Kettlebell Academy of New Zealand

04/07/2022

Tessa performing one of her first sets of Dead Stop Swings Here's why we don't jump into the swing not through the whole progression, team. Why we start with Dowel Hinge, then master the deadlift in every variation, then the dead clean and only after all that do we begin to learn the swing. Here's our student Tessa Spivak⁩ from Sydney, Australia, arriving at Dead Stop Swing, after many months of going through the whole progression, getting stronger, fitter and becoming a total NINJA of using her body well in the process....

Tessa performing one of her first sets of Dead Stop Swings Here’s why we don’t jump into the swing not through the whole progression, team. Why we start with Dowel Hinge, then master th…

14/05/2022

Girevoy Swing (left) and Hardstyle Swing (right) Q: Can you please clarify the different benefits that accrue from the hardstyle and soft style swings. Which would be better as an exercise? A: Prefer to watch this answer as a video? Go HERE Hardstyle Swing Hardstyle swing has a movement pattern almost identical to the deadlift, with a slight emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings....

Girevoy Swing (left) and Hardstyle Swing (right) Q: Can you please clarify the different benefits that accrue from the hardstyle and soft style swings. Which would be better as an exercise? A: Pre…

04/05/2022

Q: How Fast Should I Go in Girevoy Jerk 10 min set? (A question by Andi Baumann) A. Hi Andi, Great question! How many reps of Jerk one should aim for in a minute during a 10 min Girevoy Competition set? You should be in the approximate range of 90-180 reps total. Under 90 is too heavy, over 180 is too light....

Q: How Fast Should I Go in Girevoy Jerk 10 min set? (A question by Andi Baumann) A. Hi Andi, Great question!How many reps of Jerk one should aim for in a minute during a 10 min Girevoy Competition …

04/05/2022

One of the best quotes I've ever read. Amen.

By Dr Stu McGill.

"I believe in the discipline of daily training. This is founded upon my training for over fifty years, our investment in scientific investigations at the university labs and experimental clinic, and by contrasting those who age successfully with those who do not. The successful ones usually share a common character—a character that I have tried to adopt myself. Routinely rise early each day and get your chores done. Train strength and power, mobility, and cardiovascular health with some gusto. Avoid damage by not doing any one of these two days in a row. The week has seven days. Two of the days are dedicated to strength and power, two days looking after the things that are getting a bit stuck (strategic mobility), and two days to challenge the old ticker (cardiovascular challenge). But the seventh day is for rest. The rest day allows the adaptations that were stimulated on the other six days to occur. "

An article worthy of checking out.

Meeting Pavel for the first time about twenty years ago changed my life. It is a story that has been told in these pages before. I was impressed with this quiet gentleman who knew so much about training systems far from the American tradition. We discussed the eloquence of Russian sport science that...

27/04/2022

Q: I've sometimes seen people bend back as they do their jerks. Should you ever bend backwards as you do these movements? (Finney Raju) A: Hi Finney, Great question! The thoracic extension can indeed happen when you drive the Kettlebell off the rack, it's more commonly used in Girevoy sport because Girevoy athletes develop great thoracic mobility as part of their extensive training (thoracic mobility is necessary both for Girevoy rack position, the overhead lockout and for the drive)....

Q: I’ve sometimes seen people bend back as they do their jerks. Should you ever bend backwards as you do these movements? (Finney Raju) A: Hi Finney, Great question! The thoracic extension ca…

18/02/2022

My latest favorite method to break up the desk routine - overhead duck walks. Most likely inspired by watching hundreds of ducks who live at the lagoon 5 min walk away from our house in Palmy.

🦆 🦆 🦆

Duck walks (when performed correctly and without pain) are excellent for keeping the knees and ankles healthy. And keeping the kettlebell overhead adds a bit of a balance challenge, plus an extra incentive for good posture and straight back.

🙌🙌🙌

Extra shout out to John the king of duck walks (and all sorts of other funny walks) at every opportunity 🤓.

17/02/2022

Q: I have an imbalance in TGU. My right side is far behind technique wise. Strange, because my stronger arm is the right arm. The initial roll to elbow is tough. I CAN do the Get Up with 32kg on both sides but it looks and feels bad. Probably have to stick with 24kg for awhile. Please comment. A: 1. Left/right imbalance is pretty common as most humans have a preferred side, especially for the upper body....

Q: I have an imbalance in TGU. My right side is far behind technique wise. Strange, because my stronger arm is the right arm. The initial roll to elbow is tough. I CAN do the Get Up with 32kg on bo…

01/02/2022

During the swing, the elbows are relaxed. Thus they might bend passively at the top. Q:Why do your elbows look bent at the top of the swing? Shouldn't they be straight? A:No. The elbows shouldn't be actively straightened during swings. Neither should they be actively bent. The elbows should be RELAXED during swings. My elbows might seem bent at the top of the swing because they're actually relaxed, and since the KB is floating weightless and doesn't pull my arm forward, the elbow isn't locked out....

During the swing, the elbows are relaxed. Thus they might bend passively at the top. Q:Why do your elbows look bent at the top of the swing? Shouldn’t they be straight?A:No. The elbows should…

01/01/2022

Whatever surprises 2022 throws at you, it's always better to meet them with hands full of kettlebells 💪
Happy New Year to all swingers of iron!

30/11/2021

Towel Swing is an excellent drill to polish your swing technique, especially the skill of harnessing the momentum, rather than forcing the movement.

Many kettlebell beginners try to control the entire swing, aka move the kettlebell with their muscles throughout it's trajectory, which is exhausting, and leads to a pretty weak performance.

Instead, the student of strength learns to ride and harness the momentum and only use his muscles to accelerate, direct and brace. This is the key concept of strategic tension in kettlebell training.

Towel Swing also allows for easier shoulder packing as opposed to regular 2-hand swing.

30/11/2021

Following our house move, we had our first hybrid online/offline classes last weekend. Just a few people have braved the face-to-face session following 3-months of Auckland lockdown, but here's to hoping more of them will come out to play. But either way, we still have online classes going on at the same time. I seriously want to pinch myself sometimes! It has been a total dream to teach a class simultaneously to locals face to face and to international students from all around the world. It is now happening! 🤩🤩🤩

10/11/2021

Q: Hi Kat. Do you ever incorporate Tabata into your Kettlebell training? I've recently added KB swings with this protocol. Great for increasing VO2 max . Andy A: Hi Andy, I have used Tabata before. Mainly because I had to, back in the CrossFit days, and also because I didn't know any better as a trainer. I don't use it now, and especially not with kettlebells....

Q: Hi Kat. Do you ever incorporate Tabata into your Kettlebell training? I’ve recently added KB swings with this protocol. Great for increasing VO2 max . Andy A: Hi Andy, I have used Tabata b…