The Whens and Whys of Barefooting. 1.

So it is no secret that barefoot can indeed provide great benefit in the terms of stabalising the foundation of the body. Its a pretty well known physio therapy tactic to strengthen the joint inferior (below) an affected area to help treat pain and instability. Barefooting just happens to represent starting at the most inferior part of the body and working ones way up. It is also pretty easy to make the jump to the sensation, pleasantness, play and transgression conferred by getting out in the world in ones bare feet is likely to do you a lot of psychological good.

But like all things in life there is a time and place,  spend a LOT of time out of shoes and socks primarily because I find the sensation pretty unpleasant over a sustained period of time. I also know when to eschew and when to embrace shoes. Shoes are a tool and tools are a part of being human just the same as opposable thumbs and an excess of pudding in the cranium.

I would like to start with....

-Kettlebells 

I want to start by critisising some nonsense that I have heard many times repeated amongst those who barefoot while using kettlebells. It is said by these folks that the best way to use your feet while doing anything is to claw at the ground with your feet by pressing the toes down and basically tightening up the foot as much as possible. This is utter nonsense, the best way to use your body is to constantly shift between states of relaxation, stabalisation and contraction in a manner that suites the activity you are engaged in. A state of constant tension in your feet is going to eventually lock you up from foot to hip and literally makes no sense whatsoever.

The type of shoe used is quite important, the best bet is to have NO CUSHION WHATSOEVER in the sole of the shoe. Basically the cushion will destabalise your base and compromise your trajectory and fixation.

Sport- My time of study with World Kettlebell was a real eye opener. Basically the standards of fixation and alignment required to get certification made it clear to me that the sport of kettlbell lifting is not a time or place for barefoot. To create consistently fixated lifts, and therefore completed repetitions, requires a tool. That tool is a shoe. This is for the same reason that we don't see olympic lifters lifting competitively barefoot. The stress's and requirements for training simply will not allow for it. I know there are those in the community who will disagree but these also tend to be lifters who do not fixate or engage in the primary lifts but who instead specialise in  accessory work.

Swings (complete and incomplete) are a great activity barefoot as the consistency of of speed and dynamic inherent to the activity is an excellent "laboratory" to explore the possibility's and mechanisms of the foots interaction with the rest of the body. Also the weight used does not need to come down barefoot as opposed to snatch. Snatch is quite good for barefooting but in my opinion the weight needs to come down from what one would use for test sets.


Stay tuned for more whens and wheres in part 2.

Kettlebell: A Mild Primer and Some Fun Workouts

In this blog post I wish to discuss the use of kettlebells for fitness as opposed to the more specialized work done for sport lifting. When approaching kettlebell from the direction of general physical preparedness and body composition the goals and objectives are rather different than the needs of a competitive athlete. With that being said I do insist upon the sport concept of cleanness of technique with my clients as it greatly improves work capacity.

                                                                

Kettlebell lifting has a unique face in today fitness industry. For the past 40 years we have largely been sold on the idea of bigger being better. Bigger machines, bigger mirrors, bigger weights and bigger physiques have all been heavily marketed. Kettlebell training is different as its  a function first modality building the elements of strength evenly. Certainly not the vehicle for building as much mass as possible. However, if your goal is an even building of athletic ability and functional strength without spending your kids college fund on something with the aesthetics of a suspension bridge. Kettlebell lifting is quite likely going to bring you to this goal.

Various studies have been performed examining the benefits of kettlebell lifting but honestly this research is rather in its infancy. What scientific studies have been done, and anecdotal as well as observational information are showing similar and predictable effects to the training regimes with results varying from one individual to the next and one coach to the next.

-increased cardiovascular capacity

-increased lung capacity

-increased strength especially in grip, core, posterior chain and legs

-increased stability

-improved range of motion

-increased metabolism

-increased bone density

-weight loss

-increased general physical preparedness

-increased sense of well being

One of the more interesting effects is central nervous system conditioning that builds individuals ability to stay calm and relaxed. Yoga is often touted as being the ultimate in groundedness but I would stack the psychological benefits of kettlebell lifting against yoga any day. Not to deride the practice of Yoga but its not to bad to stay calm while listening to tunes on a mat. Quite another to learn to stay calm while in the the last third of a 10 minute jerk set. I have noticed this calm attitude tends to stick with people after a while whether they are “under the steel” or not.

No reason not to train our resolve right along with our arses.

Kettlebell lifting requires intelligent programming just like any other exercise regime. I am going to lay out some workouts that are suitable to an individual pursuing a fitness based protocol. The second example is what a  well conditioned lifter could expect to put up in a session as part of a larger programming.

The fitness protocol sessions are set into 3x a week sessions consisting of 3 ten minute repeating cycles to allow the lifter to get inside of the lifts and the pacing. These sessions are excluding warm up time. If no rest is indicated the hand should be switched either by a swing switch or if you are not comfortable with this method return the bell to the floor and start the next hand. Kettlebell weight is really dependent upon the individual but keep in mind even if you try the series too light you have still built patterning and cardio into your progression so there is no loss. If you are more experienced and want to increase the difficulty perform cleans, push press and jerk all with two kettlebells! 

(demonstrating push press with a 20kg, note the 32 kg on the floor next to me. I am stopping and starting a lot of movements in this workshop. Do I really need to be a hero? And so it sits on the floor unless truly required)

Sometimes discretion is the better part of valour...

Tues    - 00:30 wall sit, rest 00:30 , 00:30 sec wall sit  

            -  2:00 swings one switch

            - 2:00 clean 10 rpm one switch

            -rest 4:30

Repeat x3

Thurs  (Back bridges are either partial or full dependent upon individual.)  

           - 00:30 back bridge, rest 00:30, 00:30 back bridge

           - 2:00 cleans 10 rpm

           - 2:00 push press 10 rpm

           -rest 4:30

Repeat x3

Sat - 00:30 side plank, 00:30 rest, 00:30 side plank

      - 4:00 lc jerk 8 rpm switch every 1:00

      - rest 4:30

Repeat x3

Here is another workout that I personally use to help balance speed and power in the snatch and is MUCH MORE advanced than the previous examples. I perform this one with 16, 24 and 32 kg kettlebells. The jumps in weight are quite large but the pacing is adjusted accordingly. The variability in weight and pacing is to teach control. With the 32 kg there will be an urge to speed up as 10 rpm results in a lot of time in the overhead position. This is intentional and helps develop alignment and stillness in the upper fixation phase.

All rests are one minute and workout takes approx 45 minutes, no talking during rests!

Swings (32kg)                             -2:00 1 switch

rest                

farmers carry (32kg 2 ‘bells)       -2:00

rest                        

snatch (16kg) 20 rpm                  -2:00 1 switch

rest        

snatch (24kg) 15 rpm                   -2:00 1 switch

rest  

snatch  (32kg) 10 rpm                 -2:00 1 switch

rest

Repeat x3

Enjoy the steel!

                                                             A Proper Response


 The next time someone tells you when you barefoot that "X" is the proper way to walk remember this. The ways the foot can be used are absurdly varied. 36 joints with 24 of them being voluntarily mobile not to mention all of the intrinsic and extrinsic muscles in the foot and lower leg annndd there interplay with the kinetic chain.

 In club turning traditions the soles of the feet and the weight displacement potential within are often referred to as the bubbling well or pot because the number of variances is like counting bubbles in boiling water. Heel toe, toe to heel, knife edge forefoot to heel to big toe, knife edge to big toe to heel, heel pivot to big toe to knife edge and the list goes on and on and is perfectly applicable to everything from picking you nose while waiting for the bus to running marathon distances.

There are overlaying patterns but really considering that we don't even all have the exact same proportions, nervous systems and number of muscles getting overly pedantic is not going to help the situation.

Meat our supper!

When diagrams are great

I have been exposed to a lot of really crappy anatomical diagrams through the years. This is not one of them, seriously look at that! Clear and consistent with amazing printing standards and even clearer labeling.  I recently paid 80 bucks for materials and membership to a local trainers network and frankly their standards (all of them) are crap. So looks like its the same (personal) course as always but with one change. Teach myself, as I know that I won't get shortchanged, then I am going to go and challenge me some courses with an advanced standing. So that, optimistically, I don't have to listen to anyone try to spoonfeed me bullshit.

But seriously, look at that fucking diagram!

Meat my lunch

I love my local store. The package says lamb head or liver. In actuality I think they just scoop out a lamb.

Machines suck!

Machines suck! That is all.