Take the Next Step

So you saw some of those strange looking cattleballs on Biggest Loser and you thought they looked to be a good way to train.

You bought some and found that your new love – the kettlebell – actually gave you better results than you ever actually dreamed, even in your early stages of fumbling around trying to learn how not to squat when you swing.

Then you discovered this Russian guy, Pavel Tsatsouline and someone probably recommended Enter the Kettlebell to you. After reading or watching Enter the Kettlebell you started to realise that there was more, a lot more, to this whole kettlebell thing and you started to educate yourself more on how to get the most out of this simple, yet powerful training tool.

But at some point, and it’s the same for all of us, you start to ask, “what is the next step”? Because sooner or later you’re going to stall. You’ll start to experience one, or maybe all, of these things –

• You stop making progress.
• You start getting nagging little injuries.
• If you’re a trainer and you’ve started using kettlebells with clients (and shame on you if you’re using kettlebells with clients but aren’t an accredited trainer) your clients start to have the same problems.
• Either you or your clients are starting to get bored with kettlebell training because it’s not bringing you the results you’d like.

The next step is to attend and event like the HKC. I know what you’re thinking, “But it’s only three lifts, and beginner ones at that”. Well, let me just say that I am yet to see many people who actually perform swings well. Or Get Ups. Or even perform a basic functional movement pattern like squatting well unless they’ve been taught. Not only that but these three movements are so powerful, so all encompassing, that I have trained world champions using nothing but these same exact moves! We’ve used the swing to add two inches of jump height to a basketball player and the same exact swing to heal back injuries.

Last year I had the good fortune to be involved in three HKCs in Australia, and another one this year. I can honestly say that without the time spent working on these movements, on being part of teaching them, training people to do them correctly, that I wouldn’t be anywhere near as good at my job as I am right now. I’ve even suggested that there should be a “Master HKC” for already qualified RKCs to attend to go over these moves in even finer detail and really extract every ounce of detail and information from them.

Yes, the HKC is that good.

But what then? You’ve done the HKC, passed the number one, most technical, most in-depth kettlebell certification in the country. What happens next?

The one thing that separates good trainers from great trainers is education. All of the top trainers in the world share one common trait – an insatiable thirst for knowledge and continuing their education. Guys like Senior RKC Franz Sindeman who will travel halfway across the US just to “hang out” at the RKC and learn more. Or like Team Leader Andrea Chang who probably racks up more frequent flyer miles than the sky marshals she attends so many events to help out or hang out. And when you look at how successful they are the reason comes down to one thing – passionate accumulation of knowledge.

However, just knowing a lot about training won’t help your business much. There’s plenty of smart trainers around who can’t make decent money. Because their problem is that while they know a lot about training prospective clients have no idea exactly how smart they are! Their problem is that they have only seen half the puzzle – that making money as a trainer, having a solid income, depends on being able to market yourself as a good trainer. I’m not talking about the all hype, high pressure sales tactics used by big chain gyms. Necessary because they can’t clients results so they need to keep the stream of people flooding through the door because there’s two more leaving at the same time. I’m talking about some simple methods that can be used to inform the marketplace about your skills and services – essential skills in today’s modern world where everyone is bombarded by various forms of media – to separate yourself from the herd of others who are trying to steal your customers.

That’s why guys like Master RKCs Geoff Neupert and Dave Whitley have been to John du Cane’s Marketing Mastermind Intensive. It’s also why Senior RKC Jon Engum and I are going again later this year. Learning how to market is THAT important. It’s also why, along with kettlebell technique workshops for this HKC we’re also running a Niche Marketing Workshop.

Senior RKC Shaun Cairns and I are going to be speaking about what we’ve done to separate our businesses from the herd – to become the leaders in kettlebell training in our countries. From attending which events to speaking engagements to social media – it’s all going to be covered in this two hour, specialized niche marketing event. The combination of these two elements – technical training information along with business and marketing skills – is a one two knockout blow to your competition. Don’t miss this chance to really take your business and your training to the next level this year.

1,2,3…HKC!!

The tax year is done.

The year is half over.

Are you halfway to achieving your goals?

If one of your goals was to become better at your job as a personal trainer, to dominate your area as a kettlebell instructor and to educate yourself with world leading knowledge then you need to attend the July 30 HKC in Melbourne.

It’s no secret that Dragon Door are the world leaders in kettlebell training. It’s also no secret that if you’re currently training with kettlebells, and not living in Russia, that it is all down to one man- Pavel Tsatsouline. Since he arrived in the US he’s taken the fitness world by storm with his Russian Kettlebells. Having been named “Hot Trainer of the Year” by Rolling Stone magazine, featured in strength training journals and now recognized as a subject matter expert in strength and fitness by SEALs, Marine Special Operations, the FBI…the list goes on.

In 2001 he created the Russian Kettlebell Challenge, although these days it’s better known as the Russian Kettlebell Certification. It’s held up as being the number one, gold standard, kettlebell instructor’s course anywhere in the world. However, the RKC is tough – so tough that up to 30% of attendees fail. It’s a three day, grueling test of strength, stamina and mental toughness. And not everyone who is interested in teaching kettlebells is ready for that.

And that’s where the HKC comes in.

The HKC is a one day course that contains the key elements of kettlebell instruction that made the RKC so famous, without it being quite so tough. Don’t get me wrong – the HKC is still hard work. In fact, for most people it’s up there as one of the hardest training days they’ll ever have. Dragon Door don’t just hand out instructor status. We expect our instructors to be among the best in their field – to lead from the front. And the only way to do that is to earn it in sweat and hard work.

I often get comments from people about the HKC being “only” three lifts. The problem is that we’re not teaching you how to do these lifts. Oh, you’ll learn how to do them better than you ever thought was possible – with a great amount of detail and a high level of skill you may not have realized was even possible in lifting. But what we’re really going to do is teach you how to teach those lifts to your clients. And that takes time. The Swing alone can take hours to go through the myriad of drills that we have in our manual, updated continually by Pavel, to help you trouble shoot, diagnose and maximize your clients’ training. These drills will enable you to get your clients swinging as easy as “1,2,3” and they’ll never even guess at how detailed your knowledge is of these backbone, foundational kettlebell moves.

Unless they’ve trained with another instructor first. Nearly all of my current PT clients are refugees from other trainers. They love kettlebells, but they were sick of being hurt and made to do movements they knew were hurting them. So they seek us out at Dragon Door Australia. And when you apply Pavel’s RKC methods, even on “simple” moves like the Swing – you get massive results. It’s funny – when people think beginner they think of Swing, Get Up, Squat and then all of a sudden there’s a rush to learn the Clean, Press and Snatch as well as a bunch of other moves. But if you don’t know the Swing you’ll never get the Clean and the Snatch (certainly never well enough to pass the Snatch Test). And if you don’t have a solid Get Up you’ll probably hurt yourself Pressing or Snatching. And then when you become more advanced you realise that most of your training should stay centered around Swing, get Up and Squat – in fact, they’re all I’ve done for the last month!

Don’t waste any more time – the $100 discount on the July 30 HKC ends in 3 days on July 3! Click the link below to joint the number one kettlebell training group worldwide!

Dragon Door’s HKC (HardStyle Kettlebell Certified) Instructor Workshops- U.S. and Worlwide
Click here for Certification Course Information – Register now!

One Way or Another

I often get asked questions like “What’s the best way to…?” Usually, after I answer the person contemplates, for about a millisecond, what I said and then goes and does the exact opposite.

Take training for example. I’ve spent decades, literally, learning how to do my job well. I’ve read more books than I can count, been to any number of training seminars both here and overseas and spent time in the trenches doing my job. Because the education aspect of my job is very important. It allows me to answer more questions, solve more problems and ultimately do my job better. It’s how any truly good coach or trainer sees their job.

The reality is that education costs. Gone are the days in Australia where education is handed out. Universities are no longer free nor, in reality, are most public schools with parents expected to “donate” or contribute time for various events. I know I’ve certainly spent my fair share of money and time on my education. And there’s the thing – at some point, to learn what you need to take your training to the next level, you are going to have to spend something, either time or money, on your education. If you get injured, rather than go through the hassle of six years at college learning medicine you simply pay the money and go see a doctor or therapist. When your car breaks down, you pay the money and take it to the relevant mechanic.

Yet for some reason, people think that they will be able to figure out all their training requirements themselves. I think the human body is immeasurably more complex than a car, and I’m certainly still learning about it, but people just assume that they’ll be able to figure it out. I guess, if you have all the time in the world and an unlimited budget you will eventually be able to teach yourself the necessary skills to do whatever it is you are striving to do. But for most of us, the better answer is to simply invest a relatively small amount of money, save enormous amounts of time and just learn the skills on the spot. I value my spare time quite highly and honestly would rather just pay the money to have something done instantly, or near instantly.

In Australia we have several options coming up very soon to help you instantly increase your knowledge –

Saturday June 4 at 9am we are having an Introduction to Kettlebells class. This is exactly what it says – 60 minutes of light training designed so you can see whether or not you’re interested in using kettlebells to get into the best shape of your life.

This leads straight into our regular Beginner Classes which start the following week. Our Beginner Classes are the ideal starting point for your kettlebell training. With sessions divided between technique and workouts they provide the perfect blend of safe learning and exercise to produce results.

While I understand that many people cannot make these sessions for various reasons the number one choice then is always personal training. We have people fly from all around Australia to train with me here at Dragon Door Australia seeking to finally learn safe and correct technique after having enjoyed kettlebell training but then usually having had an injury from an over zealous trainer not being wary enough of their form. Personal training is the fastest way to improve. In one on one coaching there is no way a client can hide or perform poorly. Every single session is directed towards getting the best result possible. Coming up soon we have a unique chance to get in front of the two highest ranked trainers in the Southern Hemisphere – Senior RKC Shaun cairns and I will be running four PT sessions on the afternoon of July 29. These PT sessions offer the best of the PT world – FMS work and then training with a Senior RKC. I have watched Shaun teach people a skill they were physically unable to do and an hour later have them repping it out perfectly. In fact, I’m an example of that – a year ago I was unable to do a pistol and had RKCII approaching. An hour with Shaun on my pistol, windmill and bent press saw me pass Level 2 with flying colours becoming the first ever in the country to do so!

And finally, if you’re stuck with your training, attending workshops is a sure fire way to increase your skill, education and abilities all in one go.

The decision is yours. You can either spend the time to learn everything yourself or you can spend the money to have someone teach it to you. But one way or another you’re going to spend something. If you want to waste your life struggling to figure out things that is fine. But me, I’d rather just spend a little cash and  keep my progress rolling.

Beginner Classes

Want to get into kettlebell training but don’t know where to start?

Own a few books and DVDs but aren’t sure you’re doing things right?

Been to a workshop run by another instructor and left feeling like something was missing?

I get emails like this every single day. Like most forms of resistance training, most people that I have seen do not have good mechanics and have no clear picture of what they are doing with kettlebells. I even get students of other instructors coming to me needing help because what they have been shown just isn’t right!

When you consider the speed and technical demands of kettlebell training it is no surprise that even some accredited instructors don’t do a very good job of teaching people how to use them. While a Book or DVD can get you close to good form, it can often be easy to overlook vital aspects of safety and performance as well as figure out ways to train to make progress.

In the past I have taught single day workshops in Melbourne covering as many as six lifts in a 4-6 hour format. The short version is that this is only about 50% successful in giving people a great take home set of skills to maximise their training without having to pay for ongoing training. So I’ve come up with what I feel is a better way –

Starting February 1 Dragon Door Australia will be offering month long Kettlebell Introduction classes. These sessions will run twice per week on Tuesday and Thursday at 6am and 6.30pm.

The greatest benefit of this is that you will get not one exposure to training with the best kettlebell coaches in the country, but eight. Each lesson will further reinforce the ones before it, while simultaneously teaching new skills on top of the ones already learnt. So you’ll get fitter while you gain knowledge! That’s just not possible in a single day workshop.

Normally, I would charge as much as $600 over 6 hours for the amount of information I am teaching, but for these classes the price will be a low $300! Saving you 50% as well as giving you two hours for nothing!

I am convinced that this is a better way to teach kettlebells to people and will give a better result in your own training. Here’s what we’re going to cover:

• Learn the fundamental lifts of the world’s #1 strength and conditioning system.
• Fine tune your technique while you receive exceptional hands on tuition.
• Experience powerful instructor led workouts – a phenomenal way to experience the endless variations of well designed kettlebell training programs.
• Develop a warrior-like resilience – to endure and overcome the toughest tasks.
• Discover how to train without pain and neutralise the apparent deficiencies of a high mileage body.
• Learn these two essential kettlebell exercises that will give you the most bang for your buck. Do you know what they are?
• Strengthen your legs and hips.
• Understand the crucial value of quick lifts and slow strength. When and how to use them for maximum effect.
• How to bullet proof the shoulders and back for Special Ops endurance and strength.

I am convinced that this is the absolute best way to learn how to use kettlebells. In fact, I am so sure that I will offer a 100% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied at the end of the month that you have learnt all the basic drills, greatly enhanced your own strength and fitness and can safely continue using kettlebells on your own.

Don’t delay – take this opportunity to learn from the best. Dragon Door Australia has the most experienced and highest ranked RKCs in the country. Email me at andrewread@dragondooraustralia.com for more details.

Martial Power Workshops

Owning a dumb body is like owning outdated software. Close to useless. Only worse, cos with your own body you’re talking serious or TERMINAL hurt.

And in competition or in conflict, a dumb body spells danger for you and danger for your buddies. You’re a walking liability.

Well, what if there was such a thing as a “Smart Body?”

A smart body—programmed with state-of-the-art neuro-software guaranteed to rocket your power, strength and speed far beyond its original capability?

And what if you could get hold of these neuro-software secrets yourself and:

IN YOUR VERY FIRST DAY, INSTANTLY GAIN
A 30% OR GREATER INCREASE IN YOUR STRENGTH AND POWER!

Can you imagine? The same day you learn them—secrets that make you immediately 30% stronger and faster.

For the first time in Australia I will be running workshops specifically for martial artists, combining Pavel’s world famous hard-hitting combat secrets from the Russian Spec Ops with his gold standard Russian Kettlebell system.

Learn:

• Why the mastery of progressive calisthenics is the secret to raw strength and power through the forgotten art of bodyweight training.
• Discover how a simple push up can double your punching power when done correctly.
• The futility of gym machines and the charade of high rep low weight bodybuilding training when it comes to power and speed.
• Unlock the 6 rules for power packed push ups and the hidden benefits of this lost exercise.
• 15 secrets to impeccable squatting and how the bodyweight squat will do more for your kicking than barbell squats.
• Discover the magic of GTG – Grease the Groove – to develop crushing power using the RKC principles of strength.

Combine this with the RKC system for kettlebell training to learn:

• Understand why mastery of the kettlebell swing will give you stamina and resilience.
• Learn how to recruit the powerful lat as a core muscle, to protect your spine and add power to your punching and kicking.
• The concept of rooting and how to use it to increase your striking power.
• The two hundred year history of the Get Up and its uses for combat sports.
• Develop simultaneous mobility and stability to develop awesome power.

These two workshops are being run for the first time ever in Australia in Brisbane and Melbourne on December 18 and 19. Due to the amount of information contained these are five hour workshops running from 10am to 3pm. For more details see the website, for Brisbane click here and for Melbourne click here.

The 5 Ps of Passing the HKC

With our next HKC coming soon, and with this event being the 92nd HKC held world wide I thought I would take the time to help some people out. As someone who grew up working in the service industry I simply can’t stand it when people don’t get what they’ve paid for. I really get upset when people pay hard earned money to attend an event, work hard all day long and ultimately leave without the bit of paper they wanted. In most cases this can be easily solved with doing the right preparation beforehand. I’m a big believer in the 5 Ps of success – Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. So, in order, here are the 5 Ps for HKC success:

1. Spend time with an RKC.

It seems so simple, but so far out of the people I have seen attend an HKC and pass on the day (because don’t forget, just because something isn’t correct on the day doesn’t mean that you’ve completely blown it as you have three months to get it right. Although nothing beats passing on the day) they have all spent time with an RKC prior in all but two cases! So, while it is possible to pass, the question you need to ask yourself is are you that rare person, with such great mechanics and athleticism that you can just wing it on the day and pass, or are you like most people and need some coaching beforehand?

2. Know the movements already.

As much as the HKC is an ideal learning tool for people looking to get serious about their training, it is also an instructor certification. As such we expect that you should already have an idea of what you are about to do, and should have already spent a fair amount of time learning about and training with kettlebells. Ideally, you’d have familiarised yourself with the following list of technical points:

Swing –

Swing a kettlebell back between the legs and then in front up to chest level for 10 repetitions, switch hands and do another 10.

• Back must be flat
• Heels planted and the knees track toes
• Working shoulder packed
• Working arm is straight in bottom position
• Kettlebell handle stays above the knees during the backswing
• No forward knee movement on upswing
• Body forms a straight line on the top of the swing: the hips and knees extend fully, neck neutral
• Biomechanical breathing match
• Abs and glutes visibly contract tat the top of the swing

Get Up –

Lie on your back, pick up the kettlebell with both hands and press it with one. Slowly stand up while keeping your loaded arm straight and vertical. Assist yourself by pushing into the ground with the free arm. Slowly reverse the movement.

• Use both hands to lift the kettlebell from the ground at the start of the exercise and to return it to the ground at the finish
• Wrist on the kettlebell side is neutral/straight
• Elbow on the kettlebell side is locked
• Shoulder on the kettlebell side is packed
• Shoulder of the free arm does not shrug up
• Heel of the front foot on the kettlebell side stays planted
• Knee touches the deck silently when descending into the half-kneeling position

Goblet Squat –

Pick up the kettlebell by its horns and hold it next to your chest. Squat below parallel, rest your elbows inside your knees pushing the latter out, pause, stand up. Repeat 5 times.

• Back is flat
• Shoulders are pressed down (scapulae depressed)
• Neck neutral
• Heels planted
• Big toes planted
• Knees track the toes
• Elbows push out against the VM in bottom position
• Ascent initiated with a grunt
• Hips ascend at the same arte as the shoulders
• Hips and knees extend fully at the top of the squat

3. Be Physically prepared.

The day is long. We start at 8.30am with sign in and the course starts at 9am sharp. The last one ran until just after 6pm with only a 30 minute lunch break. That’s a lot of training! Within that we spend about 4 hours teaching and breaking down the Swing so that you can teach it and trouble shoot it well. While we expect you to do it perfectly, you also need to be able to teach it too. To be honest, 4 hours seems like a rush when you consider that nearly the entire first day of the RKC is about the Swing (yet another reason why the RKC are so good at what they do – devotion to perfection of movement and detail). Then we split the remaining time between Get Up and Squat. Along the way you will be doing lots of Swings. You will do them in drills and you will do them to grease the groove and perfect your technique. My last count at an HKC was around 800 Swings for the day. If you struggle to do 100 Swings now, what makes you think you’ll be ready for the big day?

One of the tests is a Pull Up test. While for most people it is no big deal the Pull Up is not everyone’s favourite list so here are some clues to help you master the test:

• Lose weight. Really. If you’re carrying a few kilos too many it makes Pull Ups really hard. Dropping even 2-3kg can make a substantial difference. So ditch the poor food choices and get leaner and watch your Pull Ups improve instantly.
• Practice static holds at the top position. Do not do these to failure. Jump up, put your chin over the bar and hold it there for a few seconds. Slowly lower yourself down and repeat a few times. Try to do this daily, greasing the groove of your Pull UPs. Allow the volume of your work to help you with this rather than a small number of gut busting painful workouts. Each week try to add time or reps to your efforts.
• If the static holds are no problem try band assisted Pull Ups.
• Use Pavel’s ladder method to increase your Pull Ups without fatiguing you. (See either Beyond Bodybuilding or Enter the Kettlebell for more details, available from http://www.dragondooraustralia.com)

4. Swing!

 

The centre of the RKC universe, and the lift you’ll do the most on the day, is the Swing. If in doubt in your own training add more swings. Sigrun Bishop, who passed at the Brisbane HKC, notes that she did “roughly 4,000 swings in the 5 weeks leading up to the HKC”. And you could tell on the day. She looked rock solid and killed it all day long because of the work she had done prior. My basic instruction for people is to train 4-5 days per week and try to get in 200-300 good quality Hardstyle Swings each time.

5. Practice the movements in your training.

If you can’t figure out what to do in training try a workout like this, which is actually a Dave Whitley workout called the Furnace:

• Overhead Lunges right
• Two hand swings
• Overhead Lunges left
• Two hand swings
• Kneeling windmill right
• Two hand swings
• Kneeling windmill left
• Two hand swings
• 1/2 Get Up right
• Two hand swings
• 1/2 Get Up left
• Two hand swings
• Full Get Up right
• Full Get Up left

All exercises are 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off. The final Get Ups should take a full minute each side with 30 seconds up, 30 down. As you get more advanced you could replace the two arm swings with single arm swings on the same side. Alternatively you can replace the swings with Goblet Squats for alternate rounds.

For anyone keen to attend Dave’s workshops and learn more of his brilliance and great programming go here http://www.dragondooraustralia.com/product_info.php?products_id=151&osCsid=4a949786acb8c68a703587c977a08842

So You’ve Passed the HKC, Now What…?

The Sydney HKC will be the 92nd of its kind since the course was first launched in the middle of 2009. In that time it has been run with great success in the US, UK, Italy, Hungary, South Africa and here in Australia. Due to its massive success and that it is derived from the gold standard of kettlebell training – the RKC – it is no surprise to many of us that it has been so successful in such a short time and that it is fast becoming not just a great instructor certification but also the best way you could possibly hope to kick start your kettlebell training. To stand in the room and watch people go from poor posture and poor form early in the day to there or thereabouts by the end of the day brings a  great sense of satisfaction to me. Kettlebells have literally helped me regain some of the aspects of performance I thought I had lost as I aged and I love being able to share that with people.

Once you pass, like with any Dragon Door certification, you know you have earned it. There are no free meals at Dragon Door events. Everything is earned in sweat, effort and in some cases bleeding hands. But what do you do once you’ve passed? Where to from there?

For many the next logical step is RKC. But for many that is also a long term goal and, for us in Australia, not always possible due to travel and time restrictions, so then what? What is the next best choice to increase your knowledge and skills?

While there are many great products you can learn from, furthering your own education with things such as Kettlebells From the Ground Up or Advanced Workshops sometimes you need to diversify a bit to be better at your job as a trainer.

For me, one of the biggest steps I took in my own abilities as a trainer was starting to read about the Functional Movement Screen by Gray Cook. When top trainers such as Mike Boyle, Jon Torine and Pavel Tsatsouline all proudly support it you know there is something good in it. This journey of knowledge was taken to the next step earlier this year when I took a trip to the US to attend the Certified Kettlebell Functional Movement Specialist course hosted by Dragon Door in May. The difference this has made to my abilities as a trainer has been tremendous. I am able to screen clients, assess their weaknesses and asymmetries and immediately work with them to rectify those problems and get them heading in the right direction sooner rather than later.

Unlike most modern training methodologies, in the RKC world we don’t strive to add performance no matter the cost. What I mean is that it is entirely likely in today’s fitness setting to add strength or performance without addressing under lying mechanical issues. That’s like strapping a rocket engine to a Model T Ford! Sure, it may go fast, but what is the end result going to be? For many it just means they will hurt themselves bigger and worse than they would have previously. The FMS system fits perfectly within this concept as it targets movements first, not exercises or muscles. By fixing underlying, primitive movement patterns we are, in essence, tightening the chassis of the car and putting good rubber on before adding the turbo charger. The end result from this two pronged assault on training is far better performance and durability.

Coming soon to Australia will be an amazing chance to benefit from one of the leading teachers of this system, and RKC Team Leader, Mark Cheng. Doc is often credited through  many texts with his vital assistance to both the FMS and RKC methodologies and has been one of the main road testers for the FMS system since its birth. He has been on the front line using it, learning from it and constantly helping to tweak it to improve it. I was lucky enough to participate in one of his sessions that combined the Get Up and FMS at CK FMS and can say that his insight into both systems really brings great harmony and sense to physical training. Unfortunately the CK FMS course is only available to RKCs, but the regular FMS isn’t!

Mark will be running an FMS workshop in Sydney on November 13 and 14 and in Adelaide on 20 and 21. For more information or to book go here :Kettlebells Los Angeles

These workshops will are an awesome opportunity to leap frog your competitors or dramatically increase your understanding of movement, exercise science and performance. If you’ve done the HKC, now is the perfect time to attend this workshop. The lessons learned will likely help you in your quest to achieve the next physical goal like the RKC!

HKC Preparation Class

With the next HKC planned on November 13 for Sydney the time is fast approaching to make sure you’re ready.

Make no mistake, there is a massive difference between attending a beginner workshop and a preparation class for an instructor event. With a 100% pass rate for students of Dragon Door Australia versus 6% for those trained elsewhere the decision should be easy.

Here’s why you should pick to train with Dragon Door Australia:

1. Highest ranked RKC in Australia. Australia’s only RKCII and first Certified Kettlebell Functional Movement Specialist.
2. Australia’s leading instructor, featured in UltraFit, Blitz and Inside MMA magazines.
3. Assisting on the day will be Shannon Scullin – Australia’s first female RKC.
4. 100% pass rate for those who have attended previous  HKC preparation classes.
5. Train with the only RKC to have taught at any Dragon Door certification and the only person to have taught at all Australian HKCs.
6. With another RKC on hand you will find no better instruction anywhere in Australia beyond the HKC itself.

Read here to see what others have to say about training with Andrew Read.

This one time class in Sydney will be October 23 at the same venue as the HKC – Thump HQ, 97 Queens Rd Five Dock. Price for this four hour workshop will be $300 per person.

Train with the best – Dragon Door Australia. If you’re planning to attend, you may as well set yourself up to pass!

For more information go to the workshop page or contact me on 0412 658 434.

Kettlebell Muscle

I am very excited about some of the new products that have just arrived at Dragon Door Australia. We’ve now got copies of Pavel’s Relax into Stretch book and DVD as well as The Naked Warrior DVD. But what I am most excited about is a new title from Master RKC Geoff Neupert titled Kettlebell Muscle.

Geoff has tremendous experience in building slabs of muscle in a hurry. With extensive background in Olympic weightlifting and as a Division 1 NCAA strength and conditioning coach, he has been working with athletes his whole life. The book is based on Javorek’s work with complexes. For anyone who doesn’t know what a complex is I will fill you in – its like a circuit, but you do it without putting the weight down. Initially Javorek used these with an Olympic bar to warm up athletes quickly and efficiently. One of the side effects of performing multiple lifts without setting the bar down is high amounts of lactic acid production. Research from a number of sources clearly shows that high levels of lactate plus incomplete recovery equal huge increases in Growth Hormone production, an essential element of both fat burning and muscle growth!

Geoff has made great use of this phenomena in Kettlebell Muscle. The workouts are short, sharp and tough. I have been following this program for a week, along with several other RKCs and some advanced clients and we all feel the same way about this book – its awesome! For me, having been on a steady diet of low rep, high volume pressing prior to RKCII this book is exactly what I need. They say that the best program you can be on is the one that is opposite to what you are doing right now. Well, given my last workouts were taking 1-1.5 hours to complete and using a single, heavy bell and Muscle takes somewhere between twelve and twenty minutes and uses double bells it fits that criteria perfectly.

The book isn’t filled with useless information either, which I quite like. Geoff could have easily padded the book out to many more pages by adding in pictures and tips on the lifts used. Instead, given the number of resources out there on that information already he covers them in basic detail with good, large pictures to help fine tune your form. Remember, this isn’t a program for beginners anyway, so it is assumed that you have these lifts dialled in before attempting to do them in this program. It comes with a program that runs for two, six week blocks. The first six weeks is complexes only, the second involves chains.

What’s a chain? A chain is a movement that is made up of other movements. Think of Clean and Press, or Clean and Jerk – two moves that are built into one single move. So, where the first 6 weeks is tough, the second 6 weeks takes a step in a whole new direction in terms of difficulty. Given how hard this initial week is I am not looking forward to the last 6 weeks!

In addition to this great book, and because I think it deserves its own workshop, I am going to run a workshop centred solely around the book. I am running two workshops in Melbourne on August 7. The first is a beginner workshop teaching the fundamentals of the Swing, Get Up and Squat. I will then be running a second, advanced workshop to teach the movements necessary to perform the workouts in Kettlebell Muscle as well as how to best perform the double lifts, what weights to use and how best to plan the rest of your training around such a demanding program. As a further incentive to attend, for those who book both seminars you’ll receive a copy of the book as part of the package! The first workshop is $200 and runs from 10am to 1pm, the second runs from 1pm to 4pm and costs $200 also. However, if you are attending both and book them together the cost will be $380 and include a copy of the book free! For information call me on 0412 658 434, or email at andrewread@dragondooraustralia.com

Burn Baby, Burn

Have you ever wanted a six-pack for summer?

How about being able to fit into “that” pair of skinny jeans again?

Close your eyes right now and imagine the way you want to look – lean, fit, strong and sexy. Imagine yourself on New Year’s this year with the body you’ve always dreamed of having.

Well, wait no more. Dragon Door Australia is about to start an all new program, never seen before in Australia.

Learn how to eat to turn your body into a fat burning furnace.

Perform workouts designed to melt fat from your body, sculpt lean muscle and make you feel young again.

See why Rolling Stone magazine named the kettlebell the “Hot weight of the year”.

This program will run for 16 weeks and I can personally guarantee that it will help you transform your body from fat to fit! We will be starting August 2, 2010. The program will run for 16 weeks – finishing late November. Imagine losing 10kg in that time!

But, this program isn’t for everyone. It is only for those who are 100% serious about getting in the best shape of their lives. We will not be accepting everyone who wants to participate. This isn’t like your suburban gym where you can just mindlessly turn up, plod along on the treadmill and wonder why you never seem to change shape. This is real training, for those who are committed and serious about changing their lives for good.

Don’t miss your chance. For more information contact andrewread@dragondooraustralia.com