It’s funny how time flies…
Before you know it, a decade has flown by and you’ve lived a life you never fully imagined.
Check out the video below. In it you’ll see how I ended up recapturing what I lost 10 years ago.
More importantly, you’ll learn how you can do it too.
The Kettlebell Snatch.
The only thing that jacks people’s elbows up more is the kettlebell clean.
Here’s a quick video of a technique, called, The Elephant’s Trunk Snatch.
Yeah, I know, pretty goofy name. I don’t know what else to call it. I didn’t come up with it, I just named it.
Anyway, watch the video and try this version out to see if it works better for you than what you’re doing now.
Want to know more about proper kettlebell technique? Check out Kettlebell STRONG!. It’s over 3.5 hours of instructional DVDs providing you with step-by-step instructions on how to perform the more advanced double kettlebell exercises.
It also includes and 89-page book with the common mistakes most people make and how you should fix them.
Almost forgot – this is the fourth part of a 4-part video series. If you missed any of the other videos, here they are below:
Kettlebell Exercises – Avoiding Injuries Through Correct Posture
Kettlebell Exercises – Avoiding Injuries Through Proper Set Up
Kettlebell Exercises – Avoiding Injuries On The Kettlebell Clean
… And no I’m not talking about dropping the durn things on your toes or head or anything like that.
This is part 2 in the series, especially applicable to elbows and biceps.
Here’s the video.
In it you’ll learn two simple drills you can implement today.
To learn more about refining your technique – and not only preventing injuries but seeing faster results from your kettlebell workouts, you’ll want to check this out.
We’re going to finish up our interview with Karen Rossler today and discover her “kettlebell epiphany” and how she finally made peace with her body, heart, and mind.
GN: What were some of your initial successes?
KR: The first time I swung a kettlebell, it reminded me of gymnastics. I had the same sensation of being on the uneven bars – that feeling of flying, of freedom. Might sound strange, but that’s what it was like. I felt like my whole world opened up. I started remembering who I was, who I had been all those years ago.
I quickly discovered that a 4kg wasn’t heavy enough. I ordered an 8kg, followed by a 12kg about a week later. My confidence skyrocketed. Thirteen years earlier, after my surgery, I couldn’t lift my right arm at all. My husband had to help me shower, had to help me get dressed. I couldn’t do anything for myself. I was so weak, just getting out of bed took an hour for the first month after my surgery. My first “workout” was Richard Simmons’s “Stretchin’ to the Classics”. I couldn’t even stand up for 5 minutes, and when I did, I had to hold on to a chair – but I was determined to do something. Old Richard kicked my butt! And he made me cry. Pathetic, but true. So there I was, ordering one kettlebell after another, getting stronger by the day. Within 2 months, I was snatching a 12kg bell. And I did it on my “cancer re-birthday”, June 20th. That was an awesome day. I went from not being able to wash my own hair, to snatching a kettlebell. I have snatched heavier than that since then, but I’ve been most proud of that first 12kg snatch.
GN: Yeah, I can see why – that’s quite some journey. I wonder how many people make it back from the edge like that and to go on and thrive like you have. If any of them are reading this, I hope they can see that anything is possible. Ok, not everything has been roses, rainbows and lollipops since then. Can you tell us about some of your disappointments using kettlebells? And share with us some of your failures?
KR: When I first started using kettlebells, I topped out at deadlifting and swinging a 16kg bell. I had a block about getting anything heavier. It wasn’t until I signed up for my RKC cert that I realized I really had to get used to heavier weights if I was going to successfully get through the weekend. Funds were a bit limited, so I started using double bells – which was great because we were tested using double snatch weight bells at my cert.
The one failure I’ve had was at my RKC cert. I had gone into the weekend on 3 weeks of absolutely no overhead kettlebell training. That meant absolutely no snatch testing. None. I wasn’t even allowed to touch a kettlebell until the week before my cert. I had to resist freaking out every single day. I was confident with my overall skills, but the snatch test was looming. I ended up passing all my skills testing, but got 92 out of 100 snatches before I ran out of time. I had had an amazing, awesome, fantastic weekend, so I wasn’t completely devastated. Disappointed, yes. But determined to nail it within a month. I talked to my team leader, he gave me a plan and I executed the plan. It was killer. Double 12kg swings, 15:15 x 10 rounds, three times per week. The first time I did it, I thought, “This must be what it’s like to be chased by a bear.” By round 5, I was ready to let the bear have me. By round 7, I thought, “Screw you, bear. I’m gonna chase you!” I started to enjoy The Bear Chase in a sick, twisted way. I still do it.
GN: No shame in that – especially in since you couldn’t go overhead for 3 weeks before your cert. So how did you conquer this obstacle and get your RKC?
KR: I realized I was holding myself back because I was comfortable and yet also afraid to fail. I reminded myself that when I first picked up the little 4kg kettlebell, it was in a box marked “HEAVY”, even though it wasn’t all that heavy. I reminded myself of all the times I pushed myself to do something that seemed impossible – like get out of my hospital bed, deal with excruciating pain, drink radioactive iodine to kill the cancer – every time, I had done it and I had come out stronger. So really, lifting a heavier kettlebell didn’t look so tough when compared to the cancer adventure.
I also started discovering strong woman who used kettlebells. I figured if they could do it, so could I.
GN: Afraid to fail? I think that’s a common fear. I know that’s one of my fears for sure. At least it has been in the past. And I think that’s a key point: So many people are “comfortable” where they are. So they don’t ever achieve their goals. That and the whole “afraid to fail” thing. I like the way you positioned your challenge – “it didn’t look so tough when compared to the cancer adventure.” Not everyone has faced death like you have, but I’m sure we all have had some difficult times. So positioning or framing or current “mountain” – that big, somewhat scary goal – in against something we’ve conquered or achieved in the past is a great way to get where we want to go. Thanks for pointing that out. Ok, so what made you decide on that solution versus something else?
KR: I’m stubborn. I love Hannibal’s quote, “We shall find a way, or make one.” There’s absolutely nothing that comes my way now that I will fear. Nothing. I don’t know why I had cancer. I don’t know why I lived and so many others have died. What I do know is that I will not waste the life that God has given me. I will not give in to fear and darkness. Not passing my snatch test was not the most horrible thing to happen to me. It was an opportunity to be humble, to learn, to keep my head up, to be grateful, to improve, to be able to use that experience in helping others down the road. If I had flown through that weekend, I wouldn’t be the instructor I am today. If I hadn’t had cancer, I wouldn’t be the instructor, friend, wife, sister, daughter, aunt I am today. I’m not crazy about the huge scar, the neuropathy, the missing SCM muscle and all the rest of it. But when one of my clients masters a skill or lifts a heavier kettlebell, I know exactly how they feel. Some of them have really struggled to trust themselves. I have full faith in them, but they aren’t so sure at the beginning. I know what that’s like. I spent decades fighting my body, then fighting something that was trying to kill me. I know what it’s like to finally trust yourself again, to finally feel strong. Really strong.
GN: I LOVE that quote. I’m going to adopt it and use it in my own life. Thanks for that. That was a long journey for sure. Crossing your own personal Alps. Switching gears here a little bit – in a world of loaded with and driven by exercise ADD, what is it that keeps you using kettlebells today?
KR: Cuz they’re awesome! I’ve tried so many other things over the years and they were boring, they didn’t work, and I’ve gotten hurt. The simple answer is kettlebells work. And they work well, in a short period of time. Long gone are the days when I thought for a workout “to count”, it had to be super involved and super long. I’ve really taken what you’ve said about short workouts to heart. I’m stronger and leaner as a result. Way stronger and way leaner, thank you very much! I used Kettlebell Burn 2.0 for the last 2 months while training for my RKC cert 2 years ago. It was perfect. If I had found it sooner, I’d have used the entire program. I finished it after my cert. It was uh-mazing. Yes, I got stronger and leaner. But the biggest thing I got out of the program was a head over heels love for the get up. I learned patience – something I have seriously lacked my entire life. Patience under the bell. Biggest lesson out there, in my opinion (until I think a little more and come up with something else). Taught me how to not panic – take my time – enjoy the movement. Enjoy the movement. Be thankful for the movement.
I also stopped thinking about fat, and started thinking about moving well and getting stronger. The fat started to leave when I stopped eating stupid stuff at the wrong time fo the day. How did I figure that one out? A nifty – free – book titled “Permanent Weight Loss Solution”. Gee, all that subcutaneous fat was from insulin resistance caused by processed carbs I was eating during the middle of the day??? Really? Um, okay, I’ll stop doing that. I had also fallen into the thought trap of “hey, I’m really working out hard and heavy here – I should be able to eat whatever the heck I want!” Uh, no. Not so much. Literally and figuratively – not so much, girl. And then there was 365 Abs. Sure, it’s written for men, and I know from watching my husband’s amazing transformation and comparing it to mine that men and women aren’t made the same, and therefore, what works for him might not work for me. But the basics about hormones (my friend insulin, again) are the basics. Eat smart, get leaner.
The busier I have gotten over the past year training my clients, the more I realized that I need a coach. I needed a great coach, cuz I’m awesome and I deserve it. 😀 When I met you at Summit of Strength in 2011, I knew that I had found my coach. I kinda sorta had figured it out during Kettlebell Burn 2.0, but talking with you and learning from you that weekend, I realized you were my coach. Whether you wanted to be or not! I bought Kettlebell Express and Ultra and went to town. I knew the workouts would be “sane, safe and sustainable” and would give me great results. They did. And I had plenty of time to go about the rest of my life. Even though I love to work with kettlebells, I have found that shorter training sessions – 20 – 30 minutes – make me love kettlebells even more.
And then came Kettlebell Burn EXTREME!. Oh. My. Goodness. I was obsessively checking my email for days when you announced a new program was coming. Double kettlebells six days a week? I’m in! All in! That program is just plain awesome. The workouts are genius, the nutrition plan is simple and effective, the recovery program is fantastic. It’s perfect.
In June, after EXTREME!, I was at loose ends about my programming. I was tinkering around with ideas, and started to drift into the “oh no it’s gotta be perfect” mindset. Then I remembered your Inner Circle. I thought, “Eureka! That’s it!” LOL I’m finishing up the fifth month and it’s just great. I know the programs aren’t designed just for me, but they sure feel like they are. I love love love programming for my clients. But boy, I really have a hard time doing it for myself. I love being able to just get to work 3 or 4 days per week, knowing that at the end of each month’s programming, I’ll have improved. I don’t have that much fat to lose at this point, but there’s always strength to be gained!
Last year when I went for my yearly cancer check up, I took my trusty 16kg black beauty along. I wanted my endocrinologist to see how far I’d come in the past year. Before I could tell her about the RKC, the muscle I’d gained, the clients I was helping, she said, “I know you’ve had a great year. I can see it in your eyes and your smile.” Yeah, “cuz kettlebells are awesome”! And your programs are absolutely brilliant. No joke. I’ve said before it’s like they are made for me and me alone. Sometimes I wonder if you have our house bugged. I will tell Michael something like “I need to do more get ups and swings” and then “Treachery and Deceit” shows up in my inbox. LOL.
GN: Well thank you! I appreciate your kind words! I LOVE that story about your doc. Thanks for sharing your story. You are an inspiration to me and to all who have read your story, I’m sure. Any other piece of advice you’d like to pass along to people reading your story that you think would help them get where they want to get to?
KR: Trust yourself. Don’t worry about what other people are doing, or what they think you should be doing. Spend some time thinking about what you really want. Think about what you don’t want. No matter what, believe in yourself. You are so much stronger than you might think you are. God wants you to be happy, to be strong, to be healthy. So go be those things!
In my last post we saw that there were two reasons for back pain when performing Kettlebell Swings, according to Dr. McGill’s study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. They were:
It’s simply your body’s inability to properly stabilize your spine under load – any load.
This means your body is unable to create “stiffness” in the muscles around the spine in a coordinated manner to protect the spine from the force of loading. Sure, it’s a little more complicated than that, but I’m not really a “science guy” so if you want to know the in-depth details of the science, buy Dr. McGill’s book, Low Back Disorders for an in depth explanation.
Spinal instability often comes from daily prolonged postures, oh, like… sitting. All day. At your computer or desk or whatever. Sitting promotes a slumped posture which places the lumbar spine in flexion (the whole spine actually for most people) and in turn shuts off the deep abdominal and lower back stabilizers, effectively putting them to sleep (called sensorimotor amnesia) so your body no longer has immediate access to them. Your body then relies on prime movers – muscles designed to move, not stabilize – to stabilize the spine. That’s where bad things happen.
Anyway, there are a ton of resources on lower back pain, etc. for you to google, bing, yahoo or whatever and this post isn’t meant to be an in depth essay or primer on lower back pain, low back mechanics and the such.
What it is meant to be is a “hack” – something that strips away all the noise and gives you a high payoff action you can use immediately.
It’s really simple in theory but for many it’s very challenging to do.
It’s the Bird Dog.
With of course, my own modifications. (Because I just can’t leave well enough alone.)
Here’s a picture.
It’s quite simple to perform. (And yes, you’ll probably notice that this picture looks a little different from pictures of the Bird Dog you may have seen in other places – like there is no stick on my back, etc… I’ll get to that.)
Here’s how:
I recommend working up to 3 sets of 20 reps per side, with about 60 seconds of rest between exercises. This builds strength endurance in the lumbar stabilizers and strength endurances has been shown to be a preventative mechanism against lower back injuries.
Now, about my exercise “tweaks.”
Depending on your education, you’ll notice that there’s no stick on my back. I don’t believe in using it. In my book, it’s an unnatural teaching cue that doesn’t necessarily produce the desired response – natural movement patterns. The body goes where the head and eyes take it – at least it’s supposed to: Eyes, then head, then body. It’s a natural reflex pattern or synchrony that many of us lose. So I train that along with the spinal stability. I find tucking the chin and pushing the back of the head into a stick while maintaining or trying to maintain the lumbar curves distracting and frustrating. You may disagree. That’s fine by me.
But some interesting things happen when you perform it the way I’m suggesting:
So by working the Bird Dog the way I propose, you’re not just working lumbar stability. You’re working a whole lot more at the same time.
And make no mistake, this puppy is challenging for many and probably will be for you. Working up to sets of 20 strict reps, where there’s a pause of the limbs – the leg in extension and the arm in flexion, is seriously demanding. There were times in the past when both my clients and myself have been left huffing and puffing and dripping sweat. That’s because there’s way more going on with the Bird Dog than meets the eye.
By now, many are familiar with the concept of the body being “wired” as an “X”. Cool. But, by training the limbs contralaterally (opposite arm and leg – like the gait cycle), you actually do several things.
There are many other wonderful things about the body that we are only just rediscovering. And there’s a lot more information to be applied to our training as well.
Unfortunately, I just looked at the clock and I’ve run out of time so I’ll have to make this a topic of future blog posts.
In the meantime, get on that Bird Dog. Work up to 3 sets of 20 – that’s my recommendation.
And obviously, there are some caveats:
About #3 – you may have to reset using FOLD concepts, so revisit the video.
That’s it, gotta run. In the meantime, if you want to know or experience more about the whole “Body is an X” thing here’s something my buddy Tim and I are doing that will immediately improve your kettlebell lifting.