Steve Cotter presses a kettlebell overhead and demonstrates the formidable structural development possible with this tool
The Clean & Jerk Long Cycle
The Kettlebell Clean and Jerk Long Cycle (CJLC) is basically a clean, followed by a jerk, followed by a clean - or to put it more simply, jerks interspersed with swings to the clean position. The reasons why this form of exercise is a mainstay of the Allwell Centre Strength and Conditioning Programme are varied, but I want to outline a number of them below. We primarily carry out this exercise using a 24Kg single. This form of CJLC is one of the most potent exercises you could ever train, and when done to time, provides more 'bang for your buck' (as the Yanks would say) than almost anything else out there. Here's why:
The CJLC covers many of the fundamental kettlebell skills necessary to become a giant of strength and endurance - primarily the grip, the swing, the clean and the jerk. Add a squat and a snatch to this recipe and you are destined for greatness.
The activity/rest pattern of the CJLC closely mimics the natural explosion/recovery tension/relaxation nature of all athletic skills.
The swing portion of the CJLC trains you to move and generate power from the legs, through the hips, up the back and out the arms. If you've ever dabbled in martial arts/boxing etc. this is how it's done!
For fighters, its important to develop the ability to drop the elbow tip to the top of the iliac crest so as to protect the flanks from attack. The clean position allows the necessary muscles to naturally lengthen to allow this, and the nervous system to learn this important attribute. The grip also develops the palm for strikes and the thumb for gouges and hooks, while the long time spent in the rack position naturally develops the ability to maintain a sustained high guard under stress.
The movement strongly trains the posterior chain of muscles and not the mirror muscle i.e. those you can see in the mirror. For all of you out there who want to develop real functional strength, forget the modern day fascination of looking like Dolly Parton; the back is where it's at.
The overhead static press position develops a strong, flexible shoulder girdle that will prevent you from getting injured; especially if you engage in a push-up heavy regime. The whole movement generates overall flexibility, especially in the hips.
Recovery is an important issue for any athlete. With the single kettlebell you can train without beating up your body, and if you are involved in another sport, you can get your body back online the same working day.
Efficiency and efficacy is an issue for athletes also. In a world cluttered with gyms that have increasingly more complex and time consuming machines (that deliver increasingly less effective training), the attraction of a ball of iron with a handle that in 10 minutes can give you the workout of a lifetime, is obvious.
The CJLC teaches important breathing patterns that can be used in other high power/stress events. Importantly it produces enough time under tension to train the anaerobic system - the mainstay of any high output life event.
The double dip motion of the jerk produces a highly athletic movement that transfers well to many sports activities. It also means that you not only raise the weight, but also your bodyweight twice. Therefore you express more power in the same time as other less athletic movements. More power means more adaptation by your body.
Spot the difference - an early physical culture publicationConditioning is one of the most important skills to develop as an athlete - it lets you hang in there and beat more skilled, but less conditioned, opponents. As with many things in life, often it's the one who can hang in longest who wins. If you've never endured a 10 minute session under a heavy swinging weight, be prepared to feel your heart in your mouth.
And let's give you an idea of the amount of work involved in a basic session: using a 24Kg bell, swinging at a conservative 12 reps per minute, means you have hoisted 2880Kgs (nearly three metric ton, or
6, 350lbs) between your legs and above your head in 10 continuous minutes of work. Ask anyone - that's a lot of work!
I could go on but just have a read of this to finish: as Eric Lifford of the American Kettlebell Club says, "If you are looking for Strength-Endurance, GPP, Explosive Power, Ability to cope with stress…, Work Capacity, Grip, Coordination, Staying Power, Mental Toughness, Athleticism, Fat-Loss/Altered Body Composition, Stress Reduction, Focus, Patience, Health, Vitality, Determination, Flexibility, Joint/Tendon/Ligament/Muscle Prehab and more, I think Valery’s [World Record Holder Valery Federenko] right when he says “Kettlebells, it’s enough”!"
Now you know why I put you through it!