Friday, June 29, 2012

WOD- Cardio 2

20 Minute AMRAP ( as many reps as possible) using an Ascending Ladder for Repetitions.

Directions: Perform the exercises in the order they are given. Perform each repetition on the right and left side before moving onto the next exercise. Once the 20 min time limit starts, you will perform 1 rep of each exercise on each arm. You will then repeat the order using 2 reps on each arm, followed by 3,4,5,6.....Keep moving until your time runs out, at which point, you will log the highest repetition (or round) you made it to, plus any partial rounds.

Windmill
Snatch
Thrusters
1 Arm Swing

Compare to 4/7/12

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Do Not Ignore Injuries!

At Capital Sports Injury Center we have been using kettlebells as an exercise rehabilitation and injury prevention therapy since 2006 with GREAT results! We have had success with conditions such as lumbago (lower back pain), lumbar disc herniations, degenerative hip arthritis, degenerative knee arthritis, ankle sprains, pulled hamstrings, rotator cuff injuries, obesity (weight loss!), and fatigue.

The kettlebell will make your back resilient. Unique Russian exercises condition your back from every conceivable angle, statically and dynamically. One would have to take up powerlifting, yoga, strongman, gymnastics, and a couple of other things to half way imitate the benefits of kettlebell training.

Kettlebell's offset center of gravity maximizes shoulder strength, flexibility, and health. According to Pavel, most Russians have never heard of 'rotator cuffs.' Save for combat wounds, shoulder injuries are virtually unheard in the Russian armed forces.

We are unique in being able to combined kettlebell rehab with scar tissue removal techniques like Active Release Techniques®, Graston Technique®, Kinesio Taping®, Cold Laser, and chiropractic adjustments. No other health care facility in the national capital area has the amount of experience offering this combination of therapies that we have! If your body’s got damage from a high-mileage life, kettlebell rehab may be able to give you more relief and restore your strength and quality of life better than anything else.

Call us today at 443-742-1224 or email us at marylandkettlebells@gmail.com!

Friday, June 22, 2012

MAX EFFORT 1

WOD:

3 Rounds of Max Weight (Ramp up the load each set)

Turkish Getup: 1 rep max
Bottom-up Clean and Press: 5 rep max (each side)
Suitcase Deadlift: 10 rep max (each side)

Compare with: 3/23/12

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Kettlebells For Runners

I Am a Runner. Why Do I Need Strength Training?
Resistance or strength training is the Rodney Dangerfield of the running world: it gets no respect. I'm amazed that distance runners still believe the following:

- They do not need to resistance-train at all, at least "not for my legs."
- Resistance training will build big muscles and slow them down and ruin their form.
- If they perform weight training, it should be with light weights and high repetitions.
- Weight training should be done with machines.

Over the past two decades there have been dozens of studies showing the benefits of resistance training for runners in the areas of injury prevention and performance. There is no debate on this question. Resistance training will most certainly not build "big muscles" since most distance runners are ectomorphs, and no matter how hard they train with weights they will not build big muscles. Resistance training will improve your form and increase your speed by improving localized muscular endurance and nervous-system efficiency.

As for training with light weights and high reps, that went out with Jane Fonda workout tapes. Of course any beginner must use light weights while developing proper technique, but with experience it becomes readily apparent that not all reps are created equal. In order to increase strength (which is a good thing) you must apply gradual progressive resistance, which means heavier weights. Are you trying to set a world weight-lifting record? No, but getting stronger allows your muscles and tendons work more efficiently, making your gait more relaxed and "springy."

Finally, machines in no way compare with free weights, especially kettlebells. When was the last time you were seated in a fixed plane of motion while you were running? Running, and all movement in life for that matter, occurs in a 360 sphere. Machines turn you into what a well-known sports coach calls a "motor moron." They groove improper movement patterns that will ruin your running gait and lead to injury.

What Makes a Kettlebell So Special?
The design of the kettlebell differs from that of a dumbbell. With dumbbells the weight is evenly distributed over your hand. When using a kettlebell, there is constant pulling on your core (the muscles from shoulder blades down to your buttocks) for several reasons:

- Many exercises involve swinging the kettlebell which requires tremendous core strength to keep your body stationary.

- When you grasp the kettlebell by the handle, the center of mass or ball of the kettlebell is offset or slightly to the side. Pressing the kettlebell or holding it overhead causes a strong activation of your core to keep your body stable and tight.

Most of us who work out in the gym are used to isolating muscles. This is a bodybuilding technique bit it is not an effective way for a runner, or any athlete, to train. With kettlebells you use your buttocks, legs, abs, back, and arms-all at the same time. Kettlebells are a great time saver!

Kettlebells will strengthen the "weak" areas of your body. As a sports performance coach for over 20 years, I have seen the same problems over and over again-poor core strength, and a misunderstanding of how the core works and how to strengthen it. Kettlebell training is nothing short of phenomenal at addressing these issues. I have been training with kettlebells for five years and using them to rehabilitate injured patients for almost two years. Kettlebell rehab works wonders for lower-back, hip, knee, and shoulder problems.

Kettlebells can be used anywhere and require very little space. A few kettlebells make a complete gym. There are so many different exercises you can do that boredom will never be a problem. The price of a kettlebell is very reasonable considering that it will last a lifetime. You can't wear them out!

If you want to increase your sprinting speed, then kettlebells are the answer. As far as aerobic conditioning, try swinging a kettlebell for several minutes and see how long you last. Like any new exercise, proper instruction is required for safety and technique.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Practice Technique Without Fatigue

Throughout my twelve years of training experience, I am often reminded of the bodybuilding cliche, "No pain, no gain!" I am not a bodybuilder, and neither are most of the people I work with on a daily basis. Despite this obvious fact, occasionally someone spouts out such nonsense, as if suddenly they will snap me out of my ignorance! Of course, after a few seconds of education on basic motor learning theory, they are quickly brought back to my world of intelligent training. Using a kettlebell requires skill, and mastering the kettlebell requires perfect practice. You see, in the world of strength and conditioning, we know that practice does not NECESSARILY make perfect. However, "PERFECT practice makes PERFECT!" And to practice perfectly, you must minimize fatigue. Don't believe me? Watch a UFC or other mixed martial arts fight. After 5 minutes of combat, the best fighters in the world start making rookie mistakes, like dropping their hands! They CAN'T hold their hands up, because their fatigued nervous system won't allow it...not because they aren't highly skilled. Still don't believe me? Check out this video of Marcus Martinez playing with "The Beast," as he hardly breaks a sweat, because he avoids training fatigue!



So pick up your kettlebell and start drilling your swings and getups, but stop well before you start getting tired for the first few weeks. Keep your reps low, meaning five or less. Practice everyday, for just a few minutes at a time, maybe even multiple times throughout the day. You'll quickly surpass all your friends who have insisted on performing higher reps for an hour straight, insisting that the "burn" they feel means they had a great workout, only to be confused by the exhaustion they experience throughout the rest of the day. In a matter of weeks, your kettlebell skill will drastically improve, and your mind and body will "thank you" for training smarter...instead of longer!

Friday, June 15, 2012

WOD- Cardio 1

As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP) in 20 minutes

ALL ARE DONE WITH 1 KB. Perform the number of reps required on each arm before moving onto the next exercise.

Thrusters (1 Bell) - 5 reps
Snatch (1 Bell) - 15 reps each arm
Clean and Jerk (1 Bell) - 10 reps each arm
1 Hand Swing (1 Bell) - 15 reps

Compare to 1/6/12

Thursday, June 14, 2012

It's All About the Ass!

What is the strongest muscle in your body relative to its size? If you said, "your tongue," you'd be right! But since this site is about kettlebells and skeletal muscle, the trick question is actually referring to your glutes. The glutes are actually several muscles, whose job is hip extension and hip external rotation. These "butt" muscles primarily serve to drive your hips forward, and because of their awesome leverage, they can produce intense, powerful contractions. In fact, to train the muscles most efficiently, you must introduce high loads (weight) with high velocity (speed) to your strength training regiment. Enter the kettlebell swing!



Because of the powerful and dynamic gluteal contractions throughout the swing, resulting from forceful hip extension, it is one of the most EFFECTIVE "butt" exercises. In addition to this aesthetic appeal, the movement is incredibly functional and easy to learn. I can teach you how to swing perfectly in less than 5 minutes. And to top it off, once mastered, the swing becomes a full body exercise, effectively strengthening every major muscle group in your body because of the heavy loads handled and the dynamic nature of the movement!

Friday, June 8, 2012

Are YOU Too Old to Swing a Kettlebell?

Kettlebell training is very safe when you are supervised by a trained instructor. We strongly recommend you learn kettlebell training in one of our kettlebell classes. Even in top level kettlebell competition, the injury rate is miniscule compared to injuries in sports. In our practice we use kettlebells for injury rehabilitation and injury prevention. We have high school athletes training with kettlebells as well as senior Olympians. Our oldest kettlebell man is 74 and he swings the 53 lb. kettlebell! Our high school female golfer also swings the 53 lb. kettlebell!



Learn proper technique to prevent injuries. Come to one of our kettlebell classes. Call us at 443-742-1224 or email us at marylandkettlebells@gmail.com

WOD-Max Effort 6

Over the course of 3-5 sets, find the max weight you can use to safely and correctly perform the following exercises/ reps.

Turkish Getup- 5 RM

Windmills - 10 RM

Thrusters- 10 RM

Snatch- 10 RM


Sunday, June 3, 2012

New Kettlebell Class Schedule Starts June 18th!

Hi All,

    As you have been expecting, here is the new schedule starting the week of June 18th!

Monday: 6:30pm                Instructor: Yvette

Tuesday: 6:30am               Instructor: Yvette
              6pm                    Instructor: Jason

Wednesday: 6pm               Instructor: Jason
                   7pm               Instructor: Yvette

Thursday: 6pm                   Instructor: Whitney
               7pm                   Instructor: Whitney

Friday: 6pm                   Instructor: Whitney
           7pm                   Instructor: Whitney

Saturday: 8am                                 Instructor: Jason
               9am (INVITE ONLY)    Instructor: Jason
               10am                                Instructor: Jason

Please help me make Yvette and Whitney's addition a fun and successful addition.  Spread the new class schedule to anyone you know. Post it on your facebook.  Print it out and put flyers up at your work.  Hang it in your church!

Thanks,

Jason

Gotta Love Women!

For those people who feel that woman can't, or shouldn't be, kettlebell training, you are dead wrong.  There is nothing I like more than empowering women, and this video should do just that.  I know I personally could not duplicate this routine being shown, and don't know another male that could either.  So men, drop the ego....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVql6l-7sV8