For a few months now, my friend Sean Dockery and I have been doing weekly to bi-weekly episodes of Grip Strength Radio, where we run down interesting happenings in the sport of Grip, as well as talk about effective ways we have found to train for Grip Strength, and many other cool topics.

GSR Episode 15

Our most recent interview was with The Iron Tamer Dave Whitley. Dave is a Senior RKC, meaning he is one of the top ranking instructors in all of the Dragondoor/Russian Kettlebell echelon. He also is enamored with the olde-time strongman legacy, performs the classic feats of strength, and is also a very entertaining guy.

I first learned about Dave back in 2007, but never got the chance to meet him until 2009. I was at a conference and I looked to my right and there he was. I introduced myself and we instantly went out into the lobby to chat.

We shot this video:

As it turns out, on top of holding jobs in the past as a massage therapist, a rock star, and now as a top performer of strongman feats and instructor in the area of kettlebells, Dave was also, for a time, a professional wrestler.

As you will be able to tell, the content for the interview wrote itself, and I finally got my revenge on the Iron Tamer.

Check out the show here: Grip Strength Radio with the Iron Tamer Dave Whitley

Also, make sure you give a good listen to the song played during the second break. It’s called “Water” by the band Hands. Doc added it in and it’s awesome. He has reached out to many record companies and almost all of them have allowed us to use their music, so stay tuned to future shows because you may just hear a future hall of famer like Guns n’ Roses or someone who will try to deny entry to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, like Axel Rose.

Other Recent Grip Strength Radio Shows

In addition to the interview with Dave, Sean and I also have a bunch of other shows we have recorded in the last few weeks:

Interview with Paul Knight
Mighty Mitts Re-cap
GSR – Back on the Air
Interview with Paul Knight

If you are familiar with iTunes, you can sign up for subscription updates for Grip Strength Radio through the iTunes store.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

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:
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Smitty and Jedd with Tricia Dong, one of Smitty’s RKC Team Assitants

As you all know, Smitty and I recently went to Philadelphia for the RKC. We were both successful in our 100-rep snatch tests and the overall technical testing as well.

During the three weeks we trained for this event, many of you supported us by leaving comments and sending emails filled with extremely helpful information, and we really appreciate that support.

Now that the weekend is in the books, I’d like to document some of the observations, take-aways, and ah-ha moments that I experienced, so that future athletes interested in passing the RKC can be in a better position to be successful once their day comes.

RKC Report, & Suggestions for Future Candidates

1. RKC Does Not Equal Snatch Test

I was told by many going in that the Snatch Test was only a small portion of the goings-on at the RKC certification, but it didn’t fully register. In order to prepare for the weekend which amounted to 3 full days of working out, I did 4 Kettlebell Snatch Test workouts. I had plans to do a week of high-volume swing and get-up training, but a back injury the weekend prior to the cert kept me from doing that. With the short time to prepare, I was limited in what I could do. You should start preparing physically and mentally as soon as you know you are going to try the RKC.

2. Increase Your Volume on all Foundational Kettlebell Lifts

My mind was spinning at the sheer volume of work that we did over the course of the weekend. In hind sight, I could have been much better prepared for the RKC weekend and suggest other candidates include much more Swings and Squats into their programs prior to the RKC. The last three weeks prior to the RKC it is a good idea to ramp-up the volume in particular, even doing two routines a day if possible. Doing 200 to 500 swings in a workout is probably the minimum I should have been doing going in.

3. Toughen up Your Hands Prior to the Event

Over the course of the RKC weekend, I never fully lost a single callous, but I was coming very close at the end of the third day. Many other people weren’t so lucky. Many lost callouses during their Snatch Test on the very first morning and then had to struggle through the intense volume through the rest of the weekend. Toughen your hands up prior to the RKC by increasing your Swing and Snatch volume while monitoring how your hands respond. I do a tremendous amount of Grip training, so my skin is very tough, but like I said, a few dozen more Swings or Snatches on day 3 and I would have been bleeding severely.

4. Protect Your Hands During the Event

The only part of the training I was not allowed to wear hand protection on was the Snatch Test. Unfortunately, I tried to be a tough guy and never taped until I rubbed my left ring finger raw. I can’t get all my fingers into the handle for Two Hand Swings, so the side of that finger was rubbing against the side of the handle for hundreds of reps and eventually broke open in the afternoon on Day One. I immediately taped it and the rest of my fingers and didn’t get anymore damage the rest of the weekend to the fingers. Don’t try to be a tough guy. Tape up as soon as you can.

5. Get a Ped Egg

There is a device used for smoothing the bottoms of the feet, called a Ped Egg. My fiancee’ has one (I swear I have never used it – don’t even know what it looks like). I heard about many people using them on the callous lines of their hands in order to keep them at bay as well. Makes perfect sense. Not sure how well it works or what it feels like, but it was pretty popular amongst experienced RKC’s at the event.

6. Pick the Right Partner On Day One

Bottom Line is you are there to hone your technique. Don’t pair yourself up with someone who is a bump on the log. You want somebody who knows what the hell they are doing and will speak up if you are making technique errors. I immediately paired myself up with a guy named Greg McNiel, because when I saw him he was warming up (smart), talking to people (personable), and was supportive (coach-like). All of these traits seemed to me like he would be a good partner so as soon as we were told to partner up, I went right over to him and introduced myself. It was a very beneficial pairing for me as he knew technique well and was not shy about coaching me. In fact, he didn’t listen to me whine about my struggles with keeping a straight wrist. He looked me straight in the eye, and told me that I could do it and that my head was the only thing stopping me. He was right. After that, I was better at keeping my wrist straight.

7. Don’t Fear the DOMS

The ramping up of volume you do prior to the event and other factors specific to how beat up you get from training will dictate how sore you feel after each day. I was extremely sore on the morning of Day Two and couldn’t believe how well I was able to train throughout the second day. It was as if after a dozen Swings the pain was gone. From then on, my mind was clear and I was welcoming the rest of the training. Hopefully this is the same feeling you experience. If not, just keep chugging away. Everyone is going to be sore and won’t want to hear you complaining about it.

8. Drink Water Like It’s Going out of Style

Staying hydrated and keeping some food in your stomach was key to getting through each day for me. I would drink several glasses of water at the hotel before going to the training center, and then grab two bottles of water to take to my work station which I would drink within about an hour. I would then try to keep a full bottle there at my station the rest of the day to keep re-hydrating. I sweated so much, I rarely had to take a break to use the restroom, either.

9. Consume Food Every Chance You Get

You have to keep feeding your body with food energy every step along the way. Keeping something in your stomach will fend off hunger pains and keep you in good spirits throughout the day. I would take a banana or grapes over to my work station and kept a protein bar in my training bag to take bites from.

10. Be Coachable

You will be paired with a Team Leader and one or more assistants in your group. They are there to help you with technique and push you to be your best. If you think your form is on point, but they keep correcting you, it is because they see something you don’t. Don’t go into it thinking you already know everything. That’s a good way to piss your Leaders off. Be coachable, listening to the suggestions you are given, and trying to apply them. If you can’t seem to get it, ask for extra help, or get feedback from your training partner. You can do it.

There’s 10 quick points that will hopefully help some people out that are apprehensive about taking the step toward RKC certification. If you have any specific questions, feel free to leave a comment below. I’d be glad to help you out, and so will Smitty, so fire away.

Thanks again to everyone who helped us out going in.

Jedd

Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball | How to Bend Nails | How to Tear Cards | Feats of Grip Strength Explained | How to Build Your Own Equipment | How to Lift Atlas Stones | The Sh*t You’ve Never Seen | Sled Dragging for Athletes | The Road to the Record DVD

Well, I continue to progress with the Snatch Test. Today I warmed up while one of the trainees was here and then hit my 5-minute snatch test once he left.

After speaking with Dave Whitley, he suggested I go away from trying to get as many reps as possible before switching arms like I had been doing, and instead hitting planned blocks. Andrew Durniat also suggested the same thing to me, so i figured if those two dudes are telling me the same thing, I better listen.

So, I set out today to get 20/20, 15/15, and then 10/10. However, my left arm kept wearing out on me. I was trying to maintain better form with that arm and keep the track of bell more of a straight line as opposed to an arc. Not sure if that tired me out more or what…

Here is the rep pattern that I ended up getting (right hand first this time): 20/18, 15/10, 10/10, 8/8, 7.

I wanted to give it a try with my right hand first this time because my form is better on that arm, but I think I like the feel of going with my left hand first though.

Today was another PR of 106 reps in 5 minutes.

I think I could have probably squeaked out a couple extra snatches on the last attempt with my right hand, but I had the music turned up so loud that I thought I might have missed the buzzer. I use my BlackBerry for my timer and unfortunately the screen goes black after like 30 seconds. I went over to see if I had already gone 5 minutes and as I reached down to check the buzzer went off. So I might have 108 in the tank right now. Check out the video:

I think if I had someone hear telling me exactly how much time I had left on the clock, I could do a lot better. Going to work Swings today in mass quantities for my second workout to get my endurance up in that movement as well.

It was definitely nice to gas out today. I actually missed it over the last 8 or ten days, since I wanted to avoid damaging my hands for Nationals.

With more consistent practice, I have no doubts I can get over 110 by the time the test rolls around. Need to continue working on form, using more of my lower body, work on breathing, and pulling the bell down more.

Thanks to everyone who has left comments both here on Diesel, through the email and on my YouTube Channel.

Speaking of my YouTube Channel, I worked on it a bit last night. Check it out and subscribe if you have time = > Jedd’s YouTube Channel: Grip, Strongman, and More!

Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball | How to Bend Nails | How to Tear Cards | Feats of Grip Strength Explained | How to Build Your Own Equipment | How to Lift Atlas Stones | The Sh*t You’ve Never Seen | Sled Dragging for Athletes | The Road to the Record DVD

Over the weekend, I put up a post (directly below) asking for assistance with my kettlebell snatch technique for the RKC Snatch Test.

Many of you posted comments, and I really appreciate it because there is more bad technique stuff going on with my snatch than I realized.

However, I have great news!

UPDATE: On Sunday, I was able to hit 105 reps in 5 minutes!

Now, my form (especially with my right hand) is still pretty rough, so I need to work on that, but I guess my conditioning wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was.

This was my repetition sequence: Left – 32, Right – 29, Left – 15, Right – 15, Left – 12, Right – 2

8/29/10 – 100 Rep Snatch Test Training

I have Grip Strength Nationals coming up this weekend. I can’t afford to rip a callus off this close to the contest, so I am going to wait to train the Snatch again until Sunday or Monday. I am glad that I got right into it and pushed myself ahead of time, because it has been a huge mental boost for me going into my Grip Comp, plus I won’t worry about taking about a week off of snatching.

From what I have been told, there is a lot more stuff that goes on at these clinics than just snatch tests, so once Nationals has gone by I am also going to start hitting a ton of Swings and Get-ups to get ready.

One thing that has surprised me is how FANTASTIC my back feels during these 100-rep tests. So loose and limber, it’s amazing.

I’m looking forward to the next snatch test session, as I want to implement some of the technical improvement suggestions made in the last post I made. For whatever reason I am hitting way more reps with my left hand and the technique with that arm is a lot rougher than the right. If I can get that buttoned up, I’ll be able to get to 100 a lot more efficiently.

It was great to hit this PR. I wish you the best with your own PR’s this week.

Make it a great day!

Jedd

P.S. If you have already passed the RKC Snatch Test and are looking for other challenges, you should check out our Diesel Kettlebell eBooks. You can see them here = > Advanced Kettlebell Training

Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball | How to Bend Nails | How to Tear Cards | Feats of Grip Strength Explained | How to Build Your Own Equipment | How to Lift Atlas Stones | The Sh*t You’ve Never Seen | Sled Dragging for Athletes | The Road to the Record DVD

I have called upon the readers in the Diesel Universe for my Muscle-up training in the past, and now I have another favor to ask.

In September, Smitty and I are going to an RKC certification, and we will be doing the 100-rep Snatch Test.

Before last week, I never did more than like 20 snatches total in the same day, so this is all completely foreign to me, so i was wondering if some of you would take the time to watch a couple of the videos I have taken of myself trying the Snatch Test.

If you have time to watch, and leave any suggestions you have in the comments section, I would really appreciate it.

Video 1

This is my very first set trying the snatch test. I got 68 reps. I did not count one of them because I partially snatched it with both hands. I must have miss-counted when I first reviewed the video because I say 13 reps on the last set but I actually got 18.

I really thought I’d get much more than 68 on my first set, but I was taking too much rest time during repetitions, I think.

Rep Pattern: L25, R25, L18

Video 2

I took about 15 minutes rest and tried one more set. This time I made quicker transitions between reps and got 80 reps. Lost a rep on a flubbed transition and had to do a short swing. Definitely need to avoid that on test day.

Rep Patter: L20, R20, L15, R15, L10

Like I said in the video, my form is rough and I am SO not in shape for this. I was really huffing and puffing on this day. I am more used to Juggling Kettlebells and doing other Feats with them

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have.

Make it a great day!

Jedd

P.S. To all you Steel Benders – I just started working on a project today that is going to help you out tremendously. Stay Tuned for further announcements.

Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball | How to Bend Nails | How to Tear Cards | Feats of Grip Strength Explained | How to Build Your Own Equipment | How to Lift Atlas Stones | The Sh*t You’ve Never Seen | Sled Dragging for Athletes | The Road to the Record DVD

I have called upon the readers in the Diesel Universe for my Muscle-up training in the past, and now I have another favor to ask.
In September, Smitty and I are going to an RKC certification, and we will be doing the 100-rep Snatch Test.
Before last week, I never did more than like 20 snatches total in the same day, so this is all completely foreign to me, so i was wondering if some of you would take the time to watch a couple of the videos I have taken of myself trying the Snatch Test.
If you have time to watch, and leave any suggestions you have in the comments section, I would really appreciate it.

Video 1

This is my very first set trying the snatch test. I got 68 reps. I did not count one of them because I partially snatched it with both hands. I must have miss-counted when I first reviewed the video because I say 13 reps on the last set but I actually got 18.
I really thought I’d get much more than 68 on my first set, but I was taking too much rest time during repetitions, I think.
Rep Pattern: L25, R25, L18

Video 2

I took about 15 minutes rest and tried one more set. This time I made quicker transitions between reps and got 80 reps. Lost a rep on a flubbed transition and had to do a short swing. Definitely need to avoid that on test day.
Rep Patter: L20, R20, L15, R15, L10
Like I said in the video, my form is rough and I am SO not in shape for this. I was really huffing and puffing on this day. I am more used to Juggling Kettlebells and doing other Feats with them
Thanks in advance for any suggestions you might have.
Make it a great day!
Jedd

P.S. To all you Steel Benders – I just started working on a project today that is going to help you out tremendously. Stay Tuned for further announcements.

Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball | How to Bend Nails | How to Tear Cards | Feats of Grip Strength Explained | How to Build Your Own Equipment | How to Lift Atlas Stones | The Sh*t You’ve Never Seen | Sled Dragging for Athletes | The Road to the Record DVD

One of the most versatile types of exercise equipment is the kettlebell. These “cannonballs with a handle on them” were unheard of 10 years ago among the general gym goers, but now when you walk into mainstream stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods, you can find them packaged in brightly colored boxes, in an effort to market them to the masses.

In a way, it is great that kettlebells are becoming more popular and more readily available. Kettlebells are fun, functional, and can be used for many types of movements. They can be used for building strength, increasing stamina, and for getting cut to shreds for the perfect beach body.

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