The results are in. 

After first setting this long-term goal 5-6 years ago, I am now a Certified Personal Trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. 

I have the magic piece of paper that says I really know what I already knew!

In the time of my last writing, I have picked up a few new tricks in the Strength and Health game, too…

Read on for more!

TWO THINGS REMARKABLY WELL 

In my last piece, “That Magic Piece of Paper: 7 Years of NASM PT Test Prep Revealed!”, I cited an interesting interview with John du Cane, founder of Dragon Door Publications. 

Dragon Door Publications is my all time favorite publishing company and distributor of fitness information out there. 

Their book, Convict Conditioning by Paul Wade, changed the way I train entirely when I discovered it on a blog maintained by a GWOT Green Beret and historian who goes by the nom-de-guerre of “John Mosby”. 

Dragon Door Publications does two things remarkably well. 

First, they publish the writings and collected wisdom of some of the greatest pioneers in the Strength and Health game. 

Their list of authors and contributors is the elite of the elite in the field…Pavel Tsatsouline, Grey Cook, Marty Gallagher, Zach Even-Esh. 

Second, everything they put out is written in a Pulp Fiction style…with a Pulp Fiction ethos! 

This comes from the man himself, John du Cane. 

THE TRUE TALE OF JOHN DU CANE

John du Cane has lived a Pulp Fiction life: from growing up in South Africa, to attending Cambridge, to bumming around all up down the old British Empire (now called “The Commonwealth”), “Somewhere East of Suez” as Kipling himself so famously wrote. 

This has influenced his entire view of life: he is extremely Esoteric, learning many holistic teachings on the mind and body from Indian and Chinese Masters in the Orient. 

He has the Western connection too, growing up in the British Public Education system which heavily focused on the classics like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle as well as daily PT training along the lines of the Swedish Ling System that I have written about extensively before. 

His two biggest heroes? 

Dan Kennedy, the highest paid sales letter writer in the world whose style is as Pulp Fiction as it gets…

And Audie Murphy, the WWII Medal of Honor Winner inspired by the Pulp Fiction magazine heroes he read about as a child! 

THE REAL SOVIET WAY?  

The names John du Cane and Pavel Tsatsouline are inextricably linked, for it was these two who brought the concept of the Kettlebell out of old Mother Russia straight to 21st Century America. 

And as John du Cane explains in the above interview, Pavel’s interest in Powerlifting and Pure Strength pursuits drove his approach to the Kettlebell that was unique to him. 

This inside revelation, coupled with my preparation for the NASM PT Test, led me to some interesting discoveries.  

On May 18, 2023, I discovered through the work of Kettlebell trainer Lebel Stark that the old Soviet system Pavel was trained under added a plantarflexed calf raise at the top of the Kettlebell Swing, Clean, and Snatch, as masterfully demonstrated by Kettlebell trainer and athlete Kimberly Fox. 

This variation includes the much vaunted Triple Extension that is the hallmark of Olympic Lifting, the main sport of the Soviet Union. You can see raw, unadulterated Soviet Footage of this here.

And this practice was as common over there as it is secret over here!

Consequently, this was very confusing to me…

Why would Pavel not teach the old Soviet way with the plantarflex calf raise at the top of the Kettlebell Swing, Clean, and Snatch, and instead militantly insist on keeping the feet rooted to the floor in the above exercises?

I figured that I couldn’t be the only one who thought this, so I did some research to see if others had asked the same question. 

What I found was very interesting. 

REASON AND DOGMA

Dan John, past co-author with Pavel and the current face of Dragon Door Publications Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification, went on the record to say that he was dogmatically opposed to adding the plantarflexed calf raise on the Kettlebell moves, without giving any reason why. 

Felix Sempf, PhD Candidate, M.A. Sportscience, and trainer under Dragon Door Publications Russian Kettlebell Certification, came up with the same idea I did, that adding the plantarflexed calf raise to the end of the Kettlebell moves returns the move to its roots and gets you more bang for your buck. 

“Despite these benefits,” Sempf writes, “The regular swing does not include ankle plantarflexion and may therefore (if used excessively) negatively affect jumping mechanics by neglecting a powerful contributor. 

“A simple solution for this is the so-called Triple Extension Swing, which also includes ankle plantarflexion.”

Sempf isn’t the only one who has come to this realization: some trainers with Strongfirst, Pavel’s current Kettlebell organization he founded after splitting with Dragon Door Publications in 2013, have come to the same conclusion. 

But as the above forum notes, other Strongfirst members dogmatically hold on to the “no plantarflexion” view that Dan John shares, without providing much evidence for or against their position outside of simple catchphrases and bumper sticker slogans. 

This left me more confused than ever. 

THE POWERLIFTING PARADOX 

John du Cane reveals the “smoking gun” that is key to solving the mystery…but if you’re not careful, you’ll miss it! 

In the above interview, John du Cane explains that Pavel’s first love is Powerlifting. 

Read any of his books, from his opening flagship title Power to the People to Enter the Kettlebell, from Power to the People: Professional to Deadlift Dynamite, from Beyond Bodybuilding to Simple & Sinister, and even his bodyweight classic The Naked Warrior, and this fact will be confirmed! 

He is in the same school of thought as Marty Gallagher, Louise Simmons, and Stuart McGill…they’re his American go-to guys! Heck, they’re even all friends!

Consequently, when we look at the feet flat, shins vertical Kettlebell Swings…and subsequently Snatches and Cleans…as Pavel teaches it, what we see is essentially Powerlifting Cardio! 

The range of motion at the ankle and knee is reduced for maximum loading just like in Powerlifting, and consequently it becomes a Romanian Deadlift for high reps with a ballistic implement! 

Powerlifting Cardio indeed! 

In many ways, it’s the opposite of the original Soviet system of Kettlebell Swings…and subsequently Snatches and Cleans…which is Olympic Lifting Cardio. 

In the original Soviet System, the range of motion at the ankle and knee is increased, demanding more “Strength through Length” just like in Olympic Lifting! 

TRUE LOVES ALL AROUND!

The truth is, I like both styles of Swings and subsequent Snatches and Cleans for different things. Powerlifting Cardio is quite frankly easier in terms of balance and flexibility, and they build strength and endurance in a hurry. 

And at the end of the day, I believe this is why Pavel loves this type of Powerlifting Cardio, too. 

However, I absolutely love the original Soviet System of Olympic Lifting Cardio…because I love anything that works a greater range of motion, demanding increased Flexibility and Strength through Length! 

How exactly would I program these kinds of things in a plan?

Let’s take a look!

BEYOND THE IRON CURTAIN: THE LIBERATED PLAN REVEALED!   

To warm up, as always, is Reverse Clamshells for preparatory Internal Hip Rotation work, 30x-100x reps on each side. This is critical, especially for all manner of Kettlebell Swings, because they involve an internally rotating hip hinge movement. 

Then the work sets begin! 

Start out with what I call “Single Leg Vajramusti Bethaks”, on a 10 degree incline slant board, everted. 

Here, you squat down on one leg, hamstrings to calves, with the heel raised, toes and balls of feet on the everted slant board. Your other leg is posted out in front like in a lunge for balance. 

All you do then is just push the knee downward and back up for 30x reps, both sides. Start out with 10x if that is all you can do at first, and build up to 30x. 

This works the VMO at the knee in Isometric Knee Flexion, and in many ways is a regressed version of a Sissy Squat without the hip extension (or “KOT Squat” as Ben Patrick likes to name it).  

It also everts and dorsiflexes the ankle while flexing the toes…something that gives you a bullet proof base to work from in both the Powerlifting and Olympic Lifting versions of the Kettlebell Swing. 

From there, do 10x Kettlebell Swings, Cleans, or Snatches of either style, Powerlifting or Olympic, your choice. Start with a 35 lbs Kettlebell, with the long-term goal of working up to a 55 lbs Kettlebell. 

The 10x-30x Single Leg Vajramusti Bethaks and 10x Kettlebell moves is one set. 

Do 3x sets to start out with. As this gets easier, shoot for 5x. The goal set forth in Enter the Kettlebell and Simple & Sinister? 10x Sets! 

And those books didn’t include the Vajramusti Bethak above! 

But what would Pavel and John du Cane think? 

I think they would be very proud! 

Pulp Fiction Power to you, my friends! 

Sincerely,

Richard Barrett

09-17-2023

Written 3:54 PM, somewhere in the USA…

Sources Cited

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