PROGRAM MINIMUM [SQUARED]

 

 by Jon Engum. 23 Comments.

• 
  
• 
  
• 
  

By Jon Engum, Master SFG

In his original kettlebell book, Pavel Tsatsouline talks about a Program Maximum and a Program Minimum. For the younger people in the crowd (read: newer to kettlebells) some explanations may be needed.

The (R)evolution of the Program Minimum

The Program Minimum has it roots with the Russian communist coup. Here is a little background:

“The 1903 congress also adopted the party program, consisting of two parts: minimum and maximum. The two parts of the program corresponded to the two revolutions that Russian Marxists were to prepare for. The minimum program set the task of achieving a bourgeois-democratic revolution, in which the workers would aid the bourgeoisie to overthrow tsarism and establish a democratic republic. The maximum program planned for a proletarian-socialist revolution in which the workers would seize power from capitalists and establish the dictatorship of the proletaria.” (courtesy of allrussias.com)

In the context of the home budget, the program maximum would include everything from food, housing, transportation, education, retirement, etc. The home budget program minimum would include only the minimum things needed for survival.

1. Water — Food
2. Shelter

Pavel took this minimalist concept and applied it to kettlebell training. While it would be ideal to have a more complex/comprehensive training program, many people do not have the means in both time and expertise to stick to that kind of training protocol. A Program Minimum with 100% compliance is much more effective, producing greater results than a complicated, time-consuming program with only 50% compliance.

The big question was: What drills would provide the biggest bang for your training buck?

Answer: 1 Grind and 1 Ballistic — Sculpted to Perfection

The original Program Minimum grind was the bent press and the ballistic was the snatch.
Many of us who started at the beginning of the kettlebell revolution grew up on a steady diet of this plan. However, it did not take long to realize that while these are great selections, for the average beginning kettlbell practicioner, these moves may be a little out of reach.

The bent press and the snatch demand a level of shoulder mobility that not many beginners have access to. Never one to rest on his laurels, Pavel reinvented the Program Minimum with two equally-effective drills: the swing and the get-up. With some instruction, most trainees can access the new plan without the prerequisites of the originals.

In Pavel’s words:

“The Bent Press is an exceptional lift for an advanced minimalist — but most people simply do not have the patience to build up to it. The get-up, while missing out on some of the bent press’s benefits, delivers a number of additional benefits. And, unlike the bent press, trainees of any level can benefit from it.”

Simple and Sinister was born.

The following is a plan to combine both Program Minimums into your class structure and a way to ensure that even beginners can patiently develop the correct technique. This PM2 is scalable and can be taught in a group setting, even if the skills of the group members are widely varied.

What I am about to give you is a “one-stop-shop” template that will be appropriate for the rawest recruit yet challenge the most seasoned among your students.

Exercise Genus

While the full bent press, snatch, get up, or even swing may be too challenging for a newbie, there are drills that lead to the development of these skills that anyone can handle. The first thing we need to do is get a hierarchy of drills in the same family or genus as the target exercise. Here are my choices listed from easiest to hardest.

Program Minimum – Part A – Swing

SWING GENUS

Fabio Zonin, Master SFG

1. Kettlebell Deadlift
2. Dead Stop or Power Swings
3. Two-Hand Swings (two hands, one bell)
4. One-Hand Swings (one bell, one hand)
5. Hand-to-Hand Swings
6. Double Swings

Program Minimum — Part B — Getup

GETUP GENUS

Mark Cheng, Senior SFG

1. Arm-Bar
2. Floor Press
3. Naked Get-ups
4. Partial Get-ups (to a tall sit)
5. Tactical Lunge
6. Full Getup

Retro Program Minimum — Part A — Bent Press

BENT PRESS GENUS

David Whitley, Master SFG

1. Bent Arm Bar
2. Half Kneeling Bent Press
3. Low Windmill
4. High Windmill (bell in top hand)
5. Bent Press
6. Two Hands Anyhow

Retro Program Minimum — Part B — Snatch

SNATCH GENUS

Jon Engum, Master SFG

1. One-Hand Swing
2. High Pull
3. Dead Stop or Power Snatches (touch and go)
4. Tempo Snatches (vary time in lockout)
5. Heavy Snatches (2-3 reps with a 5 rm size bell)
6. Double Snatches

This is my list. You may have others or you may think that a three is harder than a four, but that is not the point. The take-home lesson here is a list of six drills for each movement in the order from easiest to most challenging, and there is some room for interpretation.

One more point: If you are reading this and do not know how to do any of the above drills, you are required to find an SFG Certified Instructor in your area and get some lessons!

THE PLAN: MIXOLOGY FOR PM2

The plan calls for training four days a week.

Monday: PM

• Pick 2 drills from the Getup Genus and 2 drills from the Swing Genus. Alternate between grinds and ballistics.
• Beginners should feast on a steady diet of 1s and 2s.
• Intermediate Students should focus on 3s and 4s as well revisiting 1s and 2s
• Advanced Students can play with 5s and 6s

Tuesday: Retro PM

• Pick 2 drills from the Bent Press Genus and 2 Drills from the Snatch Genus.
• Beginners focus on 1s and 2s
• Intermediate 3s and 4s
• Advanced 5s and 6s

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Repeat Monday

Friday: Repeat Tuesday

Note to Instructors: When your new student has a good grasp on the 1s and 2s, then slowly introduce the higher level drills. They will have already seen your advanced members practicing them. So you will have some built-in retention.

To quote a student of Cole Summers SFG Team Leader and Former Team Canada Strength Coach: “Coach, when I master a new move it changes me completely.”

TIMING

How much time or how many reps should you put in to each drill? You can play this by feel, but remember to vary the load from training session to training session. Or if you have a strong foundation and have learned all the drills in your list. then try what I outline below. It will add some randomness to your training and also a bit of fun.

I borrowed the following idea from an article Pavel wrote sometime back called ETK PLUS:

Get a pair of dice. Roll one die, this will determine your first drill.

Example: If you roll a 4 on swing day, look at the swing list and find #4, you will be doing one-handed swings.

Next roll both dice. This will give you the practice time.

Example: roll an 8 and you are working for 8 minutes on one-handed swings, shoot for about 80% effort.

Roll a die again and get a 6 and you will be working on get-ups.

Roll two dice and get a 4 and you will be practicing for 4 minutes.

Repeat the rolls again for your second swing selection and second getup selection.

We have had great success with this simple program and I am sure you will as well.
Program Minimum2 – Double the fun, double the results!

Jon Engum is a Master SFG Instructor and a 7th Dan Kukkiwon Certified Grandmaster. Engum is the author of Flexible Steel, Creator, Chief Instructor of the Flexible Steel System, owner of Engum’s Academy, Engum’s Taekwondo Association, Jon Engum’s Extreme Training and is a Vice President of the Minnesota Taekwondo Association. He has presented and lectured on several continents and teaches Workshops, Courses and Instructor Certifications worldwide.

Proper Kettlebell Clean Names You Probably Did Not Know

Taco Fleur  

“Clean your kettlebell(s)” everyone says it, even I, because it’s so much easier than using the full name. Anytime an exercise becomes common, the name usually gets shortened or the new name becomes the standard. Take the CrossFit Burpee for example, it’s a “Push-up Jump Burpee” but they call it a “Burpee”.

What is a clean?

Before going any further, allow me to define the ‘clean’.

The clean is an explosive lower-body powered exercise that brings a weight from a lower position to the racking position (chest height). ~ Taco Fleur

Different type of kettlebell cleans

Following is a basic run down of all fundamental kettlebell clean variations available

1. Assisted clean (single arm)
2. Dead clean* (single, alternating or double arm)
3. Dead swing Clean (single, alternating or double arm)
4. Hang clean (single, alternating or double arm)
5. Swing clean (single, alternating or double arm)

Number five is the one that everyone is highly familiar with, it’s the clean that most people are first taught, and thus it’s the one that gets the honour to wear the short version of it’s name ‘CLEAN’.

*Dead clean

With the dead clean there is the squat or hip hinge style, but I personally don’t like to load the posterior chain muscles with an explosively movement like this, especially with a heavy weight, and I believe that the squat version due to the upright position of the torso is the safest, having said that, some people are simply not able to perform the squat version due to their body shape or length. In my personal opinion the dead swing clean is the safest technique for cleaning a heavy weight hip hinge style.

With all that said, we could create even more fancy variations of the clean, i.e. the dead cleanbeing split into squat and hip hinge style, and then also adding different stances.

1. Single arm assisted clean
2. Single arm squat dead clean
3. Single arm hip hinge dead clean
4. Single arm dead swing clean
5. Double arm dead swing clean
6. Single arm hang clean
7. Single arm swing clean
8. Double arm swing clean
9. Dead diagonal squat clean
10. Dead diagonal squat clean
11. Dead staggered squat clean (knee is past the ankle, loading the quads more)
12. Dead lunge clean (knee does not travel past the ankle)
13. Lawnmower clean (quads are fully loaded)

 

I’ve made a video on kettlebell clean variations many years ago, which you can see below, I’m not proud of it, as there is a lot that can be cleaned up (pun intended), years later my technique has improved, even so, comparing the video below to others, I think it provides more help than some of the other videos out there, hence the reason I left it up.

Receiving the kettlebell

You can also change the way you receive the kettlebell, usually this is with everything locked out, but you can also initiate the clean and receive it in squat position; a pull powered by the legs and then coming under the kettlebell with a squat, great for extremely heavy kettlebells; you could also receive it in a split lunge etc.

Next you can start adding alternating reps, and finally you can work with one or two kettlebells. With that said, lets list them all.

1. Single arm assisted clean
2. Single arm squat dead clean
3. Alternating arm squat dead clean
4. Double kettlebell squat dead clean
5. Single arm hip hinge dead clean
6. Alternating arm hip hinge dead clean
7. Double kettlebell hip hinge dead clean
8. Single arm dead swing clean
9. Alternating arm dead swing clean
10. Double kettlebell dead swing clean
11. Double arm one kettlebell dead swing clean
12. Single arm hang clean
13. Alternating arm hang clean
14. Double kettlebell hang clean
15. Single arm swing clean
16. Alternating arm swing clean
17. Double arm one kettlebell swing clean
18. Double kettlebell swing clean
19. Single arm dead diagonal squat clean
20. Single arm dead diagonal hip hinge clean
21. Single arm dead staggered squat clean (knee is past the ankle, loading the quads more)
22. Single arm dead lunge clean (knee does not travel past the ankle)
23. Single arm lawnmower clean (quads are fully loaded)

If I used the way you receive the kettlebell as another variation we could turn this list into 45 kettlebell clean variations, but lets not go there.

HOW TO GET THE BENEFIT OF DEPTH JUMPS WITHOUT JUMPING

 

By Craig Marker, Ph.D. Research Director, SFG II, SFL, SFB

Although the current Russian Track and Field team is in the news for other reasons, the Soviet teams have long been dominant in the Olympics. One reason is the work of sport scientist Yuri Verkhoshansky. He was obsessive about measuring the effects of each new training method he tried. His obsessiveness paid off in creating one of the most successful training protocols—one based around jumping drills.

While jumping drills are not appropriate for all athletes, by understanding the science behind them, we can then take those concepts and find ways to apply them using the kettlebell—and without even needing to leave the ground.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND SOVIET PLYOMETRICS

Verkhoshansky’s depth jumps eventually became known as plyometrics. But modern day “plyometrics” are quite different from his original work. In Verkhoshansky’s depth jump, an athlete drops off a box, lands briefly absorbing the shock, and then immediately jumps as high as possible. The landing period (or amortization phase) is usually less than 0.2 seconds.

Verkhoshansky originally called this method shock training. This type of training primes the neurological system for strength changes and explosiveness. In 1989, Verkhoshansky found that highly trained volleyball players undertaking a depth jump program gained 14% in their maximal strength.

There are three main reasons why depth jumps build explosiveness and strength:

1. Greater Central Nervous System Stimulation: The shock of the depth jump leads to greater muscular excitation. The more frequent the muscle nerve fires, the more strength we have. This strengthens the neural to muscle circuitry.
2. Myotatic Reflex: As the muscle lengthens, the myotatic reflex (also called the Liddell-Sherrington reflex) causes the muscle to contract. The more our muscles contract reflexively or through neural commands, the stronger we are. Andy Bolton utilizes this reflex right before he deadlifts. He performs three hamstring stretches and on the third stretch he begins his lift.
3. Neurogenic Effects: Simply put, neurogenic effects occur when the time between stretching the muscle and the subsequent shortening decreases as the pre-motor cortex anticipates the shock. Over time, the firing rates increase in the myotatic reflex. This means, our reflexes get faster as our body anticipates the shock.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF DEPTH JUMPS IN TRAINING

Depth jumps should never be done for high volume and should only be performed one to two times per week. Fewer than ten repetitions is a good standard as the jumps are taxing on the neurological system. These are a speed-strength tool and not an endurance tool.

Research indicates that dropping from around thirty inches leads to the greatest explosive strength and reactive abilities. Thus, a running back or a soccer player would benefit the most from these heights. Dropping from around 42 inches leads to the greatest maximal strength development. One common training strategy is to start around a person’s maximum vertical jump height.

Dropping from higher heights is not recommended until an athlete can squat at least 1.5 times his or her bodyweight as the shock from the drop can be three to four times the person’s bodyweight. In addition, any time a person is landing and absorbing shock from great heights, he or she must have good body position. I would not recommend them for most athletes unless they have great squat form and strength. There is a safer alternative.

Robert Griffin III’s jumping form at the 2012 NFL Combine. He has a long history of injuries. This is not recommended form.

OVERSPEED ECCENTRIC KETTLEBELL SWINGS

We can activate the same beneficial mechanisms found in the depth jump with Russian kettlebell swings by placing an emphasis on the downward (eccentric) portion of the swing. Instead of absorbing the weight of our own body, as we do in depth jumps, we absorb the shock of the kettlebell when it switches directions. The more we force the kettlebell down, the greater the plyometric effect. In the lab, experienced kettlebell instructors like Pavel Tsatsouline and Brett Jones can make a 24kg kettlebell come back down with the force equivalent to three times their bodyweight.

Movement expert and physical therapist Kelly Starrett categorizes movements according to their demands on the body. “Category 3” movements are when the body changes position, but must quickly return to a stable position. Verkhoshansky’s depth jumps are a good example of this. As the person absorbs the shock of landing, he or she must quickly get into proper position. Category 3 movements are much more demanding than when the body is already in a stable position. Kettlebell swings have the advantage of allowing us to have good foot position and ankle and knee stability before we absorb the shock of the kettlebell switching directions.

I might speculate that much of the “what the heck” effects of kettlebell swings come from when we reverse force. The more force there is to reverse, then the more strength we will gain. Additionally, as we build the reflex system, we build an explosive hair trigger that we can fire very quickly with a lot of force. There are multiple stories of advanced powerlifters adding strength to their deadlifts by doing these types of kettlebell swings.

Kettlebell swing overspeed eccentrics can be accomplished in three ways, which are all demonstrated in the video below:

1. Accentuate the Eccentric: Generally, we let the kettlebell float into position and let gravity take it back down into our next swing. However, we can actively accelerate it downward by throwing it down and between our legs.
2. Partner Assisted Downward Throw: Have a person stand on the side and push down on the kettlebell when it reaches the top.
3. Band Assisted Eccentric: Wrap a band around the kettlebell and stand on the band. Once the kettlebell hits the top of the swing, the band will accelerate the kettlebell back down.

HOW TO ADD OVERSPEED ECCENTRIC SWINGS TO YOUR TRAINING

Similar to the recommendations above for depth jumps, I would not recommend doing overspeed eccentric swings frequently or with higher reps. The neurologic system is taxed much more than in regular swings and will not make gains with high-rep schemes. Ten or fewer reps is a good rule of thumb with at least a few minutes of rest in between sets. Don’t do these more than a few days a week. Brett Jones might call overspeed eccentric swings a “spice” and not the main course.

SUMMARY

The more we do plyometrics, the more our body responds and builds explosive power. This explosive power can help our absolute strength (e.g., deadlift), speed strength (e.g., clean), and pure speed (e.g., sprinting). Basically, we are learning to load our muscles with potential energy for later release. While depth jumps are effective, the overspeed eccentric swing is a safer and more practical alternative.

REFERENCES:
1. COOK, CHRISTIAN J., C. MARTYN BEAVEN, AND LIAM P. KILDUFF. 2013. “THREE WEEKS OF ECCENTRIC TRAINING COMBINED WITH OVERSPEED EXERCISES ENHANCES POWER AND RUNNING SPEED PERFORMANCE GAINS IN TRAINED ATHLETES:” JOURNAL OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING RESEARCH 27 (5): 1280–86. DOI:10.1519/JSC.0B013E3182679278.
2. ISNER-HOROBETI, MARIE-EVE, STÉPHANE PASCAL DUFOUR, PHILIPPE VAUTRAVERS, BERNARD GENY, EMMANUEL COUDEYRE, AND RUDDY RICHARD. “ECCENTRIC EXERCISE TRAINING: MODALITIES, APPLICATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES.” SPORTS MEDICINE (AUCKLAND, N.Z.) 43, NO. 6 (JUNE 2013): 483–512. DOI:10.1007/S40279-013-0052-Y.
3. SANTELLO, M. 2005. “REVIEW OF MOTOR CONTROL MECHANISMS UNDERLYING IMPACT ABSORPTION FROM FALLS.” GAIT & POSTURE 21 (1): 85–94. DOI:10.1016/J.GAITPOST.2004.01.005.
4. TURNER, ANTHONY N, AND IAN JEFFREYS. “THE STRETCH-SHORTENING CYCLE: PROPOSED MECHANISMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCEMENT.” STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING JOURNAL 32, NO. 4 (AUGUST 2010): 87–99. DOI:10.1519/SSC.0B013E3181E928F9.
5. VERKHOSHANSKY, YV., “ARE DEPTH JUMPS USEFUL.” TRACK AND FIELD 1967 12 (9).
6. VERKHOSHANSKY, YURI V., AND V. V. LAZAREV. 1989. “PRINCIPLES OF PLANNING SPEED AND STRENGTH/SPEED ENDURANCE TRAINING IN SPORTS.” STRENGTH & CONDITIONING JOURNAL 11 (2): 58–61.
7. YESSIS, M., “KINESIOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE SOVIET UNION.” JOURNAL OF HEALTH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, RECREATION 1972 43 (1): 93–98.

Craig Marker, Ph.D., COO, SFB, SFGII, CSCS, is a fitness enthusiast who has spent his life trying to help people improve their lives. As a professor, he works with students on how best to understand research and place it into context. He has published over fifty articles, chapters, and textbooks on psychology and research methods. As a researcher, he understands the cutting edge of strength, sports performance, body composition, and nutrition. As a psychologist, he has focused on research and treatment of anxiety disorders, which positions him to understand motivation and the fear of making life changes. 

Craig’s upcoming book, the AntiFragile Self, takes on the topic of building a stronger person in the mental and physical domains. As a certified StrongFirst Kettlebell Instructor, Craig views kettlebells as one tool in the trade of forging a better person. He uses the Functional Movement Screen and multiple corrective movements to make sure his students are performing at their best for the rest of their lives. Visit his intentional community in Atlanta at Armour Building.

Тренировка: программа-минимум с гирей от Павла Цацулина

 

Теги: на все тело, домашние тренировки, гири

Предисловие об авторе программы

Павел Цацулин — мастер спорта СССР, родился 23 августа 1969 в Минске, бывший инструктор по физической подготовке советского спецназа, ныне проживающий в США.

В 1998 году Павел опубликовал свою первую статью «Водка, огуречный рассол, гиревой спорт и другие русские развлечения» в MILO — журнале для интересующихся силовым спортом.

В 2001 году вышла книга Павла «Русский гиревой вызов», а Павел стал ведущим инструктором по гиревому спорту в США. Несколько лет спустя была издана книга «Введение в гиревой фитнес», а немного позже — «Возвращение к гирям!». В США его называют “Королем гирь”.

Павел работал инструктором морской пехоты США, секретной службы США и «морских котиков».

Тренировочная стратегия и построение тренировки

В своей книге Simple & Sinister Павел разбирает всего два движения, которые необходимо освоить начинающему адепту гирь: турецкий подъем и махи. Именно эти два упражнения, по мнению Цацулина, строят сильное и выносливое тело, готовое к увеличению нагрузки и другим упражнениям с гирями.

Давайте немного разберем каждое движение.

Махи

По мере возрастания сложности упражнения Павел выделяет три вида махов:

1. Махи двумя руками.
2. Махи одной рукой с перехватом.
3. Махи одной рукой без перехвата.

Начинающим гиревикам Павел советует начинать с 5 подходов по 10 махов двумя руками и постепенно перейти к 10 подходам по 10 раз одноручных махов (т.е. по 5 раз каждой рукой).

Если все ваши 100 махов укладываются в 5 минут (а такое возможно), переходите к следующему снаряду, большего веса. Можно вторую и третью пару махов делать следующей гирей, а остальные обычной.

Раз в месяц можно попробовать работать без остановки, в идеале — выполнить 100 махов подряд.

Турецкий подъём

Выполняйте 5 пар турецких подъёмов, по одному на каждую руку. Не делайте их один за одним, отдыхайте между подходами.

Если ваши 5 пар турецких подъемов, по времени укладываются в 10 минут — попробуйте взять следующую гирю.

Стандартное занятие с гирей выглядит так:

1. Разминка: кубковые приседания с гирей, ягодичный мостик, гало.
2. Махи гирей
3. Турецкий подъём
4. Растяжка

Техника упражнений

Кубковые приседания:

Гало:

Турецкий подъем:

Объем занятий

Если кроме гиревых тренировок больше активности у вас нет — занимайтесь 5-6 раз в неделю. Цацулин считает что тренировки пропускать нельзя, и если вы устали, или у вас просто нет настроения — занимайтесь с гирями меньшего веса.

Если вы занимаетесь в спортзале помимо гиревых тренировок, или у вас есть другие тренировки, а гири вам нужны как один из способов стать сильнее — тренируйтесь два раза в неделю.

Комментарии к программе

Программа рассчитана в первую очередь на начинающих гиревиков, и людей, стремящихся с помощью гирь улучшить свои физические возможности.

Опытным атлетам лучше использовать более сложные программы тренировок с гирями.

Внимательно следите за техникой выполнения упражнений, уделяйте достаточно времени разминке и растяжке — это очень важно!

FLEXIBILITY EXERCISES FOR KETTLEBELL TRAINING AND KETTLEBELL SPORT

 

By Sergey Rudnev, IKSFA President, Five-Time GS World Champion

Flexibility is one of the five main physical qualities. High level of special flexibility enables freedom, quickness, and economy of movement. Although this article is dedicated to developing flexibility specifically for Girevoy Sport (GS), I believe it will benefit anyone who trains with kettlebells for any reasons.

EXERCISE 1: KETTLEBELL RACK CARRY

This exercise improves hip extension and thoracic flexion; promotes elasticity of the quads, traps, and rhomboids; and teaches you to breathe under load.

Clean one or two kettlebells heavier than the one(s) you jerk in training or competition. Now walk, but do not limit yourself to going forward. Go back and forth, left and right. Lean to the left and then to the right. Do partial squats and shallow lunges. Turn around the vertical axis. Try to lower your elbows all the way to the pelvic ridge.

Do this exercise at the end of your jerk or clean-and-jerk training session. Do one set. Start with one minute and build up to five minutes.

EXERCISE 2: KETTLEBELL OVERHEAD CARRY

This exercise develops special flexibility of the thoracic spine and shoulders and teaches you to breathe correctly while supporting kettlebells overhead.

As with the rack carry, do not limit yourself to walking but make the same additional movements. Use lighter kettlebells, though—lighter than your competition size. Do your best to point your elbows forward and your thumbs back (see the photo at the very beginning of the article).

Do overhead carries after the main part of a jerk or snatch training session. Do one set of 30 to 90 seconds.

EXERCISE 3: ELBOW CIRCLES

Do this for 20-30 seconds to prepare the elbows for special flexibility exercises.

EXERCISE 4: ELBOW EXTENSION

20-40 seconds per arm.

EXERCISE 5: ELBOW EXTENSION

20-40 seconds per arm. Use gym equipment or furniture as a prop.

 

EXERCISE 6: SHOULDER CIRCLES

Do this for 20-30 seconds, keeping your arms straight to prepare the shoulders for special flexibility exercises.

EXERCISES 7 AND 8: REACH BACK

Do each exercise for 20-30 seconds per arm to improve your shoulder flexion and extension.

EXERCISE 9: REGRESSION OF EXERCISE 8

Use a belt or a stick if you cannot interlock your fingers behind your back.

EXERCISE 10: PUSHDOWN

Perform for 40-60 seconds for the shoulders and the thoracic spine. Use gym equipment or furniture.

EXERCISE 11: EXTENSION WITH A PARTNER

Do 2-4 sets of 10-20 seconds each, with 5-10 seconds of rest between sets.

EXERCISE 12: EXTENSION WITH A PARTNER

Perform from 30 seconds to infinity—as long as your grip holds. Use gymnastic rings or a pull-up bar.

EXERCISE 13: EXTERNAL SHOULDER ROTATION

Do for 20-40 seconds per arm.

EXERCISE 14: EXTERNAL SHOULDER ROTATION

Do for 20-40 seconds per arm. Do not flex the elbow of the stretched arm more than ninety degrees.

EXERCISE 15: HIP EXTENSION FROM SEIZA

Sit on your heels and perform 20-40 reps, maximally extending your hips and back. This exercise will prepare you for more intense hip and spine extension stretches.

EXERCISE 16: HIP FLEXOR AND KNEE EXTENSOR STRETCH

Push your pelvis forward as much as you can and bring your heel as close to your glute as possible. Perform for 60-90 seconds per side.

To make the stretch easier, use a belt. To make it harder, elevate the knee of the stretched leg above the foot of the support leg.

EXERCISE 17: LAY BACK

This exercise improves hip extension and stretches the quads. Do 2-4 sets of 15-20 seconds each, resting for 5-10 seconds between sets. Use a belt if necessary.

EXERCISE 18: HIP AND QUAD STRETCH

Perform for 60-90 seconds per side. Very carefully lie back and make sure your knees are ready for this stretch. The propped-up version is easier.

EXERCISE 19: HIP AND QUAD STRETCH

A more challenging bilateral version of the last stretch. The same instructions apply.

EXERCISE 20: SPINE EXTENSION

Do for 1-3 minutes to improve your spine extension.

EXERCISE 21: THORACIC FLEXION

Do for 1-5 minutes.

EXERCISE 22: RHOMBOID AND LOWER TRAP STRETCH

Interlock your hands and relax for 1-3 minutes. Focus the stretch on the mid and upper back, not the lower back. This one is not for the flexion intolerant.

EXERCISE 23: BRIDGE

Do 2-4 sets of 10-30 seconds each, with 5-10 second rest intervals between them. This is a full body extension exercise.

EXERCISE 24: HANGING BRIDGE

Another stretch for upper back extension and shoulder flexion. Do for 30-90 seconds.

ADVICE ON IMPLEMENTING THESE STRETCHES

In summary, exercises number one and two are the top two special stretches for a girevik. However, they compress the spine, which is why the rest of the exercises are unloaded.

If you need to improve your flexibility, perform the complex of exercises selected from three through 24 in each training session during the general warm-up and in the very end after cardio. Here are two sample complexes of stretches:

If you have no problems with flexibility it is enough to perform a stretch complex once or twice a week.

The above exercises will improve your performance in kettlebell lifting and reduce the odds of injury in training, competition, and everyday life. Moreover, once you get into the habit of performing them, you will start enjoying them.