One of the adjustments my weightlifting coach Alfonso Duran made here to my Snatch when I first started training with him was to deliberately pull the bar back into my body with my lats when it was above the knee.
As a result, the 2nd pull - from the knee to the hip - became extremely fast.
So much so that I had a 10kg (22lb) PR in right around 6 weeks.
Similarly, when Mark Cohen, my first weightlifting coach taught me proper bar position on my upper back for the Squat which made me stay much more upright than I was used to…
The size of my quads exploded !
(And not surprisingly, my lifts went up as a result.)
And when Pavel showed me how to “wedge” at my RKC Instructor Certification, 20 years ago this past June, the pain in my lower back while doing 2-Hand Swings “magically” disappeared.
(That was the best $1500+ I ever invested on a certification and radically transformed my life!)
And the KB just flew up on my Swings as a result.
But too many guys miss these sorts of details.
They think that -
“More reps!”
“Less rest!”
“More intensity!”
And -
“WORKING HARDER!”
Are the answers to Pressing the next size KB over their noggins.
And while those are PARTIALLY true…
And pieces of the “Strength Puzzle”…
They’re not the WHOLE TRUTH nor the WHOLE Puzzle.
Back when I led my “Kettlebell Muscle” and “Kettlebell STRONG!” Live Workshops from 2009 through 2016, attendees were always blown away with -
[a] How “hard” they worked with so few reps
[b] How much more they could feel their muscles
[c] How much easier the weights started feeling
And usually, about 80% of the attendees achieved a Double KB Military Press PR (Personal Record).
Even though we almost never did more than 2 reps per set all day.
In case you’re not catching what the ol’ NeupDog (as the Iron Tamer, Dave Whitley nicknamed me) is laying down for you here…
The common denominator or theme in all these stories is what I consider the divide between “good” and “great”…
And it’s gotta be the MOST RANDOM strength method of all time.
And that’s TECHNIQUE WORK.
Now most guys think their technique is sufficient.
But more likely than not, it falls short.
How do I know?
Cause I’ve been teaching people of all ages how to use kettlebells since 2002.
And I routinely get on Zoom calls to fix guys' kettlebell technique.
But most guys don’t realize what they’re missing and fall into the trap of “good enough.”
But it’s not.
In fact, it’s one of the reasons guys routinely damage their shoulders while Pressing.
For example
Did you know that forearm position is “mission critical” to keep your lat engaged while you’re Pressing?
Wait - you were aware that you’re supposed to Press from your lat, right?
And that doing so stabilizes your shoulder joint and protects your rotator cuff from injury, right?
Did you know that the position of your wrist can RANDOM , turn off your lat (which remember, you’re supposed to use when you Press), and RANDOM your shoulder in the overhead lockout position?
… Making it practically impossible to fully extend your elbow? Which again, can damage your shoulder?
And did you know that HOW and WHERE you BREATHE can make you weaker on each rep?
One way makes you less stable and can pinch your rotator cuff and the other makes your body RANDOM
And did you know that you can and should RANDOM your hips and legs in your Press?
Or did you know that your eye and head position can make you instantly weaker , or RANDOM ?
And that depending on those positions, your shoulder blades either RANDOM across your ribcage, safeguarding your glenohumeral joint and your rotator cuff - or not
… Guarding yourself from future injury and producing a RANDOM Press as you work either with or against your natural shoulder mechanics?
And that each of these cues, plus others I’m happy to share with you, contribute to more reps each set
Which adds up to more work completed in each training session?
… Which means you get STRONGER , RANDOM ?
So, if you want to Press the next size kettlebell and you know that you’ve been “phoning it in” with RANDOM , “good enough” technique
Why not “level up your game” by taking some time - 10 to 15 minutes of each training session - to “sharpen your blade”
… To dedicate time to learning and practicing effective strength-building technique - for your Press and other lifts (Clean and Front Squat carry over well to your Press)
Start with the single kettlebell Press and other single KB lifts found in ‘THE BIG 6’ and use any one of 7 BONUS Programs that are currently included
And if you’ve got those nailed down, move on to Kettlebell STRONG! and learn the double kettlebell lifts. Doing so builds your entire body stronger - and therefore ALL your lifts stronger - not just your Press.
Stay Strong,
Geoff Neupert.