Pavel Tsatsouline Kettlebell Strength Training Weight Lifting Workouts Exercise and Flexibility Questions & Answers.

Dmitriy, Yes, GS is a hobby in US. I understand your point about the former USSR and the lifestyle of the athletes. There are various reasons for that level of committment, and some of them are cultural. As in, a better way of life through sports. Most Americans have many other options for earning a livlihood (in fact, we do have options, which is also very different than people in the former USSR). You ask very valid questions, and I am happy to answer them: -IS this a lifestyle for u, Full time Training? No, it is not full-time training for me, nor is it professional. I do it for fun and progress. At one time I was a world-class competitive athlete (in full contact martial arts), and I do understand the difference between hobby and lifestyle (all day, every day). - Are you Dedicated to achieve Success? Yes. I am dedicated to progress, and I am progressing. I will continue to train as long as I enjoy it. It is not out of necessity, nor for a better living. What success means can only be defined by the individual. Success for me, now, is to set and achieve goals. As I progress, those goals will increase. Perhaps at some point I will get to a level high enough that it will require a greater commitment than it does now. However, as long as I am improving, and I am, I consider my training a success. Sport can be fun, life or death or not. In the bigger picture, a balanced lifestyle is much more important than excellence in one (and only one) skill. I have the utmost respect for world-class athletes in any sport, as I know the level of commitment, sacrifice, belief and consistency involved to get to that high level. However, many athletes do not have a balanced, nor healthy life-in-whole. That focus on one thing, to the exclusion of all else, is not something I aspire to any longer, and is not practical to those of us (almost everyone) that do not get paid for their sport practice, and have families, children, business, social relations, etc to tend to. Thanks for your input. Best, Steve  

Dmitriy, Maybe he was only stating reality, but in that case, he should keep it to himself. No one here is so prideful to think that we, as beginners, will march into Russia and get 1st place. That is not the point. The point is that this forum is for shared learning, experience, etc. Not to tell people that they are not good enough to pursue their goals. Pride or not, in this culture we can and do aspire to achieve whatever it is that is important to us. The successful people I've met (in any field) do not get their by setting limits on other, but rather by being encouraging. If that is his idea of encouragement, I'd pass on training with him. He can set his own limits for himself, but not for me. Of course, there could just as well be a language/cultural barrier. Sometimes perception is reality. Maybe Piliteshura was just stating 'reality', but my perception of his message is that he is simply trying to put himself up on a pedestal by speaking down to us. He can easily clarify his intentions if he so chooses. As for this forum software, you're right, it could be much better. -Steve 

Piliteshura, Thank you for clarifying your intentions. Yes, you did raise my ire and make me want to train harder, so I thank you for that. I understand and yes, we will do our best to make our country and community proud of our efforts. And corrections: we have at least 3 women (not girls) who have a chance, if they all can make it. They will kick some tail, I'm sure. I am not angry, and I do appreciate your encouragement, now that I know that is what you were giving. Best Regards, Steve (wannabe Master of Sport) :-) 

Please Piliteshura--tell us a bit about yourself. You must be expert in GS. Why are you comparing girls using 16kg snatch only to men using 32kg for jerk and snatch? And your numbers must be so much better to speak with such authority. Don't worry, you don't disappoint--only encourage. Why don't you come out and compete on Oct 22 and show us how to do GS right! There will be meets in various areas around the US on that day--come show what you got--beats talking anyday. Thanks, Steve 

Hi Will, Bola is a new product invented by the creator of the BOSU Balance Trainer. It is an exceptional tool for developing hand-eye coordination and reflexes, and is very useful for fighters and athletes, or anyone who wants to improve their hand-eye dexterity (which should be everyone, imo). I believe that we/I should train to be a complete, total athletes, and not just one-dimensional. This includes, among other things, training dexterity, coordination and reflexes, along with strength, endurance, flexibility, etc. The Bola is a very efficient way of doing so. It is not yet on the market, but will be soon. If you wish to send me your contact info via email, I will inform you when the Bola becomes available. Also, if you are near the NYC area, I will be exhibiting BOSU and Bola with David Weck and Michael Castrogiavanni at the IDEA Personal Trainer conference/trade show. Would be a good time to get a thorough intro to Bola. steve@fullkontact.com

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Justin, I used to do a lot of picking up things when I was a boy--rocks, blades of grass, coins, bottle caps, frisbees. Some say that those who have advanced grasping skills with their feet are less removed from the apes. Of course, some may be wrong. Steve Maxwell pays a lot of attention to the feet and ankles, and in addition does so to help heel grappling related knee injuries successfully. He has an excellent routine specifically for conditioning the feet and lower leg, which he really ought to put on DVD, hint, hint. You don't come across as bragging. Now if you said you strict curled 2x BW with your toes for reps, THAT would come across as bragging :-) The main thing is you are enjoying your training and learning new things. Cool. Steve  

This is a great manual. Very thorough, good, clear photos and an abundance of well put together programs. Josh is very humble and would never say this, but he is a great strength and conditioning coach and his wealth of knowledge and practical experience is readily apparent in his Sandbag Fundamentals manual. This manual is a perfect compliment to the well-rounded and would-be super-athletes training arsenal! It is worth a lot more than the asking price. Great work Josh. Steve Cotter

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Piliteshura, Thank you for clarifying your intentions. Yes, you did raise my ire and make me want to train harder, so I thank you for that. I understand and yes, we will do our best to make our country and community proud of our efforts. And corrections: we have at least 3 women (not girls) who have a chance, if they all can make it. They will kick some tail, I'm sure. I am not angry, and I do appreciate your encouragement, now that I know that is what you were giving. Best Regards, Steve (wannabe Master of Sport) :-) 

Have a safe trip, brother. You're going to have a blast, and they are lucky to have you over there for a workshop. Easy on the tea and crumpets, though, I hear it lowers the testosterone levels. The good news is---you won't have to translate KG into LBs. for those people! Talk with you when you get back. Steve 

Carl, In GS comp, you cannot put the bells down at all. Once you do, the set is over. You have 10:00 to lift as many reps as possible, in both snatch and jerk, or clean&jerk, depending upon the type of comp it is (Traditional v. Long Cycle). For the training Sean and I are discussing above, this is a way to build volume, not the same as GS rules. You can put the bells down whenever you want. Count total reps and total time. Our goal here is to get as many reps as you can in the alloted time--20:00 Hope that clarifies. Steve  

You'll have 100 LC reps in 20:00 within a month. Like you said (and I've said) "you can always quit". That's the beauty of GS style training--it all on you and you have to want it to get it. There's no 'team' in 'I' :-) Steve 

Hi Piliteshura, Thanks for asking. Yes, I will be at the IDEA confernce in NYC, October 6-9. I will be assisting my fried David Weck, inventor of the BOSU Balance Trainer. He is a featured presenter at the conference. As I did with the BOSU, I will be helping David with a new product lauch--the BOSU Bola. We will be demonstrating and educating the attendees on how to utilize the BOSU and Bola for enhanced performance and athleticism. While in NY, I will also be teaching a kettlebell workshop. If David can get away to join me, he will present some balance training and I will teach ways of incorporating KBs with BOSU. Please send me an email requesting info for the Oct. 8th workshop and I will forward the informatino to you. It will be nice to meet you. Steve steve@fullkontact.com

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Hi Matt, No methodology back in those days! I just did what I was told. A student never wants to disappoint the teacher. Looking back, it was just a case of practice, practice, practice. As Pavel has said, and we teach here, Strength is a Skill. I never used additional weights back then. I only started messing around with weighted pistols after I read some of Pavel's writing about pistols, and got into KBs. I only do them on occasions. After several thousands of reps, they just don't have the allure to me that they once did. Of course, they are a great exercise, and I recommend them for most anyone. Do hi rep pistols have good carryover to strength? Absolutely---including grappling strength. From my own experience, I am very hard to take down for anyone, and I've sparred with Olympic level wrestlers and Olympic Judoka. I attribute that to years of pistol and other low basin training. Now, to the question of are hi-rep pistols the BEST for grappling? There is no best one thing. For example: Powerful legs from pistols will indeed make you stronger on your feet, and harder to take down. So from that perspective, they are one of the best, including the balance component. Obviously this ability to resist and apply power from a stance is very important and is one facet of grappling. However, on the ground, in certain positions, my legs are not advantageous. If you look at BJJ and the people who are very successful with triangle chokes, they are usually long and lean, and not necessarily 'powerful' in the same context. I would venture to say there are world-class grapplers who do not do pistols and maybe even cannot perform them. For my money, I'll put the overall benefits of one-leg squats above any other single leg exercise. But I would not build my entire grappling repetoire upon them. Superior technique will trump pure power every time. Ask Steve Maxwell what he thinks are the best leg exercises for functional grappling strength. Steve Cotter

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Hi Dragonvash, I will be in Fenton, MI on Sept 10 and in Chicago on Sept 11. Please send me an email and I will forward specifics to you. Thanks, Steve steve@fullkontact.com

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Hey Josh, Naw, never tried 'em ;} I will be in Michigan and Chicago Sept 10-11. What's going on? You going to be in SD? Depending upon when you arrive and leave, we may still be able to connect. Steve 

especially because of the great training minds I get to interview. Shannon Hartnett's interview is awesome as is the one coming with balance guru David Weck. I'm glad you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy putting it together. Thanks, Steve

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I don't know for sure if Brett is responsible, but I do know that the Steelers team physician brought Brett to Pittsburgh recently for a KB workshop, so Brett may have something to do with the integration of KB training with some of the players. -Steve 

Hi Chris, Good question. The stances introduced in the Full KOntact DVDs are intentionally generic and rudimentary (the forward and rear shuffling, lateral shuffling and duck n weave). Anyone (from any stylistic background) can understand them. If you are comfortable with those simple stances, by all means vary the movements to fit your own style of practice. The principles behind the movements are what are most important. The movements can change, the principles do not. That said, more precise stances such as those shown further into the DVDs should be practiced as demonstrated (Dragon twisting, bagua circular stepping, Side-side Creepdown, etc). Thanks, Steve

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Hi Com Rekx, So far, I have only used the grips a few times, so I don't have enough experience with them yet to make a recommendation one way or the other. They do hold some promise. I do often get blisters during high rep snatches, and I am far from having mastered a snatch form. The pros and cons of the grips, as I see it thus far: Pros: protect the skin--less lost training time in snatches; could teach how to relax the hand more, which is key for high reps; breaks up the monetany of regular snatch trainig- it is different with the grips Con: make a thicker grip--I could be using them wrong, but for me they put more stress on my forearms due to the thickness of grips + KB I will continue to use them for a few more weeks, and see what effect they have on my training. These are totally new to me, but I have a lot of respect for Rif's experience and knowledge as a coach, which is why I decided to try them. I have to be willing to give it some time to learn how to use/position the grips properly before I can assess whether they will a help or a hindrance to snatch.  

Keith/Bill, I've never been to the san da training center , but while I was in NYC in June, a friend took my wife and I to some of the full contact fights, including the State and US San Da champions on the card. I must say, respectfully, that I was very UNimpressed with the level of skill, power and conditioning. The best component was the throws, but the striking and kicking was below par. They seemed much below the level of Kuoshu and Sanshou fighters that I was familiar with when I competed in that sport. Not to say that there may not be good training there, or to contradict you Keith, but it did not show in the fighters I saw. See if you can find a contact for Paul Vizzio. He is in or near NYC, as far as I know, and was a successful full contact fighter some years ago. Also, if your friend is not adament about 'kickboxing' and is open to the idea of learning real fighting (street fighting, weapons), I can refer to some very skilled guys in NYC. Steve

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Glad to hear that you are still working with Bill. I hear from a mutual friend that he has decided to document some of his material on DVDs, after being reluctant to do so. I think they will offer a lot of value in terms of fighting techniques and insight. I'm doing very well, enjoying family, work and training. I'll be in and around NYC Sept 22-25 and again Oct 6-10, including some workshops. Hopefully we can get together. Please say hi to Bill for me. Best, Steve 

Actually, our mutual friend is the one who introduced me to Bill. His name is Louie. He and Bill are very tight. Louie has trained with some badass martial arists in his time, including Bill, Tom Bisio, and Adriano Emperado, among others. He and I did some knife training with Bill a few years back---he's deadly with a blade, as I'm sure you know. I sent an email to Bill, and hopefully we will be able to connect. Peace, Steve 

I have not met Lynne yet, but if she trains with Kelly it's only natural that she, too would be super strong. Kelly is one of the most impressive strength athletes I have ever met. Her number would be good numbers for a 200lb guy. At her size, her strength is off the charts. Congratulations to Lynne and Kelly! Steve 

Hi Blarg, No, the project I just filmed is not a part of the Full KOntact KBs series. It is a very comprensive Encyclopedia of Kettlebell Lifting, and will be available within the next 4-6 weeks. Thanks for asking. I will have more FK information coming out after the completion of the Encyclopedia project. Steve

http://www.fullkontact.com 

Dave, 220 - your age is a laymen's formula for the 'theoretical max HR'. This was developed because a newborn's HR is generally about 220 bpm. As we age, the HR slows a bit, year by year. Of course, exercise, especially intense CV training, effects the body's ability to process and utilize O2. The formula has since been show to be inaccurate in many cases, but is still useful as it doesn't require any special tests or equipment, and provides a rough estimate for exercise intensity guidelines. The 220 - age formula has been shown to have upwards of a 20bpm +/- margin of error. I would say the this forumla is useful to some degree, but like the insurance company devised BMI (body mass index), it only really can categorize a very 'average' range of people and is almost useless to a serious athlete (heck anyone with a bit of muscle is 'obese' according to the BMI charts). Steve

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Mike is a very private and humble guy, which is the only reason his name is not regularly mentioned among the top strength coaches or strength athletes. I have the privlige of knowing him as a good friend and he is by far one of the best all around athletes I've ever seen. Power, flexibility, fighting skill, hand-eye coordination, balance tranquility--he's got it all. Earlier this year, he and I went to one of the top BJJ schools in San Diego, which is a very good market for that sport. Not a one man could hold Mike in his guard and he had control in all 4 of his matches. Not bad for someone with no BJJ experience. Wait to you all see what he can do with the new BOSU Bola. Thank goodness God blessed him with a gentle demeanor! Speed, power, and skill are not supposed to be put together like that in someone who is over 200lbs;-)  

Jersey Boy, I was just up in Rochester area (Victor) for a week, doing some work. I will be there every 2 months or so. If you would like to try to connect next time I am out there, send me an email and we'll see what we can do. Enjoy your training. Steve Cotter steve@fullkontact.com

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Hi Josef, Thank you for your question. I do not cover KB Sots press in either of the first 2 volumes of Full KOntact Kettlebells. However, on my new DVD series, The Encyclopedia of Kettlebell Lifting, which will be available next month, I teach how I have worked up to a 106lb Sots Press and Double Sots Pressing with the 2x32kg. I will make an announcement here when the DVDs are available. Steve Cotter

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Hi Justin, I've never tried the side-side creepdown press with more than 2x32kg. Keep in mind that most of the impetus in that movement comes from the legs/hips and not arms. Use the elasticity of the shifting to sort of 'bounce' the weight up. Thanks for the comments. Steve 

My schedule is so full right now that I just haven't followed up with that. But I do want to get out there. The Georgia NSCA clinic has been moved back. Once Dr. Martino has the date worked out (we've discussed Dec 3 as the tentative date) and I know the schedule, I will touch base with Spud and try to coordinate the SC seminar with the same trip, if possible. I want to try to keep the number of x-country trips to a minimum. I'll definitely let you know how the schedule shapes up when I have all the details. How's training? Say hi to Lisa! Steve 

Coach Reeve, I look forward to it! What an honor to be presenting alongside these great coaches! I asked Steve Maxwell to give you a call regarding BW calisthenics/joint mobility. He's the perfect guy for that presentation. It'll be great to see you. Thanks, Steve Cotter

http://www.fullkontact.com