Kettlebell Magazine April 2011

Hybrid

Program Development

QuickHandandCareDirty Tips Hybrid Training for Athletes

Kettlebell Hybrid

Mike Mahler

Inflammation

interview

By Lisa Shaffer Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 1

Mike Mahler

Inflinterview ammation

By Lisa Shaffer

A discussion with Mike Mahler on why addressing excess inflammation is critical for overall health and wellbeing and why every diet fails.

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isa Shaffer: For those that do not know you, what is your background?

Mike Mahler: I started my career in fitness as a kettlebell instructor back in 2002. I still teach kettlebells today but my knowledge base has expanded to include hormone optimization. Addressing excess Inflammation Interview

inflammation is the most critical component of hormone optimization and overall health. I am not a doctor or a certified nutritionist. I am a researcher and spend a great deal of my days learning about hormone optimization and have been doing so for over five years.

I am here to share information not to give medical advice. I encourage everyone to share what he or she reads with a qualified physician or certified nutritionist. Just keep in mind that just because someone is an MD does not mean they know anything about hormone optimization and addressing inflammation. Do your homework and work with a very well researched open minded professional.

LS: Lets start off with discussing what inflammation actually is and why people should be concerned about lowering it?

MM: Inflammation is the result of an immune response to irritation, infection, or injury. When we are under stress, eat the wrong foods, workout too much, fail to get enough deep sleep and restoration, we develop a high level of inflammation that the immune system has a hard time keeping at bay. As a result, we develop GI tract issues such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), joint pain, and ultimately serious diseases as the immune system becomes very week after years and years of fighting inflammation and no longer functions adequately. The immune system can even become confused and attack healthy tissue and this is what autoimmune diseases are such as vitiligo and arthritis are.

Lowering excess inflammation makes you more disease proof to cancer, heart disease, stroke, Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 2

LS: We hear a lot about essential fatty acids and inflammation.

What role do they play?

Lowering excess inflammation makes you more disease proof to cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, arthritis and IBS.

LS: You talk about hormone optimization a lot. What role does lowering inflammation play in hormone optimization?

When inflammation goes up, the body has an immune response to lower it by increasing cortisol levels, as cortisol is an anti-inflammatory hormone. The hormonal pathway goes from the master sex hormone Pregnenelone to cortisol instead of the ultimate stress management hormone DHEA and you are left with much lower levels of DHEA, androstendione, testosterone, and progesterone. Thus lowering inflammation is critical for hormone optimization.

LS: Wow even progesterone?

Inflammation Interview

Great question! Many people have high inflammation due to too much Omega 6 consumption and not enough Omega 3. Omega 6 is proinflammatory and ramps up levels of AA (arachidonic acid). Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory and ramps of levels of ALA (alpha linolenic acid). According to essential fatty acid expert, Udo Erasmus you want a 2:1 ratio of Omega 3 to 6. This is especially important for people that are already experiencing the negatives of too much inflammation.

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Yes, cortisol is actually made from progesterone and both men and women need progesterone to avoid estrogen dominance. The more progesterone that is used to make cortisol the less is available to keep estrogen in balance.

Estrogen dominance causes a lot of fat retention in the stomach, legs, glutes, and chest. Moreover, estrogen dominance can lead to diseases such as breast cancer and prostate

Omega 6 then we break down healthy cells and tissues and that is where it becomes problematic.

If we take in too much Omega 3 we have too much growth and not enough breakdown and this can lead to issues such as prostate enlargement and prostate cancer.

In addition, for hard training athletes that want to put on muscle, lose fat, and get strong we need AA from omega 6 sources to initiate the signal for anabolism. AA plays a big role in sex hormone production and if we do not have enough AA we do not have enough sex hormone production, which is critical for all physique composition and performance goals. People that have a hard time putting on size may be taking too much omega 3 and not enough omega 6. A ratio of 4:1 (Omega 6 to Omega 3) may be a better fit at least in the short run.

My friend Ori Hofmekler discusses this in great detail in Maximum Muscle Minimum Time LS: Wow sounds complicated!

What are some good sources of omega 3 and omega 6?

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cancer as excess estrogen causes a lot of inflammation in the prostate.

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diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, arthritis and IBS. I am not going to say that you will never get these diseases if you address inflammation but it definitely stacks the odds in your favor.

People that have a hard time putting on size may be taking too much omega 3 and not enough omega 6.

LS: Why have omega 6 in the diet at all, why not focus on omega 3?

Like everything in life we need the ideal balance. We need a healthy level of creation and destruction in our bodies on a daily basis.

Omega 6 fatty acids help break down unhealthy cells that can lead to disease. If we have too much

Good sources of omega 3 include flaxseed oil, hempseed oil, pumpkin seed oil, chia seed oil, and grass fed beef, and organic eggs from free-range chickens that eat a diet high in essential fatty acids. Fresh fish as well can be a good source of omega 3 fatty acids.

For Omega 6, really any organic meat as well as nuts and seeds will Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 3

get the job done. As a strict vegan I eat a ton of nuts and seeds and have always found them to be the ideal fuel to power my intense workouts and life.

LS: What about fish oil? Isn’t that important for essential fatty acids and lowering inflammation?

Fish oil contains downstream essential fatty acid metabolites such as EPA and DHA. Both EPA and DHA can be made from ALA, which is in flaxseed oil but not the other way around. ALA is a parent essential fatty acid and has been shown to lower levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein.

Fish oil on the other hand has not been shown to lower C-reactive protein. I think DHA has some great benefits for brain health as the brain is mainly fat and is comprised of a lot of DHA (not to be confused with DHEA). I take 800mg of DHA daily in the form of marine algae, which is also superior to fish oil as it is created in a clean environment.

Regarding EPA, many people report that joint pain subsides when taking EPA but here is the problem.

According to Nick Delgado of Ultimate Medical Research, Fish oil lowers inflammation by suppressing the immune system. This is good if you have an overactive immune system but not good otherwise.

Suppressing the immune system is not the way to lower inflammation in a productive manner. Instead the key should be lowering inflammation at the root instead which is done by optimizing diet, restoration, and taking supplements that really lower inflammation such as systemic enzymes and magnesium.

To be balanced, I do think EPA and DHA have some benefits for brain Inflammation Interview

Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 4

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Sugar causes inflammation by prompting the hormone Insulin to be elevated all the time.

in the first place and what can we do about it besides addressing the omega 3-6 ratio?

High sugar and processed food consumption are the primary causes of inflammation. I firmly believe that sugar plays the biggest role in all diseases and is highly addictive. Sugar addiction is not much different than hardcore drug addiction as far too many people realize. Tell the average person to cut out sugar for a week and they will have some serious withdrawal symptoms before the week is up.

Too much caffeine consumption also causes a lot of inflammation.

Sugar causes inflammation by prompting the hormone Insulin to be elevated all the time. Insulin is not something we want high all day long. It constricts the arteries and raises blood pressure. It causes a great deal of inflammation. What we want is insulin sensitivity, which means we only have to produce a small amount to get the job done.

Insulin is a critical hormone for life and without it our cells will die and us with it. The key is to keep insulin sensitivity high by eating a good amount of high quality protein, healthy fats, and low glycemic carbs such as legumes, berries and many vegetables at each meal.

Inflammation Interview

lin starts going down three hours after we eat. When that occurs, the hormone glucagon is released from the pancreas to pull energy from the liver and then stored body fat to keep our glucose levels stable for optimal functioning. Thus, we are essentially getting a snack on stored body fat in between each meal.

LS: So cut out sugar, eat fruits and veggies, good protein and fat and take longer stretches in between meals?

MM: That is it in a nutshell but it has to be more personalized. Why every diet ultimately fails without exception is that it cannot take you as an individual into account. This is why food sensitivity testing is

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You take a blood sample and send it to a lab. There it is put up against 95 common foods such as dairy, meat, legumes, nuts, veggies, fruits etc to see how your blood reacts to it. It basically measures what your immune response is to it. If you have a high immune response then it is a food that is a high sensitivity to you. If you have a low immune response then it is a low sensitivity food and these are the foods that are the ideal options for you. No two people are the same. I have seen people that have very low sensitivity to dairy and others in which the high sensitivity is off the scale.

The food sensitivity shows how all diets have serious shortcomings.

For example people that promote the Paleolithic diet essentially say that all meat and most veggies are the best fit for all people. Well why did I show high sensitivity to most meat then? Pork was the only one I showed low sensitivity to. I also showed very low sensitivity to oatmeal, which is a no no in the paleo world. My brother showed very low sensitivity to dairy which means he can consume as much of it as he wants. In the Paleo world dairy is not allowed.

Forget about generic diet books that do not take you into account. Get a food sensitivity test and get personalized.

so important. Food sensitivities are food allergies in slow motion.

I learned about this from my friend Dr Peter Rouse of the AF performance center in Santa Monica.

LS: How does the test work?

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Lets talk about diet. What foods are causing all of this inflammation

Taking longer stretches in between each meal such as 6-8 hours will also play a big role in keeping insulin sensitive and inflammation down. According to Byron Richards, author of The Leptin Diet, Insu-

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health, insulin resistance, and pain but it would not be my first choice when addressing inflammation.

On the other hand, many vegans say that legumes and nuts are the best for everyone but that is not true either. Many people have high sensitivity to nuts and legumes. I showed high sensitivity to some nuts such as almonds but low to Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 5

Digestive enzymes ensure that we extract the largest amount of energy from our food and assimilate it efficiently.

generic diet books that do not take you into account. Get a food sensitivity test and get personalized.

That is the only way to go period.

Most likely people will show high sensitivity to common culprits such as eggs, soy, dairy, nightshade veggies, and gluten. However, you never know until you do the test.

Click below for more info and now I am not selling this test or profiting by it: http://www.lef.org/VitaminsSupplements/ItemLCM73001/ Food-Safe-Allergy-Blood-Test. html LS: So we can lower inflammation a great deal by avoiding foods that cause a strong inflammatory response in us. What about supplements? Is there anything worth taking?

Yes and I have two favorites for lowering inflammation: magnesium oil and systemic enzymes.

Magnesium is critical for overall health and lowering inflammation and magnesium oil is the best source of magnesium as it by passes the GI tract and has much higher absorption. It has also been shown to ramp up the stress management hormone DHEA that I can personally attest to as it took me from low normal to high normal. Here are some key benefits of magnesium: Inflammation Interview

• Lowers levels of C-reactive protein. Magnesium deficiency equals higher CRP • Inflammatory responses are much higher when magnesium deficiency is present • People with magnesium deficiency have a hard time metabolizing inflammation fighting EFA’s.

• Magnesium helps convert the essential fatty acid GLA to antiinflammatory DGLA. • Magnesium deficiency causes lower activation of systemic enzymes. These enzymes are needed to eat up scar tissue, fibroids.

• Magnesium is the ultimate stress management nutrient and supports the adrenal glands that get worn out from stress

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• Magnesium prevents calcium buildup in cholesterol plaque in arteries, which leads to clogged arteries.

• Magnesium is a vasodilator, opening up blood vessels • Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant • Magnesium is an important part of treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

• Magnesium helps detoxify toxic chemicals • Magnesium deficiency increases insomnia • Magnesium deficiency causes muscle weakness and fatigue For more info on Magnesium oil go to: http://www.mikemahler.com/ magnesium.html For more info on magnesium in general, read “The Magnesium Miracle” Next I love systemic enzymes and have been using them for many years after I learned about them from my friend Dr William Wong N.D. I have tried several good brands but my current favorite is Excylzym. Here is what systemic enzymes do:

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• Helps lower cortisol levels.

Magnesium Oil helps drive up DHEA, which is a potent antiinflammatory hormone.

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others such as cashews. My wife showed high sensitivity to lentils but very low to kidney beans. See where I am going? Forget about

Magnesium is critical for overall health and lowering inflammation and magnesium oil is the best source of magnesium as it by passes the GI tract and has much higher absorption.

• Research shows a direct relationship between the amount of magnesium in the diet and the ability to avoid high blood pressure.

• Work to lower inflammation by eating up cytokines.

• Enzymes eat scar tissue and fibrosis • Act as blood cleansers Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 6

for gut health. The main three that everyone should take are probiotics (with FOS so they proliferate), digestive enzymes, and Betaine HCL. Probiotics ensures that we have a good balance of healthy flora in the gut for optimal functioning and immune system health. Make sure to use one with FOS, which feeds the good bacteria.

Digestive enzymes ensure that we extract the largest amount of energy from our food and assimilate it efficiently.

Betaine HCL ensures we have enough acid in the stomach to breakdown protein. Betaine HCL also eats up viruses in the stomach.

Take it with protein meals only.

Two other great nutrients for GI tract inflammation are Ginger and glutamine. Ginger is great for any stomach issues and is a great cold fighter. Glutamine helps with GI tract healing. 5-20 grams per day is a good dose.

• Reduce the need for a large cortisol response to inflammation and thus lower cortisol as well.

• Modulate the immune system.

Helps prevent an over active immune response which can cause auto immune disorders (antibodies acting its own tissues) • Fights viruses.

Dr Wong has the most informative systemic enzyme website ever at: http://systemicenzymes.net/ Inflammation Interview

Other supplements I like include resveratrol, curcumin, zinc, tocotrienols, and phosphatidylserine.

However, Magnesium oil and systemic enzymes are by far the most powerful supplements to fight excess inflammation.

LS: What about GI tract inflammation?

MM: Great point as GI tract health is critical for overall health. Without proper gut health we are doomed.

There are several supplements I like

LS: Great info, Mike I am sure we could go on discussing this forever.

It is so interesting and thanks a lot for taking the time.

MM: Thanks Lisa and keep up the great work.

For more info on fighting inflammation and hormone optimization visit Mike’s site at www.mikemahler.com Also email Mike at mahler25@yahoo.com for his inflammation notes.

Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 7

QuickHand andCareDirty Tips.

Hand discomfort is one of the most frequent complaints of new kettlebell users. Blisters, torn calluses or other “wear and tear� issues can derail a great training program before it even has a chance to get rolling.

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es, there are times when you just need to suck it up and deal with a blister, or even bleeding hands. These are minor annoyances in rare cases. The majority of the time this can and should be avoided. While you spend time nursing your torn up hands, your competition or your enemies are training and getting stronger.

Everyone has seen photos of people proudly displaying bloody or torn up hands. This is nothing to be proud of or brag about. Being able to complete a high volume of training with no hand trauma is.

Kettlebell technique is huge with regards to hand care. However, we will leave that topic for another time. Today we will just focus on the nuts and bolts of keeping your hands healthy.

Quick And Dirty Hand Care Tips

Volume x, Issue x March 2011- 8

Hands from the Swing Challenge in 2010, the picture above was my hands in 2011 Here are a few things I have used with great success:

Bag Balm Bag Balm is a very old product, originally designed to prevent dairy cow udders from drying out and cracking in the cold.

I resisted using this stuff for hand care, because I spent a good amount of my childhood on a dairy farm in Eastern Oregon. There was a green tin of the stuff at every cow milking station in my grandmother's milk barn. I always hated the smell of it!

It works wonders. Use a tiny amount of it immediately after training, right after showering and right before bed. This stuff is Quick And Dirty Hand Care Tips

greasy, and a little goes a long way.

An emergency hand care tip I received from a Bering Sea fisherman is to liberally coat blistered or cracked hands with Bag Balm before bedtime, put on a cotton glove or sock and leave it on overnight. Reportedly, it heals like magic if used in this manner.

File Use a nail or foot file to smooth down any raised calluses. Calluses are your friend, but don't let them get high enough to catch or tear.

They should be perfectly smooth.

In my gym I have a coarse file, used to file foot calluses. It is made by a company called Tammy Taylor and is called the Big Purple Terminator (that is the actual name on the file).

I try to use it right after training in order to smooth out any raised calluses.

Using a file in the shower or bath is also a great idea.

Tape I try to keep the use of tape to a minimum, but when all else fails, I find a small layer of athletic tape can help you get through a workout.

I like to tear it into thin strips and wrap the fingers right over a blister.

Sometimes I “pre-emptively� tape spots that I know are going to be issues. If I'm doing 2-arm swings, I find that the ring fingers take a beating. I usually just tape there before the workout if I know there will be several hundred swings involved.

Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 9

Bag Balm, athletic tape and a foot file are valuable tools to keep your hands in shape.

I know there are other taping techniques that might work, and everyone's hands are just a little different.

What about chalk or gloves?

I use chalk like crazy, and chalk the handles of my competition kettlebells. Chalking the handles takes a special technique and lots of practice, but can really help. I don't look at this as diminishing my strength.

I look at this as a way to get more work in.

Some people prefer not to use chalk, claiming that it diminishes the value of your kettlebell training.

Not true. More work done means more progress. The best kettlebell lifters on the planet use chalk. It is a personal preference.

Quick And Dirty Hand Care Tips

Gloves are a different story. Any type of popular weightlifting glove will interfere with your grip technique and should definitely be avoided. I know there are some specialized gloves that might be a different story, but please, please don't show up to train with those fingerless things that bodybuilders wear.

switch to a different exercise for a while. We all love kettlebells (or you wouldn't be reading this), but switching to a bodyweight exercise for a workout to save the hands might not be a bad idea at times.

Jim Beaumont

Listen to your body.

As every legit strength coach or trainer will tell you, you have to listen to your body. I tend to look at the hands as your body's version of a red warning light on your car's instrument panel. If they are getting blistered or bloody, maybe it is time to examine your technique, or

Jim Beaumont operates Idaho Kettlebell Fitness, located in Caldwell, Idaho. He is a World Kettlebell Club Strength and Conditioning Coach and CrossFit Kettlebell Instructor. www.idahokettlebells.com Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 10

Hybrid Training for Athletes II

Kettlebell Hybrid In my previous article, Hybrid Training for Athletes, my focus was the use of different tools and modalities when training athletes. This article will discuss my multidimensional approach to program design and the purpose behind the Kettlebell Hybrid Training protocol.

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By Joseph Belden ’m very much an idealist, which by the way, always motivates me to find more effective and efficient ways to train athletes and non athletes alike. Kettlebell Hybrid is a program I developed with the goal of helping my students achieve, what I call, The Hybrid Effect. My mission is to take them where they can not take themselves. Before going any further, I’d like to define what this program is about.

• • • • • Kettlebell Hydrid Training

We use different training tools and modalities.

We train different energy systems.

We train with varied intensities and use varied and progressive work /rest ratios.

We perform both unilateral and bilateral movement.

We train heavy, long, fast, slow, explosive, static and ballistic Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 11

• • • •

We focus on athletic, three dimensional, multi joint movements.

We are focused, intense and purpose driven.

We find excuses to train instead of making excuses not to train.

We take a balanced training approach, incorporating pushes, pulls, knee dominant and hip dominant level changes, rotation and locomotion.

Most strength coaches stay with what they know and within their comfort zone. Many focus on Olympic and power lifting exercises, and many throw in some agilities and sprints. Often times, programs are designed without considering the importance of proper technique, training order, and energy systems.

Different training tools provide different advantages, allowing strength training to be performed through different angles, leverage points and energy systems, creating a more well rounded and fatigue resistant athlete. The advantages of simplicity in training, and the benefits of unilateral training, are sometimes ignored in program development. If you think that your athletes just need to run a lot of sprints and agilities to be more efficient runners, you’re mistaken. Without addressing technique, strength and flexibility issues, athletes just get better at running with poor, ineffi-

Kettlebell Hydrid Training

cient technique. The best teachers are not those who claim to possess all of the knowledge, but those whose passion motivates them to seek more.

For the past ten years I’ve been involved in the development and implementation of speed development programs. After working with Adam’s Course and studying the work of Dr. Yessis and other speed experts, I developed a progressive, systematic approach in teaching the masses to run more efficiently. My goal was to design a program that took the nuts and bolts of my speed development program, implement alternative training tools such as

come to realize that I would rather have a team full of warriors with insane work capacity and the ability to perform at a high level through the entire contest, than with those who perform exceptionally strong early but fade away as the contest progresses.

Boyd Epley, the first collegiate strength coach in America and Head Strength Coach at the University of Nebraska for 34 years, opened my mind about training athletes in the right energy systems.

One of the things that always stuck with me was when Boyd said, “You know, if we really wanted to train football players in the right energy

Often times, programs are designed without considering the importance of proper technique, training order, and energy systems. kettlebells and sandbags, and not only improve speed and agility, but increase explosive work capacity and improve recovery time. Now if this could be accomplished without disrupting absolute strength gains that would be even better, basically allowing the athletes to have the best of all worlds, the Hybrid Effect. In the last several years I’ve

system and condition them for the demands of a football game, we would spread them all out on a football field. Then you would tell them, ‘when the whistle blows, you can sprint, back peddle, bear crawl, run agilities, do what ever you want, but do it full speed for 5-8 seconds.’

Give them 30 second rest intervals.

Now you have an appropriate work

Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 12

to rest ratio for the game they are training for. When your players can go full speed for the number of plays in a football game, they will be properly conditioned for the contest.” The problem is, as we discussed, it would take more time than you have in a training session to do this. The timing of this conversation was ironic. It took place as Boyd was acclimating me to his new push/pull circuit. We had just concluded sets of squat and bench and were in the process of circuit training through a line of Hammer Strength push/pull machines. I thought I was in great condition.

Mid way through the second round, I started to feel a little light headed and queasy. As we completed the second round, I must have looked pale as Boyd, who was 15 years my senior, looked at me and said, ”Why don’t we stop there. I’ll call it a light workout today.” I wasn’t suffering from muscular fatigue, but rather from systemic fatigue.

I actually recovered very quickly, something I’ve found also true with explosive, three dimensional, multi joint movements. After studying Steve Maxwell’s training creativity, I’ve become somewhat obsessed with developing training protocols which were metabolically demanding without overtraining the muscles. In recent years I’ve taken this concept, used “creative programming,” crossing energy Kettlebell Hydrid Training

systems and training tools to create a hybrid effect.

We know that the body is very efficient at adapting to stress.

Regardless of what physical adaptations take place for there to be improved performance, development of a hybrid muscle fiber or better biomechanical improvement in ATP usage, what we want to create is the hybrid effect. The trick to hybrid program design is to develop a program that gets the desired results without overtraining the athlete. This is how smart I am.

It took me almost a decade after that workout with Coach Epley to finally develop the program. That’s partly because I now have found the perfect training tool combination that’s effective and can be used anytime, anywhere; kettlebells and body weight.

Reasons the kettlebell is my choice as the most versatile performance tool.

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KB is effective in developing strength and explosive power.

KB is ideal for training explosive and ballistic movements for high rep sets, making it ideal for developing work capacity and fatigue resistance.

Safe and easy to teach Easily combined with any other tools Fun

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Reasons to learn and apply body weight training progressions.

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The gym is always open, any time, any where.

A simple leverage or angle change can increase or decrease the difficulty of the exercise.

Easily combined with any other tools.

BW training can incredibly challenging and fun.

Locomotion is a key component in training athletes and non athletes. Running, jump-

The trick to hybrid program design is to develop a program that gets the desired results without overtraining the athlete.

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KB can be transported easily.

KB can have be used to train all energy systems.

ing, crawling, climbing should all be incorporated into hybrid workouts.

Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 13

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BW training has no limitations.

BWT can be performed for max effort sets or extreme conditioning.

The beauty of this program lies in its versatility. The kettlebell and body weight training progressions in this program can be used

our training showed significant increases in absolute strength.

Increases in speed, agility and hip explosion were as expected.

Improvements in work capacity and recovery time were incredible.

More importantly, they all demonstrated improved performance on the field and the mat. N.A.I.A. All

I found the program to be more effective, when performed in a separate session. with whatever training tools you’re passionate about. It can be used with Olympic and power lifting protocols, tires and sleds, stone lifting or sandbag training, whatever you like. It’s also very effective as a stand alone system, depending on your training goals. I’ve experimented with maximal strength work incorporated into the same session, but I found the program to be more effective, when performed in a separate session. Sandbags are a close third in my tool selection for reasons I discussed in my first article.

The results of this program exceeded my expectations. All athletes improved in at least 6 of 7 performance tests and looked like warriors when they had completed the program. Athletes who participated in strength programs outside

Kettlebell Hydrid Training

American, David Kraft, not only improved his Olympic clean by 40 pounds in six weeks, but produced a record score in the one minute sandbag clean test of 28 cleans with the 120 pound bag. He made similar gains in squat and bench press.

How do we develop a program that provides the needed skill development, but accelerates the conditioning aspects? Example: If we have a training goal to be explosive for 10 seconds with 20 seconds recovery, we could easily perform kettlebell jerks or sandbag cleans for about 10 sec. and with a 20 sec. rest interval. Better yet, for week two, we set the kettlebells and sandbags 60 meters apart.

Now, we could perform a set of five reps with kettlebells and add 20 meters of an active recovery

set, such as Frankenstein walks, before performing a set of 5 sandbag cleans. The reps will stay the same as the week’s progress. The active recovery is what changes.

The active recovery intensifies to A skips on week 3, flying 20s on week 4, power skips on week 5.

The work/rest ratio we started with on week one now seems easy. The active recovery has become part of the workout. “Hard training, easy combat.”Another option is to keep the recovery the same, but perform the same 5 rep sets with combination lifts, such as kettlebell long cycle and sandbag clean and front squat. We have created this intense, metabolically demanding workout segment without ever training to muscular failure.

If performed separately, my recommendation is to perform maximal strength work 2 days per week, keeping the volume low and the workouts short. The metabolically demanding part of the program can be performed two to three days per week. Other factors, such as demands of work or play should be considered. Play and recreational activities are encouraged.

Below is a sample workout.

You can find a Kettlebell Hybrid training template as well as more sample workouts and videos at www.beldenperformance.com or www.kettlebellhybrid.com

Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 14

Hybrid

Program Development

Developing hybrid training programs can be a little tricky, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Most people have a single training focus.

By Joseph Belden

M

any place an emphasis on strength or cardiovascular fitness only and may cross over to the other side only on occasion or half heartedly. When you shift the focus a little an start making a list of what needs to be accomplished in a hybrid program, it can definitely be a little overwhelming.

Enter Kettlebell Hybrid. I’ve chosen the kettlebell and body weight training progressions in my program development because of their training versatility. They can be combined with any other tools or performed as a stand alone system, depending on your training

Hybrid Program Development

goals. Simply, choose your tools, your strength focus and your training sequences and progressions.

Now, make sure each component is trained twice a week. I believe it’s also important to keep training sessions to an hour or less. Keep in mind that the majority of my programs are designed for group training. When designing programs to meet the needs of the masses, creativity is important. Training protocol is designed with common group goals in mind and flexibility within the workouts to meet the specific needs of the individuals.

On the next page is a sample workout with accompanying videos.

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SAMPLE WORKOUT (Maximal strength work performed in separate workout)

Speed Development

Dynamic Warm Up / Joint Mobility 8 min

Speed / Athletic movement mechanics 7 min

Claw / Chin to Pocket

Ankle flips

A skips

Walking claw (low speed, high speed)

Plyometrics 6 min

Power skips for distance

Bounds w/transition to sprint

1 Leg Squat Progression 5 min

H2O

Transition / Agility Visual Ignition Agility

Transition Runs

26 min

5 min 6 min 6 min

12 min

Kettlebell warm up and practice (kettlebell - chain work) 6 min

Power Conditioning Power Inferno (KB jerks & SB cleans 6 min

w/locomotion transition)

H2O

12 min

5 min

Tabata Finisher 1A) Pull ups 2A) Hindu push ups 8 min

1B) Split jumps 2B) Kettlebell swings

Post stretch 3 min

11 min

Hybrid Program Development Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 16

Dynamic Flexibility and Mobility Studies show that a warm up which focuses on dynamic flexibility is more effective for preparing the body for activity than static stretch-

Isn’t it amazing that at such a young age, we starting teaching toddlers to throw and catch, and as they get older, lateral gait movements such as a shuffle are often taught, but we never teach kids how to run efficiently. To be efficient at

To be efficient at running and athletic movement, three areas have to be addressed, Strength, Flexibility and Mobility and Mechanics. ing. We spend seven to ten minutes using workout specific dynamic movement and joint mobility exercises and save the static stretches for the end of the workout. Remember, a warm muscle stretches better than a cold muscle. So if static stretches are a part of your program, try warming the body up first. The video shows just a few exercises that can also be used as active recovery between sets.

Speed and Athletic Movement (locomotion)

running and athletic movement, three areas have to be addressed, Strength, Flexibility and Mobility and Mechanics. Below are a few drills we use and why we perform them.

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Claw Progression – “Step Over, Drive Down” are the four words to remember here. After years of running with poor technique, it takes a lot of reps to break bad habits and develop new, more efficient techniques. You don’t have to get too detailed with instruction. Understand that it’s

Transition Agility And Visual Incognition Hybrid Program Development

important as a sprinter to bring the heel to the hamstring, step over the knee and drive down, striking the ground underneath your body. This will propel you forward. Many people, in an attempt to stride out actually strike the ground in front and create a breaking effect. The Chin to Pocket drill helps train linear arms with no wasted motion.

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Plyometrics - To increase stride length, more force production has to be generated.

Remember, plyometrics aren’t as effective when fatigued. If you have a goal of improving one rep vertical jump or max explosion, plyos should be performed early in the workout. We perform plyometrics with sufficient rest intervals at the beginning of the workout for this reason I then mix mid to low level plyos, kettlebell swings, sandbag cleans, and jerks throughout the training session to develop explosive work capacity.

Tabata Splits Jump And Pulls up Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 17

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Unilateral Strength Exercises – I’m a big believer in a unilateral strength focus for training athletes. Training on one leg

and either windmills or Turkish get ups. From there, we start a chain progression of performing 20-30 seconds of 1 leg dead lifts, swings,

Kettlebell chains can be performed apart, or in conjunction with speed training. independently from the other promotes balance, stability and injury prevention. Unilateral exercises are also very effective in increasing bilateral strength.

One leg squat variations require no special equipment. When I started implementing kettlebell one leg dead lifts and kettlebell swings into the training protocol years ago, we saw notable improvements in linear speed.

Kettlebell Warm Up and Chain Work Kettlebell chains can be performed apart, or in conjunction with speed training. This complex is used for workout preparation and practice on the basics. It also has a conditioning component. We normally start with halo chops, goblet squats

Speed Plyometrics

Hybrid Program Development

cleans, snatches, reverse lunges and presses, respectively. This progression can change from workout to workout for variety or to provide practice where needed

Transition Runs and Visual Ignition Agility The ability to efficiently transition from one movement to another is important for the average person and critical for most athletes.

Implementing transition activities into training helps students achieve effortless movement patterns, and like superset or circuit training, allows practice with a variety of movement patterns in a short period of time. I ask athletes to transition at predetermined points, such as cones or lines, or by the use of auditory or visual commands.

Claw Progression

Power Inferno This type of superset work with active recovery transition between exercises turns into an incredibly grueling power complex. Following a set progression is very important here. Athletes must first learn to perform all exercises in a relaxed superset allowing adequate recovery before the “Power Circuit” and active recovery movements are implemented. It eventually progresses to the “Power Inferno” and “Power Inferno Combo.” This workout sequence is only performed once a week.

Tabata Supersets In just four minutes, 2 exercises are performed for four sets each.

20 seconds doesn’t sound like very long, until you’re performing your fourth set of pull ups in four minutes or you’re feeling the burn from split jumps or heavy swings.

10 second rest intervals barely gives you time to change exercises.

- Joseph Belden

Kettlebell for Speed Development

Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 18

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Volume 5, Issue 4 April 2011- 19