An interview with Jon Celis…read more..
What made you decide to begin working with kettles?
Back in 2004, while I was bodybuilding on my own--I'd already placed 1st and 2nd in two competitions--I had watched as a trainer was using kettlebells. Although I hadn't fully plateaued using methods more traditional, I had become somewhat bored, and what I'd seen this particular trainer doing had really made me curious. So I gave them a try. And once I did, I was hooked! Kettles were certainly more fun and more interesting; but it wasn't just that: in terms of movement, they were more dynamic, more challenging. An all-in-one workout, not only for strength training, but for cardio and flexibility as well.
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Was using kettlebells with your clients an easy transition from the tradition forms of strength training and conditioning?
As a trainer, I eventually--and later, exclusively--began using kettles with my clients, both for individual trainings and for classes. In 2009, I became RKC certified, the most prestigious of kettlebell certifications. I'd begun to really experiment with new kettlebell movements, learning different techniques and exercises and making necessary modifications, so that my clients' individual needs could also be satisfied with such workouts. There is just so much you can do with them: from goblet squats and swings, to snatches, cleans, and presses. There's just so much variety!
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What made you decide to begin weight training?
For my birthday one year--I was a freshman at the time--I had asked for a gym membership. So I began training on my own. I had no trainer. I just copied what I'd read in magazines and from observing others working out. I became more determined, pushed myself.
In fact, it was a high school competition that had originally inspired me. It was called "Mr. Masculine." Anyway, there were mostly senior athletes and jocks who competed, up on the stage, flexing. Even though I was only a freshman, I entered. I ended up being the only freshman on stage, the only one, surrounded by upper classmen. And it took awhile, you know. I had a lot of catching up to do, but by my junior year, I won! My gym membership began paying off.
But, like I had said before, once I met my goals, I became bored, less and less determined. I soon separated myself from bodybuilding. It wasn't until my early college years that I began again, and I have continued ever since.
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So what's next?
I'm continuing to learn and expand my kettle bell training, attending more workshops and adding additional certs: RKC Level 2, Strong First Level 1-2. During which, I am also finishing my Masters in Holistic Nutrition as Absolutraining plans to evolve into a complete Health and Fitness Program. Kettlebell training will focus on physical performance, strength, power, speed, cardiovascular endurance; and Nutrition will promote health longevity and cognitive performance.
The goal is to evolve into a complete system. Better performance achieved by combining functional movement with a nutrient-rich diet, in order to achieve the ultimate in my clients' physical and mental health.
