One of the most frequent requests I get from athletes and weekend warriors is to recommend a workout routine for them that will specifically help them perform better at their chosen sport.  Everybody always wants to know what they should be doing in the gym to help them play football or baseball or golf or whatever sport they engage in better.  While there are specific exercises that may benefit a football player more then a golfer and vice versa, it is more important for people to understand that before engaging in sports specific training, it is imparative to develop a general strength foundation.

In his book, “Coan: The Man, the Myth, the Method”, Marty Gallagher asks the question, “Why do we lift weights?”  He answers, “We lift to increase physical strength and muscle size.  No other answer is correct.”  In the same book, Ed Coan states, “I firmly believe that everybody should train basically the same regardless of age, sex, height, weight, degree of fitness, percentage of body fat, etc.  I have a method for developing strength and muscle…Why should you train different from me?”  Who can argue with Ed Coan, he is considered the greatest powerlifter of all time.  Ed has squatted in excess of a 1000 pounds and pulled well over 900 pounds.  In training, Ed once pulled 900 pounds for 2 reps.  His strength cannot be questioned nor can his methods.

Sports specific training has become popular in the United States to the detriment of overall strength.  In Russia, the athlete cannot progress on to sports specific training until he has demonstrated a good overall strength foundation.  Broken down into even simpler terms, you must develop general strength before you can develop specific strength.

General strength is built by sticking to the fundamental lifts like the press, squat and deadlift.  Each one of these lifts requires overall strength and utilizes the fundamental we talk about most, engaging the entire body during every workout.  Yes, the squat for instance primarily targets the lower body but heavy squats require your entire body to be strong.  The same holds true for the press and deadlift.

I appreciate the fact that not everybody is interested in perform powerlifting exercises or engaging in the type of cycling and discipline required to build massively strong muscles.  If you are an athlete though or you are a person who is interested in getting strong, really strong, you absolutely cannot ignore these powerlifting lifts.  Some athletes today would rather participate in the “fun stuff” rather then putting in the hard work required to get strong.  This becomes detrimental to them and hinders their future progress.

I cannot think of a sport in which being strong would not be of some benefit.  Overall strength then can do nothing but make you a better athlete and offer you an advantage over your not so prepared opponent.

Remember, you don’t put up the walls or install the appliances before the foundation of a house is laid.  Similarly, you cannot develop strength in your chosen discipline before you develop generalized, overall strength.  The work is hard and demanding but the dividends paid in the future are priceless.

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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As you can see from the instructional articles and videos on this site, when I teach kettlebell lifting, I go into great detail on how to perform each exercise.  I am no different from any other reputable kettlebell trainer out there.  And why all the detail you ask?  Because in order to reap the benefits of kettlebells and to stay injury free, it is important to know how to perform each of the lifts precicely and safely.

I was taught growing up that doing something right the first time was always better then doing it half ass and having to do it again.  Kettlebells training is no different.  There is a right way to perform each of the lifts and a wrong way and a lot of in between.  Everybody is different and our bodies are not all put together the same way so the way you lift a kettlebell and the way I lift one may look different but the fundamental must be the same.

You would not expect to pick up a kettlebell for the first time and start performing swings or snatches without first learning the correct mechanics of each.  Sadly, that is how most of us first learned how to workout, be it with kettlebells or free weights or machines.  (don’t get me started on machines).  Go to any gym today and watch people working out.  You will see as many different ways to perform the bench press as there are people performing.  I dare say that most aren’t doing it right.

For me as with most serious kettlebell practitioners, lifting kettlebells is more then exercise, it is an art form.  I love learning about the nuances of each of the lifts and then practicing them to perfection.  By doing this, I have experienced a great deal of success from lifting kettlebells and I rarely get injured.

Even if kettlebells to you are just another tool for getting stronger and improving your conditioning, it is still extremely important to learn the right way to lift them and always be striving towards performing the movements to perfection.  By not performing the lifts correctly, you are cheating yourself.  It is much better and more efficient to drive with the hips when performing snatches then to try and pull the weight with your arms.  You can push more weight overhead by engaging the lats during the military press then by not doing so.  The bent press looks to the outsider to be a back breaker but done correctly, you can safely put more weight overhead with one arm then with any other lift.  Know “how” to do it is the key.

Don’t take your kettlebell lifting as just another day at the gym.  Study and learn the correct and safe way to perform each of the lifts and strive towards perfecting each one.  Take pride in your ability to lift the bells correctly.  Doing so will ensure decades of injury free strength and conditioning gains.

Yours in Health,

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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Day 64 – 11-16-09

Grind Block - light day

Double Kettlebell Military Press / Squat 16kg & 24kg kettlebells

•    1,2, x 5cycles 
•    3 front squats on last set of each cycle

Sumo Squat 16kg & 24kg kettlebells

•    20 x 2

Total workout time (not including warm up) 24 minutes

3  minutes between ladders

Total workout time – 20 minutes

Day 65 - 11-17-09

Variety

Bent Press  24kg

• 2 reps x 4 ea arm

Indian Clubs + stretching between each set of bent presses

Misc. Grip Work

Total workout time – 26 minutes

Day 66 – 11-18-09

Grind block – medium day

Double Kettlebell Military Press / Squat 20kg & 24kg kettlebells

•    1,2,3 x 5 cycles 
•    4 front squats on last set of each cycle

Sumo Squat 20kg & 24kg kettlebells

•    20 x 2

Total workout time (not including warm up) 25 minutes

3  minutes between ladders

Day 67 – 11-19-09

Variety

Turkish Get Up  – 24kg kettlebell

• 5 minutes alternating arms

Indian Clubs + stretching

Miscellaneous grip work

Total workout time – 20 min

Day 68– 11-20-09 – Rest

Day 69 – 11-21-09

Grind block – heavy day

Double Kettlebell Military Press / Squat 24kg & 24kg kettlebells

•    1,2,3,4 x 5 cycles
•    5 front squats on last set of each cycle

Sumo Squat 24kg & 24kg kettlebells

•    20 x 2

Time to complete press / squat sequence – 24.5 minutes (2.5 minutes less then previous heavy day)

Total workout time (not including warm up) 31 minutes

3  minutes between ladders

Random Thoughts

• I continue to feel strong, even at the completion of the last ladder.  Today I shaved off 2 1/2 minutes from my previous heavy day.  I’m ready to add a fifth rung to my ladders.  I shot for at least 2 ladders consisting of 5 rungs during my next heavy day and will try a 3rd, 4th and 5th if I am feeling strong.

Day 70  – 11-22-09 Rest

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 was watching the XGames today and they introduced a pretty interesting event this year.  It was a motocross race in which all the competitors were either paraplegics or amputees.  Now if you don’t know much about motocross, know this, it’s a very physically demanding sport.  To race a motorcycle without the complete function of your legs and in some cases NO function in the legs is absolutely amazing.  Or is it?

We humans are capable of some pretty amazing stuff.   The history books are full of stories of incredible human achievement.  The one thing that most of these feats have in common is that before they were completed, somebody said it couldn’t be done.  And the person who achieved greatness in his chosen field ignored the naysayers and went ahead and achieved anyway. 

Racing a motorcycle while handicapped is just the most recent example of someone who was told they couldn’t do something but did it anyway.  If you have somebody in your life who says it can’t be done, ignore them or remove them from your life.  Chances are they are failures themselves and they will try and bring everybody around them down to their level.

Sometimes that negative person is in the mirror.  Ignore your inner voice that says “I can’t” cuz it’s wrong.

Yours in Health,

Dennis

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