The first-ever European Kettlebell Fitness Course will take place August 1st & 2nd in Switzerland! This is the only 2-day Fitness Course for the rest of 2008! Participants in this Certification will witness the long-awaited release of the World Kettlebell Club “Wellness” Protocol from Valery Fedorenko and Scott Sonnon. This Course is a License to operate the System for Fitness Professionals, but if you aren’t a Trainer and are new to Kettlebells, this is YOUR COURSE! We’ve had some Beta Testers of the Program speak about their amazing results over the last few months such as Fat-Loss, Toning, more Energy and Vitality, but no report is as reassuring as the 100% positives on FEELING GOOD!
This course has different goals than just getting your numbers and strength up as quickly as possible. This is about WELLNESS, the new movement in Fitness, and the one with real substance! Mindless walking on a treadmill or sitting on machines while listening to your iPod, watching TV and reading a book (at the same time!) CAN’T constitute Fitness. That’s paid entertainment for Sheeple! Aren’t you and your clients ready for the next evolution in Fitness? Nothing beats the Kettlebell for overall effectiveness, portability and time-efficiency.
Here’s just some of what you GET:
>Complete Fitness! - A total body Wellness plan that covers all the Fundamentals of Fitness!
>Portability! Take a single Kettlebell ANYWHERE and give/get the workout of your life!
>Faster Results! Nothing beats the Kettlebell. Safe and steady progression for everyone!
>Happier Students! They will KNOW you taught them something of value!
This course will be conveniently held at the same hotel where we have rooms reserved. For $350 per person, you receive a 2 night stay and 6 total meals (Lunch & Dinner Friday, Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner Saturday, and Breakfast Sunday).
FREE KETTLEBELL BONUS: Fitness Trainers need weapons too! Coach Fedorenko has insisted that each participant of the Fitness Course receive one 8kg/18lb (pink) and one 12kg/26lb (blue) Pro-Grade™ Kettlebell. This is all that is needed to launch you or your students to your Kettlebell Fitness goals. ($200 Retail Value…shipping not included)
COURSE COST:
$844 for both days (August 1st & 2nd)
Spots are limited, so contact Krystina at AmericanKettlebellClub@gmail.com to secure your space today!
What’s the difference between the hard style and AKC? We get this question daily. I’ve never fully understood the question. We all strive for it not to even be a question. What do we say? I mean, we understand the question at its most basic point that many Kettlebell Lifters lift hard style or heavier kettlebells for lower reps and have a theory that they get better results. We also observe that routinely with that rationale comes a low focus on quality of technique, with a dominance of perceived effort. That is, working as fast as possible, sloppily, until you burn out. There are many other observable tendencies, like a lack of care which type and design of kettlebells are used, as well as piggy-backing methodologies of other modalities like Bodybuilding and Powerlifting. The typical call on AKC Methods are lighter weights for more reps. You know, the old Martial Arts thing, of hard vs. soft style? Or High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) vs. Long Distance Aerobic? We somehow get thrown into this same type of debate of style in kettlebells. To place kettlebells in any similar scenario shows a lack of understanding of the uniqueness of tool, its use and the protocol that should be followed to excel. It’s not hard or soft, HIIT or aerobics or any other debate. We’ve said it many different ways, but the best so far goes something like this.
There is no difference between AKC and the hard style. No, we’re not kidding, there is no difference! Oh, except one thing. AKC Methods come from World Kettlebell Club, far and away the highest level of expertise in Kettlebells. World Champion Valery Fedorenko with 20+ years experience in Kettlebells is the Chief Advisor, but the wealth of knowledge in his Team of Advisors is unparalleled, and reaches past the beginnings of making this powerful exercise into a competitive sport. His mission: To take this protocol into every single sport or discipline as the highest level GPP methods in existence. To put this in every household as the ultimate Fitness System due to its safe and sophisticated Protocol, portability, and full-body functional Wellness approach. To raise awareness of the already established Sport of Kettlebell Lifting and help achieve the Olympics.
The hard style is a beginner stage natural reaction to kettlebells. It’s not a style. Life would be easier for all involved if the notion of style was eliminated. Simply, prove the results.
The explanation… In the beginning of Valery’s Kettlebell experience he viewed the tool as a challenge. The Kettlebells very design is based around it being comfortable to use for high reps. Otherwise we could just use dumbbells or barbells, that are much more suited to Bodybuilding, Powerlifting and Olympic Lifting due to the smaller incremental adjustability and design. The Kettlebell is a unique tool. It has a purpose for which it’s best suited, and something it does best. The challenge, get more reps! Valery would just try as hard as possible each time out! The natural reaction is to rush the reps, hoping to outrun the fatigue. It never happens, as this threshold is always met and then the signals to the brain start happening; soon shutdown occurs. Valery struggled attempting this “style” on his own until receiving some Coaching. This path is dangerous - not fun - and limited in results. It’s like one of our Coaches, Kevin, said, “do you want an express ride to the 5th floor or a steady ride to the roof?” Luckily Valery came to the USA to start new lifters at the Coaching stage and forego the natural reaction of hard style.
Technique. That’s where this organization begins with everything. It’s like a quick-study Martial Art, where you similarly learn the Forms before all-out fighting. In our Fitness Course we License Trainers to operate the WKC Fitness System, but many individuals just interested in learning safer technique and Protocol have been signing up. This course alone is worth years of your life training Kettlebells, as Valery and his team saves you from hard style natural reaction, and puts you on the road to refinement. We also have Kettlebell Lifting Coach Certifications and a Pro Kettlebell Sport Camp as understanding increases. The World Kettlebell Club is an Institute of Kettlebell Leaders from the Fitness Industry, Professional and Olympic Sports, Health, Medicine, Academia, Government, Military and of course the Champions in the Sport of Kettlebell Lifting. The curriculum is broader than any other in the world of Kettlebells.
A lot of hard style proponents (yes, there are actual proponents teaching what comes naturally) say it develops more power when lifting fast. It creates more power to lift heavy! Well yeah, kinda, but not before you are ready to go fast or lift heavy. The problem is everyone thinks they are ready. How do you know? There are some crucial points that not only accelerate your progress, but allow healthier progression to the highest levels. The smartest way.
Here’s how the AKC sees the stages from bottom to top…
Stages of Kettlebell Understanding
Intro to the tool. The Lifter “fear-reacts”, braces, breathes inefficiently, panics and races. The Lifter generally looks like they are really working hard. The hard style. There are conditioning effects to a certain point, but this is a road to injury or substantially diminishing returns unless a qualified Instructor or Coach is found. IMPORTANT: How do you know who is qualified to teach?
The Lifter finds expert instruction. This can be a high level Kettlebell Lifter that has been through all the stages, or one that has been trained by a high level of expert. It’s dangerous to guess, and kettlebells have their own unique training strategy, so placing other methodology from other disciplines is foolish and shows a low level of expertise. Usually, the Lifter is advised to slow down, get their composure, train smart, and gradually adapt. Don’t cheat yourself.
Shocking results occur. This is when Lifters typically develop an understanding. What they thought they knew in Stage 1 becomes much more clear after some time in Stage 2. Not only do they now know through experience that they can achieve superior results over hard style, but they feel better, have less injuries, and want to share the life changing experience with family, friends and students. As you can imagine, this is what an AKC Coach or Trainer would call a job well done, but there is one more stage if the Lifter is willing!
Super-human status. We’ve seen it happen already. What is it exactly? Well, it’s kinda hard to explain, but imagine not knowing what powers you hold and surprising yourself and others at every turn as you discover them. Relax, we’re not talking Incredible Hulk or Spiderman skills, but it’s definitely above what average people consider Fit. Super-humans are still human, so don’t be afraid! Realize your potential! It has been said that Kettlebells are the single best General Physical Preparedness (GPP) tool/method in existence, but it can be taken to a specialist level. A World Class Fighter can fight at a high level and be considered a specialist. A World Class Runner can run circles around the average “Fit” individual, but that’s their specialty. A World Class Powerlifter can put a half ton on their back, but that’s some special stuff! What can a Kettlebell Specialist do? I won’t say everything at risk of inciting a riot among athletes, but we are talking about a “Fitness” level that is off the charts! Well-rounded, athletic, resilient, and capable. We are talking about an ability to do just about anything!
One Way Street? It’s a hard road!
Having experienced 3 of the 4 stages myself, I realize I may not be as clear in explaining the complexities of this understanding to someone stuck in stage 1 well enough. There are only so many words you can hear until a certain amount of try must be given to actually know. It’s just from a different perspective that just can’t be revisited by those past this beginner stage. Given enough time and an honest attempt from the Lifter and we have a 100% success rate however. They just don’t go back once they’ve experienced the same. One of the main things that helped me besides the experience was the contrast of the Lifters involved in the debate. The hard style is limited because it neglects certain essentials of training Kettlebells. The Lifters with any time under their bells that are still in this first stage have stagnated. Sometimes they go to personal record, to injury, back to the same level and injury, over and over again for years. As Fitness this is not going to work. I don’t want to waste another minute! Besides, our Methods and Protocol have come from the highest levels of experience, by professionals that must have the safest and highest results. They can’t guess. The contrast between an AKC Lifter and those leveling off at the hard style is clear. The accomplished AKC Lifter enjoys a two way street, lifting heavy and lifting long. They consider a typical hard style workout easy, wanting more. The accomplished hard style practitioner doesn’t feel the same way about the AKC daily workout, thinking it’s hard. The hard style lifter is on a one way street and it’s a dead-end. It’s not too late to turn around, risk a ticket, and find the right road.
“She’s a poor example of Fitness.” That’s the message we received after posting that short clip of Catherine failing and then getting a 1 Arm Jerk with our new 36kg Competition™ Kettlebell at the American Kettlebell Club Classic weekend. We get several nasty emails per week, so it’s not a surprise, but sometimes there is some good that comes from them. They spark ideas on how to better explain what’s going on in Kettlebell training. This guy didn’t leave his name, and the following emails from him made me feel he was playing with me. But, whoever he is he is real and he has brought up an interesting topic.
My reply to him was… “Actually not”. I mean, Catherine has told me more than once she’s had a weight problem since childhood. She only recently began eating real food. You know, that strange stuff at the edges of a grocery store? She’s lost nearly 50 pounds lifting kettlebells! She even wants to get in a lower weight-class for Kettlebell Sport, so she’s by no means done losing weight. OK, that being said, she’s a phenomenal Athlete. In this video she Jerks a Kettlebell that weighs 79 pounds. I’ve never seen another woman do it. I’m not saying others can’t, but I just haven’t seen it yet. On a fresh day and with good reason I think she could Jerk the 88 pound bell. That’s Strength, but the most amazing part is she has not practiced low-rep or heavy kettlebells in a while. She’s been training for Kettlebell Sport, the most intense test of Strength/Power-Endurance on the planet. She put in two 10 minute 1st Place sets with a 16kg Kettlebell at the AKC Classic before this Feat of Strength.
Catherine is strong, but she has an unsurpassed Strength-Endurance display in this country. She’s the first American Master of Sport. She holds the Female rep records in the USA and travels to Germany to compete Internationally next month. That reminds me, we have several athletes going to Hamburg that do this from their own pockets. The AKC is about to order Team Uniforms and we will take care of any fees to compete, but travel expenses are getting out of reach, so AKC is going to begin Sponsorship drives for these athletes. More details on that later, but these Americans work a full time job and compete with people that get paid to train. They need Sponsors even if small. More to the point, Catherine is “Fit” in my opinion and I’d like to share why I think so and what it means to the Fitness Business.
I referred this guy to the wikipedia explanation of “Fitness”. With the exception of Body Composition, I feel Catherine excels at the other attributes of Fitness. I break them down even more detailed than Wikipedia:
Accuracy
Agility
Balance
Body composition
Cardiovascular endurance
Coordination
Flexibility
Strength
Power
Speed
Stamina
Mental Health
Joint Range of Motion
Emotional Health
Age
Lifestyle
There isn’t any one thing that solidifies Fitness, but what’s fascinating is Kettlebells enhance every one of these attributes and our methods seem to do it better and faster than anything else. Of course you can specialize, but Kettlebell Lifting, and particularly Kettlebell Sport IS a specialization in the general. Kettlebells ARE Fitness.
I further explained to this guy… I see several other factors that determine “Fitness” but as you see, appearance or more specifically, the % of bodyfat to lean muscle mass is only one factor. It might not even be one of the main factors, although for vanity’s sake people focus here. That’s why a clear majority of the people with perfect bodies have very little Fitness from our evaluations at our Certifications. Powerlifters and Bodybuilders while exceptional in “Strength” and “Body Composition” are not typically “Fit” by this definition. It’s not a dig, just observable fact, and the reason many Strongmen, Powerlifters, OL, Bodybuilders and people from all kinds of other Sports are applying the Fedorenko Methods now.
I’ve seen Catherine outperform many fit looking MEN that come from other Kettlebell schools to our Coach Certification. She never asked to be our top Fitness model. What she did was go and prove she was our top Athlete. How do you measure Fitness?
Bodybuilders, who would do best in the Body Composition category, claim their success is 80% nutritionally based anyway. Sure, they spend a lot of time in the gym and their workouts are grueling. Valery loves the movie “Pumping Iron” with his childhood hero Arnold Schwarzenegger and his new friend Lou Ferrigno. He always talks about how dedicated and almost obsessive they have to be to win. He says he was like that when he was trying to be Champ, but his sessions were done much faster than a typical Bodybuilder routine. Same with Powerlifters… They are masters of the Strength category, but overeating and overemphasis sometimes diminishes the other attributes of Fitness. Not Kettlebells. They seem to enhance all pieces of the Fitness puzzle at the same time.
About diet… Since a lot of experts feel nutrition is a big component of body composition, or lean mass versus bodyfat, why not ask what a Kettlebell Lifter eats? I already did. We come out with our Kettlebell Lifter Diet in 2008, but I can tell you now that the high level guys eat solidly nutritious meals and have huge appetites. It’s no secret that even average or beginner level Kettlebell Lifters experience an increase in appetite and lose bodyfat while consuming equal or more calories than before they started. It’s said this appetite is a sign of health. It’s also virtually impossible to lift at these levels and be unhealthy. We have widely varying builds and physiques in the Club and the Sport, as you’ll see in the coming videos.
I urge anyone in the Fitness Industry that is unsure how real Kettlebell Lifting can be converted into viable group classes to come to our first-ever Kettlebell Fitness Trainer Course in NYC, where we will share the Methods that will change the game. Every Commercial Gym will have to have this System in operation. Every Gym will have clients asking where the real goods on Kettlebells are! Do you have Coach Fedorenko’s Methods? This is the System developed by World Champion and Honored Master of Sport Valery Fedorenko and his Advisors, including the World Renowned Scott Sonnon. Don’t wait! Be one of the first Gyms/Trainers Licensed to operate the World Kettlebell Club Fitness System by coming to the East Coast Course May 24-25 (NYC).
Forty Competitors showed bright and early for a Vegas morning. Thanks to Host and Coach Moses Dungca who secured the venue, as well as took care of all the equipment for these Athletes. Hopefully we can make this a yearly thing! I enjoyed it, Valery enjoyed it, and so did our special guest Ivan Denisov. He was smiles all week except when he did his World Record attempt in the Jerk, which is serious stuff. No other Lifter has ever broken our platforms but he’s done it 2 out of 2 times! It’s the absolute in human Power-Endurance, and you’d think a locomotive was passing by as he works. He didn’t break his record, but no one could question if he tried. 169 reps with two 32kg/70lb kettlebells is something only he and the great Mischin have done, so it’s a rare thing to see. We’ve just returned, but Ivan is still flying. It’s something like 44 hours of travel with all the stop-overs to get to Siberia!
We also want to thank Coach Chris St. Onge who was the Stage Boss and took care of making the Schedule of Athletes. With 40 Athletes, some competing in 3 events, there are lots of Brackets. We had them running constant until bout 6pm! Coach Tony Babarino was a natural as Announcer. Up until now you had to go to Russia to get a gig as a Kettlebell Announcer, but I think they call them General Secretary over there. Here he’s the Joe Rogan of Kettlebell Lifters. He’s already asked to MC Toronto for the World Kettlebell Lifting Championships September 13-14, so I’m sure he’s going to be studying the Sport of Kettlebell Lifting from now until then.
We also thank Chief Judge Jon Hoskins and all the Judges that volunteered their time to do a much needed aspect of the Sport. Without quality Judging, the Sport becomes dangerous and less productive in the end. Proper execution of the lifts gives the best results in the long run, so it makes sense to develop the best Judging not only safety, but education of Kettlebell Lifting. We appreciate your ability to be unbiased. It’s not easy to take reps away.
There’s a lot more to say and show about the AKC Classic, but for now please check out the Meet Results while we go over all the material.
Permanent strength gains… Is it possible? I’m not even going to do any “research” on this, as I know it’s already been debated at length by smarter and more experienced people than I. I’m not talking about the absolute literal sense of the word permanent either, as nothing is permanent in this Universe anyway. What I am talking about is a phenomenon where Kettlebell Lifters seem to carry the Strength they acquire by way of the Kettlebell for a very long time. I’m talking about real Kettlebell lifters too. Not the 5 sets of 10 kettlebell crowd that “focus” on a different movement every workout every other day or so, and “feel” it’s HARDER. Give me a break! You can’t quantify results by feel. In Kettlebells we quantify by repetitions. You can’t really qualify by feel either. Yes, our Lifters generally feel better with our methods than they do following other so-called experts advice, but that’s based on empirical evidence, as MANY converts have come to our Club and now laugh at Ladders and a bunch of sets, and not surprising to us, FEEL better. I’m not talking about feel… I’m talking about lasting results, functional strength, and real world benefits.
I’ve had the unique opportunity to witness the majority of Valery Fedorenko’s training over the last few years. Never have I seen him do a workout for pure Strength. You know, max weight training or triples or 5×5 or any of that. I have however seen him test his “1 rep max”, or I should say near-max, on many lifts. I have no doubt he could be a great Strength Athlete just as he’s a great Kettlebell Sport Athlete, but what’s interesting about him is he’s been so focused on Kettlebells his whole life, that we can all use his example as a pure kettlebell example. No other Lifter, in this country at least, can be that. He may not like that I divulge this fact (for motivation of his students mainly) but Valery doesn’t have to train all that much to keep a high level of performance. I’ve seen bouts of no training from him and after a few sessions back he’s Master of Sport level or higher. I’ve said many times personally to him, you walk around without training MS don’t you? Back when his English was still developing he’d answer, “give good reason and I can do”. I learned a long time ago to not challenge him with a lift!
If used properly, Kettlebells TEACH athleticism. If used improperly they can stunt athleticism by increasing tension, or worse, wreak havoc. They can develop speed, power, explosiveness, endurance, precision, balance and all kinds of other attributes athletes desire, including pure strength, but you have to understand how this is done with this particular tool. Method is everything! Valery never claims to be a strong guy, but the carryover from kettlebells is obviously impressive. His focus has been “Strength-Endurance” which is uniquely developed by the kettlebell. I mean, how many people do you know that can run a Marathon and put a 150 pound dumbbell overhead without specific training for either? What’s disturbing is ad-copy written by “Kettlebell Gurus” in the Industry don’t tell you it’s not their methods that realize this potential. Investor Beware, right? The problem is it’s your career, your health, your life and well-being that you are investing in. Read the ad-copy, rationalize what they say, observe what their students can do, and most importantly, check their background.
On behalf of World Champion Valery Fedorenko - Chief Advisor of World Kettlebell Club, we’d like to sincerely ask for your sponsorship for the World Kettlebell Lifting Championships to be held in Toronto September 13-14, 2008. Last year’s Event in Miami was a huge success. It marked the very first time International Pro Athletes competed on Western soil. The best Lifters in the World were competing for the largest cash prize in the history of Kettlebell Sport. This year we’ve already received 3 times the requests for Invitations, and we are planning a Special Demonstration that will amaze everyone. This Sport represents the highest test of Work Capacity and Strength/Power Endurance, and displays the pinnacle of Functional-Wellness which kettlebell athletes and enthusiasts are known for. We offer you a promotional opportunity to showcase your business/organization at the Worlds in 2008.
Your support will help WKC achieve it’s goals of proliferation of the Sport of Kettlebell Lifting and Fitness worldwide and establish your business/organization as a partner of the leading Kettlebell Institute on the planet. The World Kettlebell Club, with the help of it’s Advisors, provide the safest and most proven protocol in Kettlebells today. Your generous contribution will not only help us outreach to greater prospective athletes, but it increases the far reaching education that our Clubs, Coaches and Instructors provide to the masses. This is a rapidly exploding International Event and key sponsorship positions can be locked in now.
Your involvement in the World Championships will live in perpetuity, as we capture the best moments in pictures and video footage forever displayed on our sites and Youtube backed by your company’s promotional material. We look forward to this and further Promotional Partnerships with you.
BONUS: Coach Fedorenko wants the Worlds to be such a success that while the AKC Classic Competition in Las Vegas May 3rd is already funded, he opens America’s National Competition and will match early WKC Sponsors with double exposure at the AKC Classic at no additional fee*. You better hurry though, as the Competition is less than 3 weeks away! There is no guarantee as to signage and media printing, so do not delay.
Underwriter Sponsor - $40,000 USD
Name the Event after your company
Company logo/name on Team America’s uniform-most prominent space
Your company’s chief representative to lead the opening of the Event
Your company’s representative picture with Coach Fedorenko and athletes
Logo on all team related advertising including posters, letters of correspondence, and other media material
Event t-shirt with your company logo/name in most prominent space
Mention your company as a sponsor on any TV and radio advertising relating to this Event
Mention your company as a sponsor on any internet advertising relating to this Event
Back-cover advertising of your company on Event Brochure
Mention your company as a sponsor on all media interviews about the Event
10′x10′ booth space - 1st choice/most prominent space
3-night Hotel stay for sponsor provided
V.I.P. Dinner with World Champion Valery Fedorenko, Honored Master of Sport, Event Champions and Key Sponsors
Company Logo/Banner on WorldKettlebellClub.com website for 2008
Your Company Logo on 4′x8′ backboard on Competition Platform Center Stage
Your Company Logo on 4′x8′ backboard on Warm-up Platform Center Stage
Principal Sponsor - $20,000 USD
Company logo/name on Team America’s uniform-2nd most prominent space
Your company’s chief representative introduced in opening of the Event
Your company’s representative picture with Coach Fedorenko and athletes
Logo on all team related advertising including posters, letters of correspondence, and other media material
Event t-shirt with your company logo/name in 2nd most prominent space
Mention your company as a sponsor on any TV and radio advertising relating to this Event
Mention your company as a sponsor on any internet advertising relating to this Event
Front inside-cover advertising of your company on Event Brochure
Mention your company as a sponsor on all media interviews about the Event
10′x10′ booth space - 2nd choice/most prominent space
3-night Hotel stay for sponsor provided
V.I.P. Dinner with World Champion Valery Fedorenko, Honored Master of Sport, Event Champions and Key Sponsors
Company Logo/Banner on WorldKettlebellClub.com website for 2008
Your Company Logo on 4′x8′ backboard on Competition platform Right of Center Stage
Your Company Logo on 4′x8′ backboard on Warm-up Platform Right of Center Stage
Platinum Sponsor - $10,000 USD
Company logo/name on Team America’s uniform-3rd most prominent space
Your company’s chief representative introduced in opening of the Event
Your company’s representative picture with Coach Fedorenko and athletes
Logo on all team related advertising including posters, letters of correspondence, and other media material
Event t-shirt with your company logo/name in 3rd most prominent space
Mention your company as a sponsor on any TV and radio advertising relating to this Event
Mention your company as a sponsor on any internet advertising relating to this Event
Back inside-cover advertising of your company on Event Brochure
Mention your company as a sponsor on all media interviews about the Event
10′x10′ booth space - 3rd choice/most prominent space
3-night Hotel stay for sponsor provided
V.I.P. Dinner with World Champion Valery Fedorenko, Honored Master of Sport, Event Champions and Key Sponsors
Company Logo/Banner on WorldKettlebellClub.com website for 2008
Your Company Logo on 4′x8′ backboard on Competition platform Left of Center Stage
Your Company Logo on 4′x8′ backboard on Warm-up Platform Left of Center Stage
Gold Sponsor - $5,000 USD
Your company’s chief representative introduced in opening of the Event
Your company’s representative picture with Coach Fedorenko and athletes
Logo on all team related advertising including posters, letters of correspondence, and other media material
Event t-shirt with your company logo/name featured
Mention your company as a sponsor on any internet advertising relating to this Event
Page of advertising of your company inside Event Brochure
Mention your company as a sponsor on all media interviews about the Event
10′x10′ booth space
3-night Hotel stay for sponsor provided
V.I.P. Dinner with World Champion Valery Fedorenko, Honored Master of Sport, Event Champions and Key Sponsors
Company Logo/Banner on WorldKettlebellClub.com website for 2008
Your Company Logo shared on 4′x8′ backboard of one of the Competition Platforms
Your Company Logo shared on 4′x8′ backboard on Warm-up Platform
Silver Sponsor - $2,500 USD
Your company’s representative picture with Coach Fedorenko and athletes
Mention your company as a sponsor on any internet advertising relating to this Event
Half-Page of advertising of your company inside Event Brochure
Mention your company as a sponsor on all media interviews about the Event
10′x10′ booth space
V.I.P. Dinner with World Champion Valery Fedorenko, Honored Master of Sport, Event Champions and Key Sponsors
Company Logo/Banner on WorldKettlebellClub.com website for 2008
Your Company Logo shared on 4′x8′ backboard of one of the Competition Platforms
Your Company Logo shared on 4′x8′ backboard on Warm-up Platform
Bronze Sponsor - $1,250 USD
Your company’s representative picture with Coach Fedorenko and athletes
Mention your company as a sponsor on any internet advertising relating to this Event
Quarter-Page of advertising of your company inside Event Brochure
Mention your company as a sponsor on all media interviews about the Event
Company Logo/Banner on WorldKettlebellClub.com website for 2008
Your Company Logo shared on 4′x8′ backboard of one of the Competition Platforms
Your Company Logo shared on 4′x8′ backboard on Warm-up Platform
Honorary Sponsor - $500 USD
Your company’s representative picture with Coach Fedorenko and athletes
Business Card Advertising in Event Brochure
Company mentioned on WorldKettlebellClub.com website for 2008
Athlete Friend Donation - $100 USD
Your company’s representative picture with Coach Fedorenko and athletes
Your company is mentioned in Event Brochure
*A down payment of 50% is due upon signing the Sponsorship contract. Payments can be made on the balance, and final payment is due by August 13, 2008. An Early Decision is necessary for us to include your logo in the Event Brochure.
Valery Fedorenko and the American Kettlebell Club have had a lot of firsts:
We were the first to bring the Modern Kettlebell to the public, and the major Philosophies behind its History and dimensions.
We were the first to release the closely guarded high level training methodology of Professional Kettlebell Athletes to the general public.
If you use a 48kg kettlebell today, you can thank Valery for the suggestion to manufacture them in this country.
But our new 36, 40, 44 and 48kg Kettlebells will be the same dimensions as all our other weights, as to keep the feel and trajectory consistent throughout all transitions. That coupled with design details make the “Fedorenko” bells “the most comfortable and results-producing bells on the market!”
The beginning of 2008 has been eventful with:
Some very surprising Arnold Classic contacts we made.
Many Coach Certifications where we met some great new partners.
It’s but March, and we have a couple more announcements:
3rd Generation Competition Kettlebells™!
A year and half ago we had an early (1st Generation) release of the Modern Kettlebell with our “Special Edition” VF Signature bells. The only way to get those now is through Logo Bell trophies or get plain lucky, as they are very limited.
For a while we’ve been operating with our 2nd Generation Pro-Grade Kettlebells™ where structural improvements were made by Valery Fedorenko to make them more comfortable to use. He’s said “if I had had access to this quality when I was a Pro, life would have been a lot easier!”
Now Valery and the WKC introduce the Competition Kettlebell™. Our 3rd Generation bell includes design upgrades, including Pre-Sanded handles!!! Can you imagine the time-saving this will give you??!
Coach Fedorenko was the first to recommend sanding and chalking your kettlebell handles, and wouldn’t do it any other way himself, but to solidify the position as the highest quality Kettlebell available, he has insisted that they should be “ready for competition upon arrival.”
You are going to love our next generation Competition Kettlebell™, available in many sizes:
8kg
12kg
16kg
20kg
24kg
28kg
32kg
36kg
40kg
44kg coming soon!
48kg coming soon!
NEW KETTLEBELL DESIGN for WKC!
Valery has an old book. Not only is this “book” a fairly complete log of much of his training as a Pro, but it also has plans and outlines for many things related to Kettlebells. This includes his raw Fitness Program for the masses that he created long before anyone in this country thought about how to train with a Kettlebell, projections for the Sport on a massive scale, and even a design for a new Kettlebell. It’s a highly important book [though one time it escaped in a hotel room and luckily was found and sent back to AKC! Crisis averted!]
This new Kettlebell design is in development now and will be known as our Professional Grade Kettlebell™. Valery doesn’t believe the new design will break records, but it will be significantly more user friendly! Your progression will be FASTER! If you’ve ever had an uncomfortable set and put the bells down for this reason, you understand what we are talking about!
The details are of course “Top Secret”, but proper Kettlebells are a serious business to Valery, so you can be sure they will be “AKC Perfect!”
He’s seen more “creative” designs, here and in Europe, than maybe anyone; though Valery’s approved of only a few. There’s the creatively strange wide and/or fat handled kettlebells that you wouldn’t want to do 95% of the best kettlebell exercises with anyway, or all the classic kettlebells out there with the small-bigger-BIGGER design using manufacturing process modeled after the Czar official “Weights and Measures”, the original use of the kettlebell. That’s not very ideal for exercise. What is this, 1870? No, it’s 2008 and the “Modern Kettlebell” which happens to be well over 60 years old now, and is similar to our Competition Kettlebell, is in need of a companion.
We look forward to sharing with you this and other cutting-edge benefits of Membership in the American Kettlebell Club in 2008.
AKC Classic Competition
The American Kettlebell Club Classic is just around the corner! May 3rd will set the stage for Team America competitors as they travel the World in 2008. We will also find hidden talent potential from the lifters who’ve been working hard over the Winter and are ready to document their efforts by achieving Rank. Everyone knows there is no better way to prove your knowledge of Kettlebells than by achieving Rank whether a professional instructor or a competitive athlete.
We routinely get referral requests for kettlebell instructors for Sports Teams and they often require an AKC Coach, because of their high level of proficiency. Professionals want proof not promises! Increase your knowledge and exposure! Come to Vegas for the Classic!
There will be no International Competitors… This is the Premier American Competition and open to all Americans in the country, no fees! We want to see your reps whether you are Beginner, Amateur or Pro, from all organizations! We have Master, Senior, Junior and Youth Divisions in the main three lifts, Jerk, Snatch and Long Cycle, so everyone is represented.
There will be a Special Demonstration by Ivan Denisov, the Absolute World Record Holder, for your entertainment. So come watch History as he attempts his own Jerk Record and come support your fellow Americans as they leave it all on the Platform for you to witness! Better yet, compete, and if it’s a gutsy performance, you just might make our Youtube Channel!
Make your Reservation:
americankettlebellclub@gmail.com
Spend 4 days living the life of a Pro Kettlebell Sport Athlete. The only way you’ll be able to handle the intense workload is by having ample time to relax in the healing waters of Loutraki Greece. This location, once known as Thermai, is the most ancient bathing resort of Hellas, with a Therapeutic history pre-dating Christ. Greek Folklore speaks of the Gods Apollon, Hera, Xenius and Hygeia in it’s creation. True Professional Coaches and Athletes will be there working along side of you. You’ll train in their gym. You’ll eat what they eat. You’ll feel the slower Mediterranean lifestyle they enjoy… You’ll be surprised how it effects your performance! The Camp will be adjusted to your personal level, but there will be no pulled punches. You will be Training at your maximum for four days, and you’ll witness others doing the same. Whether you are a Pro athlete of another sport looking to enhance your training knowledge, a Coach looking for a superior Conditioning for his Team/Students, or a Kettlebell Sport fanatic that wants to take it to the next level, this is our Premier Course. The four day learning experience in the land where Sports, Athletics and Kettlebells originated will prove to be unparalleled in Elite Sport Conditioning and an Event you will never forget!
The goal of the Camp is to show you first hand what it’s like to train like a Professional Athlete. While seasoned Pros usually train twice a day, with a “nap” between sessions, this will be a mid-day training, allowing you to make a vacation out of it and bring family or friends and still enjoy Greece morning and night. If we could run month long Camps, we would, but the cost is very prohibitive. This is the next best thing to actually going Pro! We’re sorry, but during training you will have to leave your guests in Loutraki, alone to “torture” themselves in the place modern Athenians go to relax.
This Training Camp will take place in Valery’s Coach’s new Gym near Athens, which produces Champions in Wrestling, Olympic Lifting, ArmWrestling and, of course, Kettlebells. Lodging in a classy European-style hotel within walking distance of the beach is included in the Camp fee, as well as daily transportation to the gym and back to Loutraki, a nutritious lunch after training, high-tech supplements, and more… We’re purposely leaving the evening open for you to enjoy, as there are numerous shops, clubs, restaurants, cafe’-bars and even the largest European Casino all on the 2km strip overlooking the water. Some of the most historic spots in the entire World are within a few hours (or closer) of this location, so extending your stay is possible if you make your reservations early. It is a great time of year for Holiday in Loutraki, so book your slot now! *note- We must keep the course relatively close-knit. Please confirm attendance early.
I got a call from Ken Love, a guy who’s been around since the beginning of AKC. He was asking me about Las Vegas and when he should book his flights. He’s coming in to judge Pros and Amateurs and also compete in the Senior Division, Snatch only. I also think he wants to see Denisov at the special Coach Certification in Vegas after the Competition. We’ve gotten a lot on inquiries from existing Coaches to attend the new format Coach Certification with more hands on training, so this has made it reasonable to offer re-certification(2 year) spaces at a very reduced rate to Coaches on a limited basis. We’ve had to turn several away in the last few months already due to limited gym space, so these spots will be available on first-come basis. Coaches should email Krystina…
In the course of the conversation Ken was talking about how he’s been working with the 16kg in Snatch for the most part and the other day pulled 450. He said a few other things and I could have sworn I heard 450. I had to ask. Not because I think everyone is embellishing (just some), but because Ken is 66 and has only been Snatching 16kg! I said, Ken… How much did you deadlift? He said 450 pounds. Ok, it wasn’t a 3, it was a FOUR-50! Just like I thought I heard…
This is the response I got from him after asking for a little background. Things like, what have you been doing? How long? How many times did you deadlift in this cycle to pull 450? How? What? When? I mean, I knew Ken was primarily a 16kg Snatch guy, as he came to Miami and did a demonstration and most of his postings on the Coaches Forum pertain to that. I had to know for sure… So, I asked if he minded if I wrote about it. I said, I’d love to have a picture, and if ever you do it again, I’d love a video. The next day he filmed it again. He then answered my questions for the interview, but there is no way I could write it any better.
In its entirety…
Eric Liford, Editor
Eric,
Monday was my third deadlift since January of 2006 when I had a pr of 470 before I abandoned all barbell training and went strictly to kbs. My first pull in November of 2007 I pulled 405 over at Crossfit Montgomery and it felt relatively easy. Back in January 2008, I did a 580 pull with a couple of farmers walk implements but that lift is a lot easier than a regular deadlift because of the much higher starting point. Then Monday, Mark Lehmkuhl who owns Crossfit Montgomery (he’s attending the AKC cert in Atlanta), invited me to the wod to deadlift and I pulled the 450 with seemingly some left and I did it again today for the video. But to answer your question directly, I have not trained for the deadlift in over two years as you can see. I basically did the deads to see how much pulling strength I had lost. The short answer is I have lost none.
My training in 2006 was basically hard style kb stuff – swings and snatches and occasionally getups, front squats and presses. I hooked up with Steve Cotter in late 2006 and he introduced me to time training ( at this point I believe Steve was making his break with the RKC camp and was or was becoming a disciple of Valery’s methods). I attended the AKC cert in February of 2007 and a training day in April of 2007. I saw the superiority of Valery’s way and became a convert (seeing Marty jerk the 32s blew my mind).
At my age of 66, serious competition with the 32kgs and 24kgs was not a very realistic goal for me so I concentrated on the 16kg snatch. The snatch is my favorite and I have made good progress in terms of time and reps over the past 13 months using Valery’s methods. Basically I snatch 5 times per week with one money set per day of 10 to 14 mins. Doesn’t sound like much to the uninitiated but it suits me and my recovery ability. I do shoulder and hip stretching just about every day and I teach basic swings, presses, push presses, jerks and snatches for Crossfit Montgomery each Saturday. Although my technique is quite modest, I enjoy teaching others.
I got into physical training late in life, around 2001 when I was 60. I am a recovering alcoholic and compulsive gambler – clean and sober since 2/1/99 by the grace of God. As a result of my addictions, I became involved with a recovery ministry called Celebrate Recovery for addicts. I lead Celebrate Recovery each Thursday night and that is my main calling in life. I also work in a family business with my oldest son and my wife and I sit on several for-profit boards of directors for local businesses and a financial institution. But my spare time is for grandkids (4) and kbs.
I will be 67 in July and my weight stays at 200. Due to a lifetime of abuse to my body by alcohol and by my life style, I had several major operations on my intestines during 1992, 1993 and 1994 finally resulting in the removal of my large intestine. Since 2/1/99 I have been relatively healthy albeit I am missing some parts which necessitate ongoing medications.
Last week was the first call to some members of AKC Team America that I have chosen to be a part of my Phone Coaching Program. We’ll be making some additional picks for the Team America Roster in the next few weeks, but these Lifters are documenting their workouts for the entire Team Roster to view, analyze and discuss. The Team can also gather useful methods and tips to help with their own Programs by following these Lifters. 9 Athletes participate. They are Team Captains Catherine Imes and Marty Farrell, with David Zink, Chris Duffey, Andrew Durniat, Ashley Hughes, Gregor Sobocan, Susanna Baxter, and Scott Helsley. These athletes have agreed to go with me Internationally and represent America in Competitions throughout the World. For now we take it slowly so I can learn about their temperament for work, but soon it will not be easy. I wanted to congratulate these lifters for taking part in this program and let everyone know who they are.
I’m not sure why, but I have gotten a lot of questions lately about using the Alternating Rack my Coach came up with to increase his numbers in Jerk. When we were in Greece last year, he showed everyone his rack technique that increased his best 70 reps (that he had during my competitive days of 130+ Jerks), to 100 reps several years back. Now it is part of basic Kettlebell information in America already The technique works, but it’s more of a trick, not an actual technique. I feel a technique should allow more efficiency, so you can work even harder. This move slows you down, increases unnecessary movement, and keeps you from gaining the flexibility to have a good launch pad from your hips. It is a less healthy position, and while it is legal in competition (there is no rule that you must rest on the hips), the top lifters don’t use it. I’ve heard the excuses that they can’t reach the hip, but no American Lifters I know have lifted long enough to know for sure. I understand the feeling, and I do not blame someone for wanting to use it, but it is not the best advice for someone new to Kettlebell Sport. For a Strength and Conditioning application you can use 1 Arm with a heavy Kettlebell or just take advantage of the flexibility enhancement and further benefit from doing it correctly with two Kettlebells. There is nothing to prove except personal results in S&C lifting! For a Fitness application it’s low level instruction, and the trainer is simply lacking experience or understanding of the goals of Kettlebell Lifting. My Coach is a Master of Sport and had years of experience Coaching Kettlebells before implementing this trick on himself, and did it more for an experiment. Still, he only got to 100 reps. I recommend not even using this, but you should have years of experience before playing around. One last thing is it also makes it easy to drop the elbow onto the belt and use it as a lifting aid, which will get you disqualified (not just a no-count) in a competition. I’ve never recommended it for the reasons of safety, efficiency, and potential. It’s very hard to break a habit years later, trust me. This is a game of patience…
The first-ever European Kettlebell Fitness Course will take place August 1st & 2nd in Switzerland! This is the only 2-day Fitness Course for the rest of 2008! Participants in this Certification will witness the long-awaited release of the World Kettlebell Club “Wellness” Protocol from Valery Fedorenko and Scott Sonnon. This Course is a License to operate the System for Fitness Professionals, but if you aren’t a Trainer and are new to Kettlebells, this is YOUR COURSE! We’ve had some Beta Testers of the Program speak about their amazing results over the last few months such as Fat-Loss, Toning, more Energy and Vitality, but no report is as reassuring as the 100% positives on FEELING GOOD! 
This course has different goals than just getting your numbers and strength up as quickly as possible. This is about WELLNESS, the new movement in Fitness, and the one with real substance! Mindless walking on a treadmill or sitting on machines while listening to your iPod, watching TV and reading a book (at the same time!) CAN’T constitute Fitness. That’s paid entertainment for Sheeple! Aren’t you and your clients ready for the next evolution in Fitness? Nothing beats the Kettlebell for overall effectiveness, portability and time-efficiency.
Here’s just some of what you GET:
FREE KETTLEBELL BONUS: Fitness Trainers need weapons too! Coach Fedorenko has insisted that each participant of the Fitness Course receive one 8kg/18lb (pink) and one 12kg/26lb (blue) Pro-Grade™ Kettlebell. This is all that is needed to launch you or your students to your Kettlebell Fitness goals. ($200 Retail Value…shipping not included)
The technique works, but it’s more of a trick, not an actual technique. I feel a technique should allow more efficiency, so you can work even harder. This move slows you down, increases unnecessary movement, and keeps you from gaining the flexibility to have a good launch pad from your hips. It is a less healthy position, and while it is legal in competition (there is no rule that you must rest on the hips), the top lifters don’t use it. 
