The RKC Kettlebell Certification
Sep 08
So, after years of doing kettlebells regularly and competing in them in the Tactical Strength Challenge, I finally broke down and got the gold standard certification for kettlebells. The Russian Kettlebell Challenge is a three day- 12 hour a day- physical challenge. This is not a seminar that you go to and take a multiple choice test and get a certificate to teach people. It is trial by fire.
Upon arriving you are put through the snatch test. You have 5 minutes to get 100 reps with a 53lb kettlebell in the snatch exercise. I got 100 in 4 min flat. After that it is intense physical instruction in the six movements of the kettlebell. There are little workouts thrown in to “teach” you along the way. We also got tested in technique and our ability to teach everday people.
It was very intense and I did learn a lot. It was also outside during the hottest weekend in San Diego. The thermometer read 103 on the field where we were training. Anyway, I earned the title RKC. It just seems weired that after 5 years of doing kettlebells, I am finally qualified to teach them.
Disclaimer: I am a firm believer that fitness certifications are for the most part crap. I only have a few certs that I feel are the gold standard for the field. I do not believe that just because you have a lot of letters after your name that you can train yourself out of a hole. I believe that all certs should mandate a physical component. There are too many trainers out there that can’t even do the basics of what they teach. Ok, I am done ranting.
