MyJourneytotheKettlebell ProfessorStuartMcGill Thekettlebellisspecialtome!ThejourneytotheKBasatrainingtoolhaslinkedmetoseveral importanteventsinmylife.AnditwaspartofthebeginningofmyfriendshipwithPavel(Pavel TsatsoulinethemanwhointroducedKettlebellsfrombehindtheironcurtaintotherestoftheworld). MymeetingofPavelisafunnystoryuntoitself.IhadheardaboutkettlebellsandaboutthisMad Russianabout12yearsago.AtaNSCAmeetingIsawacoupleofKBandstrengthdemonstrationsand thenIwasontodelivermykeynotetalkaboutbackstrength.Comingdownfromthepodiumaftermy talktherewastheusualscrumofdelegateswantingtohavediscussion.Pavelwasamongthem.The groupsoughtthoughtsonstrengthtechniquesandthenPavelaskedWhatdidIthinkofthis?he askedadelegatetolayonthefloor,instructinghimtowrapthearmsaroundtheknees.Pavelpicked themanoffthefloor.Thegaggleofdelegatesthoughthewasnutstoattemptsuchadangerouslift. TheyweresurprizedwhenIsaidthatwasaperfectliftyouappliedseveralprinciplestoachievehigh performancewhilesparingyourjoints.Thatwasthestartofaterrificfriendship.

. OvertheyearsPavelhastaughtmeKBtechniquesandsomeprinciplesfromtheRussianstrength culture,manyofwhicharenovelinNorthAmerica.Someofthesehaveledtoexperimentswherewe wereabletobetterunderstandthemechanismsandbenefitstothetechniques.Forexamplewe conductedaninvestigationofkettlebellmechanicsthatdocumentedjointloadingandthe neuromuscularchallenge,confirmingtheuniqueblendofstability/mobilityandpulsepowerproduction, publishedintheJournalofStrengthandConditioningResearch. Asabackinjuryspecialistwedesignexerciseprogressionsthatbeginwithcorrectiveandtherapeutic exercise.Thentheremainingsequencefollowsin4stages:stability/mobility,endurance,strengthand power.Kettlebellscanfigureintoeverystagefortheappropriatepatient/clientandsituation. Nearlyallpeoplewhodeveloppainfulbackconditionshavemovementflaws.Perhapsthemost commonistomovethespinewhenitisunderload.Repeatedcompressionofthespinewhileitis bendingalmostguaranteeseventualdiscbulges.Thespinecanwithstandhighloadsifitispostured closetoitsneutralcurvature.Thecorrectedmovementpatternrequireshiphingingtobendandlift. Itwouldbetypicaltostartwiththeshortstopsquatmovementpatternandevolvetheprogressions toaKBswing.Thisisfurtheredwiththestability/mobilitystagewheretheemphasisbecomescore stiffeningtocreateafixedpoint.Thisallowsthehipstheexpresstheirathleticism.DanJohnsgoblet squatusingaKBisawonderfultooltoenhancehipmobilityandsquatform. TheenduranceprogressionbeginswithourBig3exercisestoensure3Dcorestabilitywhichwill eventuallyprogresstovariousKBexerciseswiththeappropriateintervals,andintensity. StrengthexercisesaredesignedaccordingtothegoalsoftheclientbutalmostalwayshaveaKB component.Considercarryingexercises.Wediscoveredthattheweakestlinkinthestrengthprofileof

manyathletesisthelateralcorestrength.Thisisrequiredtoholdthepelvisuporindeedlockthepelvis tothecorewhichisneededtorunandcutquicklyandskilfully,orexertstrengthwhilemovingontheir legs(Inotherwordsnearlyeveryathletewhostandsontheirlegsandmoves).Uponfootplantthespine andpelviswanttocollapsetothefloorontheswinglegside.Alateralcorestrengthcreatesstiffnessso muscularexplosivecontractionaroundthehippropelsthebodywithoutenergylossesthatrob performance.Wetrainthisstrengthbeginningwiththesuitcasecarry.Thentheprogressionusesa kettlebellrackedonthebacksideoftheforearmwiththefistatthechin.Thenabottomsupkettlebell carryrequiresmorefocusonastiffenedcoresothattheliftpositionandbottomupisnotlost. Powergenerationcanbefunctionallyenhancedwithpulsingtechniquesduringtheswingandsnatch. BruceLeeusedtheseprecisetechniquesover30yearsagoasthefoundationforwhatbecameknownas the1inchpunch.OnceagainPavelshowedthemtome. Kettlebellworkisnotforeveryoneduringrecoveryfrominjury.However,whenusedappropriatelyitis auniqueandirreplaceabletrainingtool. AllofthesetechniquesaredemonstratedintheDVDTheUltimateback:EnhancingPerformance availablefromwww.backfitpro.com.Pavelisoneofthestarsdemonstratinghisherculeanstrength.