American Kettlebell Club Blog

WKC Kettlebell Lifting Judge Course

Become a Judge for World Kettlebell Club and officiate at competitions across the world! Our online-study course will provide you with the confidence and skills needed to judge the best lifters in the sport and hold your own kettlebell lifting meets. WKC holds the toughest competitions in the world and has the highest standard for lifter Ranking! Its the only organization that drug tests the lifters! Provide the safest and most fair rules in Kettlebell Sport today as an official Kettlebell Lifting Judge. Who knows, you could Judge the WKC’s next Master of Sport!

Course Fee: $197

Includes:
-Official Rule Book
-Educational DVD
-License to Judge WKC Affiliated Meets*
-Private access to the Judges Forum

* To be granted your Judge status you must pass an intensive online exam.

WKC Fitness Trainer License

Learn World Kettlebell Clubs revolutionary Kettlebell Fitness Protocol in a hands-on 1-day course! Simply stated, there isn’t a single tool that can provide the range of Fitness benefits that the kettlebell can. This course not only instills the fundamentals, techniques and protocol for realizing this potential yourself, but it Licenses you to educate your own students to success! Our concept of full-body, high-repetition, ballistic timed sets for Fitness was born out of years of experience at the highest levels of Kettlebell Lifting. This Protocol now spans the world being used by Professional Sports Teams, High-End Commercial Fitness Clubs, Personal Trainers and Military to whip people into shape in record time!

Course Fee: $597

Benefits:
- 2 free Pro-Grade Kettlebells provided - $200 value!***
- 10% Commission on Pro-Grade Kettlebells
- Kettlebell Fitness Trainer Manual
- License to operate WKC Fitness Program to clients/students**
- Private access to the Trainers Forum

**To be Licensed you must pass an evaluation.

Course Schedule:

Courses available throughout the World! Please contact WKC for to find your nearest Master Trainer!

“Greek Camp” Special European Fitness Course
Athens, Greece
March 13, 2009

Kettlebell Lifting Coach Certification

Be one of the most sought after Certified Kettlebell Lifting Coaches in the world with our 2-day intensive course. This course partners you with the Head Coach of the Club in their Mission to educate the population with technology that was at one time classified. Not any longer! Not only will you further your Kettlebell Lifting skills by taking this course, but you can help the Club to enhance Athletes of all kinds, condition Military, Police and Rescue Personnel, as well as find talent in Feats of Strength and Kettlebell Sport. Warning- This course could change the way you look at Strength and Conditioning FOREVER!

Benefits:
- 7 free Pro-Grade Kettlebells provided - $850 value!****
- 30% Commission on Pro-Grade Kettlebells
- Kettlebell Lifting Coach Manual
- Rights to form and Coach your own Team within WKC
- Private access to the Coaches Forum

Course Fee: $2300 SPECIAL $1000 Limited Time Offer!

Prerequisite: Fitness Trainer License

Course Schedule:

Athens, Greece
March 14-15, 2009

San Diego, California
June 6-7, 2009

NYC, New York
June 20-21, 2009

Denver, Colorado
September 5-6, 2009

Ann Arbor, Michigan
September 19-20, 2009

Cincinnati, Ohio
November 14-15, 2009

Kettlebell Sport Camp

This course is for the serious Kettlebell Sport Lifter, Fitness Professional or Athlete that desires to fine tune their lifting expertise. Chief Advisor Valery Fedorenko heads up a Kettlebell All-Star cast with several of the TOP Coaches and Lifters from around the world, to put you through the rigors of a true Professional Kettlebell Lifter. Due to the high workload and severe hands-on nature of the Course and level of Lifting required to take advantage of it, a lifter evaluation process must be passed to attend. Course dates and space limited.

Course Fee: Please contact WKC for the Lifter application and costs.

Course Schedule:

Athens, Greece
March 16-20, 2009

Cincinnati, Ohio
October 16-20, 2009

Arnold Classic/Sport/Fitness Expo

Columbus, Ohio
March 6-8 2009

World Kettlebell Lifting Championships

Chicago, Illinois
August 29-30, 2009

American Kettlebell Club Classic

Las Vegas, Nevada
November 7, 2009

***Set includes 1 each (8kg and 12kg…shipping charges not included) of our Competition™ Kettlebell designed by Valery to be the best! Our System has been called “The One True Way” to lift the kettlebell, so following this logic our Kettlebells must be the “The One True Kettlebell”!  If Kettlebells are in stock you can opt to have them shipped immediately upon payment of the course.  No refunds given for the course.  Kettlebells are given as a free gift and are not included in the payment of the Course.

****Set includes 1 each (8kg, 12kg, 16kg, 20kg, 24kg, 28kg and 32kg…shipping charges not included) of our Competition™ Kettlebell.  If Kettlebells are in stock you can opt to have them shipped immediately upon payment of the course.  No refunds given for the course.  Kettlebells are given as a free gift and are not included in the payment of the Course.

Economic Bail-Out Package from WKC

World Kettlebell Club can’t print its own money like the Treasuries of the world’s governments and pass it along to its citizens in the form of taxes and inflation, but we have a Bail-Out Package for our own “citizens”! Since WKC is a debt-free organization, it was not hurt by the banking crisis. It turns out that the survival of our Club in this harsh economic downturn rests with the current members and their ability to propagate our simple education and effective protocol in the broad Categories of Kettlebell Lifting to more and more people in need. In other words, we’re a community! The success comes from within…

Kettlebells: The True Health Care!

Since Kettlebell lifting has proven itself safe and virtually unbeatable in regards to Fitness and General Physical Preparation of the masses, from ages 8 to 80, we feel we are in good shape with our 2009 “economic” projections and our physical capacity to work this goal. WKC Chief Advisor Valery Fedorenko has said that what we teach is simple and complicated at the same time. It does require a little bit of a learning curve in terms of technical skills and movement, and understanding how to best program training for the desired result takes some experience. This is a bit overwhelming to some new students in the beginning, but those who stick with it quickly realize the power they now have to never need to look any further for themselves or their clients needs. The Kettlebell works, if you do! We’ll leave “sick care” to the politicians, and do our part for a true Health Care System at the ground level. In fact, World Kettlebell Club is perfecting a “letter to your representative” in the case for Kettlebells to be “Institutionalized”, that will be made available to anyone promoting a kettlebell for exercise no matter what Organization they belong to. Call it Bi-Partisan Politics or Multi-Partisan Fitness Industry, but anyone who touches a kettlebell in any way for a few months time realizes the truth: Kettlebells make you fit and trim fast! If we had our way, every Kettlebell Coach would get a tax rebate for each new student they bring in to the World of Kettlebell Lifting! Doctors agree… Kettlebells are healthy! ANY Organization, Professional or general user of the kettlebell who would like to partner on this initiative with us, please email: worldkettlebellclub@gmail.com

20% OFF all Kettlebells for North America / Europe / Asia!

Interestingly in this downturn, we have secured a lower material and production cost of our Patent Pend. Pro-Grade Kettlebell design. From now through the first of the year we have limited inventory for 20% off all Kettlebells. Don’t try to rationalize why the cost of steel and the cost of labor has fallen, but we’re confident enough that we can pass this savings along to you for the remainder of 2008! We can’t promise inventory though, so if you want your order before the Holidays, please don’t wait! With gasoline prices approaching $1.50 a gallon in the USA, it’s anyone’s guess what the economy is going to do. If you can, build your arsenal now! Weapons of Mass Fitness at the lowest price in history! Note- Orders placed between Thursday, November 27th 2008 12:01am and Thursday, January 1st 2009 12:01am are guaranteed a 20% discount, but inventory is not promised. If you desire your discounted Kettlebells before the Holidays, order now!*

World Kettlebell Club Tshirt Donation!

Proceeds from every WKC “logo” T-shirt purchased will be donated to the World Kettlebell Lifting Championships 2009. The Shirts are $20USD + Shipping. All sizes, white cotton only. Hey, Multiple World Champions, Honoured Master of Sports and Record Holders like these for their workout durability. Use them for your own Meet Fund-Raising efforts by placing company logos on them! You’ll need plenty for a year’s worth of training!

*Discount does not apply to previously purchased Kettlebells

To all our European Kettlebell Lifters, we are happy to be able to tell you that the first-ever Pro-Grade Competition Kettlebells are available in Europe NOW!  A few free Kettlebells are owed to some of the Fitness Course participants, but this truly marks the opening of World Kettlebell Club activities in Europe with available stock for the population.  “Fedorenko’s” as they have been dubbed in the USA have been proven alrady to be the most comfortable and results-producing design in Kettlebells today!  This is the modern Kettlebell design too, not the classic’s with varying sized balls that were intended for weights for Merchants during the time of Czars, not Fitness.  These are the same standard Kettlebells used for decades in Eastern Europe that have the same dimensions from 8kg-40kg.  They were intelligently designed for Mass Fitness, and later made the Sport Standard by Professional Athletes and Sports Officials.  When Coach Fedorenko came to the USA there were no Kettlebells of any kind for him to use!  Can you imagine an Honored Master of Sport with no Kettlebells?  He had the first Kettlebells in America sent to him from Russia directly, and began his introduction of the tool to Trainers and Coaches.  Since then, he has revised the design and made his own model, which is immediately available in Europe!  Secure your needs now before the first batch is sold out!

Contact World Kettlebell Club for ordering:  WorldKettlebellClub@gmail.com         

European Price List:

  8kg= 105€ + S/H
12kg= 105€ + S/H
16kg= 113€ + S/H
20kg= 122€ + S/H
24kg= 130€ + S/H
28kg= 139€ + S/H
32kg= 148€ + S/H
36kg= 156€ + S/H
40kg= 214€ + S/H

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!

Gregor Sobocan has been appointed Head Coach of WKC’s Slovenian Kettlebell Club and is the first distributor of the World Kettlebell Club mission outside of AKC.  He attended the first European Coach Certification last Summer in Greece, where he met Coach Fedorenko’s Coach, Coach Fedorenko, and the Greek Lifters.  Gregor was also present at the first European Fitness Course last month, and is a Master Trainer of that Protocol.  It’s clear that with Gregor’s amazing athletic ability and understanding of Team Sports and Fitness, he is a perfect first Head Coach of a European Kettlebell Club, and will establish the Methods and Protocol of WKC throughout Europe.  He is available to license Trainers in the Fitness Program and has agreed to give a 1 hour free lesson at this gym with the purchase of a Pro-Grade Competition Kettlebell (1st purchase only).  Special shipping can be arranged for large orders as well!  Check with WKC for details!

WorldKettlebellClub@gmail.com

Check out Coach Sobocan at the Switzerland Fitness Course!

by Catherine Imes
AKC Coach

Have you truly immersed yourself in something? Martial Arts?  School?  Immersion often requires sacrifice.  It may mean that you can’t do 10 things you like to do.  It might mean that you have to focus on one thing.

Why immersion?  In my opinion, immersion is the way to gain a deep understanding of something.  Immersion allows you to see things at a very primal level.  You become intimately familiar with the subtleties or nuances.  You start understanding for yourself why things work the way they do.  Immersion requires dedication in terms of time, focus and consistency.  When you decide to immerse yourself, you dedicate time to your endeavor.  You dive and then submerse yourself in the endeavor.

Immersion is not a short term concept.  Yes, immersion will enable you to grasp concepts more quickly because the focus is much greater.  The decision to immerse yourself for a year may save you 5 or 6 years of struggling if you just dabble here and there.  But, one shouldn’t underestimate the time required.

I must reiterate the the time, focus, and consistency aspects.  You find that some days everything is foggy during the process.  Things that were smooth yesterday or more easily understood are difficult to grasp today.  Tomorrow, that fog may lift and that understanding has returned.  Next week or next month, those very things may be ingrained to the extent that you will never forget them.  That’s the process.  But, until you put in the time and consistency and immerse yourself, you cannot expect to have an ingrained understanding of something.  You can dabble aimlessly forever and still not ever gain the understanding that you would if you immerse yourself for a year or two.

I’ve been Kettlebell lifting since April of 2003.  I really was attracted to the ballistics, the swing, the clean and the jerk.  Without any real understanding of the movements or coaching, I saw the conditioning benefits.  Even with relatively poor technique, my strength and athleticism improved.

In 2007, I decided to immerse myself.  I decided to abandon other forms of training for Kettlebell Lifting.  Why did I find total immersion necessary?  Like learning a foreign language where only that language is used, I felt that I must only do Kettlebell Lifting.  Therefore, I couldn’t continue to do it in conjunction with other training modalities if I expected to gain a deep understanding.  I wanted nothing in my way while trying to learn the movements.  I found this necessary to fulfill my goals of becoming an adept Kettlebell lifter and a Coach.  To know whether this stuff worked and to really see the benefits, I couldn’t do something else that may directly or indirectly interfere with improving my technique or that would skew my progress either positively or negatively.

What did this process entail?  I followed a fairly strict regimen of snatches, swings and one arm Jerks.  I watched and re-watched all of Valery’s youtube videos.  Over time, this focus allowed me to understand the similarity between the movements.  For example,  the lockout on a jerk is similar to the  lockout on the snatch and that is why the one arm Jerk is such a valuable supplemental exercise to the snatch.  I started to understand the timing components in the jerk and the snatch.  This understanding and awareness became invaluable not only in my quest to better my numbers, but in my ability to coach others in the movements and to develop training plans for others.

Is total immersion necessary to put up decent numbers in something like a 16kg snatch or even respectable numbers in the other lifts?  No, not for everyone.  I did 200 in 2006 before I really understood the snatch technique.  I sort of understood the training protocol I had learned from Valery, but did not have a solid understanding of the technical concepts.  Granted, I had to be doing something technically correct.  But, I didn’t understand what I was doing right at a technical level.  I was inconsistent and not very focused.  Furthermore, I would be hard pressed to tell someone else how to do it.  At that point in time, I would have been totally ineffective as a coach.

Immersion does something else; It gives you an appreciation for the relative difficulty of something .  After immersing myself in KB Lifting, I have empathy for anyone who tries it.  I understand the frustration of trying to learn the technique and on some days just not having it.  Somedays, everything just feels wrong or out of place.  I understand that some days it is nearly impossible to get motivated for a long set or even a short set.  But, I understand how to safely get past these phases and stay consistent with my training so that I keep progressing.  Until you’ve immersed yourself in something (not only KB training), you may not have that level of understanding or empathy.

Immersion develops patience not only with yourself but with others.  Once you become immersed, you understand what it means to be greedy and how this can impede your progress.  You develop an instinct and an intuition that will guide you through your own training and the coaching of others.  The awareness that you develop will help you decide when to push harder and when to go easier.

If you are an aspiring coach, competitor or just someone who wants to gain a deep understanding of a certain skill, try immersing yourself for a period of time.  Of course, it may be at the sacrifice of other things, but I believe the process will pay big dividends.  You’ll not only learn about the endeavor, but you’ll learn how to learn.  It will help you identify and overcome your weaknesses while teaching you to utilize your strengths.

———————————————————————————–

-Catherine Imes is an AKC Coach and the first Master of Sport from America. She is also Women’s Team Captain for Team America, and is a Champion Kettlebell Lifter with several years competition experience, having placed Nationally and Internationally among the best in the World. She can be reached from her website www.catherineimes.com for Coaching, Workshops or Kettlebell Fitness.

2008 has been an interesting year so far for the club! We’re starting to see a return on the time investment in the Membership of AKC. Some of the recent successes are extremely inspiring, and the seeds have been planted for many more in the next few months. The momentum is building and the Trainers and Coaches are working the plan! We’ve chosen to build things internally first, but the base is there for a new phase. Stay tuned for an important announcement this week!

Behind the scenes AKC is involved in several Military projects, as you may already know. What is not known is Coach Fedorenko has been working on his Tactical Program for the Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as for Security Operators within the country and abroad. The program (which will remain Top Secret until released to Military Personnel) will be made available to the public, but will be discounted to Active and Retired Military/Police/Security Operators.  This is geared towards the no-nonsense needs of the population, and if you know Coach Fedorenko, you already know no one is better suited to remove the nonsense associated with Strength and Conditioning Programs for serious results. Safety, and leaving the Soldier ready to fight, are paramount. Simplicity is automatic. This is not a hyped up “make me puke and leave me sore for days” program! This is not acceptable for a real soldier. They have asked for the Fedorenko Methods and he will deliver!

As a result of this Program and a tour in Europe and Asia, we have had no choice but to postpone both our Arizona Coach Certification and the Greek Kettlebell Sport Camp. Coach Fedorenko will be in Europe and Asia for all of October on assignment. We regret to have to reschedule any of our meetings, but the importance of this has caused this serious decision.

NEWS FLASH!

-The WKC Kettlebell Techniques DVD will begin editing! There is a bonus Program offered with the DVD for a beginner’s safe progression through the exercises.

-The new Tactical Program will be filmed in October and, upon return from his tour, the editing for that will begin.

2008-2009 Schedule

Coach Certification-New Jersey September 20-21, 2008
Coach Certification-Arizona October 18-19, 2008 (postponed)
Kettlebell Sport Camp October 25-30, 2008 (postponed)
Coach Certification-Cincinnati, Ohio November 15-16, 2008
Fitness Trainer Course-Chicago, Illinois December 6, 2008

Coach Certification- San Diego, California 2009
Coach Certification- New York, New York 2009
Coach Certification- Denver, Colorado 2009
Coach Certification- Ann Arbor, Michigan 2009
(dates and locations being confirmed)

In an effort to expand Kettlebell Lifting in the West, World Kettlebell Club had scheduled the World Kettlebell Lifting Championships for Toronto, Canada. Securing Visas for the European Athletes proved to be a challenge this year, so the World Championships have been postponed to give the best athletes in the world a chance to get travel arranged. So, in place of the World Championships, the AKC/WKC will be holding a special demonstration on Saturday, September 13^th from 8am to 7pm, hosted by The Toronto Kettlebell Club at The Fighting Arts Collective in Toronto. The Top Kettlebell Lifting Coaches from North America will be in attendance and anyone who can make this trip is welcome.

We are considering this event a Demonstration and will be opening it to the public. Any AKC Members can attend for no charge and may view the day as a Competition, Training Day or just a chance to meet with fellow Lifters and have some fun. There are no official events (open to demo any lifts!), but strict Judging will be enforced and Rank will be given. Come make Master of Sport!

In addition, for a $100 entrance fee, any non-Member may attend the full Meet and take part in a Workshop given by Head Coach Valery Fedorenko and his Top Coaches like Team Captains Catherine Imes and Marty Farrell. Contact AmericanKettlebellClub@Gmail.com for registration details.

The first-ever European Kettlebell Fitness Course will take place August 1st & 2nd in Switzerland! This is the only 2-day Fitness Course for the rest of 2008! Participants in this Certification will witness the long-awaited release of the World Kettlebell Club “Wellness” Protocol from Valery Fedorenko and Scott Sonnon. This Course is a License to operate the System for Fitness Professionals, but if you aren’t a Trainer and are new to Kettlebells, this is YOUR COURSE! We’ve had some Beta Testers of the Program speak about their amazing results over the last few months such as Fat-Loss, Toning, more Energy and Vitality, but no report is as reassuring as the 100% positives on FEELING GOOD!

This course has different goals than just getting your numbers and strength up as quickly as possible. This is about WELLNESS, the new movement in Fitness, and the one with real substance! Mindless walking on a treadmill or sitting on machines while listening to your iPod, watching TV and reading a book (at the same time!) CAN’T constitute Fitness. That’s paid entertainment for Sheeple! Aren’t you and your clients ready for the next evolution in Fitness? Nothing beats the Kettlebell for overall effectiveness, portability and time-efficiency.

Here’s just some of what you GET:

>Complete Fitness! - A total body Wellness plan that covers all the Fundamentals of Fitness!
>Portability! Take a single Kettlebell ANYWHERE and give/get the workout of your life!
>Faster Results! Nothing beats the Kettlebell. Safe and steady progression for everyone!
>Happier Students! They will KNOW you taught them something of value!

This course will be conveniently held at the same hotel where we have rooms reserved. For $350 per person, you receive a 2 night stay and 6 total meals (Lunch & Dinner Friday, Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner Saturday, and Breakfast Sunday).

FREE KETTLEBELL BONUS: Fitness Trainers need weapons too! Coach Fedorenko has insisted that each participant of the Fitness Course receive one 8kg/18lb (pink) and one 12kg/26lb (blue) Pro-Grade™ Kettlebell. This is all that is needed to launch you or your students to your Kettlebell Fitness goals. ($200 Retail Value…shipping not included)

COURSE COST:

$844 for both days (August 1st & 2nd)

Spots are limited, so contact Krystina at AmericanKettlebellClub@gmail.com to secure your space today!

by Eric Liford

What’s the difference between the hard style and AKC? We get this question daily. I’ve never fully understood the question. We all strive for it not to even be a question. What do we say? I mean, we understand the question at its most basic point that many Kettlebell Lifters lift hard style or heavier kettlebells for lower reps and have a theory that they get better results. We also observe that routinely with that rationale comes a low focus on quality of technique, with a dominance of perceived effort. That is, working as fast as possible, sloppily, until you burn out. There are many other observable tendencies, like a lack of care which type and design of kettlebells are used, as well as piggy-backing methodologies of other modalities like Bodybuilding and Powerlifting. The typical call on AKC Methods are lighter weights for more reps. You know, the old Martial Arts thing, of hard vs. soft style? Or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) vs. Long Distance Aerobic? We somehow get thrown into this same type of debate of style in kettlebells. To place kettlebells in any similar scenario shows a lack of understanding of the uniqueness of tool, its use and the protocol that should be followed to excel. It’s not hard or soft, HIIT or aerobics or any other debate. We’ve said it many different ways, but the best so far goes something like this.

There is no difference between AKC and the hard style. No, we’re not kidding, there is no difference! Oh, except one thing. AKC Methods come from World Kettlebell Club, far and away the highest level of expertise in Kettlebells. World Champion Valery Fedorenko with 20+ years experience in Kettlebells is the Chief Advisor, but the wealth of knowledge in his Team of Advisors is unparalleled, and reaches past the beginnings of making this powerful exercise into a competitive sport. His mission: To take this protocol into every single sport or discipline as the highest level GPP methods in existence. To put this in every household as the ultimate Fitness System due to its safe and sophisticated Protocol, portability, and full-body functional Wellness approach. To raise awareness of the already established Sport of Kettlebell Lifting and help achieve the Olympics.

The hard style is a beginner stage natural reaction to kettlebells. It’s not a style. Life would be easier for all involved if the notion of style was eliminated. Simply, prove the results.

The explanation… In the beginning of Valery’s Kettlebell experience he viewed the tool as a challenge. The Kettlebells very design is based around it being comfortable to use for high reps. Otherwise we could just use dumbbells or barbells, that are much more suited to Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Olympic Lifting due to the smaller incremental adjustability and design. The Kettlebell is a unique tool. It has a purpose for which it’s best suited, and something it does best. The challenge, get more reps! Valery would just try as hard as possible each time out! The natural reaction is to rush the reps, hoping to outrun the fatigue. It never happens, as this threshold is always met and then the signals to the brain start happening; soon shutdown occurs. Valery struggled attempting this “style” on his own until receiving some Coaching. This path is dangerous - not fun - and limited in results. It’s like one of our Coaches, Kevin, said, “do you want an express ride to the 5th floor or a steady ride to the roof?” Luckily Valery came to the USA to start new lifters at the Coaching stage and forego the natural reaction of hard style.

Technique. That’s where this organization begins with everything. It’s like a quick-study Martial Art, where you similarly learn the Forms before all-out fighting. In our Fitness Course we License Trainers to operate the WKC Fitness System, but many individuals just interested in learning safer technique and Protocol have been signing up. This course alone is worth years of your life training Kettlebells, as Valery and his team saves you from hard style natural reaction, and puts you on the road to refinement. We also have Kettlebell Lifting Coach Certifications and a Pro Kettlebell Sport Camp as understanding increases. The World Kettlebell Club is an Institute of Kettlebell Leaders from the Fitness Industry, Professional and Olympic Sports, Health, Medicine, Academia, Government, Military and of course the Champions in the Sport of Kettlebell Lifting. The curriculum is broader than any other in the world of Kettlebells.

A lot of hard style proponents (yes, there are actual proponents teaching what comes naturally) say it develops more power when lifting fast. It creates more power to lift heavy! Well yeah, kinda, but not before you are ready to go fast or lift heavy. The problem is everyone thinks they are ready. How do you know? There are some crucial points that not only accelerate your progress, but allow healthier progression to the highest levels. The smartest way.

Here’s how the AKC sees the stages from bottom to top…

Stages of Kettlebell Understanding

Intro to the tool. The Lifter “fear-reacts”, braces, breathes inefficiently, panics and races. The Lifter generally looks like they are really working hard. The hard style. There are conditioning effects to a certain point, but this is a road to injury or substantially diminishing returns unless a qualified Instructor or Coach is found. IMPORTANT: How do you know who is qualified to teach?
The Lifter finds expert instruction. This can be a high level Kettlebell Lifter that has been through all the stages, or one that has been trained by a high level of expert. It’s dangerous to guess, and kettlebells have their own unique training strategy, so placing other methodology from other disciplines is foolish and shows a low level of expertise. Usually, the Lifter is advised to slow down, get their composure, train smart, and gradually adapt. Don’t cheat yourself.
Shocking results occur. This is when Lifters typically develop an understanding. What they thought they knew in Stage 1 becomes much more clear after some time in Stage 2. Not only do they now know through experience that they can achieve superior results over hard style, but they feel better, have less injuries, and want to share the life changing experience with family, friends and students. As you can imagine, this is what an AKC Coach or Trainer would call a job well done, but there is one more stage if the Lifter is willing!
Super-human status. We’ve seen it happen already. What is it exactly? Well, it’s kinda hard to explain, but imagine not knowing what powers you hold and surprising yourself and others at every turn as you discover them. Relax, we’re not talking Incredible Hulk or Spiderman skills, but it’s definitely above what average people consider Fit. Super-humans are still human, so don’t be afraid! Realize your potential! It has been said that Kettlebells are the single best General Physical Preparedness (GPP) tool/method in existence, but it can be taken to a specialist level. A World Class Fighter can fight at a high level and be considered a specialist. A World Class Runner can run circles around the average “Fit” individual, but that’s their specialty. A World Class Powerlifter can put a half ton on their back, but that’s some special stuff! What can a Kettlebell Specialist do? I won’t say everything at risk of inciting a riot among athletes, but we are talking about a “Fitness” level that is off the charts! Well-rounded, athletic, resilient, and capable. We are talking about an ability to do just about anything!

One Way Street? It’s a hard road!

Having experienced 3 of the 4 stages myself, I realize I may not be as clear in explaining the complexities of this understanding to someone stuck in stage 1 well enough. There are only so many words you can hear until a certain amount of try must be given to actually know. It’s just from a different perspective that just can’t be revisited by those past this beginner stage. Given enough time and an honest attempt from the Lifter and we have a 100% success rate however. They just don’t go back once they’ve experienced the same. One of the main things that helped me besides the experience was the contrast of the Lifters involved in the debate. The hard style is limited because it neglects certain essentials of training Kettlebells. The Lifters with any time under their bells that are still in this first stage have stagnated. Sometimes they go to personal record, to injury, back to the same level and injury, over and over again for years. As Fitness this is not going to work. I don’t want to waste another minute! Besides, our Methods and Protocol have come from the highest levels of experience, by professionals that must have the safest and highest results. They can’t guess. The contrast between an AKC Lifter and those leveling off at the hard style is clear. The accomplished AKC Lifter enjoys a two way street, lifting heavy and lifting long. They consider a typical hard style workout easy, wanting more. The accomplished hard style practitioner doesn’t feel the same way about the AKC daily workout, thinking it’s hard. The hard style lifter is on a one way street and it’s a dead-end. It’s not too late to turn around, risk a ticket, and find the right road.

Is this hard or easy?

60kg/132lb 1-arm Jerk

3 minute speed test – 24kg Jerk

“She’s a poor example of Fitness.” That’s the message we received after posting that short clip of Catherine failing and then getting a 1 Arm Jerk with our new 36kg Competition™ Kettlebell at the American Kettlebell Club Classic weekend. We get several nasty emails per week, so it’s not a surprise, but sometimes there is some good that comes from them. They spark ideas on how to better explain what’s going on in Kettlebell training. This guy didn’t leave his name, and the following emails from him made me feel he was playing with me. But, whoever he is he is real and he has brought up an interesting topic.

My reply to him was… “Actually not”. I mean, Catherine has told me more than once she’s had a weight problem since childhood. She only recently began eating real food. You know, that strange stuff at the edges of a grocery store? She’s lost nearly 50 pounds lifting kettlebells! She even wants to get in a lower weight-class for Kettlebell Sport, so she’s by no means done losing weight. OK, that being said, she’s a phenomenal Athlete. In this video she Jerks a Kettlebell that weighs 79 pounds. I’ve never seen another woman do it. I’m not saying others can’t, but I just haven’t seen it yet. On a fresh day and with good reason I think she could Jerk the 88 pound bell. That’s Strength, but the most amazing part is she has not practiced low-rep or heavy kettlebells in a while. She’s been training for Kettlebell Sport, the most intense test of Strength/Power-Endurance on the planet. She put in two 10 minute 1st Place sets with a 16kg Kettlebell at the AKC Classic before this Feat of Strength.

Catherine is strong, but she has an unsurpassed Strength-Endurance display in this country. She’s the first American Master of Sport. She holds the Female rep records in the USA and travels to Germany to compete Internationally next month. That reminds me, we have several athletes going to Hamburg that do this from their own pockets. The AKC is about to order Team Uniforms and we will take care of any fees to compete, but travel expenses are getting out of reach, so AKC is going to begin Sponsorship drives for these athletes. More details on that later, but these Americans work a full time job and compete with people that get paid to train. They need Sponsors even if small. More to the point, Catherine is “Fit” in my opinion and I’d like to share why I think so and what it means to the Fitness Business.

I referred this guy to the wikipedia explanation of “Fitness”. With the exception of Body Composition, I feel Catherine excels at the other attributes of Fitness. I break them down even more detailed than Wikipedia:

• Accuracy
• Agility
• Balance
• Body composition
• Cardiovascular endurance
• Coordination
• Flexibility
• Strength
• Power
• Speed
• Stamina
• Mental Health
• Joint Range of Motion
• Emotional Health
• Age
• Lifestyle

There isn’t any one thing that solidifies Fitness, but what’s fascinating is Kettlebells enhance every one of these attributes and our methods seem to do it better and faster than anything else. Of course you can specialize, but Kettlebell Lifting, and particularly Kettlebell Sport IS a specialization in the general. Kettlebells ARE Fitness.

I further explained to this guy… I see several other factors that determine “Fitness” but as you see, appearance or more specifically, the % of bodyfat to lean muscle mass is only one factor. It might not even be one of the main factors, although for vanity’s sake people focus here. That’s why a clear majority of the people with perfect bodies have very little Fitness from our evaluations at our Certifications. Powerlifters and Bodybuilders while exceptional in “Strength” and “Body Composition” are not typically “Fit” by this definition. It’s not a dig, just observable fact, and the reason many Strongmen, Powerlifters, OL, Bodybuilders and people from all kinds of other Sports are applying the Fedorenko Methods now.

I’ve seen Catherine outperform many fit looking MEN that come from other Kettlebell schools to our Coach Certification. She never asked to be our top Fitness model. What she did was go and prove she was our top Athlete. How do you measure Fitness?

Bodybuilders, who would do best in the Body Composition category, claim their success is 80% nutritionally based anyway. Sure, they spend a lot of time in the gym and their workouts are grueling. Valery loves the movie “Pumping Iron” with his childhood hero Arnold Schwarzenegger and his new friend Lou Ferrigno. He always talks about how dedicated and almost obsessive they have to be to win. He says he was like that when he was trying to be Champ, but his sessions were done much faster than a typical Bodybuilder routine. Same with Powerlifters… They are masters of the Strength category, but overeating and overemphasis sometimes diminishes the other attributes of Fitness. Not Kettlebells. They seem to enhance all pieces of the Fitness puzzle at the same time.

About diet… Since a lot of experts feel nutrition is a big component of body composition, or lean mass versus bodyfat, why not ask what a Kettlebell Lifter eats? I already did. We come out with our Kettlebell Lifter Diet in 2008, but I can tell you now that the high level guys eat solidly nutritious meals and have huge appetites. It’s no secret that even average or beginner level Kettlebell Lifters experience an increase in appetite and lose bodyfat while consuming equal or more calories than before they started. It’s said this appetite is a sign of health. It’s also virtually impossible to lift at these levels and be unhealthy. We have widely varying builds and physiques in the Club and the Sport, as you’ll see in the coming videos.

I urge anyone in the Fitness Industry that is unsure how real Kettlebell Lifting can be converted into viable group classes to come to our first-ever Kettlebell Fitness Trainer Course in NYC, where we will share the Methods that will change the game. Every Commercial Gym will have to have this System in operation. Every Gym will have clients asking where the real goods on Kettlebells are! Do you have Coach Fedorenko’s Methods? This is the System developed by World Champion and Honored Master of Sport Valery Fedorenko and his Advisors, including the World Renowned Scott Sonnon. Don’t wait! Be one of the first Gyms/Trainers Licensed to operate the World Kettlebell Club Fitness System by coming to the East Coast Course May 24-25 (NYC).

Eric Liford, Editor

World Kettlebell Club

Forty Competitors showed bright and early for a Vegas morning. Thanks to Host and Coach Moses Dungca who secured the venue, as well as took care of all the equipment for these Athletes. Hopefully we can make this a yearly thing! I enjoyed it, Valery enjoyed it, and so did our special guest Ivan Denisov. He was smiles all week except when he did his World Record attempt in the Jerk, which is serious stuff. No other Lifter has ever broken our platforms but he’s done it 2 out of 2 times! It’s the absolute in human Power-Endurance, and you’d think a locomotive was passing by as he works. He didn’t break his record, but no one could question if he tried. 169 reps with two 32kg/70lb kettlebells is something only he and the great Mischin have done, so it’s a rare thing to see. We’ve just returned, but Ivan is still flying. It’s something like 44 hours of travel with all the stop-overs to get to Siberia!

We also want to thank Coach Chris St. Onge who was the Stage Boss and took care of making the Schedule of Athletes. With 40 Athletes, some competing in 3 events, there are lots of Brackets. We had them running constant until bout 6pm! Coach Tony Babarino was a natural as Announcer. Up until now you had to go to Russia to get a gig as a Kettlebell Announcer, but I think they call them General Secretary over there. Here he’s the Joe Rogan of Kettlebell Lifters. He’s already asked to MC Toronto for the World Kettlebell Lifting Championships September 13-14, so I’m sure he’s going to be studying the Sport of Kettlebell Lifting from now until then.

We also thank Chief Judge Jon Hoskins and all the Judges that volunteered their time to do a much needed aspect of the Sport. Without quality Judging, the Sport becomes dangerous and less productive in the end. Proper execution of the lifts gives the best results in the long run, so it makes sense to develop the best Judging not only safety, but education of Kettlebell Lifting. We appreciate your ability to be unbiased. It’s not easy to take reps away.

There’s a lot more to say and show about the AKC Classic, but for now please check out the Meet Results while we go over all the material.