My "Kettlebell" Rude Awakening (true story)
Published: Tue, 11/26/13
If you're new to kettlebells or a seasoned vet....I think you'll
enjoy hearing Coach Chris share his first "real" experience
with kettlebells right around the time he joined Team Critical
Bench.
Bench.
I'll let him tell the story in his own words below.. - MIKE
===========================
My "Kettlebell" Rude Awakening
by Coach Chris Wilson of Team Critical Bench
by Coach Chris Wilson of Team Critical Bench
The weekend before my big debut with Team Critical Bench
started with a 3 Day Workshop in Tallahassee Florida and
about 30 hours of kettlebell exercise.
A few months prior to this amazing weekend the Founder of
Critical Bench who is my good friend Mike Westerdal reached
out to me with an opportunity.
We had already been discussing the possibility of me joining
the business but at the time he was searching for a training partner.
He wasn't looking for a spotter or motivator...he was looking
for a commitment from a hard working friend.
Mike had recently been rewarded with the chance to train with
kettlebell's. And not with Joe Schmoe either. With the most
prestigious organization in the world for Russian Kettlebell
Training...Dragondoor.
He's like, "Hey, do you know much about kettlebells?" I said,
"a little bit, stuff like swings and squats I guess."
He proceeds to tell me a little bit more about this awesome
chance to learn from the best in the business and offered me
the opportunity to join him. Knowing that I had a real chance
at joining Critical Bench in the near future, I felt almost an
obligation to say YES to Mike.
So the date was circled on the calendar and I felt great about it,
until...I drove up to where Mike had been training for the past
few weeks with an RKC Instructor and I had a.......
RUDE AWAKENING......
I meet this really nice, reserved fellow named Mike Wille as
well. We make friendly conversation during warm ups and
then we start doing some basic kettlebell exercises.
Fast forward about 5 minutes...
I'm already dying and scared about what's coming next!
Meanwhile, Mike the trainer is tossing these things around like
they're 5 lbs AND I outweigh him by at least 50 lbs! Talk about
feeling wimpy.
Mike Westerdal & Mike Wille, RKC
I barely get through the hour long workout and I have to drive
back to my old work (almost two hours by the way...ughh). Let me
tell you, I've been training with weights for years and just one
hour of doing strict kettlebell movements left me beaten, battered
and extremely humbled.
I was so nervous about not only the next training session with
"Mr. Nice Guy" Mike the trainer but I was seriously considering
bailing out on that RKC Workshop thing at the end of April.
Well, I didn't quit just yet...I wanted to stay the course for my
friend and see if there was any chance that I could improve my
skills with that darn 24 kilogram weight. I'm usually pretty
confident when it comes to strength movements and being
explosive.
But not doing stuff like deadlifts, power cleans, clean and jerk,
and push presses for a while will drastically destroy your chances
of being truly explosive with weights. I practically had to reteach
myself to be explosive and move with real power through my hips.
By the fourth session with Mike the trainer I had a smidge of
confidence in myself. Enough to remain committed to my friend
and this upcoming weekend workshop.
I barely get through the hour long workout and I have to drive
back to my old work (almost two hours by the way...ughh). Let me
tell you, I've been training with weights for years and just one
hour of doing strict kettlebell movements left me beaten, battered
and extremely humbled.
I was so nervous about not only the next training session with
"Mr. Nice Guy" Mike the trainer but I was seriously considering
bailing out on that RKC Workshop thing at the end of April.
Well, I didn't quit just yet...I wanted to stay the course for my
friend and see if there was any chance that I could improve my
skills with that darn 24 kilogram weight. I'm usually pretty
confident when it comes to strength movements and being
explosive.
But not doing stuff like deadlifts, power cleans, clean and jerk,
and push presses for a while will drastically destroy your chances
of being truly explosive with weights. I practically had to reteach
myself to be explosive and move with real power through my hips.
By the fourth session with Mike the trainer I had a smidge of
confidence in myself. Enough to remain committed to my friend
and this upcoming weekend workshop.
=======================================
Russian Kettlebell Certification "RKC" WEEKEND
Mike and I make the drive to northern Florida from the Tampa
Bay area in good time. We decide to eat some burgers
(with some reservations of course) the Thursday night before
the workshop started.
Little did we know, we could have eaten 5,000 calories if we
wanted to and still lost weight over the weekend.
By Friday evening (after 10 hours of straight exercise), Mike
and I were so sore, so exhausted that we looked at each other
at dinner and thought, "how in the world are we gonna be
able to do that again on Saturday AND Sunday???"
Russian Kettlebell Certification "RKC" WEEKEND
Mike and I make the drive to northern Florida from the Tampa
Bay area in good time. We decide to eat some burgers
(with some reservations of course) the Thursday night before
the workshop started.
Little did we know, we could have eaten 5,000 calories if we
wanted to and still lost weight over the weekend.
By Friday evening (after 10 hours of straight exercise), Mike
and I were so sore, so exhausted that we looked at each other
at dinner and thought, "how in the world are we gonna be
able to do that again on Saturday AND Sunday???"
Well, Saturday came and went ending with the kettlebell
Snatch Test, an RKC special. After moving around all day long
with kettlebells varying in weight from 16 kg to 32 kg, we
were asked to do 100 reps of kettlebell snatches in 5 minutes
or less....it still scares me to think about.
I was toasted. I failed to get 100 snatches. My hands were
destroyed with open sores and I fumbled my way to 67 reps.
Mike did much better and got to 88 reps. His powerlifting
background really helped his efforts. For the rest of my life, I
will remember those numbers!
Sunday was more of the same with even more testing at the
end along with the final workout called the Graduate Workout....
let me just say, imagine the worst 20 minutes of your life and
multiply it by 5.
Easily, one of the most grueling exercise routines I've ever
participated in. A non-stop combination of kettlebell swings,
cleans, presses and squats....I mean non-stop...you never put
the weight down!
Mike and I received certificates of attendance and we passed
on several of the skills but both of us had to retest the Snatch
Test and we had 90 days to do it following the workshop.
Good old Mike was the first one to nail it and a few weeks later
(after 3 failed attempts) I reached 100 reps with the 24 kg kettlebell
in 5 minutes and became an RKC certified instructor too.
Easily, one of the greatest and most challenging
accomplishments of our life.
============End of Article==========
Thanks for sharing Coach Chris! I can attest...this workshop was
no joke. It wasn't one of this gigs where you show up and take some
notes, try out a couple techniques and take a quiz. It was certainly
an intensive and well deserved certification to get.
From my experience with kettlebells here's what I like about
them:
- The build total body strength.
- They are great for conditioning and fat burning.
- You'll greatly improve your mobility.
- Getting good at KBs corrects muscular imbalances.
- They can be extremely challenging.
- There are easy movements that can progress into
very difficult exercises when you're ready.
Our entire Team here at Critical Bench has been training with
kettlebells for the entire year of 2013.
We went ahead and created a SICK program called Kettlebell Beatdown.
It contains Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Workouts for...
Fat Burning, Strength Building & Conditioning with Warm-Ups.
We also filmed a video of every single exercise in the program so you
can learn how to do them correctly. (Don't copy people you see at
the gym using kettlebells. The majority have no idea what they are doing.)
We've been busting our tails on this for a couple months and want to
give you the opportunity to get this brand new program for free.
===========================================
HOW TO GET KETTLEBELL BEATDOWN FOR FREE
===========================================
===========================================
Step 1: Fellow RKC instructor Chris Lopez has just created a product called
Kettlebell Finsihers. It contains 33 KB Chains, Comples & Finishers.
Kettlebell Finsihers. It contains 33 KB Chains, Comples & Finishers.
Step 2: Forward your clickbank receipt to sales@criticalbench.com and AL will
send you our new "Kettlebell Beatdown" program.
=========
Kettlebell Beatdown is not for sale. It is brand new. The only way to get it
is to order Chris Lopez's Kettlebell Finishers for under $20 using this link:
Buy Kettlebell Finishers Get Kettlebell Beatdown FREE <------- 2 for 1 deal
I do have to warn you...be prepared to be humbled. If you don't want to
push yourself to the limit...this isn't for you. You will get uncomfortable :)
Stay tuned for some more kettlebell training tips coming this week.
Keep training hard,
Mike Westerdal
CriticalBench.com
P.S. Sorry to put a deadline on ya. I hate deadlines...but Mr. Lopez is only
running a sale on his KB Finishers product this week, so you only have this
week to get it for $20 and still get our Critical Bench bonus.