How I Improved my Barbell Deadlift with Kettlebell Training

by Katie Petersen on July 8, 2015

 

I like a lot of different exercises, but my all time favorite is the deadlift. I think it is one of the best movements for building overall strength. The most weight you’ll ever move or transfer through your body happens in a deadlift. The sheer power, strength and pride of deadlifting can be intoxicating!
I am not a powerlifter, but like many of us, I want to be as strong as possible. Since “strong” only shows up when we are mentally and physically connected, how do we get there? We must learn (and continue relearning) proper technique—then practice it a lot. I often want to do EVERYTHING I can to work towards my goal, so I will read books, watch videos, and test numerous techniques and programs. I have even had the great fortune of working with world-renowned strength coach, Marty Gallagher. But, the RKC system has yet another “trick” you can use to continually make progress. Implementing a practice of the RKC-I and RKC-II skills will not only improve your work with kettlebells, but will also fortify your strength and awareness in heavy barbell grinds like deadlifts.  I want to share my story of how setting specific goals, adhering to a dedicated program, and working from an RKC foundation can skyrocket your strength in any lift.
The Beginning
My deadlift day is Monday—I look forward to it, fear it, and plan to conquer it every week. This obsession began on January 1, 2014 when the deadlift first challenged me to be better, stronger, and most importantly, smarter.
A few months before, I had started a 10-week program with a 1RM goal of 250lbs. I don’t know what my true max was at the time, but I had never lifted more than 225lb (I could achieve 2 or 3 reps at this weight). I had been deadlifting for years, so this wasn’t an absolute beginning. But until now, I hadn’t stuck to a specific program, I mostly practiced the method of “go heavier next week”. It wasn’t until Rob Miller introduced me to an Ed Coan 10-week protocol, that I found myself finally sticking to a plan. I loved and needed the structure.
Seven weeks later I was supposed to hit 235lb x 2, which seemed impossible even for 1 rep. I tried it on New Year’s Day, so I was a little hungover, tired, and a little less inhibited. If it didn’t go up, I could chalk it up to not being rested. This took away some of the pressure, and I stopped seeing failure just as negative feedback. I confidently gave the 235lb lift everything I had…and failed, but it MOVED.
Everything changed in this moment—and I was determined to lift that weight. My body told me that I had the strength. I walked away for 5 minutes, thinking, “You are stronger than this; break that bar in half; pack your shoulders and jump off the ground! Crack your hips through that bar like it’s the heaviest kettlebell you’ve ever swung!”
As I stepped to the bar this time, I vividly pictured a dramatic life-or-death situation like being trapped under a car. This fear became an opportunity for courage, and better yet, POWER. It was survival! While this might sound extreme, it worked. (Now my set up includes the following visualization: While I lock into the bar, I concentrate inside my body, seeing every vector pull into alignment. I coil every space between the muscle fibers tighter and tighter until I am busting at the seams with potential energy.) That day, after one last huge inhale, I drove my feet into the ground then I exploded upward with focused intention. The 235lb flew upwards for 2 reps with no problem. I got 240 that day and walked away proud. Then things got serious.
I realized there was more missing from my routine than just a super solid deadlifting program. I needed to call on my RKC training in the same systematic way for my strength to flourish.
The RKC Connection…
Double kettlebell front squats are an obvious choice for leg strength; but holding heavy kettlebells in the rack also forces a major flexed lat/stabilized shoulder position. You won’t get this same upper back/shoulder work with a barbell squat. As most of you know, the lower you go—and the heavier the weight—double front squats make your abs very sore.  But this will soon improve how much force your core can transfer in any “ground-up” lift like the deadlift.
The strict pull-up, as taught in the RKC-II, maintains a braced core (hollow ab/neutral pelvis) while the load on the lats increases through the pull.  These mechanics reinforce the same lat/ab tension line that must be sustained in every deadlift rep.
One of my favorite tools, the Turkish get-up, unlocks an insane amount of body awareness. It harnesses shoulder stability by drawing on total uninterrupted lat tension—also needed for the deadlift. Plus all the overhead kettlebell movements help cement the packed shoulder position—overhead walks, presses, windmills, snatches—and they bolster a steel-pillared core that can act like a rip cord when necessary. Speaking of rip cord, snatches, double snatches, and swings continue to challenge explosive capabilities (while developing lat strength and control).
While these kettlebell movements were in my workouts, I had not defined any real goals for them in a while. It was clear that kettlebells were reinforcing my barbell movements, so increasing the load with my kettlebell exercises should help add weight to my deadlift.
I decided to work on the following kettlebell goals for the next 10 months:
Max out:
Iron Maiden: 24kg 1-Arm press, 1RM
24kg Pull up, 1RM
24kg Pistol squat, 1RM
32kg Turkish get-up, 1RM
275lb Deadlift, 1 RM
Volume:
24kg Double kettlebell front squats, 8 reps
Strict pull-ups, 10 reps @ bodyweight
20kg Snatch, 100 reps under 10min/gain control of 24kg snatch
I did not plan to attack all these goals at once, but some of the movements worked well with my current deadlift routine, so I added the following 3x/week (my bodyweight @132lbs):
Day 1
Rounds x Reps
5 x 1 Get-up, R/L, 24kg
5 x 10 1-Arm swings, R/L, 20-24kg
Day 3
5 x 1 Get-up – 20kg
5 x 10 Kettlebell snatches R/L, 18-20kg
Day 5
1 x 3 get-ups R/L (consecutive), 16kg; 2×2 get-ups R/L (consecutive), 20kg; 2×1 get-ups, 24kg
5 x 10- Two-arm swings, 32kg

The Journey

Practicing a new deadlift stance at the Purposefully Primitive workshop, March 2014

I successfully completed the last 3 weeks of my deadlift program with addition of the above kettlebell routine. The next “cycle” was several weeks of higher volume but lighter weight deadlifting while building up my presses, pull-ups, and front squats. I waited to start my next deadlifting cycle until after Dragon Door’s Purposefully Primitive workshop that March which was a unique opportunity to work with Marty Gallagher, one of the world’s greatest lifting coaches.
My plan was not perfect and underwent many changes. I reignited the original 10-week Ed Coan program with a new 1RM goal, smarter technique, and a kettlebell strategy. Setting goals across the board kept me committed and focused all week long, not just on deadlift day. I am happy to say I surpassed all of the goals listed and am setting new ones. In fact, I was able to perform a 1 arm press and strict pull up with the 26kg kettlebell just a few days before writing this!
With more aggressive goals in any lifting modality, you may need to recast the numbers from time to time. I consulted with Marty this past May and am now working toward a 340lb deadlift with his plan. While I am making my weights each week, 340lb is still a relatively terrifying number! If I miss any of my upcoming weekly goals, I may have to lower the outcome goal to 330 or 325lbs, but this is just part of the journey. With a set framework and a measurable goal, you are far more likely to continue making genuine progress.
While this blog post centers on the deadlift, integrating the RKC system into your workouts will increase your strength in all of your lifts. Combine RKC skills with a sound, goal-based training program, and you will unlock a new world of strength potential. The journey becomes less about the lifts and more about the power we learn to access.

Katie practices new cues from Marty Gallagher; warming up with 225lbs for 6 reps:

https://youtu.be/xrHeZLS-o90

***

Katie Petersen is an RKC Team Leader, PCC Instructor, and also holds nutrition/training certifications with Poliquin, Precision Nutrition, and NASM.  She owns Active Evolution, a successful training and nutrition counseling business in Chicago, working with both online and local clients.  Katie also has a niche clientele of fitness competitors (bodybuilding, bikini, figure), as she has several years experience as an nationally ranked NPC Figure Athlete.  For online or personal training, visit her website, www.activeevolution.net or email Katie directly at petersenkatie1@gmail.com. Subscribe to her YouTube channels, Katie Petersen RKC and We Train Chicago to follow her training videos and tips.

Double Snatch

Turkish Get Up...practice your technique!

10min BLAST w/a Kettlebell Ladder

Katie Petersen 44kg(96lbs) Swing

Knock Down the Walls of "Comfortable"

There’s a certain amount of stability we develop in our daily routines, no matter how monotonous, that stick our feet into the ground.  While this comfort feels, well comfortable, we can fall victim to believing that we shouldn’t move.  To say I am comfortable at my homebase training facility, HiFi Fitness, would be an understatement.   I know who I am going to see, how I am going to feel, and almost exactly what to expect each day.  Surrounded by brightly painted walls, top of the line equipment, and lululemon everything, I am perfectly at ease.  But was I satisfied?  Not anymore.   After hours of coaching others at a place I call home, I can lack the passion I want to bring, not only my own workouts, but also to expanding my vision for my own business.  While I have justified this position over the past couple of months, I have reached a rut; and I’ve been here before.  The avoidance of “discomfort” became a roadblock.  Winston Churchill once said “This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure”.

I had almost forgotten about the place that pushed me outside of my comfort zone only 5 years ago.  I sought out a new goal in an unknown territory, in training for my first figure competition at USA Gym.  I ventured to a place that made me feel a little awkward and unsure of myself at first; but I needed that place where I was told to push harder, move faster, and dream bigger.  The gym itself was anything but comfortable:  In the winter there’s a rubber mat for members to leave their construction work boots.  In the summer, you better dress light or hope for a breeze; AC is a luxury, long-forgotten, but the garage door will be cracked and a firehouse fan will take care of your cool-down.  Bottom line, I might be the only lululemon you’ll see.  The walls are covered with trophies and signs telling you things like “pain is just weakness leaving the body.”  The soldered-off dumbbells always seem to be about 5lbs heavier than what they say—and you’re going to lift them for a few more reps than you’ve ever imagined.   The mentors I found, not to mention the very environment of USA gym, pushed me outside of complacency.  If I wanted more, I had to reach for it.  I learned to be willing to experience some sense of discomfort, if expected to achieve growth. 

This gym began to symbolize my grounds for change.   This pivotal year marked the start of my own business, completion of my first figure competition, and the start of a new relationship.  It’s where I prepared for every competition going forward and created a vision for myself that allowed confidence to permeate everything I did.  This is where I was told I was a star…and after a few years of encouragement, this is where I began to believe it.  This is where I’ve been brought to tears during a military press, thrown-up during a squat-sprint-lunge-box jump and who –can-even-remember- what-else superset, and face-planted on  “one more” push up, more times than I can count.  This is where I broke limits and discovered new possibilities.

As many of you know, I’ve been on sabbatical this year from the competition world.  This decision also took away my trips out to USA Gym.  I did not feel the need to drive 45min each way, if I was no longer competing.   Unsure of whether I’d ever step on stage again, I was excited to coach a client and dear friend, Natalie, through her first bikini competition.  After 12 months of competition-scene absence, I set foot into my old stomping grounds with Natalie this November. 

I could not have guessed what I would feel over that competition weekend.  After about 20 min of feeling detached and like a “washed up athlete” in that world, I threw my self-doubt aside.  The next several hours turned into an energetic dance of seeing old friends, talking “bodybuilding” shop, connecting business partnerships, and yes, considering my own stage revival.  I felt my confidence set fire and remembered what this group of certified gym rats meant to me!  I drove out to USA Gym within four days to train, and realized this place was never just a gym for me, it was my sanctuary. 

I realized, it doesn’t matter whether or not I choose to compete.  The pressure to be at the absolute top of your game can sometimes be debilitating—pushing yourself to be better is not about the deadline; it ‘s about the journey.  I needed to take myself out of my everyday blur and go to the place that reminds me how to dream big.  This can be a living metaphor for anything.  Very simply, after a long day at the office, when you might not have eaten your best and you start telling yourself, “I’m exhausted, so it would be a shitty workout anyway…”, check your excuses at the door.  Reach for a little discomfort.  It might just be the best workout of the week.  Even if it’s the worst, you KNOW you’re going to feel better for showing up.  Let it be a time to wash away the stresses of the day and clear your thoughts.  And on a higher plane, find your USA…that place that opens your mind, be it a location, person, activity…or all things combined.  Take yourself there and let down your walls of excuses or justification of “why not”.  It might be a little uncomfortable at first, but when you start to believe in the greater you, it will become home.

Special thanks to Chuck Sanow, Maurice Black, and the USA Gym crew