Results matching “Bird”

Just noticed this on John Brookfield's Grip Tips - the kettlebell hold. Much, much harder than he makes it look.

The picture clearly shows the final position, but there are two ways of getting the bell there in the first place :

• use the other hand to place it there
• clean the bell slowly (itself quite a challenging task), and stop it before it hits the back of your forearm

Either way, start out light (John recommends a 20lb bell), crush that handle and curse when it hits you in the back of the arm. Did I mention that it isn't easy?

A look at this week's top posts on Straight to the Bar -

• Working out in the heat : 'I can recall hearing a few of the kids saying 'if it reaches 40 (104°F) we all get to go home'. Either they were just making it up, the teachers loved the heat, or the temperature never got that high.'
• Maxalding video : Showcasing the talents of Max Sick, Monte Aldo, Edward Aston, Eugen Sandow and Otto Arco. A rare treat.
• Strength News Podcast: episode 2 : Have you heard it yet?
• Fresh blogs, get your fresh blogs : New blogs. Lots of them, including the wonderful online homes of Vern Gambetta.
• Kettlebell certification video : a taste of life inside the RKC kettlebell certification course. Some great stuff in there.

Julia Ladewski takes a brief look at some of the more common problems new strength coaches face when dealing with long-time coaches.

The current issue of Hard Style [.pdf, 8.6mb] contains an interesting excerpt from Enter the Kettlebell on Overload Presses. This looks at 3 ways to work up to military pressing a heavier kettlebell than the one you're used to using.

Pavel goes into more detail on the DVD, but briefly :

The Long Push Press

From the newsletter :

The push press is a “cheating” press that allows
you to use a leg kick to help your arm and
shoulder put up the weight.

Clean the kettlebell and go into a
full front squat. Drive out of the squat and push
press as you are nearing the top of the squat.

The Backup Press

Again, from the newsletter :

Clean the kettlebell and start pressing it in the
familiar outward arc. As soon as the kettlebell
clears your chin, push its body—not the handle,
not your arm, but the ball itself—with your free
hand. Don’t push straight up, but up and to the
side. You will feel the pec on the backup side if
you do it right.

The Loaded Clean

Once again it's over to Pavel :

...when you do your kettlebell cleans. Even though you do not plan on
pressing the kettlebell, load your body as if you
will. Tense the glutes, brace the abs, “root” your
feet into the deck, flare the lats, crush the handle.
Pause momentarily, a coiled spring of tension,
then drop the kettlebell. Five sets of five will do
the job.

Time to grab my favourite toy and try these out.

This [.wmv, 17.7mb] is a great video by Thomas Andersen, who took part in (between bouts of filming) the August 2006 Danish Russian Kettlebell Challenge Certification. Enjoy.

With the extreme temperatures (up to almost 40°/104°F) this week I kept away from the heavy stuff, content with the occasional dose of bodyweight exercises. These took the usual forms of Total Gym work, Hindu squats and of course chin-ups.

On the chin-up front I'm gradually increasing the weight; this week it was primarily triples with 10kg/22lb on the belt, next week it should be something more reasonable. I can almost feel the cool breeze now.

Hungry for more blog action? Take a wander over to Functional Path Training (xml feed), the blog of renowned sports and conditioning coach Vern Gambetta. There's some fascinating stuff on there.

Strength and conditioning coach Guy Jones reminisces on log training with a difference [.pdf, 190kb]. A great read.

A few new blogs appeared here recently, including the following:


Dustin Silveri.

Dustin switched to kettlebell training exclusively following knee surgery, and the blog details his workouts during rehabilitation and follow-up phases.

Grab the feed

Vladimir Rakic.

Vlad is currently training for a powerlifting meet just north of Sydney next month. Although he's holding the current training notes close to his chest, recent figures of 160kg, 170kg and 175kg (for the bench) at a bodyweight of 125kg give you a pretty good idea.

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3-to-1 Bodybuilding.

3-to-1 Bodybuilding documents the body transformation quest of Virginia's Sgt. D. Sounds promising.

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Anta's Fitness and Self-defence.

Martial arts, kettlebell training and general conditioning. Good stuff.

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Vale Tudo.

ValeTudo.com (the name comes from the portuguese for 'anything goes') showcases videos, training notes and provides reviews from the exciting world of MMA.

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Coach K's Speed Blog.

With a background including competitive powerlifting, personal training and track & field coaching, Tim Kauppinen (aka 'Coach K') knows his stuff when it comes to running fast. This blog contains regularly updated information on speed, strength and goal setting - a great combination.

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Why not grab all the feeds as a single juicy opml file.

This week Chris looks at several topics including:

• completion of NROL workouts (phase 1)
• the perils of golfing prior to a bench session
• arrival of snow (which seems particularly odd considering recent temperatures here)
• possible benefits of fish oil following a heavy workout
• goals for 2006
• Jesse Marunde's knee surgery
• Strongman competition in the mainstream

Load up the iPod.