Captain Mike's Transition to Kettlebells "Be careful of reading health books, you may die of a misprint."
--Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)
Over the years I've experienced just about every type of fitness modality known to man. Nothing has been as exciting or productive as genuine kettlebell lifting, the way the sport is approached in Eastern Europe.
Gone are the inefficient movement patterns, excess tension, and sets that last 30 seconds. Kettlebell lifting, in it's purest form, features sets of up to ten minutes (sometimes longer) with as many as 200 repetitions on certain lifts. All limitations on strength / endurance are blown past with this remarkable system perfected by Russian athletes for over 50 years.
A system that utilizes relatively low resistance, no negative phase, and full body movements is easier on the joints. The high reps and light weight balance tendon and muscle development, allowing greater levels to be reached within a much safer progression.
Forget Everything You Know
Kettlebells, a fitness diamond in the rough, do come with a small initial price tag. Kettlebell lifting immediately asks that you forget everything you know about weight training. This has previously prevented many athletes from taking the first step, or worse yet, embracing a less favorable kettlebell-technique that's nothing more than the same old body building in disguise - NOT kettlebells!
Real kettlebell lifting can represent a difficult transition for anyone that's built a certain level of expertise in other areas (namely bodybuilding or powerlifting). The body, totally accustomed to years of moving a certain way, now struggles to surrender its old stiff and tense habits.
Mind Over Matter
The mind, as well as the body, can also sabotage progress in more subtle ways. Too much pride can prevent you from venturing into the uncharted territories of kettlebells, where your skills at first may lag. Kettlebell lifting forces you out of your comfort zone, sometimes weathering a few storms of frustration, before reaping the abundant rewards.
The all powerful ego can also shut the mind down like a steel trap, refusing to look at new information no matter how logical, practical and REAL it may be.
In the past year, I've become somewhat adept at performing this kettlebell fitness de-briefing, and have done so with dozens of individuals. Many of my clients come looking for results, not necessarily kettlebells, but before long are embracing their kettlebell training as the fastest track to the results they want.
While my daily guidance and instruction can make the transition easier, you can help yourself to let go of old ways and take the plunge into the real thing. Watch this quick video clip:
>kettlebell swing
The 5 Rules of Transition
1. If possible, find a qualified coach near you who's trained in real kettlebell lifting and take a few lessons. In the US that means exclusively American Kettlebell Club (AKC) certified, period! Beware of all the bull$!*/ out there, as most of what you'll find is nothing more than body building, exactly what you're leaving behind. Avoid it like the plague.
2. If a local AKC coach isn't an option, get involved with the American Kettlebell Club's website. Sign up for their newsletter and frequent the site. Training aids will be forthcoming in the form of books and DVD's. If at all possible, take a road trip to the nearest coach. Getting at least one real time session from an experienced coach will be worth the drive. The AKC can provide you with a list of coaches closest to your our area.
3. Practice or train daily (five or six days per week). Go back to square one and allow yourself to relax into the training. No longer will exercise feature forced tension, awkwardly added. Move the way each exercise calls for, with a moment of explosive contraction, followed by complete relaxation.
4. For now leave the pride and world records with the barbells. Kettlebell lifting is about time and reps, not heavy weight. Real life work capacity is center stage, with no direct attempt to hypertrophate muscle. Work hard, but don't be greedy, so as to be able to train again tomorrow.
5. Listen to whatever your AKC coach has to say (this should be direct information from AKC head coach, Valery Fedorenko). Ask questions, as it's healthy to have things explained, but don't invent your own methods. Valery's and the AKC's methods have stood the test of decades. Passed from coach to athlete, every subtlety of kettlebell lifting has been tweaked to extremely high levels. Just listen to your body and follow instructions.
Mike Stefano currently owns and operates BodyBalance Fitness, a Kettlebell and Firefighter Fitness Training Center on Long Island, NY. For local area programs, please click the appropriate link: >>kettlebells | >>firefighters | >>workshops
MICHAEL STEFANO is the creator and author of the Firefighter's
Workout (Harper Collins 2000). Mr. Stefano is a health
and fitness writer, contributor to eDiets, eFitness, and Firehouse.Com.
Michael's articles have appeared on AOL, MSN, and Yahoo! His workouts have been featured in magazine and
newspapers from around the country, as well as in numerous
network and cable TV segments. He also offers an online
version of his custom program, via a comprehensive
22-point fitness
profile.
Over the years I've experienced just about every type of fitness modality known to man. Nothing has been as exciting or productive as genuine kettlebell lifting, the way the sport is approached in Eastern Europe.
