Swimming with sharks and whales…thanks to Kettlebells

Hugh and Family, post swim.

Hugh and son beginning the swim from the island of Lanai, 9.1 miles to the coast of Maui. Wife Lani is in the kayak (photographer)

Dave,

I wanted to update you and your KB following on what my family and I are doing and how KB’s have made all the difference. My son and I are training for the 9.1 mile Lanai to Maui Channel swim. My wife is part of our support team and will kayak the entire distance. This event is a 5-6 hour channel swim and without KB’s I would certainly fail. Our greatest distance to date is 7 miles in prep for the main event that will take place over the Thanksgiving holiday. I am only 1 of 12 others who will attempt this event. It is worth mentioning that the other 11 are all kids (young adults). Several other adults started the process of training but all have fallen by the wayside. Most of their reasons are a lack of cardio endurance or shoulder/upper body fatigue. Thanks to a solid consistent KB regime I have no problems with either of these. My issue is it is a huge mental game after 4 hours in the open ocean environment.  (I think about things like, “is my life insurance paid up?”)

I will keep you posted and let you know the outcome……Suffice to say my team will have no problems completing the event…..We will see if the “old retired Marine” can do it!!

Semper Fi,
Hugh

The day after the event (26 November):

Roughly 5 hours……Lanai to Maui…  9 miles. I’ll send pics when we get back home.. Dave, thanks for the support and intro to kb’s. I couldnt have done it without them. We had company……3 whales and 1×10′ Tiger shark.    Hugh

While nothing I can write can add to this amazing accomplishment, let me clarify who Hugh is.  He and I went to flight school together and flew together in the Marine Corps.  Hugh was able to promote through the ranks and retired as a Squadron Commander in March of 2008.  In April of 2007 Hugh came to Yuma, Arizona, with his squadron in preparation to go to Iraq for 8 months.  I drove out from Tucson to see him (who was stationed in and currently lives in Hawaii) and packed my trusty kettlebell.  After catching up on our respective histories, I introduced Hugh to the kettlebell.   He had heard of them and some of his young officers had seen them, but they had no formal instruction.  In June of 2007 I went to my old base in Kaneohe, Hawaii, to train Hugh, his family, and his squadron with kettlebells.  They packed up and left in July and took their kettlebells.

Training Marines with Kettlebells, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii before deployment to Iraq

Hugh & Family, Lanikai Beach, Sunrise kettlebells.

Many of his squadron had joined the crossfit world and had improperly used kettlebells.  As Marines deploy, the accommodations of a crossfit gym are rarely found.  However, Hugh made sure that kettlebells deployed with his Squadron. Compact and portable, they provided all the gym they would want.  With proper instruction, they were being used safely and used quire often.   Of course, as Marines, pullup bars are routinely improvised/procured, and some attempts were made to recreate the crossfit experience, but, thanks to Hugh, the kettlebell was always immediately available.  If you look back at my blog, you will find workouts that were sent to his squadron, photos that they took with kbs, etc.  Many of those who went to Iraq made a personal commitment to improve their health while they were gone.  Most who made that commitment were able to do that.  Some of the crossfit folk returned home to their crossfit locales and destroyed their old personal records.  One of the taskings of the aircrew (in the back of the CH-53) is to wear nearly 70lbs of equipment and move stooped over, a very compromising back situation.  By building solid core strength with the kettlebells, those situations proved less painful over the 10-14 hrs of flight per day.  A good many Marines came to the conclusion that there really was no other instrument to improve their physical conditioning, and in world of Marines, where time is a precious luxury, there was no better workout than the mighty KB.

Turkish Get Up in Iraq. Kettlebells go anywhere, anytime.

Austere conditions, yet a full gym. One kettlebell goes a long way. Got 5 minutes, gimme 100 swings!

I went back to Hawaii in March of 2008 to see Hugh retire.   In the months following, he injured his back while trying to imitate the skills of his son with a board in the surf.   He had to lay off of the kettlebell, and practically everything else,  to just become a member of the human race and walk vertically.  We chatted about his return to the kettlebell.  Turkish Get Ups as far as he could go without pain, and Swings, with perfect form as long as no pain was involved, other than his lungs starving for air.  Over time, his body continued to heal and strengthen.  He was able to perform other exercises without pain.  And then word came of the Channel Challenge for him and his family.  He then began his amphibious (swimming) training, and found began putting the strength and stamina found in kettlebell training to practical use in the ocean.

The end 23 years of service to his Marines, his Corps and his Country. Thanks, Hugh!

Then came the letter before Thanksgiving this year.  Much like Beth’s letter of the fall, Hugh’s letter was monumental in that he was doing something (like Beth) out of the norm, and it was fitness related, and it was not for the timid.  A 9 mile open ocean swim.  Well, you read the rest of the story.

Hugh’s story is one of personal triumph in a situation where most persons would not even consider.  Let us not forget that his wife, also a kettlebell enthusiast, Kayaked 9.1 miles in the open ocean in support of Hugh and his son!    There is something unique in the bonding experience for a family, where all are involved in a common goal.  Often this is spectating, in this case, it was actively engaged in a demanding fitness endeavor.

The new year is coming upon us.  You have choices when it comes to fitness.  For Pavel, the man who brought the kettlebell to the United States, sums it up as follows: “… in Russia, when you go to the store, you have two choices.  Coffee, or, no coffee.  You choose.”  I recommend coffee.

For those who have found the kettlebell, it really is as simple as that.  If you are new to kettlebell training, contact me and let’s get started!

Learning from one of the best: KB Seminar/Hormone Optimization with Mike Mahler in Las Vegas

Intermediate Kettlebell training seminar with Mike Mahler in Las Vegas.

September 25 I attended Mike Mahler’s intermediate kettlebell seminar and Hormone Optimization Lecture in Las Vegas.  Kettlebell training and Las Vegas; what an AWESOME combination!  It was a great time and nationally and internationally accessible (from all over the US and we had 4 Canadians!).  For whatever reason, the people who gather to train with kettlebells are always a great group of people.

I have been certified as an RKC for four years and have assisted at 3 different RKC events, the last one being in February of this year when I was Pavel’s assistant.  I have used Mike’s training videos, and read his research on-line, but I had never met him.  Mike’s reputation within the RKC community was a very convincing sell, but I really found meeting him in person to be a very rewarding experience.  He is a gifted and talented instructor who really knows multiple aspects of kettlebell training very well.

I have been to two other non-certification, non-dragon door seminars.  I enjoy being relieved of my instructor duties so I can absorb as much information as possible.  While the other non certification courses did provide a measure of valuable instruction, there really was no comparison in value as to what I learned from Mike.  Currently, Mike also happens to be the only RKC credentialed instructor teaching double kettlebell workshops.

Prior to attending the course, I had completed Geoff Neuports 12 week Kettlebell Muscle Program, one of the few double kettlebell programs out there.  It prepared me for the demands of Mike’s 6 hour course.  While it is possible to attend with very little double KB training, I wanted to make sure I could absorb as much from Mike as possible.  I learned an invaluable amount of information that really helped me in my execution of the basic double kettlebell exercises, plus several exercises I have never seen before.

Mike keeps the size of the course down to 15 students, and also does a great job of reinforcing the techniques by examining each student in turn and making corrections.  If there were no other aspects to the seminar other than the kettlebell training, I would have walked away from it extremely pleased as a kettlebell user and instructor.  However, Mike also gave us a break at lunch and discussed his work on Hormone Optimization.

Speaking clinically as a PhD, I can tell you that Mike’s research in the area is disciplined and thorough, and his presentation demonstrates how deeply he knows the subject matter.  However, while it is crystal clear that he knows the science, he breaks it down so it is usable information.  While I took 5 pages of notes, and most others did too, he answered every question to satisfaction.  I sincerely believe the work he is doing now is leading edge and has dramatic implications for the fitness enthusiast as well as for the person who simply wants to have a better quality of life.   I found that value of this lecture interwoven into the fabric of our kettlebell training, to be a fabulous combination that really amplified the value of his seminar.

If you ever get a chance to train with Mike, do it, especially if you can do it in Las Vegas.

If you want to help your clients out with their specific issues, or, have some issues of your own, read his work on Hormone Optimization, as it is extremely valuable and well done.  Rest assured, what you will read now will be just the beginning of a new way of thinking and the way forward to better health and fitness.  You can find information on his website, www.MikeMahler.com as well as his Facebook page.  I highly recommend both.

Finally, myself and my classmates were extremely fortunate as he made a DVD of the entire seminar, which I am enthused to see when it comes out in November.  As everyone who has ever grabbed a kettlebell knows, you will only retain a certain percentage of information while “under the bell”.  Refreshing the verbal and visual cues from the DVD will certainly help me in my own kettlebell pursuits as well as those of my clients.

Kettlebell secret: Get better at what you do!

David- I completed the 90 mile boat race and successfully portaged that boat 5 miles during the 3 day event, thanks to kettlebell training! – email from Beth (in the canoe)

Rough waters don't slow this woman down!

This past April I had the pleasure of training Beth Burchill with kettlebells.  Beth came to Arizona for the month to see Arizona and to see what kettlebells could do for her athletic pursuits.  Beth had recently retired after 21 years as New York State Trooper, had become the first woman to dive for the New York State Police (and was involved in the recovery of TWA Flight 800 in July of 1996).  She had competed in Duathlons (running and biking) internationally, and was the NY State champion in Duathlon and National Duathlon champion for her age group.  In 2003, she took home a bronze medal in world duathlon competition in Switzerland.  I first met Beth in 1987 in Quantico, Virginia, where we were both Officer Candidates for the United States Marine Corps; she was a distance runner from Syracuse and held records there until the last few years.  She humbled everyone when it came to PT, out running all manner of things Marine (men and women).  When she graduated from Syracuse, she turned down her USMC commission and became a New York State Trooper and served the state of New York for 21 years.  Let’s just say Beth doesn’t waste her time with half measures.

She found my DVD and website online and we began communicating in the fall of 2009.  She told me of her athletic pursuits and wanted to know if kettlebells were worth her time.  Of course, my response was that it would help her in ALL of her endeavors, and it was not a huge time commitment to become incredibly strong and fit for whatever goals she had.

In April of this year we went through the basics and she quickly gained the skill and mastery to safely train with kettlebells.  I sent her home with a program designed to help her with her speed skating and one that I felt would dramatically reduce the lower back fatigue that often is the end of a speed skating career, as well as develop a more powerful stroke for her strides.

Turns out that Beth learned of a new challenge, the Adirondack 90 mile Canoe Challenge.  It is simple, you simply row across 5 lakes (90 miles) and where each lake ends, you pick up your boat and carry it to the next lake, have a seat, and keep on rowing. Day 1, 35 miles rowing, 4 carries for 2.5 miles.  Day 2, 30 miles rowing, 1 carry of 1.25 miles, Day 3, 25 miles rowing, 5 carries for .5 miles.   By the way, the boats and oars are made of wood and weight about 70 lbs. because those lakes can get rough (see photo above).  Simple, yes.  Brutal, yes.

How does one train for such an event?  Where to start?  Beth started with gaining an incredible amount of strength and stamina with the workouts we began in Tucson.  Her hands (a major issue for many competitors) were tough and her grip was strong from kettlebell training.  Core strength for the hours and miles of rowing built a tremendous amount of strength in her upper and lower back, glutes, hamstrings, and quads, all of which came in handy when carrying the boat from lake to lake.  Most importantly, she was able to train for her sport…and work the kettlebells in on the side.  Her first journey was being able to row for 15 minutes without stopping…not on some ridiculous machine, but actually in a boat, on a lake.   She trained two or three days a week with kettlebells and tried to get as much mileage as she could in the boat, working her way up to longer distances under all kinds of wind and weather conditions.   When conditions prevented the rowing, she would substitute a kettlebell workout.  Of the kettlebell workouts, we had two basic programs: Snatches and swings with VO2 Max for ballistics, and ladders for the grinds.  Sound familiar?  Pavel’s own program, right out of Enter the Kettlebell.

Kettlebells are NOT for everyone.  They are not entertaining, they are not easy, and they are not glamorous.  They are simple, not easy.  I recently did a double kettlebell program for size and strength and gained 12 lbs in 12 weeks of lean muscle mass.  I stopped because my I don’t want to buy a new wardrobe.  I have runners and triathletes, powerlifters, basketball players, volleyball and handball players.  I also have doctors and nurses, mothers and daughters, engineers, Federal Marshals, firefighters, all services and schoolteachers.  The tool is the same and the goals are identical…to get better in the most efficient and safe way possible.  Better health (leaner and fitter), better strength, better endurance.  No gimmicks, gyms, studios, or “facilities”; thus, no limits. Simply one piece of equipment mixed with one part commitment to be better today than you were yesterday.  What have you got to lose?

Beth Burchill at the BEGINNING of the 3 day, 90 mile row, 5 miles of carry, Adirondack Canoe Race

Hawaii

Gearing up for the big trip…I am really looking forward to returning to MCAS Kaneohe Bay and training the Lucky Red Lions, Heavy Marine Helicopter (HMH)-363 before their next deployment. 

The trip to Hawaii is now complete.  The Marines responded to the training beyond expectation.  Many local civilians and trainers from the Special Services (base gym) also got with the program.  Can’t wait to head back there in the spring!