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Skip to primary sidebar Home Contributors Matt Beecroft, Master RKC Martijn Bos, Master RKC Andrea Du Cane, Master RKC Angelo Gala, Master RKC Chris Holder, Master RKC Steve Holiner, Master RKC Dan John, Master RKC Mike Krivka, Master RKC Thomas Phillips, Master RKC Robert Rimoczi, Master RKC Phil Ross, Master RKC Max Shank, Master RKC Workshops HKC Workshops RKC Workshops RKC-II Workshops Find an RKC Instructor Resources Articles Forums Kettlebells Products Blogs PCC Blog Strong Medicine Blog Archives Official blog of the RKC RKC Big Six Workout January 18, 2024 By Andrea Du Cane Leave a Comment The RKC is based on six main exercises that are tested using kettlebells based on weight classes. They include the Swing, Get-up, Clean, Squat, Press, Snatch. There are many other drills and corrective exercises covered during the workshop, but for testing purposes the Big-6 are the star for a reason. These six exercises comprise full-body functional strength and conditioning, that is unparalleled using minimal time and equipment. The RKC Big Six: The Big-6 include exercises of pulling, pressing, squatting as well as functional movement patterns like hinging, lunging, rolling, as well as shoulder stability and mobility. Every exercise is presented within the context of the principles of hardstyle training, posterior chain driven, power breathing and full-body recruitment. The purpose of the RKC technique test, is about performing each exercise with perfect technique. The rep range of each set of exercises is enough to correctly demonstrate each drill using the principles of hardstyle strength. Why not take the full-body strength and conditioning focus of the RKC Big-6 and put it into a short circuit? It is not only a great workout, but a perfect way to practice for the test. At the RKC , we require participants to use their snatch size bell for testing. However, sometimes it is necessary for certain people to go a bit heavier to elicit the right technique. For example, it may be necessary to have a strong athlete test with a heavier bell for cleans or presses. If the bell is too light, they don’t need to maintain high tension during the set and end up faking” it instead of using the principles of hardstyle strength. For casual kettlebell enthusiasts, pick a load that works to produce the best technique possible. For instance, maybe go a little lighter for the get-up and snatch, and a little heavier for the cleans and swings. Choosing the Right Kettlebell Here are some guidelines for kettlebells sizes: Men: 16kg to 24kg Women: 8kg (18lb) to 16kg Rest as needed, however the less rest you take between sets the more metabolic impact the workout will have. When performing the grinds; presses, front squats, and get-ups, take your time. Think of it as a set of single-reps. Don’t rush your grinds. Conversely, on your swings, cleans, snatches, don’t slow them down. That doesn’t mean rushing through the top of the swing, or the rack of the clean or the lockout of the snatch. The top of each rep is your rest”, and don’t slow down at the backswing, drive up fast to hip-extension. Starting with the get-up is a great strength and mobility warm-up and prepares you for the rest of the set. And I’ve added a set of double cleans for practice and conditioning. The RKC Big Six Workout: Get-ups: 1/1 Swings: 10/10 Cleans: 5/5 Presses: 5/5 Double Cleans: 5 Front Squats: 5 Snatches: 5/5 Repeat 3-4 times. *** Andrea Du Cane is Director of Certifications for Dragon Door Publications, a Master Kettlebell Instructor, ACE-GF, ACE Senior Fitness Specialist, CK-FMS certified, TRX certified, CICS certified, RIST- ZHealth certified, and has a BA in Psychology from the University of Minnesota. She has written and produced two DVDs: The Kettlebell Goddess Workout DVD, a top selling Kettlebell DVD on Amazon.com and The Kettlebell Boomer. Her DVD, Working With Special Populations, was filmed at the RKC Level II. Her Ageless Body Book was released fall of 2011. She is a contributor to Fitness Trainer Magazine and Breaking Muscle Website and Coach’s Only Podcasts. She has published articles on Russian Kettlebells for Best Body Magazine and for Oxygen Magazine. She was a featured presenter for the annual 2018 AFS conferences in China. She has presented for the EMPOWER! Conferences held around the U.S since 2014. She has presented at the Dragon Door Health & Strength conferences, in 2015 & 2016. Andrea travels around the world certifying HKC & RKC instructors in Kettlebell training. Filed Under: Kettlebell Training , Tutorial , Workout of the Week Tagged With: big six , Hardstyle kettlebell training , kettlebell get-up , kettlebell snatches , kettlebell swings , RKC Prep , RKC technique The Kettlebell Swing & Low Back Pain October 29, 2023 By William Sturgeon Leave a Comment Low back is one of the most common injuries or difficulties that most people struggle with daily. There are many reasons that can be leading to low back pain such as excessive sitting or standing, lack of physical activity, improper use of biomechanics, chronic stress, etc. Just as there are many reasons for low back pain, there are also many solutions for low back pain. One of the best exercises to help someone with low back pain is the kettlebell swing , granted they’re cleared from their PT, DC, or MD to participate in physical activity. The reason for this is that it’s going to teach your client how to properly hinge at their hips, brace their core to maintain spinal stability, and strengthen their glutes by showing them how to contract them fully. Now there has been some negative connotation in the past associated with low back pain and kettlebells. I’ll address that right now: kettlebells aren’t causing you to have low back pain, it’s poor biomechanics used with kettlebells that is leading to furthering your low back pain. Here’s a sequence you can use to help teach your client how to swing properly if they’re dealing with low back pain. Soft Tissue Work with Rolling Out I like starting each of my training sessions with some soft tissue work, also known as self-myofascial release (SMR). We can call it rolling out for short. The main areas that I have clients roll out are the following: Quads, Calves, Hamstrings, Glutes, Upper Back, and Lats. These muscles are usually the prime movers in most of the movements we will be doing in the workout. It helps to promote blood flow to the areas we’re focusing on to help create an acute range of motion, but also helps the client feel better for the session. Think of this as a mini-self massage. I usually have them spend about 30-60 seconds on each individual muscle group. Warming Up with Mobility After rolling out, the next sequence of the warm up is to do some active mobility and dynamic movement to help prime the muscles, mobilize the joints, and prep the body for exercise. I like starting on the ground and working my way up. I usually start with a mini-band glute bridge, then move into some body weight dead bugs, then move into mini-band bird dogs, next going into an active half kneeling hip flexor stretch, then a leg extended hand behind the head rotation, wrapping up with some mini-band lateral walks. I usually do about 10 reps total of each exercise. Kettlebell Swing Progression Step One: Kettlebell RDL Start here, when it comes to teaching the kettlebell swing. The most critical and important piece of this exercise is having mastery in the basic foundation which is the hip hinge. The hip hinge is what will bring your clients through proper biomechanics in the RDL. I prefer to start here because the weight helps clients brace for tension and also the load will help with counterbalancing their weight. Step Two: Kettlebell Deadlift Next up is teaching the deadlift. This can be more intense than the RDL because it’s going to increase the range of motion in their biomechanics. Starting the bell on the floor allows for your client to build...