Steve Cotter Kettlebell Conditioning Workshop 2012.01.23

Respect comes with understanding- and now I have a deeper understanding of kettlebell training and a much higher respect for the 16KG kettlebell!

A few weeks ago, WOD Nation Coaches Aaron, Ferdi, and I were fortunate enough to have been able to participate in Steve Cotter's kettlebell conditioning workshop over at the Project Lifestyle Manila studio in Ortigas. I love these enlightening experiences. At first, I'd have to be honest that I wasn't really that excited to be joining the workshop. I was just curious to see if I'd learn a new thing or two. But man, I was in for for a ride.

16 KG KB. Respect it.

A few days before Steve Cotter's workshop, us participants had to first go through a day's worth of reviewing kettlebell basics via JP Sabido of the Philippine Kettlebell Club (also a Taekwondo national team member), so that we'd all be up to speed once we go into the workshop with Steve Cotter. This alone was already well worth the seminar fee! In my brief stint attending a CrossFit box in the US, I was taught the basic kettlebell swing and the Turkish get up, but moving forward I had to just Google my way through to learn the kettlebell clean and snatch. Researching is ok if you already have a good background in what you're learning. But really, all the intricacies of the kettlebell really need personal instruction to fully grasp. From how to swing and use the kettlebell's momentum for the snatch and clean, to elbow placement and how it affect's the arc of the swing, to proper racking, breathing, and rhythm, JP taught and drilled us in a whole host of details that I know will refine and heighten my kettlebell practice.

Thanks JP for the refresher!

On the actual kettlebell conditioning workshop, Steve Cotter got us intimate with the concept of enduring strength. Even just isometric holds with the double kettlebell front rack is a challenge! With all these exercises, progressions and training structure, all of us participants were opened up to a whole new way of looking at kettlebells for developing explosiveness, endurance, and overall toughness that can be easily applied to our individual sports.

Coaches Ferdi and Aaron practicing
the double kettlebell front rack.

Steve explaining a training progression to the jerk.

Also, can I just say that I have huge respect for Steve Cotter and what he does. I've been very fortunate to have come across instructors with genuine skill in both teaching and performing their methods, like my coaches Richard and Ryan Gialogo for arnis, the uncompromising Ido Portal for bodyweight strength and movement, and my fellows Aaron for powerlifting and Ferdi for triathlon. With Steve, it was truly amazing to see such a high level of stamina and accuracy with the kettlebells. He was able to lead us and demonstrate all the exercises up to the finest standard consistently throughout the whole day, all the while clearly explaining and making sure we understand the how's and why's of these exercises.

I always feed off of these displays of conditioning and skill. It motivates me to witness with my own eyes how much I can still improve myself. Just when I think I've gotten far, I realize that I got long, long ways to go. Daunting, and yet invigorating as well. I think I'm a masochist. Haha!

We capped off the workshop, with a quick team workout. Challenge yourself!

Along these lines, one realization that I believe needs special mention is how the one arm swing develops (and taxes!) grip strength. Actually I already knew that my grip had long ways to improve since before, so I'd always keep that in mind and train for it as much as I can. I've been accumulating forearm and grip strengthening exercises and trying them out. And now that I can more consistently bend bottlecaps  with one hand when before I couldn't, I could see that my grip strength did improve over time. (Cute party trick too! Try it our some time. hehe.) But with the one arm kettlebell swing that Steve had us do for timed intervals, I realized how the stamina of my grip left a huge gap in my conditioning. Another way to improve and challenge myself!

Like they say, knowing is half the battle.

Thanks to Steve Cotter, Nico and Summayah D'haenen, JP and the rest of the PKC, Toffy Ilagan and Project Lifestyle Manila for the great workshop!