Don't Try This At Home...Or Anywhere

I've mentioned before that if you're interested in training with kettlebells, it's important to pick an appropriately qualified instructor. This video is a perfect example of why:
Literally everything in this video is wrong, from the explanation to the demonstrations. And that's bad enough, but what's really terrible is that one of the women is a trainer for one the largest fitness franchises in the country.

And she has absolutely NO idea what she's doing!

The swings are just wrong, and being able to properly swing is the cornerstone of the kettlebell world. She's squatting with her legs, not hinging with her hips. The kettlebell shouldn't go overhead on a swing (looking at you, Crossfit). The rows are the least offensive exercise shown (probably because they aren't a real kettlebell exercise), although I have no idea why she's even mentioning the triceps. And the exercise they refer to as a Turkish get-up is just laughable. Other than starting from the ground and ending in a standing position, that movement in no way, shape, or form resembles a Turkish get-up. It's also worth noting that most women can easily start training with an 8kg/18lb kettlebell. The one in video appears to be so small that it would be almost useless to most people.

If someone chose to try kettlebells on their own, based on what this video teaches, the best case scenario is that they wouldn't get much of a workout and walk away thinking kettlebells are just another worthless exercise fad. Worst case scenario is that they get injured. Bottom line, this video is full of incorrect information, and is incredibly irresponsible on Gold's Gym's part. If you're interested in kettlebells, please learn from a qualified instructor. If you need advice on finding one, check out the How To Pick A Trainer link at the top of this page.

This Is Kind Of Cool

Now, the amount of weight isn't terribly impressive (about 425lbs), but what's sort of cool is that my deadlift has gotten good enough that I can't use the regular bumper plates that we have at the gym anymore because I can't fit enough of them on the bar. At least the kilo plates should be able to keep up with me for a while.

Being On TV Does NOT Always Mean You're An Expert

Once again, I found myself having to explain to someone why they shouldn't be doing Jillian Michaels kettlebell workouts after hearing "But she's got her own line of kettlebells, and she's a trainer on The Biggest Loser, so she must know what she's talking about". No, no she doesn't. Jillian Michaels has a fantastic marketing machine behind her. What she doesn't appear to have is any sort of kettlebell certification, or even a basic knowledge of kettlebells. I'm not going to get into her qualifications as a personal trainer, since it appears she may actually done some sort of certification for that at some point in her life. But she doesn't know what she's talking about when it comes to kettlebells. And I'm not going to repeat what hundreds of others have already said, so I'll leave you with some examples.

At best, Jillian is teaching INCORRECT techniques - view here

At worst, Jillian is teaching DANGEROUS techniques - view here

Do yourself a favor if you want to try kettlebells, and find a properly qualified trainer. It might cost more than buying her kettlebell sets and dvds, but it's a lot cheaper than paying a chiropractor and/or a back surgeon.

A client that was almost a Jillian Michaels victim:


Proper Kettlebell Swing Technique