Monday, June 28, 2010

Snatch Variations

 Here are a few variations of a snatches.  The first in a hang snatch, where you hold another kettlebell at hip level to increase the load through the hip musculature.  The second variation is an elevated snatch where you raise your feet about 6 inches off the ground, gaining an extra 6 inches of range of motion to improve the power of your hip explosion.  Both are great variations to incorporate into your training, as they both increase the involvement of the hip musculature, which carries over to strength and speed in most athletic endeavors.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Today's 6PM Kettlebell Class CANCELED

I have to cancel today's 6pm kettlebell class.  Sorry for any last minute inconvenience this may cause.

Thanks,

Jason Schreiber, Director of Sports Performance

Time to Pull Out My Pistol!

A "pistol" in my world is a single leg squat. It is an incredible act of athleticism, combining the need for simultaneous strength, flexibility, balance, and coordination.  It would be hard to find another exercise that covers so many bases.  Rarely will you spot someone in the gym performing them, due to their difficulty.  However, the road to being about to perform them is merely paved by intelligent and frequent drilling.  When I started trying, I certainly couldn't get down to the floor right away, and started by sitting back into a chair.  In a later video, I will go over how to start incorporating drills into your training that will allow you to work toward performing a full pistol with added weight in your hand.  For now, check out this introduction of what I have in store for you....

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

From the Ground Up Routine

Here is a great routine that forces you to utilize the getup as a means of switching between standing exercises.  Again, another great calorie burner, and if you push the pace, quite effective at improving conditioning as well.

                     START WITH:
1 Turkish Getup to 5 Single Arm Snatches -  keep moving between left and right sides. Continue for 4-6 minutes.
                   
                     SWITCH TO:
1 Turkish Getup to 5 Single Arm High Pulls - keep moving between left and right sides.  Continue for 4-6 minutes.

                     END WITH:
1 Turkish Getup to 5 Single Arm Swings - keep moving between left and right sides.  Continue for 4-6 minutes.

Tip:  Make your own variation!  All you need to do is combine the getup with ANY single arm exercise.  Use the getup to get to your standing position, complete the number of reps you want on that same arm of your standing position, go back to the ground using your getup technique, and switch side. Beginners should limit the total time training to about 20 minutes, being sure to include a 10 minute warmup prior and a 10 minute cooldown afterward.

Monday, June 14, 2010

Montgomery County Recreation Department Summer Kettlebell Training

 I am teaching another beginner kettlebell class for the Montgomery County Recreation Department.  Just like the last 2 sessions, the class will be held at the East County Community Center, Saturday mornings from 11am-12noon.  They will be 8 classes in a row, and you must register for them online or by phone.  I will be bring kettlebells to each class, but I encourage everyone to buy their own and bring it as well.  This will be especially important after the first class, once you have tried different weights and need to practice outside of class. 

Register at this link:
http://recweb.montgomerycountymd.gov/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?ProcessWait=N&aid=54381&From=fas

Please tell your friends and family to register, as there are only 20 slots maximum available, and they may get filled fast!

Training Doesn't Have to Always Be Structured or Lengthy

 
Just thought I'd like to throw in a video of a short, brief, intense workout I did the other day.  The whole workout only lasted 15 minutes.  It consisted of tire flips, sledge hammer swings, and rope drills.  I taped the first round, and repeated it 2 more times.

There are two important things to say about this scenario.  First, training sessions do not have to be long in order to be effective.  Brief (15-20 min) and intense training sessions raise your metabolic rate and testosterone, which helps burn fat even when you are not doing anything, as well as makes you feel energized for the rest of the day.  Secondly, getting away from the more structured routines of sets and reps can help you break the monotony of training.  Finding ways to make your training both fun and effective will help you stay motivated and consistent.  So try something new this week...and see how it goes! Enjoy....


Monday, June 7, 2010

Kettlebell Cleans- Tips for Success

While the kettlebell clean is usually considered a beginner exercise, I have found that a lot of people struggle to perform it.  The skill set required to perform it successfully can be quite challenging, partly because the timing of the clean has to largely be based on the individual's sense of body awareness or "connectedness."  If you pop your hips too fast, the kettlebell will shoot straight into you and you try to catch it.  If you don't explode enough with your hips, your will end up curling the kettlebell up with your biceps.  Furthermore, if you allow your elbow to move away from your body as you explode your hips, you will lose control of your kettlebell, and turn it into a modified swing.  Check the video out, try out some of the tips, and see if they don't help you feel much more confident in your technique.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

My Heaven and Hell Metabolic Circuit

So I have gotten good feedback from this routine over the past week, and it was requested that I post it on the blog.  There are many different versions of this, with the basic premise being, to change levels with each exercise, and continue moving for some serious calorie burning.  The slight changes in angles allow you to continue exercising with less muscular fatigue, especially when you keep each exercise around 5 repetitions . 

Circuit Instructions - Perform 5 reps of each exercise on one arm (one side of the body), complete the active rest with both hands afterward, and then cycle through again on the second arm (other side of the body).  The circuit will take you about 2-3 minutes on each side, so depending on your fitness level, complete 4-6 circuits, for a brief and intense training session!

Metabolic Circuit :
Swings x 5
High Pulls x 5
Snatches x 5
Clean and Press x 5
1 Arm Squat x 5
Suitcase Deadlift x 5

Active Rest between Sides (arms)
Pass Arounds x 5 each direction
Figure 8's x 5 each direction