Newsletter 13

1. Lessons On Life: "RKC Tough!"
2. Training Tip: "Unbreakable Spine!"
3. Nutrition Tip: "They Knew It Back Then?!?!"
4. Personalized Program Design: "Tired of Not Reaching Your Goals?"
5. Bonus Tip: "Strong As A Girl"
6. Testimonials for Brian Copeland:
7. Charity in Focus: "Precious Ones Outreach International"

1. Lessons On Life: "RKC Tough!"

Last weekend I had the honor of going to the RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge) Instructor Certification course as an Assistant Instructor.

What I saw amazed me!

What I saw was very likely the top 1% fittest people in the world.

How do I define fit? Well I'm not talking about people who would compete in bodybuilding tournaments, although there were some amazing physiques there to mention. I'm talking about everyday men and women who hone their bodies and minds into lean mean machines. People who laugh at a day of hard physical labor. These are the Navy Seals of the fitness profession.

First off let me tell you what all of these "victims", as Pavel Tsatsouline Chief Instructor of the RKC likes to call them, had to go through to get certified as RKC Instructors.

1. They had to pass a repetition kettlebell snatch test. It varies by your gender, age and weight but an average man would have to snatch a 53 lb kettlebell over his head 64-74 times without setting the bell down once and only switching hands 1 time. The average woman had to do about 64 repetitions with a 26 lber or 26-38 reps with a 35 lber. Needless to say this is not something the average or even above average gym rat could do. This requires hard work, time and strength of mind and will.

2. They were put through about 8-9 hours of kettlebell lifting for 3 days to finely hone their kettlebell technique. Top that off with each Senior Instructor or Team Leader putting them through about 3 brutal workouts per day.

3. They had to demonstrate perfect technique, even through all of that fatigue.

4. They had to take what they learned and train their own "victims." The RKC leadership brings in clients for the RKC hopefuls to train. They must be great teachers as well as great kettlebell lifters.

5. I'd say they have to sit through the lectures which I normally fall asleep in but these were great lectures, brief and packed with top notch cutting edge information on training, working with clients, training athletes, etc.

6. Finally, they had to pass "The Grad Workout." This last final brutal workout tests your metal and you really find out what you are made of. No one gets left behind in this, everyone passes. The only way you fail is if you give up and everyone has too much at stake to do that. This usually involves a long field roughly 150 yards long. Victims start at one end of the field and they must do a series of kettlebell lifts the entire length of the field, they typically have 2 bells and can not set them down the entire length. That 150 yards get real long when you are holding 106 lbs of iron the whole length.

Why must it be so tough? Why is it so hard to become an RKC Instructor?

Because of you my friends!

You want to be truly fit, injury-free and you want the best-of-the-best trainers. You want a trainer who not only talks the talk but can walk the walk.

You want the best in the fitness world? Look no further. I can tell you as someone who has gone through the program and again as an instructor in the program that you are getting the cream of the crop.

When all was said and done only about 70% of the attendees passed which is typical. Many who didn't pass will get a chance in the next 2 months to get with a Senior RKC in their area or send in a video of themselves passing the snatch test and demonstrating perfect technique, then they can get their hard earned certification.

Well there you have it, if you have read this far then you are probably either thinking we are full of ourselves or you are thinking this rocks and you want a piece of the action!

If you live in the Denver Metro Area come to my kettlebell gym to get a piece of the action. If you live outside of the DMA then perhaps my Personalized Program Design is what you need to get started in your quest for elite fitness!

2. Training Tip: "Unbreakable Spine!"

For those of you who don't know, prior to my kettlebell years I suffered from severe, I mean severe lower back pain. We are talking the pain that shoots all the way from the low back down the leg and into the toes!

Pain so bad that it took all of my strength to tie my shoes every day. Heck I fell down several times and couldn't get up for 20-30 minutes, sometimes while at work! And being that I was a corporate trainer a full classroom is a pretty inconvenient time to fall down into the fetal position!

How did I get hurt? Bad stretching, poor weight lifting using the crap out of the bodybuilding magazines and hard martial arts training.

Well anyway, 6 years suffering and I finally found kettlebells. 6 months of kettlebells and I was completely pain-free.

FAST FORWARD to last week.

I went in to get a perfectly harmless massage. The massage therapist went down to my lower back and started messing around. I thought it was harmless at the time.

15 MINUTES LATER I COULD BARELY WALK!

My Chiropractor friend and I discussed it and we agreed that after healing from my injuries in the past my SI joint (pelvis) healed with scar tissue as most injuries do. Well the massage therapist broke up the scar tissue which normally is a great thing to do in all joints of the body. however less than a week before I had to take my RKC re-certification snatch test is not a good time to do any mechanic work on the body.

Well I wasn't injured it was a matter of the body now having more range of motion in my pelvis/lower back and all of the muscles that are meant to stabilize the area hadn't had to do their job in several years so they simply didn't work any more. My job was to wake them up and get them to work.

I spent the next 3 days going to Dr. Hamilton and getting electro shock therapy on the muscles in the area and did my best to relax. Each day I felt like I was getting a little better but I was concerned that I wouldn't be back to normal in time for the snatch test (I had to do 64 snatches with a 53 lb kettlebell, no small feat.)

Well by Thursday all of the Assistant RKC Instructors were setting up the 1,000 lbs of kettlebells in neat rows according to weight, I helped out as well using all of the tension techniques at my disposal to stabilize my back and pelvis.

And then a funny thing happened...

I started feeling good. So good that I decided to try and swing a kettlebell. Then I tried to snatch one. Then I decided I would start my snatch test and bail out if I felt any pain...

Well not only did I get 64 but I kept on going and did 75. My back felt great!

All of the lifting with GOOD TECHNIQUE trained my lazy muscles to integrate and stabilize and do their jobs.

For 2 days I was fatigued deep in the lower back area but had no pain. I had just woken muscles that were lazy for the last 4 years or so, since the start of my kettlebell days. By Sunday I felt great. Not only was I pain-free and fatigue-free but with out the scar tissue I have more mobility and range of motion in my hips.

Lessons Learned:

Well I hope this story has encouraged anyone out there in pain to start taking charge and seeking the knowledge you need to recover.

I also hope it has revitalized your belief in kettlebell training with proper form. As Brett Jones, SRKC says, anyone can swing a kettlebell but you have to be taught how to do the proper kettlebell swing!

Until next time, train like an athlete not a hamster!

3. Nutrition Tip: "They Knew It Back Then?!"

This video really surprised me. I'm not sure quite how old it is but it is Jack Lalanne after all so it ain't new. I mean sure people have always been into health and fitness and nutrition. But usually it was the underground folks who knew about how to eat.

Watch this video, this totally goes against the silly "Food Pyramid" with it's high carbohydrate protocol and this was before we had the research and proof to back it up.

You see folks true wisdom isn't new. It has been around for a long time.

Until next time, eat like an Athlete, not a couch potato!

4. Personalized Program Design: "Tired of Not Reaching Your Goals?"

One of my recent female clients went down 2 belt sizes in a month! She did it in just 15 minutes 3 - 5 nights per week and from the privacy of her own home using just her own bodyweight!

What are you waiting for?

Let's face it, we are our own worst strength and conditioning coaches. We are great at telling other people what to do with their exercise programs but we can't seem to figure our's out to meet our goals.

Whether you are an athlete who needs to perform better at their sport, a guy or gal who wants to look better at the beach, maybe you just want a healthy heart and joints or you want a combination of all three; I can help you get there.

What is Personalized Program Design?

A custom "personalized" training program for created just for you. I take into consideration your goals, time, lifestyle, equipment you have access to, etc. You follow this on your own at home, the gym or where ever. Have kettlebells? Barbells? Dumbbells? Just your bodyweight? No problem!

Who needs Personalized Program Design?

New to Exercise:
- You know you want to get 'in-shape' but you have no idea of how to do it. Let me show you exactly what to do and how to progress.
Wants to Work Out at Home:
- Custom made training program based on your lifestyle, time, equipment or lack there of.
Hates Gyms:
- Join the club, or rather don't, I can't stand them either. Train at home with whatever equipment you have access to. You would be amazed what you can do with just your body weight if that's all you have.
Short on Time:

You CAN exercise for 15-20 minutes per day 3-6 days per week easy! If not you are making excuses. I'll show you how, and yes this is effective. But don't kid yourself, you will be working your butt off!

Been Training for Years But Haven't Reached YOUR Goals:
- You need a fresh outside perspective on your training. You also need an experienced professional coach to show you the way. I am both of those. All you need to provide is the elbow grease and sweat!

Quit making excuses and treat yourself, you deserve it!

Learn more about my Personalized Program Design here

5. Bonus Tip: "Strong As A Girl"

Some of the most amazing things I saw at the RKC certification were the girls. No I don't mean it in that way, although there were some cute girls there, I mean in terms of their athletic abilities.

One gal was a competitor in strong man competitions. Some of the events she competes in are the Farmer's Walk where she has to pick up 2 barbells that weigh 190 lbs each (one in each hand) and carry them for distance. She also flips 500+ lb tires for distance and lifts 300 lb atlas stones onto platforms. Now you may be thinking, "sure this chick probably has to shave her beard more often than Brian!" No no no no, this gal was tall, slender, and feminine. She wasn't butch, she wasn't bulky. She was not a female pro-wrestler on steroids or a female pro-bodybuilder who has 4% bodyfat and veins all over. Don't mistake strength with muscle size or steroid use, they are mutually exclusive.

Another gal walked over to a 70 lb kettlebell and clean and push pressed it over her head. This gal is petite, slender, attractive and if you saw her on the street you wouldn't even think she lifted weights, other than looking like she is "in-shape." In fact she is a competitive ballroom dancer and looks the part.

Finally I couldn't help but be impressed with JP the world record holder in the US Secret Service Snatch Test women's division. She also is a yoga instructor and martial artists, you would not want to take a knee in the chest from a girl who can snatch a kettlebell 319 times without stopping!

Ladies please don't be afraid of getting strong, it will not turn you into a man but rather it will empower you physically, mentally and psychologically.

How do you get strong?

Not with the typical bodybuilding, Pilates, aerobics, yoga, muscle sculpting classes, etc. Not to say all of those are bad or have no benefit at all or that you can't get strong from them but typically most of those places are just fluff in the guise of getting you "in-shape" in a feminine non-threatening way, whatever that means.

My money is on you starting with a kettlebell, master the basic techniques. When the bell gets light figure out how to do more challenging things with it (such as training for the US Secret Service Snatch Test) or go buy a heavier bell.

Where to learn?

From ME of course! Come to my kettlebell studio in Aurora, CO.

Seriously seek out a qualified RKC Instructor in your are, you can find them here.

If there are no RKC Instructors in your area there are a number of resources for learning kettlebells. One of the most effective, simple and chalked full of good technique pointers is Pavel Tsatsouline's Enter the Kettlebell book and DVD. While it is geared for a "manly man" in the way that it is produced, the instruction is top notch. Once you get past the "Comrade be tough!" lines it is a very thorough teaching tool to learn the kettlebell basics. You can pick up these gems on my Products page.

If you already know the basic kettlebell lifts and you want a program to help you reach your goals or you train with your own bodyweight, barbells or you lift your 4 year old for resistance then you need my Personalized Program Design.

Train Like A Girl, Not A Sissy!

6. Testimonials for Brian Copeland:

I have to give credit to God for blessing me with knowledge and resources that I have, the great clients He sends my way and the amazing results people get.

By the way, thanks to everyone who took their time to write about their experiences training with me.

Here are just some of the things people have been saying recently:

"Now just 2 months after my first Kettlebell class, (and only being able to go once a week) I can dead lift "The Beast", 106 lb, which is almost my body weight!! I didn't totally believe that I could do it, but tried because of the encouragement, camaraderie and friendly competition I find in the group classes. Brian was the first to say that we are stronger than we give ourselves credit for and he knew I could do it."
–Shari - Aurora, CO

Read more at the RKC Instructor pages on Dragon Door.com and also by looking on my Testimonial page.

7. Charity in Focus: "Precious Ones Outreach International"

My friend Janet "Ama" Annan has a special place in her heart for orphaned and abused children all over the world. She is the founder of Precious Ones of God Outreach International a non-profit organization that takes in orphaned and neglected children and gives them clothes, housing, food and schooling. I have volunteered my time and talents with this organization and can tell you that they are legitimate and make a real difference in the lives of hurting children. In fact, Janet and her husband both work full-time jobs just so they can provide more money to help the children. She can use all of the support she can get. No guilt trip but if you are moved in your heart then please visit her at her website here.

Until next time, train and eat like ATHLETES not hamsters and reap the rewards of a healthy, lean, sexy/studly body!

Brian Copeland, RKC

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