OPORDER: Radiant Dawn, a press program

From me to you, get your goals this year. This is my format i have used to work to a BUP of 48kg at a 212bw and a MP of 56kg at the same BW. It will work for you.

SITUATION: You currently own a bell you are unable to strictly press. Perhaps you can jerk it, maybe snatch it, swings are no problem, but a strict press eludes you. There it is, sitting on the floor. There it is, collecting dust; laughing at your attempts to conquer it! We will see who gets the last laugh when I am done with you.

Weather and light data: This operation can be conducted in all terrain models, urban and rural, in a variety of light conditions.

Enemy Forces: Cast Iron ball with a handle attached

Friendly Forces: You, a motivated trainee who wants to rapidly increase press strength. NOTE: It is assumed you have adequate shoulder mobility and stability to effectively work overhead. If you do not, then you have no business engaging this operation-You will injure yourself. Return to the program minimum and if you continue to experience problems seek professional assistance from an RKC instructor.

MISSION: Move up a bell size in the next 4 weeks in the strict Kettlebell press IAW establish Hard Style Standards.

EXECUTION: Chief Instructors Intent. Complete the Rite of Passage by pressing a Kettlebell equal to one half your body weight strictly with one hand. This press will be done IAW Task, Condition, Standard of Enter the Kettlebell. The press will be executed accordingly so that all who witness it agree it was strict, controlled, and safe.

TASK:
Military press a Kettlebell.

CONDITION:
The girevik will clean a Kettlebell and press it strictly overhead to lockout.

STANDARD:
1. Pause motionless with the Kettlebell racked long enough to make sure you will not be using momentum generated by the clean for the press
2. Press with your knees locked and minimal Back bend.
3. Keep your whole body, especially the midsection, tight.
4. Keep your shoulders down.
5. Lock out your elbow completely and pause motionless.
6. Power breathe.
7. Lower the Kettlebell to the rack without losing tension keeping the forearm vertical (leading with the elbow)
8. Pause in the rack and either repeat the press or clean the bell again.

Concept of operation:
1. Press Often
2. Press perfectly
3. Press Heavy
4. Intelligent use of appropriate tension and relaxation

Equipment common to all: Several Kettlebells are recommended for this program. Your target press weight, the closet bell your able to press now, and two smaller sized bells. For example: My target weight was 56kg, I used a 48kg bell, a 40kg bell, and two 24kg bells in execution of this OPORDER. Minimal standard is three bells of different sizes with one of them being heavy for you.

TASKS TO ALL PERSONNEL:
1. You will press 4 days a week.
2. You will restrict all other overhead work and other nonessential tasks to ensure maximum effort and resources are available for this mission.
3. You will limit sets and reps to stay fresh. Neural training requires focus and attention to detail. Slop equals slop.
4. You will use dynamic joint mobility
5. You will use common sense. Abandon this mission if this has not been issued to you.

PRESS OFTEN: “To press a lot, you must press a lot” You will press 4 days a week.

PRESS PERFECTLY: You will sharpen the groove. You will grease the groove. You will establish a perfect pattern in which you flawlessly display your strength with effortless power.

PRESS HEAVY: Ken and Barbie have not been invited on this mission.

INTELLIGENT USE OF APPROPRIATE TENSION AND RELAXATION: Two sides of the same coin. You must learn mastery of each because you cannot display strength without this skill set.

MANEUVER:
1. The Dane’s Stacked Press: This drill teaches a perfect press groove and allows you to train heavy with lighter bells. The movement is self correcting; poor performance will result in sliding bells and tactical failure. This drill has proven its self to be an epic press builder- KJ has pressed 141lbs in one hand at a body weight of 210lbs-67% body weight one hand press. Superior.

- Use two smaller bells. This drill works better with similar sized bells over significantly differently sized bells-but it is still functional in that model.
- Place the bells between your feet and tilt the handles towards each other. Have the heavier of the two bells on the pressing side so it is positioned on the bottom of the stack.
- Use two hands to clean the bells to the rack position.
- The forearm MUST remain in vertical alignment.
- All Press standards apply.

2. Long Push Press + Walk Out: The drill allows you to press a heavier bell for reps while maintaining braced positioning. The walk out is used to increase overhead stability. Pulling down in to the KB front squat loads the entire body and facilitates exceptional power during the press phase.

- Use a heavy bell for this drill. For example; your target weight is a 48kg press, use a 40kg bell or stack bells for a 44kg set.
- Clean the weights and pull down to a front squat.
- Grunt at the bottom and stand up, maintain braced positioning as you raise.
- At the top allow the power built from the squat to accelerate the press. This allows you to push press heavy weights, but maintains a similar groove to your strict press.
- Walk 6-8 paces before lowering the Kettlebell to start the next rep. Keep the arm straight, elbow locked, bicep close to the ear, shoulder down, tall spine, braced abs, natural gait and squeeze the handle. If this is too much detail for you, abandon the program and resume your WII Fit game.
- As you get stronger, use a less powerful squat. Cut down leg drive, increase lat and arm power. You will move to pausing at the top, than pressing.

Bottoms up Press: Inverting the Kettlebell and pressing it is a top method for increasing your press power. The distant center of mass and instability of the implement increases the challenge and enhances your press skill set. The positioning requires perfect vertical forearm alignment and ensures the lifter uses their Lat and forces the shoulder down to keep the weight moving. The awkward handle position forces the athlete to tightly grip the handle which facilitates shoulder health and safety.

- Use a tight arc on your clean. Much energy is wasted if the clean groove is poor. It is strongly recommended you abort any rep in which the clean portion fails to achieve perfect arc.
- Grip the Kettle bell handle with appropriate force to prevent it from rotating in your palm during the press.
- All other press standards apply.

FIRE: You will press 4 days a week. There are several recommended models for this located in your text, refer to ETK for specifics.

1. Ladders will be used for Long Push presses, recommended sequence is (1,2,3) Once you successfully press the bell to standard for 3, it is time to tone down the leg drive with that given size bell.

2. The Danes Stacked Press will be done consecutively without recleaning the bells. I personally prefer sets of 2, but any number between one and 3 is acceptable. Note: Singles in this case indicates one rep, not necessarily a 95-100% effort.

3. The Bottom up Press will be done for singles, regardless of intensity.

4. Four day break down:

Light day, Bottoms up Press 8-10 singles, Stacked press 3-6 reps.

Medium Day #1: Stacked press sets, 10 sets of 2 reps.

Medium Day #2: Bottom Up press 5-7 singles, Long push press (1,2) X3

Heavy day: Stack press 3 sets of 2, Long Push Press (1,2,3)X 5

SERVICE AND SUPPORT:

During this operation you will scale back other physical endeavors until you subdue the rebellious bell. Your efforts will be solely focused on pressing the weight; however there are additional tools at your disposal.

1. Half Get Ups. Superior in every way. You will perform the half get up as your warm up every day. You will keep the shoulders packed, relax the neck, and open your T-Spine. You will find flow and improve your movement. Slow is good, really slow is better. Take time to learn about your movement. The best level of instruction on the market is Kettlebells from the Ground up- You will acquire this resource and study it diligently.

2. Swings. You will continue your swings 3 days a week IAW established ETK protocol. The only change shall be no snatches on light day-use one arm swings as standard. You will get time to improve your snatch in due time- Right now it’s all about your press.

Resources to consult:

1. Enter The Kettlebell. Read it, Do it.

2. Kettlebells from the Ground Up. Read it, Do it.

3. Super Joints, Do it, often.

4. Dragondoor Forum

5. RKC instructors- See www.dragondoor.com for instructor index

COMMANDAND SIGNAL

This is a single operator task. You are solely responsible for your success or failure. As such no chain of command is identified.

In the event you have questions, I can be reached at AdamTGlass@yahoo.com WARNING, do not attempt contact to ask “Is it ok if I change this for that” I will not address such questions. This is the program. You have 4 weeks to execute this mission and tame the next bell size. You will report your results on the dragondoor forum and contact me direct as I am highly interested in your personal success story.