Not as much science as one would hope.
Karl ]]> http://www.kettlebelltraining.net/ny-times-article-on-pt-00943/feed/ 0 http://www.kettlebelltraining.net/kettlebell-training-and-your-diet-00163/ http://www.kettlebelltraining.net/kettlebell-training-and-your-diet-00163/#comments Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:26:46 +0000 admin http://www.kettlebelltraining.net/wordpress/kettlebell-training-and-your-diet/ While kettlebells themselves may will make a huge impact on your overall physical conditioning and physique, diet plays an important part in determining just how healthy you come out on the other end of this training. While most of us are very tired of hearing about the latest fad diet that may or may not provide the answers we seek, I believe the real long lasting solutions come in a more natural, sensible approach to diet and nutrition, and how that can help us achieve not only success in our kettlebell training, but also in our over health and fitness. Let’s examine some of the ways this can apply.

I think most if us would agree that kettlebells resemble a more “native” approach to physical conditioning, one that would have been employed by our long-gone ancestors had the had the need to do this. However their time was taken up by having to do this type of physical labor in earnest to survive. Moving that stack of rocks to construct a shelter, and so on. Kettlebells mimic that kind of core conditioning and strength. So why should we get so extreme when it comes to diet? For fast, short term solutions, a particular diet may bring a desired result, though that result may not last.

My take on this is that if we eat a balanced diet, filled with as much natural and unprocessed foods as we can find, we will not stray far from the path that nature intended. For each individual the amounts and number of times we eat during the day is going to vary, and we should be aware of this.

Here are some of the guidelines I follow, and you can use these as tips or fodder for further thought on your own diet plan. I totally ignore the government’s “food pyramid”. In fact, I invert it. They’ve got it totally backwards in my view. Research has shown that excessive carbs raises the blood sugar and are converted to simple sugars, not the building blocks of muscle and strength that we seek. While I do use sweets and some fats sparingly, the core of our diet needs to be meats, fruits and vegetables, with either end of this pyramid de-emphasized. This will give us the best chance at using these foods as the core builders that they are intended to be.

I mean, think about it. Did our early ancestors have latest soy shake and count on it to survive? No, the answer lies in staying as natural as you can, and avoiding fast foods and other processed foods like the plague. (Because they are!)

One of the sources I respect for nutrition and fitness is Dr. Al Sears. (Do a Google search, and you’ll find plenty to read) Combine this knowledge and use more common sense than fad and soon you’ll have developed your own diet plan that will not only keep your weight where it needs to be, but also promote the best possible fitness you can achieve!

Some of the most important concerns for law enforcement personnel when it comes to strength development lie in the area of grip and forearm strength. These two areas are of utmost importance to a line officer who may one day find themselves grappling with an uncooperative suspect and the next minute having to scale a wall or fence. And, if forced to use their weapon, having to deal with recoil issues and stability can also be an area where you'd want to have sufficient strength available to you to handle the situation.

While kettlebell training ultimately addresses the whole body fitness, kettlebells can deliver a particular benefit in the areas we just spoke about. A police officer's grip on a suspect needs to be strong. By training in this fashion you'll find that you'll have the edge on most people you come in contact with.

One of the most popular exercises for law enforcement is the Ladder. This is a circuit of high pull open palm cleans with a kettlebell, starting out with one and proceeding "up the ladder" to ten, and then back down again, shaking your arms out between each rep. This will really kick your booty, and you may find yourself pretty gassed at the end of it. (That's a good thing!)

Pull ups are great at working the back muscles, lats and the grip; all areas where we need to pull strength from in order to scale an obstacle, subdue a suspect, or handle a firearm well. You can check around and see how many of your fellow officers can even perform a pull up, let alone in gear. You may be dismayed at what you find. Don't count yourself among them!

Other kettlebell exercises you may want to incorporate into your workouts may include Turkish Get-ups, a variety of swings, both one legged and front squats, military presses (each side with one kettlebell or alternating if using two), snatches and cleans. You will definitely come across more interesting and more advanced exercises as you go along, and in time you should definitely explore these, but some combination of all that we've mentioned above is more than sufficient to get a novice, or even someone who is an experienced lifter but new to kettlebells going.

Make sure that if you are an active duty law enforcement officer that you take care to structure your training properly. Kettlebell training in an extreme form of physical conditioning, and if done right at all will tax your resources considerably. That said, make sure that you don't do a monster workout just before you go to work. You won't be at your best. Schedule your heavy days on days you're either not working or have light duty. Just use your head here, and you'll be fine. Proper rest and nutrition will also play a major part in your success or failure with kettlebell training.

Kettlebell training can be a boon to anyone in this line of work who seeks an edge. Be sure to avail yourself of the best training and equipment you can come up with, and before you know it you'll find like many who've gone before you that training with kettlebells will produce a strength and power you've not experienced before!

When finding yourself facing a wicked structure fire, facing the prospect of ferrying heavy equipment into and possibly helpless victims out of a conflagration calls for a special type of physical conditioning generally unavailable to the masses. The length of time you may be on a fire also plays into the need to come up with a workout that addresses the particular needs of a firefighter. Perhaps the ultimate anaerobic profession, these heavy physical tasks must be performed at a high level under intense heat and emotional circumstances.

So what types of kettlebell exercises might be applicable to firefighting? One workout routine that I have seen out there is a combination of presses, swings, weighted pulls-ups and Turkish get-ups. The presses can be a variety of exercises, including kettlebell clean and presses, side presses, or single military presses. Likewise a variety of swings, either with one kettlebell or two, and possibly alternating. Weighted pull-ups can be replaced with bent over rows, Renegade Rows, or Bear Crawls. Turkish get-ups are a great exercise for entire body strength, but can be possibly too much on a work day. On those days you might want to substitute a Windmill.

Attempt to mimic the cardio and strength demands of firefighting in your strength and conditioning days. A monster session of swings and snatches, combined with an active recovery period consisting of something like jumping rope or jogging will give you the kind of workout that you can build on. Also try and incorporate some traditional firefighting conditioning drills, such as any type of tower work if you're fortunate enough to have one in your station. You might even place kettlebells strategically on different landings in the tower, performing presses or snatches on your way up and down. Just another (evil) idea!

We need to speak about the intensity of your workouts, particularly on days-on. On work days you may want to focus your training on low rep sets, not really taxing yourself to the point where you'd be too fried for an alarm. Perhaps focus on a couple of full body exercises and strive for good form and technique. On days off is where you go for the gusto! Using these days for full body conditioning and strength training in a firefighter specific routine will give you the edge you're looking for from kettlebells. Make sure you schedule yourself enough down time as well, as over-training would be disastrous for someone in this line of work. Proper sleep and nutrition also play a vital role in whether or not this type of training program, (or any training program for that matter!) will work for you.

Make sure when crafting a sensible workout routine for firefighting that you take into account not only your work schedule but also the demands of the job. The goal of including kettlebell training into a freighting conditioning program is to pump up the overall physical prowess specific to the job. By using kettlebells unique ability to work both the strength and cardio aspects of the task, you'll soon find yourself in much better overall conditioning, and able to withstand the demands of the profession, leading to a safer more effective workplace.