Questions about Kettlebell workouts.

aveggiegirl

aveggiegirl

Cathlete
I finally got a kettlebell and did my first workout - Art of Strength. :D I am already hooked and want to buy more kb workouts!! However, I do have a few questions that I hope someone will be able to answer.

1. On the video (and also on a tutorial video by GoFit) they say to lock out your elbows and legs. This goes against everything that I have ever heard Cathe and Amy Bento say. In fact, I know I've heard them say to not lock out your elbows or your legs. This is confusing to me. Should I do this because it is a different type of training?

2. The other thing that confuses me is how deep they squat on both videos. Doesn't Cathe tell us to never go beyond 90 degrees? Has anyone injured themselves by squatting like this?

Could anyone clarify these things for me? I am totally new to kettlebells and don't know beans about this kind of training.

Thanks!
 
Hey veggiegirl,


The lockout in kettlebell training is necessary because because so much of the power used in the movement is driven from the hips. The lockout is a natural part of this movement.

As for the squat, I'm a big advocate of the full squat (as done in AOS). When done correctly, full/deep squats work the entire posterior chain, partial squats (everything 90 degrees and up) do not.

In fact, I've been reading a lot lately about how partial squats stress the knee and quadriceps, without stressing the glutes, adductors and hamstrings, thereby creating muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. Partial squats also produce an anterior shear on the knee that creates an unbalanced strain on the prepatellar area.

For everything you ever wanted to know about squats (and deadlifts, and other lifts) I recommend checking out "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe and on Kilgore.

Anecdotally, I had ACL reconstruction two years ago following many years of lifting that utilized partial squats exclusively. Since then, I've only done full, deep squats with all kinds of weight (heaviest 120lbs) and have had no problems with my knees.

Hope this helps.
 
Hi aveggiegirl,

I've only been doing KB workouts a few months, so maybe some folks who have been doing them longer can chime in, too.

To answer your questions, yes, the rules of KB training go against the things that we've been taught with traditional weight training; you DO want to lock out your elbows and legs and squat as deeply as you can.

If you can, I'd also recommend taking a live class. I'd been using videos for a few months and thought my form was fine. Recently Tneah (who also posts on these forums) and I signed up to take a three-week class with Lauren Brooks (who has a great video out at http://www.ontheedgefitness.com/), and I've been learning to make small adjustments that make some of the moves much more effective.

Aren't kettlebells fun?! They really are so addictive!

Hope this helps!:)
 
Gayle said:
In fact, I've been reading a lot lately about how partial squats stress the knee and quadriceps, without stressing the glutes, adductors and hamstrings, thereby creating muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. Partial squats also produce an anterior shear on the knee that creates an unbalanced strain on the prepatellar area.

For everything you ever wanted to know about squats (and deadlifts, and other lifts) I recommend checking out "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe and on Kilgore.

Anecdotally, I had ACL reconstruction two years ago following many years of lifting that utilized partial squats exclusively. Since then, I've only done full, deep squats with all kinds of weight (heaviest 120lbs) and have had no problems with my knees.

Hope this helps.
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Gayle:

Thanks so much for stating this. I have spent several years weight training with Cathe, I thought successfully, and yet got injured with patellofemoral syndrome in spite of all my cross training. All the partial squats in the world did nothing to protect my knees and I am coming to share your opinion. I was recently told by an orthopedist that I had weak glutes and hamstrings and muscle imbalances in the legs, i.e., typical situation to trigger patellofemoral syndrome. Wonderful! When I finally get the go-ahead to go back to weight lifting, I shall try the deep squats and try and target those glutes more.

Thanks for the book recommendation.

Clare
 
I am a fan of the deep squat. I have doing squats that way for years and have never had any injuries.

Also, as Gayle and Leanne stated you do want to lockout your legs and elbows. I was instructed to do this when I took a kettlebell class and read in it "Enter The Kettlebell".

Kettlebells are fantastic! The Art of Strength website has some great resources and clips on form.

Enjoy!
 
Leanne, I'm jealous, too!! I might have to come out there for a month and take Lauren's and Sean's classes. That would be so freaking AWESOME!!! The only thing I would like more would be if someone locked me in a gym with Tony and Sean, but since Tony's in Rhode Island and Sean's in San Diego, that's not an option. -- lol!
 
maddiesmum said:
Thanks for the book recommendation.

Clare
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You're welcome, Clare. Rippetoe writes in a very no sh*t style, and pulls no punches in stating what he thinks about certain sectors of the fitness industry (which I like). That said, the guy really knows his stuff.
 
Gayle said:
I've only done full, deep squats with all kinds of weight (heaviest 120lbs) and have had no problems with my knees.
.
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bow.gif
I can do them but never with anywhere near 120 lbs. :eek:
 
I can't do the deep squats. I think this has more to do w/muscle tightness than anything--my quads & glutes feel like they're gonna snap if I go any deeper than traditional squat position.

That said, I've been doing heavy squats for 20 years & never had any tendon or joint issues. For me it's mostly a matter of proper warmup before starting the heavy stuff.
 
Yep, Leanne and I are taking classes from the woman herself! She is a dollface and very soft spoken..but knows her stuff.

As for the deep squats...I go as far as is comfortable for me, thats it. I had a hip replaced and cannot really squat below parallel without alot of discomfort.

And yeah, you have to lock out, but it doesn't hurt, remember to keep your wrist straight at the top of say the snatch. I had been bending mine back and that is bad, keep it straight and you will not have any problems...Lauren taught Leanne and I that one.
 
tneah said:
Yep, Leanne and I are taking classes from the woman herself! She is a dollface and very soft spoken..but knows her stuff.

As for the deep squats...I go as far as is comfortable for me, thats it. I had a hip replaced and cannot really squat below parallel without alot of discomfort.

And yeah, you have to lock out, but it doesn't hurt, remember to keep your wrist straight at the top of say the snatch. I had been bending mine back and that is bad, keep it straight and you will not have any problems...Lauren taught Leanne and I that one.
Click to expand...

Please tell Lauren she must take her classes on the road :p
 
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