valstrengthtraining

Time is precious and wouldn’t it be great if we can have just one exercise the whole body? It will save us a lot of time. Is there such a thing? Yes, there is not just one but many individual exercises that alone would work your whole body. One of them is called the Turkish get up or it can be shortened to TGU. The TGU is quite challenging because it is a complex exercise and it requires a lot of effort and concentration. It’s name suggest that was popularized or originated in Turkey and may have been used by the ancient Ottoman army and also their wrestlers.

During the 80’s there was a dance move named the Chinese get up copied from martial arts. It was called such because probably the martial artists who do it are of asian origin and are most probably Chinese. Anyway, the Chinese get up and the Turkish get up exercises are called get ups because that is what you do, you get up from the ground. Their difference is that the Chinese get up is explosive in nature. Kind of an acrobatic move. While the Turkish get up is more deliberate. It has slower movement because you are supposed to get up from the ground with a heavy weight being held overhead by one arm and go back down to the ground with the heavy weight still held over head. Similar exercises, different nature.

The TGU is not exclusive for the kettlebell. In fact, barbells, dumbells, even people, are being used in this exercise. Another good point about the TGU is you learn how to go down to the ground safely. Getting up from the ground and getting down to the ground is one rep. Of course you can stop once you are able to stand up straight but better practice going down to the ground with the weight too.

It would be best to keep practicing an exercise but also add some variety once in a while. Bodyweight exercises are very good and helps in body awareness. Here is a good reference for bodyweight training.

The video shows two views. It is just one of the many variations. Some would not have the T-shaped side plank position, or the one arm push press after the standing position. As you can see, it really is an exercise for the whole body. All the major joints- the ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, and wrists, are being used.

How to do Kettlebell TGU:

Watch the video and memorize the movements by practicing first without any weight. After you memorized the movements, start with a light weight that you can easily control with just one arm. Start with your non-dominant side first- that is if you are left handed, start with the left arm holding the kettlebell. After one complete rep, practice it with the dominant side. Once you are quite confident of the whole movement, you can gradually use heavier loads. There are some parts where in you have to hold your breath for one or two seconds especially if the load is heavy. But you do not need to hold your breath for a long time. It happens when you need to stabilize your body or the load.

Focus

In order to have more control of the load you are holding, focus on it. That means if you are holding the kettlebell, look at the bottom part or somewhere near your wrist. This helps you catch the kettlebell with your free hand just in case you lose control.

Keep the elbow of your lifting arm locked straight. The wrist should almost be straight too if you are holding a kettlebell since it allows it. But if you are holding a dumbell, hold it like you would a dumbell. The lifting shoulder naturally moves to keep the lifting arm perpendicular to the ground at all times.

Since one arm is overhead all the time, and the neck extended because you are looking at the load, your torso is in a good position- that is not slouching. Maintain this. Your torso musculature- that is the muscles of your abdomen and back, should naturally contract as needed. But some guys may have to consciously do it, or just need to tense it more. So as a precaution, always keep your abdominal muscles tight.

Practice to get better

Now, the best way to get better at something is to do it. Watch the video as many times as you need. Then try it without load. Then watch the video again. And repeat. Keep practicing and you will get better.

After some time, you would be able to handle heavier loads. Your strength would have also increased by then. That is one exercise for the whole body.

For other exercises, you can also try the Animal Flow Workout. It is a great compliment to any type of training.

For fighters and martial artists, Animal Flow for Fighters would be a great complement to training too!

Your comments and suggestions are very much appreciated. Leave them below! Thanks!

One of the great advantages of kettlebell work out is that it is a very efficient way to improve your fitness level. You get to develop strength, endurance, mobility, some degree of flexibility (if you are not flexible enough to begin with), cardiorespiratory endurance, and even some amount of power. But instead of thinking of it as a work out, think of it as training.

Other qualities which can be influenced by kettlebell training

Think of it as training. Why? Because you also learn new skills, develop better habits, develop persistence, patience, and confidence. Unlike the fitness components mentioned earlier, these qualities are hard to measure. But these traits are what is necessary to improve in any skill. Kettlebell training is not just a work out. If done consistently, it molds you into a better you. The end result that many people aim for is improvement of fitness levels, feeling better, better health, looking great, and having more confidence.

Small, deliberate, and consistent actions is the secret

It takes small, regular, deliberate steps to get there. And training with kettlebells is one way. It requires not just a single training session, but multiple sessions to learn the lifting techniques. When your technique has improved, your fitness level surely would have improved too! So do not think of it as just a work out. Think of it also as training, since it builds upon the previous training sessions.

Hitting many birds with one stone!

In training, you are working on not just one, but at least 3 to 4 or even more areas at the same time. You need to focus on your breathing, proper body mechanics, timing, stance, joint alignment, fixation, and so on.  Each of these areas would improve at a different rate after a training session. It takes quite a few sessions before an observable positive change can be observed. 

The accompanying video is a sample of a quick session which is a culmination of a lot of training sessions in order to be put together. Once you have the necessary skills to do the lifts, it can be a training session on its own. It is a combination of many lifts performed one after the other with the exercises are arranged in a series of flow. It starts when the kettlebell leaves the ground and finishes once the kettlebell rests on the ground. 

It is for those who have already trained for a few times already and can do cleans and overhead presses safely. Shoulder strength, control and stability should be good. If you have shoulder instability, remove the windmill exercise.

These are the exercises and their volume for this particular training session:

1. Arm to arm swing x 10 reps
2. One arm swing x 10/10 (10 left & 10 right)
3. Clean x 10/10
4. Clean and press x 5/5 (although I had a miscount so my actual reps is ⅘  :D)
5. Alternating clean and lunge x 8
6. Alternating clean and one arm split press x 8
7. Alternating clean to windmill x 6
8. Front squat x 10

Some movements are short and quick while some are longer and more complex. Notice that the breathing is rhythmic and it goes with the movement. The weight of the kettlebell should be appropriate for your strength and skill level. Do not use a very heavy weight if you are still learning some of the moves. Take note that the windmill requires a lot of concentration and shoulder stability! Ladies may use 6 to 8 kg. Sexier ladies (stronger ones) definitely can use heavier bells. Gentlemen, due to the anatomic advantage of higher muscle mass on the chest and shoulder area, generally can start somewhere between 10 to 14kg. Of course, there are those who can definitely handle a lot more weight safely.

The training time is around 6 minutes for this particular combination. The time is just one factor which you may control aside from the weight of the kettlebell. Other factors are the repetitions of each exercise, the number of exercises, the complexity of  the exercises… so many things! The bottom line is that approach training as an investment. Each kettlebell workout should be a training session. It is like a platform that will develop something- be it strength, or skill, or any of the many components of fitness.

The kettlebell is just one tool. It is great to compliment it with other types of training like bodyweight training like the Animal Flow!

If you like this video, make a comment! Share to your friends and see who can do it better among your group!

Competition Grade Kettlebells

Are you looking for ways to be fit? Do you want to trim off that extra bulge from your tummy? Do you want to improve your cardiovascular health? Become stronger and move better? Feel younger? The great news is there is a way for you to reach these goals. In fact, there are many ways. But let’s focus on one way at a time and this topic focuses on kettlebell training for beginners.

Engaging in a regular physical activity has a lot of benefits like those mentioned above. The advantage of training with kettlebells is that it improves almost all of your fitness components. It makes your heart, muscles, joints, and even your mind stronger. Some activities specialize in making your heart stronger but won’t necessarily make your muscles stronger. Kettlebell training can do both and more! It gives you the benefit of more than one type of physical activity.

You can also include Animal Flow into your training!

Since there is a first time for everything, this topic is called kettlebell training for beginners. Let’s go to some common questions for someone who is new to kettlebell training:

What is a kettlebell?

Cast Iron Kettlebells

It is a type of free weight – a type of equipment used in training for fitness. There are basically two types of kettlebells – the classic cast iron type and the competition grade. Both types are great for beginners. But if you plan to try kettlebell sport someday, the competition grade is better. And yes, there is actually a Kettlebell Sport!

How heavy should I be lifting?

In Strength training, we follow the principle of progressive overload. This means that you start with a light to moderate load (weight) with low to moderate volume (how many sets and repetitions). Then you increase volume as you get better in your technique. You increase the load as your strength improves.

Another design of cast iron kettlebell

For most ladies, 6 to 8 kg is fine to begin with. 12 to 14 kg would be ok for men. 16 kg would be good for bigger and stronger guys.

What exercise can I do with kettlebells?

There are literally thousands of exercises that you can do with the kettlebell. You do not need to know all of them but here are four exercises which you can do as a beginner. But note that even seasoned kettlebell lifters do these exercises! They are quite important and are very useful in training your gluteals (the big muscles which make up your butt), hamstrings, quadriceps, deltoids, almost all if not all your “core” muscles (layers of muscles around your torso), shoulder girdle, forearms, and arms. Here are four great exercises to begin with:

1. Arm to arm swing– start with the kettlebell around a foot in front of you. Feet around hip or shoulder width apart. Keep your back in a strong erect position. Grab the handle and pull the bell towards you letting it pass between your legs. As the kettlebell reaches the farthest point in its backswing and is about to change direction of swing, push the forearm of your holding hand with your hip as you exhale forcefully. This will propel the kettlebell straight out in front of you. Let your free arm swing forward and as the kettlebell reaches the highest point (it should be around chest level), switch grip with the other hand. The kettlebell will swing back again and you just repeat the cycle.

2.Two arm swing– very similar to the arm to arm swing except that you grab the handle with both hands. There is obviously no switching between arms.

3. One arm press– rack the kettlebell on one arm. Keep your abdominal tight as you press (push) the kettlebell straight up. Your elbows should be straight and your biceps close to your ear. Hold your arms in a steady position before you lower it to the rack position under control. Breath in the rack position and start another repetition.

4.One arm clean and push press/ 1 arm long cycle– start with a swing using 1 arm but pull the kettlebell toba rack position. From there proceed to pressing the kettlebell overhead. Lower it again to the rack position before letting it drop to a one arm swing. Repeat the cycle with the same arm.

You may need more time to work on this. It can be challenging, but hey!, its not fun if it is too easy. There would be no stimulus for growth without challenge!

Important tips when executing the movements in each exercise:

• Avoid slouching: do not hunch your back. Keep your chest “open” or “hold it high”.
• Keep your abdominal muscles tensed. It helps in keeping your back in a good position.
• Breath. Do not hold your breath but exhale forcefully as you swing or push or pull the kettlebell.

Can I learn the exercises in one training session?

It takes more than one session to learn and each person has a different rate of learning. Some can quickly learn the more efficient techniques in a few sessions. Some longer. Working with a qualified and experienced kettlebell teacher or coach greatly accelerates the learning process. Remember that there are variations in techniques but it is the most efficient one for your body type that is best for you. It takes lots and lots of training sessions to improve. And that is the beauty of training with kettlebells. It challenges you to become better.

How will I train?

Here is a suggested routine. Try it for 2 weeks. At first you may be sore. That is a normal reaction. To minimize this, do a good warm-up and cool down. Do some stretches and drink a lot of water. It is also very important to have enough sleep.

Remember that to be able to feel and see fitness improvements, you have to train regularly consistently. The results will come as long as you put enough effort. If you train properly 3 times a week, you may feel some improvement in as short as two weeks.

Share to your friends now! Your comments, questions and feedback are highly appreciated. Please leave them on the comments section below!