The principles of success are constant whether we are talking about strength training, education, business or family.  The road map to success has been written and followed successfully over and over and over again.  If you want to succeed in an endeavor, take a look at what others have already done to succeed in that endeavor and then do what they did.  NO EXCUSES!

Kill It!!!!!!!!

Dennis

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Want to kick some real ass in the gym?  Then get up off your ass and learn to harness your anger.

Found this “Code of Honor” on the net.  Read it, Live it, Love it!

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One of the goals of any strength training routine is to obviously get to the point of lifting heavier and heavier weight.  This feat can be accomplished in many ways.  The most obvious is to build muscle.  The more muscle one has, the stronger he will be.  But that is only half the equation.  Another way to be able to move heavier weight is to become more efficient in the way you perform any given lift.

Yes, we can cheat during some lifts to make the lift easier or we can add things like weight belts, lifting suits or wraps to help us move more weight.  The problem with these for the average lifter or athlete is that cheating always leads to injury because we sacrifice form to lift more weight and in real life situations, we don’t have the benefit of special gear to help us.

So what does becoming more efficient mean?  I have heard people in the past say that our goal is to improve our form so that the lift becomes easier.  That kind of thinking is flawed because the name of the game is to become stronger and to do it safely.  We don’t what our time in the gym to be easy, we want the times during real life situations to be easier because of the strength we have build in the gym.

Lets use the kettlebell overhead press as an example.  By kicking out the hip under the kettlebell being pressed, by packing the shoulder and screwing our feet into the ground, we make our bodies more efficient machines and able to produce more power, thus enabling us to move a heavier weight then if we just picked up a kettlebell and without any thought, pressed it.  In essence what we have done is lifted smarter.  We are now able to lift more weight without cheating our employing belts or wraps which in turn makes us stronger by building more muscle.  And, we have done it safely and done everything we can do to avoid situations that make us prone to injury.

And of course, we can also do things that make the press harder like standing on one leg or pressing in a seated position.  Neither of these scenarios are designed to at ease to the lift.

So, don’t think of using good technique as a way to making strength training easy, think of it as a way to make you a more efficient and effective lifter.

Kill it,

Dennis

P.S. – Have a question about anything I’m doing, email me and I’ll be more then happy to answer it.  ironkettlebellfitness@gmail.com

Before entering into a fitness routine, especially one that incorporates kettlebells, be sure to consult with your physician or medical professional to be sure you are healthy enough to begin a strength and conditioning regimen.  Be sure to learn the proper way to perform each lift and complete each exercises in strict form employing a spotter when applicable.  In other words, if you hurt yourself, it’s your fault.

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So I was asked to give a presentation to a group of veteran law enforcement officers the other day.  I was told that they wanted me to speak on the subject of weight training but that the exact topic was up to me.  So I decided to give my talk about functional strength and then segue into the use of kettlebells as a way to build functional strength.

Now if there is a group of individuals who really needs to be concentrating on functional strength, its police officers and firefighters.   It’s one thing for an athlete to want and need functional strength to excel at his sport, and it’s entirely another to depend on functional strength for your very survival.

I began my presentation with a two and a half minute video of  a police officer fighting a drug crazed subject in broad daylight who was caught attempting to break into cars.  The video was taken by a passer-by (who incidentally did nothing to assist the officer) and was edited down to two and a half minutes so one can only imagine how long the fight actually went on for.  After the video played, one of the officers related a story in which two officer, one who was on the SWAT team fought with a subject on PCP for over 5 minutes before back-up could arrive and still it took five officers to take the suspect into custody.

So my point was made that as a police officer, you most likely at some point in your career have to fight somebody who is less then willing to go along with the program and that backup might be minutes away.  Doesn’t seem like a long time but imagine you are fighting for your life.  Heck, one minute would seem like an eternity.

After making this point, I asked how many in the room did any kind of weight training and the majority said that they did.  I then asked them if they knew what functional strength was.  The room feel silent.  Not a surprise really.  A police offer is in the business of serving the community, not training like a professional athlete.  Police officers from my experience are not unlike ever other average Joe, and most people I speak to on the topic of functional strength really can’t explain what it is.

I then asked of those that did do some kind of weight training, how many did the usual bench presses and dumbbell curls and things like that.  All, to a man said that that was indeed how they trained in the gym.  I then explained why they shouldn’t be doing that and again, to a man, they all said that they had never really given any real thought to the point of their weight training.  They just knew they should be in the gym throwing around weights, or something like that.

I continued with my presentation and spoke more about functional strength and kettlebells.  Out of the entire room, only one person had ever used kettlebells and that was just an experiment.  So I finished the talk with some kettlebell demonstrations and then answered some questions.  Turns out, the kettlebell demo was a huge success with many in the room asking me where they could get a kettlebell and if I would teach them to use it which of course brought a smile to my face.

The point of this whole thing is to say that the people who should really be thinking about, and training for functional strength, police and firefighters (I haven’t spoken to a group of firefighters yet but I imagine I’ll get the same response from them) are pretty much like most people going to the gym today.  It seems that you and I are in front of the power curve on this one but whether I have functional strength or not doesn’t really matter a whole lot to you.  But if the person who is there to protect you from the criminals who want to do you or your family harm or the person who might have to pull you out of a burning building doesn’t possess functional strength, well , you might care about that.

So, I doing my part to spread the word and I ask you to do the same.  Know any policeman or fireman?  If so, tell them what you know about functional strength and spread the word about kettlebell training and leave the bodybuilding to the bodybuilders.

Kill it,

Dennis

P.S. – To all the police officers and firefighters out there, THANKS!

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Today marks the anniversary of the beginning of Iron Kettlebell Fitness with the first post tilted, “Sometimes Old is New“.  I can’t believe that it has been a year already but the calender doesn’t lie.  During the past year I’ve had lots of fun making videos, writing articles and answering emails about kettlebells and strength training in general.  My hope a year ago was to start something on this blog in which I could take what I’ve learned over the years through much trial and error and pass it on to whomever was searching for ways to improve on their training and to introduce what I think is the finest strength and conditioning tool, the kettlebell to as many people as possible.

The feedback that I get on a daily basis is overwhelmingly positive and I couldn’t be happier to know that we have had a small part in helping many of you move forward with you strength and fitness goals.  A common theme in the emails I get is that many of you are new to kettlebells and that it was this blog that played a small part in your decision to give them a try for the first time.  That is what I am most proud of and I thank all of you for your feedback.

Just like in your training, it is important to always be moving forwarded and expanding your horizons.  We must expand our mental state in order to expand our physical state.  At Iron Kettlebell Fitness, we plan to do just that over the coming year.

The number one request I have gotten during the past year is for a members area to be added to the blog.  I get lots of question asking for more details about performing each of the kettlebell lifts and for advise on building a training routine.  As the blog is configured now, it’s not possible to go into the level of detail that some of you have been seeking but that will soon be changing.

In the next few weeks, we will be going live with the new members area, the Iron Kettlebell Club.  When you join the club, you will get access to brand new, detailed how-to-videos in which I will cover everything starting from the swing and the other basic kettlebell lifts to the more advanced lifts like the  bent press and other kettlebell special lifts.  The new format will allow me to offer more comprehensive instruction then I am currently able to offer.  My goal is that the new lifter as well as the intermediate to advanced lifter will find something of benefit when they join the club.

In addition to the individual lifts, you will find combination lifts as well as numerous kettlebell routines that will allow club members to mix it up a bit and add some variety to their workouts.  Instruction will primarily come in the form of videos with some articles mixed in to fill in the gaps and I will be constantly adding content so the learning will never stop.

The club will also have a section dedicated to core training as well as grip training, an area I believe is much neglected by most fitness enthusiasts.

We are super excited about the new Iron Kettlebell Club and I can’t wait to open the doors over the next few weeks.  So stay tuned for more updates in the next week or so as we begin opening up the club to all of you.

The last year has been a ton of fun and I look forward to the coming year and the opportunity to continue to help as many of you as possible reach your strength and conditioning goals, and perhaps to even entertain you a little bit along the way.

Thanks again to all of you, the readers of Iron Kettlebell Fitness.  It has been my sincere pleasure to write this blog and interact with many of you along the way.  And as always, keep killing it!

Your in Health,

Dennis

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What is the true measure of physical strength in the gym?  Ask that question a hundred times and be amazed at the different answers and opinions that you get.  My answer to that question has evolved over time just as my philosophy towards strength training has.

Many young and old athletes alike love to point to the bench press as a true measure of ones physical strength and for many years I would have tended to agree, but not anymore.  While being able to bench press hundreds of pounds is impressive, it measures how much weight one can move in a reclined position.

How about the squat?  This lift certainly requires a full body effort, but relies heavily on the legs and back and not much on the muscles of the arms, chest or shoulders.

The deadlift is another contender for top dog but I believe it falls short of being the ultimate measure because of it’s short range of motion.

For me, the true measure of physical strength in the gym is the clean and overhead press or the ability to lift a heavy load off the floor and press it overhead.  Truly an overall body lift if there ever was one.  Many of the old time strong men would probably agree with me on this.  It was rare to find any of them performing a press while laying down.  In fact, it would have been unheard of.  But lifting an enormous amount of weight off the floor and pressing it overhead was kind of the norm for the strong men of yesteryear.

Arthur Saxon holds the world record on the bent press with a staggering lift of 370 pounds.  It is reported that he once pressed 385.  If you are not familiar with the bent press, it is a lift performed with one arm.  The world record in the overhead press is 535lbs by Ken Patera, in the early 1970’s.  This lift is no longer an Olympic lift because it was supposed to have been done with strict form without any leg drive.   It became difficult to accurately measure when a person was using their legs so the lift was removed from Olympic competition.

With it’s removal as Olympic lift, the overhead press has become less and less popular with today’s gym rats and much to their detriment in my opinion.

So, what do you think, what is the one lift that is the true measure of physical strength?  Leave a comment below and let me know.

And as always…..KILL IT!

Dennis

P.S. – Click the link below to watch Serge Redding clean and press 502lbs.

Serge Redding – 502lb.

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A key ingredient in ones ability to press efficiently, thus heavy, is the concept known as rooting.  Meaning, during the overhead press, the athlete should not only push the kettlebell up, but also push his body away from the resistance.  If done correctly, the athlete will be able to feel it in his feet and the feeling that you are pushing back against the weight with your feet should become obvious.  The power to press a heavy kettlebell overhead literally should come from the ground up.

Why this happens can be explained by Newtons third law which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  When we press, if we don’t push back with our feet, some of our power will bleed out.  Pushing back with our feet sends the energy back up through the kettlebell.

Now, lets take this concept one step further.  In addition to pushing down into the floor with our feet, visualize that you are cork screwing your feet into the ground.  This corkscrew effect will amplify the power you generate in the legs and create a greater degree of tension which moves it’s way up through the thighs, into your core and up through the kettlebell.  I like to plant my feet while twisting my heals in slightly and gripping the ground with my toes.  The affect is much greater if you press with bare feet.

I first learned of this concept while deadlifting.   I would set my feet and screw them into the ground.  This technique allowed me to create a great deal of tension before I even lifted the bar off the floor.  I have also employed this technique to my bench press where I would attempt to twist my arms inward during the press.  The amount of weight I could handle in both the deadlift and the bench press increased significantly by just employing this one technique.  I later experienced similar results while performing the military press.

Oh, and if you are having trouble trying to complete a pistol or a one arm push up, this technique is almost guaranteed to get you over the hump.

Kill It!

Dennis

P.S. – Have a question about anything I’m doing, email me and I’ll be more then happy to answer it.  ironkettlebellfitness@gmail.com

Before entering into a fitness routine, especially one that incorporates kettlebells, be sure to consult with your physician or medical professional to be sure you are healthy enough to begin a strength and conditioning regimen.  Be sure to learn the proper way to perform each lift and complete each exercises in strict form employing a spotter when applicable.  In other words, if you hurt yourself, it’s your fault.

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If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you are aware that I am not a fan of isolation exercises and I am certainly not in the minority on this topic.  Isolation lifts are for bodybuilders or for somebody who is rehabbing a specific body part after an injury.  Other then that, you should avoid them and stick to compound type, full body lifts.

Performing isolation type lifts to train your entire body makes training very time consuming and since our bodies don’t work one muscle at a time but rather as one whole unit,  isolation lifts are for the most part ineffective.

I have used the everyday example of pushing your car out of the road to demonstrate how the body uses all it’s muscles in conjunction with one another.  Lets take that example and examine what happens from the perspective of your nervous system.

When you perform a movement that involves more then one joint, like pushing a car, a kinetic chain is formed.  As your legs drive, your quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves all work as a team over the three joints of the ankles, knees and hips.  The muscles of the back, abs, arms, shoulders, and pecs are also involved.  Pretty much all your muscles will be involved in one way or another.

The efforts of all these muscles must be coordinated.  This coordination is developed via your nervous system.  This coordination of the efforts of all the muscles involved in pushing your car out of the road is one of the main factors in determining your strength.  In other words, strength is measured by how well your muscles work in conjunction with one another, not how strong each individual muscles works independent of the others.

The kinetic chain of coordinated effort developed by your nervous system cannot be established unless you train in a manner that mimics real life.  One cannot expect to develop this coordination without training the muscles in such a way that they are forced to work together in groups as apposed to individual muscles.

Full body lifts such as deadlifts or long cycle clean and presses require and thus develop the inter-muscle coordination required to be successful in sports and everyday life situations like pushing a car out of the road or carrying a couch.  What you are building training in this manner is functional strength.

Single joint lifts like leg extensions or curls don’t develop this type of strength.

Prof. Fahey of Ohio State University says, “One-joint exercises like leg extensions and leg curls, develop movement patterns that will interfere with patterns you use in sports.  Such exercises lead to inappropriate muscle recruitment patters that can impair movement and lead to injury.”  Well said professor.

Kill It,

Dennis

P.S. – Have a question about anything I’m doing, email me and I’ll be more then happy to answer it.  ironkettlebellfitness@gmail.com

Before entering into a fitness routine, especially one that incorporates kettlebells, be sure to consult with your physician or medical professional to be sure you are healthy enough to begin a strength and conditioning regimen.  Be sure to learn the proper way to perform each lift and complete each exercises in strict form employing a spotter when applicable.  In other words, if you hurt yourself, it’s your fault.

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If you are like me, you are always looking to tweak your workout a little here and a little there.  I try not to make it too complicated because keeping things simple and not too complex is important for making sustained progress in you lifting.

One thing I like to do every so often is perform lifts like the kettlebell snatch or clean from the dead stop position.  If you have performed these lifts in the past with a barbell then the dead stops are the only way to perform them because you can’t swing a barbell between your legs.

A dead stop snatch means that you simply park the bell on the deck for an instance in between reps instead of allowing the bell to swing back between your legs.  This kills all the momentum and makes the kettlebell feel heavier and results in great starting strength.  If you are a deadlifter, dead start snatches are a good assistance exercise that can be performed on your non deadlifting days and will help in improving your pulling strength.  This is also a great way to bridge the gap between kettlebell sizes.  If the bell you are currently using is a little to light but the next size is to heavy, trying performing dead stop snatches or cleans.

One point to remember when performing dead stop lifts is, don’t relax at the bottom.  When you set the bell on the deck, you are only doing so to kill the momentum and not to take a break from the lift.  Everything remains tight and ready to explode up for the next rep.  If you relax when the kettlebell hits the deck and than explode back up, you will most certainly injure yourself in very short order.

Give dead stops a try and let me know what you think.

Kill It!

Dennis

P.S. – Have a question about anything I’m doing, email me and I’ll be more then happy to answer it.  ironkettlebellfitness@gmail.com

Before entering into a fitness routine, especially one that incorporates kettlebells, be sure to consult with your physician or medical professional to be sure you are healthy enough to begin a strength and conditioning regimen.  Be sure to learn the proper way to perform each lift and complete each exercises in strict form employing a spotter when applicable.  In other words, if you hurt yourself, it’s your fault.

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I have talked about learning to create tension as a method to improve your strength as well as to protect against injury.  Click on the link below to see full body tension demonstrated.  The gentleman in the video has mastered the art of creating tension and because of it, can now perform feats of strength that are almost unimaginable.

Full Body Tension

Enjoy!

Dennis

Dennis

P.S. – Have a question about anything I’m doing, email me and I’ll be more then happy to answer it.  ironkettlebellfitness@gmail.com

Before entering into a fitness routine, especially one that incorporates kettlebells, be sure to consult with your physician or medical professional to be sure you are healthy enough to begin a strength and conditioning regimen.  Be sure to learn the proper way to perform each lift and complete each exercises in strict form employing a spotter when applicable.  In other words, if you hurt yourself, it’s your fault.

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