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KettlebellBasics.net Quick Start Guide

Learn The Basics Of Safe And Effective Kettlebell Training

Forest Vance, MS, CPT, RKCwww.kettlebellbasics.net

http://www.kettlebellbasics.net/


Disclaimer

Strenuous physical exercise can be a dangerous activity. There are inherent risks in any physical activity, intense fitness training is no exception. The use of professional instruction is recommended before entering into any type of sport or physical exercise. You should become knowledgeable about the risks involved and assume personal responsibility for your actions. The information contained within this manual may or may not be accurate and is open to interpretation.

© 2010 Forest Vance Training, Inc. www.kettlebellbasics.net2


http://www.thefitnessmonster.com/


Contents

About The Author ----------------------------------------------- 4

The Basics of Kettlebell Training----------------------------------- 5

The Exercises --------------------------------------------------- 7

The Workouts ---------------------------------------------------22

Frequently Asked Questions --------------------------------------- 28

Additional Resources --------------------------------------------- 31





About The Author

Hey there -

I'm Forest Vance, Master of Science in Human Movement and Certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor. I've been involved in the fitness industry for years – as a personal trainer, boot camp instructor, and currently a business owner. Writing about fitness is another passion of mine – I have several blogs and create information products like this one; you probably found this guide on kettlebellbasics.net, my blog about kettlebell training.

Kettlebells are one of my favorite training tools for building strength and improving all-around fitness. Their versatility, portability, and flat out effectiveness are unmatched. I've fallen in love with the kettlebell as a tool for strength and conditioning.

Enjoy this guide to getting started with kettlebell training – learn and practice the exercises, follow the workouts as outlined and you'll be on the fast track to reaching your fitness goals using kettlebells in no time.



http://kettlebellbasics.net/



The Basics of Kettlebell Training

What is a kettlebell exactly? According to wikipedia.org, a kettlebell is a 'cast iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle'. Taken from russiankettlebells.com, here a few of the advantages of kettlebells over dumbbells, barbells, etc.:

“… (kettlebells are) the ultimate in conditioning the body for extreme decelerations. Think of all the sudden stops and direction changes on the football field. If you have not conditioned yourself to handle these forces, you will perform sub-par and run a high risk of injury.”

The unique shape of the kettlebell provides a way to train for this that other implements can’t – the kettlebell is hands down the best implement for the swing.

“A Kettlebell’s offset center of gravity maximizes shoulder strength, flexibility, and health.”

Doing presses, snatches, get-ups, etc. with a kettlebell no doubt offers a unique challenge that other implements don’t.

“The kettlebell will give you infinite freedom of lifting. It has been said that kettlebells are to traditional free weights are what barbells and dumbbells are to machines. Taming a kettlebell is akin to medieval sword, spear, and battleaxe play, liberating and aggressive.”

'Nuff said. They’re just cooler than dumbbells and barbells.


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http://wikipedia.org/



If you want to get really strong, use a barbell to lift a lot of weight. If you’re a bodybuilder, there are a lot of exercises that are probably better done with a dumbbell or weight machine that are superior for hypertrophy. However, for most of us who are really just looking for all-around conditioning, strength, muscle tone, and flexibility, kettlebells are the answer!

You can get a lot of mileage out of a single kettlebell. I use Dragon Door Kettlebells almost exclusively. For doing basic drills, like two-handed swings or get-ups, quality isn't too much of an issue. However, you'll want a better balanced, more solidly built, and smoother-gripped one piece 'bell once you start doing things like high rep cleans and snatches, which you'll find in the Dragon Door kettebells.

We'll start the manual by covering five basic kettlebell exercises and variations of each: the swing, the get-up, the squat, the clean and press, and the snatch. Once you've practiced and refined these basic drills, we'll move on to a few workouts incorporating these exercises together.



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The Exercises

One of the most important things I learned in the RKC system – my personal background in kettlebell training - was that focusing on the basics is one of the fundamental keys to success. There's no need to do a bunch of fancy kettlebell exercises if you can't do the basic ones perfectly.

We are only going to cover five kettlebell drills and a few variations of each; however, these drills will give you a great foundation and will lay the ground work for future advanced kettlebell work.

1. The Swing

The kettlebell swing is a complex, often misunderstood, and highly technical kettlebell move. It forms the foundation of much future kettlebell work, so it's an absolutely essential exercise to learn properly and continue to refine as you progress with your kettlebell training. The easiest way to learn the swing is to break it down into simple steps, as follows:

The Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift


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1. Start by performing a simple sumo deadlift with the kettlebell between the feet. This is the movement you need to get down before you move on to a full blown swing. Focus on pulling your butt back behind you with your hip flexors and moving through the hips instead of squatting. The deadlift and the squat are two very distinct and very different movements. The back should stay completely flat, and you should feel a stretch in the back of the legs if you're doing the movement properly.

2. Once you have the deadlift down cold, you can try a ½ swing. Two things to think about: make sure you're 'hike passing' the weight back between the legs on the downswing; again, this movement is like a deadlift, not a squat. Try to get the bottom of the kettlebell to face the wall behind you as you hike pass it back. Then, snap the hips and swing the weight up. If you're doing it right, the arms are loose and the legs are doing the job of lifting the weight. It's not a squat and front raise, it's a hip snap. The knees lock out and the hips come all the way through – the force is then efficiently transferred to the upper body.

3. When you feel comfortable with the ½ swing, you can progress to the full swing. The mechanics of this movement are the same as the half swing, the hip snap is just more powerful and the 'bell should swing up to about shoulder height.

The Swing





Now, there are several variations of the basic swing. The first one we'll cover is the single-hand swing. The form here should be identical to the basic swing, with one exception: turn the hand slightly in on the bottom of the movement. You should feel like you're pouring a pitcher of water. This is to pre-stretch the external rotators and allow for a more comfortable bottom position of the swing.

Another thing to keep in mind is shoulder and lat engagement; the elbow should be straight, but be sure to pull the shoulder back 'into its socket'; don't let the arm separate from the body as you swing the weight up. Keep the lats (the muscles underneath your armpits) tight and flexed at all times.

The One Hand Kettlebell Swing





The second variation of the swing is the double kettlebell swing. Same checkpoints with this one as the two hand swing; additionally, make sure you turn the hands in on the bottom of the movement. Be careful as the extra weight can throw you around a little if you don't make sure to really keep yourself rooted to the ground.

The Double Swing





2. The Get-Up

In contrast to the swing, the get-up is a slow and controlled movement – it's considered a 'grind'. As a frame of reference, fast, explosive movements like the swing, clean, and snatch are considered 'balistics'.

We worked the back of the body with the swing – the hams, glutes, and back – now we're hitting most of the muscle groups in the front. This is a highly complex movement, so I'll break it down into steps for you:

1. Start by lying on the ground with the kettlebell at your side. Grab the 'bell, pull it into your body, and roll to your back.

2. Press the single kettlebell straight up to the sky. Make sure your wrist is straight and you have a firm grip on the kettlebell handle.





3. 'Punch' up towards the ceiling while rolling on to the elbow at the same time. Your shoulder blades are pinched together and the chest is 'high'.

This is the first 'half' of the movement. You'll want to learn the movement by getting this part down first, with no weight to start, and then with weight added as you get better at it. This is not only something to practice but a viable exercise; I use the ½ get-up in personal training sessions and group classes all the time.

Once you have the ½ get-up down, it's time to progress to doing the complete movement, which involves standing all the way up.





Next, bring the knee 'through' your hips and to about six inches away from the same hand. Squeeze the glute and come up to a lunge position; take a deep breath, hold it, and stand up.

4. Slowly reverse the motion and return to the ground.

Get ups are a fantastic exercise for shoulder stability, core strength, flexibility, hip mobility, and a whole lot more. Between the swing and the get up you've already worked nearly every muscle in your body.

Kettlebells From The Ground up is a DVD and manual with Grey Cook, Brett Jones and Mark Cheng that is is a fantastic resource – this product is dedicated entirely to the get-up. It can be found at www.dragondoor.com.


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3. The Squat

The squat one of the most fundamental movements there is; you gotta squat every day whether you like it or not – you're squatting when you get up out of a chair or when you get out of your car, for example – so you might as well learn how to do it right.

The kettlebell squat is more similar in form to a high-bar Olympic style-squat than a low-bar powerlfiting-style squat. The stance is relatively narrow and the posture is pretty upright. Let's break it down into steps like we've done for the other exercises:

1. Start with your feet between hip and shoulder width apart, toes pointed straight ahead or slightly out. Weight is back through the heels, chest is tall, and shoulder blades are pushed down and back. You should be holding a kettlebell at approximately shoulder height and close in to the body at this point.

2. Sit back as if you’re sitting in a chair. The lower leg should stay completely vertical. Imagine that you're stuck in cement up to your knees. The most basic, single kettlebell version looks like this:

The Kettlebell Squat





Just like the swing, there are are several variations of the kettlebell squat. The version pictured above is 'balanced'; the weight is held with both hands in the middle of the body. You can perform the lift with the weight racked on one side for more of a core challenge and to mix it up a little – the starting position would look like that of a single-arm clean (see the next exercise for a more in-depth description of the clean). You can also hold two kettlebells in the racked position for another variation of the exercise:

The Double Front Squat

The swing, the get up, and the squat, and all the variations of each of these movements, are the first three kettlebell exercises you need to learn. Mastery of these basic three exercises will give you a tremendous base; in fact, you could make some very impressive gains using these three movements alone.

Only once you've mastered these basic three lifts should you consider moving on. The next movement we'll cover is the clean and press.





4. The Clean and Press

Remember, the swing is the foundation of the clean and the snatch – so be damn sure you have it down before to move on to the clean! It's worth repeating. Here are the steps to the clean:

1. Start in the exact same position that you would if you were doing a one arm swing. The weight should be about a foot or so in front of you on the floor, ready to be hiked up to shoulder level.

2. Hike pass the weight back like you're doing a Swing, but now you're going to use a much more controlled arc, and the weight will go straight up your body instead of out in front of you. Think about getting your hand around the 'bell instead of letting the weight flop over your wrist and smack you in the forearm. Another way to think of this movement is that it

should feel as if you're zipping up a jacket; the weight almost comes directly up the front of the body instead of going in front.

3. Now you should be in the rack position. The arm should be tightly pressed to the side and the wrist straight. You should have three points of contact: the thumb of your hand should be touching your collar bone, and the ball part of the 'bell should be touching your forearm and





upper arm.

4. Now comes the press. Crush the handle. Create tension in your entire body from your feet all the way up to your head. Press the weight straight up in the air; you can use the leverage that is created from your forearm pushing back against the ball part of the 'bell. Finish with the arm directly by the ear and the weight straight over your head, not in front of you.

5. Pull the weight back down to your body like you're doing a one-arm pull-up. Engage the lats. Now drop the weight down to the bottom of a swing position – you must learn to go from total tension in the press to total relaxation in the drop of the clean.

A more advanced variation of this movement is done with two kettlebells. The movement is exactly the same, now we're just adding load and upping the intensity.





The Double Clean and Press

The clean and press is a fantastic exercise for building pressing strength. From a personal perspective, this exercise has led to greater functional strength gains than my years of bench pressing ever did; like with all the other drills, proper form precedes upping the weight.

The snatch is the final of the five basic kettlebell exercises we're going to cover.





5. The Snatch

The snatch is the 'work horse' of the basic five. Reach the benchmark of 100 snatches in five minutes with a 24k for a male and 16k for a female and you'll have developed some awesome strength endurance and the lung capacity of a porpoise. Here's how this one breaks down:

1. The best way to learn the snatch is from overhead lockout position. Clean and press the weight above your head.

2. Literally throw the weight down. Keep the weight close to the body; think about throwing the weight through the stomach or closing the distance from the elbow to the rib cage as fast as you possibly can.





3. You end up in the bottom of a swing position; hmm, seeing a common theme here?

4. Simply reverse the motion you just did.

The key with the snatch is to keep the weight relatively close to the body, a bit like the clean – think of the snatch as an exercise in projecting the weight up over your head and the swing as an exercise in projecting the weight out in front of your body.

Additionally, you might have the problem of the weight coming around and smacking you in the wrist as it come over the top. I've actually found a really good YouTube video that offers a couple of solutions to this problem better than I could explain in this manual – check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ubc4uJdyB8

An advanced version of the single arm snatch is the double snatch. With this one, you're going to snatch both Kb's up, but you're going to lower them to the rack position like you would in a double clean and press. The weight of the double Kb's is probably more than enough to throw you around; this is why you do this.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ubc4uJdyB8



The Double Snatch

So that does it for the basic kettlebell moves! Now we'll move on to a few workouts using the movements that we've learned so far





The Workouts

Now for the fun part. You've hopefully done your due diligence up to this point and at least learned safe and effective form for the basic drills. The best approach while you're learning the basic drills is really just to practice a few reps of each with perfect form every day while you continue with your regular training schedule.

I've designed five basic circuit workouts that incorporate the exercises you've learned. I suggest that you perform two of these workouts per week; two other days you could perform a basic full-body strength routine incorporating basic exercises like the deadlift and press. I'll give you some free and paid resources at the end of this manual for more specifics on where to find such a routine if you don't already have one in mind.

On to the workouts:





½ Get Up, Swing, + Squat

1/2 get up – 30 seconds of continuous repsKettlebell squat – 30 seconds of continuous repsKettlebell swing – 30 seconds of continuous reps

Do four rounds of this circuit, switching sides on the 1/2 get ups each round. Rest for 15 seconds between exercises and 30 – 60 seconds between rounds.

Depending on your goals, as your fitness increases, you can try to decrease rest periods (if you're goal is conditioning or fat loss) or increase your weights and keep the rest periods the same (if you're trying to build strength).

Two kettlebells would be ideal for this workout - one smaller sized 'bell to perform the get ups and another larger sized 'bell to perform the swings and squats.

This workout works most of the major muscles in your body and takes around ten or fifteen minutes to complete. It's simple, but far from easy. That's one of the great things about kettlebells - you can get your strength work, core work, flexibility work, and even cardio work all at the same time. One or two kettlebells and you have all the equipment you need to get a fast, effective workout at home or anywhere you are.





Get-Up and Swing Descending Ladder

This is a nice medium – intensity workout to work your swings and get ups. You end up hitting all of your major muscle groups with this one.

3 Get-Ups (R)

25 swings3 get-ups (L)25 swings2 get-ups (R)20 swings2 get-ups (L)20 swings1 get-up (R)15 swings1 get-up (L)15 swings

Workout is completed as fast as possible. Make sure to start the get-ups from a standing position so you can do the entire workout without letting the kettlebell touch the ground.





The Kettlebell Basics Circuit

Here's a kettlebell circuit I’ve used with great success in both learning and practicing the basic kettlebell moves as well as building a fantastic level of strength and conditioning.

The circuit is structured as follows:

Swing x 12-20Get-Up x 1-3 Each SideSquat x 12-20Clean and Press x 3-6 Each SideSnatch x 5-10 Each Side

Repeat 2-3 times without rest

The way I’ve used this workout myself and with clients is to use it for a period of four to six weeks, gradually increasing the total reps and sets.

For example, one could start the first week of the program with the minimum amount of reps and sets. The second week, one could add a couple of reps per set. Add a couple more reps per set the third week.

The fourth week, drop the reps down a bit and add another set to the rotation. Start increasing the reps again the fifth week. By the sixth week or so, you should end up doing the maximum amount of reps and three sets of each exercise.

Being able to go through this circuit three times, using the maximum amount of reps per exercise, and resting a minimal amount should only take you fifteen minutes or so and is a tremendous test of strength endurance.





Get-Up, Clean and Press, and Swing

2 Get-ups; begin movement overhead

5 Clean + presses

10 Swings

Repeat the sequence twice on the right side and twice on the left. Don't set the kettlebell down at any time during the sequence.

FYI, this one kills your grip!





Double KB Circuit

This workout is again going to be performed for time:

:30 – double clean and presses:30 – active rest (jump rope, jog, etc.)

Repeat 4 times

:30 – Kettlebell Squats:30 – Active Rest

Repeat 4 times

:30 – Double Kettlebell Swings:30 – Active Rest

Repeat 4 times

You're allowed to take :60 seconds between rounds on this one. Make sure to pick a heavy weight for all these exercises; you're only working for :30 so you won't get a lot of reps.





Frequently Asked Questions

Beyond what we've covered in the basic manual, I'd like to quickly address some frequently asked questions about kettlebell training.

Q: I've been trying to learn the clean, but I keep having problems – I seem to bruise my forearm every time I do it. Any suggestions?

A: The clean might be one of the trickiest basic kettlebell moves to learn. Follow the suggestions I give in the clean and press section of this manual, obviously – you can also check out the following video for three tips that might help you out: http://kettlebellbasics.net/2010/01/24/how-to-fix-your-kettlebell-clean/

Q: Do I need to do additional cardio on top of my kettlebell training?

A: The answer to this question is highly dependent on your goals. If you're aggressively trying to lose fat, you may need to do more than the cardio 'included' in your twice weekly kettlebell circuit workouts. If muscle gain is what you're after, you may not want to do any extra cardio at all – you don't want to burn any more calories than you have to in this scenario.

Q: What type of shoes should I wear during my training sessions?

A: Flat shoes or none at at is best for kettlebell training. Cushy shoes cause a tension 'leakage' – and optimal muscle tension is what we're trying to achieve in exercises like the press.

Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Nike Frees are good choices for footwear. Another particularly attractive option that seems to be gaining a lot of popularity in the kettlebell community is Vibram Five Fingers; visit www.vibramfivefingers.com for more details on these.



http://kettlebellbasics.net/2010/01/24/how-to-fix-your-kettlebell-clean/

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/



Q: Do I need to warm up before training with kettlebells?

A: Not in traditional run-two-laps-circle-up-and-stretch sense. A dynamic warm-up is much more appropriate and effective for preparing yourself for activity; check out this article for a little more detail on the topic and an example warm-up: http://www.thefitnessmonster.com/2009/09/how-to-integrate-dynamic-warm-up-into.html

Q: What size weight/kettlebell should I start with?

A: Generally speaking, the average strength male will do well starting with a 16k or 20k and the average strength female will do well starting with a 12k or 16k. These sizes will do well for all the basic exercises we covered with the exception of the get up, which most people need to go down a size or two to learn the technique. Obviously you could adjust these weights up or down depending on where you're starting out – if you've got a solid strength training background, bump the weights up. If you've done very little in terms of physical training in general, bump them down.

For more details on this topic, take a look at this article: http://kettlebellbasics.net/2009/12/18/im-going-to-purchase-some-kettlebells-what-size-do-i-need/



http://kettlebellbasics.net/2009/12/18/im-going-to-purchase-some-kettlebells-what-size-do-i-need/

http://kettlebellbasics.net/2009/12/18/im-going-to-purchase-some-kettlebells-what-size-do-i-need/

http://www.thefitnessmonster.com/2009/09/how-to-integrate-dynamic-warm-up-into.html



Conclusion

Well, we've learned a bit about kettlebells and their unique uses. We went through the basic five kettlebell drills and their more advanced variations. And we went through five circuit workouts to blast you and help you lose fat with kettlebells.

I hope you grow to love kettlebell training as much as I do. They're great tools for getting an amazing workout anytime, anyplace. Keep training hard and I'll see you at http://kettlebellbasics.net!






Additional Resources

This Quick Start Guide is meant to be just that – a guide to getting started. There are many more intermediate and advanced resources out there – some are free and some are paid.

Http://DragonDoor.com – Probably the #1 source for great kettlebell training information. There's info about lots of other fitness related stuff on this site as well – definitely worth checking out.

Http://thefitnessmonster.com – My blog about kettlebells and functional training – frequently updated with free kettlebell workouts and other exercise and fitness tips. You'll also be able to find a basic full – body workout to compliment your kettlebell training program here; try this one: http://www.thefitnessmonster.com/2008/10/function-part-2.html

Http://kettlebellbasics.net – Blog about the basics of kettlebell training. This site will continue to update and evolve, but only with your support. Thanks again for purchasing this manual!

Get Certified – Ready to to take your training to the next level, endure a great physical challenge an maybe even teach others the basics of safe and effective kettlebell training? Get Hardstyle Kettlebell Certifed or even take the Russian Kettlebell Challenge.

Personalized program design – I also offer personalized program design for a limited number of clients. This is the #1 way to know you're working effectively and efficiently towards your fitness goals – a pre-made program is just never going to be as good. Go to http://www.thefitnessmonster.com/2010/01/how-to-get-50-off-our-online-training.html for more details.


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http://www.thefitnessmonster.com/2010/01/how-to-get-50-off-our-online-training.html

http://www.thefitnessmonster.com/2008/10/function-part-2.html

http://thefitnessmonster.com/



Sources ReferencedCorrigan, Tom. Kettlebell 101. Blue Collar Fitness, 2004.

Dragon Door Kettlebells, Strength Training, Conditioning, Diet and Health Resources. Web. 02 Jan.

2010. <http://www.dragondoor.com>.

Straight to the Bar. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. <http://www.straighttothebar.com/>.

Tsatsouline, Pavel. Power to the People! Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American.

Minneapolis: Dragon Door Publications, 1999. Print.

Tsatsouline, Pavel. The Russian Kettlebell Challenge. Minneapolis: Dragon Door Publications, 2001.

Print.

Welcome to CrossFit: Forging Elite Fitness. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. <http://www.crossfit.com>.



http://www.straighttothebar.com/

http://www.dragondoor.com/


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