From The Desk Of Geoff Neupert
Overlooking Pike's Peak, Colorado, USA
Dear Kettlebell Friend,
Did you know there’s one reason why you haven’t reached your physical goals using kettlebells?
It’s quite simple:
You're Just Not Strong Enough - YET.
Like my good friend Mark Reifkind, StrongFirst Master Instructor, former USA Powerlifting Women's Team Coach, and former college gymnast says =
“Strong fixes almost everything.”
Think about it – strength is the ability to do whatever you want to do when you want to do it.
And if you can’t do what you want to, then you’re not as strong as you could be and should be.
And that’s most likely holding you back – either physically or emotionally or worse yet, both.
And I can assure you nothing feels as good as being strong.
It’s true: Strong fixes almost everything.
For example, did you know to get really lean, you need to be stronger?
Think about it – the leanest people on the planet are strength and power athletes – sprinters, Olympic weightlifters (not the superheavyweights), and gymnasts.
All incredibly lean.
All incredibly strong.
Here’s why that’s so:
Being stronger means you can produce more force. And producing more force means you can do more work. And doing more work requires more energy in the form of stored calories – or body fat.
So the stronger you are, the more potential body fat you can burn.
Strong Fixes Everything.
Here’s another example: Marathon runners.
No, not the 250-pound donut-eating kind you see rolling across the line 5 hours after the start with Gatorade strapped to each hand.
I’m talking about the elite – the Kenyans.
Sure, they may not have the physiques that you or I want – but they’re stronger than their competitors because they’re the ones that win.
And how do they win?
They produce more force and therefore cover more distance per unit of time.
That makes them the fastest, and therefore the strongest when compared to their competition.
What do Kenyan marathon runners have to do with getting stronger with kettlebells?
Simple.
Before you can do a lot of reps to achieve superior levels of strength and conditioning, you have to achieve minimal levels of strength and conditioning with fewer reps.
Before you can run 26.2 miles quickly, you have to be able to run one mile quickly.
The same holds true for kettlebells:
Before you can do 20 reps of the Long Cycle Clean And Jerk, you have to be able to do 10 and before that, five.
At the end of the day, that's because...
You Have To Build Your Strength First.
And the stronger you are, the easier it is to build your endurance.
What about just plain ol’ getting strong as an ox?
Simple.
You have to lift more weight – either one rep at a time, like a new one-rep max or you have to be able to do more work per unit of time.
Regardless of your goal – the best way to get there is by getting stronger.
How do I know for sure?
Now would be a great time for me take a quick moment to introduce myself.
I'm Geoff Neupert. I was the second StrongFirst Master Instructor (Mark Reifkind was the first). And I was a RKC Master Instructor before that.
I've been using kettlebells with myself and clients since 2002 - 20 years, and I've taught thousands of people around the world how to use kettlebells in certifications, workshops, and my products.
I've taught and trained people from all walks of life how to use kettlebells - Atheletes, arthritic grandmothers, military special operators, and everyone in between. And from 2001 to 2013, I logged over 25,000 hours of one-on-one personal training.
I was the Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for Olympic Sports at Rutgers University, where we were responsible for 26 teams. And I was a state champion and nationally qualified Olympic Weightlifter.