Remember the movie that had you in the dark (figuratively) until the last scene and then in the final moment completely flipped your sense of perception on its ear?

Was it Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window or M. Knight Shamalayan's The Sixth Sense? Or the epic reality-buster, Planet of the Apes? It might have been all three.

In any case, most of the characters in the move (and ALL of the audience) were sort of out of the loop during the entire drama leading up to the finale. Not exactly lost, but they were operating under assumptions that appeared in line with the facts, but in truth refelected reality not at all.

Can you see where this is going?

More Than a Fad

Kettlebells are more than a trend. More than a fad. The benefits of this incredibly simple, yet simply incedible, tool are undeniable.

Its official. Its confirmed. The cats out of the bag. If you have a Google Alert set up (as we do) to email you the link of every new article in cyberspace that contains the word "kettlebell," you're getting AT LEAST an alert per day. Usually more.

So no one is denying that kettlebells are here to stay. And yet here we are in the second-to-last act of that famous mystery movie. We know for a fact we have it all figured out because we've been paying attention and, according to our senses, kettlebell training is pretty cut and dry. An open and shut case. Right? Incredibly simple, right?

Yes. Incredibly simple. And incredibly subtle.

And just like the final scene in that famous mystery movie, be it on a beach on a post-apocalyptic planet, in a restaurant with your widowed wife who can no longer see you because you are in fact dead, or literally hanging outside a rear window, the curtains are about to be lifted for the world at large to grasp the true nature of the mystery at hand.

A Catch-22 of the 1st Order

The mystery you're about to discover is simply this: there is no mystery.

However, that is contrary to most of what's being preached about kettlebells today.

The kettlebell is largley being treated like a Great Oracle or King Midas's right hand. All you have to do is simply touch the thing and your body fat percent falls to below 8%. Right? Yeah, right.

Lift them just like you would a dumbbell (heavier weight / lower reps) and the mystical nature of "The Bell" ensures that you blast your fat, gain world class muscle mass and acheive peak conditioning. And in less time than any other protocol available. Right? Yeah right.

Surprisingly, the methods being taught widely today by most of the Kettelbell trainers and gurus across the country and across the internet are based in that very sense of "Pie-in-the-Sky" rhetoric.

However, with the advent of the American Kettlebell Club and its myriad coaches (present company included) that has all changed.  For the first time, the how and why of Kettlebell sport (distinctly different from that which is otherwise commonly taught) has been brought out in the open for all to see, at least for those enlightened enough to look.

The historic and professional meaning and methods of kettlebell lifting, the spirit of the kettlebell, is the SPORT of kettlebells. That is, the way they've been lifted for hundreds of years and the way they continue to be lifted by amature and professional athletes (sport-lifters) the world around. That is, NOT the methods being taught widely across our country by pseudo-gireviks and gurus of every order.

But let's be clear. Not everything being taught out there today is off-base.

Yes, kettlebells add depth and breadth to a typical gym workout that would otherwise include only typical gym equipment. And yes, kettlebells can be used to sustain an incredible level of General Fitness without ever broaching the threshold of kettlebell sport lifting. And if that's what you're interested in, then you will find plenty of information in the General Fitness section of our site.

But, most importantly, we offer direction for those who want to understand the fundamental principles behind the sport of kettlebell lifting, the way it was developed centuries ago, the highest levels to which it has evolved today, and the reasons it is known best for the world around.

And to that end, Cincinnati Kettlebell Club is proud to announce the release of its groundbreaking book, Core Concepts: Kettlebell Sport and the Soft-Style Revolution, where we outline for the very first time, the strategies and secrets of professional sport kettlebell lifters. Training and tactics that you need to know in order to incorporate the true spirit and sport of kettlebells in your training regimen and to maximize your results.

Nowhere else will you find in such complete and meticulous detail, a no-BS expose of the methodologies practiced and preached by professional Kettlebell lifters the world around, including Valery Fedorenko and the American Kettlebell Club – and of course, by the Cincinnati Kettlebell Club. 

If you are at all serious about Kettlebells, you can’t afford to be without this volume.

Or if you simply want to know what all the buzz is about around the new ‘soft-style’ lifting approach, this is the definitive volume and the only investment you’ll need to make to get the fast facts behind the movement growing around the country.

Don’t wait!  Invest today!

More about the book...

Topics covered in Core Concepts include:

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

Don’t wait!  Invest today!

***In addition to our book, Cincinnati Kettlebell Club also offers personal coaching for ready to explore true kettlebell sport or who just want to take their lifting to the next level..***

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