What type of kettlebell do I need?

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Cast iron vs. Competition Steel kettlebells

The kettlebell required will almost always be dictated by the group of people using them. Competition steel kettlebells have a larger shape ball with square handles. They are used in competitions and as the lifter increases their numbers and the weight of kettlebell lifted no technical modifications are required for technique based on dimensional changes in the kettlebell. They are also used exclusively for the competition events which are 1 hand snatch and 2 kettlebell clean and jerk for the biathlon, with the other event being the long cycle clean and jerk. Women use a single kettlebell for both events and they are still single handed. This means that no exercises are performed with 2 hands holding the kettlebell handle. Potential problems then arise when competition kettlebells are purchased for the public as the foundation exercise to correctly set up the movement patterns for the clean and snatch are the 2 hand swing and then 1 hand swing. Most men are not able to properly hold a competition kettlebell with 2 hands based on the handle measurements. It is here that cast iron kettlebells are more suitable for bootcamps, personal training and gym class use as they allow for a more comfortable grip and also are less demanding to control in the lighter weights for women new to kettlebell training (an example being that an 8kg competition weight would be the same physical size as a 40kg cast iron weight, or almost a basketball). As a lifter I exclusively train with competition steel. When I run classes I usually find most people use the cast range for the reasons described above. While you can 2 hand swing comp bells – you will be short changed in both strength and endurance based on grip compromises. Not everyone that uses kettlebells ends up on the competition platform and the general public will benefit from the cast iron range. If in doubt, try them as it is usually down to personal preference. The cast range could be the stepping stone to get people into comp training at a later stage that may have been put off otherwise. No rules, no regulations, just advice that may help.

                          Competition Steel                                                     Cast Iron

Types of Grip Strength

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This article is aimed at clearly addressing and explaining several different types of grip strength and ways of improving them.

Whatever your chosen sport or hobby, an increase in grip and general hand/wrist strength can be enough to give you the edge over others or to continually set new personal bests. Whether you are swinging a golf club, climbing a rockface, entering a grappling competition, training with kettlebells or just trying to close a certain strength handgripper, just a few weeks of working your grip specifically and with a balanced and progressive routine can yield good- to great -results for nearly every one of us. The training sessions don’t need to be long, just effective, quite challenging and above all- consistent! 10 minutes 2-3 times a week is more than enough to develop serious grip strength with several months of training.

Crushing Grip:

Crushing grip refers to a squeezing action where the hand makes, or tries to make, a fist. Probably the best way to train this type of grip strength is with hand grippers- not any old hand grippers! But real, strong, metal grippers that are tough and take time and effort to close. There are many types of grippers to choose from: Captains of Crush grippers, Heavy Grips, Robert Baraban grippers, Beef Builder grippers etc. The good thing with different types of grippers is that some sets fall nicely into the places between the grippers of another set. This has the advantage of acting as a stepping stone to the next gripper in the collection you are trying to close.

 

Training Crush Grip:

There are several ways of using hand grips to improve your crushing grip. Included here is information on terms you may come across to help you progress with your crush grip training:

1.       Cheat/forced close-squeezing the gripper as far as you can with one hand then using the other hand or a push against the hip to finish the close 

2.       Close-when the handles of the gripper touch or the last part of the squeeze action-after the sweep 

3.       Dogleg-the part of the spring leg which is straight compared to the other

4.       Filed gripper-filing down the inside of one of the legs of a gripper. The purpose of this is to increase the range of motion and therefore the difficulty on a gripper you know you can already close

5.       Grind-when closed, rotating the hand to cause the handles to scrape or grind against each other 

6.       Hold-when the handles touch, keeping them together for any length of time 

7.       Inverted rep/close-closing a gripper with the spring facing downwards 

8.       Negative-using a cheat close then trying to stop the gripper from opening or allowing it to open as slowly as possible 

9.       No-set close-using only one hand to set and close a gripper without assistance 

10.    Overcrush-when then handles touch, continuing the squeeze as hard as you can 

11.    Setting-using the other hand to position the gripper and often to assist in the initial part of the close. the hand must then be removed for any certification attempt and be more than 12 inches from the closing hand on the last 1 inch of the close attempt 

12.    Strap hold-placing a weighted strap between the ends of the handles and using an overcrush to keep the strap between the handles for as long as possible or for a set time until the weight falls 

13.    Sweep-the first part of the range of motion of a gripper. this is the larger action which takes the handles from the start position up to a nearly closed position 

14.    Timed hold-holding a gripper shut for a timed duration

Pinch Grip:

Pinch grip is a squeezing action similar to that of a crab’s claw- the fingers and thumb move together to clamp on either side of an object before lifting. The most common types of pinch grip training are plate pinching and block weight lifting.

Training Pinch Grip:

1.       Plate Pinching-a good test of pinch strength is to see how you rate against some Olympic plates. Place the plates upright and together (smooth sides out) and pinch on to them from the top, then squeeze and try to lift them. Try 2 x 20lb plates then work up. The pinch can be trained close grip (2 plates) or wide (several small, lighter plates-usually 10lb). Passing plates you can lift from hand to hand is a very good workout and requires good pinch grip endurance. The aim of many people who train their pinch with plates is to lift the infamous 2 x 45lb plates!

2.       Block weights-the most common types of block weight are usually the ends of cast dumbbells believe it or not! The bar is removed leaving 2 block weights and a small bar that looks nice. Block weights are a superb way to train the hands as they can be lifted from the face (wide side) or top (thinner side) and also thrown about. You can spin and catch them, throw them hand to hand, drop and pick them out of the air and so on. With heavier block weights the only way to really lift them from the floor is with the pinch action, or a claw action of you lift from the face of the block. The heavier the block the wider it is so the pinch gets worked at different angles. Block weights are also referred to as “blobs” and “the blob” is ½ of a 100lb cast dumbbell, or a 50lb block weight. Lifting this weight from the floor is the aim of most people who train with heavy block weights. For an adjustable block weight a pinch block can be attached to a loading pin and loaded with weights for a similar style of training.

Thick Bar Grip:

Thick bar refers to training 1 arm (dumbbell) or 2 arm (barbell) lifts where the thickness of the handle is much wider than normal-usually 1 inch. The bar diameters can be anything from 1.5 - 4 inches and sometimes even more.

Thick Bar Training:

Thick bar training can easily be implemented on standard training equipment by using a sleeve to place over the handle of a normal dumbbell bar. Another adjustable thick bar tool is the Rolling Thunder by Ironmind, which is a revolving 2.5 inch handle that attaches to a loading pin. One of the most famous thick bar training tools is the Thomas Inch dumbbell. It weighs 172 pound (nearly 12 stone) and has a handle thickness of 2 3/8 of an inch or about 60mm. The thickness of the handle is what stops it ever leaving the floor for most people. Many people that train thick bar regularly have the Inch dumbbell as their desired lift. Recently, a new monster has emerged-the Millennium Dumbbell (228lb). This beast has the same stats as the Thomas Inch dumbbell, but weighs 25kg more and so far has only fully left the floor for a handful of people!

Leverage:

Leverage refers to the use of training tools where the weight is displaced to one end-like a sledgehammer-rather than balanced like a standard barbell or dumbbell. Leverage mainly works the wrists but is also a great way of training the grip as an incredible level of crushing power is needed to counteract the torsion produced by the displaced weight.

Leverage Training:

Probably the most common form of leverage training is the sledgehammer or steel/wooden club. These training items can be used in such a way that a very high level of tension is placed on the grip and wrists just to maintain control of them. They can be held as far from the weighted end as possible and either rotated side to side in front of the body or held out at arms length to the front and side of the body and lowered towards the nose-a true test of wrist strength and grip confidence!

Active recovery:

Active recovery is an often overlooked part of grip training and can be a real bonus to your gains. The idea is to train lightly so you still maintain what you have developed but not to the extent where fatigue sets in or injury risk is a possibility. Some really great training tools have been developed specifically for active recovery and intense grip training alike-depending how you use them: the Snowball and the gyro Roller Ball.

1.       The Snowball can be used to work the various muscles of the hands in a soothing way after grip workouts or as part of an active recovery programme on your days off. It can also be used with force for working various aspects of grip (the crush, pinch, finger training, thumb training etc.) as well as for warming up the hands or cooling down after a grip training session

2.       The Roller Ball is a gyroscope that rotates with slight wrist movements and can reach speeds of over 8000 revolutions per minute. Similar to the snowball, it can also be used for active recovery at low revs or intense training at higher revs. Roller balls have the advantage of keeping the hand muscles under varying tension depending on the speed of the gyroscope while keeping the wrist continuously moving. Because of this combination, at lower speeds these devices can provide soothing rehabilitation to: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Repetitive Strain Injury and Arthritis.

Grip Training- where do I start?

The best idea would be to ask yourself what you actually want before you decide what to do-unless your aim is just general grip strength. If you want to shut a certain gripper, base most of your grip training around the grippers, if you want to pinch heavy plates, base a lot of training on plate pinching and block weight lifting and so forth. Start off with some basic equipment:

1.       2-3 grippers

2.       Block weight

3.       Sledgehammer or club-a dumbbell loaded one end only can also do the same job!

4.       Some active recovery equipment

5.       Chalk

This is just a basic example for someone who is serious about improving their grip-if you want less get less, if you want more, get more. These items will allow you to train your grip from several angles and allow for good, general grip progress if used properly and consistently. If you already follow a training programme then finish the routine with 5-10 minutes of grip work. If your training is mainly with free weights, then place the grip session at the end of your normal routine as fatigued or even moderately trained grip will have a negative effect on your lifting. If you are worried about your grip training always being less than your best as it is only trained after a good workout then test your personal bests on the grip items you use before your workout, then after your weight training hit the full grip routine. An alternative would be to train your grip on alternate days to your other forms of training or at different times in the day-weights in the morning and grip in the evening- when reasonably fresh again.

To start your journey our free hand gripper training routine can be downloaded in the link below -

http://thestrengthacademy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/hand-gripper-training-free-ebook.html

My favourite poem - Ulysses by Tennyson.

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Ulysses - Lord Tennyson

It little profits that an idle king,

By this still hearth, among these barren crags,

Match'd with an aged wife, I mete and dole

Unequal laws unto a savage race,

That hoard, and sleep, and feed, and know not me.

I cannot rest from travel: I will drink

Life to the lees: All times I have enjoy'd

Greatly, have suffer'd greatly, both with those

That loved me, and alone, on shore, and when

Thro' scudding drifts the rainy Hyades

Vext the dim sea: I am become a name;

For always roaming with a hungry heart

Much have I seen and known; cities of men

And manners, climates, councils, governments,

Myself not least, but honour'd of them all;

And drunk delight of battle with my peers,

Far on the ringing plains of windy Troy.

I am a part of all that I have met;

Yet all experience is an arch wherethro'

Gleams that untravell'd world whose margin fades

For ever and forever when I move.

How dull it is to pause, to make an end,

To rust unburnish'd, not to shine in use!

As tho' to breathe were life! Life piled on life

Were all too little, and of one to me

Little remains: but every hour is saved

From that eternal silence, something more,

A bringer of new things; and vile it were

For some three suns to store and hoard myself,

And this gray spirit yearning in desire

To follow knowledge like a sinking star,

Beyond the utmost bound of human thought.

         












This is my son, mine own Telemachus,

To whom I leave the sceptre and the isle,—

Well-loved of me, discerning to fulfil

This labour, by slow prudence to make mild

A rugged people, and thro' soft degrees

Subdue them to the useful and the good.

Most blameless is he, centred in the sphere

Of common duties, decent not to fail

In offices of tenderness, and pay

Meet adoration to my household gods,

When I am gone. He works his work, I mine.

        








There lies the port; the vessel puffs her sail:

There gloom the dark, broad seas. My mariners,

Souls that have toil'd, and wrought, and thought with me—

That ever with a frolic welcome took

The thunder and the sunshine, and opposed

Free hearts, free foreheads—you and I are old;

Old age hath yet his honour and his toil;

Death closes all: but something ere the end,

Some work of noble note, may yet be done,

Not unbecoming men that strove with Gods.

The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:

The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep

Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,

'T is not too late to seek a newer world.

Push off, and sitting well in order smite

The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds

To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths

Of all the western stars, until I die.

It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:

It may be we shall touch the Happy Isles,

And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.

Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'

We are not now that strength which in old days

Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;

One equal temper of heroic hearts,

Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will

To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Stress - are you stressed and what to do about it

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Working  With Stress in Your Life.

Everyone has some level of stress in their life. To some extent stress can be a positive thing, keeping your mental capacity honed and keeping you on the ball and doing your best. Beyond that level, stress can be very negative and remarkably debilitating to you. It can diminish your physical and your mental capacity and prevent you from doing your best at anything you're attempting.

How Much Stress is too Much?

How do you determine if your stress is unhealthy?

Stress can come from different sources. You'll get it from your job, from your financial situation, and even from your relationships and your home life. When you're dealing with things like massive stress on a daily basis, you will find that it takes a big toll on your world.

How can you tell when your stress is approaching unhealthy levels?

Stress can affect your body in every way. Some things won't be as noticeable, but others will definitely affect your world and the way in which you handle people and tasks. If you find that you're suffering from panic attacks, from feelings of doom or gloom and that you're simply not happy on a daily basis, even when things are going better, chances are the stress is affecting you in a negative way. If you're unable to concentrate, have trouble keeping your mind on tasks, there is a good chance that you're being affected by the stress that you are dealing with on a daily basis.

The effects of excess stress can often mimic a disease process. You'll find that you may get headaches, you may have more frequent infections or colds and flu. You may have difficulty sleeping and you might have typical symptoms of general anxiety on a day to day basis. Your thinking may be unclear. You'll find that you have that fuzzy feeling all of the time and you may get markedly frustrated and your body will trigger the fight or flight response. Your libido will be lower and your body will feel tired all of the time.

These are just a few of the ways that stress can affect your body. If you're under the grip of excessive stress, it's time to take a stand and do something to curtail it before turning green.

Stress Relief Methods

You'll find many different ways to alleviate stress. One is exercise. The most mild form of exercise, walking or jogging can contribute to endorphins that will help you to feel better and be more able to handle the stressors in your life.

Biofeedback or even things like deep breathing may help you with your stress. If you're not able to manage the stress in your life, you may find that you need to change some of the things that are causing the stress. These are personal decisions, but they may be well worth thinking about to keep yourself healthier and your stress under control.

If all else fails and you cannot find a way to eliminate some of the stressors and your response to them, you may want to speak with your physician and get his or her ideas to help you to live a healthier and more stress free life.

A very good way to start to tackle stress is to learn how to switch yourself off with some meditation. Our 2 part guide to the introductory mindfulness of breathing can be found below -

http://thestrengthacademy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/beginners-guide-to-meditation-part-1.html

http://thestrengthacademy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/beginners-guide-to-meditation-part-2.html

Beginner's Guide To Meditation - Part 2

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For those of you that missed part one I will cover the mindfulness of breathing in full with all 4 stages detailed.

Stage 1

In a comfortable position, allow yourself to relax and let the mind begin to drift away. After a few minutes, begin to count your breath cycle to yourself as you exhale. For example, breathe in, breathe out and count “1” in your head. The aim of the first stage is to work from 1 to 10 for about 10 minutes and if you lose count or find the mind wandering simply return to the count and begin again at 1.

Possible hindrances in this stage are frustration at losing count, just accept you are losing count and return to 1. It’s not a test, or a challenge, just an indication that you are on the right track.

Stage 2

We now reverse the counting cycle and count just before the inhalation. So in a way you anticipate the breath which requires a slight shift in focus and awareness. Count “1”, breathe in, breath out and then continue with the aim of working in cycles of 10. The breath/count cycle will be very similar but the mental focus has slightly changed.

Possible hindrances are exactly the same and usually revolve around either losing count or worrying far too much about the timing of the breath and the count – “should there be a gap?”, “how long is the pause?”, “do I count and breath at the same time?” forget all of this and come right back to the basics: count and breath.

Stage 3

Stage 3 is best approached when you are able to work with the counting for continuous cycles of 10 without interruption or distraction from excessive mental noise or activity. The count is simply a minor distraction to keep you on the right path. However, when you learn to ride the stabilisers come off and we now drop the count completely. It is recommended not to jump straight in at this stage as the benefits of using and then dropping the counting will result in a deeper level of meditation and better results for you long term. In this stage the count is removed and you simply focus on the breath entering and leaving the body as a continuous cycle.

Possible hindrances here are usually having no focus and either falling asleep or letting the mind take over with tomorrows shopping list or constant reminders that you didn’t lock the kitchen window properly. For this reason I have personally found it beneficial to view the breath as a sort of mist or fog. This gives you a visual representation of the breath and aids as a slight distraction to prevent the mind wandering. It’s quite similar to the counting but very subtle in comparisons and with less mental activity required.

Stage 4

Here we focus on the exact point where the breath enters and leaves the body. We are looking for the tiny sensations on the base of the nostrils or the upper lip and acknowledging these with the breath cycle.

The only real hindrance here is actively seeking the sensation rather than letting it make itself aware to you. If it is not there, be patient and relax. There is no rush and after all, the aim is relaxation without expectation. Allow your experience to unfold and accept what you learn about yourself.

Namaste

Beginners guide to meditation - part 1

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Meditation part 1

Here’s a little experiment for you to try. Be brutally honest and if need be take brief notes during the day. Work out where your daily thoughts are predominantly focused – are they in the past, present or future? A lot of us will be surprised to know that we are either moving away from the past or moving towards an optimistic yet slightly uncertain future. Very few are in the present or fully aware of how to achieve this.

The funny thing is we have always been and will always be in the present – we can only ever be in the present – the past has gone and the future is always out of reach. Like the classic pub bar inscription in a lovely little hotel in the Lake District – “free drinks tomorrow”. So now we are aware of the problem, it is not our body that scurries between realms in time as only Dr. Who can do that; it is our mind. I am not saying we cannot remember the past as some of these memories are what created the person we now are. I am also not saying avoid the future as it is essential we have a roadmap and a clear idea of where we are going. The important thing to remember is that NOW is what is and will always be important. Are the actions of now congruent with those visions of the future? Have you learnt from the past as reflected by things you now do or no longer do in the present?

To get the head right and firmly grounded in the present is not impossible but does take some work. Probably the best method for this is meditation: the ancient art of ceasing to act like a headless chicken for a while. Here I will briefly discuss one form of basic meditation that has worked for me and many others. I was lucky enough to live quite close to the London Buddhist Centre and would recommend anyone check them out for more information.

The mindfulness of breathing is a meditation based on internally counting the breath cycle whilst letting the mind relax. The counting can be viewed as markers that regulate the activity of the mind during the meditation. In a comfortable position, take a slow breath in, then exhale and count “1” to yourself after each breath cycle. Repeat this with the aim of reaching 10 and then returning to 1 for a brief 10 minute session. Your ability or inability to get to 10 without interruption or losing count will indicate your mental activity level and show you just how beneficial mental “time out” can be (or is that “time in?” – you decide). Surprisingly, many people report hardly ever getting to 10 for the first few sessions so do not let this put you off – simply view it as a journey of learning and self discovery.

The second stage of the mindfulness is to anticipate and count just before you inhale. This requires a slight change in focus and awareness. Ensure the breathing is normal and if the mind wanders always come back to the counting. Eventually the counting is dropped so you can experience a deeper level of relaxation and the final stages along with some of the potential hindrances and ways of overcoming them will be discussed in part 2 next week.

Hand gripper training - free eBook

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This is a brief eBook that I did on hand grippers many years ago. It is still valid, still works, and will make progress on your maximum grip strength and grip endurance in around 4 weeks after you adapt to the work capacity. Like most training templates, it is not special knowledge, not perfect and there may be better ways. However, it has worked for me and many people that have used it with rapid success in hand strength.

Free Hand Gripper eBook

Enjoy!