It’s not often that you come across another person on the internet that you immediately feel an affinity for, but it’s a testament to Rannoch Donald’s strength of character and enthusiasm for all he does that permeates even beyond the ether.

Rannoch, ranked the #4 RKC trainer in the world by his legions of happy clients, has carved his own path, working with both the IKFF and Steve Cotter, while at other times with RKC heavyweights like Mark Cheng. , bringing to his students and clients good advice and the practical means to achieve the best. Around him, he maintains a rock-solid integrity; he can be sure that if he asks Rannoch’s opinion, he’ll tell it directly, and it’s his openness and willingness to listen that has earned him a place in the highest ranks of the international kettlebell community.

I recently took some time to ask Rannoch a number of questions, mainly about his current activities in Scotland and the latest developments in his own activities as a teacher and personal practice.

Here is the first part, of a man who is known by a name…

G K. Hi Rannoch, thank you for your time today. Let’s start by telling us a little about yourself, your background, your interest in kettlebells and general fitness.

Thanks for the questions. I am 47 years old, I have trained in one form or another for most of my life. My first passion was martial arts and over the years I have been fortunate to train with some exceptional instructors in various disciplines. I am a product of the martial arts boom of the 70’s. One of my first instructors was a charismatic Malaysian named Jarrod Lee, who opened my eyes to the great diversity that exists.

For many years I worked under the illusion that fitness was the purpose of training. I had something of a wake up call when I broke my leg a few years ago and realized that not only was I not as fit as I thought I was, I was unhealthy and really struggled to recover.

Traditional rehabilitation methods offered little improvement, so I did my homework and started with simple mobility exercises, moving to include bodyweight exercises, and finally introducing kettlebell practice. Before long I found myself in better shape than I had been in 15 years. What really amazed me was that I was able to accomplish this in a fraction of the time I used to “work out.” And the best thing is that this is available and possible for everyone.

I realized that my previous efforts did not reflect certain key criteria.

• First of all, I need to be honest with myself about the time I have available, not only to train but to recover.
• Second, as a father of three with a full-time job, understanding the methods necessary to improve my health, not just my fitness, was absolutely critical.
• Third, that those methods reflect my skills, be sustainable, and not rely on the latest routine from some professional sports star with an entourage of personal chefs, physical therapists, and trainers.
• Finally, that my practice reflects my interests. For example, as a middle-aged martial artist, I look for balance, symmetry, and strength, not massive muscles. My practice and what I teach is designed to create and promote power. And that’s what every aging athlete should be looking for.

The key to all of this is to treat your efforts as practice. The goal is to get better at what you do and stay injury free. That what you do is sustainable. The endless desire to add weight to the bar is ultimately self-defeating, there will come a time when the tide turns and all you have are overuse injuries and joint crunches.

So I think in terms of tai chi and yoga teachers whose movement and performance improve with age. This is the key; performance is a product of practice. Practice allows you the time and space to refine what you do. Ultimately, that manifests when you come to perform.

On this subject, many people decide to get “in shape” by practicing some sport. A word of caution: you’ll be lousy at sports and you won’t get in shape. Technical ability and physical preparation are two different things. This goes back to your practice which reflects your needs and interests. Therefore, we need a method that creates resilient, healthy, lean, strong people who can transfer those benefits to the activities they do.

G K. What is, in your opinion, the current state of the kettlebell? It has been 8-9 years since its rediscovery/reintroduction to the general population, and we have seen it gradually integrate into the sporting community. What do you see is the future? Where is all this headed?

It’s been great to see how kettlebell training has evolved again. If we can guarantee a high level of training, kettlebells will become a standard issue in any progressive training environment. Unfortunately, the “hard core” perception of KBs has had a reverse effect with some commercial interests trying to “aerobicize” them, creating weird exercises and turning them into another craze. But when used correctly, kettlebells provide a unique challenge. Few tools provide such intensity and such a wide range of benefits in strength, endurance, speed, flexibility, and coordination. For me, the kettlebell provides the essential foundation for my practice. They are not a magic bullet. Nothing is. Used correctly, they provide fantastic performance in a relatively short period of time. But as in so many things, in the end, effort = results.

My own approach is to promote an integrated practice in everyone, so along with mobility and bodyweight, kettlebells provide a holistic approach.

G K. Many of the readers here, both young and old, are in the process of training or thinking of building a new program themselves. Probably most of them fit these goals around daily work commitments and families as well. What key ingredients do you think are necessary for an effective long-term fitness strategy for a man or woman who works a 9 to 5? How would you suggest that a person evaluate their current training regimen?

First, consider your needs. This requires a tremendous degree of courage because most of us first have to accept that we are not as fit, young and healthy as we thought. Many people who come to my workshops get the kind of wake-up call I got a few years ago. But this is all good because it provides a realistic base from which to start. What I really want is for people to take charge of their own well-being and the easiest way to do that is to take a serious look at where they are right now.

Once you know where you are, you can map out where you want to go. One step at a time, one session at a time. True fitness and wellness are not limited by the limitations of prescriptive programs and inflexible routines. It works because it responds to your lifestyle, your schedule, and your abilities. In addition, your practice must leave you with the resources to continue with your life, take care of your work, take care of your family. Anything that leaves you spent is not sustainable.

Additionally, the mental benefits of training are well documented and cannot be underestimated. There is a self-sustaining energy that comes with regular practice.

G K. You and I have had many discussions about the concept of sustainability in terms of a lifetime approach to fitness. Can you explain in a few words what we are talking about here?

It’s important to be open to variety in your exercise routine methodology and the changes that naturally occur in your body from day to day, but it’s equally important not to fall victim to novelty. Focus on the basics. Pick a few things and learn how to do them exceptionally well. This, in turn, will pay huge dividends when it comes to tackling larger tasks. One of my favorite quotes is:

“Only those who have the patience to do simple things perfectly will acquire the ability to do difficult things well.“. -J. Friedrich von Schiller.

G K. On your own personal journey, what is the biggest challenge for you?

It’s just like everyone else. Just continue with what I know needs to be done. Simple as that.

G K. Rannoch, what drives you? What keeps you going?

The prospect of growing old shamefully! Being around to watch my children grow into the amazing adults I know they will be. I often speak at workshops about our responsibility to the tribe, or in other words, the society in which we live and work. Once you stop contributing, you become a burden. I want to contribute whenever I can. I just want to be awake for the trip; we all need to be participants, not bystanders, and realize that vibrant health is our natural state. We’ll all be going the same way at the end of the day, but you can influence how present you are for the journey.

G K. What is it SimpleForce about? I see you’ve been developing your site. Can you tell the readers a bit about what you’re working on?

The new Simple Strength website will be released in the next week or so. will integrate the Simple Strength blog and Kettlebells Scotland under one roof, making it easy to access information, workshop details and articles. It will also highlight events such as the upcoming IKFF CKT Certification in September and our workshop with Frank Forencich from Exuberant animal.

GK. So… what is the future for you? Where do you go from here?

As much fun as it is to hobnob with martial artists and athletes, I’m really into people exactly like you and me who just want to get fit and healthy. This material is not the domain of commercial gyms, nutrition companies and personal trainers. It is the natural right of all. All you have to do is move on.

G K. Thanks for your time Rannoch. I’m sure we’ll be chatting with you again in the near future!