Other Modalities for Power Training
Olympic lifting has been a commonly used modality to increase power in athletes, including fighters. With Olympic lifting, a large amount of weight is moved in a rapid manner. Lifters must learn to use their legs to generate explosive power. Unfortunately, many of these lifters have a lot of power but zero endurance, as they often have to sacrifice one for the other in order to stay competitive.
You may see individuals performing movements with a weighted bar in which they take it from the floor, toward their shoulders, then over their heads before dropping it back down, this is an Olympic lift. Olympic lifting is a sure way to increase power in any athlete. However, it has its limits. There is not a lot of functionality in the movements you may see Olympic lifters performing.
The kettle bell is held in the hand and can be lifted, swung, flipped, and thrown. You can move it in an infinite amount of angles and directions, which makes it an interesting and dynamic tool to train with.
One of the primary difference of using a kettle bell rather than a barbell is that the barbell is awkward to bring back down to the floor. This is why Olympic lifters get the weight up and then drop the bar to put it down. Because the slowing down or deceleration process is such a large component in sport, it is crucial to learn how to slow down and redirect the force you are able to create.
Kettle Bell Swing (or Double-arm Swing)
The foundational movement of kettle bell training is what's called a Kettle Bell Swing. It very much like a Vertical Jump and an upper body plyometric combined into one exercise.
Begin with your feet hip width apart or slightly wider while holding the kettle bell or weight in front of you with two hands.
As you move your hips back down into your squat, the weight will swing back slightly between your legs.
As the weight you are using begins to swing forward and up, you must drive your heels and legs down into the floor and burst upward.
The weight should propel upward rather than being lifted solely by your shoulder muscles. Think of your hips like an engine and your arms like ropes with hooks on the ends.
Power is generated from the ground up through the legs, forcing the bell up and away from you. The bell has to be slowed down with control on the way down and redirected to travel back up again. The same exercise can be performed with one hand at a time as well.
KETTLE BELL SWING #1
KETTLE BELL SWING #2
