Downward Dog, and its cousin the Three-Legged Dog, is one of the most popular yoga poses for a reason. Not only does it decompress and neutralize your spine, but consistent practice will correct most of the movement faults associated with kettlebell swinging and snatching, deadlifting, and overhead pressing.

You can utilize this posture before your training session as part of a mobility based warm-up, during your session between sets as a quick spinal decompression, and after your training session for something a little more engaging than “stretching.”

Downward Dog

The basic form of the pose looks simple enough on the outside, but the real benefits here are in the detailed adjustments that you can make on your own. First, begin on hands and knees:

Next, start to lift your hips while actively pressing down through the inside edges of your palms:

Keep your knees bent for now. For most people just starting out with this pose, you won’t straighten your knees any further. This is your initial position before making more detailed adjustments:

If you try to straighten your knees too far before you are ready, you’ll end up with an excessively rounded lumbar, which drops your sit bones, draws you into a posterior pelvic tilt, and ruins much of the benefit of the pose:

However, if you have been practicing for awhile or just naturally can lengthen your calves, hamstrings, and spinal erectors all together, then you might try to press your heels all the way to the ground:

And now the fun begins!

First, roll your shoulders away from your ears and let your neck relax.

Take a deep breath in. As you exhale, attempt to scrape your hands forward away from your body while at the same time pressing your hands through the ground so that they do not move anywhere. As you do this, lift your hips up and back in the opposite direction. Your chest will shift slightly in the direction of your thighs.

From here you can start to experiment with pressing your heels down, but not at the expense of your hip elevation.

Once you can get your heels grounded, you can internally rotate your femurs by sliding your inner thighs to the back of the room while pressing through the outer edges of your feet. This adds an amazing stretch in all those little tiny muscles deep inside your butt cheeks.

Three-Legged Dog

From the Downward Dog position, simply shift one foot to your midline and lift the other leg:

All the upper body cues stay the same. The challenge here is keeping your hips level.

Inhale and kick your elevated heel up and back. Exhale, and lower your elevated hip to be level with the hip of the grounded leg. Make this same adjustment with every single breath while in the pose. Many people will at first experience the sensation from this adjustment as pain, but with practice it will feel exhilarating and downright amazing!

I tried to exaggerate these adjustments in the video so they would be visible, but they are still very subtle; however, it makes all the difference in getting as much benefit as possible from this pose.

Quick Integration

Some general guidelines to using these poses:

• Before Workout: 5 seconds on each pose. 5 times through.
• During Workout: As needed, 10 seconds between sets
• After Workout: Try holding each one for at least 30 seconds, build up to 60 seconds.

But don’t forget: nothing beats a full 60 to 90 minute yoga session, so try one today!

The post Yoga for Strength Athletes: Mobilize Your IT Band and Posterior Chain appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

It compliments programs such as Turbo Charged Kettlebells that call for 3 days per week of strength and ballistic work, and aids in recovery. With an emphasis on joint stability and thoracic opening, it can make any strength program better.

The post Yoga For The Strong appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The double kettlebell swing is the foundation of the entire Turbo Charged Kettlebells series. Once the foundations are in place, it’s time to generate new enthusiasm around your strength training by focusing on new skills for incredible progress.

Before you proceed, be sure to read up on the Foundations of Turbo Charged Kettlebells here.

The double kettlebell swing is the foundation of the entire Turbo Charged Kettlebells series. Once the foundations are in place, it’s time to generate new enthusiasm around your strength training by focusing on new skills for incredible progress.

Throughout this series, you will return to the double swing over and over again. Keep in mind that this exercise must always be respected, even if you have lighter kettlebells in hand. Stay focused on what you are doing at all times. If you let your mind wander while performing double swings, your technique will become sloppy. Injuries are more often a result of consistent neglect over time than of a few reps done poorly.

Unbreakable focus is key to maintaining your technique on the double swing. [Photo courtesy Pixabay]

How to Do It

Performing the double kettlebell swing generates massive power through your hips, glutes, and legs. With an emphasis on the development of your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, the double swing not only helps prevent injuries long term, but it also enables you to perform other lifts and athletic activities with greater ease by centering in on the core of athleticism.

1. Begin in an athletic hip hinged position with one hand on each kettlebell. Look forward about 6 to 10 feet in front of you, or at the horizon line.
2. Hike the kettlebells back between your legs using your lats. Then stand up explosively by squeezing your butt cheeks together hard to pull your hips forward.
3. Stand strong at the top of the swing by grinding your feet through the ground, bracing your abs as if preparing to get punched in the gut, and pressing your shoulders down away from your ears to keep your body integrated as a complete unit.
4. After a brief floating pause at the top, allow the kettlebells to begin to descend, then push your butt back to guide the kettlebells between your legs again, and repeat.
5. Stay in control of the action at all times. Put the kettlebells in their place rather than allowing the kettlebells to pull you into a position, especially on the way down.

Like the other double kettlebell exercises, the double swing requires a wider stance than the single kettlebell movements. For this reason, you’ll need plenty of practice with two kettlebells before moving on to heavier weights. This adjusted stance will challenge your body in amazing new ways.

Progression Makes Perfect

To begin practicing precision in the double swing, start with sets of one rep. Hike the kettlebells back, stand up once, hike them back again, and then park them in front of you. For the first two weeks, perform double swings three days per week, just thirty reps each session, but one rep at a time. Work for precision and accuracy rather than volume.

After that, try out this introductory four-week progression using three sessions per week, still keeping your emphasis on the technique. Add this to the beginning of your current programming, using lighter kettlebells than you would normally use. For example, a strong male who has completed all the RKC or SFG requirements with a 24kg kettlebell would benefit from shifting to a pair of 16kg kettlebells in this progression.

Apply these introductory progressions slowly over time for long-term, sustainable impact, and stay tuned for the full 12-week Turbo Charged Kettlebells program. The program will take these basic progressions to the next level and integrate your skills with incredible strength and conditioning protocols.

How do you figure out how heavy you should go?

Sizing Up: How and When to Increase Your Kettlebell Weight

The post Turbo Charged Kettlebells: The Double Swing appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

We are going to help you develop your foundational kettlebell skills here, and also prompt you to try some new skills.

If you feel like you want to go even further then you can jump into my 12-Week Turbo Charged workout challenge.

You want to prepare for higher-level kettlebell skills so, the imperative is to maintain the essentials of the basic skills.

We are going to help you develop your foundational kettlebell skills here, and also prompt you to try some new skills.

If you feel like you want to go even further then you can jump into my 12-Week Turbo Charged workout challenge.

Even if you feel like you know the material here remember, whenever workouts become stagnant, we often default to the mindset of needing heavier weights, more reps, more training frequency, or even setting aside working out altogether to try something new.

By shifting gears and focusing on skill development, we force our bodies into new adaptations and meet the inner need to become better and grow internally, which keeps us engaged in the process.

Before you start, feel free to use the following 5 minute warm up routine. I’ve designed this specifically for my programming.

Now, let’s dig into the skills we want to cover:

• Swings – To solidify your hip hinge movement pattern.
• Cleans – To direct your energy and gain control of the kettlebell.
• Presses – To build abdominal and shoulder stability and prep your body for what’s next.
• Turkish Get Ups – For total body awareness under tension as a precursor to the bent press.
• Snatches – For dynamic conditioning and a rock solid upper back.
• Squats – To build lower body strength and the integration between lats, abs, and glutes.

Try the following workout to practice the foundational skills:

10 rounds (5R/L):

• A1 – Swings x10
• A2 – Clean & Press x5
• A3 – Front Squat x5

5 rounds:

• B1 – Turkish Getup x1R/1L
• B2 – Snatches x10R/10L

The Double Kettlebell Swing

The double kettlebell swing is the basis of the entire turbo charged kettlebells approach. Performing the double kettlebell swing generates massive power through your hips, glutes, and legs. With an emphasis on the development of your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, the double swing not only helps prevent injuries long term, but it also enables you to perform other lifts and athletic activities with greater ease by centering in on the core of athleticism.

1. Begin in an athletic hip hinged position with one hand on each kettlebell. Look forward about 6 to 10 feet in front of you, or at the horizon line.
2. Hike the kettlebells back between your legs using your lats. Then stand up explosively by squeezing your butt cheeks together hard to pull your hips forward.
3. Stand strong at the top of the swing by grinding your feet through the ground, bracing your abs as if preparing to get punched in the gut, and pressing your shoulders down away from your ears to keep your body integrated as a complete unit.
4. After a brief floating pause at the top, allow the kettlebells to begin to descend, then push your butt back to guide the kettlebells between your legs again, and repeat.
5. Stay in control of the action at all times. Put the kettlebells in their place rather than allowing the kettlebells to pull you into a position, especially on the way down.

Like the other double kettlebell exercises, the double swing requires a wider stance than the single kettlebell movements. For this reason, you’ll need plenty of practice with two kettlebells before moving on to heavier weights. This adjusted stance will challenge your body in amazing new ways.

Progression Makes Perfect

To begin practicing precision in the double swing, start with sets of one rep. Hike the kettlebells back, stand up once, hike them back again, and then park them in front of you. For the first two weeks, perform double swings three days per week, just thirty reps each session, but one rep at a time. Work for precision and accuracy rather than volume.

After that, try out this introductory four-week progression using three sessions per week, still keeping your emphasis on the technique. Add this to the beginning of your current programming, using lighter kettlebells than you would normally use. For example, a strong male who has completed all the RKC or SFG requirements with a 24kg kettlebell would benefit from shifting to a pair of 16kg kettlebells in this progression.

Apply these introductory progressions slowly over time for long-term, sustainable impact. The program will take these basic progressions to the next level and integrate your skills with incredible strength and conditioning protocols.

The Double Clean

The double clean is one of the most effective stand-alone exercises, and it is a perfect complement to the double swing. It also serves as the primary transitional phase between most of the other kettlebell skills we are discussing here. At the top of the double clean, you will be in the double rack position. A solid double rack position will make or break your success in this series.

How to Double Clean

When the kettlebells are in the double rack position, you are essentially in a weighted standing plank. A proper double rack requires deliberate muscular engagement, rather than a passive hold. Actively squeeze your elbows into your sides as you draw your shoulders back. Keep a firm belly, stay tight, and continue to breathe through the tension. Pause briefly in each rep of the rack to solidify the position before moving on. Rushing though this pivotal transition and not respecting the pause before moving on to the next movement will bleed into everything else in the sequence, setting the stage for mediocre development and sloppy technique.

When performing the double clean, hike the kettlebells back between your legs from the rack position and then return to the rack with the same explosive hip extension that you used during the double swing. The two primary faults when performing the double clean are casting the kettlebells away from your body on the way down, and letting them drift too far away from you on the way up.

On the descent, let the kettlebells roll out of the rack, and then take control by shooting your hips back into the hinge position and stabilizing through your lats. On the way up, keep your elbows close to your body as you clean, but not rigidly attached to your ribs. When your double clean is crisp on your hip extension and smooth on the finish, you’ve taken a massive leap forward in your overall technique development.

Build Proficiency Slowly

To begin practicing precision in the double clean, start with sets of 1 rep: Hike the kettlebells back, stand up into the double rack position, pause, then hike them back and park them in front of you. For the first 2 weeks, perform double cleans 3 days per week, 30 reps each session, but 1 rep at a time. Work for precision and accuracy rather than volume.

After that, try this introductory 4-week progression using 3 sessions per week, still keeping your emphasis on the technique. Add this at the beginning of your current programming with lighter kettlebells than you would normally use. For example, a strong male who has completed all the RKC or SFG requirements with a 24kg kettlebell would benefit from shifting to a pair of 16kg kettlebells in this progression.

Until you can perform 100 reps of the double clean in 10 minutes at 10 reps per minute, there is no reason other than ego to step up to a heavier pair of kettlebells. In the context of this program where the priority is on skill development, the emphasis remains on performing each rep as perfectly as possible, even in the midst of fatigue.

Apply these introductory progressions slowly over time for long-term sustainable impact.

Double High Pull

If ever there was an exercise that spotlights upper back development, the double high pull is it. This exercise, when performed with precision and accuracy will transform your posture and increase your work capacity.

The bottom position is exactly the same as the swing and the clean, but the real magic lies in the top position and the transition. Getting there requires not only a solid hip drive, but also control of the power generated to guide the kettlebells up to shoulder level. You have to subtly shorten the arc of the kettlebell path by bending your elbows and intentionally drawing the kettlebells back before returning along the same path. It’s really less of a “pull” and more of a guided effort.

The descent of the double high pull demands an adaptive eccentric contraction, meaning that your muscles must lengthen while contracting in order to decelerate the kettlebells. This slight nuance makes the double high pull a top pick for Turbo Charged Kettlebells and beyond.

Double Snatch

After your double high pull is dialed in, it’s time begin pursuing the double snatch. The double snatch has many variations and different styles depending on what source you are looking to for information. The double snatch of the Turbo Charged Kettlebells program is composed of a double high pull that finishes overhead, with a pause at the lockout, followed by pulling the kettlebells back down into the rack position. The act of pulling the kettlebells back to the rack position before initiating the next rep is sometimes called a “half snatch.”

This style places less strain on the low back, keeping you free from injury as you accumulate volume over the course of the full 12-week program, and it forces you to emphasize good technique rather than slamming out as many reps as possible.

Hike two kettlebells back between your legs and stand up explosively into a double high pull. Instead of floating the kettlebells and then returning, punch both fists through as you aggressively rotate the handles around the main body of the kettlebells. Then decelerate the kettlebells into a double overhead position. Finish by pulling both kettlebells into the double rack position. From here, hike the kettlebells back again and repeat.

Let each phase of the exercise be a distinct and sharp movement all on its own. Review the demo video and the pictures often to solidify the positions in your mind, which will translate to smoother and sharper reps as you practice.

A Progression for Practice

Try the following 4-week progression, integrated into your regular workout, to practice the high pull and snatch. As I said previously, you can use this progression as preparation for the full 12-week program. Rest as much as needed between sets, focusing on precision.

Apply these introductory progressions slowly over time for long-term sustainable impact.

And to get an idea of where you can go with the Turbo Charged Kettlebells program here are 3 workout routines to give you a taste of how you can take your foundation skills and really challenge yourself in a big way.

The post Turbo Charged Kettlebell Skill Building appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Turbo Charged Kettlebells is a 12-week kettlebell skill building program designed to challenge your precision and kettlebell abilities. Two of the primary exercises used are the double high pull and the double snatch.

Double High Pull

If ever there was an exercise that spotlights upper back development, the double high pull is it. This exercise, when performed with precision and accuracy will transform your posture and increase your work capacity.

The bottom position is exactly the same as the swing and the clean, but the real magic lies in the top position and the transition. Getting there requires not only a solid hip drive, but also control of the power generated to guide the kettlebells up to shoulder level. You have to subtly shorten the arc of the kettlebell path by bending your elbows and intentionally drawing the kettlebells back before returning along the same path. It’s really less of a “pull” and more of a guided effort.

The descent of the double high pull demands an adaptive eccentric contraction, meaning that your muscles must lengthen while contracting in order to decelerate the kettlebells. This slight nuance makes the double high pull a top pick for Turbo Charged Kettlebells and beyond.

Double Snatch

After your double high pull is dialed in, it’s time begin pursuing the double snatch. The double snatch has many variations and different styles depending on what source you are looking to for information. The double snatch of the Turbo Charged Kettlebells program is composed of a double high pull that finishes overhead, with a pause at the lockout, followed by pulling the kettlebells back down into the rack position. The act of pulling the kettlebells back to the rack position before initiating the next rep is sometimes called a “half snatch.”

This style places less strain on the low back, keeping you free from injury as you accumulate volume over the course of the full 12-week program, and it forces you to emphasize good technique rather than slamming out as many reps as possible.

Hike two kettlebells back between your legs and stand up explosively into a double high pull. Instead of floating the kettlebells and then returning, punch both fists through as you aggressively rotate the handles around the main body of the kettlebells. Then decelerate the kettlebells into a double overhead position. Finish by pulling both kettlebells into the double rack position. From here, hike the kettlebells back again and repeat.

Let each phase of the exercise be a distinct and sharp movement all on its own. Review the demo video and the pictures often to solidify the positions in your mind, which will translate to smoother and sharper reps as you practice.

A Progression for Practice

Try the following 4-week progression, integrated into your regular workout, to practice the high pull and snatch in preparation for the full 12-week program launching in September. Rest as much as needed between sets, focusing on precision.

Apply these introductory progressions slowly over time for long-term sustainable impact. Stay tuned for the full Turbo Charged Kettlebells program to take these basic progressions to the next level and integrate your skill with incredible strength and conditioning protocols.

Having trouble with that kettlebell snatch? Here’s a deep dive into the technique:

How to Master the Kettlebell Snatch

Headline photo credit: OKFoundryCompany on Flickr | CC BY 2.0

The post Turbo Charged Kettlebells: High Pulls and Snatches appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The double clean is one of the most effective stand-alone exercises, and it is a perfect complement to the double swing. It also serves as the primary transitional phase between most of the other kettlebell skills in this series. At the top of the double clean, you will be in the double rack position. A solid double rack position will make or break your success in this series.

How to Double Clean

When the kettlebells are in the double rack position, you are essentially in a weighted standing plank. A proper double rack requires deliberate muscular engagement, rather than a passive hold. Actively squeeze your elbows into your sides as you draw your shoulders back. Keep a firm belly, stay tight, and continue to breathe through the tension. Pause briefly in each rep of the rack to solidify the position before moving on. Rushing though this pivotal transition and not respecting the pause before moving on to the next movement will bleed into everything else in the sequence, setting the stage for mediocre development and sloppy technique.

When performing the double clean, hike the kettlebells back between your legs from the rack position and then return to the rack with the same explosive hip extension that you used during the double swing. The two primary faults when performing the double clean are casting the kettlebells away from your body on the way down, and letting them drift too far away from you on the way up.

On the descent, let the kettlebells roll out of the rack, and then take control by shooting your hips back into the hinge position and stabilizing through your lats. On the way up, keep your elbows close to your body as you clean, but not rigidly attached to your ribs. When your double clean is crisp on your hip extension and smooth on the finish, you’ve taken a massive leap forward in your overall technique development.

Build Proficiency Slowly

To begin practicing precision in the double clean, start with sets of 1 rep: Hike the kettlebells back, stand up into the double rack position, pause, then hike them back and park them in front of you. For the first 2 weeks, perform double cleans 3 days per week, 30 reps each session, but 1 rep at a time. Work for precision and accuracy rather than volume.

After that, try this introductory 4-week progression using 3 sessions per week, still keeping your emphasis on the technique. Add this at the beginning of your current programming with lighter kettlebells than you would normally use. For example, a strong male who has completed all the RKC or SFG requirements with a 24kg kettlebell would benefit from shifting to a pair of 16kg kettlebells in this progression.

Until you can perform 100 reps of the double clean in 10 minutes at 10 reps per minute, there is no reason other than ego to step up to a heavier pair of kettlebells. In the context of this program where the priority is on skill development, the emphasis remains on performing each rep as perfectly as possible, even in the midst of fatigue.

Build Your Skills for the Full Program

Apply these introductory progressions slowly over time for long-term sustainable impact. Stay tuned for the full 12-week Turbo Charged Kettlebells program to take these basic progressions to the next level and integrate your skill with incredible strength and conditioning protocols.

Is your progress stalling? Time to look at the whole picture to find the problem:

Why You Aren’t Getting Better at Kettlebell Sport

The post Turbo Charged Kettlebells: The Double Clean appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

It happens to all of us – after months or even years of staying consistent with our physical training, we begin to get a little bored. Everything feels redundant, boring, and even stagnant. When there is no structure around a strength practice, it quickly slides into aimless wandering.

Knowing when you need external input to jolt you awake and back into growth mode is a mark of true character and maturity. And by growth, I don’t just mean physical growth or muscle growth. I’m talking about the multi-dimensional growth that happens in conjunction with physical challenges and pushes your own limits of self-understanding and capability.

To get the most out of your training, practice and appreciate the foundations. [Photo courtesy of Brandon Hofer]

Training Is an Opportunity for Growth

Think back to the last time you were really pushed to grow. Maybe it was by your own choice, or maybe by the collective choices of you and those around you. What happened when your mental and emotional capacity was stretched to your current limit? Did you rise to the occasion or shrink back and choose the same life you had yesterday?

Regardless of what you’ve chosen in the past, this series of articles is an invitation to take a massive leap forward and challenge your personal strength and mental acuity. What you will discover is that when you create space in your life for one type of challenge and growth, other types of challenges will present themselves, but you will only see these new opportunities if you are on the lookout. Carving out space in your life to pursue physical strength and higher-level skills will also refine other elements in your life that you’ve been neglecting. It reveals the need to develop these elements, and if you set your mind right from the beginning, you’ll be confronted with them daily. As yoga master B.K.S Iyengar says,

“Development of the mind can be accomplished only when the body has been disciplined.”

The real question is whether or not you will allow practicing these skills to do the same for you. They can be great tools for fat loss and strength building in their own right, but why stop there? Why not open yourself up to the possibilities that real growth could present to you?

Respect and Revisit the Foundations

As we dive into higher-level kettlebell skills, the imperative to maintain the essentials of the basic skills becomes even more critical.

The purpose of this series is to help you develop your foundational kettlebell skills and also prompt you to try some new skills. Whenever workouts become stagnant, we often default to the mindset of needing heavier weights, more reps, more training frequency, or even setting aside working out altogether to try something new. By shifting gears and focusing on skill development, we force our bodies into new adaptations and meet the inner need to become better and grow internally, which keeps us engaged in the process.

Here are the foundational kettlebell skills we will cover in this series:

• Swings – To solidify your hip hinge movement pattern.
• Cleans – To direct your energy and gain control of the kettlebell.
• Presses – To build abdominal and shoulder stability and prep your body for what’s next.
• Turkish Get Ups – For total body awareness under tension as a precursor to the bent press.
• Snatches – For dynamic conditioning and a rock solid upper back.
• Squats – To build lower body strength and the integration between lats, abs, and glutes.

Try the following workout to practice the foundational skills:

10 rounds (5R/L):

• A1 – Swings x10
• A2 – Clean & Press x5
• A3 – Front Squat x5

5 rounds:

• B1 – Turkish Getup x1R/1L
• B2 – Snatches x10R/10L

Stay tuned for more, including tips and drills for practicing the push press, the windmill, and the bent press. In the meantime, work your foundations.

Does your kettlebell clean need help?

Cleaning Up Your Kettlebell Clean, Part 1

Coaches: Are you saying the right things?

Grip It: Coaching Cues for Stronger Kettlebell Lifts

The post Turbo Charged Kettlebells: Setting the Foundation appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

THE KAIZEN KETTLEBELL 12-WEEK STRENGTH-ENDURANCE PROGRAM

Rarely do we find it sufficient to pick up one thing, one time, and be done with it. “One-shot” strength is for powerlifters and emergencies. More commonly, what we need is strength over the long haul. Many programs excel at creating a great deal of either strength or endurance. This program is designed to foster both attributes, helping you meet your “real-world” needs.

What Size Kettlebell Should I Use?

Men:

• Beginner – 16kg
• Intermediate – 20kg
• Upper intermediate – 24kg

Women:

• Beginner – 8kg
• Intermediate – 10kg/12kg
• Upper intermediate – 16kg

The Program

Perform the training sessions on three non-consecutive days per week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Monday, Wednesday, Saturday, for example.

Start with “5 minute mobility” before each session:

You’ll notice that the video is not five minutes long, as you might expect. The moves were abbreviated for quick viewing.

Here are the full times:

• Hip Hinge – 30 seconds
• Spider Man – 30 seconds
• Spider Man w/ twist – 30 seconds
• Crescent Lunge to Down Dog – 60 seconds
• 3 Legged Dog – 30 seconds each side
• 90/90 – 30 seconds
• 90/90 with fold – 30 seconds
• Goblet Squat – 30 seconds

Optional Finisher – 90/90 to Deep Squat + twist and reach

Day One

Warm up:

3 sets:

• Single-leg deadlift x5 each side
• Halos x5 each direction
• Overhead carry – 20 yards, down and back (40 yards total)

Main sequence:

4 sets:

• Snatch & press, right side, x5
• Snatch & press, left side, x5
• Goblet squat x10
• Rest 60 seconds

Finisher:

EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute) 10 minutes:

• One-arm swings x10, rest for remainder of minute

Alternate hands each minute

Day Two

Warm up:

3 sets:

• Turkish get up x1 each side (2 total)
• Double rack carry – 20 yards, down and back (40 yards total)

Main sequence:

4 sets, repeat 5 times (R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L-R-L):

RIGHT side:

• Clean & press x1
• Snatch x1
• Back lunge (keep kettlebell overhead) x1
• Half-kneeling press x1
• Return to standing x1 (keep kettlebell overhead) x1
• Front squat x1

LEFT side:

• Clean & press x1
• Snatch x1
• Back lunge (keep kettlebell overhead) x1
• Half-kneeling press x1
• Return to standing x1 (keep kettlebell overhead) x1
• Front squat x1

Rest 60 seconds, then repeat the entire sequence.

While this complex is not the same one as above, it makes clear how the the kettlebell complex is done – one movement flowing into the next without putting the kettlebell down.

Finisher:

For these, do the work, then rest for the remainder of the minute.

3 rounds:

• One-arm swings, right x10 (1 minute)
• Turkish get up, right x1 (1 minute)
• One-arm swings, left x10 (1 minute)
• Turkish get up, left x1 (1 minute)

Total = 12 minutes

Day Three

On day three of each week, perform the session with one kettlebell size lower than usual.

Warm up:

3 sets:

• Goblet squat x5 (hold bottom position for 3 to 5 seconds)
• Halos x5 each direction

Main sequence:

4 sets of double KB complex

• Double clean x5
• Double press x5
• Double front squat x5
• Double push press x5
• Rest – 90 seconds

Here are two more movement demo videos. Again, the sequences are different than those specified in this program, but the movements themselves are there for reference.

Finisher:
Snatches, EMOM for 10 minutes, alternate hands each minute

Do I Do the Same Kettlebell Workout for Twelve Weeks?

Well, yes and no. The exercises stay the same, but the sets, reps, and rest listed above are your week-one starting point.

Each subsequent week gets a little more difficult. Replace the rounds, reps, rests, and total times listed above with the appropriate values from this table:

The post Strength and Endurance With Kettlebell Complexes appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

I’m driving my car up a hill in suburban Beaverton, Oregon with my right foot, the injured side, on the gas pedal. Without warning, my repaired Achilles tendon decides to detach and fall apart. Not a tear, snap, or rip – it just lets go of itself and I immediately lose control of my ability to press the gas pedal or brake. But of course, instead of gradually slowing down, my little Mazda3 decides to accelerate up the hill, proceed over the crest, and speed right into the building on the side of the road.

Recovering from an injury is already challenging enough on its own, but when you toss in all the psychological games our minds trip us out with, it’s that much worse. Although nothing this catastrophic has happened in real life, I’m still left with five thoughts that burrow themselves into my psyche on a weekly basis.

The Top 5 Paranoid Thoughts You Will Have During Recovery

5. You can’t do daily tasks ever again without risking injury.

Walking down stairs is still a challenge, and I anticipate that even after I’m physically ready to do so, I’ll still have to mental block of thinking this activity will destroy my Achilles with even the slightest misstep.

4. You’ll never be back to 100%.

Although it may be true that my repaired tendon won’t perform the same way as if it were never ruptured, it’s way too tempting to wallow in self-defeat and accept my injury as a permanent and unassailable obstacle, rather than the opportunity to adjust myself and my training.

3. You just broke it again!

At one point not long after surgery I was utterly convinced I had ruptured my tendon again while I was beginning to walk on it. How do you handle the intense and seemingly uncontrollable flood of dark emotion that comes along with that dread deep in your gut when you are convinced that your best attempts at recovery have only made your condition worse?

2. All the worst things ever in the world will happen now all at once.

You are going to lose your job, fall into deep depression, be miserable, and life will suck from now on forever. Believing this one doesn’t last very long, but it keeps popping up here and there. Just often enough to get you down if you let it.

1. Your injury will recur without warning and without reason

In theory, I know my tendon won’t simply detach itself for no reason, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking, “Uh oh, I’ve been sitting here eating dinner for ten minutes and haven’t felt any tweaks or twinges. It must have ripped apart again on its own!”

I don’t really have any wise counsel or advice for those of you dealing with injury at the moment. I’m hoping that knowing you’re not alone will be therapeutic enough for now until you can jump back in the game again.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Setbacks and Mind Games During Injury Recovery (Athlete Journal 4) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

So for now it’s active dorsiflexion, and a passive return to neutral. When I do this one, as demonstrated below, it feels like the most intense Achilles tendon stretch I’ve ever done in my life, and I can definitely tell when I’m at my limit.

Although ankle ROM is not recommended as this stage, I have been experimenting with slight eversion and inversion while on my back. I feel no tension in my Achilles tendon when I attempt this, and it definitely helps keep the swelling down. I do avoid movements that involve a full ankle ROM, such as toe circles.

The other exercise I’ve been using lately is a modified seated march. I ground my injured foot, lift my other foot, and activate my foot arch while shifting a little bit of weight into the injured side. This one was not prescribed by my physical therapist, but it feels like I’m accomplishing the same thing as some of the exercises that were prescribed.

For my strength training, I’ve been using a lot of pause reps so that I can use lighter weights but still get something out of my workout. For overhead kettlebell press, I took sixty percent of my one-rep-max (1RM) and pressed three full reps on each side, stopping halfway on the way up and on the way down, all from a seated position. I’ve also been using pause reps for my pull ups and pistol squats so that I can avoid any external resistance for now.

The post Pause Reps for Gains During Injury (Athlete Journal 3) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Immediately after surgery, the sutures are firmly in place, keeping everything together. As they dissolve, my tendon will be weaker before things start to mend on their own. I had been experimenting around with some workouts after surgery, but will definitely taper it down at the fourteen-day mark and work my way back into it slowly.

I feel my best when I’m moving around, even if I have to modify. The three-legged bear crawl is becoming one of favorite total body warmup drills.

My first real workout after my surgery was more just experimenting to see what I was capable of doing while still keeping my foot and ankle secure:

• Assisted TRX Pullups – Felt just like the real thing!

• Kettlebell Overhead Press – I find that it is still possible to perform these just as I did before the injury, but with a smaller kettlebell and from either a tall kneeling position or from seated on the floor.

• Single Leg Deadlift on the Good Leg – I keep hearing that you can stimulate your muscles on the injured side by working the good side, so I’m going for it.

• Kettlebell Row – Slight modification with both feet off the ground.

• Single Leg Kneeling Hip Stability Drill – This one was actually very challenging on both sides. But I was trying to find a way to continue to challenge my hip stability while my right leg is out of commission.

I mostly stuck to sets of five reps and didn’t really shoot for any specified number of sets this time around. I just wanted to see what I could do after three weeks off. I also played around with some push ups, L-sits, single leg bridges, and some left side shrimp squats.

Anyone else out there with some suggestions on creative ways to modify or supplement certain lifts?

The post My First Workout After Achilles Tendon Surgery (Athlete Journal 2) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Well no, actually, it was not a kettlebell or a barbell plate that was the nemesis that day, but rather a casual game of touch football played barefoot on an uneven grassy field. A small step forward with a little hop, and down I went. Just a random freak accident without warning.

It’s been about three weeks since I fully ruptured my Achilles tendon and I’m becoming more and more relaxed about it as the time goes on. Right when it happened, all the worst-case-scenario thoughts flooded right into my head: You’ll never walk again. Now you can’t coach people. Looks like your yoga days are over. No more kettlebell swinging for you, young man. You’ve ruined your life over a game of touch football.

All injuries suck. But the ones with long recovery times suck even more. One day you’re pressing half your bodyweight overhead, the next day you’re hobbling around on crutches. And since Achilles tendon ruptures are fairly common in many athletic endeavors, I thought it would be fun to post my experience as I try to heal and rehab my foot.

What an Achilles Rupture Feels Like

If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of a fully ruptured Achilles tendon, here is more or less what you can expect:

1. It feels like someone punched you really hard right on the tendon, just above your heel.
2. I did not hear any “pop” or sound. Some people say there is a loud sound.
3. Sit down immediately and look at your Achilles tendon. If the spot where it should be is now slightly indented and mushy, you have probably just ruptured your Achilles tendon.
4. Do not put any weight on it.
5. I went to the emergency room right away, but there was really nothing they could do. They gave me a make-shift temporary cast and wrapped it up in ACE bandages. So if you’re adventurous, you can potentially skip this step and go right to the radiologist, as long as you have something to immobilize your ankle.
6. I got an ultrasound to confirm that it was a full rupture. (I went to RestorePDX, so if you’re in the Portland area, check them out.)
7. I scheduled the first available appointment to see a specialist.
8. I saw the specialist on a Wednesday, and surgery was scheduled for that Friday, thirteen days after the rupture.
9. Pretty quick operation. I was in the hospital for around four hours total. Actual surgery only takes thirty to forty minutes from incision to stitched up.
10. I went home and slept for twelve hours.
11. You’ll be showering from a seated position for awhile, so if you don’t already have a detachable shower head and/or one of those shower seats, now is a good time to invest in them.

The usual disclaimer: I’m not a doctor and this is not a substitute for medical advice. This is just an account of how I experienced the whole process.

Post-Surgery Videos

Here’s a video from five days after surgery, the first time I uncovered the incision point to see what it looked like:

And here is the first exercise I was given, which was one week after the surgery:

The post The Ruptured Renegade Injury Journal (Athlete Journal 1) appeared first on Breaking Muscle.