In my post last week about exercising after you have a baby I promised I would have a fun goal to share this week as long as I got the okay from my doctor at my 6 week postpartum appointment. I had my appointment on Monday and everything was good! It’s hard to believe I don’t have to go back for a year. What will I do with all my free time now that I don’t have weekly doctor appointments? Oh yah…I have a newborn now and free time is a thing of the past! 🙂
Onto the fun goal! I am signing up for my Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification (HKC). I’m going to register for the workshop in Connecticut on September 11, which will be a little over 3 months after Connor was born. I wasn’t sure if it would be too soon for me to take the certification (and hopefully pass!), but I’m feeling great about my progress at 6.5 weeks and I know I can get there. My real goal is to take the Russian Kettlebell Challenge Instructor Certification Workshop (RKC) in spring or summer 2012, but I’m going to start with the HKC so that I am certified in the most important essentials of kettlebell training.
Not only is this a great goal for me and a way for me to stay motivated to get back in shape after having my baby, but it will allow me to become a better trainer for my clients and I’ll be more comfortable teaching kettlebells. It will also be a great first step in my training for the RKC.
Dragon Door Says that I will leave the HKC with the following knowledge:
- A deep understanding of the true benefits of kettlebell training—for both yourself and your clients
- A solid knowledge of vital kettlebell training safety procedures
- A workmanlike grasp of the fundamentals of biomechanics—to ensure your clients move with perfect form and avoid injury
- A grasp of the key HardStyle skills and principles of strength
- The ability to competently perform the three foundational kettlebell exercises (the Swing, the Get-Up, and the Goblet Squat)
- The confidence you can now correctly teach the three essential kettlebell exercises—and troubleshoot common technique problems
- The unique HKC template for designing an unlimited number of effective kettlebell workouts.
I’ll keep you posted on how my training is coming along. I have been doing the 3 day workout program that my husband designed for me and seriously the workouts are HARD, but fun! I can feel myself getting stronger already and it’s only been a week. 🙂
Last September before I had a bun in the oven, I was rocking the RKC Snatch Test with a 14K Kettlebell, but I’ll probably need to do this at the RKC (hopefully this coming spring!) with a 16K Kettlebell based on my bodyweight. I have a lot of progress to make so first up, HKC on September 11 here I come! 🙂
What’s your current fitness goal?
That is a great goal. I was wondering if you have a chance if you could explain the difference between certs. I know there are different ones out there but which one is the best to get and why? What makes one cert better than another? Sorry for so many questions I have been curious about this for a while and I figured you would be a good person to ask 🙂 Thanks
Hi Nicole! Never apologize for having questions. 🙂 You can go on http://www.dragondoor.com and check out the exact details of the certs, but here is the basics. The HKC is a one-day workshop/certification focused on three foundational kettlebell exercises (the Swing, the Get-Up, and the Goblet Squat). You are tested on your ability to perform/teach these 3 exercises and also must be able to do a 15 second flexed arm hang (for girls) or a pull up (for guys). These workshops happen pretty often and you can usually find one close to where you live. The RKC is a three-day intense certification. There are some pretty tough testing requirements *read RKC testing requirements here* but if you’re not interested in teaching others (and only taking the course for your own interest) you can skip out on the testing portion. There are some higher levels you can get into after those, but that’s a start! 🙂 Let me know if you have other questions.