A couple of weeks back, I posted that Smitty and I had been named to the board of advisors with the RKC and Dragondoor. I also posted a link to an article I had written for Dragondoor that had recently been posted, called Testing Radiant Tension Variations for Increased Performance in the Kettlebell Press

I had actually included a video to go along with that article, but for whatever reason it got missed and did not make it into the article, so I am posting it here, now.

Aside from that, I can tell you for a fact that Tension, when applied properly, does help you perform better in lifts. You can’t go overboard with it, of course, and you have to understand how to turn it on and off as needed. This all comes with experience, as you practice.

Have a great week.

Jedd

• Rolling Frying Pans and Managing Radiant Tension
• RKC Board of Advisors
• Why You Should Train Your Grip
• The Most Impressive Feat of Strength
• Full Body Tension Training

I’ve got some pretty cool news to share with you today…

Smitty and I were recently named to a newly formed Board of Advisors within the RKC. I’m not exactly sure what all we will be called upon to do, as I don’t think there is a set agenda. However, I may call on you all in the Diesel Universe from time to time to get your opinion on some things.

Here is an excerpt from the April Dragondoor Newsletter in which the Board of Advisors was announced:

“To make RKC even better we have formed the RKC Board of Advisors. A small number of accomplished RKCs from a variety of backgrounds, each with his or her own special talents, education, and experience will serve on the board for two years. Welcome to our board:”
Missy Beaver | Carolyn Brumfield | Kristann Heinz, MD | Jedd Johnson
Mike Krivka | Sarah Lurie | Chip Morton | Gary Music
Courtney Neupert, DPT | Andrey Patenko | Tracy Reifkin | Mike Robertson
Jim Smith | Cole Summers | Jason Therrien | Jimmy Yuan, DC

This is very exiting, and I wish to express my sincere appreciation to everyone at Dragondoor for my selection to this group. I look forward to assisting and contributing however I can.

In addition to being mentioned on this board, one of my articles was also featured in this issue: Testing Radiant Tension Variations for Increased Performance in the Kettlebell Press.

This ability to manage tension is something I told my guys at The Grip Authority about a few months back, because I felt that it could also be of good use for applying it to Gripper Closes and other one-handed means of grip strength training.

Chin Strap Beard – CHECK

Look for more posts on Kettlebell Training down the line. I have some other stuff I have been kicking around in my head for future article ideas. It’s about time to get them onto “paper” so that they aren’t taking up so much space in my cluttered mind.

As always, if you have any questions on kettlebell training methods, leave a comment below and I will try to address them either in a video on my YouTube Channel, or an article here at my strength training site.

Again, as much as I love Grip Training, that ain’t all I love. I want to bring you all the information you want to know about, but in order to that, you have to tell me…so PLEASE DO!!!

Until then, all the best in your training.

Jedd

P.S. Have you check out our Advanced Kettlebell Training eBooks? If not, see below…

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• Increasing the Kettlebell Press
• Grip Training Using Kettlebells
• Grip Strength Challenge – One Hand / Arm Deadlift
• Dynamic Pinch Grip Training
• Building Freaky Forearms – Method Number 73

The Goblet Squat is an outstanding alternative to the Back Squat that you can use from time to time in your training in order to mix things up and enjoy a bit of variety. It is most often performed with a dumbbell or kettlebell, but odd objects can be used as well.

The Goblet Squat was invented by the world-renowned speaker, author, accomplished athlete, and all-around strong dude, Dan John.

Dan John Loading up for a Monster Discuss Toss

How to Perform the Goblet Squat

The Grip

If you are using a kettlebell for the resistance, take a grip by holding the horns of the handle. The bell will point down to the floor.

For an additional challenge, a grip can be taken in such a manner that you must compress in either on the dumbbell head or the body of the kettlebell. Doing so in this manner allows you to elevate the recruitment of the upper body musculature without having to sacrifice the benefits you get from the movement. For more info on this, check out this old post on Upper Body Crush Lifts once you are done with the rest of this article.

Depending on your limb length and chest size, the dumbbell or kettlebell may come in contact with the chest. If you are a beginner at the Goblet Squat, or if you are going for higher repetitions, you can maximize your leverage, by keeping the bell close. To increase the challenge, you can let it drift away, but if you do this make sure you stay tight and don’t let it pull you forward. This is an advanced technique, so BE CAREFUL.

Foot Positioning

Position the feet around shoulder-width. The toes should point forward and slightly out.

(My right foot externally rotate a bit more than my left. This is not just when I perform Goblet Squats, but also when I walk. Try to keep yours even if you can)

The Movement

Once you are set up it is time to squat. The first movement – and this where a lot of people make a mistake – should be ass back, not ass down. In other words, in order to start your decent, push your butt backwards and then start moving down.

Throughout this movement, the chest should stay proud. If your chest drops, it will change the leverage of the lift and you run the risk of dumping the weight as well as causing injury to yourself.

Continue until the full comfortable range of motion is attained. Your goal should be to reach the position where the elbows touch the inner quad muscle. I am slightly above that in the above picture, mainly because of where I was holding the kettlebell. Holding it up high is more comfortable for me. If I hold it a bit lower, my elbows touch my quads.

Killer Goblet Squats

Now that we have covered all that, I want to show you a goal I am working on right now. These are without a doubt the toughest Goblet Squats I have ever tried – Holding the Inch Dumbbell.

Before you give me a rash of Shit about my form, I know that I was stopping a bit high with these. The reason is because I was pretty seriously fatigued already before trying this. I had already done Front Squats with a Bar, and Goblet Squats with the 95-lb kettlebell, so my quads were burning up and my glutes were blasted, so my bottom position was pretty fatigued.

I wasn’t planning on doing Goblet Squats with the Inch Dumbbell at all. In fact, what happened was I had blown up my quads and glutes with the 95-lb Goblets and I tried to lift the Inch and couldn’t because of my finger injuries and I got pissed, so I went for it.

On the first try, I was able to lower down into the hole but couldn’t come out and dropped the Inch to the floor. On the second try, I got one rep. So for the third rep I challenged myself to get ten reps.

Here’s the video:

More updates on this will be coming. I WILL get this for ten reps with better form!

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Similar Posts:

• Most Popular Videos of 2011 – Part 2
• Evolving the Kettlebell Snatch
• Making Hard Feats Look Easy – The Inch Dumbbell
• Bi-Polar Training: Inch Dumbbell Plus Kettlebell Flip
• Cossack Squats with 60lbs of Chains

This week’s Grip Strength Challenge is the Kettlebell Bottoms Up Press.

This is so named because the kettlebell is inverted and balanced by gripping the handle throughout the pressing range of motion.

The Kettlebell BUP is a great way to test and train for Crushing Grip Strength while also training the pressing motion and building the shoulders, triceps, and traps.

In addition, this movement is considered Grip Integration, meaning it tests the strength and coordination over multiple joints, while the Grip remains a primary limiting factor in the movement.

To see how the lift is performed, check out this video:

(The entry deadline has been extended until Midnight on SATURDAY April 16, 2011)

Following are the specific rules for this week’s challenge:

1. You must clearly show the weight of the kettlebell used in the video.

2. The range of motion for the lift is from the bottom position where the hand is at the level of the shoulder to the point where the arm is fully extended in the press. The hand must return to the position near the shoulder in order to be counted as one full rep. Partial reps will not be counted.

3. Reps are counted from the beginning of the first press, until time runs out. I will keep track of time with a stop watch.

4. Switching hands is allowed, provided the full range of motion is attained with each hand. Setting the bell down is allowed.

Below are the rules and the process for submitting a video for the Weekly Diesel Grip Challenge:

1. Shoot a video of yourself by the following SATURDAY completing the feat.

2. The Information for your YouTube Video Must Be:
       Title: “DieselCrew.com Grip Strength Challenge – Name of the Feat”
       Description: http://www.dieselcrew.com Name of the Feat for the Week
       Tags: Grip Strength, Grip Training, Hand Strength, Hand Strength Training, Strong Wrists

3. Email me at jedd dot diesel at gmail dot com with the link to the video. I must receive the email with the video link no later than 8PM EST on Friday.

4. I will post all of the videos that qualify here on the Diesel site. My goal will be to post all of the videos I receive by Saturday at 8PM, EST.

5. If a vote is required for the Grip Strength Challenge, viewers at the Diesel site will leave comments, deciding who has the best video and who should win a prize. Voting will continue until Sunday at 8PM, EST.

8. Whoever is voted “Best Video” for the Weekly Grip Strength Challenge, will receive a special limited edition Diesel Tee Shirt.

9. Videos can not contain anything that may be offensive to Diesel readers. Getting pumped up is fine, but you WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED if you use racial, ethnic, sexual slurs and things like this. We do reserve the right to disallow a video if we deem it inappropriate.

Looking forward to the videos!

Jedd

P.S. Did you see the Wednesday Weigh-in? Check it out here = > Best Strength and Conditioning Conferences and Seminars

• Build Sick Strong Thumbs – Diesel Grip Challenge Week 13
• Diesel Grip Strength Challenge – Week 7 Winner and Week 8 Feat
• Grip Strength Challenge – Week 11 – Towel Pull-ups
• Upcoming Feature at Diesel
• Week 4′s Winner and Week 5′s Feat

When it comes to the standard Kettlebell Lifts, the Snatch is like the Grand-daddy of them all.

The Snatch is a weapon that you can use for developing athleticism that you can use for sports.

It is so bad-ass that it is also the first damn thing you do when you walk in the door at the RKC certification to prove whether or not you belong.

It’s also a primary aspect of Kettlebell Sport, and I am sure you have seen the physical rigors those guys put themselves through at those competitions.

No matter what realm of physical training involving Kettlebells you are in, if your Snatch is not up to par, then you will suffer.

Now, there are TONS of resources out there to help you develop your Kettlebell Snatch. Depending on what your training objective is, you may go in one direction or the other.

Well, today, there is a NEW RESOURCE available to you, and it is Logan Christopher’s Kettlebell Snatch Domination.

If you are on my newsletter, then you’ve seen a few emails from me over the course of the last few days, directing you to several short videos from Logan where he talks about how to perform the Snatch, the best techniques for improving in the Snatch, and many other training tidbits for Complete Snatch Annihilation.

Also during the last few days, if you have gone to watch the videos Logan has put out, if you have been to the Dragondoor forum, and if you have been to YouTube, you have seen a lot of discussion saying that you should not listen to Logan…

Why are people saying that you should not Listen to Logan Christopher, you ask?

Because of his lockout form.

The Snatch is a highly technical Kettlebell Lift – that is why it is such an important part of so many certifications and competitions.

There are a dozen things you can do wrong in the Snatch, let alone the lockout – foot positioning, hip action, grip position, lumbar spine curvature, thoracic spine rigidity, head position, neck alignment, hand rotation, and many more things can go wrong in the Snatch and throw you off your game. Let alone the LOCKOUT!!!

Look, in this video, Logan Christopher does 301 Snatches in 10 minutes. Are some of the Lockouts cut short? Yes, but is it even possible to perform 300 Snatches in 10 minutes WITHOUT cutting the lockout short?

Ignore the Lockout

Instead, take note of the constant speed Logan maintains from beginning to end. In 10 minutes there are 600 seconds. In order to perform 300 Snatches, you have to maintain a pace of 1 Snatch every 2 seconds. That pace is incredible!

Ignore the Lockout

Instead, listen to the breathing. Logan literally sounds like a speeding locomotive picking up steam as he passes the one minute mark and seemingly begins to pick up steam as well. Logan’s conditioning is fantastic in this DVD, believe me!

Ignore the Lockout

Instead, pay attention to the hand switches. When most people switch hands in the Snatch test, they lose a tremendous amount off time because they lower the bell down between there legs and then make the transfer after a swing, and then power into another Snatch, losing a tremendous amount of time. Logan doesn’t waste any time, in fact, he’s got the Kettlebell transferred to the other hand before it even reaches waste-height. EXTREMELY Efficient Hand Switches.

Ignore the Lockout

Instead, pay attention to how Logan pulls the Kettlebell down, engaging the stretch reflex, and powering into the next repetition. Many people do not engage the lats in the Kettlebell Snatch on the down-swing and lose valuable time in their Snatch Test. Not Logan – he pulls the ‘Bell down and rips it back up quicker than anyone I have every seen.

Ignore the Lockout

Instead, pay attention to the EXCLUSIVE GROUP Logan Christopher is in now. He joins Valery Federenko, the man whose name is synonymous with Kettlebell Sport in the United States, and John Brookfield, the man whose name is synonymous with Grip Strength in the United States, as the only 3 men who have completed 300 or more Snatches in 10 minutes. Video evidence shows that Federenko cut his lockouts short. There is no video of John Brookfield’s performance that I am aware of, so we are not sure, but I am leaning heavily towards John cutting his reps short. Nothing against John, I just simply think that an abbreviated Lockout is necessary in order to complete that many Snatches. Like I said…

…IGNORE THE LOCKOUT. Period.

The information Logan tells you in his DVD will yield so many other valuable golden nuggets of information on Dominating the Kettlebell Snatch, just forget that his Snatch Lockouts were cut a bit short and look at how many other things Logan can teach you.

Look, I have watched all three disks in this awesome set. I think it is EXTREMELY valuable to someone looking to improve their Snatch. I fully expect dozens more athletes to eclipse the 300 Snatches in 10 Minutes Mark within a month or two, because Logan is going to hook them up with some important factors in the equation.

Do you honestly think that someone that can Snatch a 53-lb Kettlebell that many times can NOT teach you something that will help you get 100 in 5 minutes for the RKC Cert, or 200 in 10 minutes for the Secret Service Snatch Test?

Ignore the Lockout and see what else this DVD has to offer. Then do the following 3 Things:

1. Go to this link: Kettlebell Snatch Domination

2. Pick up Your Copy of Kettlebell Snatch Domination

3. Send me the Receipt you get to jedd dot diesel at gmail dot com.

4. I will send you the awesome bonus I finished last night for you.

BOOM – It’s that easy.

Now be like Charlie Sheen, Ignore the Lockout and W.I.N.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Similar Posts:

• Evolving the Kettlebell Snatch
• Dude My Forearm Hurts
• Bi-Polar Training: Inch Dumbbell Plus Kettlebell Flip
• One Hand Snatch Submissions
• Build Explosiveness & a Strong Grip with the Dumbbell Snatch!