Back to training...

Friday 5/27/11
2x24 jerks 17,17,8 wanted to see if I could break my 5 minute record but came out too fast... Greedy..
2x28 jerk 5 min 10 rpms
28 snatch 6 minutes 12 rpms

went away for the weekend  

Tuesday
I did a bunch of OAJ and light short sets leading up to this..
2x28 jerks 3 min 9 rpms
2x28 jerks 3 min 9 rpms
2x28 jerks 3 min 9 rpms

3 mile jog...
It is very nice weather here..

Scott Tighe PR 2x28 jerks 48 in 5 mins

Will sets new Snatch PR

Very Close to perfect Snatch technique!

Breaking records

Oh before I forget, Yesterdays training was a 3 mile jog and some stretching... Today I am going to meet up with some of the athletes I coach. I will have some footage later on... I feel like some records are going to be broken today!!  

Chalk up!

Now that the weather has changed around here, knowing how to use chalk effectively can be a real benefit.

There is nothing more frustrating than tearing a hole in your hand out of the blue. Correctly applying chalk to the handle is a skill that pays to learn. It really can make a big difference if you are going to do a lot of reps. 

One of the most common mistakes I see is people using too much water, this can end up looking like a drunk guy baking a cake... If you use a ton of water and them add chalk, you get a batter/paste like substance that will not stay on the handle very long. This defeats the whole purpose of chalk.

The best way to apply chalk is first, clean the old chalk off the handle using either sandpaper or a wet rag. I then allow the handle to air dry... Now my goal is to get the first layer (base) on the handle. I will sometimes spray a very small amount of water onto my right hand... When I chalk I use one hand to work the chalk onto the handle and the other hand to feed the working hand and hold the bell. I start rubbing the handle to get it a little bit warm...( this is key) then I use the heel of my right hand to start applying the chalk with pressure and friction. I usually start on the top of the handle and work around the corners..  The most important part is under the handle, so I start working that area next.  I spin the bell around so that I cover from all angles... Once the chalk starts to grab the handle,  I make sure to cover all areas that need chalk...  Think about applying it in layers... 

I use a rubbermaid container with high sides to do my chalking in, this works pretty good for keeping the chalk contained. Like anything, this is a skill that needs to be practiced...

If you are having trouble getting it right, this will help... and the 9 bucks is cheaper than ripping your hand and missing a week and half of training....Chalking Video

5/25/11 wens training

24 snatch 8 min 65/65  better form...

I jogged 3 miles... felt good...

The Perfect rep!

So yesterday I was looking to snatch the 28kg bell for 8 minutes. While I was warming up with the lighter bells, I realized just how off my timing is. I decided to scrap my main set and focus on improving my timing issue. The thing that I find so shocking is how all over the road I am on this aspect. Sometime my legs are late, sometimes I pull the bell too soon, sometime I extend my knees before my weight shifts all the way forward... I was video taping my sets and then watching then in slow motion right afterwards... the slow motion really exposed my mistakes... Ouch!!  

The Good news is, I did get a great workout in even though it was multiple shorter sets. Better than that was the fact that I felt the magic of when you get it right. After doing good reps mixed with so/so reps and few perfect reps thrown in once in a while, I was really able to feel the perfect ones as something special. Then I started to get a few perfect reps back to back! It is exciting to hit a perfect rep! When everything magically comes together for a perfect rep... it feels electric, or almost too easy! 

Snatch 32 kg 190 reps left hand in 10 min.MP4

Structure

I used to think that the height of training intelligence was to have the path of no path... Ya know,  adapt like a shadow, respond like an echo? There are many successful approaches that promote, in fact insist on keeping your body and system confused. I am not talking about the difference between GPP (general physical preparedness) and SPP (sport specific preparation). What I'm talking about is being in a sports specific phase and relying on dead reckoning navigation to get me where I want to go.

What works for me is having my sessions planned out long before I get into my workout room. I base this on the previous week and how that went. If it was easy last week, I kick it up a notch. If I had a hard time and barely got it done, I might try to repeat the session and see if I can do it better than the week before.

Having a structured training plan that is specific to my goals, and based on my real numbers really helps me get through some rough sessions. I tell myself, just do what it says on the paper. This takes a lot of the internal turmoil out of my head,

5/23/11 training

Monday

16kg OAJ 15,15
20kg OAJ 15,15
2x20kg jerk 16,16
2x24kg jerk 13,13
2x28kg jerk 8,8,8
2x28kg jerk 9,9,10
2x28kg jerk 8,9,10
2x24kg jerk 12,12,12
between most sets I took 2 to 3 minutes rest... except the last set of 28kg which I took 5 minutes...
I wanted to do more but the last few weeks I have been over cooking myself on monday and finding myself in a hole the next couple of days... So hopefully I wont this week!

Friday 5/20/11

Quick one today

2x20kg jerks 2 minutes 16,16
1 min rest
2x24kg jerk 2 minutes 12,12
2 minutes
2x28kg jerks 2 minutes 10,9
2 minutes
2x24kg jerks 2 minutes 12,12

went for the loop around the pond today.
I was not really feeling like myself this week,  Im glad it is in the books...

Where's the Beef?

Remember that Old Lady picking up the top bun and looking at this tiny burger and yelling,"Where's the Beef"? That is all she could say... Haha! The person behind the counter would shrink!  I loved that commercial! She was old and not capable of the buying the nonsense anymore... She wanted value and was going to make you deliver it or embarrass you very badly! She didn't give a rats ass about your bun, or special sauce, or company history... she wanted a real hamburger for her money... Bullshit somebody else, that is why I loved that commerical.

In the Kettlebellsport world, the numbers are the "beef"!  If the meat isn't there, go tell somebody else about how great your 7th Coach in 3 years is....

This ain't about what names you drop, it about the bells you put up!

5/19 thurs training

28kg snatch 4 min 15,15-12,13
10 min rest
28kg snatch 4 min 14,16-14,17
Second set was better...
32kg swings 30/30
Out of time!

CoSigning nonsense?

Ya know in some circles I'm considered a dickhead. This is basically because I do not stand there and go "right on" when I see someone doing poor quality reps. I refuse to encourage or support shitty reps. Now that rubs the cheerleader coaches out there the wrong way... I could care less. My job as a Coach is to help not to encourage dangerous or unsafe mechanics because
There is a lot of effort being used... Or to make somebody feel good. It doesn't help the lifter.

If you want a warm feeling.... Take a bath!

5/18 wens training

I just sucked tonight...

16kg OAJ 20/20
20kg OAJ 20/20
2x20 jerk 16/16
2x24 jerk 12/12
2x32 jerk 8/6
2x28 jerk 9/9
2x24 12/12
thats it... I felt slow and awkward...

Back to training...

5/17 tues..

fitness protocol today...

16kg Pushpress 6 min 16 rpms
1 min rest
24kg OALC 6 min 12 rpms
1 min rest
24kg cleans 6 minutes 16 rpms

I had big plans on hitting the bells hard tonight... BUT, Once I got home from work I really felt flat...
I headed into my training room, put on my shoes... picked up the 16kg to do a little warm up... ended up doing push presses and this session took it own course really...  I am doing a fitness certification this weekend, so brushing on these lifts was timely!!   This turned out to be a nice, nice session...

Internet experts...

I have never seen any of these cats show up at any meets and compete??? They know the best organizations with the best ranks/rules... they know how to grow the sport the best way... they know who the best coaches are with the real information... they will not be fooled by pseudo- gurus.. No-No, they are much too sharp for that kinda low level stuff... They don't really train for GS, per se... but if they did... they have the school all picked out for when the glorious day arrives,......no need to panic... they are way too busy setting people straight to train, so they will not be appearing on a platform any time soon...

Nobody cares

Ya know when you are in the middle of your set and the shit fairies start knocking? Nobody cares...
I heard this today from Steven at the Ice Chamber... Everyone has a reason to quit, the harder the set, the better the excuse.... But nobody cares....your back is stiff? nobody cares... your hands are throbbing? nobody cares... Your car is a hunk of crap? nobody cares... you suck at whiffleball? nobody cares.. You cheat on your taxes? Nobody cares...  Your kid is sick? nobody cares...you stayed up too late last night? nobody cares... the boss is breaking your balls? nobody cares.... Forgot to eat and now your bloodsugar is in the red? nobody cares... You always got picked last for any teams you played on? nobody cares... The girl you loved doesn't love you? nobody cares.... Tore your ACL 22 years ago in football practice? nobody cares... you never felt comfortable in your own skin? nobody cares.... You come from a broken home? Nobody cares... You feel like it is harder for you than anyone else? nobody cares.... You Father was a lunatic alcoholic? nobody cares... you always had to wear hand me down clothes? nobody cares... You are not ready because you didn't train? nobody cares... You have a perfect excuse why you cannot execute? nobody cares... You plan to do better the next time? nobody cares... You are broke as a project window? nobody cares... you are missing a chromosome? nobody cares... it already half time in your life and you are still a loser with nothing but stories to show? Nobody cares.... When things go wrong you usually hide? Nobody cares... Been too busy reading Jack Karouac to train? Nobody cares...

One thing I heard a long time ago that stuck with me... If everyone could could take there problems and put them in the middle of a room... (after seeing what other people have to deal with), you would be thrilled to get your own problems back... Everyone has pain and suffering... the people that amaze me are not the whiners, but the doers... when you meet a doer, ask them a little bit about there personal life and you will find it is far from Ideal or perfect... So stop making excuses and start making progress...

5/12-5/13 training

Thursday  beat from the red eye out here...
Went for a jog with my daughter about 2.5 miles...
Friday,
Ice Chamber
24kg snatches 15,15,15,15,15-15,15,15 stopped for no reason.. just cracked mentally... finished up 15/15 after a few minutes..
20kg snatch 10 minutes, 16 rpms...that's all...

No training today...

I am flying out to California to see my daughter late tonight... I took a nap and prepared for the trip... No training today. I am going to be training at the Ice Chamber a few days out there... I always leave a better lifter after training there. It is worth checking out, if your interested in improving at all.

An Advanced Class?

Many people would love to attend what they call an advanced course in Kettlebells; what could an advanced class cover that would not be in the ordinary class?

The usual class or workshop starts with the talk of how kettlebells train your body as a unit, integration over isolation, and work capacity... from there it goes into the grip, breathing, swings, the rack, clean, press, push press, jerk, snatch, and the fingerlock. Then, programming.

Once you have obtained a correct intellectual comprehension of theses basics, and you have begun to digest them- at least partially- the only thing left to do is, develop this understanding by demonstrating them in practice.

The only advanced course is the one you get when you roll up on the bells. Don't bother chasing gurus and rainbows... Get to work!

5/10 tues training

Snatch
24 kg 8 minutes 15 rpms
20 kg 10 minutes 16 rpms
that's all folks

Consistent training!

The thing that interests me about Kettlebell training is how different it feels from day to day. I was reminded of this when I did the 30 day challenge. The distance did not change from day to day, but the level of effort it took to get around the pond was different every day. This would depend on how much I slept, how sore I was from kettlebells, how much water I drank, how well I ate... The plan was simple and the workload was exactly the same as the day before... but every day I never knew what to expect...

When I first started training under VF, he gave me basically the same workout every day... very similar to the pond challenge, identical workload, but every day was different. Some days I would be dead tired and the workouts would leave me refreshed, other days I felt great and the workouts seemed impossible. You really learn a lot about yourself with these type of steady workouts.

 The biggest improvement came in my head. I learned to get the work done no matter what kind of internal dialogue I had rattling around in my squash. This has proven to be one of the most powerful tools in my toolbox on game day.

Let it come

Don't you love it when you are standing there doing your set and out of nowhere you have the thought, " I think I can go a little faster" or "This feels light to me"... That is a great feeling, it only happens when I'm relaxed and not mental. When it happens to you, don't question it, just Let it come...

Monday 5/9/11 training

Jerks
16kg oaj 20/20
24kg oaj 15/15
2x20kg 16,16
2x24kg 15 reps..
2x28kg 10,10,10
2x28kg 10,10
2x28kg 10,10,10
2x28kg12,12
2x24kg 12,12,12
32kg oaj 25/25

1 Lap around the pond...

Looking forward to this week

Last week started out great and then things happened that threw me off track. I was busy at work and then my Truck broke down 2 days in a row... Bottom-line, I missed some training sessions. The first day my truck broke, I started to train and I just couldn't get it going... I was all over the place mentally and my body was really beat up. I think that doing the 30 day challenge plus some pretty heavy kettlebell sessions caused some real deep fatigue... I was constantly stiff and moving slow. Well, I took the end of the week off and now I feel great! My body feels rested and my mind is ready to get back down to business!
I am very sure that I was walking on the edge of trouble... I am so glad that I listened to my body's signals...

Have a great training week!

First 5k today

So today was my first official 5k. I showed up just in time,pinned my number on, tied my shoes... did a couple of shoulder rolls and a snot shot... And away we went... My goal was to finish and not hurt myself... I was thinking I might beat a couple of people, but this was a fast group... or I was a slow... Anyway, forget the dumb stuff...

I suffered the first mile and felt better as the race went on... It is amazing how much the weather can change   in a half hour... It was threatening to rain at the start, after the first mile, the sun came out... I just put my head down and did my best... Which right now is pretty fucking slow. But I didn't stop, walk or die!! My Official time was 42:39... So There is my baseline 5k number... 

I was hoping to break 40 minutes... I started to get a little crazy in my head during the race, but the fact is, I couldn't even run this far a few short weeks ago, so yes I do want to go faster... But I'm moving faster than sitting on my coach...  

A Case for Snatch...

Kettlebellsport, like other sports has risks. One of the biggest is suffering trauma on your wrists and or forearms. Usually where the bells sits when in the rack position. The people most at risk for this type of problem are strong women with a high level of fitness, combined with poor technique. Fitness and strength can produce very good results, but if the technique is lacking... We have an ideal candidate for wrist problems. I have seen this happen much more in Long Cycle than Biathalon. Due to the technical nature of the snatch, people like to skip over it to focus solely on Long cycle... I understand this, but I do not agree with it.

I believe that snatching is safer for these people for a few different reasons. Long cycle is easier to work up to heavier weights quicker than with the snatch. We have seen many women in the US do long cycle with the 24kg, not many can snatch the 24kg. Almost every man in the US can do one armed long cycle with the 32kg, not many snatch it... In Long cycle the bell makes impact with the forearm 3 different times during one rep..  on the clean, the top of the jerk, and the dump into the rack position. 

On snatches, the bell lands on the forearm once, so just that simple math tells me a lot...

The clean is a shorter distance for the bell to travel than the snatch, so putting too much heat on the bell is easier to do with the clean. 

Another thing to think about is that Prograde Kettlebells, although the best we have right now,  were not specifically designed for Women. We need to keep this in mind when we see really small petite bone structure. 

If you have an athlete that develops theses issues, stop all training immediately!!  Demand that they get to a doctor asap. Be aware that Doctors have no idea what we do to ourselves in this sport. Demand X-rays AND an MRI. Sometimes stress fractures are very hard to see...  Due to Insurance and what not, getting both can be a pain in the ass, but it is your sport and your arm, insist on both! 

When you heal, get back to snatches, you will be a better lifter in the long run...

Ya, but it too hard...

Despite what the internet experts have predicted about Kettlebellsport being too difficult for the average American , the number of lifters continues to grow. They said "10 minutes is too long", "nobody wants to stand there like a jackass for that long"... "it is too boring","Only the Russians like this kind of punishment". They are so used to being miserable that Kettlebellsport is like a party for them...  Americans need excitement and Flash, this will never work in this country... Americans won't go for this kind of intense suffering. They were wrong!

Americans love to suffer, look at the explosion of Crossfit and those adventure races like the tough mudder, and Spartan races series... Those things are tough and they are packed!! It seems the harder it is, the more people sign up... Ever seen the starting line of a marathon? Who the hell wants to suffer like that for hours on end? 

Americans love to compete in hard events, Kettlebellsport is a perfect way to let people express that inner athletic animal.  It provides people with an arena to unleash there inner beast for 10 minutes. This type of release is very therapeutic and addictive.... Don't take my word for it... try it once,  It will change you...

5/4 wens training

Snatches again...
24kg 6 min 16 rpms ... Hand still a concern..

20kg 10 minutes 16 rpms...

thats it... My truck broke down today... it set me back 3 hours... No cardio... gotta double up tomorrow!!

5/3 tues training

I was supposed to snatch today...
I warmed up and felt good.. My goal today was to snatch the 24 and the 20kg fpr 10 minutes each...
3 minutes in I ripped a callus off the middle of my palm... I had a blood blister down deep and it has been fine for like 3 weeks... today it ripped and I stopped before it got ugly... Should be fine tomorrow...
Jogged around the pond today ... Broke my old record my by 35 seconds...

Monday training 5/2

Jerks..
16kg oaj 20/20
20kg oaj 15/15

2x20 2 min 12,12
2x24 3 min 12,12,12
2x28 4 min 9,9,9,9
2x28 3 min 9,9,9
2x28 3 min 9,9,9
2x24 2 min 12,12

1 hour Bike ride... Fun!

Getting Better

 Let's suppose you have been training steady for a while and your numbers have leveled off. You now have decent technique, your breathing is correct and you have fixed some of your most glaring mistakes. But, your numbers are still just sitting there... Looming like a rain cloud...

I have been in this position before and I will tell you what didn't work. What didn't work was putting my head down and mindlessly flogging myself with the kettlebell trying to impose my will upon it... Basically, fighting the kettlebell. 

When you find yourself in a spot like this, the hardest thing to do sometimes is relax, stop obsessing about the result you want, or need, or think you deserve... Just focus on doing the movements better. Getting better at the lifts requires a calm, open mind that is able see and feel when reps feel easy and when they feel incorrect. Focussing only on the end result disables your ability to tell the difference between the two.

New 30 Day challenge started today

Ok so I am going to do a modified version last months 30 days challenge... Here is the deal... I am going to do 1 hour of some kind of cardio... I do like the loop around the pond but there are other places I want to be able to exercise... So the exact type of exercise is not important.. I want to work some biking into the mix also....  I am going to California next week, so I am going have to improvise a little out there...

5/1/11  day 1

Walked for one hour around the pond...