all posts post new thread

Kettlebell Getting the most out of the SF Kettlebell course

Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

guardian7

Level 6 Valued Member
I am going to take the Strongfirst Kettlebell one day course soon. Any tips on getting the most out of the 8 hour class? For example, is it common to ask someone to video you to help you review your form? Is there much volume of work on the day, so should I skip my normal routine the day before? Any tips?

I have taken RKC classes before and have read Enter The Kettlebell, S&S, and Flexible Steel, so I don't expect much new information, but I am really interested in getting some form correction, and regression or mobility exercises if there are holes in my form. Knowing is not the same as doing as we know. The last time I took a workshop I got my form checked, and I was not hinging nearly as much as I thought I was.
 
No matter where you are on your form and technique, it will be improved by the course! Good move. You will find that the fundamentals don't change, but the application and methods are continuously improved so you will get the latest and greatest.

You might want to video yourself before you go, then repeat the same movements and conditions afterwards, to see if you notice a difference. That will help you have a reference point to return to a few months later, because people sometimes regress back to old habits without realizing it.

No prep required, and it's not exhausting, so no big change in your normal routine is necessary but it's nice to be well rested. You don't want to be sore or compromised, for sure.

Enjoy!
 
Anna C said:
No matter where you are on your form and technique, it will be improved by the course! ...

You might want to video yourself before you go, then repeat the same movements and conditions afterwards, to see if you notice a difference. That will help you have a reference point to return to a few months later, because people sometimes regress back to old habits without realizing it.

Enjoy!
Click to expand...

Good advice Anna. That is the kind of tip I was looking for. I took the FMS test and a class and got a lot of benefit from clear standards and test/retest. I hope to recapture that with my KB work.
 
Some say that it is not exhausting but mine was pretty intense. I wished I had taken the day before off. I guess it all depends on the instructor. Obviously you can sit out for a bit if you need a break.
 
Depends on who is teaching and who is taking it as to whether or not it will be exhausting. The one I took before I was an SFG was very exhausting, but when I've assisted, it wasn't that exhausting for the group.

Regardless of what you've read in books, you will absolutely come away with some new information. Ask questions and volunteer yourself for form corrections.
 
Agree with Mark...I've lost count of how many courses, certs and events I have attended, but without question, whether I was attending or assisting for the first or the fifth time, I have walked away with a deeper understanding of the material covered. Different instructors bring different backgrounds, experiences, cues and views. We are all eternal students of strength!
 
Debbie Hayes said:
..without question, whether I was attending or assisting for the first or the fifth time, I have walked away with a deeper understanding of the material covered. Different instructors bring different backgrounds, experiences, cues and views. We are all eternal students of strength!
Click to expand...

STRONGLY agree. For me, cue is the BIG word in Debbie's post. We all explain things different ways and the more instructors one is exposed to the higher the probability that someone will cue you on a movement in the EXACT way that you "hear." Plus the more you see something in person where you can look from different angles and get instant expert feedback..you are that much farther ahead.
 
WxHerk said:
STRONGLY agree. For me, cue is the BIG word in Debbie's post. We all explain things different ways and the more instructors one is exposed to the higher the probability that someone will cue you on a movement in the EXACT way that you "hear." Plus the more you see something in person where you can look from different angles and get instant expert feedback..you are that much farther ahead.
Click to expand...

Excellent points. I have read someone, maybe Dan John, that more than three cues is counter-productive as a student has a limited working memory. Just focusing on one point at a time in a "deliberate practice" session is optimal. Of course, the right cue for you to focus on will be different from others as you suggest.
 
What I don't understand is how they teach the military press without the clean.
 
Anna C said:
Two hands on the kettlebell and hoist it up to the rack. Often called a "cheat clean."
Click to expand...
I figured that. But if a press is only as strong as your clean, I don't feel my clean is strong with a cheat clean.
 
Mark Kidd said:
I figured that. But if a press is only as strong as your clean, I don't feel my clean is strong with a cheat clean.
Click to expand...

True, but when learning/teaching the press initially, a moderate weight is used, so it's not that much of an issue. People can work on the press as its own exercise (cheat clean, 5 presses, set down, cheat clean to the other side, 5 presses, set down) for a while before throwing the clean skill into the picture. That way they can focus on feeling a good rack position and pressing from it without getting distracted about how to get it there.

It all depends on their objectives, but as far as skills progression, I like to teach the kettlebell deadlift, goblet squat, halo, farmer's carry, swing, get-up, press, clean, double clean, double front squat, and snatch, in that order.
 
Thanks for the advice on this thread. I had a very good experience. I came to fix my swing, but that turned out to be the easiest thing to fix. My TGU was more of a problem than I thought. I realized my lack of left shoulder mobility and need to improve my breathing pattern. Also gained a new understanding of the press as plank practice rather than just a shoulder exercise. I was worried about its relative volume in my program but no longer.

Volume wasn't an issue on the day personally, but I was really sore from contracting all day! Probably an indication I am not using contraction enough in my practice. The course had sophisticated use of video feedback which will influence how I program my workouts. Test drill test more, and not just train. Breakdown the TGU into component parts more and work on them separately before reintegrating.

As was mentioned, each instructor brings something different to the table. The class was led by a barbell and bodyweight instructor and I got a better understanding of transfer of skills between tools whereas my previous hardstyle training instructor had a yoga background and I learned more about the role of relaxation as well as tension and also anatomy.

I also got some great tips not in the course that came up as a result of my questions like doing an armbar on a doorframe for easy mobility work.

A couple of tips for SF from a user perspective. I suggest a glossary of key terms in the course manual. Although I was familiar with them and the instructor clearly gave examples as they came up during the class, definitions of key terms like GTG and irradiation would have been useful for others in the class to review who are new to kettlebells. They have been critical to changing my approach to exercise. The concepts are scattered around SF content but not organized systematically enough in my opinion even though S&S has improved the situation.

Also, the requirements are clearly presented for each movement, but the cues are mainly verbal, so it is hard to remember without taking notes constantly. Even if some cues differ among instructors, a standard list would help as a starting place.

All in all, very glad I went.
 
That's so great that you were able to attend and learn from the kettlebell course! I'd been thinking about attending one myself. I'm thinking that I should get my form stronger on my own before attending, although maybe I've got that backwards and would benefit from some instruction.
 
Hey, @Todd Friedrich , if you can organize a few people, you can get me to come up to you and teach the one-day kettlebell course. Holler via email if you want to talk about this more. This is a standing offer, BTW, to anyone within an hour's drive who can find six students or more in total for the course - if you've got the people, I will organize the rest, including me or a colleague to teach the course.

-S-
 
Todd Friedrich said:
That's so great that you were able to attend and learn from the kettlebell course! I'd been thinking about attending one myself. I'm thinking that I should get my form stronger on my own before attending, although maybe I've got that backwards and would benefit from some instruction.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is a good idea. It helps you to figure out what questions you have to ask. And if you don't make really basic errors, then they can zero in on things they can work with you individually that you might be able to fix then.

As recommended in the course, I strongly recommend that you have someone video your form so you can see what you are doing. I was making a mistake, I was not aware of at all until I saw it on video. In fact, I thought I had the opposite problem. Knowing is not doing. I know it is wrong, but I didn't know I was doing it, so I could not fix it.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom