by Chris Romulo
The history of the kettle bell dates back to the 1700’s, primarily used by Russian farmers to weigh crops. Those same farmers eventually evolved in to using them to show off their strength at local festivals. Today, kettle bells are the ultimate tool for any combat/martial athlete, if used efficiently.
The history of the kettle bell dates back to the 1700’s, primarily used by Russian farmers to weigh crops. Those same farmers eventually evolved in to using them to show off their strength at local festivals. Today, kettle bells are the ultimate tool for any combat/martial athlete, if used efficiently.
I believe there are 8 key athletic attributes that every fighter
has to some degree: agility, balance, endurance, flexibility, power, speed,
stability and strength. Every individual
has different capacities with each attribute.
As fighters, our goal is to exploit as many weaknesses in as many of
those attributes in our opposition as possible in hopes of dominating in a
convincing fashion. At the same time, we
want to enhance our own “CORE 8” to increase our physical abilities.
The kettle bell is one of the best ways to change the game
in your training.
As I started my amateur Muay Thai journey in the mid 90’s I was
only versed in minimal strength & conditioning methods that I picked up on
my own as a kid. Pull ups, pushups,
benching, and biceps curls were my staples.
They were sufficient enough at the time I suppose, but as always “you
don’t know what you don’t know”.
After years of dead end jobs after high school, at 27 years old,
I ventured in to the world of personal training. This opened up a whole new world of training
and well being for me. It wasn’t until
2006 when I turned PRO as a Muay Thai fighter that I understood the importance
of having a complete team around to help prepare me for battle. I sought out a strength & conditioning
coach who specialized in athletic performance and as it turns out, was
responsible for my love of this ancient tool.
I will never forget my “ah ha” moment when I realized that this was the
way EVERY fighter should train. It was
after a 5 round scrap with an ultra tough dude from Nebraska. I hit him with everything but the kitchen
sink for 5 rounds. I dropped him a
couple of times for a standing 8 count and carefully placed a shin to the side
of his head, but he still kept coming! I
stayed composed and won the fight, but after those 5 rounds I felt something
I’d never felt in my previous 20+ fights…..swollen and aching fists for
days.
I believe through working with the kettle bell in a dynamic and
ballistic manner, it kept my arsenal of weapons a huge threat in that
fight. I felt my opposition was off
balance and kept at bay due to the quality of my attacks and counters. Alongside power development, I was in better
shape to deliver a heavier assault.
A great kettle bell complex that you can add in to your training
regimen is a combination of 4 basic movements:
•
Dead Snatch
•
Windmill
•
Hang Snatch
•
Front Squat
Check out this instructional video of 4 movements and follow
along at the end to enhance your “CORE 8”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Gh6E_PnJ8
*****Be sure to comment on what movements you would like to see in next week’s article!
Visit Shred by CROM on YouTube to receive a complete breakdown of each movement along with the full length work out to follow along with.
Chris Romulo is a retired Muay Thai champion, Muay Thai & Strength & Conditioning Coach, owner of CROM Physical Culture and Creator of SHREDbyCROM™. After a total of 32 years of trial and error through fitness, conditioning, martial arts, sports, and “play” Chris has taken what works, sculpted away what doesn’t and painted a different way to engage in Physical Culture.
Visit www.crompc.com for more info.
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