Brooks/Cheatham Workshop DVD- First Cut

After sitting down to review our first run from the workshop, I'm very impressed. Lauren and I have managed to pack years of knowledge and experience into another great product!

There are several unique components to this project, aside from the fact that you're getting invaluable information from two of the top kettlebell coaches!

Everyone from the beginner to the experienced can learn something from this product because we cover everything from the ground up and we each bring our personal practice as well as client-centered business experience to every topic....those topics being:
The Hardstyle Swing
Lunge-Style Get-up
Clean
Press
Front Squat
Snatch
One-Leg Press
One-Leg Deadlift
Bottoms-up Clean & Press
Windmill
Double Windmill
Overhead Squat
Overhead Squat-style Get-up
Renegade Rows
Double Snatches
Pistols

and segments such as:
Kettlebell training safety during pregnancy
Increasing Snatch power
What is Z-Health?
Demystifying Proprioceptive Enhancement
Precise Joint Mobility Stay tuned for this TWO-DISC DVD release!

A sneak peek into my book

Introduction
Being unfamiliar or not properly and professionally trained with kettlebells, there is a need for a lot of “undoing” of previous ingrained movement and workout expectations. This transition includes everyone from the arthritic elderly to the military elite.

The primary goal in working with any program is, and should be, safety. This includes reducing chance of injury by re-wiring unhealthy, painful, inefficient movement and thereby successfully prolonging training periods. To do this, we must start at square one. When a child learns to walk, they do so in a fairly effective and efficient manner. They have no previous experience or memory of fearful mobilization. However, with a lifetime of inefficient or presumed quality movements, injury, strong survival instinct, and innumerable repetitions, the body quickly creates compensations to find the path of least resistance around pain and fearful experiences.

This manual will explain how to correct deep-seated compensations using simple, attainable, and easily understandable drills. The outlined supplemental drills are not only applicable to working with kettlebells but also to efficient athletic movement in all sports and ways of life, especially military and law enforcement.

I. Kettlebell Basics
Basics are best and masters are such because they have perfected and respect the basics. By studying a supreme athlete with a career spanning more than a decade, and reverse engineering his movement, joint by joint, we can easily see he has mastered and fundamentally applied the basics. This concept should not be overlooked in kettlebell training.

Of the ever expanding list of kettlebell exercises, the swing remains king. Although the swing looks simple, appearances are not what they seem. In fact, the fundamentals of the swing are underestimated and overlooked. Those that underestimate the swing are the same that lack superior results in nearly all other weight lifting and lifestyle movements. The most powerful component of the swing that is so commonly deficient could make your squat more powerful or even possible. The same element could eliminate pain in the low back, hips, knees, and ankles. Done optimally with intention, the swing will increase power and reduce pain across the entire body.

A. Swing
To the untrained eye or misinformed kettlebeller the swing appears to be a quad-dominant, squatting-type of movement, or the bell appears to be pulled up by the arms. Both assumptions could not be further from the primary biomechanics or purpose of the swing. Hips dominate movement in graceful athletes of any sport. Done properly and with proper intent, the swing is the unparalleled drill to tap into efficient hip-driven, athletic mobility.

Extensive "How To" and "Swing Variations," (such as one-arm swing, alternating hands swing, alternating feet swing) with accompanying pictures can be seen in my book.

B. Clean
Technique of the clean can be difficult to learn. The hike and hip snap portions of the clean are the same as in the swing. Finding the right amount of hip snap to launch the bell into the rack, or ‘v’ that the upper and lower arm make, takes some finessing however. Do not over power the swing or you will launch the bell with enough energy to bruise your forearm. Do not under power the swing either, or you will not have enough energy to transfer the bell to the rack. To bring the bell into the racked position, the upper arm must remain glued to the ribs.

"How To" & "Clean Variations" with accompanying pictures are available in my book.

C. Press
The press can be thought of as a squat for the upper body, strengthening the musculature and connective tissue in the arms and shoulders as the squat does for the legs and hips.

Pressing to lockout (when shoulders and elbows align) should not be discounted or underestimated. Modern western training believes lockout is “bad for the joints,” but this could not be father from the truth! When you fall down, you instinctively reach for the ground to stop and brace yourself. When you reactively do this, your shoulder and elbow joints will lockout. If you have not trained for lockout, especially under load, you will unavoidably cause great damage to the wrist, elbow, shoulder and rotator cuff because you have never before allowed your body to perform in a locked-out manner. Practicing to lockout intentionally and under control will create connective tissue strength and will prepare your brain and body successfully for a surprise lockout event.

Press "How To" and variations with accompanying pictures can be found in my book.

D. One-Leg Deadlift (“stiff leg”)
The deadlift is by far my favorite drill- kettlebell or barbell, one leg or two. It is ingrained into our genetic make-up. So to spite what mainstream would have you think, the deadlift should be in everyone’s training arsenal.

The best deadlift example to watch is any toddler. Children have not learned poor form. They execute a pristine deadlift of relatively exponential weight without any coaching. Their alignment is spot on from their feet to their knees up through their spine and out through the crown of their head. They hold the weight close to their body and mobilize their hips flawlessly to pull the weight from the floor.

Deadlift "How To" & Variations, along with more pictures, are available in my book.

Also find information, step-by-step "How To" & "Variations," as well as MORE accompanying pictures on:
Front Squats
Lunge-Style Get-ups
Overhead Squat-Style Get-ups
No-Hands Lunge-Style Get-up
No-Hands Overhead Squat-Style Get-up
Additional Notes on all the drills listed here & above
Common Errors & Quick Fixes for rounded backs during swings, quad-dominant swinging, hyper-extending the neck, excessive external rotation of the feet, knees & hips, raising the bell with the arms during swings, clean wrist banging, cleaning too high, disconnecting the shoulder during presses, locking out in front of the body on presses, losing balance during one-leg deadlifts, hyper-extending the wrist in get-ups, raising the leg during the initiation of the get-up, "falling through" on the get-down,
Supplemental Drills to Optimize these Basics such as the knee-to-armpit drill for stronger hip loading, hip extension bridge for stronger hip explosion, face-the-wall squat to understand squatting alignment, two-hand clean, bell carries, bone rhythms,

Simple Additional Drills such as:
Crush Curl
Crush Row
Hot Potato
Halo

Get the details & a deeper understanding of your kettlebell training by ordering my Book via PayPal at right, or Get it NOW by ordering the fully in-color E-Book version!

Back to Bragg

The weekend of the 21st I flew out to San Diego for a collaborative workshop with Lauren Brooks, that was filmed. Lucky me, my brother-in-law and his family live in the area as well. So I was able to see them a few days and my sister-in-law joined me at the workshop that Sunday.

Unlucky me decided Pizza Hut Pepperoni Pizza would be a good idea for dinner the Friday prior and paid for it BIG TIME. As I was vomiting my guts up between 4am & 2pm, I could hear Mike's voice in my head: "Babe, you know you can't eat food like that. What were you thinking?" It's true, my guts just aren't cut out for lotsa grease and sub-par food anymore. Needless to say I will NOT be eating Pizza Hut for some time... I got food poisoning from Subway when I was 8 and didn't eat there again until I was 23.

I managed to make it through the workshop/dvd filming on three saltines and half-a glass of water. I couldn't have asked for a better turn-out of high caliber folks. Everyone had previous kettlebell experience and all were chomping at the bit to learn more in every aspect from picking up cues & tools to take back to their clients, to applying new moves & concepts to their own training. It was an outstanding group of people to say the least. Everyone was so kind and willing to learn and share.

Here's some of their feedback:

"I heard that these trainers were the best in the field. I was so happy that everyone was correct. I hope to be as effective with my clients"
"Great job ladies"
" Thank you Lauren & Sara! You guys were awesome"
" You two worked really well together, well planned"

What did you like most about this workshop?
"Casual Experience and open to questions."
" Learning intermediate technique that I haven't been exposed to before"
"Hardcore, safe, effective workouts w/ step by step instruction"
" Personal "
" Great pace/tempo of instruction, great instructors"
" Presenters had great energy and command of material. Great introduction to KB movements"
" I like the fact that they mixed the physical with the conceptual foundation"

What did you like least about this workshop?
"Too short! Lots of information."
" How out of shape I feel"
"N/A it was very thorough"
" It was all valuable"

What was the most valuable information provided?
"Progression for heavy snatches, integration of joint mobility"
" Increasing Snatch power"
" Motivational part from Sara really resonated"
" Cues for exercises"
" It was all valuable"
" Proper form, technique and the theoretical purpose involved in training the mind"

What 3 words best describe this workshop?
"Informative, creative, fun"
" Interactive, well-paced, educational"
"Got me motivated"
"Fun, Functional, Fierce"
" A Great Time"
" Fun, Efficient, Introductory"
" Fun, Informative, Practical"

I have to thank Carolyn at Phyzyks for graciously letting us use her very cool gym in Cardiff for the event, thank you Carolyn! Della from Buggy Bells helped assist as well and did such a great job. thank you Della! (Check out http://www.phyzyks.com/ & http://mykettlebellgroup.blogspot.com/ for more info on both ladies!)

After the workshop it was back to family time with my brother-in-law's family. Little Blaine got a haircut and then we strolled around Coronado on a beautiful Monday afternoon.

I tagged family time in Oklahoma onto the other end of the workshop as well. About 20 family members came out for a huge home made meal, including my dad & youngest nephew, Lyriq pictured below. That weekend was also Lyriq's third birthday. He's quite the talker & happy little kid. I don't know much about three-year-olds, but when he whipped out "pterodactyl" and "accident" in complete sentances, I was pretty impressed :)

So now it's back to the day-to-day livin' on Fort Bragg. I had my tough group of Saturday morning ladies turn out this morning for a sweaty workout in the training room. With one of us 2 months pregnant, another 6+ months, and another nearing 8 months, you'd think it was a prenatal kettlebell class! (For the workout we did, check my other blog http://redstarathletics.blogspot.com/) I also included kettlebell training tips during pregnancy on the workshop dvd done with Lauren. So if you want to know more, you'll have to stay tuned for when it gets out of editing (projected for June).

Up next for me is getting some Red Star women's tanks made, men's black t's, and even adding kids t-shirts to the RSA line. Look for those to be available by the middle/end of April. You'll be able to purchase them through the paypal drop-box at right with my other products. I am also slated to represent Z-Health at a convention in Chicago at the end of April!