I started this blog because I wanted to provide good quality information that others could benefit from in their quest to become stronger and better conditioned.  The information in these pages is derived from my studies and my experiences over the last 25 plus years in the iron game.  

I started lifting weights seriously when I was in my mid teens and have become extremely passionate about trying to reach the limits of my physical potential.  Now I have become passionate about helping others do the same thing.  Sharing what I have learned is my way of paying it forward. 

I have learned a lot over the last quarter century, mostly about what doesn’t work.  I am the classic hard gainer who has to work for every ounce of muscle I have.  I started out by reading an issue of Muscle & Fitness and following the workouts described.  My dream was to become a pro bodybuilder so that’s the kind of workouts I did.  

Although I abandoned that dream in my early twenties, I continued to train like a bodybuilder with my primary goal being to get as big as I could.  Being strong wasn’t my focus at that time.  I figured that by getting big, I would get strong as well. 

In my mid twenties I was a follower of Mike Mentzer and his high intensity principles.  My workouts were short and very intense.  I predominantly performed 1 or 2 lifts per body part with 1 working set after the warm up.  That set was always to all out failure and sometimes beyond.  I never left anything in the tank.  I lifted at one speed and that was all out balls to the wall.  

I continued to study and try new things but wasn’t ever able to see the results that I had hoped for.  I was fit and stronger then the average person but I had hoped to have more success then I had at that point. 

It was about 8 or 9 years ago that I first read an article by Pavel Tsatsouline in Muscle Media.  I don’t remember what it was about, but I remember being intrigued by what Pavel was saying.  What he said was nothing new because it was based on what the Soviet lifters had been doing for many years.  And doing very well I might add.  

Although what he preached was nothing new, it was to me.  I quickly began to read everything Pavel wrote and started buying his books and DVD’s and studying and practicing his methods.  That’s when I began using kettlebells and no longer trained to failure.  I changed my entire approached to working out and that’s when I started to realize my true potential. 

I now focus all my attention on strength and power.  Muscles for show no longer interest me.  A huge portion of my workouts are performed with kettlebells, probably 75 or 80 percent.  The rest of the time I use a barbell or perform odd lifts.  

I avoid training to failure like the plague and cycle my training to always be making progress.  My reps for grind type lifts like military presses, dead lifts or bent presses are kept around 5.  I only go higher for explosive type lifts like snatches or jerks. Back in the old days, a rarely performed less then 8 reps and usually did 10 or 12.  Also gone are the days of hour and a half or two hour workouts.  40 to 45 minutes tops. 

The biggest change is probably my focus on total body lifts.  Barbell curls serve no purpose in real life and do nothing to make you strong and powerful.  I practice moves like the Turkish Get Up, the Bent Press, the Clean and Jerk and deadlifts.  These lifts require you to coordinate all the muscles of the body to work in concert with each other.  You must learn to move under load, a feat that mimics real life.  

I have learned how to use body weight only lifts to supplement my resistance training and lastly, I have added odd, non-conventional lifts and feats of strength.  Pull ups holding onto a rope with one hand, sandbag carries, phonebook and card tears and nail bending.  

This paradigm shift in my thinking brought on by the desire and passion to continue my workout education has brought me much success in the last 6 or 7 years.  I have made more gains in that time then in the almost 20 years prior.    

I have never been stronger and better conditioned then I am now at 41.  Every year I continue to make progress by continuing to educate myself and practice what I learn.  

In this age of massive amounts of information exchange, there has never been more knowledge available to you and me with regard to strength and conditioning.  Yet with all the advancements in the field of physical culture, it is the simple things that have always worked in the past to make men strong that will work in the future. 

Kettlebells have been around for hundreds of years and are as effective now as they were then.  A simple circular piece of iron with a handle helped change who I am physically and mentally.  I only discovered kettlebells because I never stopped trying to learn and improve my approach towards lifting.  

Never stop asking the question, what if?  Never stop asking the question, what about me?  I am who I am and have achieved the things I have because I am always asking those questions and seeking the answers. 

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 29 – 10-12-09

Grind Block - light day

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

•    1,2,3 x 4 cycles
•    1 x 1 cycle
•    5 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 1/2 minutes between ladders

Music selection – Alice in Chains

Random Thoughts

• I decreased the time between ladders from 4 minutes to 3 1/2. 

Day 30 - 10-13-09

Variety

Turkish Get Ups  24kg

• 5 minutes alternating hands 

Lateral Raises  10 lbs

• 10 x 3 

Stretching

Deck Pistols holding 10lb plate

• 3 ea leg x 3 sets 

Music selection – Stone Temple Pilots

Total workout time – 20 minutes

Day 31 – 10-14-09

Grind block – medium day

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

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

Sumo Squat 20kg & 24kg kettlebells

•    20 x 2

Total workout time (not including warm up) 30 minutes

3 1/2 minutes between ladders

Music selection – Stone Temple Pilots

Day 32 – 10-15-09 – This was a scheduled variety day but I was felling a little fatigued and rundown so I decided to take the day off.

Day 33 – 10-16-09 – Rest

Day 34 – 10-17-09

Grind block – heavy day

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

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

Sumo Squat 24kg & 24kg kettlebells

•    20 x 2

Time to complete press / squat sequence – 22 minutes

Total workout time (not including warm up) 30 minutes

3 1/2 minutes between ladders

Music selection – Metallica

Random Thoughts

• Felt strong but started to get a little warn down sooner then I should have.  In my experience this is due to not eating enough during the day.  I was guilty of that today.  Heavy days require lots of calories.  Will correct for future workouts.
• The number of ladders and rungs I performed are right at my limit.  Adding more at this time would most likely result in bad form and or injury.  My goal for the next heavy day will be to perform the same number of ladders and rungs for each in less time. 

Day 35 – 10-18-09 – Rest

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The Russian Kettlebell Twist or Russian Hot Potato is a great exercise to target the muscles of your core.  Give this a try after a set of swings or snatches when your breathing is already rapid and I guarantee you will hate me when your done. 

Points to Remember

• Lean back until your heals start ot come off the ground.
• Synchronise your breathing with each passing of the kettlebell from side to side.
• Keep your glutes and you abs tight.
• Allow your hips to rotate as you pass the kettlebell back and forth.
• Perform for high reps or for time.

Yours in Health

Dennis

PLEASE RETWEET

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 22 – 10-5-09

Explosive block - light day

Viking Push Press 16kg

•    2,4,6 x 4 cycles ea. arm

Front Raise Snatch  16kg

• 10 (reps) x 2

Total workout time (not including warm up) 24 minutes

Random Thoughts

• Start of a new week and with it comes the addition of a ladder.  The rungs will remain the same at 2, 4, 6 but I will add a ladder bringing the total to 4. 
• The Front Raise Snatch remains at 10 reps for 2 sets.  I’m still learning this lift and adding more reps and or sets starts to become grueling.  Too much for the light day.  The Viking Push Press is the focus on light days.

Total workout time – 24 minutes

Day 23 - 10-6-09

Variety

Kettlebell Swings  16kg

• 20 x 3 alternating hands 

Turkish Get-ups  20kg kettlebell

• 5 minutes

Hindu Squats 

• 20 reps x 3

Pinch block static holds  – one hand alternating

• 30 lbs x 20 sec
• 25 lbs x 25 sec
• 20 lbs x 30 sec

Stretching throughout workout

Music selection – Alice in Chains

Total workout time – 31 minutes

Day 24 – 10-7-09

Explosive block - medium day

Long Cycle Clean and Jerk  2 20 kg kettlebells

• 2, 4, 6 x 4 ladder – 3 minutes between each ladder

Random Thoughts

• As with the Viking Push Press, I added a fourth ladder.  Today’s workout felt much better then last weeks medium day.  I was in the groove from the first rep and felt strong the entire workout.

Total workout time – 19 minutes

Music Selection – Metallica

Day 25 – 10-8-09

Variety

Kettlebell Swings  20kg

• 20 x 3

RKC Arm Bar  16kg

• 5 min randomly switching arms

15/15 conditioning protocol  16kg bell

• 7 reps x 20 cycles

Stretching

Total workout time 30 min.

Music selection  – Alice in Chains

Day 26 – 10-09-09 – Rest

Day 27 – 10-10-09

Explosive block - heavy day

Long Cycle Clean and Jerk  2 24 kg kettlebells

• 2, 4, 6 x 4 ladder – 3 minutes between each ladder

Random Thoughts

• This protocol calls for a rest period between ladders that is slightly to short to aid in full recovery.  The theory being that if you begin each ladder in a less then fully recovered state, progress comes faster then if you were fully recovered.  I have elected to rest 3 minutes between each ladder which for me is about 1 or 2 minutes less then optimal recovery.  I kept an eye on the clock after my last ladder and felt like I was fully recovered at about 4 and a half minutes.  3 seems like a good time between ladders.  I am recovered enough to that I have caught my breathe and am able to complete the next ladder in good form but could still use another minute or so to feel really good.
• By the middle of the 3rd ladder, it becomes a mind of matter game as my body desperately wants to quit.
• It is a mental struggle to maintain good form by the middle of the 3rd ladder.  It is critical to stay focused and not zone out here. 

Total workout time - 20 minutes

Music Selection – Black Sabbath

Day 28 – 10-11-09 – Rest

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As I have always said, one of the best things about incorporating kettlebells into your strength and fitness routine is it’s versatility.  In the video below, I demonstrate how a kettlebell, in this case 2 kettlebells can be used in combination with body weight only exercises to create a full body strength and conditioning program.  Do this combo for time or for a set number of reps and beware, it will kick our butt.

Yours in Health,

Dennis

PLEASE RETWEET

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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Today starts the fist week of explosive block training.   My main focus during this block will be the long cycle clean and jerk.  Before each jerk, the kettlebell must be cleaned.  I will still be performing ladders but they will look a little different.  Each rung represents 2 reps,  2, 4, 6, 8, 10.  I will eventually climb 5 ladders which will total 150 reps.  The other major difference is that I will not be performing this lift with 2 different size kettlebells.  My heavy day will consist of 2 24kg bells and my medium day, 2 20 kg kettlebells.  Same number of ladders and rungs on both days, the difference is the weight of the bell.

On light days, I will not perform the long cycle C & J, substituting the Viking Push Press instead.  Also performed on the light day will be the kettlebell front raise snatch.  (both these lifts will be explained in latter posts)

Day 15 – 9-28-09

Explosive block - light day

Viking Push Press 16kg

•    2,4,6 x 3 cycles ea. arm

Front Raise Snatch  16kg

• 10 (reps) x 2

Total workout time (not including warm up) 21 minutes

Random Thoughts

• Today was a first for a couple of lifts.  The Viking Push press I have practiced with to get the feel for the lift but I have never performed it in during a workout.  Performing this lift properly is all about getting the timing down.  The first couple of cycles were an issue in that my timing on the left side was off and I found the kettlebell bouncing off my chest awkwardly.  On the right side I was fine.  By the 3rd cycle, I had the timing almost perfect and the lift felt really good.  One thing to note is that Pavel calls for performing this lift with 2 kettlebells.  I only have 1 16kg bell so I elected to perform the lift with just the one alternating hands after each cycle.  I think it is actually slightly more work that way because there is no rest after each rung is performed on each side.  Once I comeplete the first rung consisting of 2 reps on the right side, I switch hands and complete it on the left.  Switch hands and then complete the next rung, swithch hands and so on. 
• The other new lift is the kettlebell Front Raise Snatch.  Again, I have only toyed around with this lift in the past.  The verdict is in, I love this lift.  This movement targets not only the entire shoulder and the muscles of the upper back but it does a number on the body as a whole.  To perform this lift properly, one must become as rigid as a steel beam.  My thighs actually started to feel a little bit of a burn form tensing them up so hard at the top of the lift.  (Stay tuned for a vid explaining this lift)

Day 16 - 9-29-09

Variety

Kettlebell Swings  16kg

• 20 x 3 alternating hands 

Misc. body weight only (explosive movements)

• Push-ups  5 x 4 – performed these explosively attempting to see how far I could come of the ground.
• Standing broad jump – 5 x 2

Stretching – emphasised on upper body and hips.

Deck of cards tear – 1 deck x 2

Total workout time - 25 min

Music selection – Stone Temple Pilots

Day 17 - 9-30-09

Explosive Block – medium day

Long Cycle Clean and Jerk – 2 20kg kettlebells

• 2, 4, 6, x 3 cycles – 3 minute rest between cycles

Total workout time – 15 minutes

Music selection – random artists

Random Thoughts

• Today was another first.  First time I have performed the clean and jerk with 2 kettlebells and the first time I have performed this lift employing the ladder protocol.
• This lift is a very good systemic workout that really gets the heart pumping. 
• Amazed how much this lift targeted my thighs.  On the last rung of 6 reps they were starting to burn.  Good stuff!
• You will not that the workout time was only 15 minutes.  The first thing to recognize is that this is the first workout employing this protocol so it will be the shortest.  By the ime I’m done, I will be racing the clock to get the workout completed in 45 minutes.  I will also be performing 150 reps per workout at the top of the ladder.  And remember, we are cycling so in the beginning, the workouts will be easier then towards the middle and the end.  Trust me, I have been cycling for years and as you progress further and further into the cycle, you will be praying for an easy workout.  Cycling involves a cumulative effort.  It’s not today’s workout or tomorrows workout that counts, it’s today’s workout and tomorrows and the day after that and so on that counts. 

Day 18 - 10-1-09

Variety

Front raise snatch  16kg kettlebell

• 10 (reps) x 2

Viking conditioning 15/15 protocol  16kg

• 20 cycles, each consisting of 7 reps.

Misc Stretching

Windmill  16kg

• 3 x 3 ea. side

Total workout time – 30 minutes

Music selection – various artists

Day 19 10-2-09 – Rest

Day 20 - 10-3-09

Explosive Block – heavy day

Long cycle clean and jerk  24kg / 24kg

• 2, 4, 6 x 3cycles – 3 minutes of rest between cycles

Random Thoughts

• First explosive block heavy day and it was short but brutal.

Day 21 - 10-4-09 – Rest

Week 3 wrap-up

• First explosive week in the books.  The workouts this week were short but very intense.  This is the first time I have jerked 2 kettlebells in a workout and I feel like I am adjusting nicely.
• First time doing the kettlebell front raise snatch.  Loved it so much I performed in on a variety day. 
• The long cycle clean and jerk is a real systemic killer.  My entire body feels it when I’m down.  Completing 5 ladders of 5 rungs with the last rung being 10 reps is going to be a bitch but I will be a better man for completing it.

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I remember back when I first started lifting weights, I followed a bodybuilding protocol.  I would target 2 or 3 different body groups and perform 3 or 4 different lifts per body part.  I would then follow a schedule that prescribed that I work each body part twice weekly.  The lifts targeted specific muscle groups and not the body as a whole.  The results were muscles that were not as strong as they appeared.  I certainly didn’t have any real world strength.  What I could do was perform barbell curls with a ton of weight.  Big f*#k’n deal.

What has changed for me during the last half of my lifting career is that I now focus on becoming strong and being able to use my body as one.  Who gives a crap how much you can curl unless you are training specifically to be a bodybuilder.  Beyond that, your focus should not on performing single joint, specific muscle targeted lifts.  Your body does not work that way in the real world and you shouldn’t train it that way in the gym.

Enter the kettlebell and the combination lift.  With a kettlebell, it is possible to create a workout by putting together a sequence of lifts that target multiple muscle groups or even the entire body in one superset.  Not only will you be working your entire body, you will be able to do it effectively in a very short period of time. 

The key here is to complete each set without putting the kettlebell down between lifts.  Transferring from one hand to another is ok but parking the bell is a no no.  Not only will you get a heck of workout in a very short period of time, but if you use your imagination, you will defeat one of the top reasons why people don’t stick with their workout routines; boredom.  Face it, we all get bored from time to time if we do the same things over and over again.  If you take every kettlebell lift and pick your favorite 3 or 4 or 5 lifts and combine them, you create for yourself a never ending list of workouts always different and more challenging from the last. 

Here are a few exaples for you:

Clean / Press / Squat
Clean / Squat / Press
Swing / High Pull / Snatch / Press
Double kettlebell front squat / Double kettlebell press / Alternate kettelbell cleans

….and the list goes on.  One of my favorites is to add a get up at the beginning of the lift and then reverse it after the last rep.  In other words, start your combination lift lying on the ground and finish in the same fashion.  You can design your combination lifts to be all slow grinds or all explosive lifts or a combination of the two.  You can perform 2 or 3 lifts that target a specific group of muscles or the whole body.  I prefer the latter but it is up to you.  Perform the combo lifts for reps or for time. 

The thing to remember is to get creative and forget about what you have been taught in the past.  To steal a saying from Nike, just do it.

Yours in Health,

Dennis

P.S. – I will soon be adding a members area to the blog.  In the past I have stopped short of giving to many specifics in my posts but in the new premier members area, I will go into great detail about how to properly perform each lift, in depth strategies for improving your strength and conditioning, grip strength and what ever else I can think of.  I will also be revealing all the tools I use in addition to my kettlebells.  More videos, audio interviews with top trainers and much more exclusive content.  If you are a regular subscriber to my FREE blog, you will be the first to know when we go live so you can be the first to get it.

This post is meant to give you some ideas and get you pointed in the right direction as it relates to using a kettlebell.  You will obviously not master the kettlebell just by reading this post.  I would strongly suggest you seek out quality instruction either with a certified trainer or through the use of books and videos.  The best in the business is Pavel Tsatsouline.  I would suggest to you “Enter the Kettlebell“  by Pavel.  As with any fitness routine, check with your doctor first.  

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Ever hear the saying; variety is the spice of life?  How true that statement is in every single aspect of or lives.  Sure, we like getting into a daily routine.  It enables us to get stuff done efficiently without too much thought.  It makes us feel comfortable and secure.  It also can be a hindrance in our quest for personal growth, both physically and mentally.

You always hear those self help gurus telling you that in order to grow as a person and achieve your dreams, you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone.  In other words, you might have to change what you are doing to change the results you are getting.

This is also true for your strength and fitness goals.  If you repeat the same workout over and over and over again, in a surprisingly short period of time, the results you got early on will become nonexistent.  You will essentially be wasting your time.

Our bodies are absolutely remarkable in so many ways, not the least of which is in our ability to adapt to and overcome stress.  The old saying, “that which does not kill me only makes me stronger” must have been said about strenuous progressive resistance training otherwise knows as weight lifting.

I still remember boot camp in the military.  The drill instructors goal was to create as much stress as possible without actually shooting at us or having bombs fall on the roof of the building we were in.  There are many reasons for this, chief among them was to prepare us for the possibility of going to war.  I cannot imagine a more stressful situation then being engaged in a battle for you life and the life of your buddies.  By creating an enormous amount of stress during basic training, the instructors were teaching us to adapt and overcome under stress, both physically and mentally.

To a much lesser degree, strength and conditioning training does the same.  It creates circumstances in which are bodies must adapt to an inordinate amount of stress so that the next time we are faced with a high level of physical and mental stress, we will be better prepared for it.  In the case of weight training, our muscles grow bigger and our tendons and ligaments grow thicker and stronger. 

Now, knowing that our bodies have an amazing ability to adapt to stress, we must find ways to continually mix it up so our body essentially never stops making progress.

Typically we add more weight to our lifts, thus adding more stress to the workout.  Provided we complete the workout for the same number of reps in the same amount of time, the added weight means we worked harder this workout then in the last.  Unfortunately, just adding weight is not always enough. 

In comes cycling.  No, not the Lance Armstrong kind, I am talking about cycling your training so that your body does not completely adapt and you never stop progressing.

I have used cycling in my workouts to great success over the past 10 years.  Before that, I was following the workouts in all those muscle magazines and experiencing less then expected progress.  Cycling has enabled me to see more progress in one year then in the 15 plus years before I started doing it.  I essentially lifted the same weight for the same reps over and over and over again.  Not a good way to grow.  I have been incorporating cycling in my workouts for about 10 years and can’t imagine what it was like before.

Here is an example of a linear cycle.  Lets say that your starting weight is 100 pounds and your goal is to progress to 145 pounds in 10 weeks.  The specific lift isn’t important for this example.  During week 1 you would lift 100 pounds for the prescribed number of reps and then week 2 you would increase the weight by 5 pounds.  Keep doing this each week until you reach your goal of 145 pounds.  Now take a break from this lift for a couple of weeks and begin a new cycle. 

Our goal this time is 155 pound in 10 weeks.  So, we plan the workouts backwards from 155 and find that week one’s starting weight is 110.  We progress like we did during the last cycle and on week 10, we have increased our best lift by 10 pounds.  Rinse and repeat.   Now, it is slightly more complicated then that but you get the picture. 

In addition to the linear cycle, we could employ a wave cycle or a step cycle.  We can perform each cycle for 10 weeks or 12 weeks or even 16 weeks.  We can even break up the cycle into 2 week mini cycles knows as Russian block training.  If you are a regular follower of my blog, you know what I’m talking about.  (See the post titled, “Return of the Kettlebell”) 

Also keep in mind that cycling is not just limited to strength training.  It is beneficial in your conditioning work as well.

 If consistent progress is your goal, give cycling a go.  I promise you that you will experience gains like never before.   

Yours in Health,

Dennis

This post is meant to give you some ideas and get you pointed in the right direction as it relates to using a kettlebell.  You will obviously not master the kettlebell just by reading this post.  I would strongly suggest you seek out quality instruction either with a certified trainer or through the use of books and videos.  The best in the business is Pavel Tsatsouline.  I would suggest to you “Enter the Kettlebell“  by Pavel.  As with any fitness routine, check with your doctor first. 

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