For over two decades, Andrea Du Cane has been a cornerstone of the kettlebell world, shaping the way instructors are trained and certified. A founding force at Dragondoor—the epicenter of the kettlebell explosion in mainstream fitness back in 2001—she has witnessed and influenced the evolution of this powerful training tool from the very start. Today, she travels the globe, holding instructors to the highest standards, ensuring that every certification she leads is as rigorous as it is enlightening.
With an encyclopaedic grasp of biomechanics and a deep understanding of the biopsychosocial dynamics of coaching, Andrea’s teaching goes far beyond technique—she instils a mindset of mastery. But what does it really take to earn a coveted "Pass" in an RKC Certification? And what has she learned from over 20 years of mentoring both everyday athletes and elite professionals?
We sat down with Andrea to uncover what separates the good from the great, the lessons that have shaped her teaching philosophy, and what truly matters when putting a kettlebell in someone’s hands.
Andrea, hi! Can you start by telling us about your role in RKC, past and present?
Currently I am the Director of Certifications for Dragon Door. I oversee the instructor/workshop/testing/content for our certifications. I first started using kettlebells just before I was one of the athletes featured in the book & dvd “From Russia with Tough Love” early 2002. It was the first time the kettlebell world had focused on women. Dragon Door had just come out with lighter bells, targeted to women, (before that the lightest kettlebell was 16kgs). Soon after I started assisting the RKC and worked my way up over the years to Master RKC.
Kettlebells and kettlebell certifications are everywhere in today’s fitness world, but the standards vary widely. After all these years, what do you think sets the RKC apart?
The RKC’s mission is to develop the best possible kettlebell coaches. We accomplish this by following the principles of Hardstyle Strength and emphasizing coaching techniques along with hands-on practice. It’s not good enough to know how to perform the exercises correctly, we want our coaches to have the skills to teach and coach the movements effectively. With social media being such a big part of people’s lives, it’s easy for anyone to post videos and say “look at me” “look at what crazy thing I can do”. It’s a flood of information and a lot of it is not good. You can NOT learn how to teach and do kettlebell exercises from watching someone show off on Instagram… Pay attention to the person is who is giving advice and listing videos, what are their qualifications? Looking good or cute or having cut abs does not mean your expert. Find reliable science-based instruction, learn from the best and most experienced instructors.
Do you know how many certifications have you led now in total?
It’s hard to estimate, but between the HKC & RKC 200? I have taught all over the country and across the world including these countries; Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, UK, Ireland, South Korea, China and Taiwan.
That's pretty cool. Let's go back to you before we dive into your thoughts on certifications in more detail. What was the first kettlebell lift you learnt?
I’d have to say the swing. But when we first started teaching kettlebells in 2001, we also taught the windmill and jerk during the weekend. For the book ”From Russian with Tough Love”, I had to do snatches and cleans … without really knowing how to do them. That was intense! I think they used me to demonstrate the “wrong” way haha. It goes to show, we all start out as beginners☺
Very true! Do you have a favourite kettlebell lift/movement today?
That’s a good question, I really love all the main 6 lifts. I used to say the snatch, now I LOVE the clean, there is something soooo satisfying about performing double cleans. It’s like Yah baby! It’s such a solid, grounded, powerful and empowering lift. And the windmill has ALWAYS been one of my favorites.
It's interesting how our favourites can change over time! What other sports/disciplines do you have alongside kettlebells?
My athletic/physical background are in dance and martial arts. My first certification was for Pilates: mat & reformer and ZHealth: RIST & CK-FMS. For the past 20 years I have been studying and teaching Argentine Tango dance. I currently teach Tango at the University of MN Dance Dept.
What's been your proudest achievement in your role at RKC?
Having the opportunity to change people’s lives, both personally and professionally is something I never take for granted. Watching light bulbs go off, or the “ah ha!” moments in people’s eyes is very gratifying. Knowing that these instructors are going back home and paying it forward by changing the lives of the people they work with. Knowing they are continuing the legacy we started years ago, is worth more than anything!
That's some job-satisfaction right there! Coming back to the Certification, it's a long and intense weekend for participants, but it must be for you as well. How do you prepare yourself for the full-on nature of leading an RKC certification weekend?
First, I like to see the facility and meet the hosts and any assistants. I like to go over the flow of the weekend, to make sure things go smoothly and that we are all on the. I same page. I spend some time the first morning getting to know the participants. I always encourage everyone to attend the group dinner. It is so important to have the opportunity to socialize outside of the workshop, it’s a great opportunity for networking and getting to know everyone.
What is/are your favourite parts of the certification weekend?
That’s a tough one! Watching them work with volunteers [for the teaching assessment section of the certification] who come in and practice what they’ve learned. Whenever, someone asks a question, it just may lead me down a rabbit hole of information.
In addition to passing the tests (technique, teaching, and snatch), what personal/physical qualities make a particularly strong RKC "pass"?
Someone eager to learn, willing to put their ego and self-interest aside, demonstrates professionalism, a sense of community, a commitment to helping others and a deep interest in preserving and training by the principles of the RKC.
"THE LEAST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WEEKEND"
What do most people underestimate about RKC certification?
I think most people come to the weekend thinking only of the SNATCH TEST. To me it is the least important part of the weekend. Yes, passing it demonstrates a level of fitness and determination, but honestly, passing it does not make you a great RKC coach. It’s everything else during the weekend that really is important. Do you understand the progressions, can you easily see movement flaws, and have you learned the right tools to correct it? Are you a compassionate and insightful coach or is it “all about you”? Yes, an RKC must be able to demonstrate all the lifts with excellent skill, you need to be strong and fit, but that’s the easy part! Leave your ego at the door, come to learn, be humble, be open and vulnerable and be compassionate to the other participants.
And finally, What's your favourite thing about visiting England?
I love the incredible sense of humor and warmth of the people. Having spent some time there with family it feels like a second home.
With the rise in popularity of mass participation fitness events that include kettlebells and the upward trend of strength training in general, now more than ever the safe and effective use of kettlebells is imperative. High-quality kettlebell training has a long history of building strong, resilient athletes at every level. For those who have witnessed the physical transformations it creates, its potential to improve overall health is undeniable. What's needed to achieve this is highly qualified teachers - and RKC UK's growth in recent years is poised to overhaul the fitness industry's competence in the discipline of kettlebell training.
RKC UK headquarters is located conveniently in the West Midlands, hosting regular beginner workshops and the annual and coveted RKC Instructor Certification, with Andrea herself.
Links to all RKC UK events can be found in the Workshops section of the website.
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