RKC Certifications
Build your skills. Develop your coaching eye. Teach with confidence.
Since 2001, the RKC has helped shape Hardstyle kettlebell education. Our certification pathway carries that legacy forward through hands-on instruction, purposeful progressions, and a commitment to developing capable, observant coaches.
Each course connects kettlebell technique to the principles behind it: creating force, maintaining strong positions, coordinating breathing and tension, and choosing the right progression for the person in front of you.
Whether you are building your foundation, expanding your coaching skills, or returning to renew your certification, there is a clear place to begin.
HKC — Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification
One day. Two hands. One bell.
The HKC is the foundation of our educational system and the required starting point for all new RKC candidates. It serves fitness professionals and trainees who want a practical understanding of Hardstyle kettlebell training.
You will progress through Get Back Up drills, breathing and bracing, the hip hinge, deadlift, two-hand swing, high pull, two-handed clean, goblet squat, and loaded carries. Along the way, you will learn how these movements connect and how to use clear cues and progressions to improve them.
The HKC stands on its own and prepares you to continue into the RKC.
RKC Level I — Russian Kettlebell Certification
Two days. Single-kettlebell skills. Deeper coaching.
RKC Level I builds on the HKC foundation through single-arm training, overhead work, and more demanding ballistic movements.
The curriculum develops the Turkish Get-Up, one-hand swing, clean, single-arm front squat, press, snatch, and loaded carries. Through partner practice and coaching exercises, you will sharpen your ability to observe movement, recognize individual needs, and select appropriate progressions.
Certification requires technical proficiency, understanding, and the ability to coach others effectively.
Prerequisite: HKC certification for all new RKC candidates.
Explore RKC Level I Certifications →
RKC Level II — Advanced Kettlebell Coaching
Two days. Two bells. Greater demands.
RKC Level II develops your ability to coach under greater load and complexity.
Double-kettlebell lifts, asymmetrical carries, and advanced assessment challenge you to manage stance, breathing, tension, and movement quality. You will learn to recognize compensations, select appropriate progressions, and adjust your coaching as the demands increase.
Prerequisite: A current RKC Level I certification.
RKC Recertification
Refresh your skills. Reconnect with the system.
Our one-day recertification course helps current and former RKC instructors refine their technique, learn the updated curriculum, and practice current assessment and coaching methods.
Under our Clean Slate policy, former RKC instructors may attend regardless of how long their certification has been expired. Renewal requires demonstrating the current technical, coaching, and professional standards.
Our Original Strength Collaboration
Better movement. Stronger coaching. A connected path forward.
Our collaboration with Original Strength (OS) brings together complementary approaches to movement and strength development.
OS explores foundational movement through breathing, head control, rolling, rocking, and crawling. These RESETs complement the movement preparation, assessment, and progressive kettlebell training taught throughout the HKC and RKC system.
Together, the systems give instructors additional tools to observe movement, introduce an appropriate RESET or drill, and reassess before progressing.
Continue Learning Through Both Systems
Our partner discounts encourage instructors to build their knowledge progressively:
- HKC graduates receive a discount on OS Pressing RESET.
- OS Pressing RESET graduates receive a discount on RKC Level I.
- RKC Level I graduates receive a discount on OS Pro RESET.
- OS Pro RESET graduates receive a discount on RKC Level II.
Each organization maintains its own course prerequisites and certification standards. Partner discounts apply to eligible participants who meet those requirements. Pressing RESET remains the prerequisite for OS Pro RESET, and the RKC pathway progresses from HKC to RKC Level I and RKC Level II.
OS Pro RESET is also a prerequisite for RKC Level III, making deeper movement education part of the pathway toward advanced RKC coaching.
Contact us for partner discount details and registration instructions.
Find Your Next Certification
Explore the upcoming events below for locations, schedules, pricing, and registration. New dates and locations are added regularly.
Honor the legacy. Master the foundation. Help build the future of the RKC.
