Final Form Barbell

Let's talk kettlebell trajectories for the swing, sn**ch, and clean. If you're struggling with any of those movements then check this out and hopefully it helps!

Swing - arm fully releases. This is the exercise where the bell will be furthest from the body. Don't have your arm mega stiff with a death grip tho. Learn to keep it relaxed.

Sn**ch - this requires a slight pull after engaging hip extension so the KB comes in a bit tighter than the swing. This is important as if you use a swing trajectory for a sn**ch it makes it that much harder to bring it to a full stop when it's overhead. That can make the shoulder not too happy over time. Also chances are strong that the bell will flop and bang your wrist. If you keep the kb too tight to your body not only will the bell awkwardly flop at full extension but the movement itself becomes more difficult. Sure you can do a power sn**ch but why do that when you can do the same thing cleaner with a DB.

Clean - arm does not release from the body. KB stays tight similar to a barbell clean. Drive your elbow back, catch the bell low, and punch it up to the rack position. If your arm releases from your body then the bell will 100% come in hot and again uncomfortably bang your wrist. When done correctly the KB will just sit on your wrist when coming into the rack as opposed to flopping.

Hope this helps some of y'all level up your sweet kettleskills and feel less noobish when wielding these weird iron balls with handles on em.

Coach

Another example of how just a little bit of coaching goes a long way. My man is new to the bench press. You can see the difference from where he started compared to a couple bench sessions later. He has better control of the bar, maintains extension in his rib cage, breathing is better, and bar path is much improved. He looks much more confident overall. We still have things to work on but I'm looking forward to seeing how his bench progresses over the next couple months.

Good job CP!

FFB athlete taking 445 (90%) for 8 clustered. Little over 10 weeks out 💪.

Coach
Gym
Hypebeast

Hip circles/hip bands are still all the rage. To me it has limited uses, but for those uses I feel it does its job very well. One of the most popular exercises done with the hip band is the monster walk/banded lateral step. This video covers how to get the most from this particular exercise. If you're one of the many who deal with hip discomfort while doing these then the simple adjustments shown in this vid should help. If that doesn't help then just don't do them. Seriously. There's plenty other ways to accomplish the same goal with less discomfort. 👊

Theresa's last heavy squat of this cycle before competing (from last week). She ended up PRing @ 245lbs.

She and 3 others will be lifting this weekend @ the North Texas Spring Open down in Midlothian. They have prepared for this meet for a LONG time. It's finally here.

Coach

Online training client Michael making big improvements on his squat. From 295 for a tough double back in March to 290x5 the other day.

Depth has been an issue for him for a few reasons; most notability he has the most frozen pelvis I've ever encountered. Training sessions left him with low back and hip flexor discomfort (pinching and tension). I exhausted my abilities trying to get him mobilized and improve his quality of life. So I did what any good trainer would do: I referred him to an expert. In this case it was Johnny as he has successfully treated a number of clients (including myself). Michael attacked his physical therapy and now he's pain free. Matter of fact Johnny got Michael's low back to relax almost immediately. I tried for weeks on end 😂.

This is an important lesson for trainers: we don't know everything, no matter how good you think you are, and it's okay to seek help from subject matter experts. Too often we let our ego get in the way here. It's also okay to say "I don't know." You're doing a disservice to your client otherwise.

Coach

making good progress with her power cleans. She also benched 91% x8 (clustered) the other day which is super impressive. I just figured I'd share something different. 💪

Coach

David came in the other day asking when he could test his 1rm. He isn't peaked, but due to COVID its been quite awhile since he's messed with anything near maximal. I could tell he really wanted it and was feeling it that day. So I said yes and adjusted his back offs. He ended up setting a new deadlift PR @ 405lbs. That's a 20lb jump and he's only been working in the low 300s lately.

David also squatted 290x10 last week. Same time last year he 1/4 squatted 275 for a 1rm. 💪 Looking forward to seeing where he's at when he's peaked.

Online training, personal training, phone consultations, mobile training all available.

Coach
Gym

Here is a before and after of my man doing kettlebell swings. He came to me for an overall technique tune-up so we didn't spend too much time on this, but you can see the difference just a few cues make.

The kb swing gets butchered in a number of ways: squat swing, using your upper body and not hips, kb dropping down to the knees, lack of balance, lack of bracing, etc. Most common is the squat swing and using your upper body.

Here are some helpful cues:
* Hips back, not knees forward.
* Arms are merely guiding the path of the KB.
* This is an aggressive hip extension exercise. Emphasis on aggressive.
* Snap hips forward, shoot knees back, and stand tall.
* Keep the bell high between your legs. Literally aim for your crotch on the downward swing. At or below your knees is the danger zone.
* Find a point of focus somewhere on the ground in front of you as you hinge.
* Create power then control it. Brace fully at the top of the swing with arms relaxed.