RKC News - February 2017

Motivation plays a big role in my life, and I am someone who can motivate myself very well. Most of the time, when I set a goal and know that the path to that goal brings me a lot of joy. The goal is the goal, as Dan John said, and the journey there is where strong people are forged both physically and mentally. Today, time is a precious commodity, and I want to give you some ideas in this article on how you can stay fit on the go.

Since I often travel by car, I take the opportunity to bring along some training tools. For example: mini bands, FMT Functional Movement Tubing, rings, a yoga mat, and my favorite, my "Black Kettlebell"! If you own one or more kettlebells, you have a small portable mobile gym, and nothing stands in your way!

Normally, I take the 24 kg kettlebell with me, but occasionally for technique training or high repetitions, I also take the 16 kg kettlebell. I live on the 3rd floor, and my garage is about 50 meters away. So, backpack on and carry the kettlebell in my left hand to the car.

And just like that, I have completed my first loaded carry, including grip strength, core stability, glute strength, and balance. The kettlebell needs to go in the car, and I load it carefully and efficiently.

Dr. Stuart McGill wrote about the compression forces exerted on the lower back during improper lifting. The tenfold compression pressure means 240 kg of pressure in the wrong place, which would be suboptimal and, based on experience, very painful! Anyone who can demonstrate clean deadlift technique is clearly at an advantage!

Because the kettlebell is with me, I can choose a suitable time to train. It doesn't have to take a lot of time to be effective. But don't forget how important it is to unload this little black kettlebell from the car with the right technique! There are numerous ways to incorporate the kettlebell into your training, and here I will show you a few variations to try out:

Warm-up / Preparation:
~ Mobilization
~ TGU left - 1x without weight, 2x with weight
~ TGU right - 1x without weight, 2x with weight
~ Deadlift – movement pattern / movement prep
~ Deadlift – one-arm left hand x 20
~ Deadlift – one-arm right hand x 20

If you're short on time, just shorten it. Work on mobilization exercises and deadlift movement patterns.

the combination of mobility, stability, and motor skills coupled with strength, expressed in speed and segmental transfer in the respective sport, is the definition of power. Strength + Speed = Power

• How much strength does an athlete need?
  The answer is enough to be competitive in their chosen sport. Anything beyond that is not necessarily required.

• How much power does an athlete need?
  That is unlimited.