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.
