Typically, students at my gym, Iron Core, are ready to progress to more advanced kettlebell exercises after they thoroughly master the basics. Because every individual comes to the gym with different fitness and skill levels, there's no set time when this progression happens. But everyone — no matter the fitness level — follows a certain progression; for example, after people master the clean and press (see Chapter 8), they move on to the clean and jerk. After they're able to perform all the swing variations I describe in Chapter 6 and clean and press the bell well, they move on to the snatch.

If you've fully mastered the techniques in Chapters 4 and 5 and the basic exercises in Part II, you're probably ready to try out the exercises in this chapter. (You have an even better chance of succeeding with these exercise if you can do the exercises in Chapters 10 and 11, too.) However, the exercises in this chapter are more advanced, and some of them may prove quite difficult to master simply because you don't have the skills you need initially. But don't worry — skills can be learned and then honed, and, with patience and discipline, you can master these exercises as well as you mastered those in the previous chapters. For all the exercises in this chapter, I offer suggestions and variations that can help you in your quest for a strong and lean body.

<Remember>

Mastering the clean and jerk and the snatch are well worth the time and frustration they may take because they really pump up your strength and endurance. The overhead squat, sots press, and pistol exercises are at the advanced end of the kettlebell spectrum; even if you can't master these exercises, rest assured that you have more than enough tools in your box to continue progressing with kettlebells. But why not give them a try?

After you master the clean and press in Chapter 8, you can move on to the clean and jerk with confidence. This advanced exercise is a variation of the clean and press that engages your body from head to toe and tests your muscle and cardiovascular endurance.

To do the clean and jerk, follow these steps:

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your glutes and abs tightened.
2. Clean the kettlebell to the rack on your left side, keeping your elbow close to your ribcage (see Figure 12-1a).
   To clean the bell to the rack, turn your kettlebell so it's facing sideways, sit back into your hips, place your left hand on the kettlebell handle with your thumb pointing backward, and aggressively snap your hips to bring the kettlebell to the rack. Flip to Chapter 8 for all the details on how to clean the kettlebell.
3. To begin the jerk portion of the exercise, push your hips slightly back and bend your knees slightly (see Figure 12-1b).
4. Begin to straighten your body up very quickly to "bump" the kettlebell from your chest (see Figure 12-1c); without any hesitation continue with Step 5.
   Make sure you use your hips to move the bell initially.
5. Get under the kettlebell and absorb the weight by pushing your hips back, bending your knees again, and straightening your left arm into the locked-out position (see Figure 12-1d); drive through your heels with a forceful stomp to stand up tall (see Figure 12-1e).
   Make sure to keep your shoulders in their sockets, and tighten your lats, thighs, glutes, and abs at the top of the movement. Your left arm is in a fully locked-out overhead position at the top of the movement; your right arm is down at your side throughout the exercise.
   Think push hips back, bump, absorb, get tall, all in one fluid motion when performing the jerk portion of the clean and jerk.
6. From the top overhead locked-out position, let the bell descend back into the rack position by bending your knees and bracing your abs to absorb the weight of the bell coming into the rack position. After the bell is in the rack position, stand back up tall and re-clean the kettlebell to the start position I describe in Steps 1 and 2.

Perform eight repetitions on the left side; switch sides by taking an extra swing (Chapter 6 has details on the alternating swing) or by setting down the kettlebell and re-cleaning it. Perform eight repetitions on the right side.

After you practice all your repetitions, try performing the exercise for one minute — 30 seconds on each side. If you aren't out of breath after doing so, you need a heavier bell. In fact, the exercise lends itself to using a heavier weight overhead than you normally would be able to press. Why? You don't just engage your lower body to help you move through this exercise; the second dip described in Step 5 (when you push back into your hips and bend your knees for the second time) allows your whole body to absorb the impact of a heavier bell.

<AdvancedStuff>

If you succeed at doing the clean and jerk, try doing this exercise with two kettlebells of the same size. Follow the steps for the one-kettlebell clean and jerk, but clean and jerk both bells at the same time. See if you can work for up to ten minutes without setting down the kettlebells. You can "rest" in the rack if need be.

The snatch is one of the most dynamic full-body kettlebell exercises out there — it takes your strength, flexibility, endurance, and power to entirely new levels. Being able to snatch well allows your body to fully understand how to generate force and power, which carries over nicely into your life and sport-specific activities. Although the basics of the exercise aren't hard to learn after you understand the hip snap that I describe in Chapter 4, the many nuances in the exercise will take time and practice to master.

Note: You should be able to snatch the same size kettlebell that you're able to press with control and precision and that you're comfortable using for the one- arm swing that I describe in Chapter 6.

<Tip>

To help you get started with the snatch, practice the high-pull exercise from Chapter 10, the one-arm swing from Chapter 6, and the press from Chapter 8. The snatch incorporates these exercises in one fluid motion, so knowing how to do each exercise separately will help you master the snatch more easily.

To do the snatch, follow these steps:

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart with the kettlebell on the ground between your feet with the handle positioned sideways.
2. Push your hips back to reach down for your bell with your left hand, thumb pointing back.
3. Use a backswing to get the kettlebell off the ground, snap your hips, and drive your heels through the ground as you bring the kettlebell up in front of your body, with your left elbow bent (see Figure 12-2a); punch up and through the bell in one fluid motion to get the bell into the top position over your head (see Figure 12-2b).

<Tip>

1. Tame the arc of the kettlebell by imagining you're zipping up your jacket; aggressively punch the bell up as it approaches your chest. Don't hesitate at the shoulder like you do in the clean and press.
   At the top position, your left arm is fully extended and locked out, and your wrist is solid and not broken or bent. Be sure to pinch your glutes, thighs, and abs at the top, as well, taking care not to let the kettlebell throw you back; keep your heels pressed into the ground, your body solid as a column, and your shoulder connected to the lat muscle.

<Tip>

3. At the top of the exercise, the kettlebell handle should rest from the web of your thumb to the outer part of your palm and wrist, not straight across your palm (refer to Figure 12-2b). Ensure this positioning by turning your thumb back at the backswing of the movement.
4. Bring your kettlebell down by corkscrewing the bell down in front of you in one fluid motion (see Figure 12-2c); push your hips back as your bring the bell into the backswing position.
   To corkscrew the bell, simply rotate your hand as you bring the bell down so that your pinky faces inward at about chest height until you push back into your hips at the bottom of the exercise and begin to point your thumb backward to get into the position described in Step 2.

Perform five repetitions on the left side by repeating Steps 3 and 4; use an extra swing to switch sides (see Chapter 6 for details on the alternating swing), and perform five repetitions on the right.

<Remember>

The snatch is one fluid, dynamic movement. You aren't pressing the bell up; rather, you're using the force generated from your hips to get the bell into the top position. Your hips do all the work — your arm is simply the guide.

<Remember>

You shouldn't feel the kettlebell bang or slap your wrist when performing the snatch. If you're banging your wrist at the top of the movement, you may not be keeping a bend in your elbow as you make your way up to the top position; or, you may not be generating enough force from your hips for the kettlebell to simply float up into the top position.

If you're slapping your wrist at the top, practice the high pull from Chapter 10 to help you correct your form. In addition, practice a bent-arm, one-arm swing. To do so, follow the instructions for the one-arm swing in Chapter 6, but have a slight bend in your arm as you bring the kettlebell to the top position (at chest height). Make sure the swing is at least shoulder height so that each one of the swings could turn into a snatch if you were to punch through to bring the bell to the top position.

<AdvancedStuff>

After you become proficient at snatching according to the preceding steps, you can switch to a more hard-style form that doesn't incorporate the corkscrew method on the descent of the exercise. Just make sure it still feels and looks smooth at the top, with no banging of the wrist.

If you can reach a rock-bottom squat and perform a military press with full lockout (see Chapter 8 for details on both moves), you're already halfway to mastering the overhead squat, another high-intensity kettlebell exercise. Now you just have to master the other half. In this section, I outline how to do the overhead squat and give you several techniques for correcting your form.

If you find that you just can't perform the overhead squat, don't worry. Very few people I've taught can do the exercise properly; even so, they've been able to radically change their overall strength, flexibility, and body composition just by working toward it. So, if you can do a rock-bottom squat and achieve full lockout in the military press, at least give this exercise a try.

The basic overhead squat

When you begin to work on the overhead squat, use a kettlebell that's one size lighter than the one you use for swings or one that's the size you can confidently use for the Turkish get-up. If you have trouble with the overhead squat, refer to the corrective exercises I describe in the next section.

To do the overhead squat, follow these steps.

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your glutes and abs tightened.
2. Clean the kettlebell to the rack on your left side.
   Check out Chapter 8 if you need a refresher on cleaning.
3. Press the bell up into full lockout position.
   As you press the bell up, your left arm is locked out overhead, with your shoulders in their sockets and your lats tight; your right arm is at your side. See Chapter 8 for more details on pressing the kettlebell.
4. Keep your eyes on the kettlebell, slowly sit back into your hips, with your weight on your heels, and pull yourself down into a rock-bottom squat, all the while keeping the kettlebell steady and controlled in the lockout position (see Figure 12-3).
5. After you reach rock-bottom position, drive up through your heels and stand up tall, keeping your abs and glutes pinched and your left arm locked out.
   Don't let your arm or kettlebell drift forward or let the elbow break during this movement.

Perform five repetitions on the left side while keeping the kettlebell in the full lockout position (don't bring it into the rack until all reps are complete). Then switch sides by bringing the kettlebell back down into the rack, taking an extra swing to switch sides (see Chapter 6 for details on the alternating swing), or setting down the kettlebell and re-cleaning it on the right side. Perform five repetitions on the right side.

Corrective drills for the overhead squat

If your form during the overhead squat is less than ideal, take a look at the corrective drills I describe in this section. They can help you fix your form so you get the maximum benefit from this exercise.

<Tip>

In addition to the techniques I describe in this section, two other kettlebell exercises can help you make progress with the overhead squat:

• Overhead squat Turkish get-up: Many of my students can perform the overhead squat version of the Turkish get-up (see Chapter 7) but struggle with the basic overhead squat. When I point out to them that they're actually doing an overhead squat already, they have more confidence in themselves and their abilities and go on to master the overhead squat.
• Deck squat: This exercise helps you practice getting into rock-bottom position and getting back up to a standing position from the ground (see Chapter 10).

The barbell or broomstick overhead squat

If you find that your arm drifts forward or your elbow breaks during the overhead squat or that you just can't get into the rock-bottom squat position, you can use the barbell overhead squat to help fix your form. If you don't have a barbell, use a broomstick. The idea behind this corrective technique is to get your body moving in the right pattern; using less weight can help you focus on your form rather than your strength.

To do this version of the overhead squat, follow the steps from the section "The basic overhead squat," but instead of holding a kettlebell in one hand, hold a barbell or broomstick in a wide grip with both hands. Perform ten total repetitions without setting down the barbell or broomstick.

Practice this variation of the overhead squat until you feel ready to go back and attempt the kettlebell version of the exercise.

The overhead squat with a target

Having a target, such as a plyometric box or a BOSU, to reach for helps some people perform the overhead squat, especially when they lack the body awareness to know how low they're getting or aren't getting in the rock-bottom position. If you own either of these pieces of equipment (preferably one that's 8 to 12 inches tall), do the target version of the overhead squat by following the steps described in the section "The basic overhead squat," using the box or BOSU as your guide for the squatting movement. Practice this drill with your kettlebell.

<Remember>

Make sure you stand far enough away from the target that you're still able to push back into your hips when initiating the squatting movement, but not too far away that you miss the box when squatting down. Also make sure you don't put your weight on the box or BOSU; instead, just tap the box lightly with your rear end and drive up to the top standing position.

Avoiding caved-in knees and raised heels with the band squat

You may be able to perform the rock-bottom squat, but, if your knees cave inward or your heels come off the floor when you're loading your body from the overhead position, you likely have an imbalance in your form. Use the band squat corrective technique from Chapter 8 to clean up your form.

After you master the rock-bottom squat from Chapter 8, you should be comfortable enough in the rock-bottom position that you can stay in it for 30 seconds or more (without kettlebells). If you can do so, take some time to try the Sots press, which is a great combination of squat and press that challenges your strength, flexibility, and balance. It's a fun exercise to do and can serve as a challenging alternative to the military press that I describe in Chapter 8.

To do the Sots press, follow these steps:

1. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your glutes and abs tightened.
2. Clean the kettlebell to the rack on your left side.
   If you need a refresher on cleaning, flip to Chapter 8.
3. Get into the rock-bottom front squat by pushing your hips back and letting your knees follow your lead as you descend (see Figure 12-4a).
   See Chapter 8 for instructions on doing the rock-bottom front squat.

<Tip>

3. After you get in the rock-bottom position, your heels can be on or off the floor for the Sots press. In either case, make sure the weight is distributed evenly between your left and right sides.
4. Letting your eyes follow the kettlebell, press the bell up from the rack position into the full lockout overhead position of the military press (see Figure 12-4b).
   Your left bicep should be in line with your left ear in the lockout position.
5. Return the kettlebell to the rack position on the left side while maintaining the rock-bottom squat position.

Perform five repetitions on the left side by repeating Steps 4 and 5. Switch sides by setting down the kettlebell and standing back up to re-clean the kettlebell on the right side; perform five repetitions on the right side.

<Warning>

Don't let your knees cave inward or let your knees come past your toes during the Sots press exercise. Both errors in form will cause knee pain. To correct bad form, use the band squat or barbell or broomstick squat I describe in the section "Corrective drills for the overhead squat."

The pistol is the ultimate exercise for building and maintaining leg and glute strength. It requires you to have a good amount of hamstring and glute flexibility and hip mobility. Indeed, you perform a feat of strength every time you do one the right way.

Before you get started with the pistol, be aware — pistols are difficult to perform. To help you achieve success with pistols, I offer several variations in the following sections; you can perform pistols with just your body weight or with one kettlebell. I also explain how to correct poor pistol form.

The pistol without a kettlebell

Don't think that this version of the pistol is a piece of cake to perform just because it doesn't use a kettlebell. Indeed, it's quite challenging – not to mention effective. Be sure you practice the pistol without the kettlebell before trying the weighted version because, if you attempt to do the pistol with a kettlebell without making sure you have the flexibility and strength to do so, you'll most likely fall on your butt! In all my years of teaching this exercise, I've encountered only one person who could perform the pistol with a kettlebell immediately — my younger brother, who's strong and flexible and who was na–ve enough to believe he could do it.

To do the pistol without a kettlebell, follow these steps:

1. Stand with your feet together, and then lift your left leg off the ground and straighten it out in front of you; bring your arms out in front of you and tighten your abs (see Figure 12-5a).
2. Slowly sit back into your hips until your right glute is touching your right calf muscle in the rock-bottom position (see Figure 12-5b).

<Remember>

2. Keep your right heel on the ground and abs tight throughout the movement.
3. Drive through your right heel, activating your hamstrings, glutes, and abs, to stand up tall without using your arms or other leg for assistance.
   Don't bounce in the bottom of the movement; instead, aggressively push through the right heel to get up.

Perform three reps on the right leg and three reps on the left leg.

<Tip>

The pistol without a kettlebell can actually be more challenging than performing the exercise with a bell, so use a small counterweight like a medicine ball to help you keep your balance while you learn the exercise. You can also position your arms out at your sides and pretend to push two walls away as you push through your heel to come up to standing.

<Warning>

Don't let your heel come off the ground during the exercise, and don't let your torso fall forward. Both errors in form could cause injury. Practice the assisted-pistol corrective drill I describe in the section "Corrective drills for the pistol" if you're making either of these form mistakes.

The pistol with a kettlebell

To perform the pistol with a kettlebell, you can hold the bell either by the horns (by grabbing either side of the middle of the handle with both hands and holding it at about chest height) or in the rack position (see Chapter 8 for rack-position basics). For beginners, I recommend holding it by the horns because it can act as a counterweight to assist you in getting up out of the rock-bottom position. Also, as you begin practicing the pistol, try to use a kettlebell that's one or two sizes lighter than the kettlebell you use for swings.

To do the pistol while holding the kettlebell by the horns, follow the steps for the nonweighted pistol in the preceding section, but this time, hold your kettlebell by the horns (see Figure 12-6). Perform three repetitions on each side.

To perform the pistol while holding the kettlebell in the rack position, follow the steps for the nonweighted pistol in the preceding section, but this time, start by cleaning the kettlebell into the rack position (refer to Chapter 8 for more on cleaning the kettlebell).

Fixing form with the assisted pistol

For this corrective drill, you need a sturdy exercise band that has minimal stretch or a yoga strap, along with a pull-up bar, column, or solid door with a doorknob. Take your band or strap and position it around the pull-up bar to act as a device to help you keep your form throughout the movement and to assist you in getting up from rock-bottom position.

To do the assisted pistol, follow the instructions for the nonweighted pistol that I describe in the section "The pistol without a kettlebell," this time using your pull-up bar and strap to assist you (see Figure 12-7); perform five repetitions on the right leg and five repetitions on the left leg.

<Tip>

Keep in mind the following pointers as you perform the assisted-pistol corrective drill:

• Don't rely on the band too much when pulling yourself up. Use the band to assist you in getting up, but don't struggle so much with the band that you feel like you're going to break apart the pull-up bar when you come up!
• The working heel must stay on the ground throughout the exercise. If you can't keep your heel down, chances are you lack the flexibility to do so, which means you need to do some exercises that increase your mobility in the hamstrings and glutes before you can perform the pistol properly. Some good exercises to try are the swing (Chapter 6), the windmill (Chapter 11), and the single-leg dead lift (Chapter 10)Building Endurance and Strength with Five Fiery Five-Minute Workouts

The following workouts are short and intense and meant to serve as practice sets, but they also build endurance and strength. You can try out these exercises on the days that you want a break from your regular kettlebell routine or use them to warm up for your light-day workouts. The combinations are meant to be performed on different days, so don't do any more than one of the workouts on any given day.

<Tip>

If you want to do these short, intense workouts before your regular routine, good complementary exercises include the following:

• Swing variations (see Chapter 6)
• The Turkish get-up (see Chapter 7)
• Squat variations (see Chapter 8)
• The windmill (see Chapter 10)
• Lunge variations (like the tactical lunge in Chapter 10)
• Row variations (see Chapters 10 and 11)
• Body weight exercises such as pull-ups and push-ups

Warm up for about two or three minutes for the following workouts using your choice of warm-up options from Chapter 5. All the workouts are for time, so you need to have a good stopwatch or Gymboss handy. Start your timer as soon as you're ready to begin your first exercise (don't time your warm-up), set it for five minutes, and try to move through the circuit without stopping.

Workout 1: Leg- and glute-endurance builder

If you're interested in building leg and glute endurance, this five-minute blast will certainly do the job. Both exercises in this workout really tax your lower body and give your heart rate a big jump.

• Exercise 1: Pistol (three reps on each side)
• Exercise 2: Clean and jerk for 30 seconds on each side with no rest in between sides (one minute total)
• Exercise 3: Pistol (two reps on each side)
• Exercise 4: Clean and jerk for 30 seconds on each side with no rest in between sides (one minute total)
• Exercise 5: Pistol (one rep on each side)
• Exercise 6: Clean and jerk for 20 seconds on each side with no rest in between sides (40 seconds total)

Workout 2: Upper-body strengthener and cardio-endurance builder

Because both the snatch and the overhead squat require you to bring the kettlebell overhead, the following workout taxes your upper body considerably. The overhead squat also gives your glutes and legs a workout, and both exercises test your cardiovascular endurance.

• Exercise 1: Snatch for 30 seconds on each side with no rest in between sides (one minute total)
• Exercise 2: Overhead squat (five reps on each side)
• Exercise 3: Snatch for 30 seconds on each side with no rest in between sides (one minute total)
• Exercise 4: Overhead squat (five reps on each side)
• Exercise 5: Snatch for 30 seconds on each side with no rest in between sides (one minute total)

Workout 3: Upper- and lower-body strengthener

If you want to blast your upper and lower body and get your heart rate up at the same time, the following five-minute workout is perfect for you. When you're performing the Sots press in this workout, your legs will probably start to feel fatigued from the pistols, but that's part of the fun, right?

• Exercise 1: Pistol (four reps on each side)
• Exercise 2: Sots press (five reps on each side)
• Exercise 3: Pistol (three reps on each side)
• Exercise 4: Sots press (five reps on each side)
• Exercise 5: Pistol (two reps on each side)
• Exercise 6: Sots press (five reps on each side)

Workout 4: Lower-body strengthener and cardio-endurance builder

The clean and jerk is a great lower-body-endurance builder, but it also gives you an intense cardiovascular workout. During this workout, do the following:

• Perform the clean and jerk for 30 seconds on each side (one minute total).
• Rest for 20 seconds.

Repeat this circuit for five minutes, resting 20 seconds in between each clean and jerk set. Try to complete four full circuits.

Workout 5: Cardio-endurance builder and fat burner

Being able to snatch for five minutes with minimal or no rest is a rite of passage in the world of kettlebells, so use this workout to build up your cardiovascular endurance and perfect your snatch form. Not surprisingly, this workout is excellent for fat burning, too.

During this workout, do the following:

• Perform the snatch for 30 seconds on each side (one minute total).
• Rest for 20 seconds.

Repeat this circuit for five minutes, resting 20 seconds in between each snatch set. Try to complete four full circuits.