Cincinnati Kettlebell Club - Core Concepts - Soft Style Revolution

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last 5 years, then you’ve seen plenty of information, from plenty of sources, about kettlebells & the incredible benefits they provide. Benefits that have been proven again & again by trainers and practitioners alike.

However, it is now coming to light that the myriad techniques, approaches, styles and philosophies being widely taught are NOT the most efficient (translation: fastest/easiest/simplest) path for reaping the full benefits of kettlebells .

Most kettlebell teachers, trainers and gurus aren’t teaching the very essence of the Kettlebell – the sport of kettlebells – which is in fact, the spirit of kettlebells.

Since Kettlebells are a Russion invention (a historic phenomenon - but that's another story for another time) it makes sense that the greatest kettlebell lifters in the world are, and always have been, Russian.

The Americans are catching up fast, though, thanks almost wholly to the efforts of Valery Fedorenko, and the American Kettlebell Club.

Valery is a Master of Kettlebell Sport, International Master of Kettlebell Sport and one of a handful of Honored Masters of Kettlebell Sport in the entire world. He is the Head Coach of the AKC, a living legend, and one of the greatest kettlebell lifters of all time. He is our first coach and mentor here at CKC.

It has been the work of Valery and the AKC which has prompted an army of coaches across America under them, including the Cincinnati Kettlebell Club, to spread the word about kettlebell sport, or soft-style (or relaxed-, or fluid-style) lifting.

Their commitment to the fundamentals – pure and simple – of kettlebell sport has provided thousands of practitioners access to incredible strength & fitness gains using kettlebells, as well as helped diffuse the vast body of questionable kettlebell training information which has been disseminated over the last several years.

If you have the opportunity and resources available to train with Valery Fedorenko and the AKC, then run, don't walk to do so. There is no substitute for hands-on learning. And there is no substiture for expertise.

However, by the same token, lack of time or resources is NO EXCUSE for using bad information. If you are unable to be coached under Valery and the AKC, then our book is for you.

No, you won't be certified by buying our book, but you will learn the foundations of the AKC methodology. Nowhere else will you find such clear, concise and fluff-free documentation of sport-style lifting, as taught by the AKC. It doesn't exist anywhere but here.

So what is it that makes Kettlebell sport so different from everything else that’s out there?

Kettlebells are designed to grow work-capacity.
(synonym: strength-endurance).

Work-capacity is a term that will begin to get a lot of press as the popularity of kettlebells continues to grow. However, for most people, it will amount to little more than the next buzz word.

Another way to say work-capacity is strenghth-edurance which is different from pure strength.

For example, when that guy at your gym who has the bloated but non-functional physique hoists a few hundred pounds for 6, 8, 10, 12, even 20 reps - that's strength. No doubt about it, he is a strong man.

But can he take a half, a quarter or even an eighth of that weight and lift it for 10 minutes straight and in a manner that uses the entire body together rather than just isolated muscles? Probably not.

His strength does not endure. Its good for a very limited time. Good for a "show of strength," but it will falter when challenged to endure.

Its sort of like the typical Hollywood star who appears on the outside to have it all together, but on the inside lives a life of quiet (or not-so-quiet) desparation. The swollen muscles have become a symbol of health and fitness, but in reality are highly non-functional. Unless, that is, they are combined with conditioning, flexibility and mobility protocols.

This is where kettlebells CAN help you, and WILL help you so long as you use them the way they are meant to be used - the way they are used in amature and professional kettlebell sport - even if your interests lie in more mainstream areas like sports conditioning, general fitness, having a killer-looking body, or any combination of the above.

Indeed if these are your goals, then kettlebells should have a place at the very top (or close to it) of your training regimen.

An Insider's view

Now, for the first time, we've extensively documented, in meticulous detail, the core-concepts of soft-style lifting as trained by the Cincinnati Kettlebell Club as well as other AKC-certified coaches, and put them into a 70-page wirebound book.

Core Concepts: Kettlebell Sport and the Soft-Style Revolution provides a detailed explanation of the most efficient, most effective, most true-to-purpose techniques of kettlebell sport, all the while addressing the specific needs of more mainstream concerns such as sports conditioning, general fitness and physique-building.

Core Concepts is not just a full-blown intstructional manual (which it is). In addition to the WHAT & HOW, you'll learn the WHY and the WHEN, too.

WHY do we relax as much as possible between and during lifts? WHY is our grip on the bell of paramount importance? WHEN do we practice snatches instead of jerks? And WHEN do we combine them? And MORE...

Additionally, if you're continuing to pound out heavy weight, low-rep sets, with less-than-efficient technique , you’re likely getting only partial results and/or on a fast track to burning out or to injury.

It is the mission of Cincinnati Kettlebell Club to educate and coach our clients in the smartest, most efficient and current methods of Kettlebell training available anywhere in the world.

We are immensely proud to be an AKC-certified club. We are driven by our affiliation with Valery Fedorenko and inspired to do our part in helping spread the word about the true meaning and methods of kettlebell sport.

And to that end, we are excited to present,
a Cincinnati Kettlebell Club exclusive publication:

A 70-page, wire bound book which outlines and illustrates in satisfying detail, the fundamental techniques of Kettlebell sport lifting as trained by the Cincinati Kettlebell Club and practiced by professional Kettlebell sports lifters and certified coaches the world around.

Provides a clear understanding of the fundamentals of kettlebell sport lifting, as taught by Valery Fedorenko and the American Kettlebell Club.

70-Page, Coil-bound

Core Concepts: Kettlebell-Sport and the Soft-Style Revolution

1. lifting style: the core philosophical differences between hard style & soft (or fluid-) style lifting; as well as how their training protocols differ; and how these differences could literally be the key to your breakthrough in sports conditioning, kettlebell sport-lifting, or epic health and fitness

2. core lifts: a focus on the critical role of the core kettlebell movements & lifts – swing, clean, snatch, jerk and long-cycle; these are the lifts practiced and performed by professional and amateur competitors the world around; our treatment of them is fluff-free to ensure you get the biggest, fastest, most condensed bang for your buck; you won’t spend your hard-earned free time bogged down reading opinions and hearsay.

3. lift classifications: we distinguish kettlebell sport lifts from "feats-of-strength” and juggling; just knowing that the 3 classes exist puts you in the top 20% of all kettlebell lifters; knowing which lifts fit into which classes and why puts you even higher – 5% or better.

4. efficiency: small things make a big difference, particularly when lifting for duration to increase work-capacity; they're covered here in meticulous detail for your reference and ultimate benefit

5. mistakes: there are 2 mistakes people make when lifting kettlebells that literally mean the difference between success and a never-ending plateau; you'll learn what they are and then have the choice as to whether you ever make them again

6. professional grade kettlebells: the truth about who, what, when, why and how – get the facts, so you’ll never wonder or be in doubt

7. lifting for time vs. reps: we spell it out completely so you know exactly how to lift like a competitor; even if you aren’t an athlete, the timed protocol (vs. reps) is the key to unlocking epic performance and fitness from kettlebells; we cover counting and timing in meticulous detail, for when you're training alone, in groups and when counting/timing for others.

8. pacing: how to maximize performance, increase work-capacity and explode strength-endurance by learning pacing once and for all; we give you all the information you’ll need to make steady and consistent gains until you blow away yourself and those who watch you by moving weight that would have otherwise been impossible.

9. breath: 2 basic forms of breathing; when and why to use them; what are their benefits

10. relaxation: the cornerstone of kettlebell sport lifting – when, why and how to relax during sets, as well as before and after

11. grip: what is the standard competition grip for each of the core lifts; from the ground, in the rack, extended overhead and as the bell is flying

12. hand health: your calluses tell a story just like Sanskrit on a cave wall; do you know what yours are telling you? Also, how to keep from breaking calluses and how to handle it when you do

13. implements (equipment / tools): we cover it all – shoes, chalk, wrist bands or bandages, t-shirt, weight belt, and clock or timer; you’ll be a walking encyclopedia (for your own benefit and those you train with) of what to use and why for kettlebell sport lifting

14. posture & alignment: what’s the difference between a house built on sand and one built on stone? Therein lies the essence and importance of proper posture and alignment when lifting; its not hard to do once you know what and how to do it; and yet some trainees stagnate for years because they’re simply uninformed; poor posture, lack of alignment and inability to lever your own body properly will sabotage your goals and results now and for years to come; get informed; you have to be in-the-know on this one; its worth the price of the book alone.

15. consistency: your 100th rep should look the same as your 1st. Are you there?

As you can see, we cover a lot of ground in our groundbreaking volume. Do yourself, those you love and those with whom you train a big favor and invest in Core Concepts now. Your training will never be the same.

If you read and study this book like an instruction manual (which it is), not only are you going to discover new realms of knowledge and information about kettlebell technique, methodolgy, philosophy, practice, competition and so on.

You will also be able to integrate it into your routines in order to reap the ultimate benefit - no matter what your goals are.

Its all here. Competition kettlebell lifting, athletics training and sports condidtioning, as well as EPIC FITNESS.

Nowhere can you find all of this information in one place without paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars for personal training, coaching and certification.

Core Concepts: Kettlebell-Sport and the Soft-Style Revolution