The more you swing the better you get, and I found that out during the 10,000 swing challenge I completed in January.  My swing and I became one.  I started the challenge knowing I would swing with purpose and not swing just to swing.  I made a plan and I stuck with it.  I challenged myself with different programs and progressed to heavier bells while getting stronger and more in tune with my body.  And I did get stronger….

I hit a personal best.  I also got something I did not expect.  Like I said, the 15 sec work, 15 sec rest workout has always been a favorite, I line up the 16K, 20K and 24K and stay one minute at each bell before moving to the next.  I complete 10 swings every 15 seconds so I get 20 swings per minute on each bell.  I usually would spend about 15 minutes on this swing interval, going down the line, which is a pretty darn good workout!  During this challenge I was able to progress myself to 30 minutes! That’s 600 swings on a 15/15 work/rest! I also experienced an inspiring "kettlebell high" during that 30 minutes, where my swing was perfect, effortless and I felt I could go on forever!  But, I stopped at 600 for fear of overtraining since I was in the middle of the 10,000 swing challenge!!

I think what amazed me even more was something I didn’t expect which is directly related to my swings.  Before the 10,000 swing challenge I could not do a single pull-up.  And sure, I kept consistent with kettlebell classes twice a week throughout this and we would practice pull-ups in some of those classes,  but mine were always assisted pull-ups.  It wasn’t until I finished the challenge that I was able to complete my first un-assisted pull-up!  I was not swinging with that in mind, in fact, I didn’t even consider it.  What I realized is that as I swing the bell I actively engage my lats to "pull" the bell down between my legs and as I swing up, of course my glutes are squeezed tight in the hip snap, and at the top of my swing I continue to keep my shoulders  packed and down.  It makes sense that this would make me stronger for pull ups, I just never realized it!!  And as I progressed to heavier bells  I became more focused and stronger in my lats, my glute squeeze, and actually my whole posterior chain!

Now I love swings even more, I continue to challenge myself with different swing combinations and different sized kettlebells.  I can also do one handed swings with the 20K and the 28K is a regular part of my combinations now!  I’m looking forward to continually getting stronger, moving up to heavier bells, perfecting my swing even more, and reaching my goal of completing three pull-ups!

~Mary Ellen Coffey, HKC

As therapeutic relief and maintaining correct movement are central goals in movement based therapy, an ideal exercise for a back program would be that which both relieves pain and prevents further injury by fortifying functional spine mechanics. Kettlebells have recently garnished considerable attention in the world of Physical Rehabilitation. Despite the kettlebell being nothing more than a cast iron wrecking ball with a handle on top, there have been studies exploring kettlebell exercise for lower extremity sports rehabilitation², musculoskeletal health³, and cardiovascular exercise response^{4, 5}.
Kettlebells offer a wide array of advantages as a therapeutic exercise. Outlined in my previous article, “Kettlebell Therapy: Restoring Movement with Natural Physics” (link: http://www.cyberpt.com/kettlebell_therapy.asp), I discussed several advantages from the perspective of physics and movement science. Applying these advantages specifically for the concern of back pain, I suggest three specific attributes which are of essential benefit to a therapeutic back program.

A therapeutic back program should be corrective, dynamic, and functional:

1. Corrective: Ballistic kettlebell exercises (ie. the kettlebell swing) offer the benefit of working with natural physics which demand correct spine mechanics to be maintained throughout exercise. When properly taught, ballistic kettlebell exercise is self limiting when it comes to compensatory strategies; if correct mechanics are not used, fatigue typically sets in and exercise is terminated. Sometimes, the kettlebell is simply dropped because substitute muscle movements (such as deltoid based shoulder flexion) are too weak to truly swing a kettlebell in comparison to the unified functional body. The progression of learning the kettlebell swing consistently reinforces proper spine mechanics during lifting and body movement which prevents aggravation due to improper body mechanics.

2. Dynamic: In the many cases of back pain which respond positively to exercise, the concern of pain is not necessarily present when the body stays still. There is a considerable majority of back pain elicited and alleviated during movement (ie. McKenzie Method® – Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy®). In this light, it is important to address this particular dimension of therapeutic exercise; if pain comes or goes with movement, then the therapy should incorporate dynamic exercises versus relatively static exercise of which the body already perceives as an innocuous and acceptable state.

3. Functional: Everything works like a kettlebell. In terms of the physical forces applied to and experienced by our body during functional movement, gravity bound free-body-objects all act like a kettlebell (an object with a handle on the top where the hand holds the object against gravity). Exercise not done in similar physics to the activity anticipated does not always reap the benefit of improved function and pain relief. It is ultimately the best scenario if one can strengthen in the physical parameters most similar to the desired activity during function.

Recently, a study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning presented an interesting reverse shearing component seen during the kettlebell swing. The study noted a “posterior shear of the L4 vertebra on L5, which is opposite in polarity to a traditional lift” of which they stated “provides an insight into why many individuals credit kettlebell swings with restoring and enhancing back health and function⁶“. The insight from my Bioengineering background would suggest that the ballistic nature of the kettlebell swings allows for a more natural co-activation of spinal musculature in kinetic chains which allow the body the work together more effectively than the linear physics as seen in traditional lifting exercises. While both exercises are functional, dynamic, and even offer corrective benefits; the distinct elemental difference in physics between the two proves a fundamental advantage to the kettlebell.

A suggested progression to the kettlebell swing begins with the Functional Wall Squat to screen and correct proper squatting and thus swinging mechanics.

For more on the Functional Wall Squat, please see my post, “Breaking Down The Functional Wall Squat.” (http://www.kettlebelltherapy.com/2011/08/breaking-down-functional-wall-squat.html)

Once the progression is in full swing (sorry for the pun)…

Move onto one handed swings to gain counter-rotational stabilization training. This ultimately yields high carryover potential to functional activities as most functional activities are asymmetric in nature. After a bout of ballistic kettlebell exercise(s), it is wise to stretch the hip flexors, the hamstrings, and to initiate a short preventive bout of prone press ups in the unlikely event that spinal flexion occurred during exercise.

While prescribing a progression of one handed kettlebell swings may seem like an over simplification of a program for back pain, I humbly refer you to a former patient who has experienced the therapeutic effects of Kettlebell Therapy™ and was kind enough to make a video testimonial. For this particular patient, I exclusively prescribed kettlebell exercises to aide in his recovery.

In closing, I leave you with the encouragement to experience kettlebells for yourself and perhaps claim them as good practice for an ironclad spine.

REFERENCES

1. Web MD. http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/default.htm

2. Brumitt et al. Incorporating kettlebells into a lower extremity sports rehabilitation program. N Am J Sports Phys Ther. 2010 Dec;5(4):257-65.

3. Jay et al. Kettlebell training for musculoskeletal and cardiovascular health: a randomized controlled trial. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2011 May;37(3):196-203. doi: 10.5271/sjweh.3136. Epub 2010 Nov 25.

4. Fung B, Shore S. Aerobic and Anaerobic Work During Kettlebell Exercise: A Pilot Study. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Volume 42:5 Supplement: S588-S589. June 2010.

5. Farrar RE et al. Oxygen cost of kettlebell swings. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):1034-6.

6. McGill et al. Kettlebell Swing, Snatch, and Bottoms-Up Carry: Back and Hip Muscle Activation, Motion, and Low Back Loads. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research:

January 2012 – Volume 26 – Issue 1 – pp 16-27 doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31823a4063

Dr. Ben Fung, PT, DPT
Physiotherapist
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Director and Chief Practitioner
http://www.kettlebelltherapy.com

 

Like most people, when I first saw a kettlebell, I was simultaneously confused and amused.  My first exposure to kettlebells happened at a martial arts seminar in San Diego when one of the instructors lugged out a 53 pound iron-wrecking-ball with a handle fused to the top of it.  He called the object a “kettlebell” – it looks like a tea kettle and it swings like a church bell.  He began a demonstration and spoke on the benefits and martial arts applications of kettlebell exercise.  I had little interest in new trends and was much less inclined to try it out myself – that is, until I saw one of the seminar leaders struggle with the most basic and foundational exercise, the ballistic kettlebell swing.

Out of pride, I had to try it.  Sure enough, after only 10 repetitions I was winded with a decent heart rate response.  Curious about the scope of kettlebells, I attended an introductory kettlebell seminar where countless benefits were claimed by the kettlebell promoters.  Among the claims was a quick side note on the unique physics of kettlebell exercise.  Physics!?!  I would be the judge of that.  Little did they know, I had a degree in Bioengineering, and, I had yet to choose a topic for my doctoral thesis.

Finding no recent or accessible publications regarding kettlebell exercise at the time, I decided to interview the available “kettlebell authorities”.  During the interviews, the authorities had many words in common – words such as: functional, core, power, martial arts, tactical, cardio, VO2 Max, flexibility, dynamics, and rehab potential.  Choosing to focus on the cardiovascular aspect of kettlebell exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine was kind enough to receive me as a presenter to their 2010 annual conference and published my work on kettlebell exercise.  The cardiovascular aspect was fairly self evident and scientifically supported1, 2, however, the clinical applications were not to end there. I quickly realized potential applications of kettlebells to sports and orthopedic rehabilitation.

Kettlebells have a distinct advantage to other modalities of exercise in that they are physically and naturally ergonomic.  As every earthbound human body is victim to gravity, every free body object manipulated by the human body physically acts like a kettlebell.  In terms of physics, a kettlebell essentially is a handle with a big heavy weight attached at the bottom of the handle.  There are infinite examples of how this is expressed in our daily lives: suitcases, bags, backpacks, shopping carts, door handles, buckets, chairs… the list goes on.  Due to gravity, no matter how one lifts a free body object, the point of grip/contact becomes the handle and the remaining mass becomes the big heavy weight at the bottom.  Realizing this concept, the first and most obvious rehab application was that of addressing low back injuries associated with lifting.

Physical Therapists treat innumerable amounts of back injures due to poor lifting mechanics. Part of the rehabilitation process is training a habit of proper lifting mechanics3, 4.   However, to effectively prevent further injury, one must not just train correct biomechanics; one must also strengthen beyond the functional needs via the overloading principles of exercise physiology.  Enter: the Ballistic Kettlebell Swing.  The swing is executed with centripetal force by the simultaneous extension of the lower extremities, the maintained stable core, retracted scapulas, and a swinging pendulum action of the upper extremities free of forced shoulder flexion.

Due to the physics of the kettlebell, training with a kettlebell has been associated with good carryover to the many physically similar objects of daily function and makes it an ideal mode of exercise and training for body mechanics.  What is even more interesting than the physics of the kettlebell object itself are the ballistic exercises made available by the ergonomic properties of the kettlebell design.

One of the foundational exercises done with a kettlebell is the ballistic kettlebell swing.  The advantage comes from the physics of centripetal ballistic exercise.  Kettlebell ballistics reside in the world of angular and centripetal physics.  Since many of our major joints of movement are round in nature and not linear, centripetal ballistic physics work with our joints rather than against them.  Additionally, the ballistic kettlebell swing is done in a closed chain stance which offers many functional carryovers, and, protects our joints from shear forces and compression forces seen commonly in open chain gym machines as well as many traditional forms of resistance exercise.  Since the physics of our joints and the physics of kettlebell ballistics are similar in nature, the exercises become joint sparing and thus encourage natural movement.

Here are some more examples of what kettlebells can do for rehabilitation, and, promotion of health and wellness:

To address knee instability5, 6: the Ballistic Kettlebell Swing.

The ballistic swing is a dynamic closed chain co-activating exercise which strengthens the muscles of the knee both anteriorly and posteriorly.  Since kettlebells are used ballistically, the explosive nature of the muscle contractions can favor movements similar to high velocity athletics and sports rehabilitation.  As technique and form are a natural part of kettlebell exercise, proprioceptive training is also garnished for each repetition of the swing to ensure proper squat mechanics at the foot, ankle, knee, and hip.

To address hip abduction5, 6: High Knees.

Recent trends of knee health have focused on closed chain strengthening of the Gluteus Medius muscle.  In addition to strengthening hip abduction, the “High Knees” exercise has the additional benefit of balance training and core awareness.  High Knees strengthen the stance limb by applying force downwardly through the contralateral limb. This is done by hooking the contralateral forefoot and dorsiflexing the ankle to create a “grip” under the handle of the kettlebell.  The kettlebell then is to be lifted by the contralateral lower extremity in a quick motion into hip flexion and knee flexion.  The kettlebell then is to be lowered to the ground for another repetition.  The downward force is resisted in the same closed chain eccentrics of which the gluteus medius naturally functions on the stance limb during gait and other functional single stance and transitional weight bearing activities.  Additionally, High Knees bypass the competitive and typically tonic Tensor Fascia Latae muscle which has been associated with impairments at the knee and hip.

To promote dynamic scapular retraction7, 8: once again, the Ballistic Kettlebell Swing. 

While shoulder health is remarkably complex, many experts agree that there must be a focus on scapular stabilization.  One of the advantages of the Ballistic Kettlebell Swing is that it also targets scapular retraction dynamically.  As the kettlebell accelerates and decelerates during each swing repetition, the scapular stabilizers must adapt to the changes in demand multi-dimensionally and infinitesimally.  Without scapular stabilization, the upper extremities would protact anteriorly causing instability at the thoracic spine, inability to maintain form of exercise, and result in termination of exercise due to compounding physics.  This natural safe guard is another benefit of exercising in natural physics.  When done correctly, the training effect from the dynamic stability seen in the Ballistic Kettlebell Swing can carry over to a wide array of function surpassing uni-dimensional linear activities.

To address osteoporosis: All kettlebell exercises.

A recent meta-analysis reinforced the importance of resistance exercises and impact loading to reduce bone loss9.  All kettlebell exercises by nature are resistance exercises.  A prescription of proper intensities, loads, and progressions can bolster a physical defense against osteoporosis.  Additionally, since the physics of the kettlebell reinforces good body mechanics and postural correction, one can encourage the favored upright extended postures easily avoiding dreaded spinal flexion postures during exercise.

Restoring Movement with Natural Physics

Restoring, optimizing, and maintaining movement and function are central goals for Physical Therapy and rehabilitation.  By using functional movements combined with physics which are natural to our body, kettlebells offer a mode of exercise with rehab applications and restorative qualities limited only by ones ingenuity and willingness to think outside the box.

1. Fung B, Shore S. Aerobic and Anaerobic Work During Kettlebell Exercise: A Pilot Study. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Volume 42:5 Supplement: S588-S589. June 2010.

2. Farrar RE et al. Oxygen cost of kettlebell swings. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Apr;24(4):1034-6.

3. Berrios-Lopez Y et al. Effectiveness of a back school program in the application of body mechanics principles. P R Health Sci. J. 2009 Mar;28(1):48-53.

4. van Middelkoop M et al. Exercise therapy for chronic nonspecific low-back pain. Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2010 Apr;24(2):193-204.

5. Howard JS et al. Structure, sex, and strength and knee and hip kinematics during landing. J Athl Train. 2011;46(4):376-85.

6. Finnoff JT et al. Hip Strength and Knee Pain in High School Runners: A Prospective Study. PM R. 2011 Sep;3(9):792-801. Epub 2011 Aug 6.

7. Baskurt et al. The effectiveness of scapular stabilization exercise in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. J Back Muscuolskelet Rehabil. 2011 Jan 1;24(3):173-9.

8. Phadke V et al. Scapular and rotator cuff muscle activity during arm elevation: A review of normal function and alterations with shoulder impingement. Rev Bras Fisioter. 2009 Feb 1;13(1):1-9.

9. Martyn-St. James M, Carroll S. A meta-analysis of impact exercise on postmenopausal bone loss: the case for mixed loading exercise programmes. Br J Sports Med. 2009 Dec;43(12):898-908. Epub 2008 Nov 3.

Dr. Ben Fung, PT, DPT
Physiotherapist
Doctor of Physical Therapy
Director and Chief Practitioner
http://www.kettlebelltherapy.com

 

I decided to insert sets of swings into press ladder sets. It is not rocket science. To get good at something, do it a bunch, and your body will find ways of doing it more efficiently. The two exercises in this program – the press and the swing – are movements that are natural to the human body and therefore lend themselves well to it. The combination works the body from the tips of the toes to the fingertips and, depending on the pace, provides serious cardiovascular conditioning.

I my kettlebell training clients as guinea pigs for this routine and without exception, everyone has been able to press one size heavier kettlebell after this 4-week program.

It is a very generalized program, and is a series of compromises. Training sessions vary from 18 minutes to a full 60 minutes (for the very last session), which is the outside edge for a productive kettlebell training session. This is as close as I like to get to long, steady-state aerobic exercise.

This program will entail three non-consecutive days per week for four weeks. I recommend 5-6 days of exercise per week, so on your off days, I recommend a few Turkish Getups each day and then whatever else you choose. Just be careful not to trash the hands with a bunch of kipping pullups or anything else that might cause blisters or callus tears.

The Kettlebell 2-Arm Swing

The 2-Arm Swing – or Russian Swing, as it is sometimes called – forms the foundation for most of the kettlebell ballistic lifts, such as the clean and the snatch. The better and more powerful your swing, the better everything else will be. That is one reason why of only two exercises, it is chosen for this program.

Since the 2-Arm Swing is primarily focused on mid-line stabilization -  in synchronization with explosive hip and knee extension – its carryover into sports activities and other functional movement is incredible. In plain English, this means that it will help you lift heavier, jump higher, run faster and hit harder. Or, simply do these things easier and with less risk of injury.

The 2-Arm Swing done in high repetitions will build conditioning unlike nearly any other exercise. The swing works the entire posterior chain, but special emphasis is placed on the glutes, hamstrings and mid-line stabilization muscles (core).

The 2-Arm Swing is a perfectly symmetrical exercise. You just can’t favor one side. If you do, you will know about it real fast. Most choose this swing variation for the majority of this program.

The swing will also build unreal grip strength. One of my clients is a former U.S. Marine, and currently works for a large correctional facility as part of its tactical response team. He recently broke his personal record of 25 strict deadhang pullups, by knocking out 28 in a row with ease. His previous record stood for the past seven years, and the only change he has made in his training is the addition of lots of kettlebell swings and snatches. He entirely credits this increase in pullup numbers to added grip strength from kettlebell training.

The Kettlebell Press

Since before the first Olympics, lifting heavy objects overhead has been the ultimate test of strength. There is no  part of the human body that is not placed under load while lifting a heavy object overhead, such as during a  kettlebell military press. Forget about the bench press as a measure of strength. The bench press is an artificial, gym creation. Lifting something heavy from the ground overhead is not.

For the purpose of this article, the press is defined as pressing the kettlebell from the rack position to full lockout in one motion, with zero knee bend. While many claim that side lean is cheating, for the purpose of this program, it is not. I have found that a little sideways lean accompanying a challenging press, is just your body taking advantage of leverage, which is great for overall strength. Pressing a challenging weight should be a total-body exercise.

There are a number of small techniques involved in pressing. Please, find a qualified kettlebell instructor in your area and get qualified instruction on proper form and technique for your safety. Don’t try to wing it based on a single article or internet video.

Overhead pressing requires skill and body-awareness. That means you have to actually pay attention and focus while performing this activity. Watching the TV in a cushy commercial gym while attempting to overhead press something heavy is a recipe for disaster, and possibly a good Youtube video.

An often-cited reason for not including overhead lifting in a strength training program is because it “hurts my shoulders” or fear of injury. Unless you have some prior injury, there is no reason not to include overhead lifting in your exercise, if you do it properly. I have women senior citizens clean and press 26lb kettlebells overhead on a regular basis with zero injury. On the contrary, increased range-of-motion and injury resistance are to be expected with correctly-done overhead lifting.

At the same time,  I know young, otherwise strong individuals that cannot lift ½ that amount safely. It is all about proper technique and preparation. If it hurts, you are probably doing something wrong, or have some flexibility issues that must be addressed, whether you plan to press overhead or not.

Get some training from a certified kettlebell instructor, not just a personal trainer that likes to dabble with kettlebells. Correct overhead lifting takes practice and technique.

Overhead lifting does not cause injury, but improper overhead lifting can cause any number of injuries, just like any exercise done with too much weight, too soon or  too little attention paid to correct technique.

Focus and learn to use your body. Learning to use your body more efficiently should be part of any exercise routine. Learning a challenging activity like pressing weight overhead will build neuromuscular efficiency that will pay off in almost every aspect of your strength and health.

Ladder sets are the key to lots of volume, with little fatigue

Strength ladders are used by almost everyone who has ever touched a kettlebell. First, we must clarify what a ladder is. We’ll use pullups as an example, and a rep scheme of 1-3 reps. Here goes:

• 1 pullup, rest.
• 2 pullups, rest
• 3 pullups, rest
• Return to 1 pullup and repeat, up the “ladder.” Each set of 1-3 reps will be considered a “rung.”

This is an awesome way to get a lot of volume in a workout, with little fatigue. Each ladder of pullups described above would equal 6 reps. Repeat 8 or 10 times and you will get 48-60 reps. This might not be possible with sets of 10-15 reps, but with sets of 1-3 reps it is easy.

Swings alternated with presses

In this case, we are doing kettlebell military presses, alternated with swings. The bell is only cleaned on the first rep, and then pressed from the rack position for each successive rep. This is mostly to avoid wear on the hands due to the volume of swings.

We will only be taking these ladders to 3 reps, or rungs, and will be alternating each set of presses with a set of swings. The press(s) will begin at the top of one minute, and a set of swings will begin at the top of the next.

Each ladder/swing set from 1-3 reps will take 6 minutes, and should be done as follows:

• Minute One: 1 clean and one press, per side.
• Minute Two: swings
• Minute Three: 2 presses, per side.
• Minute Four: swings
• Minute Five: 3 presses, per side.
• Minute Six: swings
• Return to 1 press, per side.

Each ladder set will equal six reps per side. I recommend beginning this program with a weight you can press for about 5 reps with either side. Since the press is a full-body movement, start with the non-dominant side (we don’t have weak sides in my gym).

In a perfect world, we would rest for 3 minutes between each set of 1-3 reps, for a full recovery and to really build maximal strength. This program is very generalized, and is a series of compromises. We will not be resting that long, approximatley 90 seconds between presses, and during that time about 30 seconds will be spent swinging the same or heavier kettlebell. This is the smallest rest window I recommend, otherwise you aren’t using a heavy enough kettlebell.

How many swings? It totally depends on your ability and the weight you are using. For a beginner, I recommend a weight they can swing for approximately 15 reps with zero deterioration of form. If that  gets to be too hard, I usually recommend reducing the swing set by two reps per set. If it is too easy, increase by two reps, until you find a challenging but sustainable pace. Don’t be afraid to scale back if needed. You’ll still get plenty of swings in.

For example, if you are beginning, 10 swings may be enough. If you are more advanced, 20-25 swings. For most, 20 swings, will equal about 30 seconds of swinging. Three hard reps per side will also take about 30 seconds. So, you will be working and resting about 50/50. This is tough, but sustainable for an advanced person.

By the end of the month, 20 swings between each press set will add up to 500-600 swings per workout. 10 swings would be 250-300, not bad at all if you are just beginning.

What if your pressing strength lags behind your swinging power? No problem. Just find a heavier kettlebell to swing. Many of the women I train are capable of swinging a much heavier kettlebell than they can press. Several of them use a 26-35lb kettlebell for presses and a 44-53lb for swings. Another option is to use a more challenging swing variation, such as a swing-and-release, or H2H (hand-to-hand) swing.

The only time I don’t allow a  weight discrepancy is for men, who sometimes want to press a heavier kettlebell than they choose to swing. In this case, I make them reduce the number of swings with the heavier kettlebell, or reduce the pressing weight. It is unacceptable to have a stronger upper body than lower body.  This helps to balance that out.

When your pressing strength increases, try pressing a heavier kettlebell on the first “rung” of the ladder set, then the lighter one for the second and third. Eventually, you will press the heavier one for sets of three.

Cycling throughout the month

Physiologically and psychologically, you must vary the load placed on your body. This is a foreign concept to many that are new to strength training, who have been poisoned by many of the mainstream fitness rags that spew forth nonsense about pushing ever harder, and to failure on every training session. Many people are not satisfied unless they leave the gym exhausted every single time.         True, there is a time for this and if you push hard, there will be a few days during this month that you will be at your mental and physical limit, which will likely be much more than you ever thought you could do previously. Other days, you will feel like you could do a second workout afterwards.

During the four weeks, you will begin with three ladder/swing sets, and will end with 10. However, we will not simply add a ladder each workout.

Here is the cycling pattern I have used to great success with several people, including myself:

Week One:

Workout #1 – 3 Ladders

Workout #2 – 5 Ladders

Workout #3 – 7 Ladders

Week Two:

Workout #1 – 4 Ladders

Workout #2 – 6 Ladders

Workout #3 – 8 Ladders

Week Three:

Workout #1 – 5 Ladders

Workout #2 – 7 Ladders

Workout #3 – 9 Ladders

Week Four:

Workout #1 – 6 Ladders

Workout #2 – 8 Ladders

Workout #3 – 10 Ladders

Use Caution

While this program is very simple, it does not imply that someone inexperienced with kettlebell training or exercise should jump in and try it. I insist that you locate a kettlebell instructor certified by a  reputable organization and learn to do these exercises correctly. A great instructor will help you choose a weight that is appropriate and make any necessary adjustments in weight or technique.

As always, I recommend checking with a physician before beginning this or any exercise program.

-Jim Beaumont

NCSF-CPT

CrossFit/Tactical Athlete Kettlebell Instructor

www.idahokettlebells.com

Traditional martial art forms training is not meant as a light cardiovascular workout, or as a warm-up or cool-down phase of training. It is meant to be executed with as much power as possible, hardening the body and lungs, and disciplining the mind and body for combat.

Forms are prearranged patterns, called kata in Japanese styles, or hyungs or poomse in Korean.  Forms are a simulated fight against multiple opponents, an organized form of shadowboxing, for lack of a better term. In most traditional systems, they are designed to develop certain skill sets at different levels of training.

Since they are prearranged, many modern martial artists neglect this part of training, in favor of more fighting or bag work. This is misguided. Forms have a serious purpose, and should be included in every practice.

A martial artist must exert maximum force in all techniques during forms practice, just as if they are really fighting. It is no coincidence that maximal force generation is synonymous with correct technical execution, which is beyond the scope of this article.

No, you will never be met with a perfectly spaced and timed group of opponents that attack according to a prearranged pattern, but no martial artist will ever argue that the extra repetitions that forms practice entails will not benefit a fighter, who might otherwise spend that time jogging or jumping rope.

Mindset is your best weapon, and has everything to do with the productivity of this training…and a combat mindset has nothing to do with synchronizing your forms practice to music or winning a trophy.

There is also value in the discipline involved in forcing your body to conform to a specified group of exercises, whether you like them (or are even good at them) or not.

It is very, very easy to rationalize your way out of techniques or combinations that are difficult, and focus on what you are good at. Traditional forms – those designed by legitimate Asian masters – have a wide variety of techniques and skill sets. I would argue that the ones you physically dislike the most, are perhaps the ones that will increase your conditioning and overall skill the fastest.

In traditional martial art systems, forms (kata in Japanese; hyung or poomse in Korean) are intended to be executed with as much power as possible. The level of exertion should be equal to running a 440-yard sprint or max set of deadlifts. Anything less, is just an aerobics class and has no relevance to self-defense.

At the dojang (training hall)I train at in Boise, Idaho, Kim’s Taekwon-do, under Grandmaster David Knife, 8th Dan, forms practice is done at the outset of each and every training session. No exceptions, and for good reason. They are the most demanding part of the workout and should be done when the trainee is still fresh.

As a 3rd Dan, I have 15 hyungs, which range from 20-54 movements. This translates into roughly 15 minutes of extremely intense exercise, before any basic technique practice or sparring begins.

If I do hyungs at full-power, I find it every bit as demanding as CrossFit’s Fight Gone Bad or a maximum-rep10-minute set of 53lb kettlebell snatches.

The trouble here is, that we are still in a training hall and not in the street or ring, where the extra adrenaline dump will place a much greater demand on your body. After all, no matter how hard you push against an imaginary opponent, you will automatically begin to “pace” yourself and back off on power as fatigue sets in.

That is where the kettlebell comes in…

External loading is the key to training beyond the pain threshold.

There are any number of ways to increase the load placed on the body during training, but few will force the trainee to suck up pain like adding sets of kettlebell swings, or snatches into a hard set of forms.

Immediately after a form, grab a kettlebell and do a set of swings or snatches with zero rest. If you are training your forms correctly, you should already be at your anaerobic threshold. The kettlebell set afterwards is a gut-check and will be painful. Have a garbage can nearby. This is not for the faint-of-heart.

Bodyweight exercises will not suffice. If you are training with full-power, you are already doing bodyweight exercises.

It is easy to subconsciously slow your set of burpees or jump squats when things get tough, but a 70lb kettlebell will always weigh 70lbs, and will always require the same amount of force to swing or snatch. When paired with already extreme effort, this will push you past the pain barrier, where you will  back off on power and begin to temper strikes and conserve energy.

Keep it simple: One full-power form. One set of heavy kettlebell swings or snatches.

One full-power form, then 1 set of swings or snatches. Under stress, complicated plans fail. Keep it as simple as possible.

If you are really putting maximum power into the form, you should be at or near your limit by the end. In most systems each form takes about 30 seconds to 1 minute to complete with maximum power.    Physiologically, this is the equivalent of a 440 yard sprint, or a 5-rep max set of deadlifts. The demand is enormous. The kettlebell set afterwards is a gut-check, and will be painful.

It is important that the form comes before the kettlebell set. It is the most complex and technical  portion of these two activities, and should be done when you are as close to 100% as possible, with as much power as possible. If you wait until after the kettlebell set, you will back off on power. That is not the point of this.

The weight of the kettlebell will require a certain amount of force to lift. Tired or not, you will still have to exert the same force, which will be well beyond what you would normally push yourself.

What weight of  kettlebell? In this case, one you are able to continuously swing or snatch for approximately 45 seconds with near perfect form, after a 440yard sprint. I recommend a set of about 30 swings, or 20 snatches (10L/10R).

Should I swing, snatch, or mix the two?

That is up to you. There are some differences. The snatch will force you to use slightly more fine-motor skills and is a little more technically demanding, but it seems that most people snatch slower than they swing, and can swing a heavier kettlebell, so doing a set of heavy swings may place a greater load on the system faster. Of course, this will vary depending on the person. Just remember to keep it very simple.

One form, one set of snatches or swings; rest as-needed. If you can manage to do this for more than one time through your entire set of forms, you are not working hard enough. If you are training for a sport match, wear your mouthguard during this whole affair.

Allow for recovery to gain power.

The obvious question here is: Why don’t we just go for entire 5-minute rounds? Or for 15 minutes? After all, a real fight doesn’t last 2 minutes. It could last 30 seconds or 30 minutes.

The reason for these “short sprints” is so that you don’t pace yourself, and  will learn to put maximum power into the form and the swings. In order to get stronger and faster, you must allow for a full enough recovery, so this exercise doesn’t become an aerobics class.

The real value is in reflexively training your body to put out max effort. After this type of training on a regular basis, you will condition your body to put more power into each individual technique.

Of course, when to comes time to do a full 15-20 minutes of forms or sparring, you will find yourself more winded during training, simply because you’ve trained yourself to put more power into the techniques. More power is better. Always.

And, it has been proven time and time again that short burst strength carries over into endurance training, but the opposite is not always true.

This will make your regular training more uncomfortable because you are doing more work.  But, all real traditional Asian martial art training is supposed to be uncomfortable, despite what you might believe from all the Americanized “McDojos” speckled across the country with multicolored uniforms and black belts purchased at the outset of training.

As stated before, the adrenaline dump of a real fight or big match will force you to put out maximal power, whether you want to or not. This is one way to force yourself a little closer to this in training.

Not for the faint-of heart.

It is very important to keep the format very simple. Under stress and discomfort – as legitimate martial art training should involve – complicated systems fall apart. Forms, followed immediately with swings/snatches, then enough rest to enable you to put 100% power into the next form/kettlebell set.

No, this is not for anyone with a heart condition, or who is brand new to kettlebells or martial art. We are working at max effort here. No less. This is more accurately measured by how soon you are plotting your path to the nearest garbage can…no joke.

I found myself gagging with my head out the back door of the dojang the last time I followed this protocol.

Also, this is certainly not something you would want to include in your regular workout. Maybe once a week, at the very most, is prudent. Fatigue would quickly set in, making this counterproductive. If you come from an established martial art system, you probably already have an established training regimen. Don’t deviate from it. The masters, and the masters’ masters  knew what they were doing when they designed it. This is something extra to include on your own time.

Your heart rate will likely be higher than recommended by any reasonable trainer or exertion chart, but we are training for combat, and the only way to do so is to place a demand on your body greater than can normally be done in training.

While this brutal, it is nothing compared to the demand placed on a person’s body during a lethal confrontation, where humans exert force several times what can ever be exerted in training.          Those who have fought in a lethal confrontation will recall the lung-burn that lasted for days after a few minutes of maximum adrenaline-powered strikes or grappling, and the deep muscle soreness that is present for days and days afterwards in the oddest places.  Ideally, you should be at least somewhat familiar with this feeling to avoid panicking when things get tough.

It is December again! Time for the 3rd Annual December Turkish Getup/Swing Challenge.

It is simple:

Do one Turkish Getup (TGU) for each day of the month. One rep equals floor to standing on both sides. So, one rep on the first of the month, two the second day, three the third, all the way to December 31st, when you will complete 31 reps.  One “Amnesty Day” per week is permitted, basically a day off. The day is up to you.

Any required modification is legal. If you can only rise to the sitting position, or to the Getup/Situp as it is sometimes called, that is fine. Any weight is permitted. No kettlebell? No problem. Just use a dumbell, sandbag, shoe or even just bodyweight if needed.

As far as the swings go, the key here is just volume. 1,000 swings the first week; 1,500 the second, 2,000 the third and 2,500 the fourth week.

If you make your first "week" from December 1st through December 7th, then you will finish by December 28th, and have three days of nothing but TGUs. That is fine, because 28-31 of them per day will be plenty of a workout.

Use any weight of kettlebell for swings, and use any swing variation you can think of. I recommend practicing as many different weights and variations as possible to keep your sanity and simply for the sake of working on new skills.

This year I have decided to allow bodyweight squats or Hindu squats as a substitute for swings. So, if you had 2,000 swings one week and decided to do 1,000 swings and 1,000 squats that would be a good option.

My thinking on this is that some days the hands might need a rest to heal a blister, or you might just not have access to a kettlebell for a day or two. When you have 2,000-2,500 swings to complete in seven days, getting behind is really not an option. Also, this challege can include those that may not have access to kettlebells. I know of at least a few from my facility that will be traveling without access to kettlebells for at least a week during the month. Rather than try to get in 1,000 swings per day to make up for it, they will be able to do squats or Hindu squats for that week, and get a great workout.

I know people that use a dumbell swing to substitute, but in my opinion, bodyweight squats or Hindu squats are a better option. Please make sure you do your bodyweight squats full-range, with the crest of the hip descending lower than the kneecap.

If you want results from this, you are flat going to have to work for them. Challenge yourself with the amount of weight you are using for both exercises, and/or the rest intervals. Don’t just use a light kettlebell for the sake of doing lots of reps. Do the work if you want the results.

You may do well to invest in a session with a legitimate kettlebell instructor in your area in order to learn these two movements correctly. In fact, I insist. An hour with a good instructor, will replace 100 hours of stumbling through these movements in order to learn them on your own. However, after getting the basic movements down, only 1,000s of correct repetitions will teach all the nuances required to someday master them.

Have fun and get creative with reps and combinations to get all this in. I guarantee you will have a new appreciation for both of these movements by month’s end, if you complete all required reps.
Feel free to chime in on your progress on the Kettlebell Inc. forums.

10,000 swings in 30 days…… Really? Why? This was the reaction I received from some people when I announced I would be doing a 10,000 swing challenge in the month of January. My response was “Give it a try and find out”. Of course I pretty much knew what my results would be from doing 10,000 swings in one month. How does a smaller butt, slimmer hips, a flat stomach, thinner thighs, unreal strength endurance and increased overall strength sound to ya? Did that get your attention? I hope so because this is one of those things that actually delivers the results. Just know going into it that you are going to have to pay a price to get it.

During my 30 day journey I took some notes along the way. I’m passing these tips on to you to make your journey a little easier. Let’s call this the 10,000 swing challenge survival guide. There are 8 main points you should know to help you get through this challenge successfully. 

First let me start off by saying that this is a difficult challenge both mentally and physically. You will definitely walk away knowing what you are made of, and if done correctly you will reap all the benefits mentioned above as well. It’s worth it. Trust me. 

Make a plan: Let’s do the math. 10,000 swings in 30 days is roughly 333 swings every single day. You need to think about how this will fit into your life because quite frankly, in the month of January all I did was think about how I was going to get my swings in for the day. It will consume you. I knew there would be days that my busy schedule with the kids would not allow for a workout. I also knew that if I didn’t take some days off I would be completely over trained in record time and never finish. So my plan was to do about 450-500 swings a day. That way I wouldn’t be faced with double the reps the next day.

Get ready for life to throw a curve ball at you. If you do have to take some extra days off don’t be discourage if you have extra reps to make up. Just add a few extra reps in every workout and get it done. It happened to me a couple of times. Here’s how I handled it mentally. I only focused on my reps 100 at a time. So if I had 6-700 reps to do then I just focused on 100×6. Even though I didn’t do 100 in one working set, it was easier for me to do 100 and then think; now I only have 5 more to go. Break those big numbers into smaller groups and you’ll breeze through it. 

I kept an index card on my desk and recorded my swing reps daily. After analyzing it I noticed a pattern. Three days of hard work was good for me then I need a rest day to recover. On my rest day I either did very light swings as active recovery or I took the whole day off. Just listen to your body. If you need a rest day then take it and adjust your numbers accordingly. 

Choose the appropriate weight: I find myself talking about this in just about every article I write. To get the most out of this challenge you need to use the appropriate size kettlebell. You need a bell that is challenging but not so heavy that you over train every time you workout. I would call it a medium heavy weight. Of course that will vary for everyone. To give you some reference I’ll explain my kettlebell choice for the challenge.

The bulk of my reps were done with the 16kg/35lb kettlebell. That is 32% of my body weight. 35 pounds felt light to me for sets of 10-20 but it gets challenging for sets of 25-50 reps. On a heavy day I would use the 24kg/53lber or the 20kg/44lber. On a light day or active recovery day I used an 18lber for sets of 200 plus. That means that with the light weight I needed to do at least 200 reps without setting the bell down.The 18lber is so light that it would not be a challenge for me at all to do 10,000 reps with it and I would not have seen the great results I did. I also used the 26lber for one arm swings only on a light day or in between the heavier sets for active recovery during the workout. 

Please don’t think that if you can’t swing the 35lber for that many reps you won’t see any results. Just use whatever weight is a challenge for you. 

Be aware of over training: There is no doubt about it, some time within this challenge will be over trained. Watch for the signs and then adjust your plan appropriately. If you are feeling fatigued, irritable, and/or very sore then you are probably over trained. There were a few times that I would not feel those symptoms but when I picked up the weight to start swinging my body started screaming at me. My central nervous system was burned out and my body just didn’t want to work. Depending on the severity of it I did one of 4 things. 

Nutrition: Let me be blunt here, cut out all the crap from your diet. You know what I’m talking about, cookies, chips, soda, crackers,…. any processed foods. You are demanding a lot from your body with this challenge. It’s imperative that you feed your body healthy and nutritious food. Do not take the attitude that since you are doing so many swings that you can eat what you want. You’ll never be happy with the end results if you follow that thought process. You can’t push your body to the max and expect it to respond when you are filling it full of over processed food, sugar and salt. It just doesn’t work like that. Your body composition will suffer and so will your strength and endurance. Once you feel the difference that fresh healthy food makes you won’t go back. This is a perfect opportunity to clean up your diet and make a permanent change for the better. 

Hand care: Like them or not, calluses are your friend. Just be sure to keep them low. They are more likely to become very sore and even rip them off if you have really thick calluses that stick up. I keep a pedicure file in my shower and file the calluses down every few days to keep them low. Cornhuskers lotion works very well also. 

Another way to take care of your hands is to change your grip on the bell. Use a forefinger/thumb grip instead of holding the handle with your whole hand. This works just fine with one handed or two handed swings. To relieve some of the stress on the hand, release your grip at the top of the swing. It gives your hand a break. 

Protect your joints: 10,000 swings is a lot of pull on your joints especially your shoulder and elbow. You can protect your joints by leaving a slight bend in your elbow when you swing the bell up. Don’t pull the bell with your arms just engage your lats and a slight bend will naturally occur. Once you get into the high reps sets you’ll notice your body will automatically start relaxing to get through the set. Just be sure to keep your weight on your heals for the back swing and even rock back with the weight slightly. 

Rep scheme: Do what works best for you. I provide these reps schemes as a guide or just to give you some place to start After only one week into this challenge you will know what works best for you. I personally liked sets of 25, 30 or 50. This made it easy to keep up with all the reps. As I mentioned before, I focused on 100 at a time. While I did my set I wouldn’t count to 25. I counted to 10 two times and then 5. It was easier to get through the sets toward the end if I only had 10 or 5 reps to do at a time, mentally. 

Combine one arm and two arm swings in one set. 10/10 x 2= 40 swings then 10 two arm swings as a finisher. You get 50 reps in before you know it. 

Swing ladders with multiple size bells are also a great way to get a lot of reps done in one set. For example; 44lb bell x 10, 35lb bell x 15 and a 26lb bell x 25 = 50 reps in one set. 

Swing ladder using one size bell. 10, 15, 20, 25 = 70 reps in one set. You do 10 reps with a small break (10-15 seconds), and then do 15 reps with another small break, etc.

Play around with it and come up with some reps schemes of your own. Be sure to share when you come up with something good. 

Support: I mention this last but it is definitely not least. Getting through this challenge with a support system is a must. It will also be a lot more fun. When you know somebody is watching or counting on you, you will be more likely to do it even when you don’t want too. It’s a lot easier to blow off when you are the only one who knows you’re doing it. Don’t make that mistake. If you take this challenge then tell everybody. Find a friend either in real life or online to take the challenge with you. 

Post your workouts on your Facebook account or on Twitter. We used the hash tag #10kswings on Twitter. There are still people using it for the challenge today and I also check it every day to provide support. You may also want to check out thekettlebellconnection.com forum. It’s a great place to keep your training log and you will also find many people there who did the challenge and will offer you support. 

If you take this challenge feel free to email me if you have questions. I’d also love to hear your feedback.

Best of luck on your journey to increased strength, endurance and a better shaped body. 

I asked some of the people who took this challenge with me in January to provide some advice or feedback from their perspective. Take a look at what they accomplished: 

“In January I took part in a 10,000 Kettlebell swing challenge. I did not know what to expect but it seemed to be a tough one and I did not know if I could make it. I got a late start on the challenge starting on the 4th of January. As I started I could see this was going to be challenging. What really helped was the support I got from the other people who were in the challenge. Each time I posted what I did that day I would get messages from the other participants. They would offer encouragement and would inspire me to keep going. I finally finished on 1/28/10. I was very excited and happy to finish. This challenge taught me that I can do anything I put my mind to and that if you keep up with something worth while you get amazing results. I got stronger as the challenge went on and gaind more muscle and even lost a few pounds. This challenge was alot of fun and I was able also to meet some great people durring it over Twitter.”

–Edward Blea

“On the 30th of January, I had 600 swings left in Lisa’s 10,000 swing challenge. My hands were blistered underneath layers of thick callus, bleeding through a layer of bandage and athletic tape. It was about 8 p.m. Saturday night and a nasty cold rain/snow mixture was falling outside. I was alone in my studio here in Idaho, and all sensible folks were out enjoying their Saturday evening. 

–Jim Beaumont

I’ll be the first to admit it. Calorie counting bites. I absolutely detest tracking the calorie content of every bite I eat. Unfortunately counting calories is a necessity if you want to master a healthy lifestyle. I’m not suggesting an insufferable death sentence of counting calories for life. More so a short term commitment to understand and control your nutritional intake versus your energy expenditure. You absolutely must have a fundamental understanding of your caloric requirements and how going above or below that number is going to affect your health. Most trainers apply the K.I.S.S (keep it simple stupid) model to nutrition; “Just tell the client what they need to eat”, "The client doesn’t want to hear about macronutrients", "You’ll confuse the client".  While I can see the simplicity in dictating a menu to a client that is struggling with weight, what good does that do them in the future? Unless keeping the client in the dark feeds a ulterior motive. Perhaps these nefarious trainers want to keep clientele ignorant. Keeps them coming back? Another discussion for another time.

“Give a man a fish and feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” 

Your body requires X amount of calories per day (based on height, weight, gender, and activity level) to operate. This can be calculated by determining your Basil Metabolic Rate (BMR Calculator ) and multiplying that number with your perceived activity level (Harris Benedict Equation).  The results of this equation will provide you with a better understanding of the calories you need to consume each day. Knowledge is power. Right?

Now that you know the calories you need to consume each day we can apply that number to your goals. If you want to put on weight / muscle, you need to ADD ~500 calories to the results from the Harris Benedict Equation. Conversely, if you want to lose weight, you will need to create a deficit in your daily calories which means you have to SUBTRACT ~500 calories per day. If you need to tweak these numbers apply them to your nutrition strategy in 100 +/- calorie increments.

Thinking strategically about your nutrition can make you more resilient to the yo-yo affects commonly associated with dieting. This information should also arm you with a better understanding of how closely tied unwanted weight gain is with eating above your BMR and activity level.

Quick calorie factoids:

1. A calorie is a measurement of energy
2. Proteins & carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram
3. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram
4. Fats have 9 calories per gram
5. 3500 calories translates to 1 pound of body fat
6. Inverse – you have to burn 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat

Calorie scenarios

1. If you consume 400 calories above your BMR & activity level per day you will gain 1 pound every 9 days
2. The holiday season is comprised of approximately 44 days. If you eat above your intake requirements throughout the holiday season (at 400 additional calories per day) you could gain up to 17.5 lbs by January 3
3. To burn off the 17.5 lbs you will have to run 2 miles (at an 8.5 min pace) 122 times

Take the time to educate yourself and your family on the affects of overeating and how calories play into it. Education is the key to living a healthy lifestyle and critical if you want to positively impact the lives of those you care about.

With the holidays just around the corner, and the Winter evenings drawing in, you might be thinking that now’s the time to lock yourself indoors, park yourself in front of the TV, and indulge in all your favourite foods.

You’d better get that idea out of your head right now!

Sacking off training and healthy eating in favor of inactivity and junk food are the first steps to a long, miserable season of weight gain and laziness. Surely you don’t want to lose everything you’ve worked so hard for over the rest of the year?

While it may be a lot easier to train in the Summer months, when the weather is good and you can get outside to swing your kettlebell, or perform hill sprints and bodyweight workouts in the sunshine, training shouldn’t take a back seat during the Winter. In fact, it’s actually pretty easy to keep on top of your exercise and healthy eating plan while still enjoying the holidays. Avoid the usually inevitable holiday weight gain, and perhaps even lose a few pounds by following these simple tips.

1. Maintain your Workout Schedule

   Family gatherings, parties, and work commitments are all likely stumbling blocks that could cause you to miss your workouts over the holidays. However, sticking to your usual training routine can help create a structure when everything else might be up in the air. You may have to do some reorganization though.

   For example, if you usually train in the evening, but have to go out for dinner with the family one night, then switch your session to the morning, or do it at the weekend. That is, unless you see this as the perfect opportunity to get Great Aunt Doris and Uncle Ted into kettlebell training!

   Don’t use these functions as an excuse to miss training. Your body has gotten used to the regular workload and stresses of training that you put it under, so you should strive to maintain this as best you can over the holidays.

2. Improvise
   

   When things do come up that prevent you from training, it’s important that you’re flexible enough to work round them, and find other ways to get your workout in. Your gym may also close for a while over the holidays, and you might need to find alternative methods of training.

   Kettlebells are great for using at home – they don’t take up much space, and you can get a great fat-burning workout in a very short space of time. Have a go at any tried and tested kettlebell workout, such as Ross Enamait’s Magic 50, which comprises snatches, swings and burpees, the kettlebell 300, which is also based around these three exercises, along with push-ups, V-ups, mountain climbers and clean and presses, or make up your own 15 minute workout structured around explosive compound movements. If you’re really pushed for time, then one round of Tabata swings, cleans or body-weight squats, where you perform eight 20 second rounds at maximum effort on your given exercise, interspersed with 10 second rest periods, is a sure fire way to get your heart beating and strip fat in just four minutes.

3. Plan Your Nutrition

   It can be all too easy to fall into the trap of stuffing your face with candy, junk food, puddings, soda, alcohol, and many other sugar and fat laden treats when they’re always there on offer, but it’s fairly easy to avoid this, provided you have a set plan in place.

   Most people buy far too much food over Thanksgiving and Christmas, simply through a lack of planning. If you’re doing the grocery shopping this year, then think clearly about what you need before you go out, and don’t just buy food for the sake of it. While half price bacon flavored candy may sound tempting, it’s unlikely to do your waist line any good, and there’s a reason why it’s on such a good deal.

   Make the most of the healthy meals on offer too. Roast turkey and vegetables is pretty much the perfect meal, so load up on this before you think about the sweet stuff. It’s worth cooking extra meat too, as you can eat this after the big days, instead of filling up on junk.

4. Let Yourself Cheat

   For once, it’s okay to cheat.

   The holidays do only come once a year, so don’t beat yourself up if you do indulge in foods that are usually off limits. With all the tasty food on offer around the holidays, you’d be mad not to treat yourself! Just make sure that the majority of your nutrition stays the same as it would be the rest of the year, and that you get in your training sessions to help offset the extra calories you’ve eaten.

There you have it. Four easy steps to maintaining, or even losing weight over the holiday season, while still having a good time.

Mike Samuels works as a personal trainer, diet coach and fitness writer, based in Southampton, England. He specializes in training clients for fat loss and sports performance. Find out more about him at his website – www.mikesamuelspersonaltraining.co.uk

KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE

Several years ago, I was helping load a tractor onto a trailer. While lifting the heavy steel ramps that one uses to get the tractor off the ground onto the trailer, I felt an immediate sharp pain in my lower back. It got my attention, and I was more careful with it the rest of the day. It wasn’t until the next morning that I knew something was wrong. This is pain.

I was very stiff for several days, but eventually got better. The reason it wasn’t worse was because my kb training prevented me from seriously injuring myself while not thinking about proper lifting mechanics. Having done it a thousand times, I paid no attention to how I lifted the steel girders. I got away with one.
To fix the pain, I simply rested, took ibuprofen with every meal, and “borrowed” a neighbor’s hot tub. I took a few days off from training, and was good as new after a week.

Recently, I was getting a bit obsessive with my KB training. I had gone past my 12 week cycle, but the gains kept coming, even though I was showing signs that my central nervous system was starting to suffer (form miscues under heavy loads). At week 16, I had charted it to be my last week on this program. I was going to take a week off and begin a different cycle. The protocal called for 15 sets of 5 swings, with two 40KG kbs.
I didn’t have my mojo that day (another clue), but thought I would “gut it out”. On set 7, the third rep, I thought I had been shot in the back. I felt a loud snap (loud to me, anyway), and it dropped me to my knees, and I could not get up. So, I lay in the grass like a cockroach. It was an AHA moment. This is injury.

I have broken all kinds of bones, torn all kinds of ligaments that one does from playing football from 5th grade to Division I football. So, I knew the difference, and had avoided it for years. Disregarding the end of my cycle, pushing on when I knew my form was not crisp and perfect, I was ASKING for this. OK. So, he is not the sharpest tool in the shed, we got it. How does one recover?

RECOVERY

The first thing we have to do is stop the pain. It may take a visit to the doctor to do this. Do not be afraid to make that journey. Whatever hurts, stop doing it. Take your favorite anti-inflammatory (aspirin, ibuprofen, motrin, etc.) ALWAYS with food, at bedtime, and, if it doesn’t make you drowsy during the day, then too. Rotating a ice bag or cold compress on during the first 24 hours will accelerate the healing. After that, hot tubs, ice packs, combinations thereof, will help. Most importantly, and often the most difficult thing to do, is to stay away from the kettlebell. If you have access to deep tissue massage, that will also accelerate the process as it brings nutrition via circulation to help heal the affliction. You need to keep eating a healthy diet as your body is under stress and you need your minerals and proteins to facilitate healing.
When you start feeling better, pain free (or nearly so), begin with a weightless Turkish Get Up. If you can make your way through that for 5 minutes, try it with a very light weight for 5 minutes, AND THEN QUIT. You may feel great, but don’t be fooled. Simply because your body isn’t screaming at you like a 5 alarm fire does not mean you are healed. Your body needs more time, and the TGU helps facilitate circulation, range of motion, etc. It is also a fabulous way to see where your aches are. Listen to your body. Maybe you can’t do the full get up. Execute the exercise to the point where you start to feel something and back off, and use that as your limit for the day. In time, you will slowly go further and further through the exercise. You are healing.

I like to use the TGU as my diagnostic tool because virtually every muscle is tasked during the course of that exercise. Some people will use the swing, some will do both.
I recommend a steady progression from TGU to swing. One mistake with a swing can mean another week of not training (I know from experience), so I recommend going from the swing to the Sumo Dead lift, to the swing, in a most disciplined and conservative fashion.

With patience, you will find that the time off will not necessarily be bad. Your body will get rest it needs and heal not only from the major injury, but from all kinds of small microtears that take place during training. Most often, they heal without notice, but sometimes, without extended rest, these microtears can be stubborn. We need them to build strength. They need a break every 8 – 12 weeks to completely heal. Ask me. I know. In my situation, I missed three weeks of training. I came back with a small deficit in endurance, but I was actually stronger than before the injury. Thank goodness somebody else designed this magical machine we call the body.

To summarize: As long as you are living, you will experience pain. Manage it accordingly. It is never good and is a indicator that you need some rest in the afflicted area. Every once in a while, you will get injured. Take these steps to heart. They will not only help you heal, but help you feel confident that the missed training is not detrimental to you, and that by being patient and positive, you will come back stronger than before.