The HKC is simply a Kettlebell certification. (Well sort of) It is the first one recommended in achieving further development in both a Kettlebell and strength knowledge base for progressive fitness professionals. It’s a whole day even that only covers 3 major exercises. The efficient Kettlebell swing, Complex Turkish get up and complimentary Goblet squat. Yep that’s all, only 3 exercises. When I realised this, I immediately though, What? I’m paying for 3 exercises and given that I had previously received a lot more in “another cert” What could this offer me now?
Well for starters it offered and delivered a lot more.
When fitness minded individuals look into enrolling into a fitness certification they should be seeking out what best suits them in relation further business opportunities, getting more clients and own professional development. Sometime people just want to gain the knowledge for their own personal understanding on different training methods used in this ever evolving industry. In this case the humble Kettlebell. For some trainers sadly it’s only about the allure of obtaining CEC’s (continuing education credits) and cost can sometime be an issue. I understand. However with the recent changes to include CEC’c to the HKC it now carries vital points. It’s pretty much a double win if you choose to go down this path.
As you progress your knowledge into the Kettlebell/strength/ movement realm of your professional growth you will appreciate that these unique movements are quite dynamic in how they form the basis of a strength, mobility and fitness program. It is this reason that once you complete you HKC you will be well versed in demonstrating, teaching and utilising this knowledge straight away in benefiting your current and future clients.
I’m still learning more about these 3 exercises, and I did the HKC back in late 2010! If you’re currently a fitness professional that is looking and making the Kettlebell one of the disciplines you will use with your business and own training it’s important to understand that the HKC three are basically the foundation of the system learned, and without it the “house of cards will collapse” They are the building block that all other movement are built on. for the progressive ones ,think RKC here.
The stronger the base, the more you can build on.
My basic preparation and approach
When I was initially making online enquiries about the HKC one of the questions I asked was what I have to do to be prepared for this workshop. Keep in mind that I had previously done another cert that taught me around 12-15 exercises, did a short test, and got a cool manual so basically “I already knew Kettlebells, ok”. The respond from Andrew Read was simple and to the point…..”You need to do swings, a lot of them to prepare” so that’s what I did.
Swing preparation. I played around with the swing for a few weeks and then decided to go all out and based on my logs I did 10,001 (had to do the extra one) swings the month prior to workshop. Here’s how they went. I used the 12, 16, 24 and 32kg bells and swung them as I felt like it (great plan I say) they would simply be at around volumes of 300 to 500 total reps in sets of 20-50 a day according to my strength levels and Kettlebell used, so don’t assume I swung 500 with a heavy one. Occasionally I did 700 on the day, most likely a weekend. Obviously having this focus and putting all other training aside ensured the swing volumes added up nicely.
TGU preparation. How hard could it be to stand up with a bell and get back down right? Well I did manage to get it down pat I though. I even had a “bent arm” (the holding arm) and to my surprise around half a dozen other items that were later fixed. (Well you are paying for the knowledge aren’t you?) With previous lifting experience the TGU practice was rather raw during my preparation. It was just bullying it without much technique at all. Still I was fortunate enough to not get injured and made it to the cert unscathed. The rep/set range per session was to get 5 on each side a session using the 24kgs. Fortunately for me that I didn’t injure myself with my lack of technique, I can only sum it up to respecting the weight and not doing something heroic or plain stupid. Glad I made it to the HKC with healthy shoulders. I recommend you do same.
Goblet squat preparation, this was quite limited as I basically performed it in reps of 10×10 in a typical two hand front squat fashion going as deep as I could and just repped it out. How hard could it be? So I put that under the “no worries” category. What a surprise I got when finally learned to do it properly. Didn’t think my hips could do that!
The sole reason that got me conditioned for the day was the return on investment in working those swings, it prepared me to the point of being pretty much recovered after all the working sets performed during the constant breaking down of all the movement. During the HKC, the exercises are broken down to such detail that you don’t realise the continuous testing of the technique unless you turn up, well unprepared. So be ready.
For example after the swing is broken down and explained, you swing, learn the relevant stretches, you swing and expected participant questions ,well you Get it by now , swing. Wait till you get to the breakdown of the Goblet squat and TGU and you will soon realise why you are only taught 3 movements. By the end of the day your body is spent and your brain is fried. If it’s not, you are truly a physical specimen or haven’t worked hard enough!
So clearly the conditioning of the body will allow the mind to absorb all the information that is passed onto you by the Instructors on hand, the notes you take, the questions you ask and the workshops manual.
Be prepared, do the work beforehand and reap the benefits of what the HKC course offers.
Now go out and get those swing sorted out, and prep well.
Here is the Link and a few words on what you get.
Attend the HKC and leave with these major advantages:
- A deep understanding of the true benefits of kettlebell training—for both yourself and your clients
- A solid knowledge of vital kettlebell training safety procedures
- A workmanlike grasp of the fundamentals of biomechanics—to ensure your clients move with perfect form and avoid injury
- A grasp of the key HardStyle skills and principles of strength
- The ability to competently perform the three foundational kettlebell exercises (the Swing, the Get-Up, and the Goblet Squat)
- The confidence you can now correctly teach the three essential kettlebell exercises—and troubleshoot common technique problems
- The unique HKC template for designing an unlimited number of effective kettlebell workouts.
