Kettlebell Conditioning

There is a common thing that all athletes do in all sports and that is run!  Athletes must be constantly moving and be able to get to the next area where they are needed on the field, court, etc.  Once the athlete gets to that area where they are needed they must also be ready to perform with maximum efficiency.  If and athlete is completely gassed by the time they reach their destination they will be not be able to excel at that play and they could possibly mess up on the play which the opponent will capitalize on.  That is why when it comes to conditioning I feel the best thing for athletes is to mix up running with exercises.  This type of conditioning does a great job of simulating what it will be like on the day competition and athletes will be better prepared by training this way.  The benefits from this type of training are tremendous first off you will have the lungs of a thoroughbred as your VO2 levels will rise, second you will adapt to be constantly moving without rest which is what athletes must endure during competition, and third it will make you stronger mentally by pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone.  There are several types of combinations you can do when it comes to sprinting and exercises and here are a few examples:

Sprinting examples:

       1.)    Sprint down and back 1x,2x,3x (distance can be between 25m to 50m)

       2.)    Sprint ladders of 10m,20m,30m,40m

       3.)    Sprint for time (anywhere between 15sec to 30sec)

       4.)    Hill sprints

Kettlebell Exercises to combine with sprints:

       1.)    Snatch

       2.)    Long Cycle

       3.)    Swings

       4.)    Thrusters

       5.)    Goblet Squats

So how does one mix in kettlebell exercises with sprints?  Well I am glad you ask you can do something as simple as this:

Take the sprint down and back example and the snatch.  You will snatch 10 reps each arm and then sprint down 25m and then back 25m one time.  Then you will snatch 10 reps each arm again sprint down and back and as soon as you get back snatch another 10 reps each arm and then sprint down and back again.  Repeat the process one more time snatching and sprinting down and back 3 times.  So basically every time you finish running you are snatching in between and the more times you run down and back the more times you snatch.  I would do 3 sets of something like this and when it comes to reps you can go heavy or light but when I mean heavy it should be a weight that you can easily do for 10 reps and you would actually only do 5 reps with that weight.  Keep the rep range between 5 and 20 no more or less and remember keep the weight light as we are conditioning our bodies to be constantly moving around.  The focus here is on conditioning, not strength.  These types of workouts should be performed on your off days between your strength training days.  

Here are 3 more examples of mixing kettlebells with running:

    1.)     Swings 20 reps then do a hill sprint (repeat 5 times) followed by

Thrusters 10 reps each arm then do a hill sprint with the kettlebell (repeat 5 times)
Rest between 30 sec to 1 min after each hill sprint depending on your fitness level.

     2.)    Sprint ladder - pick 4 distances equally spaced apart for example I will use distances of 10m, 20m, 30m, and 40m.  Do three sets of ladders on the first set do 10 reps of goblet squats sprint down to the 10m mark and then drop down and do 10 push ups sprint back, and then start over 10 goblet squats followed by 10 push ups at the 20m mark.  Do the same thing for the 30m mark and the 40m mark.  For the second set do 10 reps of swings at the starting point and do 10 squat jumps at the 10m, 20m, 30m, and 40m marks.  For the third set do 10 snatches on each arm at the starting point and then 10 burpees at the 10m, 20m, 30m, and 40m marks.  There is no rest when you are performing the ladder just go as fast as you can until finished.  Between sets rest for 1 min to 3 min depending on your fitness levels.

     3.)    Swings 20 then sprint down 25m and back 25m 3 times followed by snatches 10 on each arm and then sprint down and back 3 times, then finally thrusters 10 on each arm then sprint down and back 3 times.  If you have stop watch or timer you could replace the running back 3 times by going for 30 sec all out.  The reason you run back and forth 3 times between each exercise is because you want to be at a distance that will take you around 30 sec to complete.  So do the swings then sprint, snatch then sprint, then do thrusters and sprint.  That is one set repeat for 3 sets and you are going for time there is no rest in this one at all just keep going until you have finished all 3 sets.  Then when you repeat this workout try to beat your overall time.

As you can see the possibilities are endless when it comes to mixing it up with running and exercises.  Just keep the weight low, reps between 5 to 20, the sprints to distances that would take you no longer than 30 sec to run, and get creative and fun with it.

You Should Compete

You should compete in kettlebells, one of the instructors said to me at my IKFF CKT level 1 certification.  I didn’t even know there was such a thing I replied.  What do you have to do?  You lift the kettlebell as many times as you can in 10 minutes.  That’s it piece of cake I can do I thought to myself.  Oh yeah you can’t set the kettlebells down at all or your set is done and you only get one hand switch in the Snatch.  Wait 10 minutes without setting the kettlebells down?  Ok maybe this is not as easy as it sounds and that is what I found out as I started to train for my first kettlebell competition.  

With the help of Ken Blackburn my coach I started to train for my first kettlebell competition.  One thing I came quick to realize is that kettlebell sport training builds a lot of mental toughness.  In kettlebell sport you train for time not reps so when it comes to a 7 minute set and your whole body is shaking and telling you stop, it takes that extra mental toughness to tell your body to relax and keep pushing on.  Another thing I noticed when I started to train in kettlebell sport is that I was now able to get around the pitch (rugby field) easier and obstacle races became easier as well.  In sports there are never a certain number of reps to perform, it is a continuous movement and that is why kettlebell sport has such a high carryover to sports because you build strength endurance.  People that participate in contact sports and endurance athletes will especially notice that they will be strong long into that last mile or minute of the match.  In kettlebell sport training we use anatomical breathing which helps us take in more oxygen so we last the whole 10 minutes; this is also the same breathing used when you run so another reason why athletes can benefit from this style of training.

In kettlebell sport you have 3 main lifts and they are the Snatch, Jerk, and Long Cycle which is clean and jerk.  The women use only one kettlebell for all lifts and the men use two kettlebells for the long cycle and jerk, and just one kettlebell for the snatch.  You only get one hand switch and you cannot set the kettlebells on the ground if you do your set is done.  The competition is for 10 minutes which is the way it has been for a long time or 5 minutes which are new.  You compete by weight class and what size kettlebell you use which varies from 8kg (18lb) to 32kg (70lb).  Competitions are fairly new to North America as there are now several across the United States and we have one here in Chicago called the Chicago Kettlebell Classic which just took place not too long ago and will happen again next year in June. 

There is a ranking system as well in kettlebell sport with the ultimate goal of achieving MSIC (Master of Sport International Class).  The ranking goes as follows you have Rank 1, 2, and 3 with 1 being the highest. Then you go for CMS (Candidate Master of Sport), then you go for MS (Master of Sport), and then the highest (MSIC) this is your black belt in kettlebell sport.  Each level has a certain amount reps that you need to hit attain that status.

My first time competing I was contemplating on why am I doing this and was saying to myself this will be the first and last time I do this, but a funny thing happened in my first competition I took 3^rd place in the long cycle.  So then the competitive athlete came out of me and wanted to start training again for the next competition.  Since that time with the help of my coach Ken Blackburn I have added a few 1^st places to my list and recently attained the level of CMS in the snatch.

What is Kettlebell Sport?

The basic goal in kettlebell sport is to see how many times you can lift the kettlebell in 10 minutes. The person with the highest reps wins.  Sounds simple right?  Well let me explain the rules a little better and then you can decide for yourself.  So in kettlebell sport you have 3 main lifts the snatch, jerk, and long cycle (which is clean and jerk).  There are a few other events at competitions but these are your main 3 lifts always performed.  The women compete with only one kettlebell in all 3 events and the men compete with 2 kettlebells in the jerk and long cycle and only one kettlebell in the snatch.  You are allowed only one hand switch during the entire 10 minutes and you are not allowed to put the kettlebells down.  If you have to set the kettlebells down your set is done.  So in the events with 2 kettlebells there are no hand switches you just have to hold on to both kettlebells the whole time.  You will hear the term fixation a lot amongst kettlebell sport atheltes and what is on every rep your arm and legs must be locked out for a second or two to show that you have completed the lift successfully each and every rep.  If you do not achieve lockout you will hear a no count and the rep will not count.  Competitors are spilt into weight divisions and what kettlebell size they chose to compete with which could be between 8kg to 32kg.  

In kettlebell sport there is also a ranking a system which goes in the following order from highest to lowest:
MSIC (Master of Sport International Class)
MS (Master of Sport)
CMS (Candidate Master of Sport)
Rank 1
Rank 2
Rank 3

Each rank is determined by a set number of reps one must achieve during the 10 minutes and also certain ranks can only be achieved with one kettlebell size.  For example men can only achieve MSIC with the 32kg and women can only achieve MSIC with the 24kg. 

So what do you think piece of cake right?  Kettlebell sport is great is because you have people young and old with different abilities competing it is a sport for everyone.  Do yourself a favor and compete in at least one kettlebell competition and make sure to find a coach with kettlebell sport experience to help you out with your training.  It will be one of the best decisions you ever make.

The Dream

Remember when you were a kid?  You had big dreams and goals of what you wanted in your life.  We all wanted to be someone important and make a difference in the world.  None of us dreamed of working a dead end job with no chance for advancement or challenge.  So what happened?  At what point did the dream get moved to the back burner?  Why do we simply accept life as is?  Well, there is still time to capture that dream.  I don’t care if you are 10 years old or 80 years old.  There is always time to chase after your dream and accomplish your goals.  When we were little, parents told us to shoot for the stars and we were excited, like I get at an all you can eat buffet.  So, if we are told to shoot for the stars and make our dreams reality, why did we not succeed in doing so?  Well, part of it is that we are afraid.  Afraid to take a risk or gamble and see what happens.  We have a fear of failure.  In high school, I was terrified of talking to girls and at the same time I had no clue when one was hitting on me.  This fear paralyzed me from approaching and talking to girls I found attractive.  In time though, thanks to alcohol, I built up the confidence to talk to girls and conquered my fear of rejection.  I think it would benefit everyone to do a sales job just for a few months so they can get used to rejection and conquer their fear.  Being rejected sucks there is no doubt about it.  How will you bounce back from that rejection?  That is what separates the winners from the losers and I am not just talking about sports, but about life in general.  What defines us as people is how we deal with rejection/failure and how we respond to that situation.  Will you accept your failure or will you continue to push on no matter how hard the obstacle or task that lies ahead to accomplish your goal?  It is very easy to give up.  Many people do it every day.   That is fine as long as you did everything you could and left it all on the line.  If you are going to fail, fail big time and hold nothing back.  As a very wise Jedi once said “Do or do not, there is no try.”  Think about that phrase for a second.  Either get off your ass and make your dream reality or continue to sit on your ass and just dream about dream.  We have a short time on this planet, so you might as well make the most of it.  Ask yourself what is your dream and when are you going to make it happen.  If you fail in the process, so what?  At least you made a run at it.  The greatest president in my opinion, Abraham Lincoln, failed in life and business several times before becoming president of the United States.  He worked tirelessly to unite our country and end slavery.  Thousands of people every year still come to Springfield, Illinois to pay their respects to him.  I think that says a lot for someone that passed away over a century ago.  Just because you fail at one thing does not mean you will fail at another.  Keep pushing and never stop until that one day when you succeed.  When that day comes, embrace it and respect the journey it took to get there.  Nothing is given to us, but at the same time everything is there for the taking.  It is just a matter of how bad we want it?  You hear it many times that the team that won just wanted it more than the other.  Your mind is an incredible and fascinating body part.  You can basically control the outcome of a situation by the way think.  If you can visualize the outcome in your head, then you can accomplish it in life.  No matter what the dream, if you can visualize it, you can achieve it.  So back to the beginning.  What is your dream?  It could be a childhood dream or a dream you have now.  What are you doing to make that dream a reality?  Remember, we have but one life.  So go chase that dream.  It doesn’t matter how ridiculous it may be or what people say.  Go after that dream and live a life to the fullest knowing that you held nothing back and gave it everything you had.  I think Vince Lombardi said it best “at the end of the game win or lose can you say you gave it your all and did everything you could to win and can look into your teammates eyes say the same thing?”  In this life, when you maker comes calling can you look them in the eyes and say “I lived a full life and did everything I could to achieve my dream.”  Dreams are not meant to be just dreams.  So go and live your dream and stop dreaming and start living!