x 8 x 5

OH Lunge x 5 x 5


Floor Press x 5 x 5

Warm Up x 3' x


x x

x x


Snatch x 6 x 5

Front Squat x 5 x 5

SS Row x 5 x 5

Press x 5 x 5

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x

x x

x x

x x


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________ _________


TotalVol.

Prone Plank x 30" x 3

Side Plank x 20" x 3

Swing x 12 x 5

x x

x x

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x


Clean & Press x 10 x 5

x x

x x

x x

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x


Snatch x 10 x 5

x x

x x

x x

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x

x x

x x

x x


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Integrated KB-MetCon Plan

________ _________


TotalVol.


Front Squat x 5 x 3

SS Row x 5 x 3

Press x 5 x 3

Warm Up x 5' x

1. Swing x 10 x 4

2. Burpees x 10 x 4

rest x 1' x


OH Lunge x 5 x 3


Floor Press x 5 x 3

Warm Up x 3' x

1. Clean x 5 x 5

2. Jump Rope x 1' x 5

rest x 1' x


Front Squat x 5 x 3

SS Row x 5 x 3

Press x 5 x 3

Warm Up x 5' x

1. Snatch x 6 x 5

2. Lunge Walk x 50yd x 5

rest x 1' x

off x x

x x

x x


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________ _________


TotalVol.


Front Squat x 5 x 4

SS Row x 5 x 4

Press x 5 x 4

Warm Up x 5' x

1. Swing x 10 x 5

2. Burpees x 10 x 5

rest x 1' x


OH Lunge x 5 x 4


Floor Press x 5 x 4

Warm Up x 3' x

1. Clean x 5 x 6


rest x 1' x

KB V-Sit Twist x 30 x 3Front Squat x 5 x 4

SS Row x 5 x 4

Press x 5 x 4

Warm Up x 5' x

1. Snatch x 6 x 6


rest x 1' x

off x x

x x

x x


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________ _________


TotalVol.


Front Squat x 5 x 5

SS Row x 5 x 5

Press x 5 x 5

Warm Up x 5' x

1. Swing x 10 x 6

2. Burpees x 10 x 6

rest x 1' x


OH Lunge x 5 x 5


Floor Press x 5 x 5

Warm Up x 3' x

1. Clean x 5 x 7


rest x 1' x

KB V-Sit Twist x 30 x 3Front Squat x 5 x 5

SS Row x 5 x 5

Press x 5 x 5

Warm Up x 5' x

1. Snatch x 6 x 7


rest x 1' x

off x x

x x

x x


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________ _________


TotalVol.

Prone Plank x 30" x 3

Side Plank x 20" x 3

Swing x 12 x 3

x x

x x

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x

off

x x

x x

x x

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x


Snatch x 10 x 3

x x

x x

x x

Warm Up x 5' x


x x

x x

off x x

x x

x x

Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning Manual

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Transcript of Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning Manual