Kettlebells from the Ground Up manual.pdf

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Dr. Mark Cheng has done a superb job creating this manual from ourconversations and the DVD. He is an expert instructor and insightful teacher.He has represented our collaborative work with clarity and precision. BrettJones is the best wíngmon a guy could hope to have. I would not think oftalking about Kettlebells on camera, without him by my side. Lee Burton co-produced this project with me and protected the rest of us from some of thetechnical headaches that always seem to follow one of our endeavors. PaulLiggitt provided patience, superb artistic ability, and more patience. Danielletook our fÏnished and final product, and showed us all that we don't knowthe meaning of the word edit. A good thing became much better.

Thanks guys...

This project represents the full circle of our professional education anddevelopment in exercise and movement re-education. Professionally, we allseem to start simple and then proceed to make things difficult. I wouldimagine it is mostly so we can feel smarter and more important. After wepersist in royally complicating matters, we see the interconnectedness ofthings and the simplicity we should strive to embrace in our work. I've beenteaching, lecturing, writing, and practicing in the fîelds of exercise andrehabilitation for nearly 20 years. It is refreshing and enlightening to seesomething from the past like a Turkish Get Up, hit us right in our modernfaces.

At forly years old with long history of teaching, training, and treating, I wasexposed to an elite kettlebell community called the RKC. I immediatelyfound peers, mentors, and friends with a historic and holistic appreciation fortraining and conditioning. It was great, to not be the coach or teacher for achange, and it served me well, because I learned better ways to convey themessage that defines my work.

- Take tíme to move *.11... then move oft r....

GrayCook

Kettlebells Form The Ground Up - The Kalos Sthenos

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KALOS STHENOS - beautîfu Strength

...The lurkísh GeFUp.

By Mark Cheng, L.Ac., Ph.D., RKC TL,

Brett Jones, MS, CSCS, Master RKC, &, Gray Cook, MSPT, OCS, CSCS, RKC

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Introduction

Step 1: Roll to Press

Step 2: Press to Elbow

Step 3: Elbow to Post

Step 4: Post to High Pelvis

Step 5: High Pelvis to Bend (High Pelvis to Knee)

Step 6: Knee to Half Kneeling

Step 7: Half Kneeling to Stand

Conclusion and Workout Schemes

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Introduction:

For the person who's interested in developing strength without losing mobility, the Turkish Get-

Up is one of the prime exercises for total fitness and functionality. Clinically, there is no shortage

of patients who've made major breakthroughs with challenging rotator cuff problems thanks to

the Turkish Get-Up (hereafter abbreviated as the TGU). Any athlete who serves a tennis ball,

spikes a volleyball, swings a golf club, or pitches a baseball will certainly appreciate the kind of

coordinated strength that the TGU develops.

For the fitness and medical professional, the TGU serves as a fundamental movement primer, a

corrective exercise, a conditioning system , and a movement screen. It is a useful tool to both

detect and address movement pattern asymmetries and weaknesses.

The Turkish Get-Up is a remarkable exercise that comes to us from the grappling traditions of

Central Asia. Realizingthat the end goal of combat skill was to outlive one's enemies, many

traditional fighting arts have incorporated longevity and vitality practices, a strong component of

which is fundamental movement pattern training. These exercises form the primer of movement,

strength, and coordination for practitioners of those arts - improving both their athletic

performance and their long-term durability. Traditional grappling arts are well-known for their

,t ong emphasis on developing these attributes through a variety of different weight training

methods.

Turkish wrestlers rank among the history's most celebrated grapplers thanks to their strength,

skill, and agility. The Turkish Get-Up is one of the exercises that has made its way down to us

from these old-world masters of movement. If a wrestler was able to control a heavy weight from

a supine position to the overhead lockout position with absolute confidence, that signaled a

landmark in his development. Modern grapplers such as Brazllian Jiu-Jitsu expert, Roy Harris

(www.royharris.com), have also extolled the usefulness of the Turkish Get-Up in combat sports

and in "quality of life" improvement.

Suggested Kettlebell Weight:

The amount of weight you should use depends on the amount of TGU experience, not your

strength.

Female - Beginner - 4-6kgl Some Experience - 6-8 kg / Experienced - 8-12 kg or larger.

Males - Beginner - 8-12 kg / Some Experience - 12-16 kg / Experienced - 16-24 kg or larger.

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The Execution:

As taught in the Kalos Sthenos Turkish Get-Up DVD, we've given you 7 basic steps. There is

certainly more than one way to do the Turkish Get-Up, as some of you mayknow from the wildly popular Russian Kettlebell Challenge(www.russiankettlebellchallenge.com) workshops. However, for our purposesin maximizing pre-habilitative and rehabilitative benef,rt along with functionalmovement development, we're presenting you a version that meets all of theseneeds. As you grow in proficiency and understanding, you'll see that this styleof Get-up is an all-purpose strength and stability exercise, as a systemiccorrective exercise, and as a movement screen. Indeed, FMS-founder GrayCook has said on more than one occasion that if he were limited to doing onlyone exercise, it would be this version of the TGU!

In the following seven chapters, we will teach you the TGU progressions.Sometimes our instructions will indicate a right handed lift, and at other times a

left handed lift. However, we expect you to perform the TGU on each side. rtis important to work on any limitations and defTciencies when comparingthe left and right. It may be necessary to focus more attention on one areaof deficiency. We've specifically designed breakdowns and correctivestrategies within each step to assist you in becoming equal and correct oneach side before progressing to the next step.

Regardless of your experience with kettlebells or your fitness level you'll getdiflerent options for training the TGU progression, speciflrcally geared towardsoptimizing your level of condition, coordination, and movement patterning. Ifyou haven't already had a chance to view the "secrets of..." DVD series, theDrills & Breakdowns we provide you with in the following chapters give you asneak peek into some of those lessons and insights. If you have already seen theSecrets DVD series, then this will tie those lessons back in to that knowledgefor you in a rock-solid manner.

If you're a fitness or medical professional, we've also included special "Tips forthe Pros" for you to keep in mind when working with your clients and patients.This will allow you to tailor make the corrections and movement patternimprovements to best suit your needs and those of your clients and patients.

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Step 1: Roll to Press

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Rolling

Lie down next to the kettlebell and roll to your

left side, facing the kettlebell. The kettlebell

should be within comfortable reach of your leftarm. The start position looks like the fetal

position. The f,rnish position has your left arm

in a vertical position supporting the kettlebell

and your left knee and hip flexed. Rolling fromyour back to your side is part of the primitivepattern development that is a crucial part ofhuman development. While most adults and

teens tend to neglect this type of movement, the

first step of the TGU brings it back into very

fiber ofyour being.

Basic - While lying on your left side, bend

your right knee and put your right foot on the

ground. Push off from your right foot to help

your body roll towards your back. For the

severely de-conditioned person, this is an

accomplishment. Don't be in a hurry to rush,

though. Working on the earliest movements in

the TGU progression is golden!

Intermediate - Straighten your right knee, and

reach as far from your head as possible withyour foot. You may need to press your right

heel into the floor to achieve a smooth roll topress. As you become stronger and more

coordinated through the core, continuallydecrease the amount of downward pressure you

apply with your right heel.

Advanced Your movement should be

initiated with a rotation of the neck, allowingyou to turn your head and your eyes towards

the direction you're trying to roll. Imagine a

line from the top of your head through the heel

of your right foot. Rotate around this axis as

you ro11 to press. The movement should be

automatic and effortless.

Gl Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 2008 - www.functionalmovement.com


. Tips for the Pros Checklist

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o Tbain o'Naked"! - Until your client becomes completely famlliairzed with thesequence of movements and develops the coordination to execute the Get-Upwithout weight, he or she has NO business attempting it with the added stress ofholding a weight overhead. Teach your people to train naked, a la pavelTsatsouline's Naked Warrior textbook. This means simply training for perfectform with only one's body-weight. Plenty of very strong individuals have had ahard time keeping perfect form and alignment with the TGU on their first fewattempts. When similar individuals were taught the Naked Get-Up first, they had, amuch easier time maintaining strong, safe form when weights were added.

o Speak simply - When you're dealing with clients who don't have an intimateknowledge of anatomy and physiology, it's best to speak to them in the most basicand clear cut terms. Fancy words are great when you're trying to explain conceptsto those who get it, but they're not essential. If you feel you absolutely need to usea technical term, please explain it fîrst.

o Comfortable neck positioning - Even someono with neck pain can still do theTGU if they're cleared by their physician or therapist. For example, people withvery tight scalenes (neck muscles) might find it difficult or painful to lie flat ontheir backs with their heads on the floor. In situations like that, use a bit ofpadding to elevate the head off the floor so that the neck can relax. This is goingto be a common theme throughout the TGU. 'We

don't want to see people usingtheir necks as their cores. We want to see the extremities showing proper linkageto and through the midsection with good posture and alignment!

o No momentum! - Please make sure that your clients are not tomahawking theirleft arms towards the right or jerking their heads upward like a bad crunch togenerate momentum. All the movements of the TGU should be done VERyslowly all the way through. Any rushed or strained movement indicates a lack ofconffol or strength and should be developed gradually and safely.

o Safe environment - Ideally, you should have at least a 4'perimeter around yoursupine client to allow them to dispose of the kettlebell if you are training in alocation that allows them to drop the kettlebell. The surface should becomfortable, yet firm. Traction should be sufficient to prevent slipping and createstabilty.

o Visual field - If you are training indoors, please try to position your client suchthat they are not directly below any bright lights. If you are training outdoors, bearware of the positioning of the sun. For the overhead sections, you will have todirect your client to look more towards a tree or some other ground-based objectto avoid vertigo when training outdoors under the open sky.

o Spotting - Spotting becomes more of a eoncern during the later steps, but let'sget it out of the ìffay now. Regardless of where you are training your client, you

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should still be positioned in such a manner as to be able to spot them safely. The

bottom of the kettlebell is your target. Don't grab the handle of the kettlebell. For

best safety and support cup the bottom with both hands. You should be standing

well within arm's reach of the kettlebell with your hips bent, your back straight,

your hands at the ready, and your eyes constantly adjusting to take in every detail

of your client's motion. If something goes ãwry, you should be able to easily place

your hands underneath the kettlebell and lift it out of the client's hand.

Gripping

Once you've rolled onto your left side, slip your left hand through the kettlebell's handle as

deeply as possible. You want to put your hand through deeply, like you're trying to push your

wrist through the handle's opening. The fingers of the right hand wrap on top of the left fist.

When you roll to your back, you're actually pulling the bell to your abdomen with BOTH hands,

not just straining with one. For some people, the pressure of the kettlebell on the back of the rightwrist will be a little uncomfortable at first. To take this inconvenience out of the picture, simply

wear a pair of extra long wristbands doubled up. That should adequately pad the back of the

wrist and make the pressure negligible. It is best to just let yourself get tough to the pressure. Ifthis is a major problem there is always a soft option for the kettlebell. See the closing remarks ofthe DVD and reference to the kettlecone.

There are two facets to the grip that are crucial - wrist position and crushing. Regardless of your

level, you should try to squeeze or crush the handle of the kettlebell intensely. This squeezing

and crushing leads to a phenomenon known as "irradiation," a kind of domino-effect offunctional strength and stability. The more strongly you crush the handle, the more the muscles

along your arrn, shoulder, and chest will fire, giving you greater strength and stability through

the shoulder. The act of pulling the kettlebell in towards your midsection, as if you're gripping itwith your whole body engages your core in the act of holding the kettlebell.

Now as for the wrist...

Basic - The minimum acceptable wrist angle for any sort of kettlebell work is completely

neutral. In other words, your wrist should be held in the same position you'd hold it in to punch

something full-force and not break your wrist. The back of your hand should be a continuation ofthe line of your forearm. The palm of the hand should be perpendicular to the ground at the very

least.

Intermediate/Advanced - To really establish the strength and stability of the wrist, hold the

kettlebell in such a way that your wrist is slightly flexed towards your palm (10-20 degrees).

Practicing the TGU with this grip will take your wrist stability and grip to an entirely different

level.


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o No extension in the wrist! - As Pavel Tsatsouline is fond of saying, "Thsre areno wrists in kettlebell training!" If you allow your wrist to bend backwards withany sort of overhead training, you allow your flexor tendons to accept a loadwhile in the weakest possible position. With repetitions or extended periods oftime, this can lead to painful tendinitis (tennis or golfer's elbows). Not good.Make sure that the client is keeping an absolute flatline of a wrist along the dorsalside. This is imperative!

o Wrist protection - If you're dealing 'with clients who bruise easily or may needto minimize any discomfort with their wrists, have them wear long wristbands.Simply double them up for added padding if needed.

Locking

After you've gripped the bell properly, you have to lock out your right elbow as you press itaway from you along the "true vertical" line. In the DVD, we refer to it as "proprioceptivevertical," which means that your nervous system should read "vertical" the same as "truevertical."

When the elbow's unlocked, you're forcing your arm to hold a weight overhead with weakstructural support. Instead of having the bones of the upper and lower arm aligned and locked in,a bent elbow forces you to do the same work with an unstable joint and significant musculardemand. Locking the elbow out completely makes it easier for your wrist and shoulder to keepthe weight stable, so don't believe the old myth that you'll injure your elbow by locking it out.Don't skimp on this step at all.

. Tips for the Pros Checklist:

o Finding your center (Proprioceptive vertical): At the beginning, you may needto coach your client or patient on where "true vertical" is. Often, we don't have aproblem accurately seeing vertical when we're standing up, but once we're lyingdown, that accuracy diminishes. It becomes even more diminished once theweight of the kettlebell is added. Most people will tend to hold their pressing armslightly less than 90 degrees away from their body when under stress. It's your jobto make sure they keep the pressing arm AT 90 degrees during this step, and inproprioceptive vertical throughout the remainder of the TGU.

@ Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 2OO8 - www.functionalmovement.com


Packing

"Ears are shoulder poison!"

- Jeff O'Conno¡ Sr. RKC kettlebell instructor

Keep this in mind, and you'll be good to go with your shoulder positioning. If you keep your

shoulder pulled down - away from your eaf - you'll save yourself a big pain in the neck...

literally. When people do pressing movements and don't keep their shoulders pulled down away

from their ears, they experience tightness and pain in the neck, and sometimes all the way down

their arms. We don't want you to be one of those unfortunate souls, so shove your shoulder down

into your body as far away from your ear as possible.


Proper positioning: Using the Jeff O'Connor mantra, remind your client that his

or her shoulders should not be the primary tool with which they move the

kettlebell. Rather, the shoulder should be packed down away from the ears.

Instead of stabilizing the upper arm and shoulder girdle with the neck, the client

should be using his or her lats.

Supine traction dritl: Grabbing the client's wrist, gently and slowly pull the arm

until the shoulder is protracted. Then give the instruction to tuck the shouldor

blade of that arm into the back pocket on the opposite hip, That is usually

sufficient to get the lats firing and the shoulder packed into a safe, strong position.

Vertical traction drill: Another way of getting the lats to fire enough to strongly

stabllize the shoulder is to hang off a pull-up bar, lock out the elbows lighlly, and

try to pull up from the shoulders alone. At first, your client will defïnitely need

you there to spot them, ensuring that their elbows do not bend. Proprioceptívely,

we tend to have terrible awareness of our elbow joints, so be there to make sure

that the elbows are visibly locked out when the pull

upward happens, forcing it to originate in the lats.

Unlock some Secrets: One of the great works on DVD isSecrets of the Shoulder by Gray Cook and Brett Jones.

For all that we're divulging here, there's a wholç DVD'sworth of material focused ruST on the issues of the

shoulder. Any medical or training professional who deals

with people who may have shoulder issues would be

remiss to be without it.


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SIDEBARz "The Four Knots"

Some schools of Chinese medicine and mafüal arts refer to the shoulder and hip joints as theFour Knots. When there's an imbalance of tension or strength in the any of the Four Knots,problems with locomotion occur. If a knot is tied too loosely, it won't hold two structurestogether; whereas, if the knots are tied too tightly, they'll bind the two structures in an immobilefashion.

With Hard Style kettlebell training, the goal is to create a perfect balance of flexibility andstrength in these Four Knots. Thus, we strive to create abalance of Mobility and Stability.

We mobilize the shoulder by keeping relaxed through the neck and thoracic spinestabilizing it with the lats. This prevents the muscles of the rotator cufffrom being strained.

V/e mobilize the hips by opening the hip flexors and quads and driving and stabilizing with thegluteals and muscles of the pelvic floor.

Breath

Breathing is one of the most underrated activities in health and human performance. A badbreathing pattern can lead to a cascade effect of compensations and bad movement patterns.While performing the TGU, you want to make your breathing relaxed while still keeping thelinked muscular tension that creates a strong, durable structure to support the kettlebel. nuringthe transitions between steps, you may find yourself exhaling while exerting. That's natural andproper.

Avoid holding your breath at all costs, especially during the TGU. When you hold your breath,your body goes into panic mode and takes in less oxygen. The less oxygen you get, the more youpanic, and your body goes into survival mode. V/hen your body goes into survival mode, yourshoulders come up around your ears. That position places undue strain on the neck muscles andmakes your movements neck-centered instead, of core-centered.

One-Armed Lockout

Once you've pressed the kettlebell and locked out, you're going to prepare for the press toElbow step, which comes next. The left arm reaches down and is placed palm-down on theground about 45 degrees away from your ribs. Your right foot should slide back and come to restabout one shoe or foot length from your buttocks. A little extra space will not hurt, but too littlespace can hinder the next few steps in the progression.

Make sure that...

1. You maintain "true vertical" alignment from your right shoulder to your knuckles.

2. You keep BorH of your shoulders packed down away from your ears.

@ Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 2oo8 - www.functionalmovement.com

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You keep your right elbow locked out strongly.

Your breathing and movements stay core-focused.

DRILLS & BREAKDOWNS

Once you've achieved the end position for this step, there

are a few exercises that will solidiff your mastery of thissection.

1. Rotating the right wrist gently from the top ofthe press, just to find the "sweet spot" as far as

hand, wrist, and shoulder position.

2. Neck rotations from side to side, making sure theback of the head is still in contact with theground. If the shoulder's away from the neck, the neck can relax and move and relax.

This simple exercise can help with re-patterning a great deal of the shoulder, neck, and

upper back tension patterns that bother many people throughout the day.

3. Arm-bar: Lift the left arm out ofthe way and use it to support yourhead. Roll your body on to yourleft side, keeping the right arm

locked out in proprioceptivevertical. From this positioncontinue to rotate your pelvisforward to the floor. The arm and

kettlebell should remain verticaland unchanged. This exercise has

a host of therapeutic benefits, butfor now, we'11 confine thediscussion of it to helping youimprove your TGU.


Kettlebells Form The Ground Up - The Kafos Sthenos

Cross Body Hip Stretch (Rightknee toward left shoulder):Use the left hand to facilitatethis stretch by holding & pullingon the right knee to the leftshoulder while keeping the rightarm in vertical with neckrelaxed. Keep the left legelongated to stabilize the core.

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5. Roll to press - o'Do the move" - Do this 5 times per side for familiarization.In fact, forgreat base you'll need to do this at least 50 times per side with a kettlebell before movingon to the next step (sets and reps are up to you). The goal is 50 perfect roll to presses not50 as fast as you can so you can get to the next step. Note how you fatigue on one side ascompared to the other. Note how your breath. Note your elongated axis leg. Note yourability to atomically maintain vertical.

o Don't think this ís an important part ofyour development?

o Guess again: As mentioned above, this step plays a crucial role in locomotionskills and core development. This is how you re-develop the reflex støbìlízatìonyou owned as a child.

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Step 2: Press to Elbow

Sìttìng apfrom the Prone Posìtìon

Press to Elbow is the next step, also referred to as

the "Get-Up Sit-Up" but, it is really a "roll underthe kenlebell." It's also where many people losetheir sense of joint linkage and vertical alignmentfrom rushing.

From this position, you roll forward, upward, anddiagonally, posting onto your right elbow andkeeping your left arm perfectly vertical throughoutthe transition.

Here are the key points:

' Look directly at your left fist as if a

kettlebell or similar weight were in thepalm ofyour hand.

' Make sure the left elbow stays locked outtightly.

' Maintain vertical alignment DURING thetransition.

' Keep your shoulders packed down away from your ears and neck.

' The neck stays in relaxed alignment with the rest of the spine.

' open/lengthen the chest, and remember to keep the right leg elongated.

Mìnìmize Rísk

Be safe. The best way to start learning this movement is to do it NAKED - without any weight inyour hand. Some of the greatest risk with this movement comes from failing to maintain verticalalignment of the pressing arm and "tomahawking" to sit up using momentum. If you've done thismove properly, you should be able to do it Tai-Chi slow. Take your time, dig in with the left heel,push up to the ceiling with your left fist, drive down into the ground with your right elbow andforearm, and push your chest forward.

TLspine MobìIìty & Vertical Alìgnment

The thoracic spine (or T-spine for short) is one of the key parts of the human body when it comesto movement from the waist up. Odds are good that if you have a sedentary lifestyle where your

@ Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 20OB - www.functionalmovement.com 12

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work keeps you in a sitting position for most of your day, your T-spine has become a little lessmobile than it ideally should be.

V/ith the Press to Elbow, the movement should be generated from the T-spine. If your body isunfamiliar with generating forward movement from the T:spine, you'll try to do the sit-upmovement by flexing your neck to throw your head forward or by flexing your lumbar spineexcessively. Doing either of those will likely force your left arm to pitch forward off of thevertical line.

Instead, try practicing the Naked Get-Up (NGU) while focusing on driving forward from yoursternum to create the feeling of a "long" chest. At the same time, if you drive your left fistupward to the ceiling, you'll find that the movement becomes easier and stronger. At thecompletion of this movement, you should achieve a straight, vertical line from the left knucklesto your right elbow. With the chest elongated, your shoulders should be properly packed andsheathed, and your neck should also elongate comfortably.

DRILLS & BREAKDOWNS

Right Knee to Press Hand: Bend the right knee andbring it up off the floor toward your left arm. The torsoshould stay completely flat on the ground, and the neckshould stay relaxed. This exercise allows you to activatethe left hip muscles to facilitate the "sit-up".

Neck rotations: From the sit-up position, rotate your headto the left and right, looking toward the kettlebell and theground. Make these motions slowly and gently. you,ll getmaximum benefit out of it by NOT forcing or rushing themovement.

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@ Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 2OOB - www.functionalmovement.com 13

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Thoracic Waves: While learning this step with theNGU, try working on prying your chest forward andbackward while on the elbow to develop a bit more T-spine mobility and coordination. As mentioned above,this is generally aî area that most of us tend to losemovement, and we need to work on restoring thatmovement to maintain healtþ necks, shoulders, andbacks.

Shoulder Rotations: Gently rotate the pressing arm inthe shoulder socket a few degrees clockwise andcounterclockwise. You're simply doing this to find themost comfortable positioning for your pressing arm andthe kettlebell as you maintain vertical alignment.

S.Press to Elbow: "Do themove" - Do this a minimumof 5 times per side. If youwant to master it, up thenumbers and keep perfectalignment and coordinationon each and every rep. Doingthis one after another alsoreinforces the skills neededfor the descending portion.Note how you fatigue on oneside as compared to theother. Note how you breathe.

Note your elongated axis leg. Note your ability to atomically maintain vefücal.

' Tips for the Pros Checklist; You basicøtly høve tluee big things to keep your eyes on for thismovement.

o allowing the should€rõ to unpack; This is insidlous. The base (left) shoulderwíll oftçn unpack and slide toward the eør, as soon,as the client initiates themovement.The giveaway ocanis when the clientslidris his or herleftshoulder upand forwørd instÊød of keeping ít down and baçk (chest high). Don't let thishøppen, One of the cl'rcsthat helps prevent this is ínstructingthe clientto keep theleft hand frngers reachingdown and o:ut along the 45 dègree (or below) line whilehe or she rolls up onto the slbow. The pressíng (rigtrt) shoulder, âlso needs ta støywell packed and "un-poísoned" so to speak. whçn a client flrrst rolls up to theelbow, he or shp may tendto"ovevpress" the kettlebell,In other words, they may

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@ Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 2OO8 - www.functíonalmovement.com 14

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press the kettlebell higher up away from themselves than need be. Cue the clientto maintain that strong, packed feeling - maintaining a long, forward drivingchest, and a sheathed shoulder blade.

No Tomahawking: As mentioned above, many individuals will try to initiate thismovement by tomahawking the pressing arm. If they try this with a heavykettlebell, this could be very dangerous. You'll see this a lot with people who havea tendency toward a "fr)ttle" position, where the pec minor muscles are tight, thescalene muscles may be shortened, and the neck tends towards the forwardposition. Remind the client to keep the pressing ann in absolute vertical the entiretime, and give them cues to help achieve that. There's a lot of neurologicallearning and re-patterning going on here, so this may take a while. Train yourclient to be patient and to look for perfect form. There's no benefit in rushing ontothe next step if they haven't properly mastered the fine points of this one.

No Slouching: If the T-spine starts to flex, the shoulders will unpack and move uptowards the ears. That will put pressure on the neck and lead to all sorts ofunsavory results. This is especially important during the descent back down to theground. As Brett Jones demonstrated on the DVD, you can cue your male clientsby having them press their sternums against your fingers, while your femaleclients are more appropriately cued by having them pull their T-spines away fromyour fingers as you push from the back. A long spine leads to proper alignment ofthe shoulder joints and less stress on the neck. We're trying to create somethingthat both "rryorks good" and "looks good".

@ Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 2OO8 - www.functionalmovement.com 1S


Step 3: Elbow to Post

This is essentially a continuation of theprevious step where you've taken the basearm and extended it completely at the elbow.All of the same reminders and essentialpoints that are crucial in the previous stepsare still in effect during this stage.

Variøtíons in Bøse Hand Positioníng

Some people will shift the location of thebase hand slightly upon completion of thismovement. That's fine as long as the basehand isn't held way behind the rest of thebody. Ideally, the base hand should be asclose to directly under the base shoulder aspossible. You're trying to create verticalawareness and a line of strength andalignment along the vertical axis betweenyour hands at this point. The more variationyou allow with the alignment, the less stableyour upper body structure becomes.

DRILLS & BREAKDOWNS

Many of these drills and breakdowns in this section center around maintaining a good balancebetween tension and relaxation. Tension is needed to maintain proper linkage and alignment ofyour body parts. Relaxation allows everything peripheral to those parts to siay offline, creatingan efficient and strong movement pattern.

1. Active Straight Leg Raise: Keeping the right leg locked out straight, lift it off theground as high as possible towards the kettlebell withoutlifting the hip off the ground. The left remains in the Ë. ffi1¡F$1 î.:iîîr.1r':r,r.::.:rrrÌ:'r1,Ì!r-iïrn.Ìîstart position with no movement. This trains theindividual with tight hamstrings to allow the core andhip flexors to produce hip flexion without over engagingthe hamstrings and moving the kettlebell off the verticalline.

2. Neck Rotations: Just as you did in the prior stage,simply rotate the head gently, looking up at thekettlebell, and then down towards the base hand. Again,

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speed is not part of theequation here. Just try toestablish a smooth, even rangeof motion, and make sure thatyour neck is relaxed enoughto turn. If it's not, then goback and check to make sureyour shoulders are pulleddown away from your ears

and stay tall through the neckas you turn.

Shoulder Rotations: Gentlyrotate the pressing arm in theshoulder socket a few degreesclockwise / counterclockwise.You're simply doing this tofind the most comfortablepositioning for your pressingarm and the kettlebell as youmaintain vertical alignment.

Elbow to Post: "Do themove" - As always, practicethis movement with highattention to detail for at least 5repetitions per side beforemoving on. If you havedifficulty with any part ofthis, go back and review. Themore you review, the strongeryou'll become. Note how yourbreathe. Note your elongatedaxis leg. Note your ability toatomically maintain vertical.

. Tips for the Pros Checkìist:

o Secrets of the Core: The Backside is going to be one of your best friends when itcomes to really improving functional performance in this area. The Secrets of theCore: The Backside DYD is PACKED with correctives that can dramaticallyimprove the ease with which your clients move. We'd love to cover it all overagain here, but there's only so much room. Remember that the timing patterns ofhow your muscles fire is an essential component of perfonnance. So this bullet

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point is all about trying to get the hip flexors to get out of the way, the hamstringto relax, and the core to fire in the most effective and pain-free manner possible.

Secrets of the Shoulder is another resource that is filled with useful corrections.While we demonstrate using roller stick work to help relax hypertonic traps orrotator cuff muscles on the TGU DVD, secrets of the shoulder will give you aTON of other approaches.

Facilitation: Using a padded block, you can allow someone with discomfort orimpingement to work through the intermediate positions en route to the full postposition. while the client's base elbow is supported by the block, simply instructhimlher to work some shoulder and neck rotations, as well as some thoracicwaves. Please make sure to stabilize the block so that the patient's base armdoesn't slip or roll off the block. This will help the client's body learn newpatterns of strength and mobility in these new positions. Don't be afraid to workon breakdowns of your coffective exercises if you've got someone who can't dothe entire movement comfortably.

Sneaky Hands: It's not unusual for someone to start sliding their base handaround to feel more supported. Generally speaking, that,s fine as long as themovement is minimal, the hand doesn't reach backward, and the base shoulderdoesn't unpack. If the base shoulder unpacks, you'll see it manifest as a slouchingspine or as a shoulder that's too close to the ear on that same side.

No Spiking: As your clients work on lowering themselves back down to theirelbows, remind them to come down onto their base elbow GENTLY! There is nopoint during the TGU that allows for a "fall-through,, or lack of control. Theentire process should be done as if watching a slow motion replay in a frame-by-frame manner.



Step 4: Post to High Pelvis

The high pelvic bridge came from a version ofthe TGU made popular by Dr. Mark Cheng toboth develop hip extension and to servetactical purposes. Pavel Tsatsouline made thisversion the RKC instructor standard in 2008,and Gray Cook found it to be an excellentmeans of both movement screening andpatterning.

For tactical purposes, the high pelvic bridgedevelops the ability to drive the hips upwardand forward to create space for moving thelegs backward into a more favorable base.

This application is explained anddemonstrated in Dr. Cheng's KettlebellWarrior DVD series. Therapeutically, it alsocreates a nice stretch for the pectoral musclesof the base arm and activates the muscles ofthe posterior chain.

The ideal execution of this movement requiresthe elevation of the hips as high as possibletowards the ceiling, while keeping the hips as

close to level as possible but without hyper-extending the lumbar spine. The elevationcomes from driving offof the right hand and both heels (but predominately from the left foot).

All of this is done while maintaining and observing the principles of movement laid out in theprevious steps while at the apex of the bridge.

' To recap:

Keep the neck long and relaxed.

Keep the chest extended.

Keep the shoulders packed and sheathed.

Keep the elbows locked.

And to re-emphasize a point we haven't made since the beginning, KEEP THEPRESSING (KB) WRIST STRAIGHT!

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Degree of Dfficulty

The Post to High Pelvis is a challenging transition for the lower body. For the severely de-conditioned, there are easier TGU sequences. However these easier sequences do not deliver thesame benefits that the High Pelvis version does. If you're completely unable to lift your hips offthe ground, you can try an alternative version in which you tuck the extended (right) leg underthe left and use it to push your hips forward and upwará off the ground into a low crouch. Butremember that the goal isn't just to get the weight up overhead. It's to do it in a way that honorsall of the movement patterns that we're presenting you with.while the alternative version still offers a greatdeal of benefit for the shoulders and upper body,the version we present to you here is truly á fuil-body training method. Because both hips go intoextension, this is a strong core challenging movemånt. we recog nize thatmany of your clientsand patients may not be able to do this movement right off the bat, but there,s no need to rush.Take your time with them, and remind them to do the same. v/orking on the early steps of theTGU and perfecting the movement patterns that feed the successful accomplishment of thosesteps sets the stage for systemic re-patterning. It's like taking the bad o,. ,o.*pt data out of acomputer and slowly rebuilding it from the ground up.

DRILLS & BREAKDO\üNS

l.Prone press-Up: placing the hands around thei::l.''" level of the should.rr, prrrh your torso up off theground while leaving your hips, knees and feet onthe ground. This is similar to a Cobra Stretch inyoga.Do 5 or 6 reps to create flexibilify for thisstage. If there,s too much space between your hipsand the floor, use a rolled up blanket or an Airåxpad underneath your hips to give your body astepping stone from which to relax down into thefull stretch.

2. The Bow: From yoga, we also have theBow position, in which your left armreaches back to grab the left anklebehind your body while you're lying onyour stomach. You then lift the chestand knee offthe ground. This forces thechest and hip to extend, and you caneven add a gentle neck rotation toremind the neck muscles to relax andstay loose while powering the stabilityof this exercise from the core.

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Bridge Isolations: V/ith both palms planted on the ground slightly behind you and thef,rngers pointed backward and offto the side, bend one leg and extend the other in front ofyou, just as you did if you were doing the Post to High Pelvis. Now, bridge upward anddrive the hips up toward the ceiling while driving strongly off of both hands and yourbase leg. Ideally, the shoulders and hips will both be leveled off instead of seeing a sag inthe hip on the side of the extended leg.

4. Post to High Pelvis: "Do the move" - Do 5 reps per side of this movement. Make surethat as you descend, you do so slowly and keeping the base shoulder every bit as packeddown as the top shoulder. It's often during the descent portion that people tend to zoneout and lose the integrity of the movement. Don't be one of them. Note how you breathe.Note your elongated axis leg. Note your ability to atomically maintain vertical with thekettlebell.


o Breath: Under stress, you get a real sense of how someone breathes. V/hat we'retrying to enforce throughout the entirety of the TGU is diaphragmatic breathing.So if you put someone in a Prone Press-Up and they begin to breathe in such a

manner as to recruit the neck muscles more than the abdominal muscles, theCrocodile Breath from yoga is an excellent means of retraining that fi.lndamentalvital pattern. One of the easiest cues is to instruct your client to draw his or herbreath all the way down into the groin. For those who've lost the ability to breatheabdominally breath training is an essential step in their development and shouldnot be short changed.

o stick-work: If the TFL, IT band, rectus femoris, quads, or other hip flexors arejust too tight to allow for a reasonable range of motion, then the roller stick mightbe a great solution. Gray Cook recommends 30 - 60 strokes \¡iith just fingertippressure. The affected side should be compared with the non-affected side inorder to gauge progress. Stick-work will be a usefirl part of dealing with whatProf. Vladimir Janda called "lo'wer cross syndroms".

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Back to Basics: While you might be tempted to rush ahead and complete the restof the TGU progression, don't ignore the massive benefits you can gain fromreally practicing and refining the earlier stages of the TGU and developing theability to do them with absolute fidelity to the fine points and instructions that wegave you.

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Step 5: High Pelvis to Bend (a.k.a. High Pelvis to Knee)

The High Pelvis position, as we admitted in the lastchapter, is certainly challenging. For those of you whodon't have the requisite strength to achieve the HighPelvis position, we encourage you to stay there andwork through it. Once you've developed thecoordination and strength to achieve the position,you'll be able to advance through the remainingportions with greater ease and deeper strength.

However, we also recognize that some people don'tnecessarily have to be held up indefinitely with theprior stage of the TGU, so we give you 3 options:

1. High Pelvis (as described in detail above):'Where

both hips are elevated as high towardsthe ceiling as possible.

2. Low Pelvis: Where the hip bridge is justsuff,rciently high enough to bring the extendedleg back underneath the body towards the base

hand.

3. Tuck (mentioned previously): Where theextended leg is merely tucked under the foldedpost leg to help propel the hips forward intoextension in order to achieve the Half-Kneeling position.

From the High Pelvis, fold your extended right leg and hinge at your hip, drawing your right legunderneath you. Then place your right knee as close to your base right hand as possible. Thismovement requires intense awareness of both arms. The base arm must remain linked and steady,and the pressing arm must remain in vertical alignment - all while the torso is moving.

BeneJíts & Applícøtions

The High Pelvis to Bend is one of the most challenging stages of the TGU for maintainingvertical alignment. There is a great degree of rotation and flexibility required in the hips andshoulders, as well as the ability to side-bend (thus, the name of the position) on both the left andright sides.

Tactically and athletically, this is a highly useful movement pattern in contact situations when anathlete is trying to retreat to create space.

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DRILLS & BREAKDOWNS

1. Kneeling Windmill Rotations: Gothrough the NGU sequence and stoponce you've brought the extended rightknee back toward your right base hand.At this point, take the pressing left handand bring it down to touch the groundabout shoulder width away from yourother palm. Then reach back up torecreate the press (repeat 5 times), shootyour right leg through to the front,reestablish the high hip bridge, andcontinue with the descending portion.

2. Kneeling Dorsiflexion Mobilization:Another useful modification of thisstage occurs when the pressing left palm is placed just insidethe arch of the left foot. The left arm then r"*., as a guide tohelp the hips spread outward and open up as you shift yourweight toward the front. you must keep the left heel flat onthe floor to help remove dorsiflexion restrictions in the ankleor calf muscle.

3. Neck & Shoulder Rotations: From the Bend position, revisitthe shoulder rotations of the pressing arm ànd the gentlerotations of the neck that we used in our previous steps.

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4. High Pelvis to Bend: "Do the move" - As with all the previous steps, do at least 5 repson each side, paying careful attention to maintaining the integrity of the motion on thedescent as well as you did during the ascent. Note how you breathe. Note your ability toatomically maintain vertical with the kettlebell.


o Ankle Restrictions: If your client has difTiculty achieving the Bend positionbecause of restrictions in the base ankle, then you have tools in the Drills &Breakdowns section for a dorsiflexion mobilization or for stickwork to helploosen a hypertonic gastrocnemius or soleus.

T:spine Rotations: An ill-informed critic might make the claim that the transitioninto the Bend position is a heavy lumbar stressor, but the movement is reallycoming from the T-spine rotation. This is why the Kneeling Windmill Rotationsare so crucial for torso mobility.

Valgus Collapse: Watch for the supporting knee to collapse inward during thistransition. That simply means that the client or patient is not using the core tostabilize the pelvis and the gluteus medius and adductors to maintain the hipsopen and aligned, to bear the load. The collapse (valgus) will create loading theback, MCL, and ankle instead. Vy'e want to pattern stability around engagingmuscles, not straining ligaments. Train the adductors to submit to the glutesinstead of overriding them.


Kettlebells Form The Ground Up - The Katos Sthenos

Step 6: Knee to Half Kneeling

This is essentially a hip shift to the right, allowingyou to pry your body between the ground and thekettlebell. You should end with your torso andpressing arm absolutely perpendicular to the ground,with a straight line all the way down to your rightkneeling knee and the right hip in full extension.

All of the same rules apply in this Half Kneelingposture as in the previous steps.

' The shoulders must be packed down awayfrom the ears.

' The pressing wrist must not fall backwardsinto extension.

' The neck should remain elongated andrelaxed. In this case, keep your eyes focuseddead ahead.

' The T:spine should be open with the chestfeeling long and straight.

DRILLS & BREAKDOWNS

1. The BRETTZELI Named after the worldfamous contortionist Brett Jones, this stretchis one of the most high-yield correctiveexercises that is part of Gray Cook,s FMSarsenal. The following instructions are takenfrom an article on the Brettzel written byGray Cook and Dr. Mark Cheng.

Lay on your side with your neck supported so itremains in a neutral position. Since your shoulderwill be on the deck, elevate your head with a towel orfoam pad so that your neck is not downhill, or uphill,but right in line with the remainder of yourupln..The neck should be completely relaxed during thisstretch. Draw your knees and hips into a fetalposition, bending at your hip joint to create as tight ofan angle as possible. The angle between your thigh

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and your torso should be less than 90 degrees. Ifyou are extremely flexible, you may be able toplace your thigh directly onto your chest wall, butit is important to take up all the available slack.Assuming that you are lying on your right side,hold your left knee close to your body with yourright hand.

Reach back with your right leg, bringing yourthigh as far behind the plane of your body as

possible, then bend your right knee as much as

possible. Try to grasp your right ankle with yourleft hand. Once you are in position, and not untilyou have both legs secured, proceed to the nextstep.

The next step in "The Brettzel" is a maximalshoulder rotation away from the deck and toward the sþ. If you're lying on your right side, tryto turn your body toward your left as far as you can. Let your neck remain in a neutral positionand, then, slowly look with your eyes and turn your head to enhance the shoulder turn. If youcannot grasp your right ankle with your left hand, use a

small loop or belt to extend your reach until your flexibilitywill allow. Do not drop the maintained left hip flexionsince it will protect your low back and influence therotation stretch on the thoracic spine.

The benefits of this stretch demonstrate a threedimensional chain of events that often play off of eachother. You will expose yourself to any quadricep or hipflexor tightness on the right leg. You will also exposeyourself to any piriformis, glute, or low back tightness withthe left hip flexed position. Lastly, once this position ismaintained, rotation will expose you to any T-spinerotation deficit. Thoracic spine mobility plays heavily inshoulder mechanics and may be the underlying cause forshoulder limitations. At no time should you strain yourneck, but only use your neck turn and your "eye look" tocomplement the shoulder rotation that you are executing.

Once in position, use slow, deep diaphragmatic breathing torelax. To gain extra distance, pull each leg away from the arm that is gripping it without actually

O Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 2OO8 - www.functionalmovement.com 27

Kettlebetls Form The Ground Up - The Kalos Sthenos

coming free from the grip. You're trying to create an isometric contraction by pulling the legstowards each other against resistance. Immediately after this contraction of trying to extend theleft leg and flex the right leg, at the hip, relax and rotate the spine an extra few degrees, whichshould be available to you after the contraction. use your deep, relaxed, diaphragmaticbreathing and this contract-relax cycle to achieve maximal stretch in this position.

obviously if there is any pain, this is no longer a stretch. Rather, it is just an insult to anunderlying injury that you may not be aware of. It is advisable and strongty reconìmended tohave a medical professional check this out. Muscle tension and stretching should not be seen aspain, but pain isolated in joints or around tendons should definitely be examined by a medicalprofessional.

Many individuals will not receive a maximal stretch on the posterior and lateral muscles in thisposition' They may have less of a posterior-lateral mobility problem (one joint limitation), andmore of a posterior-lateral flexibility problem (multi-joint limitation, usually found withinmuscles that span multiple joints). Since the iliotibial band (which arises off the gluteusmaximus / TFL) and hamstrings fit the definition of multi-joint muscle tendon packages, asecond variation of "The Btetrzel" can be done with a flexed hip and an extended knee on tl* iopleg' It is advisable to perform both of these positions on one side, and then compare and contrastthe differences through the light stretch on the alternate side.

In the absence of pain, asymmetries should be first and foremost addressed and normalized. Ifthis does not change after one stretching session, do not give up. chances are, ithas taken you along time to create the limitations that you have now discovered and it will take some time tocombat them. Remember, tight muscles aren't bad muscles. you,ve leamed how to use thosemuscles to move in a pafücular pattern, and your muscles are simply following the patternyou've laid out for them. The FMS corrective exercises, of which "The Brett zel,, is one, are ameans to break those patterns.

You can use "The Btettzel" stretch as a super-set. The definition of a super-set is usually asecondary activity that works a reciprocal muscle group or an alternate exercise that enhances thequalify of movement, body awareness and reflex stabilization. The best way to get reflexstabilization and have your stabilizers work autom atically is to improve mobility. Most of thetimes when both flexibility and mobility are limited, prime movers secondarily assume the roleof stabilizers. This creates the illusion of tightness andìncreased muscle tone against stretching.

Importønt trøining note - If you immediately elongate these prime mover muscles and thencontinue with stabilization activities, like a single-leg dead-tift with the alternate arm, or a HatfGet-Up, you will give your stabilizers an opportunity to ctssume their primary role, thusremoving the obligation of prime movers to work in less than optimoi ,org" of motion.Eventually, you can combine this stretch with a futt Turkish Get-Up to øppreciate the benefit of amo b il ity - s t ab i I i ty s up er- s et.

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Half Kneeling 2-Handed Bottoms Up Press: Holding the kettlebell by the handle in aninverted (bottom up) position, assume the Half Kneeling position and bring the kettlebellin front of your sternum. Rotating toward your leftt pressing side, press the kettlebelloverhead with both hands. The goals are to keep the right hip in extension, keep the torsotall. No leaning backwards, rotate around a single axis, and achieve a full lockout withboth elbows at the top of the press. Rotation is VERY important here, and it gives you themobility to achieve better stability.

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Half Kneeling Arm Rotations:Gently rotate the pressing arm inthe overhead lockout to achievejoint familiarity with thisposition. As always, make surethe neck is elongated andrelaxed, the shoulders arepacked, and the torso remainstall.

TaIl Kneeling to Half Kneeling:"Do the move" - Start with bothknees down and transition to halfkneeling. The knee up should beon the same side as the Kettlebellpress. As with all the previous steps, do at least 5 reps on each side, paying carefulattention to maintaining the integrity of the motion on the descent as well as you didduring the ascent. Note how you breathe. Note your tall spine. Note your ability toatomically maintain vertical with the kettlebell.


Go back and reread that article above on the Brettzel and implement it withhigh attention to detail. For your quad dominant clientele with T:spinerestrictions, this stretch is one of the easiest ways to achieve better muìclepatterning by removing the restrictions in hip extension. A tight rectus femoris oriliopsoas doesn't have to limit your TGU if you restore range of motion.

Half Kneeling 2-Handed Bottoms Up Press: This exercise continues the goodwork you just did with the Brettzel. You don't have to put your client into majorhip extension. You're just looking to maintain a 0 degree line from the torso downalong the base thigh. The rotation is really key here to forcing your body to usethe posterior chain for stabilization. Doing this exercise with a kettlebellsupercharges the core's contribution. Make sure that the front foot remains flat onthe floor.

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Step 7: HaIf Kneeling to Stand

The transition from Half Kneeling to Standingcan be accomplished in a progressive fashion,depending on the strength level of the user.

The setup for both the facilitated and theadvanced versions is the same.

' Keep a tall spine by extending thechest, elongating the neck, andopening the hips.

Keep the shoulders packed and pulleddown away from the ears, especiallywhile standing up!

Prepare the rear foot by spreading thetoes and ball of the foot out on thefloor for maximum traction. Drivefrom the toes and ball of the back foot,pressing your body forward andupward.

Spread the sole of your front footwide, focusing your power andawareness in your heel and front leg.V/ithout letting your knee driftforward over or past your toes, driveyour front heel down into the ground and clench your glutes as you stand upward.Complement this with a forward push with the back leg.

' Clenching the glutes allows you to drive forward with your hips, bringing them inalignment under the kettlebell. Squeezing the legs together while maintaining all the priorpoints adds to the strength of this movement.

' Your gaze should be straight ahead, with the neck relaxed.

The facilitated version is performed by driving off the ground with both legs, ascending into along stride position. From the stride position, bring the feet together afterwards. The advancedversion uses both leg equally as well. You may primarily want to use the front leg to drive thebody straight up off the ground, but a little extra extension drive on the back leg þushingforward) can make a big difflerence when you add weight.

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DRILLS & BREAKDOWNS:

1. Close Stance Split Stance: "Do the move" - Startfrom the Half Kneeling position and place thefront foot along a narrow line or as close todirectly in line with one another as possible. Theheel of the front foot should be almost touchingthe kneeling knee. From this position, simply standup and straighten both legs. For those of you whothink this looks a lot like the FMS In-Line LungeTest, you're not mistaken. We're using thismovement as an exercise to facilitate balance andposture while standing up from a kneelingposition. Try 5 reps on each side. Note how youbreathe. Note your ability to atomically maintainvertical with the kettlebell.

2. Split Stance Bottoms Up Press: Adding thekettlebell to the mix from the Split Stance, do the2-Hands Bottoms Up Press again, rotating towardthe side of the front leg.



3. Standing Rotations: Turn everything but your feet. Keep the shoulder blade down andrelaxed. Keep the neck relaxed and look with your eyes in the direction you are turning.Allow yourself to move a little fuither each time and note limitations and restrictions tofluid movement. Stay tall. This move is a great wann up anytime you work overhead.


NEVER RUSH WHEN You TEACH! You should have taken your time to getyour client to this point. While it may be advantageous to cover much groundwith a highly motivated and skilled client such as an elite athlete, you have toremember that our goal in defining the TGU for you in this DVD and workbookpackage is to show you that this is a total package. you have a functionalmovement screen of sorts and a corrective exercise package all-in-one here.Rushing through when you or your client might need a little extra time on reallymastering an earlier step does no good for anyone.

The FMS: If you found that this brief assessment was interesting, you may wantto investigate our Functional Movement Screen technologies in greater depth anddetail. You don't want to add strength to dysfunction, and the FMS can help youas a trainer, coach, or medical professional to understand where and how to focuson corrective strategies with your players, clients, or when discharging patients.

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The Turkish Get-Up is an art form in and of itself. Do not confuse it for a mindless workoutwhere the number of reps is the focus. Rather, this method requires high attention to detail andtotal awareness throughout every stage of the exercise. High-yield neurological patterning isoccurring af each stage of the TGU, and we hope you will go through both the DVD and thisworkbook repeatedly, gleaning bits of information and insights that you might have missed onprior reads. Practice, practice, practice......

Thank you for joining us for our in-depth presentation of:

ITIITTI,IIIIIILIS IIROII TIIII GIÙOT]ND I]I)

...The .rurkísh

GeFUp...

Mark F.rett Gray

Mark Cheng, L.Ac., Ph.D., RKC Team Leader

Brett Jones, MS, CSCS, Master RKC

Gray Cook, MS, CSCS, OCS, PT, RKC

KAI OS STHENOS to you...

come see us at - www .functíonulrou-rent.com

@ Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 20OB - www.functionalmovement.com

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Kettlebells FormThe Ground Up - The Kalos Sthenos

TGII IYONIÍOITT SOHIIilIIS

Corrective Level

As Brett Jones explains in his concluding statements, you can structure your TGU trainingaround your strengths and weaknesses in performance. For example, if you have a hard time withsome of the movements in the middle of the series, perhaps you can do repetitions of the easiermovements, but then go through all the Drills & Breakdowns for the more diffrcult movementsto develop greater skill and awareness.

Fundamental Movement Patterning Level - The Progressive Get-Up

If you've learned the TGU with high frdelity to the points that we've outlined for you in theDVD and in this workbook, you'll want to practice the Naked Get-Up and Turkish Get-Up in amanner that gives your body the biggest bang for the buck, which means focusing on yourPrimitive Patterns. To do that, we're going to do each move in sequence in the following fashion:

Step 1: Roll to Press, then back down.

Steps I & 2: Roll to Press, then Press to Elbow, then back down.

Steps 1, 2, &, 3: Roll to Press, Press to Elbow, Elbow to Post, then back down.

Repeat this all the way through all 7 steps. You'Il find that you get the greatest practice on theearliest steps in the TGU progression, which are the richest in Primitive Pattern development.

Now if you're already an experienced kettlebell lifter, don't dismiss this training method. If youcan TGU with a 32kg kettlebell with ease, you might want to try this with a 16 kg kettlebell tosee if you can make it all the way through with PERFECT form.

Intermediate Movement Patterning Level - The Repetitive Get-Up

As we did with the last step of the Drills & Breakdowns, do each step of the TGU progression 3

- 5 times before continuing on to the next step. This is high endurance work for one side to try todo, so start light, and keep strict adherence to perfect form at every microsecond along the way.It only takes a split second to allow a faulty movement to occur, so you MUST remain attentiveduring every part ofyour ascent and descent.

Maximum Simplicity - High Level

Once you've mastered all steps of the TGU, you can simply go through the fullTGU progression5 times per side. You can do these either by switching hands after each rep or by going throughall 5 on one side before switching. We recommend that you observe a maximum of 5 continuousreps on one side because there is a point of diminishing return with fatigue and form. Neversacrifice your form for reps!

*Also see suggested workouts on DVD #1 of the two DVD set.

@ Gray Cook and Functional Movement Systems, 2008 - www.functionalmovement.com Os

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The TGu has become an important component in the training of ourathletes. In the beginning we viewed it (TGU) as a simple shouldeistabilitymovement. In fact it is all that, and much more. As we watch athletes gôthrough the progressions of the TGU we see it serve as a screen for basicmovement problems. when individuals go through the arm bars, _ get ups,post to high pelvis, and split squat into standing, the keen coach oi clinicianwill be able to extrapolate noteworthy practiõaI examples of imbalances,asymmetries, and limitations in mobility and stability. th..e things set upinjury and hurt long-term performance. The TGU approach to foundationtraining, allows for very specific corrective exercises based on the acquiredknowledge provided by the movement progressions. TVhen all phases of theprogression can be done with respectable mobility, stabilify, symmetry and aload (adequate kettlebell) we can guarantee that we have an athleteproducing clean stable movements in dynamic situations. A favorablemovement screen combined with TGU abilities, is a parameter that guidesour decision making process, of when, and how, athletes u.. progiessedthrough a comprehensive movement, strength, speed, pä*.. andconditioning program.

If that is too wordy how about this? -My job is exercise, injury prevention, and performance enhancement. I startwith the TGU. I fìnish with the TGU. I check progress with the TGU...

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Kettlebells from the Ground Up manual.pdf

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Transcript of Kettlebells from the Ground Up manual.pdf