by Dan Henderson

When I tell people that I have recently hired a Girevoy specialist coach and am looking to compete they look at me with a blank look and have no idea what I am talking about. So I thought I would share what Girevoy is and my experiences…..

Girevoy is the sport of kettlebells and I have never experienced anything so tough and demanding! There are essentially two events in girevoy and these are the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk and the Biathlon. The biathlon is the jerk and the snatch. Now I bet I know what you’re thinking…. A few heavy clean and jerks aren’t all that tough! Well you are right but it gets incredibly tough when you are lifting them for 10 minutes!

The unique feature of the sport is that it features a lift that requires power over an endurance length of time (10 minutes). The first time you attempt the lifts you feel like the first few minutes are a cinch and then it all starts going pear shaped…. You still getting out of breath, your shoulders burn, legs shake uncontrollably and your forearms feel like exploding. The key with girevoy is to build endurance over a length of time. The other essential key is efficiency of movement.

You need to become an efficient machine so there is no wasted energy or effort. You see 1 bad habit repeated over 10 long minutes will lead to unnecessary exhaustion and fatigue. You can get away with some bad efforts over a short space of time but there is no cheating when it comes to 10 minutes. The movements are very complex and this is why it takes years to master them and build endurance.

The weights that the professionals use is almost hard to believe…. Two 32Kg kettlebells! Now I am very much in the amateur category and use a combination of 16,20 and 24 Kg bells. It will be some time (if ever) before I get that elite level. What I do get is an awesome appreciation of the level of athleticism and conditioning you need to be at that level.

The sport is still very much in its infancy in Australia but it is beginning to grow steadily. Last year Australia held its first ever nationals and this was a big occasion for the sport. The sport is massive in Eastern Europe and it would be a great to see Australians compete on this elite stage in the near future.

In our Level 2 course we introduce the sport of Girevoy and give you a small sample of the demands. If you would like to learn more then please look at Girevoy Australia’s website: http://sites.google.com/site/girevoysportaustralia/Home

My plan is to compete for the 1^st ever time in September and give this 10 minutes a shake!

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by Boris Bojanovic

Chalk is an important component of kettlebell training weight training of any kind requires the participant to hold metal handles. The skin’s natural adaptation is to thicken, resulting in calluses. Chalk use is important as chalk dries out the hand which lets the kettlebell handle move in the hand without catching & potentially tearing calluses.

We do not recommend the use of gloves because they decrease the proprioception, or feeling in one’s hands, which can be problematic. This is because in correct kettlebell use the kettlebell moves position within the hand, e.g. cleaning the bell from hook grip to rack position. Wearing gloves adds a thick layer between the kettlebell handle & hand which lessens that feeling of correct motion. The thick layer also effectively thickens the kettlebell handle, which makes it harder to grip requiring users to tighten their grip. Over-gripping is already a common issue which interferes with kettlebell exercise execution.

Chalked hands

Back to chalk, weight lifting or rock climbing chalk comes in soft brittle blocks it should be kept in a bucket big enough for the user to put their hands into it to apply the chalk so that excess chalk doesn’t go everywhere & make unnecessary mess.

Also, it is unnecessary to crumble chalk to a powder. Chunks of chalk can be used to “draw” a layer of chalk onto the palms & fingers, more so it makes less mess than handfuls of powder. For the same reason, we also advise against clapping excess chalk off, however tempting it may be. Excess chalk can be easily brushed off with the hands without sending chalk flying everywhere.

Inevitably, calluses will thicken & if let to grow their potential to tear increases as well as them looking unsightly. The solution to this is to file them down with a callus file (which can be purchased at a supermarket or chemist). This is best done after soaking the hands in warm water, one minute should suffice, or in the shower.

One important point is to make sure you only file down the callus, not try to remove it completely. As stated above, calluses are a natural adaptation of the skin to holding metal handles but can easily be kept under control with the use of chalk & a file.

Boris Bojanovic

In the first part of this article series on shoulder packing in kettlebell overhead movements we talked about shoulder upward rotation being necessary to make space for the humerus to move without risking impingement. Correct overhead kettlebell posture, as viewed from the side, is a near vertical arm. This requires enough scapular upward rotation & shoulder flexion. The problem is that most of our computer-bound clients can’t get to this position safely, they look more like the poor guy in the last picture down the page.

Correct overhead posture: arm vertical & balanced over middle of foot

Now bare with me, this is about to get geeky. But it will be well worth it as it will set you up to know what to do when these things go wrong. You will learn what to do about it in the third & final, practical, part of the series. There will be much less long words & much more videos, I promise!

The scapular upward rotators (lower trapezius, serratus anterior & upper trapezius) can only do their job if unobstructed by their antagonists. Scapular downward rotators are the rhomboids, levator scapulae & pec minor. These muscles tend to be tightened by the common rounded shoulder posture, also known as upper crossed syndrome.

Tight pec minor & levator scapulae, combined with weak lower traps & serratus anterior is a recipe for shoulder injury

Another factor which will affect good scapular upward rotation is upper back (thoracic spine) posture. Part of upper crossed syndrome is excessive thoracic spine rounding (kyphosis). The thoracic spine has to have the right amount (neutral) curvature for the scapula to slide into the right position when upwardly rotating.

The other component of overhead position is shoulder flexion to a near vertical arm. Tight or short shoulder extensors will restrict this movement. Muscles which extend the shoulder are the latissimus dorsi, posterior deltoid & teres major. No points for guessing that these are commonly overactive & short.

Restricted shoulder flexion

There you have it, a quick review of shoulder functional anatomy as it relates to holding a kettlebell overhead. In the final part of the series I will show you, in videos, all the practical stuff related to fixing shoulder packing in your clients. I will show you how to reduce excessive thoracic kyphosis, loosen the commonly tight scapular downward rotators & shoulder extensors & activate the underactive scapular upward rotators.

By Daniel Henderson

One of the more controversial topics when it comes to Kettlebell Swings is the correct neck position.

If you have attended an AIK workshop you would know that we advocate a neutral or packed neck position. We instruct this by getting participants to follow the bell on the downward phase of the swing and then follow it on the upward phase and stare straight ahead or slightly above the horizon.

If you have seen some of our earlier work you would have seen a hyperextended neck where we keep the neck up during the downward phase of the swing.

So why did we change our instruction on the neck position?

It was really down to common sense….Is the neck not part of the spine? We encourage a neutral lumbar spine with all of our lifting yet change our thought process when it comes to the neck. I have seen many senior and well respected kettlebell coaches teach the swing with a hyperextended neck yet it just didn’t feel right and didn’t resonate with me after years of doing it this way.

It does appear that this common sense opinion on the neck is well supported with science. Furthermore, there are a number of well-respected people fitness professionals that are much more experienced than I such as Mike Robertson and Charlie Weingroff that have supported this position.

It is important to first define what packing the neck means or what a neutral neck is. Packing the neck is not tucking you chin to your chest. Rather, my cue is creating a double chin. Dancers do this very well as they are cued to have a long neck and spine. Another cue is to imagine someone pulling on a piece of string that is attached to the crown of your head. You can still stare at the horizon or even slightly above the horizon with a packed neck. You can see a packed neck below:

Neutral neck deadlift

When you hyperextend your neck you turn on the extensor reflex. This is really going to engage your lower back muscles and put your hips into an anterior tilt. This is going to shut off your glutes and your hamstrings. Now this is a major problem when we are swinging as the exact muscles we want engaged become disengaged.

Overemphasised lordosis in the neck will trickle down to the thoracic and lumbar spine. You see the hyperextended curve in the neck will need to find compensation further down the spine and therefore further lordosis of the lumbar spine will occur.

Further, by packing the neck the spine is more stable and this allows for a stronger core. This in turn allows for more hip mobility and more free expression of hip extension.

On the flipside if you decide to drop your head too far down then this will encourage everything to round for forward and put the spine in a very unhappy position.

Now in my introduction I said that the neck position is controversial with the kettlebell swings but the neutral neck should really be applied to all kettlebell movements. You will become more efficient and get a better engagement of the right muscles.

I encourage you to read Charlie Weingroff’s terrific article. He goes into much greater depth and has a very cool experiment to highlight the difference in stability with a hyperextended and packed neck. The article can be found at: www.charlieweingroff.com/2010/11/packing-in-the-neck/

by Boris Bojanovic

For those of you doing further reading into kettlebell concepts may have come across the idea of “packing the shoulder” when taking the kettlebell into the overhead position. Shoulder packing is an important concept but it seems to be misunderstood, quite possibly due to the term “packing” itself. Many people interpret shoulder packing as pulling (packing) the scapula (shoulderblade) down & back as you press the kettlebell overhead.

On first pass this seems like a good idea as the scapula is mobile on the ribcage, and packing it down stabilises it so that the arm can move from a stable platform. But, a problem arises when the upper arm bone (humerus) moves up without the scapula rotating up. As the humerus moves up in a down scapula it will inevitably hit the bony top part of the scapula (the acromion). If you have ever heard the term “shoulder impingement” this is the very definition of it. If you haven’t heard of shoulder impingement then packing the scapula down & back is the best way to cause chronic shoulder pain & risk rotator cuff tears.

Correct scapular movement as the arm goes overhead is called upward rotation. The scapula shouldn’t be packed down & back but the muscles around it should be tight and stabilise it as it moves into upward rotation. The muscles responsible for that are serratus anterior, lower trapezius & upper trapezius (see image below).

Scapular upward rotation: serratus anterior, lower trapezius, upper trapezius

The three muscles work in unison to rotate the scapula on itself and keep it a stable platform for the arm to go overhead with a kettlebell without injuring the soft tissues under the acromion in doing so.

That’s it for part one of this series, an introduction to shoulder packing and the proper way to move the scapula when taking a kettlebell overhead. The next part in the series will talk about why pressing overhead safely isn’t as easy as it seems because of our modern hunched over posture. And more importantly how you can make it safe for yourself & your kettlebell clients.

Kettlebells are becoming quite a popular tool for fitness enthusiasts in Australia. Even though they are an old form of training, with a 300 year history in Russia, it is only now that kettlebells are reaching exercise physiology researchers’ labs. This is probably due to the loads of anecdotal evidence for the benefits of kettlebell training from its growing popularity.

Dr Stuart McGill of The University of Waterloo in Ontario Canada, a world authority on lower back pain prevention recently undertook a study to quantify the effects kettlebell training. He analysed muscle activation and spine loading in the single arm swing.

The study results concluded what we intuitively know about the kettlebell swing. That it is a hip hinge squat pattern where the gluteal muscles are significantly activated to drive the kettlebell up. And this activation is preceeded by lower back extensor & abdominal muscle activity to keep the integrity of the spine & transfer hip drive to the kettlebell.

McGill also found that the swing’s ballistic nature creates rapid pulses of muscle activity & that there is very little eccentric component because gravity assists in lowering the bell. This may be why we find that swings don’t produce as much soreness as, say a stiff leg deadlift. This also makes the kettlebell swing a great posterior chain power development exercise.

The forces on the spine were found to be modest & “probably not of clinical significance for the spine”. The one unique effect of kettlebell swings on the spine compared to squats & deadlifts is due to the inertia & centrifugal forces of the swing. This unique posterior shear force on the lower back may explain why some people who can squat & deadlift without complaint may get discomfort from swings. McGill goes on to say that lower back pain comes from movement flaws & correct kettlebell instruction for hip hinge & neutral spine, with maybe an intermediate exercise such as the kettlebell Romanian deadlift will prepare the spine for this unique feature of kettlebell swings.

Lastly, a feature of kettlebell swings which relates to our anecdotal evidence of people reporting reduced lower back pain after a period of kettlebell training is related to the rapid contraction-relaxation cycles of swings. McGill believes that this rapid switching from activation to relaxation acts to flush the lower back muscles with blood, clearing metabolites & therefore reducing lower back pain.

There you have it, new research into kettlebells has proven what we have intuitively known about kettlebell training. The swing is a hip dominant exercise which provides great power development opportunities, different to squatting & deadlifting. While it may cause discomfort in those experienced in traditional lifts but new to kettlebells, as with any new skill, proper instruction & progression are required. The dynamic nature of swings may even aid in lower back pain reduction by clearing metabolites in lower back muscles.

This article was written by our newest presenter Boris Bojanovic. Boris a young personal trainer in the business working with client’s one-on-one & teaching kettlebell classes. He has always had a passion for analysing body movements and optimising them for best results, be it in sports performance, recovery from injury, fat loss or health promoting effects. This has led him to powerlifting, which requires structure & efficiency for maximal strength development. Kettlebell training, which requires economy of movement for power endurance. And corrective exercise for injury prevention during hard training and injury rehab when required. Boris’ programs & coaching is tailored to the client’s needs & abilities and progressed safely and for fastest results.

Reference:
McGIll, SM, & Marshall, LW. Kettlebell swing, snatch, and bottoms up carry: Back and hip muscle activation, motion and low back loads. J Strength Cond Res 26(1): 16-27, 2012

1. Is the kettlebell a safe training tool?

Due to the dynamic nature of the kettlebell, it is perceived at first glance as a dangerous form of training. But anyone with an open and reasonable mind would realize that any form of fitness training can pose a risk if taught and performed in an unsafe manner. The kettlebell requires the training aspirant to learn how to utilise the kettlebell in a safe and proficient way by a qualified instructor. This is no more or less the case with other forms of training.

It is not due to the dynamic nature of the kettlebell that it is potentially unsafe. Rather, it is the risks posed by so called kettlebell “instructors”; people picking a kettlebell up and attempting to use it with no prior training experience that the kettlebell can potentially become an unsafe training tool

At Sydney Kettlebells, we teach people the value of training with kettlebells in a safe and proficient manner. Safety principles are of paramount importance and are a prerequisite for workshop participants who wish to join our regular circuit classes.

2. ‘Kettlebell training is bad for the back’!

Kettlebell training is all about training functionally. ‘Some of the exercises in kettlebell training appear to be “bad” for the back’ so the observer says at first sight. Every kettlebell exercise has a sound execution component to it and the principles behind utilising the kettlebell have a firm scientific basis. By targeting the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes and lower back muscles), certain kettlebell exercises such as the swing, enhances the core stability of the individual. Once again, if a swing for example is taught without the proper technique e.g. not getting the client to activate the glutes, no hip snap, the back is then jeopardised. No rocket science here just basic principles of biomechanics at play.

Kettlebell exercises are functional and practical in nature because the individual is taught and so comes to understand by a good instructor that muscle groups do not work in isolation but synergistically. What functionality is there in a bicep curl or a seated chest press? Not much at all! Movement based exercises are what most people seek and need in day to day life. This is where the kettlebell debunks such misconceptions and enlightens those who are misunderstood by years of gym based training consisting mainly of machine weights and so working muscles in isolation.

3. ‘Kettlebell exercises are out of my league’

The answer to such a statement is a categorical No! What is true however, is some kettlebell exercises such as the Turkish Get-up, involve levels of coordination in far more depth than say a bicep curl or a seated chest press. By utilizing coordination, agility and whole body movements, kettlebell training targets the nervous system in ways that other forms of training do not. This is to say that more muscle fibres are recruited faster and more effectively when called into action. Equally important is the coordinated effort of other muscle groups working synergistically to perform a particular movement in the most effective and efficient manner. For example, it is quite a revelation to those who do not realize that to perform a squat properly the following muscle groups are called into action: Glutes (butt muscles), quadriceps group and the stabilising muscles of the core

When it comes to the kettlebell, there is no other fitness tool that matches the degree of versatility it offers. You can go from standard low intensity exercises and workouts to dynamic “hard core” training. In other words, the kettlebell is as flexible as you allow it to be. There is no right way of training other than the right way of performing each exercise.

4.  Kettlebell training is only for Men

The masculine image which the kettlebell displays is a deception in the eyes of the female observer. The startling aspect of kettlebell training is that it is not designed as a fitness tool that will make you big. That is to say, kettlebells are a functional form of resistance training. More specifically, the focus is on the development of the nervous system as mentioned in the previous point. Structural resistance training such as with dumbbells and barbells, are aimed – at least from an unqualified universalistic gym approach – at what is called hypertrophy or the enlargement of muscles. This is purely a matter of aesthetics and not necessarily strength. The dumbbell and barbell have their purpose which has appeal to many strength enthusiasts. But the beauty of kettlebell training and the associated exercises – and to emphasis the point again – is the functional nature of it. Therefore it is women friendly because let’s face it, how many women want to get big!?

It is an accepted norm that the prescribed dose of exercise for the average (more the sedentary) population is 30 minutes of physical activity roughly four times a week. But what exactly does that mean?

In accordance with the FITT principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type), this ambiguous notion is elucidated. In other words, we have here a means to creating or performing a work-out which carries with it the essential ingredients for effective physical activity. Thus the question arises: Is 30 minutes of physical activity enough to reap the health benefits let’s say to fight obesity?

The answer: It depends totally on the intensity at which you work! Recent research has indicated that interval training, broken up into 10minutes over three rounds is a superior way of training compared to 30 minutes at a select speed. With interval training, the heart rate of the individual goes from resting to high and then slowed down. This process of high-low intensity ensures, in simple terms, the individual is pushed beyond their comfort zone and so working at a greater intensity, therefore burning more calories.

Suffice to say then, it is worthwhile to train for 30minutes providing you train at least some of the time (Frequency) at the intensity interval training provides for instance. However beneficial interval training is, it still lacks the component many of us need to sustain good bone density and muscle mass, namely strength training. At this juncture some of you are perhaps asking yourselves ‘where on earth do I have the time to do strength training as well as a cardio session’.

Enter the solution; enter the versatility of the kettlebell!

Before we get too carried away with this marvelous fitness tool, let us first survey what the key components of a well rounded fitness regime are:

-    Some form of cardio conditioning such as interval training
-    Strength based conditioning derived from resistance training
-    Maintaining a good range of motion through the joints (commonly derived from various forms of stretching)

Although other strands could well be added, let’s for all intents and purposes stick with the vital triune of cardio, strength and flexibility. Now we may harp on about the kettlebell for its superior way of training in integrating these key components of fitness.

The efficacy of the kettlebell lies in its versatility, adaptability and compatibility in producing a time efficient work out which rolls cardio, strength and flexibility into one. We say versatile because the range of exercises is beyond belief. In the Sydney Kettlebells workshops for instance, we teach 17 key exercises which paves the way for diversifying and further expanding the range of exercises that flows from these 17 exercises. We say adaptable because individuals from all sorts of fitness backgrounds, whether athlete or otherwise, can truly benefit. We say compatible because kettlebells do not replace but compliment other forms of training in a way it must be said, that no other fitness tool does.

So we come to the most exciting moment in this article which is to safely say that kettlebell training provides for a wholesome work-out in 30 minutes or less. Those of you who are ‘time poor’ can celebrate and embrace the kettlebell as a way of training that is complimentary to your health and revolutionary to your fitness needs.

A quick glance at the training ethos of the West

As with anything revolutionary, it takes time for people to recognise an idea as something truly worth investigating. Take for instance, the concept of working out in a gym. In the early days, a gymnasium primarily consisted of free weights, e.g. dumbbells and barbells, intermingled with cardio machines such as treadmills and good old fashioned manual magnetic exercise bikes.

In the case of the gym, it is quite obvious that a revolution has slowly taken place synonymous with technological advancements. From free weights have come machine based apparatuses which have afforded the gym paying customer the added luxury of working out with less effort and fuss and apparently more effectively.

The whole telemarketing revolution spawned in the US has provided the television enthusiast the opportunity to work-out whilst also watching their favourite show! It is at a staggering rate that television enthusiasts are bombarded with ‘new’ and ‘innovative’ ways to keep fit and strong. But most of us are aware, at least in the fitness profession that these gimmicks are nothing but a passing fad attempting to revolutionise the way we should look and feel. We are dictated to by the false prophets of the fitness industry looking to make a cheap and easy buck off that gullible consumer.

But not all fitness aspirants are caught in the marketing web nor do they confine themselves to a sweat festering and heat sweltering gym. Welcome the outdoor training enthusiasts who have exploded in numbers over recent years. By utilizing park benches, tree branches steps and those dreaded hills, fitness trainers have created their own outdoor gym. Often appearing at the designated location with a bag full of fitness contraptions to provide a diverse workout, these trainers and their clients mean serious business. So the outdoor revolution has provided the client an opportunity to appreciate a whiff of fresh air whilst also working out.

A breath of fresh air

Perhaps the greatest fad to hit the fitness industry in Australia over the past 5 years has been kettlebell training. Spawned from a country where revolutions were a frequent event, namely Russia, the kettlebell has entered this continent primarily via the shores of the United States where an ex-special forces specialist trainer from Russia in the name of Pavel Tsatsouline sparked an interest that became a commercial success within a few years.

It did not take long for the kettlebell to make an impact in the fitness industry in the United States once Pavel and his publishing wing, Dragon Door turned kettlebell training into a training methodology accessible to the wider public, both specialist and lay alike.

As much as kettlebell training appears to be a fad, it is the best thing to hit the fitness industry in recent years. The wave that swept functional training into the mind-set of rigid and outdated physical trainers has swept a second time. Kettlebells are still at the level of curiosity and intrigue in Australia but it is only a matter of time until it will be recognised for its simplicity, compatibility and superiority when it comes to a total body work-out and functional appeal.

The appeal of kettlebell training is far reaching, grabbing the attention of athletes and sporting teams; ordinary guys who are sick of their rigid gym routine and women who just want to get stronger without that bulky look.

As appealing as kettlebell training is, there must be caution in approaching this type of training without having any instructional advice. The fundamentals of kettlebell training include safety and awareness; understanding how to perform a maneuver and how you can enjoy a work-out with diversity and efficiency. Improper teaching advice may lead to injury so it is imperative to seek out a reputable training organisation to facilitate a safer and proper way of exposing yourself to kettlebell training.

A fad with a purpose

When it comes to a total body work-out that builds strength, cardio and flexibility simultaneously, kettlebell training stands out as a fitness tool with a purpose. The beautiful aspect of this form of training is that you have the option of training outdoors, beside a beach or park and the option of training indoors, at your home or local gym (those gyms that have embraced the kettlebell that is).

For those of you who remain at a level of curiosity and intrigue, it is time to take that next step and join the training revolution that is kettlebell training. Whether young or old; female or male; athlete or just looking to get fit, kettlebell training does not discriminate to any of those categories. Kettlebell training is for anyone daring to try something different.