Showing posts with label rkc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rkc. Show all posts
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Pull Up Happiness: Great Coaching can make so much difference.
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One of the best parts of the certifications the RKC runs is that, as part of the training, after learning the drills, we practice corrections for these drills. Pavel asks for one candidate who may be working on a particular issue in a given move. and then asks for another candidate to articulate what they're seeing and what corrections they might run. It's in no small part because of these mini case studies in applied work that RKC's leave well prepared to teach and what makes the RKC such a potent teaching paradigm.
As for being a victim in these cases, there is only a benefit and no shame in being so pointed out: if you're a victim for a Pavel crit session, you have the opportunity to get incredible feedback on your form from a world-leading coach.
At the Feb 2010 RKC II critique session where i was humbly holding the pull up bar for RKCII Strong Gal Nikki Shlosser, who presses 24s like they were 12s. sheesh,
Brett Jones said, "why not have mc do one?"
While I had had the privilege a few times that weekend for some corrective strategies, this was the best: a one on one PU workshop with Pavel, featuring excellent feedback from the floor from both Team Lead Paul Daniels (who uses the gently thrust the foot in the stomach of victim while pulling on arms to correct a windmill technique) and RKC II beast tamer KC Reitter - oh, and quite a bit from Pavel, too (each time i finished a pull up, got feedback, and thinking wow, that was great, and to go back to sit down, Pavel said "don't go away, com mc; we're not finished [insert discussion of technique improvements]...Again now, please [insert pull up here]. What else would you say comrades?" - awesome).
What can i say? Repete apres le model...
While i have a long way to go (as you can see), and others are way stronger in this event than i (including the inspirational two times tactical strength women's champ, UK'er RKC Angela Craig ), i love the Pull Up. And i dig Pavel's coaching - the latter being why i travelled across the ocean to do the RKC II. And wow, there they were together! Great great tips to improve something i love to do. Thanks again Brett Jones for that casual "why not..." Funny how those things can take us by surprise eh? Quel Gateau, Quel Surprise! Now i'm getting all vaklempt about it, so you'll just have to excuse me....happy happy joy joy.
mc
PS -update
Note my head over the bar? that first one - that's me looking up with joy, and two, that's an end move i have to stop - it's me sticking my neck over the bar at the end deliberately - since part of the RKC II test is to make cleat the chin is over the bar. But there are costs for this if one does it on the way up. Mike T. Nelson's video, that he references in the comments on this post, shows why clearly:
Related Posts
One of the best parts of the certifications the RKC runs is that, as part of the training, after learning the drills, we practice corrections for these drills. Pavel asks for one candidate who may be working on a particular issue in a given move. and then asks for another candidate to articulate what they're seeing and what corrections they might run. It's in no small part because of these mini case studies in applied work that RKC's leave well prepared to teach and what makes the RKC such a potent teaching paradigm.As for being a victim in these cases, there is only a benefit and no shame in being so pointed out: if you're a victim for a Pavel crit session, you have the opportunity to get incredible feedback on your form from a world-leading coach.
At the Feb 2010 RKC II critique session where i was humbly holding the pull up bar for RKCII Strong Gal Nikki Shlosser, who presses 24s like they were 12s. sheesh,
Brett Jones said, "why not have mc do one?"
While I had had the privilege a few times that weekend for some corrective strategies, this was the best: a one on one PU workshop with Pavel, featuring excellent feedback from the floor from both Team Lead Paul Daniels (who uses the gently thrust the foot in the stomach of victim while pulling on arms to correct a windmill technique) and RKC II beast tamer KC Reitter - oh, and quite a bit from Pavel, too (each time i finished a pull up, got feedback, and thinking wow, that was great, and to go back to sit down, Pavel said "don't go away, com mc; we're not finished [insert discussion of technique improvements]...Again now, please [insert pull up here]. What else would you say comrades?" - awesome).
What can i say? Repete apres le model...
While i have a long way to go (as you can see), and others are way stronger in this event than i (including the inspirational two times tactical strength women's champ, UK'er RKC Angela Craig ), i love the Pull Up. And i dig Pavel's coaching - the latter being why i travelled across the ocean to do the RKC II. And wow, there they were together! Great great tips to improve something i love to do. Thanks again Brett Jones for that casual "why not..." Funny how those things can take us by surprise eh? Quel Gateau, Quel Surprise! Now i'm getting all vaklempt about it, so you'll just have to excuse me....happy happy joy joy.
mc
PS -update
Note my head over the bar? that first one - that's me looking up with joy, and two, that's an end move i have to stop - it's me sticking my neck over the bar at the end deliberately - since part of the RKC II test is to make cleat the chin is over the bar. But there are costs for this if one does it on the way up. Mike T. Nelson's video, that he references in the comments on this post, shows why clearly:
Related Posts
- Prepping for the RKC Cert - the other stuff
- Interview with Asha Wagner - pressing, pulling and pistoling the 24
- Michael Castrogiovanni Interview - kettlebell pairs tossing.
- b2d Kettlebell Index
- PULL UPS - HOW TO resource guide
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Friday, March 12, 2010
asha wagner: 24kg weighted pistol, pull up, press success with Greasing the Groove emphasis on Technique
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What do you say of a gal who can one arm strict military press a 24kg kettlebell, do a single leg squat (pistol) with that 24, and do a pull up with said 24kg (53lbs) tied to her waist? Anything she wants? Usual introductions, however, would be to Asha Wagner, and this post is an interview with this super athlete. Indeed, I thought this interview was mainly going to be about Asha's Beast work and her tips for other aspiring tamers, but it turns out that there's so much more to Asha's sports-person-ship and outlook on both life and athletic practice that i'm just frickin' inspired by her attitude and approach to sport. I hope you will be too.
For context, then, a bit about the deal with the three particular lifts of the Beast Challenge that initiated connecting with Asha about this piece, and how for some of us, they've become a sinecure of strength.
At every kettlebell RKC certification, Dragon Door pulls out the Beast Challenge opportunity, named after the nickname for the 48kg kettlebell the guys must use. For guys, therefore, the challenge is a pistol (one legged squat), pull up and press with a 48kg kettlebell. For women, the load is 24kg (the women's challenge has recently been renamed the Iron Maiden. No comment). There are under a dozen men who have completed the BC. And so far, it seems, two women.
Statuesque, serene and really nice fire fighter Asha Wagner is one of them. Asha won the
challenge in 2008. Not content to sit on her laurels, as it were, just for fun, she casually pistoled both a 32kg and 36kg kettlebell at the cert.
Asha kindly agreed to have a chat about her beast challenge experience, training, where kettlebells (those cannonballs with handles) and athletics fit into her life, and what an RKC certified kb (kettlebell) trainer does for fun.
Asha, would you say you've always been involved in some kind of sport or athletics?
Now to the heart of the matter: you're one of only a couple of women to have done the 24k version of the beast challenge. When/where did you pass that challenge?
Cool, no? Strength is a skill. How do ya win the iron maiden? practice practice practice.
Take away: there is no spoon; just technique, practice and enjoying the moment.
Related Links
For context, then, a bit about the deal with the three particular lifts of the Beast Challenge that initiated connecting with Asha about this piece, and how for some of us, they've become a sinecure of strength.
At every kettlebell RKC certification, Dragon Door pulls out the Beast Challenge opportunity, named after the nickname for the 48kg kettlebell the guys must use. For guys, therefore, the challenge is a pistol (one legged squat), pull up and press with a 48kg kettlebell. For women, the load is 24kg (the women's challenge has recently been renamed the Iron Maiden. No comment). There are under a dozen men who have completed the BC. And so far, it seems, two women.
Statuesque, serene and really nice fire fighter Asha Wagner is one of them. Asha won the
challenge in 2008. Not content to sit on her laurels, as it were, just for fun, she casually pistoled both a 32kg and 36kg kettlebell at the cert.Asha kindly agreed to have a chat about her beast challenge experience, training, where kettlebells (those cannonballs with handles) and athletics fit into her life, and what an RKC certified kb (kettlebell) trainer does for fun.
Asha, would you say you've always been involved in some kind of sport or athletics?
I've been involved in some type of athletics since I was 8 years old - Peewee league baseball 1 year, softball 3 years, basketball 1 year, rode the bench the entire season so I switched over to volleyball after that and stuck with through college. I was first introduced to volleyball when I was 12, but didn't start playing on a team until I was 14. Now I mainly coach volleyball for a club team here called Starlings Oakland, rock climb, and just started playing rugby.Cool. why rugby?
I've always been interested in rugby. It always looked like orchestrated chaos to me. While very physically and mentally challenging, climbing to me is more meditative than sport for me. Now, I'm joining mainly for the comraderie, to be a part of a team, and workout, suffer and celebrate as a group.How has this passion translated into a day job or has it?
I currently work as a firefighter. Firefighting is basically an athletic event.While biathletes have people skiing behind them with guns, i'm not aware of olympic events that include running through burning buildings. You are being modest. Have you or will you however take part in any of the firefighter challenges (the dragging the hose, going up the stairs, dragging the dummy, etc)?
Yes, the Firefighter Combat Challenge is one of the things I'm training for currently. Along the same lines, I'll be participating in a stair climb at the end of this month, 52 stories, full firefighting gear, breathing air from an SCBA bottle. Should be fun.To come back to the role of sports in firefighting...
My involvement in sports has been invaluable in helping to prepare me for firefighting. Beyond working out and becoming physically strong, sports helped me to develop, teamwork and communication skills, discipline, determination and work ethic.How do the above these approaches in particular to fire fighting?
In firefighting we all have specific jobs that need to be accomplished. We have to work as a part of a team. We have to able to effectively communicate our findings, actions and needs to others on the fire ground, especially when conditions change. There will usually be something unexpected that happens, and good communication and problem solving skills go a long way towards mitigating that.When not being Sport Asha, what sets your hair on fire to do?
As a direct result of the workouts I've been through, I'm used to being physically uncomfortable and gutting my way through it. When you're clawing your way with a 100 lbs on your back up a hill so steep you have to grab on to shrubs to keep from falling over backwards, it helps to focus on the moment, forget about the top of the hill, and just be determined to take one more step. That's something I learned from athletics
I also enjoy mountain and road biking, swimming, skateboarding, snowboarding, unicycling, and pretty much anything where I get to get out and move and play.
I love the arts, music reading, hanging out with friends and family, traveling, camping, puzzles and games, again pretty much anything where I get to play and have fun.Great that there's the emphasis on fun. How do you bring that to the volleyball team you coach?
With the kids it's a balancing act. I have the older group of girls in the club, the 18 and unders. I usually throw in a good amount of variety in the drills to keep them engaged. I try to make sure that I compliment as much or more than I criticize. They seem to respond well when they see the other coach and I hop on the court and let our love of the game come through.From what we talked about when we were at the Cert, you've been a volley ball player and are getting into Rugby: where do kettlebells come into this?
The other side of the coin is that we push them very hard. We have high standards and expectations for them, every point, every play. Ten or 15 years from now, they probably won't remember the scores to any of these games, but the life skills and lessons mentioned above will stay with them their whole lives. There will be practices where they are absolutely miserable, but oddly enough when they go away to college and come back to visit, those are always the ones they thank us for.
I didn't find out about kettlebells until a few years after I was done playing competitively.So what year would this be?
I played for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo '94-99Nice observation - i can imagine vball coaches taking notes.
When I was playing in college, I didn't really know what I was doing as far as weight training and conditioning, but I did a whole lot of it. If I had've known about kettlebells then, I would've been down right frightening on the court. The two handed kettlebell swing almost exactly replicates the bottom part of a volleyball approach jump. It teaches to load the hips and maintain balance and core stability through a dynamic movement. It also teaches linking the whole body together to generate power. For me, I always think of my volleyball swing originating at my toes and traveling up my body out through my arm. A more connected and flowing volleyball approach results in a more powerful arm swing. This is very similar to the kettlebell swing.
Although i just started playing rugby, so far kettlebells have helped my speed, agility, jumping in the lineouts, leg drive and core stabilization in the scrum, and most definitely stamina. I've been using Kenneth Jay's Viking Warrior Program for around six months or so and have noticed huge improvements in my recovery rate and muscular endurance. I'm very excited to add in the Viking Push Press [demo's in Return of the Kettlebell -mc] we learned about in RKC II.Have you been able to share these kettlebell protocols with your teammates? what's been their response to kb's?
I've only been practicing with the team for about two weeks now. My role for the time being, is to be a sponge, find out their ways of doing things, and learn as much as I can. I will start bringing a bell out to the pitch to warm up with a few swings before hand. If others are interested in learning, I'll be more than happy to share what I know.You've done both RKC certs now - why? Whay RKC 1? and then why 2?
I love to learn. I was hooked on kettlebells after a week of working out with them on my own, learning from videos and books. One meeting with Joe Sarti, an RKC in San Jose, improved my technique and ability to better utilize my strength.Cool. when was this?
I believe this was 2007 when Joe and I first met up. I wanted to learn more, so I signed up for the RKC I course.So this is June 2008?
February 2008Awesome.
There was an incredible wealth of information contained in the course. All of the instructors were incredibly knowledgeable and very effective teachers as well.
I wanted to learn more, so I signed up for the level II cert. Level II dissected the exercises in level I and gave me a whole new understanding of the movements and their benefits, and introduced a few new exercises that naturally built upon the movements from the one before it. Now, as I'm sure you've guessed, I want to learn more, so I signed up for the CK-FMS course in October.
Now to the heart of the matter: you're one of only a couple of women to have done the 24k version of the beast challenge. When/where did you pass that challenge?
I passed the challenge in 2008 at my level I cert in San Jose.Way to show up, Asha. What inspired you to go for it?
I like a challenge, and it seemed like a good measure of overall strengthDo you still think that it is?
Yes, very much so. While each of the exercises may seem at first glance to be upper or lower body exercises, they are all full body exercises. For instance, I start my military presses with my toes, gripping the ground, and then tense all my muscles in sequence from there on up to minimize strength leakage as much as possible.Lots of questions here: How long did you train for the Challenge? What was your training regimen for each event? Did you come to the challenge knowing that you could carry out each event? - had you tested each event in the challenge at test weight before competing?
My training for the challenge was by no means the most direct and efficient way to accomplish this goal. I guess you you could say i started training for the challenge before I even knew there was a challenge. i had been rock climbing for a few years and wanted to increase my pull up strength for that. i started doing unweighted gtg* pull-ups sets of 5-10 after every call that I went on at work. Gradually I began to add weight up until the point where i was doing sets of 5 pull-ups with a 60 lb pack on my back. this was around 3 years before the challenge.Ii started to develop a little tendonitis in my elbow, most likely from hyperextending on the bottom of the pull up, and not properly engaging my lats, and had to taper off. i still kept rock climbing with some regularity, off and on been working towards a muscle up, as well as really focusing on pulling the kb back down during military presses. That seemed to have reasonably maintained my pull up strength.Sounds cool. Do you remember when you first pressed the 24? What would you say clicked that it went up that day?
[*Note, GTG - short for Grease the Groove, a concept presented by Pavel Tsatsouline in the Naked Warrior, for frequent reps over the course of the day to develop strength in a move -mc]
The second part of it was the press. when i first started with the kettlebells in 2004, the description said that the average woman will start with a 12 kg and the average man will start with a16 kg. Me, being me, ordered the 16 kg. It sat in my basement untouched for 6 months. I could barely press the thing overhead. Then somehow I got a wild hair to pick it up again, watched the Russian Kettlebell Challenge video and used the tips in there to increase my press strength and get an introduction to the swing. The fast tens program in the winter 2005 issue of hard style greatly increased my pressing strength. Then a few years later I did the Enter the Kettlebell program and soon felt it was time for the 24 kg. While waiting for it to come I began doing push presses and cheat assisted presses holding both the 12 kg and 16 kg in one hand. When the 24 arrived, it was heavier than I thought it would be. I began doing long cycle push presses Grease the Groove until i eventually worked up to 1-2 presses every hour and after every call. This is where I met up with Joe Sarti who gave me a lot of good advice on breathing and maintaining body tension during the exercises.
I don't remember the exact day so well, but I do remember maintaining about as much body tension as I could muster.So let me get this straight: you had not EVER pistoled more than the 24, but you HAD been gtg'ing with the 12 and the 16? or mainly the 12?
For the pistol, I used pretty much the same regimen as the other lifts, GTG and adding weight over time. A couple of minor knee injuries kept me from going heavy with the pistols. In fact the most weight i had ever used for a pistol prior to the rkc was my 16 kg. I initially hadn't planned on doing the challenge that day and didn't raise my hand when they asked who was going to do the challenge. When everyone left for lunch I stayed behind, grabbed a 24 kg bell, and found I could pistol it fairly easily.
yuppers, before that day, I had not ever pistoled more than the 16 and before RKC II no more than the 24.And when you say GTG, how many reps, how many times a day would you say? and was that it? just gtg'ing? For how long would you reckon?
I'd been mainly doing 1-3 reps per leg around 6-10 times per day, 3-5 times per week. I had a partial achilles tear last year at work, so I've mainly been focusing on form and technique with the lighter weights while recoveringAlso, if you started with bodyweight pistols, how long would you say it took to get you from your first BW pistol to your 24 at the cert?
I'm not exactly sure on the timeline on this one. I think I started learning the pistol around 2 years prior to the cert. When I first learned the pistol, I wasn't even thinking of the challenge. I had read the description for Pavel's Naked Warrior book and liked the idea of being able to get a full body strength workout with two bodyweight exercises. The challenge just happened to include one of those exercises.Ok that's inspiring. Do you have a favorite event in the challenge? Which is your most challenging and/or least favorite?
Even though I had not done weighted pull ups for a while, I still felt pretty strong from rock climbing. I figured I'd give it a shot and see what happened. The pull up did prove to be tougher than I had expected. After taking the RKC II course I now realize it was much easier to maintain the hollow position with the 60 lb hose pack for pull ups vs having the kettlebell hanging around my waist. This was also long before I realized how much the hollow position and tucking my shoulders into their sockets would've helped my pull ups.
I really like all the events. Once I worked up to a full pistol, my strength increased in that one the quickest.Good to know
The press was the toughest one for me to accomplish.At the RKC II, you pistoled a 32 and a 36, i believe? and you'd like to see the women's event go up to 32kg. Could you expand on that a little bit: why isn't the 24 sufficient?
The 24 isn't sufficient for me simply because, i've accomplished it, i know that I am capable of more, and I like a challenge. I also know that having strength to accomplish this will directly translate into my work and play. When I pistoled the 32 and 36, that was more out of curiosity than anything else. I hadn't been specifically training to lift that weight. For the past two months or so before the cert, I hadn't pistoled anything heavier than 12. I had been using GTG at work, focusing on breathing, body tension and really drawing myself into the bottom of the pistol. When I pistoled the 36, I didn't want to convert it into pounds in my head before hand. I just wanted to go for it and see how it felt. With the tension and balance I had at the bottom, I instantly knew I'd be able to cleanly pistol the weight.Awesome to hear again how much form/technique plays a role in these kind of strength events. That's really cool. It's funny how sometimes when you grab a weight you just know it's going to click and move up - or not. Was it like that for you with the press when you got that?
The press was a bit more of a struggle. For me, getting my elbow higher than my shoulder is the sticking point. If I can get higher than that, then I know I have the press.What are your training tips for gals keen to do the newly named "iron maiden"
This directly translates into firefighting in that we are often called upon to lift in extremely awkward and unstable positions. Most of the things that we lift, don't have weights stamped on them. My goal is to have the balance, core stability, and generate the body tension, that will allow me to perform these awkward lifts, when need, in a safe manner.
My tips for training would be focus less on the weight and more on form, body tension, and breathing. Pavel's Naked Warrior book and DVD were instrumental for me for learning the pistol. GTG is a very simple yet highly effective routine for all three of the lifts.Just out of curiosity how was your hanging pull up at the cert?
The most I weight I used at the cert was hooking a 16 kg with a toe. I'll have to put a lot more work into the hollow position before I really test this one.Ah forgive me - i should have said hanging leg raise - could you speak to that one?
Don't you love those self-revelatory moments? So let me ask more generally, what are your current athletic goals?My hanging leg raise was less than stellar, which was extremely eye opening for me. Climbing had always done a great job of keeping my core in shape, without me really having to think about specifically working those muscles. As I took a bit of time off from climbing to let some minor elbow tendonitis heal, I neglected to continue specifically training my obliques. It wasn't until the cert that I realized how that weakness, along with my tight hammies, was limiting my strength.
Play, have fun, be healthy.Not make the rugby olympic team for 2012 or 16?
When I started playing volleyball in college, my coach used to have a row of picturesFocus on the technique not the weight; focus on the moment, not the stat. That's really potent stuff, Asha. Likely less stressful, too. And so within that frame, where do kb's fit into your regular training practice and why?on his wall of all the volleyball players that had made the school's all time top ten rankings. My goal was to get into the top ten and get my picture on the wall. After a while I soon realized that due to a lot of factors that were beyond my control, I wasn't going to get the playing time to rack up enough stats to be in the top 10. I abandoned that goal and instead focused on making the most out of the time that I was given, squeezing out every play for all it was worth. After my Junior year in college the athletic staff informed me I had the third highest single season hitting percentage in the school's all time history. I finished my college career ranked in the top 10 for single season hitting percentage, career hitting percentage, as well as three categories in the Big West Conference for that season.
So, after all that, now I just tend to focus more on making the most of the time that I'm given.
I tend to change up my main routines every few weeks or so. I like to mix things up. My body seems to respond best to variety in training. I've traditionally used kettlebells for the bulk of those routine. Right now I am primarily using bodyweight strength and conditioning routines. GTG and Viking Warrior are the two constants that are added on top of anything else I'm doing. While I tend to either plateau or get bored with other routines fairly quickly, these two routines have maintained fairly consistent benefits, and I keep them short enough where they still hold my interest.Super. thanks for taking the time Asha. All the best with your practice.
Hope this helps out. If you have any more questions, please let me know. Thanks for all your time and effort.Mein Bitte
Take away: there is no spoon; just technique, practice and enjoying the moment.
Related Links
- the perfect rep quest series
- move or die - why mobility's important
- Getting rid of crap around goals
- check "year end thoughts on RTK" for fawn friday pistoling the 24
- Viking Warrior Conditioning Review/Overview
- RTK, the Viking Push Press and Bone Rhythm
- RKC certification experience
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Sunday, August 16, 2009
Review of Kenneth Jay's Viking Warrior Conditioning for Proper VO2max training
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This post is a review of Kenneth Jay's Viking Warrior Conditioning (VWC) for "proper VO2max training" . The review goes over the book and includes notes from an interview with Kenneth Jay on some of the finer details behind the VO2max and lactic acid pushing protocols of Viking Warrior conditioning.
o Cut to the Chase overview/recommendation:
If you are an athlete who needs stamina, strenght and endurance - whether on the field or in the gym; in team or in solo sports, this is an excellent protocol for maximally efficient cardiovascular conditioning.
A few quick reasons:
o What's in this Review
The following review goes over who Viking warrior conditioning is for, how the book is presented, why the protocols presented are effective, how that's demonstrated, and why this book would be a great asset for strength and conditioning coaches, team coaches and athletes across the sports board, from cyclists to power lifters.
Who's this book for? Anyone who needs strength, stamina and power. Despite the fact that this book focuses on the use of the kettlebell snatch for its protocols, this book is not just for people devoted to the kettlebell. The kettlebell, and in this case, the single move the kettlebell snatch, just happens to be terrific for cardiovascular (CV) conditioning.
If you're an athlete who needs strength to move, stamina to keep moving and power to move something as effectively as possible, VO2max conditioning is a good idea.
Consider an athlete on a team where the team can go and go with skill and strength - right until about the last crucial ten minutes of the match. It's those last ten minutes that may just make the difference between having the concentration and energy to win against the other team.
Remember Andy Rodick at the end of this year's Wimbleton? Neck and neck with Federer till the last few minutes. Was it talent and skill or more energy reserves at that point that put Federer ahead of such a tight battle?
And what about just having the energy to get through a long day, whether that day is moving furniture or working out details of a troublesome project. Enhancing our capacity to move oxygen through our blood stream, improving its efficiency at doing so, and being able to work harder, longer for effectively less effort are all great things. These effects are great in an of themselves, plus they have super side benefits for health, longevity and well being.
o Caveat Before Starting
The only thing VWC assumes is that you already have some level of conditioning. That is, this is not a protocol for someone who is going from complete sedentary level to VO2 conditioning. Why?
Snatch Speed. The protocols in this book demand both skill with the kettlebell snatch in order to maintain perfect form with the KB when moving it quickly and repeatedly in both the down strokes (overspeed eccentrics) and the up strokes (explosive force).
Interval Effort. As Lyle McDonald summarized in an overview of the role of intervals in fitness, they're best suited to someone who has some base level fitness already. If just starting a fitness program, get used to moving first. And if you'd like to start moving with a kettlebell, excellent idea. I'd strongly encourage you to consider Enter the Kettlebell (reviewed here) for fitness, and Precision Nutrition (reviewed here) as a great habit building approach to nutrition.
o The Organization of VWC - a book in 4 main movements
Before getting into a discussion of Kenneth Jay's protocols, it's worth considering what else is in the book. The book is presented as 10 chapters. That may sound like a lot, but some of the chapters are quite succinct, and they fit into what might be described as three related movements:
The initial sections build up why working on VO2max conditioning is an important and effective component in overall strength and conditioning work. An overview of the viking warrior conditioning concept is presented, and followed by an overview of cardiovascular physiology - no mean feat - followed by a discussion of force, finished up with a few thoughts on how the kettlebell - in particular the kettlebell snatch - ties all these attributes together.
Essentially, fast snatching with perfect form enables one to develop two properties of the heart: eccentric hypertrophy - its elasticity to pump lots of blood - and concentric hypertrophy - some thickening of the walls of the heart to handle the pressure of heavy loads for powerful efforts.
Oxygen is critical to our survival. Blood carries oxygen to our muscles; the effort of muscles uses up that oxygen and needs to be replaced. The effectiveness with which fresh blood can be powered through our veins is related to how effectively our heart can pump: how strong the force it can genearte (and sustain) and how much of the blood it can take in, it can actually get out of the heart again. (For more detail, Related discussion on cardio, kb's and energy system integration here)
What these combined actions of pumping blood out of the heart and getting it into the hungry muscles, mean is that the heart can get more oxygen both into and out of the muscles faster and more efficiently, and it can get more blood especially out of the heart with each beat. Better blood flow, and more O2 reaching the muscles combines to mean less fatigue and more power, stamina and, effectively strength.
Two Strengths of the Heart. Usually, endurance athletics like running or swimming or cycling
develop eccentric hypertrophy, while resistance training and sprinting develop more concentric hypertrophy. It's important to develop both. And Kenneth's snatch protocol attests to doing both.
There's only really one other activity beside the kb snatch it seems that has been shown to simulate this simultaneous double effect on the heart, and that's rowing. And if you're Stuart McGill, you're not crazy about rowing because your back is in flexion a great deal of the time. This is not the case with the snatch.
Jay goes into some detail on how the cardiovascular system of the heart and bloodflow works. Some folks may want to skip this part and get to the protocols, and that's fine: it's there for reference. But for those who do want to get at *why* the protocols that follow will enhance those two key components of cardiovascular strength, the explanations are very good. They make a few assumptions - for example the Krebs cycle is mentioned without explanation, and the roles of lactic acid and why we might want to push on that is also left more stated than explained. But there's sufficient information that is well-explained to get a handle on the process, and seek out other sources in an informed way if more info is sought.
+ Second Movement: The VWC protocols
Viking Warrior Conditioning presents 5 protocols for VO2max conditioning. Each are progressive and build upon the previous one.
36:36 The most discussed protocols in the RKC kettlebell scene is the protocol Kenneth Jay first introduced to the RKC II certification a couple years ago. The 36:36. Why 36 secs on/36 seconds off. Kenneth Jay explains this in the book as follows:
And so i did ask Kenneth exactly this. To which he replies that the focus in not on the work to rest interval ratio, but on the max time for VO2max work in a minute:
For backup to the above, Kenneth references the following article in particular:
The other Protocols. Beyond 36:36 there is one preliminary/prepatory protocol before diving into 36:36, and then three other peaking and pushing protocols that focus on both pushing beyong VO2max and on lactic acid tolerance.
Indeed lactic acid is in the title of the three post 36:36 protocols, and its one concept that Viking Warrior Conditioning does not directly explicate. So i asked Kenneth if he could talk about that focus a bit more here. Here's what he said:
Likewise, what about going over VO2max? How can we do something at MORE than 100%? If that more than 100% feels like Spinal Tap's amplifier ("it goes to 11"), then a couple things to remember. First we have more than one energy system we can draw on, each being categorized as aerobic (using oxygen) and anaerobic (not using oxygen). When the aerobic capacity gets tapped out - or we hold our breath for an intense effort - we're drawing on those anaerobic energy levels. I asked KJ if he could describe this beyond 100% V02max capacity, and he came back with the following analogies:
How Long to Do Them All? Kenneth Jay's protocols, informed by recent research on best-tapping of energy production and tolerances for optimal work. If a person has the stamina to move through each protocol in succession, it will take approximately 30 -36weeks - in other words the better part of a year.
Of course, these protocols are the crown jewels of the book, but as a good coach, Kenneth doesn't simply say here's a bunch of nifty protocols; he provides a few contexts in how they can be applied. Thus the next sections of Viking Warrior Conditioning present how to put these strategies to work.
o Third Movement: Thorolf and Friends
The Protocol section closes with three strategies of how VWC might be adapted to co-exist within anyone's current training practice. This also includes KJ's own prefered approach. But the part of the book that is a particular asset is the case study that follows.
Here we see charted out exactly how one "moderately trained" 35 year old male, Throlof, did following the first four of the five Viking Warrior Conditioning protocols. Each protocol is mapped out on a per session /per week basis to see progression of volume.
We see the calculations for percentage over VO2max worked out to go with particular protocols. The only thing we do not see is Thorlof hooked up to a cart to validate that the calculated VO2max percentatges are validated in practice. Given that these calculations however are based on a lot of research that has been tested, and since we can see Thorlof's progress we can be pretty confident there is a strong progressive effect.
Kenneth Jay also stated in our exchanges that yes Thorolf really exists and yes these are his numbers.
Active Rest. Something also keen to note in the case study are the back off weeks in the program. Either Thorolf has great instincts or a great coach, but he kept himself sane by backing off for a bit and coming back stronger than before for a persistent, consistent linear progression of results over time.
Intervals vs other CV conditioning. Kenneth rounds off the Thorolf section with a nice discussion of the benefit of interval training vs. steady state. This chapter has the unfortunate title of "why the fat burning zone is a joke" but aside from that he makes the now well established case that in 2/3's the time of a steady state 75% Max heart Rate workout one is burning significantly more calories, and hence getting at more fat - so getting lean is good. The section also touches on why intervals like these have other benefits than steady state - and that may be the key thing, more than how many calories are burned or not.
What we know from increasing amounts of data is that, at a certain intensity of effort, things start happening at the DNA level of our responses to demands for fuel that have effects not just on our hearts but on our muscels, too. We touched on this a couple of weeks ago in this research review of the 6mins in 2weeks Efforts and its potential applications.
To complete the discussion on the benefits of Viking Warrior Condition, Kenneth concludes with a discussion on Conditioning and on Power, how they relate and how, not surprisingly, VWC helps develop each of the areas discussed. The discussion on general conditioning is particularly strong, discussing fatigue management, its relation to work capacity and the role of oxygen uptake - the latter being a big chunk of what VO2max work is about.
o Fourth Movement: Real People - well, RKC's and a Fighter- using VWC
What comes as a surprise in the book is the chapter that simply presents 3 RKC's of varrying levels writing about their experience with the VWC protocols. 2 of the 3 writers is a woman. That's cool. It's difficult in reading through these experiences not to see how they might be applicable to a range of athletes. To drive the point home, the section concludes with an interview of Mark O Madsen (also an RKC) who is a "world ranked Greco-Roman wrestler." The core take away from this interview is that the kettlebell is one of many tools the athlete uses regularly, with the 15:15 protocol being his main VWC protocol - from which he's getting a lot of mileage. The take home is this is a serious athlete "ranked 2nd in the world" - so if this approach wasn't working for him in a serious way, it would not be in his training.
o Coda
The book finishes with a review of the RKC hardstyle snatch. In an interview with Geoff Neupert, Kenneth Jay reiterated that he takes as a base level for this protocol someone who has gone through Pavel Tsatsouline's Enter the Kettlebell Program Minimum and Rite of Passage protocols for basic level comfort and control in kettlebell work.
Since this is such a snatch heavy program, seeing an RKC trainer to check snatch form is a Good Idea, too.
Kenneth in his Call to Action promises that Viking Warrior Condition will offer a transformative experience of conditioning like no other. After reading the book, you'll know not only how to make that happen but why these protocols will deliver that. And based on the the testimony of the people in the book, there's excellent support to show that the claims are not unwarranted.
A word for Rif. One other voice prefaces the book, Master RKC Mark Reifkind. He has not only written about his experience in the book's forward, but he's chronicled it as well on Rif's blog. His and Tracy Reifkind's progress with these protocols is perhaps kenneth's best testament to their efficacy. Every claim Rif makes in the forward is documented - frequently with video - for all to see.
o Other Athletes: Runners And Rugby Forwards.
Something i've started to investigate with some athletes is how VWC might be interleaved with their running practice to reduce hard miles on their bodies and up their performance. It's early days, but this has promise.
Another place some of us will be looking at in the fall is how VWC can improve the end-of-game stamina of a team's rugby forwards - complementing, not interupting, their pre and in-season training.
o Summary
VIking Warrior Condition is an intense program that promises to deliver persistent, consistent results.
The book may feel thin in the hands at 109 pages, but as such it's also a highly practical, efficient manual that anyone can wrap their heads around in a single sitting, and come back to as necessary when moving up the protocols.
If you're interested in tested practical applications of interval training for cardiovascular fitness, strength and stamina, for excellent conditioning, and would like to use a simple implement to achieve these ends, this is a book worth having, and approach worth practicing.
Let me know how go your results.
Kenneth Jay's Viking Warrior Conditioning, published by Dragon Door, 2008.
Related recommended resources
Enter the Kettlebell
Precision Nutrition
Kettlebells:
In the US: dragondoor kettlebells
In the UK: kettelbell Fever
Related Posts
o Cut to the Chase overview/recommendation:
If you are an athlete who needs stamina, strenght and endurance - whether on the field or in the gym; in team or in solo sports, this is an excellent protocol for maximally efficient cardiovascular conditioning.
A few quick reasons:
- it's efficient, making good use of what we know about interval-based training
- it works the whole body
- it uses one relatively inexpensive piece of equipment that can be used pretty much anywhere one has room to swing a cat
- the book itself has sufficient explanations for someone to understand why they need to do what's prescribed as prescribed, and it provides case studies and real people reports to show how this protocol works for real people.
- It's a complete package.
o What's in this Review
The following review goes over who Viking warrior conditioning is for, how the book is presented, why the protocols presented are effective, how that's demonstrated, and why this book would be a great asset for strength and conditioning coaches, team coaches and athletes across the sports board, from cyclists to power lifters.
Who's this book for? Anyone who needs strength, stamina and power. Despite the fact that this book focuses on the use of the kettlebell snatch for its protocols, this book is not just for people devoted to the kettlebell. The kettlebell, and in this case, the single move the kettlebell snatch, just happens to be terrific for cardiovascular (CV) conditioning.
If you're an athlete who needs strength to move, stamina to keep moving and power to move something as effectively as possible, VO2max conditioning is a good idea.
Consider an athlete on a team where the team can go and go with skill and strength - right until about the last crucial ten minutes of the match. It's those last ten minutes that may just make the difference between having the concentration and energy to win against the other team.
Remember Andy Rodick at the end of this year's Wimbleton? Neck and neck with Federer till the last few minutes. Was it talent and skill or more energy reserves at that point that put Federer ahead of such a tight battle?
And what about just having the energy to get through a long day, whether that day is moving furniture or working out details of a troublesome project. Enhancing our capacity to move oxygen through our blood stream, improving its efficiency at doing so, and being able to work harder, longer for effectively less effort are all great things. These effects are great in an of themselves, plus they have super side benefits for health, longevity and well being.
o Caveat Before Starting
The only thing VWC assumes is that you already have some level of conditioning. That is, this is not a protocol for someone who is going from complete sedentary level to VO2 conditioning. Why?
Snatch Speed. The protocols in this book demand both skill with the kettlebell snatch in order to maintain perfect form with the KB when moving it quickly and repeatedly in both the down strokes (overspeed eccentrics) and the up strokes (explosive force).
Interval Effort. As Lyle McDonald summarized in an overview of the role of intervals in fitness, they're best suited to someone who has some base level fitness already. If just starting a fitness program, get used to moving first. And if you'd like to start moving with a kettlebell, excellent idea. I'd strongly encourage you to consider Enter the Kettlebell (reviewed here) for fitness, and Precision Nutrition (reviewed here) as a great habit building approach to nutrition.
o The Organization of VWC - a book in 4 main movements
Before getting into a discussion of Kenneth Jay's protocols, it's worth considering what else is in the book. The book is presented as 10 chapters. That may sound like a lot, but some of the chapters are quite succinct, and they fit into what might be described as three related movements:
- First movement: the motivation for and explanation of how VO2max conditioning Works
- Second movement: the protocols
- Third movement: the case study: the protocols applied
- fourth movement: testimonials of experiences with the VO2max protocol
The initial sections build up why working on VO2max conditioning is an important and effective component in overall strength and conditioning work. An overview of the viking warrior conditioning concept is presented, and followed by an overview of cardiovascular physiology - no mean feat - followed by a discussion of force, finished up with a few thoughts on how the kettlebell - in particular the kettlebell snatch - ties all these attributes together.
Essentially, fast snatching with perfect form enables one to develop two properties of the heart: eccentric hypertrophy - its elasticity to pump lots of blood - and concentric hypertrophy - some thickening of the walls of the heart to handle the pressure of heavy loads for powerful efforts.
Oxygen is critical to our survival. Blood carries oxygen to our muscles; the effort of muscles uses up that oxygen and needs to be replaced. The effectiveness with which fresh blood can be powered through our veins is related to how effectively our heart can pump: how strong the force it can genearte (and sustain) and how much of the blood it can take in, it can actually get out of the heart again. (For more detail, Related discussion on cardio, kb's and energy system integration here)
What these combined actions of pumping blood out of the heart and getting it into the hungry muscles, mean is that the heart can get more oxygen both into and out of the muscles faster and more efficiently, and it can get more blood especially out of the heart with each beat. Better blood flow, and more O2 reaching the muscles combines to mean less fatigue and more power, stamina and, effectively strength.
Two Strengths of the Heart. Usually, endurance athletics like running or swimming or cycling
develop eccentric hypertrophy, while resistance training and sprinting develop more concentric hypertrophy. It's important to develop both. And Kenneth's snatch protocol attests to doing both.There's only really one other activity beside the kb snatch it seems that has been shown to simulate this simultaneous double effect on the heart, and that's rowing. And if you're Stuart McGill, you're not crazy about rowing because your back is in flexion a great deal of the time. This is not the case with the snatch.
Jay goes into some detail on how the cardiovascular system of the heart and bloodflow works. Some folks may want to skip this part and get to the protocols, and that's fine: it's there for reference. But for those who do want to get at *why* the protocols that follow will enhance those two key components of cardiovascular strength, the explanations are very good. They make a few assumptions - for example the Krebs cycle is mentioned without explanation, and the roles of lactic acid and why we might want to push on that is also left more stated than explained. But there's sufficient information that is well-explained to get a handle on the process, and seek out other sources in an informed way if more info is sought.
+ Second Movement: The VWC protocols
Viking Warrior Conditioning presents 5 protocols for VO2max conditioning. Each are progressive and build upon the previous one.
36:36 The most discussed protocols in the RKC kettlebell scene is the protocol Kenneth Jay first introduced to the RKC II certification a couple years ago. The 36:36. Why 36 secs on/36 seconds off. Kenneth Jay explains this in the book as follows:
Thrity-Six seconds is 60% of 1 minute. Research has shown that doing intervals at 60% of the time spent at VO2max is far superior to 50% (the suggestion of 30-second sets) or 70% or even 40% and 80% when doing high volumne work (35 sets)One may ask, how is 36:36 representative of 60%, when the interval is 1:1. Isn't that 50% of 1min 12 secs total for the set? Shouldn't it be 36:24?
And so i did ask Kenneth exactly this. To which he replies that the focus in not on the work to rest interval ratio, but on the max time for VO2max work in a minute:
First thing is to remember the 60% does NOT refer to W:R ratio or the protocol itself. the 60% is taken from the time spent at MVO2 during the cadence test. in order to elicit a MVO2 response several factors has to be present among others a gradual build up- henc the 5 min test. the 5th minute is all out which should be VO2max and in order to take the slow component of the VO2 kinetics into account a minimum of 1 minute has to be kept (this is necessary because the test estimates as opposed to direct meassurement) The 36:36 sec. protocol is therefore derived by saying that if we are working at VO2max levels for 1 min during the test and research show (like esfarjani & Laursen, 2007 ao) that interval duration should be 60% of the time you are able to keep your VO2max then I arrive at 36 sec. IF I had chosen to have the cadence test last 5 1/2 in. with the last 1 1/ min all out then the work interval duration would have to be 60% of 90 sec (54 sec.) this would have been just as accurate if it had not been for a serious drop in snatch performance after 1 min all out- this is based on no published observations during my study but if the protocol was meant for runnig it could have easily been done. prolonging the final all out time with snatches it a differnet animal and most people would get a worng result.Cool.
At this point the work duriation has been established (60% of 1 min of the cadence test) and since that equals 36 sec I decided the protocol should have a 1:1 W:R ratio. When the interval work duration is less that 1 min. this is advisable. also based on research (michalisk& Bangsbo) when the intervals gets longer- the rest also has to increase.
So in short. remember that the 60% is derived from the cadence test and nothing else!
For backup to the above, Kenneth references the following article in particular:
It's also cool to note that the above study is based on "moderately" trained runners - so not super jocks. And since this is the level - moderately trained - of where most folks will begin with the VO2max protocol, then there's good reason to use the optimal protocol for this approach in the vo2max effort.
J Sci Med Sport. 2007 Feb;10(1):27-35. Epub 2006 Jul 28.Click here to read Links
Manipulating high-intensity interval training: effects on VO2max, the lactate threshold and 3000 m running performance in moderately trained males.
Esfarjani F, Laursen PB.
School of Science and Physical Education, Esfahan University, Esfahan, Iran.
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two high-intensity interval training (HIT) programmes on maximal oxygen uptake (.VO(2max)), the lactate threshold (LT) and 3000 m running performance in moderately trained male runners. .VO(2max), the running speed associated with .VO(2max) (V.VO(2max)), the time for which V.VO(2max) can be maintained (T(max)), the running speed at LT (v(LT)) and 3000 m running time (3000 mTT) were determined before and following three different training programmes performed for 10 weeks. Following the pre-test, 17 moderately trained male runners (V O(2max)=51.6+/-2.7ml kg(-1)min(-1)) were divided into training groups based on their 3000 mTT (Group 1, G(1), N=6, 8 x 60% of T(max) at V.VO(2max), 1:1 work:recovery ratio [that should look familiar -mc]; Group 2, G(2), N=6, 12 x 30s at 130% V.VO(2max), 4.5 min recovery; control group, G(CON), N=5, 60 min at 75% V.VO(2max)). G(1) and G(2) performed two HIT sessions and two 60 min recovery run sessions (75% V.VO(2max)) each week. Control subjects performed four 60 min recovery run sessions (75% V.VO(2max)) each week. In G(1), significant improvements (p<0 .05=".05" p="0.07)." style="color: #663300;">HIT programmes in moderately trained runners, but that changes in performance and physiological variables may be more profound using prolonged HIT at intensities of V.VO(2max) with interval durations of 60% T(max).
The other Protocols. Beyond 36:36 there is one preliminary/prepatory protocol before diving into 36:36, and then three other peaking and pushing protocols that focus on both pushing beyong VO2max and on lactic acid tolerance.
Indeed lactic acid is in the title of the three post 36:36 protocols, and its one concept that Viking Warrior Conditioning does not directly explicate. So i asked Kenneth if he could talk about that focus a bit more here. Here's what he said:
Basically production and tolerence of lactic acid is a great indicator of how well your anaerobic system is conditioned. A high production rate means that ATP is synthesized very quickly and a high tolerence rate means that just that- you can continue to work in a very acidic environment.(For a quick overview of ATP, what it is, and why it's important, take a look at the middle-ish of this post on fat-as-fuel.)
Likewise, what about going over VO2max? How can we do something at MORE than 100%? If that more than 100% feels like Spinal Tap's amplifier ("it goes to 11"), then a couple things to remember. First we have more than one energy system we can draw on, each being categorized as aerobic (using oxygen) and anaerobic (not using oxygen). When the aerobic capacity gets tapped out - or we hold our breath for an intense effort - we're drawing on those anaerobic energy levels. I asked KJ if he could describe this beyond 100% V02max capacity, and he came back with the following analogies:
[Going over 100% is possible becuase] the body basically has two ways to make energy: those are aerobic and anaerobic. Aerobic means "with oxygen" and anaerobic means "without oxygen" VO2 is the most acurate way to express how much the AEROBIC system is taxed.Going over 100% VO2max also pushed lactic acid production at a faster rate than a lower rate. So the two effects are strongly related.
When we reach 100% MVO2 we cant get more out of the aerobic system BUT we still have the ANAEROBIC system to push harder. Going above 100%MVO2 just means that you are doing something faster than what your aerobic system can handle alone.
Think about it is way: Ever seen the movie "the Fast and the Furious"? The guys in the film fine tune their cars to the limit. putting in all the right parts- the lightest, most durable stuff, the best turbos etc. that is the equivalent of the VO2max. The cars probably max out at a top speed of 160-170 mph (which we will call 100%) or something like that. BUT then they have the NOS. that injection will make the cars go close to 200 mph or +100%. The NOS = the anaerobic system. Of course that is a very simplified way of looking at it but it gets the idea through. (hopefully)
How Long to Do Them All? Kenneth Jay's protocols, informed by recent research on best-tapping of energy production and tolerances for optimal work. If a person has the stamina to move through each protocol in succession, it will take approximately 30 -36weeks - in other words the better part of a year.
Of course, these protocols are the crown jewels of the book, but as a good coach, Kenneth doesn't simply say here's a bunch of nifty protocols; he provides a few contexts in how they can be applied. Thus the next sections of Viking Warrior Conditioning present how to put these strategies to work.
o Third Movement: Thorolf and Friends
The Protocol section closes with three strategies of how VWC might be adapted to co-exist within anyone's current training practice. This also includes KJ's own prefered approach. But the part of the book that is a particular asset is the case study that follows.
Here we see charted out exactly how one "moderately trained" 35 year old male, Throlof, did following the first four of the five Viking Warrior Conditioning protocols. Each protocol is mapped out on a per session /per week basis to see progression of volume.
We see the calculations for percentage over VO2max worked out to go with particular protocols. The only thing we do not see is Thorlof hooked up to a cart to validate that the calculated VO2max percentatges are validated in practice. Given that these calculations however are based on a lot of research that has been tested, and since we can see Thorlof's progress we can be pretty confident there is a strong progressive effect.
Kenneth Jay also stated in our exchanges that yes Thorolf really exists and yes these are his numbers.
Active Rest. Something also keen to note in the case study are the back off weeks in the program. Either Thorolf has great instincts or a great coach, but he kept himself sane by backing off for a bit and coming back stronger than before for a persistent, consistent linear progression of results over time.
Intervals vs other CV conditioning. Kenneth rounds off the Thorolf section with a nice discussion of the benefit of interval training vs. steady state. This chapter has the unfortunate title of "why the fat burning zone is a joke" but aside from that he makes the now well established case that in 2/3's the time of a steady state 75% Max heart Rate workout one is burning significantly more calories, and hence getting at more fat - so getting lean is good. The section also touches on why intervals like these have other benefits than steady state - and that may be the key thing, more than how many calories are burned or not.
What we know from increasing amounts of data is that, at a certain intensity of effort, things start happening at the DNA level of our responses to demands for fuel that have effects not just on our hearts but on our muscels, too. We touched on this a couple of weeks ago in this research review of the 6mins in 2weeks Efforts and its potential applications.
To complete the discussion on the benefits of Viking Warrior Condition, Kenneth concludes with a discussion on Conditioning and on Power, how they relate and how, not surprisingly, VWC helps develop each of the areas discussed. The discussion on general conditioning is particularly strong, discussing fatigue management, its relation to work capacity and the role of oxygen uptake - the latter being a big chunk of what VO2max work is about.
o Fourth Movement: Real People - well, RKC's and a Fighter- using VWC
What comes as a surprise in the book is the chapter that simply presents 3 RKC's of varrying levels writing about their experience with the VWC protocols. 2 of the 3 writers is a woman. That's cool. It's difficult in reading through these experiences not to see how they might be applicable to a range of athletes. To drive the point home, the section concludes with an interview of Mark O Madsen (also an RKC) who is a "world ranked Greco-Roman wrestler." The core take away from this interview is that the kettlebell is one of many tools the athlete uses regularly, with the 15:15 protocol being his main VWC protocol - from which he's getting a lot of mileage. The take home is this is a serious athlete "ranked 2nd in the world" - so if this approach wasn't working for him in a serious way, it would not be in his training.
o Coda
The book finishes with a review of the RKC hardstyle snatch. In an interview with Geoff Neupert, Kenneth Jay reiterated that he takes as a base level for this protocol someone who has gone through Pavel Tsatsouline's Enter the Kettlebell Program Minimum and Rite of Passage protocols for basic level comfort and control in kettlebell work.
Since this is such a snatch heavy program, seeing an RKC trainer to check snatch form is a Good Idea, too.
Kenneth in his Call to Action promises that Viking Warrior Condition will offer a transformative experience of conditioning like no other. After reading the book, you'll know not only how to make that happen but why these protocols will deliver that. And based on the the testimony of the people in the book, there's excellent support to show that the claims are not unwarranted.A word for Rif. One other voice prefaces the book, Master RKC Mark Reifkind. He has not only written about his experience in the book's forward, but he's chronicled it as well on Rif's blog. His and Tracy Reifkind's progress with these protocols is perhaps kenneth's best testament to their efficacy. Every claim Rif makes in the forward is documented - frequently with video - for all to see.
o Other Athletes: Runners And Rugby Forwards.
Something i've started to investigate with some athletes is how VWC might be interleaved with their running practice to reduce hard miles on their bodies and up their performance. It's early days, but this has promise.
Another place some of us will be looking at in the fall is how VWC can improve the end-of-game stamina of a team's rugby forwards - complementing, not interupting, their pre and in-season training.
o Summary
VIking Warrior Condition is an intense program that promises to deliver persistent, consistent results.
The book may feel thin in the hands at 109 pages, but as such it's also a highly practical, efficient manual that anyone can wrap their heads around in a single sitting, and come back to as necessary when moving up the protocols.
If you're interested in tested practical applications of interval training for cardiovascular fitness, strength and stamina, for excellent conditioning, and would like to use a simple implement to achieve these ends, this is a book worth having, and approach worth practicing.
Let me know how go your results.
Kenneth Jay's Viking Warrior Conditioning, published by Dragon Door, 2008.
Related recommended resources
Enter the Kettlebell
Precision Nutrition
Kettlebells:
In the US: dragondoor kettlebells
In the UK: kettelbell Fever
Related Posts
- Thinking about Cardio with Kettlebells: various approaches - physiology
- A Cardio KB method: running the bells
- Cardio and strength training: does it interfer? how 'bout no.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
How to Prep for the RKC Certification Weekend - the other stuff
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Folks interested in doing the RKC Certification Weekend regularly ask folks at the Dragon Door Forum how to prep for what is a pretty intense 21 hours/3day certification session (overview of the weekend experience here). The expression "bring your game" applies. Last year, Brett Jones did a fabulous article in Hard Style Magazine Winter 08 on how to prepare for the physical part of that game. Note: be SURE to focus on double kettlebell work as Brett presents the drills in that article. (And heh, if you're in the states, and you need extra KB's for doubles practice, DD has new 30% lower prices.) Also, be sure to consider your training plan to include a back-off week the week BEFORE the cert itself.
This post is meant as a quick overview of the attitude and practicailities side of that preparation, and is the bullet point version of a more in-depth article for Hard Style.
Basic Stuff:
Zinc Oxide Sports tape for your hands. Whether you've ever ripped calluses on your hands before or not, by the end of the cert, 99.9% of participants have tape on their hands. Bring your own. Also, learn how to tape. The best taping method is shown by Rif in this blog post on hand taping. PRACTICE taping AND snatching with the tape in advance of the cert - make sure you know how to use it, and that you have no reaction to the tape you use. There is a LOT of swinging in the course.
Hat. Not a baseball hat where the brim will get in your eyes and force you to change your head position learning the moves, but something to shade your nose and your neck. Alternatively, buffs are very good for head or neck cover for when you may be asked to doff your hat during testing.
Chalk. Again, you may want to bring your own and practice with it before hand so you know how you'll be with it. We watched a number of follks lose the bell on the snatch test who seemed not used to the chalk experience while trying to save their hands.
Bandaids/antibacterial ointment. You're your own best medic. If you get a cut or the skin pulls off your hands, putting sticky coaches' tape directly on the skin may not be fun. Some of the best new bandaids around are Bandaids AktiveFlex. They're waterproof and they really DO stay with the bendy twistiness of the skin. You can put coaches/zinc tape right over this.
Hydration System. Have a water bottle and refill it often. The ASCM has great recommendations about how to stay hydrated outdoors during sporting activities. Gulp rather than sip, too.
Snacks. You may want to think about making some homemade protein bars to nibble during the breaks - just don't be late coming back from break. If not that, nuts and raisins are a good protein/fat/carb (ratios in that order) way to stay energied up without getting full. The reason i like homemade protein bars from protein powder, egg whites and crushed nuts is that it's bioavailability is fast.
Sunscreen. Any red necks showing up get "punished" on site, per team. Sunburn is taken really seriously. Don't let it happen. Stay slathered. YOu may want to practice with the brand of choice.
Cotton Handkerchief. When a sweat gets going, and the persperation mixes with sunscreen and heads to your eyes, it can be grim. If you're wearing non-cotton shirts, there's nothing there to wipe up the sweat, so having a cotton hanky or bandana can be a good thing.
Camera. Whether disposable or on your phone or a small digital, bring one. You'll be glad you did.
Cultural Practice
There's really nothing like it. And there's not a lot of explanation about what to expect or what is expected in advance, so i hope this helps:
Orientation. From the start, folks are assigned to teams. if something unexpected happens, or if you're unsure about something, ask your team lead right away. Assume that the cert management wants to find a solution for you for whatever the issue may be.
ATTEN-TION/Hustle. Yes it does run in what one imagine might be a militaresque way. PRactice happens in teams, but there are sessions with the group lead for particular parts of the course. THis means dropping what you're doing in your team and RUNNING (not walking) to the teaching circle area and paying attention. This also means when someone leading says "is that clear?" the expected reply is a very harty, loud "yes" (ok, there's a lot of "yes sir'ing" too). Part of this call and response is (a) to optimize the time - no time wasted shuffling feet and (b) the other part is to make sure people are on the same page - there's a lot to cover. So to avoid additional drills assigned for tardy responses, hustle and reply loudly.
Technique Clinique: be prepared to participate fully. A huge part of the course is looking at how to address common issues in performing moves. Pavel leads most of these corrective sessions. They are big q&a sessions where the teams all look on, and are asked either to comment on what the problem is, what a fix is, or to ask any other questions they may have. Lack of comment or question is not taken as a good thing. Drills will be assigned. This is your opportunity to ask field leading experts about how to solve problems instructing with KB's. It's a gold mine opportunity. Be sure to be ready with questions and demonstrations that you have learned the corrective procedures.
Be Proactive. Assessment takes place throughout the course. Not just during the snatch test, not just during the teaching demo, not just during the test of the moves, but throughout. If someone's volunteering during a demo and they or the instructor need a kettlebell, hustle to go get it for them. If there's crap in the way, jump in and move it to safe place. In other words, look out for opportunities to offer service. You will see all the team leads supporting each other this way during the weekend. They're modeling the behaviour they want to see within the teams. Reflecting back that behaviour will ensure you have a great weekend.
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Folks interested in doing the RKC Certification Weekend regularly ask folks at the Dragon Door Forum how to prep for what is a pretty intense 21 hours/3day certification session (overview of the weekend experience here). The expression "bring your game" applies. Last year, Brett Jones did a fabulous article in Hard Style Magazine Winter 08 on how to prepare for the physical part of that game. Note: be SURE to focus on double kettlebell work as Brett presents the drills in that article. (And heh, if you're in the states, and you need extra KB's for doubles practice, DD has new 30% lower prices.) Also, be sure to consider your training plan to include a back-off week the week BEFORE the cert itself.This post is meant as a quick overview of the attitude and practicailities side of that preparation, and is the bullet point version of a more in-depth article for Hard Style.
Basic Stuff:
Zinc Oxide Sports tape for your hands. Whether you've ever ripped calluses on your hands before or not, by the end of the cert, 99.9% of participants have tape on their hands. Bring your own. Also, learn how to tape. The best taping method is shown by Rif in this blog post on hand taping. PRACTICE taping AND snatching with the tape in advance of the cert - make sure you know how to use it, and that you have no reaction to the tape you use. There is a LOT of swinging in the course.
Hat. Not a baseball hat where the brim will get in your eyes and force you to change your head position learning the moves, but something to shade your nose and your neck. Alternatively, buffs are very good for head or neck cover for when you may be asked to doff your hat during testing.
Chalk. Again, you may want to bring your own and practice with it before hand so you know how you'll be with it. We watched a number of follks lose the bell on the snatch test who seemed not used to the chalk experience while trying to save their hands.
Bandaids/antibacterial ointment. You're your own best medic. If you get a cut or the skin pulls off your hands, putting sticky coaches' tape directly on the skin may not be fun. Some of the best new bandaids around are Bandaids AktiveFlex. They're waterproof and they really DO stay with the bendy twistiness of the skin. You can put coaches/zinc tape right over this.
Hydration System. Have a water bottle and refill it often. The ASCM has great recommendations about how to stay hydrated outdoors during sporting activities. Gulp rather than sip, too.
Snacks. You may want to think about making some homemade protein bars to nibble during the breaks - just don't be late coming back from break. If not that, nuts and raisins are a good protein/fat/carb (ratios in that order) way to stay energied up without getting full. The reason i like homemade protein bars from protein powder, egg whites and crushed nuts is that it's bioavailability is fast.
Sunscreen. Any red necks showing up get "punished" on site, per team. Sunburn is taken really seriously. Don't let it happen. Stay slathered. YOu may want to practice with the brand of choice.
Cotton Handkerchief. When a sweat gets going, and the persperation mixes with sunscreen and heads to your eyes, it can be grim. If you're wearing non-cotton shirts, there's nothing there to wipe up the sweat, so having a cotton hanky or bandana can be a good thing.
Camera. Whether disposable or on your phone or a small digital, bring one. You'll be glad you did.
Cultural Practice
There's really nothing like it. And there's not a lot of explanation about what to expect or what is expected in advance, so i hope this helps:
Orientation. From the start, folks are assigned to teams. if something unexpected happens, or if you're unsure about something, ask your team lead right away. Assume that the cert management wants to find a solution for you for whatever the issue may be.
ATTEN-TION/Hustle. Yes it does run in what one imagine might be a militaresque way. PRactice happens in teams, but there are sessions with the group lead for particular parts of the course. THis means dropping what you're doing in your team and RUNNING (not walking) to the teaching circle area and paying attention. This also means when someone leading says "is that clear?" the expected reply is a very harty, loud "yes" (ok, there's a lot of "yes sir'ing" too). Part of this call and response is (a) to optimize the time - no time wasted shuffling feet and (b) the other part is to make sure people are on the same page - there's a lot to cover. So to avoid additional drills assigned for tardy responses, hustle and reply loudly.
Technique Clinique: be prepared to participate fully. A huge part of the course is looking at how to address common issues in performing moves. Pavel leads most of these corrective sessions. They are big q&a sessions where the teams all look on, and are asked either to comment on what the problem is, what a fix is, or to ask any other questions they may have. Lack of comment or question is not taken as a good thing. Drills will be assigned. This is your opportunity to ask field leading experts about how to solve problems instructing with KB's. It's a gold mine opportunity. Be sure to be ready with questions and demonstrations that you have learned the corrective procedures.
Be Proactive. Assessment takes place throughout the course. Not just during the snatch test, not just during the teaching demo, not just during the test of the moves, but throughout. If someone's volunteering during a demo and they or the instructor need a kettlebell, hustle to go get it for them. If there's crap in the way, jump in and move it to safe place. In other words, look out for opportunities to offer service. You will see all the team leads supporting each other this way during the weekend. They're modeling the behaviour they want to see within the teams. Reflecting back that behaviour will ensure you have a great weekend.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Why "Fire the Lats" in a Kettlebell swing?
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When swinging a kettlebell in the RKC Hardstyle, you will regularly hear an RKC instructor say "fire the lats" as an aid to "pack the shoulder" or to keep the shoulder from flying out of its socket
(is Lance, pictured left, firing those lats?? aren't those shoulders a bit high?)
When i saw my first RKC and heard this, i had no idea what the above instruction meant or to feel whether or not i was achiving it. Much tough love was administered in an effort to trigger the phenomena.
At the RKC cert, lat firing was realized, along with many other refinements to the swing, such that i understood Pavel's idea of the swing firing down and INTO THE GROUND rather than out. The nirvana moment happened for me when i felt/got that with "lats fired" the kettlebell swing could barely reach chest height - the arms just did not go higher.
Didn't really think about the causes of that effect, but have tried since then to instill it as a heuristic in the folks i coach: when that big side muscle is working, the shoulders stay in the sockets and the arms just will not go more than chest height - individual variation will be a bit below (like me) or maybe a bit above (haven't seen that as much).
So why, you might ask, would the lats being ON have what i've called a "braking effect" on the apogee or top point of a swing?
We can go back to the pull up as a lat exercise to put this picture. As i wrote there:
So, the lat works on the shoulder, or in particular the shoulder joint, by its connection on the upper arm. Firing it will therefore brake the top arc of the swing, and maintain the shoulder control when the arm adducts or crosses slightly in front of the body to do two handed or one handed swings.
You can try this out yourself without a kettlebell. Lock your elbow and first start with your arm at your side, relaxed, and just try raising your arm by moving your arm in front of you and all the way up so your upper arm is close to your ear (if you can't get it to your ear we have another thing to talk about). Look at how great the arc is of that arm. from your side all the way up, like 180 degrees.
Now get your arm by your side and try flexing the muscles you feel along your sides. When you have that "grr" tight feel, now see how high you can raise your arm comfortably. Somewhere around 90 degrees, give or take?
In other words, and here's what at least to me seems so amazing, the muscle is not working within the shoulder to hold it back in its socket, but is actually using this mass of back muscle tied into the inside of the upper arm, to put a brake the arm action forward when it's flexed, and THAT the main action keeping the shoulder "packed" in the swing.
One more visualization: imagine someone tied a thick jump band to the inside of your arm, and held it going under your armpit and across your back. Initially when the band is relaxed, you can move your arm up in a full arc. If that person tightens that elastic up, that's going to limit the degree of the arc the arm can now be raised (this may also help reinforce why the lats are so big in pull ups: that lat muscle wants to get that arm down and back, in the direction of the muscle fiber).
SO the arm is kept from flying up (or out) of the socket with the help of the lats that both hold it back and limit its arc / range of motion when the muscle is flexed.
What is the shoulder socket or glenohumeral joint? If we talk about "packing the shoulder" in the swing, therefore, we are talking about a joint - the shoulder joint. A joint is where two bones come together to act as a lever. In the shoulder joint, the top of the upper arm bone or humerous, connects with the scapula, or shoulder blade.
The way the lat is connected to the upper arm, therefore, pretty literally, helps keep the arm in its socket.
It's not the only muscle acting on the shoulder joint. There are a bunch of muscles stabilizing the shoulder like the rotator cuff set, but beyond these stabilizers, there are three main actors on the shoulder: the delts, which take the arm to the sides, the pecs which helps bring the arm up (think bench press) or forward (baseball throw) and the lats.
In the swing, while the deltoids and pecs do some work, the major action on the shoulder is the lat. Remeber, the swing is not a pull (from the pec). The swing is carried forward on momentum from the hips. The lat acts first like a brace and then a brake, as said, to keep that momentum from throwing the arm out. This effect is reminiscent of the action of the hamstrings when sprinting: the hamstring acts as a brake so that the leg doesn't go flying out from all that quad power: it wants to pull that leg back down into extension.
The second action is bringing the bell down, keeping the shoulders packed with lats fired, lets one accelerate it beyond what gravity/momentum allows if the arms just come down with the descent of the swing. Pavel demonstrated this powerful pull down into the ground rather than way out in front at the cert using a super light (8K) bell, saying with the right form/muscle work, you should be able to get that power drive acting on any size bell you can swing - even tiny ones. The difference in feel is that the energy of the bell is coming down into the ground. As we practiced this over the cert weekend, many of us started to find ourselves being propelled backwards in our swings just at the end of the swing, showing heel skid marks in the sand.
Note: as RKC Randy Hauer points out, the down phase of the swing is initiated with the hips flexing (hinge at the hips). My point is that in the upper body part of this move, the flexed lats keep that move solid. Thanks for the clarification, Randy.
Putting the muscle together with the movement
By seeing how the lat is connected to the arm, and knowing that a flexed muscle means a muscle that is being shortened in the contraction, you can probably see how that muscle - again with all that muscle mass along the back of the lat working - is going to be able to support the transfer of power from the hips and out through the arms without the arms projectiling out of the shoulder. Likewise, keeping those lats fired and the arms stable while coming down with the bell insures the same protection coming down again, whether with gravity alone at 32m/s/s or overspeeding down.
Summary
By considering both how/where the lat is connected to the arm and how it operates on the shoulder joint has helped me understand why "firing the lats" supports excellent form in the swing, as doing so:
Bonus benefit to lat firing? Spine stabilization. Look at that lat images above: the lat's knit through so much of the spine, right into the butt, you get that working both sides, that spine is gonna be solid through the swing. ya ya, there are all the erectors and stuff in the lumbar spine too, and good thing, but look at that lat go! Thanks to Dev Chengkalath for reminding me that the lats connet to and affect the spine as well as the shoulder in the swing. Tweet Follow @begin2dig
When swinging a kettlebell in the RKC Hardstyle, you will regularly hear an RKC instructor say "fire the lats" as an aid to "pack the shoulder" or to keep the shoulder from flying out of its socket(is Lance, pictured left, firing those lats?? aren't those shoulders a bit high?)
When i saw my first RKC and heard this, i had no idea what the above instruction meant or to feel whether or not i was achiving it. Much tough love was administered in an effort to trigger the phenomena.
At the RKC cert, lat firing was realized, along with many other refinements to the swing, such that i understood Pavel's idea of the swing firing down and INTO THE GROUND rather than out. The nirvana moment happened for me when i felt/got that with "lats fired" the kettlebell swing could barely reach chest height - the arms just did not go higher.
Didn't really think about the causes of that effect, but have tried since then to instill it as a heuristic in the folks i coach: when that big side muscle is working, the shoulders stay in the sockets and the arms just will not go more than chest height - individual variation will be a bit below (like me) or maybe a bit above (haven't seen that as much).
So why, you might ask, would the lats being ON have what i've called a "braking effect" on the apogee or top point of a swing?
We can go back to the pull up as a lat exercise to put this picture. As i wrote there:
... [the Lats] enable the trunk to be pulled up via shoulder (or glenohumeral joint) extension. How does that work? The lat is like a big triangle of tough stretchy stuff that is nailed down along the spine from the middle of the back, just under the shoulder blade, right down into the butt at the sacrum. That's a lot of back. So the mid (or thoracic) spine is one point on the triangle; the sacrum (at the butt) is the second, and the third is in the arm, on the "medial side of the intertubercular groove of the humerus"
The lat connected in this way supports four movements of the shoulder joint: extension (movement of the humerus straight, posteriorly), bringing it across and in front of the body (adduction); internal rotation (putting your lower arm behind your back); bringing your arm up and around so that you can grab the opposite shoulder to the upraised arm (horizontal abduction).
You can try this out yourself without a kettlebell. Lock your elbow and first start with your arm at your side, relaxed, and just try raising your arm by moving your arm in front of you and all the way up so your upper arm is close to your ear (if you can't get it to your ear we have another thing to talk about). Look at how great the arc is of that arm. from your side all the way up, like 180 degrees.
Now get your arm by your side and try flexing the muscles you feel along your sides. When you have that "grr" tight feel, now see how high you can raise your arm comfortably. Somewhere around 90 degrees, give or take?
In other words, and here's what at least to me seems so amazing, the muscle is not working within the shoulder to hold it back in its socket, but is actually using this mass of back muscle tied into the inside of the upper arm, to put a brake the arm action forward when it's flexed, and THAT the main action keeping the shoulder "packed" in the swing.
One more visualization: imagine someone tied a thick jump band to the inside of your arm, and held it going under your armpit and across your back. Initially when the band is relaxed, you can move your arm up in a full arc. If that person tightens that elastic up, that's going to limit the degree of the arc the arm can now be raised (this may also help reinforce why the lats are so big in pull ups: that lat muscle wants to get that arm down and back, in the direction of the muscle fiber).
SO the arm is kept from flying up (or out) of the socket with the help of the lats that both hold it back and limit its arc / range of motion when the muscle is flexed.
What is the shoulder socket or glenohumeral joint? If we talk about "packing the shoulder" in the swing, therefore, we are talking about a joint - the shoulder joint. A joint is where two bones come together to act as a lever. In the shoulder joint, the top of the upper arm bone or humerous, connects with the scapula, or shoulder blade.
The way the lat is connected to the upper arm, therefore, pretty literally, helps keep the arm in its socket.
It's not the only muscle acting on the shoulder joint. There are a bunch of muscles stabilizing the shoulder like the rotator cuff set, but beyond these stabilizers, there are three main actors on the shoulder: the delts, which take the arm to the sides, the pecs which helps bring the arm up (think bench press) or forward (baseball throw) and the lats.
In the swing, while the deltoids and pecs do some work, the major action on the shoulder is the lat. Remeber, the swing is not a pull (from the pec). The swing is carried forward on momentum from the hips. The lat acts first like a brace and then a brake, as said, to keep that momentum from throwing the arm out. This effect is reminiscent of the action of the hamstrings when sprinting: the hamstring acts as a brake so that the leg doesn't go flying out from all that quad power: it wants to pull that leg back down into extension.
The second action is bringing the bell down, keeping the shoulders packed with lats fired, lets one accelerate it beyond what gravity/momentum allows if the arms just come down with the descent of the swing. Pavel demonstrated this powerful pull down into the ground rather than way out in front at the cert using a super light (8K) bell, saying with the right form/muscle work, you should be able to get that power drive acting on any size bell you can swing - even tiny ones. The difference in feel is that the energy of the bell is coming down into the ground. As we practiced this over the cert weekend, many of us started to find ourselves being propelled backwards in our swings just at the end of the swing, showing heel skid marks in the sand.
Note: as RKC Randy Hauer points out, the down phase of the swing is initiated with the hips flexing (hinge at the hips). My point is that in the upper body part of this move, the flexed lats keep that move solid. Thanks for the clarification, Randy.
Putting the muscle together with the movement
By seeing how the lat is connected to the arm, and knowing that a flexed muscle means a muscle that is being shortened in the contraction, you can probably see how that muscle - again with all that muscle mass along the back of the lat working - is going to be able to support the transfer of power from the hips and out through the arms without the arms projectiling out of the shoulder. Likewise, keeping those lats fired and the arms stable while coming down with the bell insures the same protection coming down again, whether with gravity alone at 32m/s/s or overspeeding down.
Summary
By considering both how/where the lat is connected to the arm and how it operates on the shoulder joint has helped me understand why "firing the lats" supports excellent form in the swing, as doing so:
- holds the arm into the shoulder joint socket (packs it in) and thus protects the shoulder during the momentum up of the swing
- acts to brake the upper motion of the swing for optimal moment of the down stroke
- supports that big in front of the body DOWN pull on the arms during that hip hinge down stroke of the swing
Bonus benefit to lat firing? Spine stabilization. Look at that lat images above: the lat's knit through so much of the spine, right into the butt, you get that working both sides, that spine is gonna be solid through the swing. ya ya, there are all the erectors and stuff in the lumbar spine too, and good thing, but look at that lat go! Thanks to Dev Chengkalath for reminding me that the lats connet to and affect the spine as well as the shoulder in the swing. Tweet Follow @begin2dig
Friday, August 29, 2008
Brilliant RKC's? It's academic: meet Al
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Awhile ago, i pointed to RKC Mike T Nelson's ongoing reports on research for recovery. That piece in turn pointed to an interview i ran with Mike over at IAMGEEKFIT. Mike, as many of you know, is a PhD student in kinesiology.
This week, it's my pleasure to introduce you to another RKC who's area of interest lies in yet another field of inquiry: health sciences. Suleiman Al-Sabah is a PhD working as a researcher at the University of Reading in the UK doing amazing things with drugs around the issue of drug resistance. Within this, he's a martial artist who's turned to kettlebelling as the way he does his GPP. You'll find he's also a strong TSC participant as well. Hope you'll find the interview interesting.
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This week, it's my pleasure to introduce you to another RKC who's area of interest lies in yet another field of inquiry: health sciences. Suleiman Al-Sabah is a PhD working as a researcher at the University of Reading in the UK doing amazing things with drugs around the issue of drug resistance. Within this, he's a martial artist who's turned to kettlebelling as the way he does his GPP. You'll find he's also a strong TSC participant as well. Hope you'll find the interview interesting.
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Follow @begin2dig
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