RKC News - June 2014

A slight twinge in the thigh, a sharp pain in the shoulder, or worse, a painful stab in the lower back are sure signs or harbingers of an injury. Most athletes who train regularly have experienced something similar. Injuries can be very frustrating. They force us to take breaks, hold us back from achieving our goals, and affect our entire lifestyle. A common reason for these problems is inadequate preparation or warming up during training. As in most sports, a good preparation should not be neglected in KB training either. A warm-up does not need to last longer than 10 to 15 minutes, and everyone should invest this time. Only when the body is well prepared can we perform accordingly in the main part of the training and train injury-free in the long term. What are the goals of a general warm-up?

In addition to mentally preparing the athlete for training, all major muscle groups, joints, and passive structures should be activated. The body temperature should be raised, and the cardiovascular system stimulated. In practice, particularly dynamic stretching exercises, running movements, straight and lateral lunges, light jumping movements, or crawling and rolling movements on the ground have proven effective.

KB can also be easily integrated into a more specific warm-up after a general warm-up. All exercises should be performed with a light to medium-heavy kettlebell.

Halo: Kettlebell Circles Around the Head
An excellent exercise to warm up the entire shoulder girdle and develop mobility. Hold the kettlebell by the handle on the side, with the kettlebell facing upwards. Now, in a circular motion, move the kettlebell around the head. The core and glutes should be tightly engaged, and the kettlebell is smoothly and closely circled around the head.

RKC Arm Bar: An outstanding exercise to mobilize the thoracic spine and shoulder girdle. Start as you would at the beginning of a get-up. Lying on your back, press the kettlebell vertically upwards with your right arm. The free left arm is extended and placed close beside your head. Now roll over the left arm and left leg onto the bent right leg. The belly faces the ground. If you have control over the vertically standing arm with the kettlebell, you can try to extend both legs and rotate even more onto your belly. The left arm continues to crawl along the ground, and your chest gets closer to the ground. In this position, you can rhythmically press the hips down and consciously breathe in and out.

50% fewer injuries

In a study with 1800 handball players, Norwegian sports medicine specialists found that the risk of injury to the knee and ankle joints doubles in un-warmed-up athletes. These results confirm the many experts who advocate for health sports and emphasize the necessity of warming up.

(Sports Trauma Research Center in Oslo)