HKC - New York, NY - September 19th, 2026
One-Day Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification
The Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification (HKC) — Build the Foundation
The HKC is the starting point of the RKC educational pathway. It is a one-day certification for fitness professionals and trainees who want a safe, repeatable foundation in Hardstyle kettlebell training — it stands on its own while preparing candidates who choose to continue into the RKC.
The HKC introduces foundational Hardstyle principles through safe movement, simple progressions, and one organizing concept: learn to use one kettlebell with two hands before progressing to unilateral loading and overhead control.
The kettlebell is the tool. Movement quality is the foundation.
- Immediately practical - Practical skills you can use with your clients right away, plus foundational coaching cues and terminology
- Principle-based, not exercise-based - Breathing, bracing, tension, ground connection, and force production — a framework instead of a memorized list
- Coached to the standard - Evaluation happens throughout the day, and the instructional team's job is to help you reach the standard — not to manufacture failure
- A clear path forward - The HKC builds the foundation; the RKC changes the problem — unilateral loading, overhead work, and deeper coaching skill
For some participants, the HKC will be enough. For others, it will be the beginning of the journey through the RKC pathway. Either way, the starting point is the same: Two Hands. One Bell. Strong Fundamentals.
The Movement Framework: Big Five + One
The HKC organizes the system around fundamental human movement rather than a checklist of exercises.
The framework:
- PUSH — Creating force away from the body or the ground
- PULL — Creating force toward the body and connecting the arms to the torso
- HINGE — Loading and extending the hips while controlling the spine
- SQUAT — Lowering and rising through coordinated motion of the hips, knees, and ankles
- CARRY — Maintaining posture, breathing, and control while moving under load
- +1: GET BACK UP — Ground interaction, level changes, coordination, and body awareness that prepare you for the Turkish Get-Up continuum
The One-Day Curriculum
The HKC follows a deliberate seven-part progression. Each section prepares you for the next, so the day functions as one continuous lesson.
1. Movement Introduction & "Get Back Up" Drills +
A simplified Turkish Get-Up without an overhead load. The instructions are intentionally simple: Get down. Get back up.
- Floor movement and ground connection
- Changing levels with control
- Coordination and body awareness
- The movement preparation used throughout the day
These skills prepare you for the weighted Turkish Get-Up taught later in the RKC pathway.
2. Plank & Hinge Dynamics +
The plank teaches you to organize the body. The hinge teaches you to move it.
- Alignment, breathing, and bracing
- Lat engagement and full-body tension
- The Push Up Position Plank (PuPP) and irradiation
- Hip hinge mechanics — the difference between hip motion and spinal motion
- The tripod foot and ground connection
3. Deadlift Progression +
The kettlebell deadlift is the first loaded movement of the HKC — the loaded expression of the hinge you just learned. The progression continues into the backswing and the Bulgarian Goat Bag Swing.
- Safe lifting mechanics and hip loading
- Bell path, timing, and tension
- Force production from the ground
- The arms as connectors, not prime movers
4. Two-Hand Swing +
The HKC's first true ballistic movement. The Deadlift taught you how to produce force against an external load — the Swing teaches you how to produce that force quickly.
- Power generation and force transfer
- Hip drive — the hips create the Swing
- Breathing and deceleration
- The relationship between relaxation and tension
5. High Pull + Two-Handed Clean +
The High Pull teaches force redirection from the Swing. The Two-Handed Clean uses explosive extension from the floor to bring the kettlebell into the goblet position under control.
6. Goblet Squat +
- Squat mechanics and core engagement
- Hip mobility and foot stability
- Posture and counterbalance
7. Loaded Carries +
The Goblet Carry and Heartbeat Walk integrate everything from the day while moving through space.
- Posture, breathing, and bracing under load
- Walking mechanics and front-loaded stability
- Dynamic trunk control and work capacity
The logic of the day: Ground movement → Alignment & tension → Hinge & load → Power → Force redirection → Squat → Integration. Every movement has a reason to be where it is.
How You're Evaluated
Evaluation Begins With Instruction
Assessment occurs throughout the course. Every drill gives the instructional team information, and every repetition gives you an opportunity to demonstrate competency. If you repeatedly demonstrate a movement safely and to the required standard during the learning process, that skill does not need to be artificially retested at the end of the day.
Formal evaluation is reserved for movements that have not yet been clearly demonstrated. In those cases, the instructional team and candidates work together to identify the problem, select an appropriate cue or regression, allow focused practice, and reassess the movement.
Coached to the Standard
The objective is not to manufacture failure. The objective is to coach people to the standard. We would like every candidate to pass — that does not mean everyone automatically passes. It means the instructional team accepts responsibility for doing everything reasonably possible to help each candidate achieve the required standard before the course ends.
Carry Testing Standard
Loaded Carries are evaluated over the same standardized distance established in the original RKC carry testing protocol. You should demonstrate upright posture, controlled walking mechanics, secure grip, appropriate bracing, continued breathing, and control of the kettlebell throughout the full prescribed distance, with a safe and controlled finish.
Your Role as an HKC Candidate
Come ready to participate, ask questions, make mistakes, receive coaching, and practice. You are not expected to arrive as an expert. You are expected to leave with a better understanding of how your body moves, how the kettlebell can help develop that movement, and what you need to practice next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How am I evaluated?
Assessment occurs throughout the course — every drill gives the instructional team information, and every repetition gives you an opportunity to demonstrate competency. If you repeatedly demonstrate a movement safely and to the required standard during the day, that skill doesn't need to be artificially retested at the end. Formal evaluation is reserved for movements that haven't yet been clearly demonstrated; in those cases the instructional team works with you to identify the problem, apply a cue or regression, practice, and reassess. The objective is to coach you to the standard, not to manufacture failure.
Is equipment provided?
Yes, we will be providing you with kettlebells to practice with at the training. These kettlebells are not included in the price of the certification.
Do I need to be an expert before attending?
No. Come ready to participate, ask questions, make mistakes, receive coaching, and practice. You're not expected to arrive as an expert — you're expected to leave with a better understanding of how your body moves, how the kettlebell can help develop that movement, and what you need to practice next.
What will I learn?
The HKC follows a deliberate seven-part progression: Movement Introduction & "Get Back Up" drills, Plank & Hinge Dynamics, the Deadlift Progression, the Two-Hand Swing, the High Pull + Two-Handed Clean, the Goblet Squat, and Loaded Carries. Each section prepares you for the next, so the day functions as one continuous lesson.
Do I need to learn one-arm or overhead kettlebell lifts first?
No — the HKC is built around one organizing concept: learn to use one kettlebell with two hands before progressing to unilateral loading and overhead control. Complexity is deliberately limited so you can master position, breathing, bracing, tension, hinging, power, and carrying load. Unilateral loading, asymmetry, and overhead work are introduced at the RKC.
What's included in the certification?
You'll receive the Official HKC Manual covering the Hardstyle principles, movement progressions, coaching cues, and evaluation standards taught during the certification.
Does the HKC lead anywhere?
Yes — the HKC is the starting point of the RKC educational pathway. The HKC builds the foundation; the RKC applies it with greater complexity and deeper coaching; RKC 2 expands it with advanced skills and integration. You're not starting over at the next level — you're building on what you already own.