Exercise of the Week: Double Kettlebell Front Squat (DKFS)

From the time I began lifting weights in 2008, I have always tried to become better at whatever I was doing. In the beginning it was to get bigger. Once I realized that I had the genetics of a duck and could not get bigger without a ridiculous amount of effort, I modified my goals to become stronger about 3 years ago. Back then, I kept searching for the 'perfect' plan. Now, any one with a right mind for fitness will tell you that there is no such thing as a 'perfect' plan. Indeed, no such thing exists precisely because 9 times out of 10, the person who created the program is different from you. I say 9 because there is a person out there who can get great results using any given program rep for rep.

This duck probably has better athletic genetics than me. Source

So where am I going with this? Because while I have given up on searching for the perfect plan, I have not given up searching for the perfect exercise. Again, no such thing as a perfect exercise exists, but there are a few that are pretty damn close. Why the difference? Because a plan can have an infinite number of modifications depending on the executor while the exercise can only be performed through a small handful of ways: good, alright, or poor form. Being the free-weight enthusiast that I am, I tend to gravitate towards exercises that use barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells, and bodyweight.

A friend and member from the gym where I work once said to me, "dude, all you do is squat. Even on bench day, you squat." My love for squats is borderline absurd and if I could do them and get a stronger bench press without actually bench pressing, I would do them all night long. Loving the squat and doing them consistently is what got me to a near triple bodyweight squat.

What is one exercise I keep in my arsenal to improve my squats? Enter the Double Kettlebell Front Squat (DKFS). Pavel Tsatsouline, one of the pioneers of kettlebell training in the United States, and Dan John, a legendary strength coach, call the DKFS one of the "best" squat exercises. DJ considers the DKFS a "sign from heaven that [a workout with the DKFS] was going to be a hard workout".

Why should you do the EOW?

Put simply, it is one of the most athletic movements you can possibly do. Athletic movements have this inherent quality to make you more athletic--mind-blowing, right? And since in some athletic sports, having strength and power are required to succeed, then athletic movements fit the bill to be an amazing exercise. Not only that, the DFKS can put some serious size on your upper-body. A squat for upper-body size? Try it and see how difficult it is to stabilize a pair of heavy bells. They force you to squeeze every muscle in your shoulders, arms, and middle back, creating a isometric force that is sure to put on some quality size and strength.

Here is me doing a pair of 28kg bells for 8 reps. 

And here is Ji Hee doing a pair of 20kg bells for 8 reps. 

(I will upload videos later. For some reason, YouTube is not allowing me to add videos to the blog)

The key to making the most of this exercise is to 'brace' your trunk, taking a semi-deep breath and tightening up the middle as if you're about to receive a gut check. Breathe out through 'pursed' lips (as if trying to blow into a whistle) as you come up or breathe in and out completely at the top of the movement. 

How should you include the EOW into your program?

If it's not already in your program, then you can include this through a couple of ways.

Full-body training: use it as the primary squat movement for any given day. 

Split-body training: use it as an assistance squat exercise on any lower day. 

What about reps and rest?

DKFS should not be 'grinders', meaning they should not take more than 2 seconds to complete a rep. They respond best to 5-10 reps, 8 probably being the magic spot for most people. Experiment to see how you like doing it. Strive for at least 25 total reps with this movement. 

Rest as long as needed to catch your wind, but no more than 2-minutes.

What is a good standard?

Males: Half of bodyweight total is a good standard. However, I feel that the gold standard should be your bodyweight from both bells. The biggest hurdle to achieving the gold standard is cleaning the bells up to the rack position.

Females: I would have to say that 40-50% of total bodyweight is a good standard and that 80% is the gold standard. 

Try out the EOW and comment back to see how you liked it. 

P3,

David