A Tsunami is a series of waves that carry large volumes of water and energy. Tsunami’s are know for the devastation they cause in coastal regions. A Tsunami is also a Battling Ropes exercise created by John Brookfield; also known for the devastation it unleashes on it’s victims.

If you’ve never experienced it, in the Tsunami, you take a 50 ft, 2 inch rope and your goal is to create a series of waves through the entire length of the rope, at first glance you might not think this would be too difficult. This is where looks can be deceiving. The Tsunami can not be truly appreciated until you actually try to perform the drill. In less than 10 seconds you will feel the wrath of the Tsunami and have a whole new respect for the awesome, effective simplicity of the Battling Ropes system. I can not think of a more demanding exercise.

The Tsunami requires an enormous amount of energy and power from it. It is a total body exercise; head to toe, heart and lungs. In order to get the rope to travel 50 feet, you have to explode your body upwards and then perform a powerful slam downwards.

To create a series of waves, you have to powerfully and efficiently transition from extension to flexion like a jack hammer. This is a phenomenal drill for developing and sustaining explosive power.

To implement the Tsunami into your training, keep it simple. Try to incorporate it into your routine twice a week. You can try to sustain the waves for intervals of time, or try to reach a certain number of waves for “sets.” However you choose to train the Tsunami, you can progressively increase your duration, or waves, a little each week. Once you can perform the Tsunami for a whole minute, you will have just survived a Class 3 hurricane!

A word of caution: Because the Tsunami is so demanding, if you are going to incorporate it into your strength training days, you may want to perform it last. The Tsunami may leave you too wiped out to safely perform strength training after you have weathered the storm.

For more ideas of how to infuse the Tsunami into your training check out John Brookfield’s new DVD: Hurricane Ingrid: The Workout.

If you’re looking for some fast results in your martial arts training try the following quick tips.

1. Work on your explosive power by adding low to mid rep strength training.
   • 5-10 reps of 3 sets of the basic strength exercises, such as Dead lift, Bench, Dips, Standing overhead press, Squat, Pull-Ups, Barbell or Dumbbell rows.
   • Rest 1-3 minutes between sets. Increase weight with each set. Use proper form and perform this workout 2-3 times a week with a day or two rest between workouts.
2. Work on your accuracy. It won’t matter how hard you can hit if you keep missing the target. Focus mitts, Kick shields, double end bags, and heavy bags will greatly help you with your target accuracy. Hitting a stationary target or standing in front of a heavy bag and wailing away at it will not help your accuracy or footwork. You must move your body while training if it is going to be effective and reality based. Have a training partner hold some mitts and have them move after each striking combination.
3. Work on your balance.  To quote Mr. Miyagi; “If balance no good, Karate no good!” You don’t have to be a high kicker or grappler to need good balance. All martial artists should work on learning how to maintain their balance while upsetting their opponents.
4. Improve and maintain your flexibility. A loose muscle is faster and stronger. Muscle tension will come whether we strength train or not. Over use injuries happen due to imbalances in the body. Muscle relaxation and looseness is the opposite of muscle tension. Keep your hips, spine and joints mobile and you will be a better martial arts athlete, have less pain and will maintain your youthfulness as you get older. Ask any young child to do a split or to touch the floor with their palms and knees locked and the majority can do it. Ask most teens and adults and the majority cannot. We are all born with flexibility and mobility but if we don’t maintain it and work at it we will lose it, like any good relationship or job.

I love kettlebells. To me, they are the perfect tool for conditioning the body. The swing alone offers benefits not matched by many other exercises; endurance, strength, power, flexibility and the ability to pump large amounts of blood throughout the body.  I used to think the kettlebell was perfect all on its own. That is however, until I met John Brookfield. John quickly convinced me that there is a perfect partner for the kettlebell: the rope. 

 John Brookfield’s Battling Rope Velocity training is a great compliment to kettlebell training.  In Velocity training with ropes, the object is to move and sustain waves from one end of the rope to the other.  Much like the swing, velocity training yields strength, endurance, and power.

Unlike the swing, in velocity training, there is no momentum.  No gravity to help you.  No rest between waves.  Just 100% output generated by you, the victim. The intensity is unreal.  The results are cardio-conditioning and stamina that can propel your athletic efforts to new levels.  Even kettlebell swings and snatches can be taken to new levels when integrated with rope training. 

 Try this: Just grab a kettlebell and swing it for 30 seconds.  Then, (rest if needed) grab a rope and whip it for 30 seconds.  Just one round will make you a believer.  Work your way up to several rounds and/or longer durations.  Try this for a couple of weeks and you’ll be amazed at the results: More stamina, more power and new PR’s in your training.

Stone Warrior hand and arm conditioning is a necessary foundation for all martial arts training and conditioning programs. We’ve all heard the story, or seen the Kung Fu movie of the Iron Palm Master who with one palm strike could inflict internal damage or even death on their unsuspecting victims.

While this may be true or just legend, it does not change the fact that iron fist and iron palm training is valid and a necessary but often overlooked preparation for all martial arts styles and even combat sports. It is a fact that multiple professional boxers and MMA fighters have broken their wrapped and gloved hands while fighting in mixed martial arts events. Recently Urijah Faber from World Extreme Cage fighting (WEC) broke both his hands while fighting. He did extremely well by using his elbows and kicks, but was unable to punch or grapple without the use of his hands. There has also been at least two or more reported cases where professional boxers have broken their hands while street fighting.

Developing fast and powerful punches through strength conditioning, plyometric training, technique training and speed drills are another foundational training protocol that all martial artists with any type of real skill practice. The more muscle, power and speed that we develop in our bodies the more bone density, joint & tendon strength, skin elasticity and resistance to impact we need. The harder you hit the more damage you can do to yourself. But also the harder you can hit with a rock hard fist, palm or forearm the more damage you can inflict on your attacker.

Doing Damage

In a reality based situation it is not only easy but highly probable that you will hit something hard whether that be the other persons skull, elbow, teeth, the wall or the even the ground. This is why open hand striking techniques are preferred by the military in combative situations. If you break your hand by punching then you will not be able to deploy a weapon if the need arises or grab and hold something if necessary. A police officer once told me that three officers broke their hands with fist punching in altercations just in one week alone.

There are four main reasons why this happens:

1. Most cops, civilians and many martial arts styles do not know how to punch properly by using a vertical flat fist and punching in a straight line.
2. They don’t know where to punch (proper target acquisition).
3. They don’t know how to use open handed striking and how to generate power using proper body mechanics.
4. Finally, according to this article, most people do not do proper hand conditioning.

What are best methods and most effective ways to condition the hands, arms and limbs?

Specialized training equipment, tools and training partners are the best way to accomplish this. The least expensive way is the single section or three section canvas striking bag.  Also known as the Makiwara bag or wall mounted iron palm bag. These heavy duty canvas bags were designed to hold a varity of filling materials such as sand, steel bb’s, smooth rocks or corn. By using a special Chinese herbal liniment (Dit Da Jow) your practice and conditioning can be progressive and safe. These bags will help you to learn how to punch using the proper fist &  punching angles, will strengthen your wrists, help develop short range punching power, combination punching, forearm and elbow striking & impact conditioning.

You can also use a Makiwara board that is made with firm foam and wrapped in canvas. This board is good for hand conditioning and short range power.

Heavy bag training is a standard method for most people for hand and elbow conditioning. Four or five foot bags are great for boxing and high kicking but for shin, foot conditioning and low kicking practice the Muay Thai bag is the best choice. We recommend that most people should use bag gloves with wrist wraps and training shoes while learning proper techniques or when using maximum power during training, but periodic sessions of using no gear can be beneficial. Caution must be taken because a sprained wrist or broken toe will put a delay in your training progress. Muay Thai fighters don’t wear gloves and shoes but they also start conditioning at a very young age while the body is still developing and their careers usually end in their 20’s for that very reason.

Wooden Dummy Training

Wing Chun/JKD wooden training dummies are my personal favorite training tool. Immortal Martial Arts was started because of the training dummies. The versatility and real life application makes the wooden training dummy second only to a training partner. In one way it is much better, because you can’t hit a partner with full power or with sticks and hard training knives, but with the dummy you can. The dummy will not only give you hands of stone and forearms of steel but will give you the ability to stick to your opponent and use highly effective footwork.

Focus Mitt Training

By hitting focus mitts with no gloves you will not only toughen your fists, palms and elbows but you will learn target accuracy and footwork. Mitt training will also teach you how to evade and defend against offensive attacks. You can also use mitts for kicking practice which will develop flexibility and balance.

Dit Da Jow (bruise liniment) – No proper hand or limb conditioning should be done without using a quality herbal liniment. Here are a few benefits for using Jow.

1. Makes skin more elastic
2. Decreases swelling
3. Protects against tissue and bone bruising
4. Increases circulation
5. Speeds recovery time so you can train more often
6. Protects against blood clots

What is the Mission of the RMAX TACFIT® Team?

RMAX International holds a two-fold mission: to promote tactical conditioning and integrated physical and morale training to professionals on a global scale, and to support our members in targeting the general and specific needs assessment of their team, company or unit. Our vision – “Surpassing ouRMAXimum Potential Together” – provides tactical conditioning specialists with a professionally tested and trusted, cutting-edge scientific resource to meet the needs of those who have the courage to move toward danger so that others may move out of harm’s way.

Core Values

• Team-Oriented: We provide support for our members to both facilitate individual growth and foster group cohesion of our teams.
• Global-Focused: We extend into most countries worldwide, and provides in-house as well as support abroad where our members need it most.
• Integrity-Based: We concentrate on only the most expedient, effective and efficient.
• Evolutionary: We remain up-to-date and on the bleeding edge of specific tactical conditioning solutions.
• Integrative: Not a patchwork of parts, we are a synergistic unity of all of our research and development in the field of tactical conditioning science.
• Adaptive and Improvisational: We use retro-tech solutions to hi-tech discoveries and remain free to use whatever resources we have at our members’ disposal to accomplish the task-at-hand.

Join Our Team

As a member of the RMAX International TACFIT® Team, you’ll be among the brightest minds in the field of tactical conditioning, and its founder, Scott Sonnon – the most-acclaimed martial arts conditioning coach in the world.

Consider why security, law enforcement, fire and military personnel worldwide enlist Coach Sonnon’s surgically-accurate training guidance. Overcoming physical, biochemical and psychological obstacles, he knows more than merely how to be fit: he knows first-hand exploiting his true strengths and mitigating his weaknesses until he transforms them into advantages as well. And named the “Coach’s Coach” – he teaches you how to replicate this process with 100% success, regardless of circumstances or pitfalls.

The RMAX International Faculty Directors, coming from all branches of tactical operations – military, law enforcement, security, intelligence – guarantees that you receive perfectly optimized training standards in the areas you need.

As a result, to ensure that you receive the correct educational platform, we offer you multiple levels of certifications:

• Certified TACFIT® Field Instructor (Level 1)
• Certified TACFIT® Team Leader (Level 2)

Departing RMAX International Certification, you will feel 100% confident that you possess a comprehensive toolbox to surpass youRMAXimum potential, and ensure that your teammates and clients do as well.

JOIN NOW OR GET MORE INFO HERE!

Scott Sonnon: As the USA Police Team Coach of the most brutal form of martial art created in the former Soviet Union – SAMBO, I took our national team to Lithuania for World Championships, and there we met the team from Tajikistan. Their wrestlers were incredibly well conditioned, and literally throwing their opponents off the mats.

Knowing that there was more than meets the eye, I investigated. They shared with me their strength training methods transliterated as zurhkane or zoorkhane – which means “The House of Power.”

One of the methods of this millennia old tradition originating in ancient Persia was “club swinging.” This confirmed research I had been conducting since the beginning of the 1990s into alternative conditioning methods of Russia, India and turn of the century North America.

The Clubbell® is the ORIGINAL COMBAT FITNESS TOOL specifically researched, engineered and implemented to target the rotary and angular/diagonal muscles, to target the grip, wrist and forearm strength, and to target enhancing shoulder synergy, to be used in sophisticating your movement as a conservative injury prevention, prehabilitation and post-rehabilitation tool, as well as sports-specific performance enhancement.

If You Want to Improve Your Appearance and….

• Build A Wide Muscular Frame
• Chisel An Imposing Masculine Physique
• Dramatically Improve Your Posture
• Develop Dense, Firm and Thickly Packed Muscle

Displaced Center of Gravity: With dumbbells, the weight can be supported by your skeletal structure, as if sitting on top of a column. With dumbbells your grip is located directly upon the center of gravity which remains constant throughout the exercise for the entire range of motion;  a more gross action, power without coordination.  The Unique Balance Scheme of Clubbells® forces athletes to use proper technique and concentrate on complex skills during the movement.  The Displaced Center of Gravity forces you to keep the weight inside of its proper groove throughout the entire lift.  At times having the weight pull away from you is desirable. For example, many people do not have the shoulder flexibility to do overhead squats. The Clubbell® will pull your arm into the proper position and keep it there.

Leverage Lifting Principle: The unique benefits of leverage challenge include a superior training effect.  Decreased leverage of the Displaced Center of Gravity translates force more effectively to develop superior grip strength, as well as lower arm, upper arm and shoulder synergy, stabilization and dynamic flexibility.  Additionally, Clubbells have specially engineered grip and knob design to provide a perfect purchase for the grip to facilitate easy of utility and maximize your ability to produce force. No other apparatus translates this amount of leveraged force!  

Pendulum Swinging Principle:  With Clubbells, your grip is at the end of an extension attached to the weighted center of gravity. As you go through the range of motion the weight moves in relation to the fixed point of your grip much the same as a pendulum swings from a fixed point. The leverage and the force constantly change position along with the strength of the pull throughout the range of motion creating resistance and stressing your muscles from varying angles. This gives a totally different dynamic effect to the exercise which is impossible to obtain with any other piece of equipment. This Pendulum Swinging Principle, used for centuries but lost to conventional training, has been reborn through the legendary Clubbell®, a patended breakthrough in combat sport specific training.

Micro-Loading Adjustable Grip:  Clubbells® are a means of Incremental Progression.  The special design of the handle allows minor increases in weight, never overloading your muscles but always challenging them.  Micro-Loading Adjustable Grip is a special design function that uniquely promotes constant progress and strength gains.  No other piece of equipment has this versatility! 

If you Want to Become Athletic to…..

• Develop Shoulder Strength, Endurance and Flexibility through Extreme Ranges of Motion
• Vastly Improve your Grip and Wrist Strength
• Train Dynamic Shoulder Flexibility and Stability
• Improve Timing and Coordination
• Develop Tremendous Rotator Cuff Strength
• Great for Sports like Rugby, Golf, Tennis, Swimming, Cricket, Baseball, Football, Squash, Cycling, Wrestling, Climbing, and Mixed and Traditional Martial Arts

Complex Training Effect:  A Combination Routine is a series of two or more basic exercises woven smoothly together after having mastered each basic component.  Combination Routines combine strength and speed/power in the same workout. The Complex Training Effect involves a grinding exercise followed by a similar, but ballistic exercise, or utilizing a ballistic followed by a similar, but grinding exercise.  Athletes increase the high tension of the grind or the power of the ballistic exercise or both, and the increases will be greater than if the exercises were performed consecutively.  The performance of a grinding exercise followed by a ballistic exercise elicits a neurological response that enables increased power, thereby creating a greater training effect. The Complex Training Effect augments your neuromuscular system by teaching it to fire at a faster rate. It develops strength, speed and technique simultaneously.  What this allows is for the Combination Routines to be constructed in the ideal way to improve Specific Physical Preparedness for any particular sport.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU
CAN GET STARTED NOW!


 

Many people believe light to moderate kettlebell training is ideal, 53lb kettlebells for men and 26lb kettlebells for women. This line of thinking is a great way to miss out on the benefits of heavy kettlebell training.

For example, 53lb kettlebells are not challenging to me at all and if I based my training on 53lb kettlebells, I would not have the strength, size, endurance, and explosive power that I currently have. Moreover, my clients would not make the improvements that they have made if they stuck to light bells.

Even if your goals are cardio and muscular endurance, why not work up to heavier kettlebells for reps? Do you really think that knocking off ten double swings with two 88lb kettlebells will not be beneficial? Do you think that ten clean and presses with the 70s will not benefit you as an athlete? Of course both will. An athlete would clearly do better with do twelve clean and presses with two 70s than thirty clean and presses with two 53s.

If you can do thirty reps with a weight, it is too easy to have any dramatic benefit for athletic activities and strength (unless your sport is GS, a kettlebell sport), especially, for combat athletes. The heavier the kettlebells you can handle for muscular endurance, the more benefit you will have for your sport. Using Olympic lifting as a back drop, an athlete who can Power Clean 315lbs five times is going to have much more explosive power than an athlete who can Power Clean 135lbs fifteen times. Moreover, the athlete who can Power Clean 315lbs will be able to do far more than fifteen reps with 135lbs.

Heavy training improves light training, but not the other way around. So why even bother with light training? With the exception of working on form and back-off weeks, I would say do not bother. Personally, 70lb bells are the lightest ones I own and I only use them for GTG (Pavel’s Greasing the Groove in which you practice an exercise daily for neurological facilitation) for presses and sometimes high-rep Front Squats.

Recently someone asked me how many reps I can do for the ten-minute Snatch test with a 53lb kettlebell. I have no idea as I have never done the test. With all due respect to the test and the great people who have participated in the test (lots of impressive numbers by people who have taken the test), I’d rather have an athlete knock off twenty Snatches left and right with an 88lb kettlebell and eventually the 105lb bell. Sounds like too much? I can do 17 Snatches left and right with a 105lb kettlebell and I am far from a gifted athlete.

A few months ago I knocked off 50 reps per arm on One-arm Snatches with a 53lb bell. I am not breaking any records, and there are a few things you should know. I never train with light kettlebells; I rarely work on high reps (over ten reps per set), and the 50 reps left and right was easy for me. The power and endurance that I built with heavy kettlebells carried over very well to light weights for high reps. However, take a man or woman who can do 50 snatches with a 53lb kettlebell who has never trained with a heavier kettlebell and I promise you that he or she will not be able to do more than a few reps with a 105lb kettlebell. More than likely, he or she will not even be able to do one rep. If you are an athlete, light training it is not ideal for the majority of your workouts.

Once you have the technique down, ramp up the intensity. Heavy kettlebell training will do far more for explosive power and when done in high reps will develop muscular endurance that will transfer to your sport.

Now I am not blowing my own horn here or trying to convey what a great athlete I am. Again I am not a great athlete and certainly not a genetic freak. My anabolic hormone levels are good, but certainly not exceptional. Thus, I do not have tremendous recovery abilities either. I did not even start lifting weights until I was 18 and got pinned with 100lbs on the bench press when I first got started. I never played sports in high school or college. Thus, if I can work up to the numbers above, it should be no problem for gifted athletes. I am just an average guy who learned how to train smart, recruit the CNS, and use my own leverage points to handle heavier bells – more about leverage points later.

My point to drive home is that heavy kettlebell training is not just beneficial for size and strength, but for muscular endurance as well. The muscular endurance you build with heavy kettlebells is much more beneficial than light kettlebells for athletes. In addition, heavy kettlebell training engages the CNS more efficiently, teaches you how to master your own leverage points, and if used correctly, probably has a great benefit to optimizing anabolic hormones. Of course this is far more complicated than just training.

Let me make it clear by stating that I do not think heavy weight low-rep training takes the place of muscular endurance. That is not what this article is about. Of course you need to work with high reps and lots of volume or frequency to ramp up endurance, but you should not be afraid of heavy kettlebell training. If muscular endurance is your thing, have a goal of working up to some high reps with some heavy kettlebells on the Double Clean and Press, Double Swing, Double Front Squat (or Double Clean and Front Squat), Double Clean and Jerk (or Clean and Push Press), Double Snatches, One-arm Swings, and One-arm Snatches.

Heavy kettlebells are bells you can only do a few reps with, say 2-4. Start with low reps to get used to the heavier kettlebells. For example, if you can Clean and Press two 53lb bells ten times, do a few sets of two reps when you start working with the 70lb bells. Make each rep perfect. Once that gets easy, start building the reps. When you can do ten Clean and Presses with the 70s, get a pair of 88s and do the same thing.

One important thing to keep in mind is that training form needs to be modified as the bells get heavier. Let’s use the Clean and Press as an example. With light kettlebells, you can keep the body fairly loose and still maintain proper technique. You can easily keep your body upright as leverage is not a necessity. However, once you start doing Clean and Presses with heavy kettlebells, you are playing in a whole new ball game. You have to tighten up and apply more tension to have a solid foundation. You will have to let your back “sit back” and push your hips as far forward as possible for optimal leverage. Your breathing will change. Now you have to hold your breath or apply “power breathing” to keep the tension high to get the bells moving.

An another example is the One-arm Snatch: When I do Snatches with a 105lb bell my form is much different than my form with a 70lb kettlebell. I drive through with much more power and pop the pelvis through and let my back sit back for more explosive power and leverage similar to what Olympic lifters do. As the bell goes overhead, I bend my knees slightly to get under the weight and catch it. When I return the bell to the starting position, I keep it close to my body for maximum control. I also do not swing the bell back as far between my feet as that also throws off the leverage. It is almost a completely different exercise all together than a One-arm Snatch with a lighter bell.

One final example is the One-arm Military Press with a 105lb kettlebell. At my bodyweight of 193, I can One-arm Military Press a 70lb kettlebell easily without having to shift my weight at all for optimal leverage. When I press an 88lb bell, I shift my weight a little bit. However, when I press a 105lb kettlebell, I need every leverage point that I can take advantage of. I kick my hip out under the bell; I take the bell behind my back so I can engage the lat more and acquire more leverage and stability. Then I shift my weight in the opposite direction similar to a side press to keep the bell moving, and once I have the bell moving, I shift my weight under the bell to finish the move.

I saw Steve Cotter, founder of Full Kontact Kettlebells, One-arm Military Press a 105lb kettlebell recently and it almost looked like a Kettlebell Windmill. Steve started the press from under the chin and quickly got the bell behind his back to reach the optimal leverage point. Some of you may feel that this is cheating. To retort I say you either weigh a lot more than Steve and do not need leverage to press a 105lb kettlebell, or you are not even close to pressing a 105lb. Do you really feel that mastering leverage with a heavy kettlebell is not beneficial to athletes? Isn’t that what athletes do all of the time? Judo and wrestling have a lot of techniques in which the ideal leverage is used to take the opponent down efficiently. In football you do not just ram into your opponent haphazardly, you go for a particular spot to do the most damage.

One of the strong benefits of heavy kettlebell training is that you ultimately have to master all of your leverage points to get the job done. Right now, I am working on the Double Clean and Press with two 105lb kettlebells. The only way that it is going to happen is if I apply my ideal leverage points. These are points I have not found yet as I have not needed to apply them with 88lb kettlebells and below. Regardless, I will find these points and I will press the 105lb kettlebells. It is only a matter of time and the learning process in and of itself is a lot of fun. I really enjoy the challenge. When I work up to a Clean and Press with the 105lb kettlebells for reps, you better believe that it will improve my numbers with the 88s and 70s. No doubt about it.

I will leave you with this. Even if you do not want to train with heavy kettlebells, if you want to improve your numbers with the bells you are currently using, get some heavier kettlebells. The 88lb kettlebells always felt heavy to me until I started training with 105lb kettlebells. Now they feel light and the 70s feel so light that when I went to do a Double Clean and Press yesterday, I almost ended up doing a Double Snatch by accident!

DEVELOP IMPRESSIVE GAINS NOW!

The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength e-Book

Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength DVD

The Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness DVD

The Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength DVD

Before I wrote several articles and came out with a comprehensive DVD on using kettlebells for size and strength, many trainees confined the benefits of kettlebell training to muscular endurance and fat loss. No doubt kettlebell training is a very effective component of an effective fat loss program (the other component being pushing yourself away from the kitchen table more often). In addition to fat loss and muscular endurance training, kettlebells can be used effectively for adding size and strength. However, many trainees are confused with how to transition into a kettlebell focused size and strength program. If you have been using kettlebells for endurance and fat loss, you have to gradually transition into high volume strength training for muscular development. Many trainees make the mistake of jumping into a 5×5 (five sets of five with heavy weights) paradigm or worse a 10×5 paradigm and go into an over trained state rapidly. A much better plan is to get used to the most effective kettlebell exercises for size and strength with a few sets and a few workouts per week. Once you get the hang of these size and strength exercises you can start adding some volume and intensity.

Lets start off with the exercises:

Primary Exercises

Double Kettlebell Clean and Press: In addition to being a full body exercise that will stimulate overall growth, the Double Kettlebell Clean and Press is an incredible upper body developer with particular emphasis on the shoulders and triceps.

Alternating Kettlebell Renegade Row: In addition to working the lats, mid back, and biceps, the Renegade Row works the core and oddly enough the pecs as well. The pecs have to work over time to keep your stable and do not be surprised if you wake up with sore pecs the next day. Thus, men with “breat envy” will love this exercise.

Double Kettlebell Swing: Great hamstring blaster that focuses on fast twitch muscle fibers which are by far the most important for developing size and strength. Great transfer to the “midnight move” as well. Hopefully, you do not need me to elaborate on this further.

Double Kettlebell Front Squat: It all start with a strong foundation and the Front squat will develop strong quads. Just make sure you hold the bells higher up like I do on my Size and Strength DVD to take the emphasis off of the shoulders.

Optional

Double Windmill or Turkish Get-up: Two great exercises for the core and shoulder stability and flexibility. Core work is no doubt important. However, you get a lot of it indirectly with the primary exercises so do not obsess about doing a ton of abdominal work. If you want a six pack, you need to have low bodyfat.

What about variety? I get bored with doing the same exercises over and over again? That is why you have a forgettable physique and strength levels that are far from impressive. Get exceptional at a few basic moves first and then add some variety down the road. Forget about variety for at least one month. Get good at the primary exercises and it will be much easier to transition into other exercises such as the Alternating Military Press, Sots Press, Double Bent-over Row, and Double Snatch. Yes this will require an attention span that most TV addicts will find painful. Too bad, life is about making sacrifices to win the prize.

Now lets go over a sample “break in” program.

Month One

Monday-Wednesday-Friday

• A-1: Double Clean and Military Press 2×5
• A-2: Alternating Renegade Row 2×5

Do A-1 and A-2 in alternating fashion and take ninety second breaks in between each set of A-1 and A-2.

• B-1: Double Front Squat 2×5
• B-2: Double Swing 2×5

Do B-1 and B-2 in alternating fashion and take ninety second breaks in between each set of B-1 and B-2.

• Double Windmill 1×5 l,r (left and right)

Month Two

In month two go to three sets per exercise. Keep the core work (TGU and Windmill at one set). In month three, go to four sets per exercise and split up the exercises as follows:

Month Three

Monday-Thursday

• A-1: Double Clean and Military Press 4×5
• A-2: Alternating Renegade Row 4×5

Do A-1 and A-2 in alternating fashion and take ninety second breaks in between each set of A-1 and A-2.

• TGU 1×5

Tuesday-Friday

• B-1: Double Front Squat 4×5
• B-2: Double Swing 4×5

Do B-1 and B-2 in alternating fashion and take ninety second breaks in between each set of B-1 and B-2.

• Double Windmill 1×5 l,r (left and right)
• Month Four: 5×5 Program

Month Four

In month four you are ready to start the 5×5 program and can start adding some variety to the program. For example:

Monday

• A-1: Double Clean and Military Press 5×5
• A-2: Alternating Renegade Row 5×5

Do A-1 and A-2 in alternating fashion and take ninety second breaks in between each set of A-1 and A-2.

• Turkish Get-up 1×5 l,r

Tuesday

• B-1: Double Front Squat 5×5
• B-2: Double Swing 5×5

Do B-1 and B-2 in alternating fashion and take ninety second breaks in between each set of B-1 and B-2.

• Double Windmill 1×5 l,r (left and right)

Thursday

• A-1: Alternating Military Press 5×5
• A-2: Double Bent-over Row 5×5

Do A-1 and A-2 in alternating fashion and take ninety second breaks in between each set of A-1 and A-2.

• Turkish Get-up 1×5 l,r

Friday

• B-1: Double Clean and Front Squat 5×5
• B-2: Double Snatch 5×5

Do B-1 and B-2 in alternating fashion and take ninety second breaks in between each set of B-1 and B-2.

• Double Windmill 1×5 l,r (left and right)

Next, you can pick any of the other programs in my Kettlebell DVD E-book which comes with my Size and Strength DVD. Do not have it yet? Pick it up today at The Aggressive Strength Online Store and start making some real progress.

Also remember that without optimal levels of Testosterone and Growth Hormone you can forget about developing a strong and muscular body that commands respect. Have your Doctor test your T and GH so you know where you are at. Ideally, everyone at age 25 should have these levels checked but it is never too late to ascertain where you are at.

DEVELOP IMPRESSIVE GAINS NOW!

The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength e-Book

Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength DVD

The Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness DVD

The Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength DVD

Many trainees often forget that kettlebells are weights and the rules of effective weight training apply to kettlebell training. Similar to traditional weight training, effective kettlebell training requires a balanced approach and an emphasis on the basic compound drill that provide the most bang for the buck. For most trainees, following a regimen with a strong emphasis on a few basic exercises is the way to go. However, putting all of your efforts into one or two exercises long-term is not the way to go. There are five areas that are worth focusing on for balanced development. Lets get going.

The Five Pillars:

• Press
• Pull
• Squat
• Lower body pull
• Core

Whatever form of weight training you engage in, you want the five above areas covered. Now lets cover each area with kettlebells as the focus:

Press:

KB Military Press or KB Floor Press. This includes all of the variations such as the Sots Press, Double Clean and Press, Alternating Floor press, See-saw Press.

Pull:

Renegade Row, Alternating Bent-over Row, Double Bent-over Row, One-arm Row, Pull-ups with a kettlebell

Squat:

Double Front Squat, Hack Squat, overhead squat, one-legged squat

Lower body pull:

Double Swing, Double Snatch, One-arm Swing, One-arm Snatch, Double Clean, One legged Deadlift

Core:

Windmill, Turkish Get-up, Bent Press, Side Press

Covering the above five areas ensures that you build a strong and balanced physique. Many people tend to focus on what they enjoy and neglect what they do not care for. For example, people that like to press tend to spend a great deal of time on Military Presses and not enough time on pulling motions such as rows. When I first started training with kettlebells, I made the mistake of doing too much pressing work and pretty much no pulling work. Sure enough imbalances starting popping up followed by shoulder pain. Once I balanced the training with pulling motions, my shoulders felt better and more stable and my strength went up dramatically. If you feel that covering five areas is too complicated for you, then do not bother getting off the couch. Better yet, do not go out the door or drive on the road. You are a danger to anyone you come across.

Lets cover a few balanced kettlebell programs for different levels:

Beginner:

Here is a good program for a trainee that only has one kettlebell:

Monday-Wednesday-Friday

• One-arm Clean and Military Press 2×5 l,r (two sets of five left and right)
• One-arm Bent-over Row 2×6 l,r
• One-arm Windmill 1×3 l,r
• One-arm Front Squat 2×6 l,r
• One-arm Swing 2×10 l,r

Take one to two minute breaks in between each exercise and work on technique.

Intermediate:

Monday-Wednesday-Friday

• Double Clean and Military Press 2×6
• Double Bent-over Row 2×6
• Turkish Get-up 2×3 l,r
• Double Front Squat 2×8
• Double Swing 2×6

Take 90 second breaks in between each set.

Advanced:

Monday-Wednesday-Friday

• Sot Press 2×5 l,r
• Alternating Renegade Row 2×5 l,r
• Double Windmill 2×5 l,r
• Double Front Squat 2×6 (2 second pause at the bottom)
• Double Snatch 2×6

Take 90 second breaks in between each set.

The possibility of combinations, volume, intensity, and workouts splits is endless. All of this really depends on what your skill level is, your conditioning level is, and what your goals are. Whatever you do, make sure you cover the basics. Imbalanced programs are fine for more advanced trainees. If you are someone that has a high level of pushing strength and a low level of pulling strength, you can place pressing on maintenance mode and focus on pulling. The same can be applied to any imbalance. Regardless, you are far less likely to create imbalances if you focus on a balanced approach to training.

DEVELOP IMPRESSIVE GAINS NOW!

 

The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength e-Book 

Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength DVD 

The Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness DVD

The Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength DVD

DVD Combo – Fat Loss and Mental Toughness
PLUS Speed and Explosive Strength

Get both the Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss & Mental Toughness and Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength DVD’s together for only $59.95 ($64.95 for International Orders).

Start with four workouts per week as indicated in the beginner program. After a month, go to the intermediate program and train five times per week. Finally, in month three go to the advanced program and train six times per week.

Whenever, you are stressed or need more days off, go back down to four days per week. You can even mix and match the training. One week, workout four times per week and another week workout five times etc.

Every time you work out and avoid over training you get a GH surge and an increase in Testosterone. Thus it is important to workout as frequently as possible to maximize fat loss and muscle building. If you feel like having sex after a workout, you are doing great. If you are wiped out and beat up, you are working too hard and need to scale back. Reduce the sets to 1-2 for a while if necessary. Make sure you sleep well every night and have a solid diet and supplement plan.

Beginner Option 1:

Monday and Thursday

• A-1: Double KB Clean and Press 3×6
• A-2: Double Ballistic KB Bent-over Row 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• B-1: Double Suitcase Kickstand Lunge 3×8 l,r
• B-2: Double Swing 3×8 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises.

• C-1: Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
• C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Tuesday and Friday

• A-1: Double Hang Clean and Military Press 3×6
• A-2: Alternating KB Renegade Row 3×6 each side

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• B-1: Suitcase KB Squat 3×10
• B-2: Double KB Clean 3×10 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• C-1: Side Bend 3×8 l,r (left and right) 
• C-2: Double Overhead Walk 3 rounds  

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Wednesday-Saturday-Sunday

1-2 mile walks

Intermediate (5 days per week)

Monday

• A-1: Double KB Clean and Press 3×6
• A-2: Double Ballistic KB Bent-over Row 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises.

• B-1: Double Suitcase Kickstand Lunge 3×8 l,r
• B-2: Double Swing 3×8 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• C-1: Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
• C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Tuesday

• A-1: Double Hang Clean and Military Press 3×6
• A-2: Alternating KB Renegade Row 3×6 each side

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• B-1: Suitcase KB Squat 3×10
• B-2: Double KB Clean 3×10 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• C-1: Side Bend 3×8 l,r (left and right) 
• C-2: Double Overhead Walk 3 rounds  

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Wednesday

• A-1: Hand To Hand Clean and Press 3×6 l,r
• A-2: One-arm Ballistic KB Bent-over Row 3×6 l,r

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• B-1: Double Rack Kickstand Lunge 3×6 l,r
• B-2: Double Swing 3×6 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• C-1: Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
• C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Thursday

• A-1: Relaxed Military Press 3×6
• A-2: Alternating Bent-over Row 3×6 each side

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• Double Clean and Front Squat 3×8 (one-minute breaks in between each set)
• Finisher: Hindu Squat 50 reps

Friday

• A-1: Double KB Clean and Press 3×6
• A-2: Double Ballistic KB Bent-over Row 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• B-1: Double Suitcase Kickstand Lunge 3×8 l,r
• B-2: Double Swing 3×8 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• C-1: Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
• C-2: Double Overhead Walk 3 rounds  

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

Advanced (6 days per week)

Monday

• A-1: Double KB Clean and Press 3×6
• A-2: Double Ballistic KB Bent-over Row 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• B-1: Suitcase Squat 3×12 
• B-2: Double Swing 3×12 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×15 on both exercises

• C-1: Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
• C-2: Double Overhead Walk 3 rounds  

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

• Finisher: 50 Pushups

Tuesday

• A-1: Double Hang Clean and Military Press 3×6
• A-2: Alternating KB Renegade Row 3×6 each side

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• B-1: Clean and Squat 3×6
• B-2: Double Swing 3×6 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• C-1: Side Bend 3×8 l,r (left and right) 
• C-2: Double Overhead Walk 3 rounds  

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

• Finisher: Hindu Squat 50 Reps

Wednesday

• A-1: Hand To Hand Clean and Press 3×6 l,r
• A-2: One-arm Ballistic KB Bent-over Row 3×6 l,r

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• B-1: Double Rack Kickstand Lunge 3×6 l,r
• B-2: Double Swing 3×6 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• C-1: Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
• C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

• Finisher: Jumper Squat 50 reps

Thursday

• A-1: Relaxed Military Press 3×8
• A-2: Alternating Bent-over Row 3×8 each side

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• Double Clean and Front Squat 3×8 (one-minute breaks in between each set)
• Finisher: Hindu Squat 50 reps

Saturday

• A-1: Double KB Clean and Press 3×6
• A-2: Double Ballistic KB Bent-over Row 3×6

Do A-1 and A-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of A-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of A-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• B-1: Double Suitcase Kickstand Lunge 3×8 l,r
• B-2: Double Swing 3×8 

Do B-1 and B-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of B-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of B-2. Long-term goal is to work up to 3×12 on both exercises

• C-1: Power Wheel Roll Out 3×6
• C-2: Slow and controlled Sit-up 3×10 (4 seconds up and down)

Do C-1 and C-2 in antagonistic fashion. One set of C-1, then a one-minute break and then a set of C-2.

• Finisher: Jumper Squats 50 reps

DEVELOP IMPRESSIVE GAINS NOW!

The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength e-Book

Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength DVD

The Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness DVD

The Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength DVD