"How to Improve Your Vertical Jump With Kettlebell Training ?"

This is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive via email.

There are a couple of answers to this question:

1st: Increase you maximum strength by using heavy weight
for low reps in the 1 to 5 range. I prefer the Deadlift
over the Squat for several reasons.

2nd: Mix classic kettlebell quick lifts (Snatches, Swings, Jerks) with actual jump training.


Perform each kettlebell drill as fast as possible, lower your weight if you need to.


You're focus is speed, not heavy weight, save that for
the Deadlifts.

3rd: Make sure to shut down your hip flexors. Tight hip
flexors literally put the brakes on powerful hip extension,
which is your goal in vertical jump performance.

4th: Perform over-speed eccentrics to develop higher levels
of reactice strength.

Here's a short clip on the Kettlebell Power-Bomb and Over-Speed Eccentrics:

Here are 2 resources for such information:

Kettlebell & Band Training For Superior Power

Instant Access to 13 of the Top Vertical Jump Training Experts

The Kettlebell Bent-Press

The Kettlebell Bent-Press is an excellent drill for grappling athletes as it promotes hip mobility, spinal and shoulder stabilization.

Your entire back musculature works overtime to keep your spine rigid as well locking your overhead arm into place.

The Kettlebell Bent-Press is a unique drill that actalluy allows you to develop a mind/muscle connection with your lats, a muscle group that is generally hard to recruit during pressing actions.

The Kettlebell Bent-Press also shares very similar mechanics to many hip throw variations.

In my own training I've given up drills such as the Kettlebell Windmill, Turkish Get-ups and Bent-Presses for more common drills such as Snatches and Long-Cycle Clean & Jerks.

For the next 6 weeks I'll be re-introducing the Kettlebell Bent-Press and Turkish Get-ups back into my program on my strength days.

See below for quick video highlighted the Kettlebell Bent-Press:

Click Here: For more information on Kettlebell Training for Combat Sports.

The Extended Kettlebell Snatch.

One of the greatest benefits of kettlebell training is the
plyo-metric training effect that occurs during drills such as
Kettlebell Snatches, Cleans, Swings and Jerks.

However, there are situations when training without the
plyo-metric effect is desirable.

For example, any sport or activity that requires explosive
power from a dead stop such as a football lineman, Volley Ball
and certain wrestling/grappling throws.

The Extended Kettlebell Snatch is an excellent alternative
to the more common Kettlebell Snatch variations.

Snatching from the floor without any preswing develops
power and speed from a dead stop.

Using a small box to extend your range of motion adda
even greater benefits to this already outstanding variation.

Watch it below:

11/28/07 Kettlebell Training WOD

Complete as many Kettlebell Snatches as you can in 10 Minutes.

Rest 5 minutes.

Complete as many Kettlebell Clean & Jerks as you can in 10 Minutes.

Rest 5 minutes.

Complete as many Kettlebell Swings as you can in 10 Minutes.

Eat.Sleep.Mate.

On Vacation ?

Not Really.

Alternate sets of 5 Snatches R/ 5 Snatches L with 5 Thrusters R with 5 Thrsuters L for 20 minutes.

2-Arm 4 -40kg Kettlebell Deadlifts

This video is from many years ago when The Original Philadelphia Kettlebell Club got together very often for some good training days and all around fun times.

Here's a short video of myself and Marty Farrel playing around with 4 x 40kg Kettlebell Deadlifts.

As a side note:

If you'd like to learn how to make more money with your Kettlebell Training business click here:

Kettlebell Training Profit Systems

How Many Long-Cycles C & Js in 20 Minutes ?

I love this type of training. The Long-Cycle Kettlebell Clean and Jerk is my favorite kettlebell exercise.

I prefer to perform it one arm at a time and take the kettlebell to the floor on each rep, just a slight touch then explode.

How many can you get in 20 minutes ?

Kettlebell Training Work Shop in Philadelphia

Although the Kettlebell Athletics Team is based out of Philadelphia, we very rarely conduct our Stage 1 Kettlebell Training Work Shops in Philadelphia. We usually travel to different metro areas such as New York City and Chicago along with numerous hot spots in California.

We teach two variations of the Turkish Get-up during our Stage 1 Kettlebell Training Workshop, both based off of the Lunge.

We save our other, more advanced varitions until our Stage 2 Kettlebell Training Workshops based off of the Overhead Squat. Most people we encounter have very under-developed Overhead Squats and to give them the Turkish Get-ups based on that base skill is just overkill.

Here's a short clip from one of our NYC Workshops. Thanks to the NYC Kettlebell Athletics Teammates and to everyone that attended, all 55 of you.

Triple Kettlebell Two-Hands Anyhow & Todays Kettlebell Workout

Max number of 1 kettlebell Long-Cycle Clean & Jerks in 10 minutes.Switch hands as needed.

Rest 5 minutes.

Max number of 1 kettlebell Thusters in 10 minutes. Switch hands as needed.

Post Load and Reps to comments.

Stone Lock Juggling & Todays Kettlebell Workout

Juggling is one of the best ways to add fun and variety into your kettlebell training programs. Below is a video of The Stone Lock. Similar in design to a Kettlebell, just from a different culture.



8 Snatches R
8 Snatches L
8 Double Long -Cycle Cleans & Jerks.

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes.

Kettlebell Training is for Everyone & Todays Kettlebell Workout

5 Weighted Pull-ups

10 Long Cycle Clean& Jerks- 5 Right/ 5 Left

4 Weighted Pull-ups

20 Long Cycle Clean& Jerks- 10 Right/ 10 Left

3 Weighted Pull-ups

30 Long Cycle Clean& Jerks- 15 Right/ 15 Left

2 Weighted Pull-ups

40 Long Cycle Clean& Jerks- 20 Right/ 20 Left

1 Weighted Pull-up

50 Long Cycle Clean& Jerks- 25 Right/ 25 Left

For Time:

The Very First Tactical Strength Challenge

This was a good day. The rules were different back then, there was a 24kg kettlebell class that contested max kettlebell snatches with one hand switch, bodyweight pull-ups and double 24kg kettlebell Front Squats.

The 32kg class contested pistols, pull-ups and max kettlebell snatches with one hand switch all performed with the 32kg kettlebell.

Some rules seemed to be adjusted on the fly during the competition but we all had a good time regardless. Afterwards we all played with heavy sand bags and had Mexican.

Todays WOD:

20 Kettlebell Snathces (10 right/ 10 left )
20 Hand To Hand Swings
20 Push-ups

4 Rounds for Time.

The Red Devils in Action

An article exist where Fedor states that he does not train with kettlebells. I think he's just being secretive.

In the below above please check out these times:

1:20 Kettlebells and Dumbbells under a tree

1:38 Fedor next to some ketelebells doing a back exercise

3:30 Fedor doing sit-ups next to a kettlebell

3:48 Kettlebell under the Swing Set

I guess it's a possibility that Fedor just likes to exercise and pose next to kettlebells ?, but it seems logical enough that if his team is training with kettlebells then Fedor is also.

Kettlebells and Red Devils

The Red Devil Sport Club is a mixed martial arts academy in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The team’s main fighter base is comprised of Russian and Eastern European sambo fighters who have adapted their style to MMA, and they regularly compete in full contact sambo tournaments.

The team’s most notable fighters are the brothers Fedor and Aleksander Emelianenko. It appears that they're fan of kettlebell training from the photos above.

Kettlebell Training for Combat Sports Part 2

This video is of Vadim Kolganov - Master of Sport in Sambo. Vadim appears to pick his drills from a large library of kettlebell training exercises, he then applies those drills to meet his sports specific needs. Notice he doesn't mimic and actual sport skills, he simply works to build that attributes that are needed for his chosen combat sport.

If you'd like to learn more about Kettlebell Training for Combat Sports Click Here !

Kettlebell Training for Combat Sports

I really love this video. It just goes to show the variety and broad applications that kettlebell training offers combat athletes.

Of course, there is always the debate that you should focus your efforts on a few select and very effective kettlebell training exercises such as Long -Cycle Clean & Jerks, one - arm Snatches and perhaps Kettlebell Turkish Get-ups. The theory is to go deeper into your conditioning and not wider by adding silly sport specific exercises to the mix. Get in better condition through kettlebell training and get better at your sport by spending more time in that sport, actually working on the skills needed to excel.I tend to agree with the former. However, different coaches and athletes don't always share the same experiences and are successful with their training plans.

You have to be able to justify why or why not something is in your plan and go from there, trial and error.

Below is a very cool video of some combat sport kettlebell drills. Enjoy.

If you'd like to learn more about Kettleebll Training for Combat Sports Click Here.

Pamela's 24kg Snatches 21/21

Things are going as planned but we may need to adjust some timing issues due to Pam's upcoming BJJ tournament. We'll see.

Our New Kettlebell Crest Plus Todays WOD

This one should take you less than 20 minutes to complete. Break up the sets where needed but don't move onto the next drill until all the reps of each drill are complete:

50 Kettlebell Snatches per arm
50 Kettlebell Cleans per arm
50 Kettlebell Swings per arm
50 Kettlebell Jerks per arm
50 Kettlebell Push Press per arm

Post your time in comments.

Spilt Jerks, Cleans and Snatches !

I was huge fan of Split Snatches, Cleans and Jerks a few years ago and consider these drills some of the most demanding but most rewarding kettlebell training exercises available.

My friend Greg Mihovich just released his new kettlebell training DVD series entitled Iron Beast Conditioning. It's a 3 DVD series that takes you from the very first steps of kettlebell training and safety to finally reving it up with his famous kettlebell combinations and split variations.

If you've been training with kettlebells for some time, many of what Greg covers will not be new to you, as he does present you with a very deep introduction of the basic kettlebell exercises. So you may find yourself hitting fast forward during some parts of it. However DVDs 2 and 3 cover all the kettlebell split Jerks, Snatches and Cleans and crazy kettlebell combos that Greg is known for.

If you'd like to add those drills and kettlebell combos to your training plan I highly recommend you pick up Greg's DVD series "Iron Beast Conditioning."

To visit Greg's site go here: Another Crazy Russian with Kettlebells

You can check out some of the drills below.

Little Kettlebells

Everyone needs to start somewhere.The kettlebells in the bottom photo can fit in your palm. Also check out all the different kettlebell styles. Not sure of the source.

The Original Philadelphia Kettlebell Club

Let the good times roll. I miss you guys! I'll post more this week. Check out our prototype 3 pood.

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

Video 6

Real Big Kettlebells

I'm not sure of their backound or who these athletes are but they can use some big kettlebells. I've seen a photo of the larger athlete doing double kettlebell presses while doing a split between two chairs.

Pamela's 24kg Kettlebell Snatch Update

I've added a few reps this week, 17/18. We'll be working a little bit on my grip since that's what went first. Overall felt pretty strong. Should have 22-25 in the next two weeks or so.



WOD

5-4-3-2-1

TGUs

Snatches

Clean and Jerks

Kettlebell Training - Kettlebell Athletics Style

Kettlebell training is a beautiful thing, it can be simple and brutal or it can be refreshing and restorative . Although you can get very creative with kettlebell training the majority of your results will come from a small, select pool of kettlebell training exercises.

These kettlebell exercises are the basics, Cleans, Jerks, Snatches, Long-Cycle Clean & Jerks .... The deeper you go into the basics, the more profound your kettlebell training career will become.Save the kettlebell training circus tricks for your off days or your active recovery days.

In Addition To The Kettlebell As A Training Tool

You've got to love these old photos. They display feats of strength and athleticism far beyond much of what we see today. Fortunately the older training methods and tools are coming back into play. There clearly must have been then and there still are benefits to kettlebell training.

WOD

15 Snatches Left

20 Walking Swings Left

15 Snatches Right

20 Walking Swings Right

12/9/6/3 Snatches and a constant 20 Walking Swings

Philadelphia Kettlebell Workshop

Kettlebell Athletics Philadelphia Kettlebell Workshop

Date: Saturday, November 17, 2007

Time: 9am - 5pm

Location: CrossFit Philly

WOD

30 High Pulls

20 Feet Walking Lunges

30 Swings

20 Feet Walking Lunges

30 One Arm High Pulls Left

20 Feet Walking Lunges

30 One Arm High Pulls Right

20 Feet Walking Lunges

30 One Arm Swings Left

20 Feet Walking Lunges

30 One Arm Swings Right

20 Walking Lunges

Kettlebell Windmills

While performing kettlebell windmills it is essential that the back leg (the leg that is supporting most of your weight) remains vertical to the ground. Think of it as a pillar that supports your structure. Additionally the arm that is supporting the kettlebell overhead also remains vertical with a fully extended elbow throughout the entire movement.

WOD

5 L/R Windmills

10 Push Ups

4 L/R Windmills

10 Push Ups

3 L/R Windmills

10 Push Ups

2 L/R Windmills

10 Push Ups

1 L/R Windmill

10 Push Ups

TGUs in Large Groups

Kettlebell Athletics Kettlebell Training Workshops and Seminars.

It can get tricky at times but the easiest and most effective way to teach the Turkish Get Up in such large groups is without using the kettlebell, often called the Naked Get Up.

WOD
50 Snatches

10 Swings

40 Snatches

20 Swings

30 Snatches

30 Swings

20 Snatches

40 Swings

10 Snatches

50 Swings

These are total reps not per arm.

Kettlebell Training Nazis ?

Sorry about the photo quality, not sure how to enhance these or make them larger. If you look close there's kettlebells by their feet. From my understanding, these photos are of Nazi troops during WW2 kettlebell training. There's another photo of them throwing their kettlebells into the air.

Today's WOD:

Grind Day:

1,2,3,4,5,1,2,3,4,5,1,2,3,4,5 of

Double Kettlebell Overhead Presses alternated with Pull-ups.

Post your weights in comments.

Old School Kettlebell Fore-Arm Exercise

Here's another old school kettlebell exercise. Not sure what he's doing here but he claims it's a kettlebell forearm exercise. It looks like an early kettlebell Halo in my opinion.

Here's today WOD:

50/50 Snatches
50/50 Cleans
50/50 Swings
50/50Push Presses
50/50 Jerks

For time:

Old School Kettlebell Athletes

The former Soviet Union chose Kettlebell Training as it's primary means of fitness simply because it reached a large portion of their population. Kettlebell Training proved effective for elite Soviet troups and little old grandmas and the village fair.

World Champions in the Making!

30 One Arm Swings L
30 One Arm Swings R
30 Two Arm High-Pulls
Walking Lunges w/ KBs in hang position on outside of hip,25ft. Change hands after 25ft.

4 rounds.

Double Front Raise Kettlebell Snatches

Vince Malts, Bloomington Prarie Thunder Ice Hockey

WOD

Left Arm 25-20-15-10-5

Kettlebell Snatches

Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell Cleans

Kettlebell Front Squats

Then

Right Arm 25-20-15-10-5

Kettlebell Snatches
Kettlebell Swings
Kettlebell Cleans
Kettlebell Front Squats

24kg Kettlebell Snatches

Yesterday I got in 15/15 Kettlebell Snatches with the 24kg. I felt great, could have probably pulled out a few more. Working up to 40/40 before the end of the year. Looks promising, I'll post updates. Of course Bella is very supportive, Enjoy!

More from This Weekend's RKC

Some East Coast friends met some West Coast friends in Minnesota this past weekend. An exchange of workouts focused on using Kettlebells as the main tool was just one of many topics of conversation.

From left to right: Jim and Mike (CF Jersey Shore), Pamela and Jason (CF Philly and KBA), Ryan and Eric (CF Orange County)

WOD

1 minute of each with 2 minutes rest between rounds, 4 rounds.

Kettlebell Deadlifts

Kettlebell Snatches

Kettlebell Jerks

Kettlebell Front Squats

Kettlebell Cleans

Kettlebell Presses

Perform the kettlebell movements for 30 seconds with each arm.

Kettlebell Athletics at the RKC

Kettlebell Athletics was well represented at the September 2007 RKC. A cheery bunch of strong smart kettlebell training folks.

From left to right: Matt, Pamela, Sharon, Jason, and Carrie

WOD

A nice little ladder up...

Clean and Press Left/Right

1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15

Only revert to the Push Press when your Press starts to fail.

Congrats to this weekend's RKCs!

We had a great time this weekend working with all the RKC canidates. Congrats to all! It was great to see people that we have worked with pass all the requirements as well. A special congrats to Sharon Tasman, Matt Godina, and Carrie Dale, it has been a pleasure training with the three of you prior to your RKC weekend.

In a post form Dragon Door...

45 out of the 57 candidates passed all the requirements and were awarded the RKC certification. This translates into a 79% pass rate for the training.Many congratulations to our strong new group of RKCs:

Jonathan Barber, RKC
Ryan Bishop, RKC
Cody Bramlett, RKC
John Buckley, RKC
Michael Capper, RKC
Carrie Dale, RKC
John Davis, RKC
Amy Dudley, RKC
Antony Fernandes, RKC
Gary Gant, RKC
Rolando Garcia, RKC
Sara Georges, RKC
Cynthia Glass, RKC
Matthew Godina, RKC
Patrick Gould, RKC
Carol Happ, RKC
Connie Hardie, RKC
Dee Hayes, RKC
Michael House, RKC
Richard Hruby, RKC
Ruggy Joesten, RKC
Bret Kottler, RKC
Eric Leverenz, RKC
Nicole Martino, RKC
Mike McLaughlin, RKC
Kelli Meier, RKC
Andrey Patenko, RKC
Mark Piscope, RKC
Travis Riviera, RKC
Harinder Sabharwal, RKC
Phil Scarito, RKC
John Shaeffer, RKC
Jessie Shea, RKC
Renee Sliviak, RKC
John Smaltz, RKC
Robyn Smith, RKC
Nathan Sobcazak, RKC
Jason Struck, RKC
Anton Summers, RKC
Sharon Tasman, RKC
Jason Therrien, RKC
Jason Turko, RKC
Bob Uguccioni, RKC
Dom Uguccioni, RKC
Kim Vigsbo, RKC

One of The Many Uses of The Kettlebell

Kettlebell Training isn't just about swings, snatches, and more swings and snatches. The versatility allows kettlebell training to go far beyond the training you'll experience with other training tools.

Here the kettlebells are used in lieu of parallel bars to support an L-Sit, talk about core strength and stabilization.

WOD

3 Rounds

10 Hand to Hand Swings

10 Swings Left

10 Swings Right

10 Two Handed Swings

10 Snatches Left

10 Snatches Right

10 Clean Left

10 Cleans Right

10 Jerks Left

10 Jerks Right

10 Front Squats Left

10 Front Squats Right

Two Hands Anyhow

The Two Hands Anyhow can be performed with a variety of tools and in several different ways. Here it is showed with a barbell and a kettlebell. We often do the windmill variation of the Two Hands Anyhow.

WOD

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Left/Right

Snatches

1 minute Rest

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Left/Right

Cleans

1 minute Rest

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 Left/Right

Jerks

Kettlebell Training for Combat Athletes

Kettlebell Training for Combat Athletes is a 2 disc DVD set with 3 Bonus audio interviews. Check it out for optimal conditioning for any Combat Athlete.

WOD

1 minute of double kettlebell cleans

1 minute of double kettlebell jerks

1 minute of double kettlebell front squats

1 minute of double kettlebell swings

1 minute of rest

complete 5 rounds

Push Up Variation

Court from CF NYC Bottoms Up Push Ups

WOD

Perform as many swings as you can in 5 minutes. Rest for 2 minutes and repeat trying to reach the same number of swings as the first set. Repeat one more time.

Product Update:

Next week we'll be releasing a brand new product based around the business of Kettlebell Training. You won't want to miss out on these tested and proven methods for increasing the sales of you Kettlebell Training business.

Tougher Than It Looks

Albert Tauscher

5 - 10 - 15 - 20 - 25 reps of each movement per arm, two times.

Snatches

Cleans

Clean & Press

Jerks

Swings

Front Squat

Pressing A Monster Kettlebell

It is so important to be able to lift weight overhead. Sit and think for a minute about how often you raise your hands over your head throughout the course of a day. You may only be putting away a dish in the cabinet, or maybe your struggling to get that heavy box full of stuff off the top shelf in the closet. Either way we need to be prepared to have weight overhead. Pressing is just one of the many ways weight is moved overhead.

WOD

Double Kettlebells

1 Press

1 Push Press

1 Jerk

Repeat in this order. As your Press starts to fail, move to 1 Push Press followed by 1 Jerk. As your Push Press starts to fail move to 1 Jerk. Keep track of how many Presses, Push Presses, and Jerks you complete.

Farmer's Walk Workout

10 Snatches Left/Right
10 Cleans Left/Right
10 Push Presses Left/Right
60 Feet Farmer's Walks

4 Times

Your grip should feel this one.

Long Cycle

2 Movements
Long Cycle (Clean and Jerk with 2 Kettlebells)
Pull Ups

10 Long Cycle
1 Pull Ups
9 Long Cycle
2 Pull Ups
8 Long Cycle
3 Pull Ups
7 Long Cycle
4 Pull Ups

Continue the rep scheme until you reach

1 Long Cycle
10 Pull Ups

Challenged by The Bell Nation

We at Kettlebell Athletics occassionally post a challenge, and occassionally we challenge a specific crew of enthusiastic, strong-willed, and eager Fire Fighters to a workout. Occassionally that same group sends a challenge back to us, it's been going on for years!

The Bell Nation's Challenge

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Single Arm Clean and Jerk
Burpees with a Jump

They've done the workout with the 32kg, in just under 14 minutes.

The Armbar

The RKC Armbar, a great drill for shoulder stability, usually performed with a light to moderate weight.

WOD

10 Dbl Snatches

10 Dbl Cleans

10 Dbl Presses

10 Dbl Front Squats

10 Dbl Swings

3 Rounds

Tabata Kettlebells !!!!!

20 seconds on, 10 seconds off for 4 minutes of:

Kettlebell 2-Arm Swings

Kettlebell Long Cycle Clean & Jerk

Kettlebell Fronts Squats

Maintain a consistent rep count on each working period.

The Height of The Kettlebell Swing

There has been much debate on what height to take the kettlebell in the Kettlebell Swing. For beginners it may be easier to take the kettlebell to waist height or slightly higher, this can also apply to Kettlebell Swings with heavy weight. AS the movement becomes more second nature the height of kettlebell can be taken to shoulder level, head level, or overhead. Use caution when taking the kettlebell overhead and do not allow the weight to pull you backwards.

WOD

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Clean

Front Squat

Press

Perform 10 Cleans, 10 Front Squats, 10 Presses on the left, then on the right. Move to 9 reps of each, and down until 1 Clean, 1 Front Squat, 1 Press on the left, then on the right.

Perfecting the Kettlebell Snatch

You shouldn't be banging your wrists when doing kettlebell snatches. We teach the kettlebell snatch based off of the kettlebell high pull. Often the kettlebell snatch is based off of the swing, which will almost always lead to banged up wrists for beginners. Try performing one kettlebell high pull, followed by another yet slighter higher kettlebell high pull, on the thrid rep go directly into the snatch. You'll find that following the path of the high pull is less cumbersome for beginners.

WOD

10 Snatches

10 Overhead Walking Lunges

8 Snatches

8 Overhead Walking Lunges

6 Snatches

6 Overhead Walking Lunges

4 Snatches

4 Overhead Walking Lunges

2 Snatches

2 Overhead Walking Lunges

Perform all the reps on one side before switching to the opposite arm.

Partner Kettlebell Swings

Sometimes it's more fun to train with a partner. Not only this but when training tools are limited it is crucial to train with a partner. Partner Kettlebell Swings are not only fun but can be used to develop trust between training partners. The workout can be as simple as Partner Kettlebell Swings for time, or as complex as one person performing 1-10 reps of a movement between swings. Be careful when adding movements to the Partner Kettlebell Swing to let your partner know when you'll be releasing the kettlebell for them to catch.

WOD

Set a timer for 5 minutes. Complete one Turkish Get Up per side alternating sides for the 5 minute marker. Rest 2 minutes and reset the timer.

Hand and Eye Coordination

20 Forward Walking Swings

20 Backward Walking Swings

20 Push Ups

20 Forward Walking Swings
20 Backward Walking Swings

18 Push Ups

20 Forward Walking Swings
20 Backward Walking Swings

16 Push Ups

down by 2 on the push ups until

20 Forward Walking Swings
20 Backward Walking Swings

2 Push Ups