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Fergus Dullaghan: Kettlebell Sequence Part One: The Burpee Deadlift (BD) The deadlift is one of the foundation stones of both kettlebell (KB) training and Olympic weight lifting. However one advantage of using a kettlebell for this lift over a bar bell is that with a Kettlebell it is possible to do a combine the deadlift with a burpee. This would be very difficult on an Olympic bar as it would be liable to roll away from you mid jump.

The Burpee Deadlift adds a cardio dimension to the strength training, and is particularly useful for grapplers and MMA fighters as it replicates the sprawl action so closely. In this way it can be considered a highly functional training format. An optional press‐up can also be introduced to make this move even harder and more functional whilst firing up the chest and triceps as well.

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Fig 1. The first thing you should do before you attempt to burpee on the KBs is to double check that they are stable. The floor should be flat, as should the base of the KBs. This may sound obvious but some manufacturers do not finish the base of the bells off evenly, (Ironically the pair I am using for this shoot is a perfect example of this defect – not that you would know from first sight). Using bigger KBs often helps stabilisation, but of course this in turn makes the deadlift harder! So you will need to find a balance that suits you personally. Also wear gloves, as sweaty hands can slide about on the handles and increase the risk of an accident. If the bell does roll over it will be your wrist or knuckles that get injured. The bell can roll surpris‐ ingly fast, so it is important to check that you are stable before every jump and if you do fall – go with it and don’t try to resist it. Your shoulder can take a little bump from the height of a press‐up position, but your wrist might not.

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Fig 2. To begin assume a basic push‐up position. Grip the bell in the middle of the handle and ensure your core is tight.

Notice how the bells are far enough apart to allow you to bring your feet through for the deadlift.

Fergus Dullaghan

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ells Fig 3. (Optional) you can now perform a press‐up. If you choose to include press‐ ups keep your butt down and your core tight (no sagging!). Go as deep as you can without losing form and try to keep your head still – resist the temptation to nod your way through the push‐up. This exer cise is for your arms and chest not your neck muscles.

Fig 4. Re‐extend to the initial position.

Ensure your hands are still positioned well and that the KBs still feel stable.

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Fig 5. Balancing on the KBs leap forwards to perform the burpee – you will find after time that it is easier to burpee with KBs than without, because you have more height to swing your legs through.

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Fig 6. Both feet should land together and in‐line with the KBs. Copyright EDOJO.TV 2010

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Fig 7‐8. This is the transition to the deadlift. It is very important to bring your hips down and forward from the landing position, so that your posture is right for lifting. Plant your feet firmly, tighten your core and lift your head up. This last action helps ensure that your spine is neutral and your chest is open.

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Fig 9. Drive up from the hips and glutes. Do not lift with the back! Your spine should be neutral and your body position almost upright as your hips drive through to create the lifting power.

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Fig 10. Finish in a stand‐ ing position. Keep a strong posture with your head up, chest expanded and shoulders back. Do not lean back though; you should still be taking the strain with your stomach muscles, not your spine.

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KettleBells for Combat with Fergus Dullaghan is available to download at www.CageFilm.com

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Fig 11‐12. From the other angle you can see the burpee‐only version (without‐press‐up)

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Fig 13‐14. This angle also shows more clearly the importance of re‐adjusting from the landing position to the lifting position. The hips come forward, the legs bend and the head comes up – ensuring the spine is straight and that the chest is open.

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Fig 15. Stand up tall, without leaning back (I am perhaps slightly guilty of that here if you look closely enough!) and keep your weight in your heels throughout the lift.

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Fig 16. You aren’t done yet! Don’t switch off. Lower the Kettlebells with the same care you picked them up, keeping your back straight and bend‐ ing from the legs and hips.

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Fig 17. Stabilise the hands again.

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Fig 18‐19 and jump back to the original position. That is one rep...repeat 15 times.

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A final tip is to make sure your feet are facing forwards and that your knees are in line with your toes and hips. Don’t let either knee bend inwards or outwards during the lift. Keep your form perfect. Drop back a weight if you need to because you will develop faster if you insist upon perfect technique. Keep the whole action continuous and explosive.

And as an afterthought: there is an example image of how not to lift – look again at fig.18 and imagine I was attempting to lift from there rather than stabilise my grip for the burpee. Lifting from there would mean I would have to use my back muscles to return to an upright position. If you try to lift like that you will need to see the physio before long. Compare that to the early images where I have driven my hips forward to lift. That’s what you want to do. Hopefully that should point you in the right direction.

That’s it! Enjoy and train safe!

Fergus Dullaghan

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If you want to know more about Kettlebell training you can download the first episode of Fergus’ new Kettlebells for Combat series now on Cagefilm (www.cagefilm.com). Don’t forget to check out his eDojo blog and new website: www.intothefire.org.uk where you can join him in a martial arts journey towards an utterly insane objective.

Point to consider: Bar bells normally allow you to lift more weight because as kettlebells get bigger, they get more cumbersome. But you can still use the KB BD to develop functional endurance and power‐endurance. [eDojo tip: for more information on the difference between endurance, power endurance and maximum strength watch out for the next edition of e‐Dojo, where we interview ex‐German Olympic judo coach, and current Team Bath head coach, Jürgan Klinger for the strength and conditioning section!]

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