Simply Kettlebells

Respect and Honor Rant.

2011-11-10T09:59:00.000-06:00

I have changed the oil in my truck, my motorcycle,my lawnmower and my wifes car too many times to count. I have rotated tires, replaced brake pads and rotors, replaced filters, and made too many other minor repairs and maintenance activities to keep track of. When there are big issues, I defer to the experts and take the vehicle to a trained mechanic. I rarely argue with him, but often ask for an explanation. The point - no matter how many times I do those activities, all I am doing is playing mechanic. It does not make me an expert.

I say that because I am tired of seeing people disrespect the FMS system and the RKC system. I understand not agreeing with the FMS or the RKC, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and has the right to choose whatever system they want to buy into and learn from. But people that are not trained in those systems or certified in those organizations have absolutely no business publicly representing either. I don't care if you do 500 FMS screens a year and teach 50 people how to do a get up - if you don't know the right way to do either you haven't done even 1 correctly. Quantity rarely trumps quality in regards to anything.

If you don't Respect the system and don't Honor the movements, you don't have the right to be respected or honored yourself. If your name isn't on this list (FMS) or this list (CK-FMS) then you have no right to be performing an FMS for personal or financial gain. If you are in the process of going thru the FMS Certification, that is different - you respected the system by going thru the system to learn the system.

I'm off my soapbox now. If you need tips on vehicle maintenance - ask an expert, not me though.

Check out my latest post:

2011-09-19T23:12:00.002-05:00

www.scienceoftheswing.blogspot.com

The Dreaded "BOX"

2011-02-04T22:37:00.000-06:00

I was able to do a few presentations last year at the NATA conference as well as a couple other smaller conferences to share my approach to how I address certain areas of clinical interventions - specifically the thoracic spine, training deceleration, and movement (3 separate topics). Since then, I receive about 2-3 emails each week regarding something contained in on of my presentations. More often than not, however, I get the something similar to the following:

I attended your -insert specific presentation here- and really enjoyed it. There was a lot of good content, and your delivery is beyond amazing (I added that, but it is my story so hang on until I get to the point). I really like how you approach the application of deceleration in rehab, and feel like I can apply a lot of you concepts in my practice. I typically try to think outside the box and feel that some of the drills you presented will allow me to do expand that . So here is my question- for an ACL post-op patient how long after you initiate quad sets, active straight leg raises, and stool pulls do you wait to begin your deceleration training?

Now, that is a totally made up scenario but VERY similar to what I regularly get. My initial thought is always "way to think outside the box, now take your hand of the box and take a step away from it". There are a lot of people that say they think outside the box, but to me that is like having to tell people you are pretty. If you have to tell people you are then you aren't. It is something that should be inherent in your approach and in your decision making process. To me "Thinking outside the box" is beginning to fall into the same category as "Functional Training" and "Sport Specific Training" - terms people use to describe and market what they do without actually doing anything different than anyone else.

So, for those of you outside the box thinkers is that a way people describe you or how you describe yourself to other people? If you are the latter, re-examine what you do and try to take a step further away from that rhetorical box, until you get to a point where you fall under the former.

Anyone feel like this?

2011-01-28T22:46:00.000-06:00

" I Keep Bangin My Head Against This Wall......" How often have you felt like this in your own training, when you train your clients/athletes, or with other aspects of your life? Inevitably, everyone at some point will have this feeling in regards to some aspect of their daily lives. The question then, is what do you do because of this feeling. Einstein defined stupidity as doing the same thing over and over yet expecting different results. Do you continue on your same bull-headed path to frustrations "hoping" that something will change, or do you actively look to create the change that will re-direct the path you are traveling down? If you chose the first option, Einstein called you stupid several years ago. Sorry, just pointing out the facts.

I recently spent a few hours with Master RKC Jeff O'Connor with the hopes that he could help me move past a couple training plateaus that I had been stuck on (and yes, I was being bull-headed with what I had been doing. ie - stupid). In the three hours I spend with him, I was repeatedly reminded that ignoring my own issues wouldn't make them go away. (It's not like we are all 2 years old and everything disappears when we close our eyes.) He did this both verbally - telling me to quit avoiding my restrictions, and physically - putting me in positions that made me face and acknowledge my restrictions. And, surprisingly over the past couple of weeks by re-directing the course of my own training those restrictions aren't as obvious and more importantly those plateaus are for the time being not an issue for me anymore. Could I have fixed my problems by myself? I don't know, I hadn't fixed them in the previous 6 months and wasn't moving forward very fast. I was putting in a TON of time and effort, but not seeing much in the way of results.

So, the moral of the story: If you aren't happy with your training (or you aren't happy with the results your athletes/clients are getting) it is time to re-evaluate what you are doing. What can you change or do differently that will give you the results you are looking for. Maybe it is a little change, maybe it is a drastic change, but either way there needs to be a change. Take the initiative to do something different, and you might be surprised by the results you get!

Back again.

2010-04-02T23:31:00.001-05:00

As it was pointed out to me earlier this week, I haven't posted anything for a very long while. My excuse was that I wanted the flyers for the upcoming HKC and Athletic Development Workshops to stay at the top of the page, but if you haven't seen them by now and don't have the dates on your calander will seeing them one more time change anything?

So here is my question today: If the squat is as simple as it looks (triple flexion) then 1) why do so many people struggle to squat correctly and 2)why do so many instructors struggle to fix it / teach it?

My opinion -which in my opinion is correct- is that the squat is much more complicated than it looks. Two questions that come to my mind when I see someone that can't squat is can they / how do they touch their toes and can they / how do they roll over? Another question - how do we originally learn to squat (with no instructions mind you)? From the ground up, but only after we have rolled over, crawled, and pulled up. Miss one of those steps and squatting won't happen. But yet as adults, when we come across someone that can't squat how do we typically try to fix it? MORE SQUAT's or a different type of squat. Here is an experiment - hit your hand with a hammer. Remember how it feels and then drop that same hammer from 12" onto your hand. Feel any different? Probably not. If someone can't squat they can't squat. Period, it doesn't matter what variation they do. Squatting more won't fix a bad squat, it will just make them more efficient.

Back to how we learn initially - from the ground up. Roll them, then once they have that down forward bend them (unloaded RDL) emphasizing pushing the hips back. If they still have problems, time for an FMS.

Also, try this work out: 8 minutes and 30 seconds of turkish get ups. Under control and using perfect form, attempt as many as you can with a light/moderate load. I told 2 kids I work with that I do 32 get ups every morning in 8 1/2 minutes instead of drinking coffee. They didn't buy it , but I finally convinced them.

I decided to try it this AM for my get up practice. Turns out, they might have been right - but I wasn't wrong, just not motivated enough.

Workout of the week (1/11/2009)

2010-01-10T17:17:00.000-06:00

Welcome back to the spring semester!! Since this is the beginning of the Spring semester, I feel like it is also a good time to get back to some movements that we may have gotten away from. Of course, those would be the swing and the get up. So, here goes:

SWING WORKOUT
200 Swing Challenge
1. Complete 200 swings as quickly as possible. Rest as needed, and record the time. Don't get sloppy, make sure they are Hardstyle swings and don't get "Soft" as you get tired.

GET UP WORKOUT
Progressive Get Up
1. Roll to press, Back
2. To elbow, Back
3. To Hand, Back
4. To High Bridge, Back
5. To 3-point stance, Back
6. To 1/2 kneeling, Back
7. To Standing, Back

Complete this process one side at a time. Go slowly. Make sure to crisply and cleanly hit each position. Shoot for 5 on each side, alternating sides after each one.

If you still have anything left, try another 200 swings. That should knock the rust out from the holidays and get you back on track for the upcoming semester.

Springfield HKC??

2010-01-03T17:43:00.001-06:00

That's right, we are in the process of bringing an HKC course to Springfield. Keep an eye out for details, but we are looking at a date in April. AND, there are rumors of having an Advanced Kettlebell/RKC Prep course with Sr. RKC Jeff O'Connor and RKC II Dustin Rippitoe on the following day.

Great article committment...

2009-12-30T10:25:00.003-06:00

I got this yesterday and had to post the link here. It's written by Jeffrey Gitomer, who if you don't know is the author of several books on art of Sales. "Why do you follow a sales writer?" you might be thinking. Everything in life is about selling, maybe not actual items or property but life is all about sales. Remember the scene in Tommy Boy where Chris Farley's character convinces the waitress at the diner to bring him the chicken wings even though the kitchen was closed? She 'bought' the idea that she should get him the wings.

Anyway, it's a great article and it applies to training - so read it.

Workout of the week (12/28/09)

2009-12-28T21:21:00.003-06:00

In light of all the great holiday movies, I will quote Kevin McCallister from the classic Home Alone: "Do you all give up or are you thirsty for more?"
Which leads us to this weeks workout. So here goes, if you think you are ready for it:

Swings x 25
Long cycle press x 5right (on the fifth, keep the bell overhead)
Walk 20 yards, swing once to switch hands
Long cycle press x 5 left (on the fifth, keep the bell overhead)
Walk 20 yards back to where you started
Repeat starting at step one shooting for 8 cycles thru (200 swings, 40 presses/front squats each)

What is a long cycle press? It is a press that flows from a front squat. The momentum you generated from the front squat will help you with the press, so make the movement nice and smooth so you don't loose any power. With that being said, I expect you to go one bell heavier than you normally press. So if you normally press the 16kg, step up to the 20kg. Let your legs assist the press as much as you need to, as long as you maintain a nice crisp form.

Goal Reached.

2009-12-19T22:17:00.002-06:00

I have been attempting to successfully perform a pistol (single leg squat below parallel) for well over a year now. Attempting being the key word. As 2009 is coming to an end I realized that the likelihood of reaching this goal was slipping away. Also since my wife and I had our son on 12/7/09 sleep and training has been hit and miss AND my mom was in town helping out for a week - which means I ate well, VERY WELL. So today I wanted to see how much, if any progress I had made over the past few months - I had specifically been addressing weakness and restrictions. Look what happened.

By addressing my restrictions and using many tips from Pavel's Naked Warrior it finally happened. A plan, lots of patience, and persistence. Yesterday, I felt a Pistol for me was impossible. Today, it wasn't the prettiest but it happened.

Workout of the week. (12/17/09)

2009-12-17T18:38:00.006-06:00

Here is a nice quick workout that hits almost all of the basic kettlebells skills: swing, clean, snatch and front squat. Plus, it will challenge your grip so choose an appropriate bell - typically 8kg or 12kg for women, and 12kg or 16kg for guys. You will perform each exercise back-to-back all on the same side for 15 seconds each for a total of 1 minute of work per set. Take a 30 second break and repeat on the other side. Start out shooting for a 10 minute work out or 4 cycles on each side . Here is the breakdown:

1 arm swing Right 15sec
Clean Right 15sec
Snatch Right 15sec
Front squat right 15 sec
Rest :30sec
1 arm swing Left 15sec
Clean Left 15sec
Snatch Left 15sec
Front squat Left 15 sec
Rest :30sec

Good luck!! And don't forget, as you fatigue pay extra attention to your technique.

OKC HKC

2009-12-14T18:44:00.002-06:00

The HKC course in OKC was last weekend, and I had 3 "students" that attended. We only had a month of prep time to get them up to speed and ready to handle the challenge of the course. I am proud to say that after alot of questions, sweat, and hard work on their part that all 3 passed - GREAT JOB GUYS. And even better, since the course I have seen all 3 apply the skills they learned.

Now, just a little tease --- there is a possibility of there being an HKC Course and an Athletic Development Workshop hosted by Sr. RKC Jeff O'Connor in Springfield early in 2010. Keep an eye out here and on Dustin Rippetoe's website for details.

First piece of Forceplate Data

2009-11-22T09:59:00.003-06:00

Back in September, I had the privilege of attending the RKC to collect data on the instructors and the candidates. We used a forceplate and video to analyze the swing and snatch for everyone that was there, and a few RKC's that just came to watch the grad workout but Pavel convinced to take part. Needless to say we have a TON of data. For each 15 second test we have 3000 lines of data. Finally we are beginning to get thru the data.

One question I have always had is: If someone cannot jump well and has poor landing mechanics, how can you address this? If you work on force production, their landing mechanics limit you. What if the reason their landing mechanics are bad is because they can't produce/absorb force? Studies have shown that ground reaction forces (GRF's) vary from 1.6 times bodyweight all the way to 3.5times bodyweight depending on the height of the jump. BUT, poor landing mechanics can prevent you from increasing that load.

Now that we have that out of the way, what we are seeing are with the RKC data collection is GRF's that range from 1.5-3.6 times bodyweight - equivolent to the GRF's associated with jumping. The big difference though, is landing mechanics are taken out of the picture. For the candidates, those numbers were 1.5-3.6 times thier bodyweight. Now, we haven't had our statistician run any statistical tests on these numbers, but alone the numbers to appear to enforce the swing as a beneficial movement - but most of us already knew that.

"The Furnace"

2009-11-22T09:51:00.002-06:00

On Sr RKC David Whitley's blog is a workout called "The Furnace". After seeing it I thought it looked like a good workout that would "refresh" the basics of the getup and swings. I took my bootcamp class thru it a couple of times. I also included it as a bonus workout in the 4-week HKC Prep manual I put together for some guys I have attending the OKC HKC on December 5th. After all of that I finally found time to put it into one of my workouts. I made it thru the whole workout with a 24kg, but my QL found time to complain the next day. It is definetly more than a bonus workout.

Hardstyle coming to Oklahoma

2009-10-28T08:48:00.006-05:00

The Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification (HKC) is coming to Oklahoma on December 5th. Jeff O'Connors (Sr RKC) and Dustin Rippetoe (RKCII/CK-FMS) will be the lead instructors for this course. It's and opportunity to learn from two great instructors, and not have to travel very far. For more information or to register, click on the Oklahoma HKC link to the right.

Oklahoma Kettlebell Workshop

2009-10-20T09:26:00.003-05:00

I just returned from the Oklahoma Kettlebell Workshop hosted by Way of Strength. One word - Excellent. It was instructed by SrRKC Jeff O'Connors and SrRKC David Whitley, and was an intermediate level kettlebell workshop. So what did we spend 80% of the weekend on? Swings and Get ups. Going into the weekend I was fairly confident that my swings and get ups were rock solid - coming out of the weekend I was humbled. The more I practice these movements and the more I learn about them, the clearer it is that they are skills. Like any skills there is continual refinement and improvement. Like I've said since the RKC swinging a kettlebell and doing a kettlebell swing are two different things. After all the refinement and drills to clean up these movements this weekend both movements feel crisper and cleaner.

While I learned a lot over the weekend, it was also a physically challenging weekend. I was humbled -there's that word again- by a 12kg and a 16kg bell for most of the weekend. Keep in mind I thought I could do a getup with a 40kg bell, and I swing double 24kg bells on a weekly basis.

The best part of the weekend was their ability to instruct/teach. Easily they could have physically beat us down and let us walk/crawl away. But, they new where the line was between learning/refining movements and "total beat-down" and took us to that line several times. After the RKC in April and a 9 hour drive home, I was stuck in a seated position -or at least felt that way- for 2 days. After this weekend, I was sore and fatigued but was fully functional by Monday morning. Where I was the most sore -my Jaw from a "warm up" drill we did on Sunday and my thumb from taking so many notes. Almost reminded me of Chemistry class as a sophomore in College - only I can apply a lot of what I learned this weekend. Chemistry is still a little questionable for me.

Choices and Motivation

2009-09-10T09:03:00.004-05:00

I few months back, there was a post on the Dragon Door Form asking Pavel how he would answered the question "what do I do when I can't get motivated?" I don't remember his answer word for word, but essentially he said how can you not be motivated? I didn't give it much thought at the time, but lately it has been wondering thru my mind.

Specifically, what can you do when someone is not motivated? To me, motivation comes from within. Everyone is driven by different goals or reasons. Lately, I've personally been working thru the Return of the Kettlebell Program in preparation for the upcoming Oklahoma Kettlebell Workshop in October, which is then followed by the CK-FMS course in May, and the RKC II course in June. My 2 motivating factors? 1) $$ - I've paid for these and refuse to fail. 2)Pride - I don't want to embarrass myself by not being prepared and able to handle anything that is thrown my way.

Everyday we are faced with choices - what to eat, what to wear, when to go to work, how hard to work when you are there, how to fill your free time. All of these seem like little, trivial choices but each one can either help you reach your goals or lead you to failure. Ultimately, your choices should lead you to be better than you were yesterday. If you do the same things you have always done, the results won't change. Expecting them to is stupidity.

If you want to get better at anything (work, marriage, relationships, health, etc.) it is going to take work. Being unsatisfied is the first sign that you need to make changes in the choices you make. If you are unhappy with any area of your life but continue to make the same choices everyday it's your fault. It's that simple, no matter how you try to justify it. If you want to eat healthier, but stop at McDonalds for breakfast because it is convenient it's your fault- Ronald McDonald didn't force you to pull into his restaurant. If you want to get in better shape but choose to miss your fitness class, bootcamp, or personal training time it's your fault - your bed didn't keep you from getting out of it.

Everyday you are faced with many choices. It is up to you how you handle each one. Ultimately the question you need to ask yourself is "will this make me better today than I was yesterday?" Michael Jordan won 2 Olympic Gold Medals, 1 NCAA title, and NBA 5 championships. S-I-X. After his first, he could have stopped improving but he wanted more - he CHOSE to keep getting better. Phil Jackson said, every season he returned better at some part of his game than the season before. If you chose to keep getting better everyday, you won't have to look for motivation or try to get motivated. You will be driven with each choice you make.

MTS Kettlebell Bootcamp

2009-07-25T16:03:00.004-05:00

Beginning on September 1st, Simply Kettlebells and Martino Training Systems will team up to offer a Kettlebell Bootcamp. The only kettlebell bootcamp in Southwest Missouri instructed by an RKC Certified Kettlebell Instructor.

The bootcamp will meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 6:30 - 7:15am. The bootcamp standard is show up, get beat down, leave, be sore for 2-3 days. We will not only provide a workout that will get your attention, but you will learn the skills of using a kettlebell safely and more importantly effectively. It will be brutaly simple - you will truly be amazed at how one tool and a limited number of exercises will give you the results you are looking for.

What should you expect when you enroll in the MTS Kettlebell Workshop?
• Dramatically increase your endurance and be amazed at how rapidly your weight loss goals are met
• Accelerate your progress by training your entire body to work as a single, powerful unit, not a disconnected collection of body parts
• Develop amazing full body conditioning
• Discover how training movements instead of muscles will burn more calories and put you on the fast track to a lean, strong body
• Tighten your waist and strengthen your core with variations of exercises like the Swing, Turkish get-up and the Goblet Squat.

If you are ready to get in AMAZING SHAPE and have FUN while doing it, sign up now. Enroll early, class size is limited.

To Enroll, send me an email at: simplykettlebells@gmail.com to start the process.

Kettlebells and Rehab

2009-06-24T19:24:00.004-05:00

In my professional career I have seen several techniques, trends, and tools come and go. For many of those, if you purchased certain equipment you could do whatever the technique was. However, without the specialized equipment the technique was less effective.

I go back to one of the first things Pavel said during the RKC weekend - "It's not about the kettlebell." How great -and contradictory - is that, the individual who is responsible for bringing Kettlebells to the Western world at the course to become a certified kettlebell instructor saying it's not about the kettlebell. At the end of the weekend I understood - the kettlebell is just a tool. The philosophy behind the kettlebell is where the importance lies.

There are many tools to do rehab with. Catalogs full. So why is the kettlebell so special, and why does it work so well in rehab. In the world of athletics, a majority of the acute injuries occur due to contact with an opponent or during the eccentric loading phase (ie. landing, change of direction). In either situation, you are dealing with the ability to absorb and control force(s).
In the words of Brett Jones - The kettlebell is brutally simple: a large handle with an offset weight. The simple design allows us to do things that cannot be done with freeweights, machines, or other implements.

By utilizing the kettlebell - just one tool- you can teach the body:

To move under a load (Turkish get ups, windmills, or arm bars)
To absorb force (two arm swings, snatches, one arm swings, single leg deadlift)
To create force ( swing variations, snatches, cleans, presses, goblet squats)
To control forces (figure-8's, plus all the ones listed above)

Again, it is just one tool that in the properly trained hands - a whole other blog - can accomplish many different tasks. What other single piece of equipment has so many uses??

How I Got Started With Kettlebells.....

2009-06-13T11:23:00.010-05:00

My path to kettlebells really began before I even knew it. In 2005, while I was the Sports Medicine Director for a hospital in Oklahoma, I attended Ryan Lee's Bootcamp. The main reason I attended was to hear Alwyn Cosgrove, Mike Boyle, and Lee Taft speak. This was prior to the Perform Better Series - so to have them all in one location was impressive. One of the other presenters was Steve Cotter. He spoke about Qigong and Kettlebells. After watching him do a Double 24kg Turkish Get Up, I was amazed. But, it didn't "click" with me at the time as to all the benefits of the bell.

Fast forward to 2007. I was working at a Sports Medicine/Sports Performance Center and saw a video on You Tube of a Turkish Get up. I thought that it was something I could use with my patients, so I started to incorporate it as best i could. I quickly found that it was much tougher to do and to teach than in looked, so I began to do some research. I stumbled across DragonDoor.com and began reading their articles. Eventually, I purchased a 12kg and a 20kg bell for myself and realized I had a lot to learn. The next purchase was Enter the Kettlebell. This was also about the time I learned of the RKC system - which completely intimidated me. I was sure there was no way I could do that.

I worked with kettlebells for about a year and finally in November 2008 decided to sign up for the upcoming April RKC. The day after I signed up I decided to do the 5:00 snatch test to see how good I was. After I humbly hit 74 snatches, I realized there was ALOT of work to do - at 235lbs I was going to have to do 100 snatches in less than 5 months. I utilized the DragonDoor Forum, met with an RKC for some advice and when April rolled around I survived the RKC weekend without that much pain or discomfort. After completing the final Grad Workout, I can say that I felt a greater sense of accomplishment than I have ever felt.

So, here I am today blending my backgrounds of Athletic Training, Sports Performance, and the RKC system together. Why the name "Simply Kettlebell's"? Once I started training for the RKC, and many times since then, people have approached me and asked what they needed to do to get the same results, and every time my answer has been the same. I simply say........ kettlebells.

Brandon's Professional Accreditation's Include:

BS in Sports Medicine/Athletic Training from Southwest Missouri State University - 2000
MS in Human Performance from Oklahoma State University - 2002
Fellowship at the USOC's Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Co - 2003
National Academy of Sports Medicine - Performance Enhancement Specialist - 2005
Dartfish Video Analysis Specialist - 2006
RKC Kettlebell Instructor - 2009