Scott Tighe 32kg Snatch Set.

2 types of people!

I remember one time this guy told me something and years later, I have to admit... he was quite correct. He told me that there is only bascially 2 different type of people you meet in the gym. The type that is never happy with themselves. They are usually very strong and if you talk to them, they speak about how they are struggling with there weakest link.  When they look in the mirror they are focussed on fixing the weak spot. They are very hard on themselves and very understanding of others. Your opinion of them means very little to them, they know what they are capable of.. they do not need your approval. They live and deal with reality. These people do the "not fun" things even when nobody is looking.

Then we have the other guys. They need outside approval, although they claim the opposite. They look in the mirror and focus on there strongpoints. They want the strong points to be so glaring that you completely forget about the weak spots. If they get strokes, they are elated.. if they get criticized, they are destroyed. 

Every little victory you hear about for years... and no talk of the weaknesses. These people are delusional and grandiose! When confronted about a possible weakness they get violently disturbed. These people are extremely sensitive, easily distracted and needy to the extreme. Avoidance and denial are tactics employed by these people...  They are always talking about the "new" latest and greatest thing. They need you on there side. 

Years later I get what this guy was trying to tell me, there are the workers and the posers. Sooner or later you fall into one the categories, make sure it is the right one!

IKFF/IKSFA Meet 6/25

I went to this meet with 2 of my guys. Scott Tighe, an Jason Sanchez. I lifted the 24kg, my goals were to do 10 Rpm minute on jerk and 15 Rpms on snatch with 24kg. I did the jerks and came up short on snatch by 10 reps per side, I did 65/65. This is not anything great for me. But mediocre numbers that show up will always beat great numbers that never show up anywhere!
Scott Tighe lifted the 32kg, he hit a PR on jerks going 10 minutes and doing 53 reps! On snatches he did 45/50! He took second to Marty! Scott was very impressive and is only going to continue to improve! Great Work! Jason Sanchez is making a comeback after a little lay off, he hit a PR with the 24kg in Long Cycle with 42 reps! His form looks great, now we are going to review our goals and start preparing for WKC Worlds in Chicago...

Making History!!

The Lockout Shirt is showing up in some pretty cool places!! This is the first time American Lifters have Gone to the Chelyabinsk Region in Russia to compete!!  Ivan Denisov is organizing this event!   Pretty Big Deal! They have assigned 2 english speaking tour guides for Steven and Surya for 3 days!!

This is Anton Anasenko, Steven Khauong, Surya Voina-Fowler, Ksenia Dedyukhina, Valentin Ergorov, And Jonny Benidze  

Stick to the Actual!

It is very easy to make yourself totally crazy leading up to,  and especially right before you compete. The numbers are what they are... you can try to do some fancy math in your head about starting fast and slowing down, then pushing it again later in your set for example. Your head will start trying to sell you all kinds of crazy formulas and theories... Stick to your actual numbers!

 The self dialogue can be exhausting and is usually destructive. The fact is, 10 minutes is a lot of time.. if you go into the red too early... you will tank! Gotta be realist about what you are really bringing to the platform. I have found it is a great idea to have your "No Matter what" pace.. this is the pace that you know in your heart that you can sustain for the whole set.. then you have the if I feel good option.. this is the bonus number you would really like to hit.. Then we have the "Pulled it out of my ass number".. This is he Miracle number that we want to, and think we should hit, but it is based on nothing!

It is dangerous to step up and "see what happens" also.. this perhaps is one of the larger mistakes I have made.. This is when you have no plan or targeted pace and just pick em up.. what happens is after about 5 minutes... the WTF am I doing up here thoughts start to swarm like a wild pack of Locusts! If you have no actual plan, you will be watching the other lifters in your flight finish there sets from the Audience!

Get Down to your Local Farmers market

Never mind the supplements, get down to your Local Farmers market and buy some high quality local vegetables. The difference between a local tomato and one from 1500 miles away is a joke! Not only do they taste better, but they are still packed with nutrition!

Tonight I went down to the one around the corner from me and bought some absolutely gorgeous Russian Red Kale and green Garlic.. ( before they dry it out).. WOW! That stuff is strong! I chopped the Kale up and steamed it in a big frying pan.. waited until the stalks got soft.. then I added the coconut oil, sea salt, cracked pepper... Insanely Good!  As an added bonus, the Kale is nature's colon blow! You  pants will fit a little better after that trip to the Looo... Haha!

 Then there was a guy selling Live Lobsters.. I got 2 hard shells and ate this with my Kale.. Very Delicious and nutrient dense! Take advantage of this great resource! These farmers do an unreal job! You are going to have to spend money on food, you might as well eat ultra fresh food and give your money to people in your community! I am excited to see what show up next week!

Dig in!

As soon as you decide that you want to be a competitive Kettlebell lifter, you will become obsessed with one thing that will haunt you continuously....What do I need to do to improve my results?

The biggest mistake that I have made, and that I see other people make is, when the training becomes difficult and they start to experience some backsliding on numbers... people start to look for some outside force to shift the blame to... For Example... the Coach, or his method.. this is the best way to guarantee you stay stuck and continue to unravel... 

"Wrong event" is another good one. If you are doing Biathalon, snatches are tough and long cycle "should"be easier, so shift over there as soon as you can, or vice versa... If both of these events are recently relegated to the scrap heap... Try strongsport, this is great way to train short distances and feel great about yourself for a little while... But that too will cease to be fun after you make it through the first couple levels... 

My point is, as soon as you are serious about getting better, you gotta dig in and face the music...
JUst know some days are great and some days just suck for no reason... It is part of the process..

 Enough tap dancing and seminar going... Suit up and face your demons one rep at time... this will lead to new self awarenesses.... and it is the only real way to get past the rough patches that come after your natural abilities run out.. 

This is the point where lifters are made or broken... WHen the easy steady progress ends... the real work begins... Nobody is rooting anymore... You are alone... just you and the metal, this is where the magic happens...

The Importance of Cholesterol

http://www.superhumanradio.com/super-human-radio-show/431-best-of-the-cholesterol-myth.html

"Functional"?

How can an exercise or system of training be considered functional when you do not have a function? This poor word has been so stretched and over used, I fear it will soon be in the scrap heap with "awesome" and just ahead of "Badass"...

What is effective for one person may not be effective for another person.. How about effective training, or germane to your life training? Like the bootcamp thing that has been happening for a while now... it isn't really like bootcamp... (there are no guns), more like gym class... "Adult gym class".. not bad ass enough for you?

Under Promise and over deliver

I read this in one of those motivational sales pamphlets a long time ago. But I really like this approach to doing things and I have incorporated this thinking into my own business. When A person asks me a question, I make sure to under promise and then exceed my prediction... This is just really good business I  think. Leaving the Customer with a positive feeling... What a concept!

I am convinced that companies like the Cable TV, Cell Phone service providers, Credit card companies, Health Insurance Companies have a policy of jerking you around until you just quit. I called my cable TV company the other day to ask why I was getting Porked again... The lady listened to me complain... I felt better after venting... then she said, you have to call this number for that!!  I called the new number and they were not in the office at that hour... I ended up with zero satisfaction... I guess the only way to get things done is to call up and to try to cancel your service... Until that is a very real threat... they think you are a weak stooge that will just keep taking the abuse! And Like it!! 

Health insurance is even worse! You need referrals and the new specialist has to be recommended AND in the network.... If you felt great when you started, you will be sick by the time you get into see anyone good...  While I'm whining, how about the iphone 4? I got it to be on the 4G network, way faster, way better... My service has just gotten worse and worse since I got this phone... I just now figured out that the 4G network is not available in New England yet!! They could have told me that before I bought the phone!?! My Fault, I did not check this out, I thought if they are selling the 4G network phone, the 4 G network is working around here!! NOPE! 

In The fitness industry things are just as bad if not worse. Last year I went to join a Gym that had a sign out from that said 37 dollars a month.. When I go inside it turns out that they need 2 months in advance and I only had 40 bucks on me... I really didn't want them to have my bank account info, I just wanted to pay cash and leave when I wanted. Before I even got inside this place, I knew the sign was a Gaff! They want your bank account information, then they make it complicated or you to leave, therefore making you pay long after you have moved along because the pain of canceling is greater than the pain of getting whacked every month for 37 bucks..  

My Friend Henry Hitting Rank 1 Long cycle numbers in the Shirt!!

Which way you heading?

I am a big fan of keeping things simple. Basically, you can only be going one of two different directions. You are either getting closer to your goals or you are moving away from your goals. You are either in the problem or you are in the solution.... And for some reason, nobody ever thinks they are wrong or in the problem...

I knew this guy that was an ex bodybuilder. He loved going to the gym and talking about the stuff he used to do when he was on the Juice... He loved the gym and working out. The problem was that this guy, (through crazy training) had severely damaged his shoulders, elbows, back, knees, and liver to the point where he was constantly suffering. He needed pain medication to get out of bed in the morning, sleeping pills to get to sleep at night. When I used to run into him during the day outside the gym he would be talking about what joint was killing him that day... He had come to actually think that his method of lifting was the only thing that was helping him.

I had recommended that he go see a chiropractor friend of mine, he went to see the guy and later told me that he was "beyond treatment" and was "too screwed up" for that kind of thing... What was strange was that he was sort of bragging about how bad off he was... like because he had trained so hard, he had to now just pay the price for being so intense!!  Crazy!!  As far as he could see his training was the one thing holding him together, just like the chronic alcoholic thinks booze is his only friend.

It is much easier than you would think to slip into this craziness.. The whole point of any exercise program is to make your life better. Obsessing about other goals can pull us off track! Ask yourself daily if what you are doing is getting you closer or pushing you way from making your life better...

Saturday Training 6/11/11

I have been slacking on training... I had a busy week at work and there has been the first real blast of hot weather... No excuses, I have been dogging it lately.. SO, I have been thinking about doing this 5 mile road race that is part of local series... I have done a couple of them, they get progressively longer each race, so I started with the 1 mile one a couple months ago... Did  5k last month, and so this is the furthest I have ever run!! I just found my pace and went... I didn't walk and I feel pretty good!!  It was overcast and rainy, so the temp was perfect for a run!   Next one is a 10k?? Stay tuned!

Russian championship 2011 Jerk 32 kg Jonny Benidze & Valentin Egorov.wmv

Russian championship 2011 142 reps in snatch Ksenia Dedyukhina - winner ...

Chicken Salad outta Chicken shit!!

If you have been watching the ultimate fighter this past season, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you with better things to do than watch Brock  Lesnar talk about nothing to his fighters... This is his way of teaching his fighters the necessary lessons to survive and thrive in the octogon.... Brock has Zero ability to teach, coach, motivate or inspire his fighters... He gets frustrated and keeps repeating this phrase.. like it is somehow helpful...I Lost a lot of respect for him during this fiasco... He has a shallow understanding of his game and this show was proof of his inability to help anyone... Exciting guy to watch, not very smart... He likes to walk around beating his chest and yelling this phrase...

Both item come from a chicken, but they are vastly different. One is the chicken meat, one is the chicken's waste product... Very, very different. It is like people doing high speed snatch sets and switching hands every 10 reps, as opposed to only one hand change... They are both the same exercise, but they come from different ends of the chicken... One hand change is much much more intense and difficult... 

I like to think of training as building a structure or something... Every session it is like I'm putting one more brick into place. The problem is that the top layer is only going to be as strong as the layers underneath it...  Sometimes we think our lower levels are very solid, but when the wall starts to shift and move around some later...  We need to go back and fix the lower levels before adding new levels that are only going to crumble if we don't. 

Tuesday 6/7/11

24kg snatch 8 minutes 15 rpms.. 

this felt really good!

Went for a walk 1.5 miles after.. stretched..

Monday 6/6

Jerks
2x32 jerk 6,7
2 min rest
2x32 jerk 8,8
2 min rest
2x32 jerk 8,8
3 min rest
2x28 jerk 8,8
2 min rest
2x24 jerk 12,12
thats all rubberlegs from jogging yesterday...

Sunday 5/5

I played tennis for an hour yesterday...

Today I ran around the pond and took 1:40  off my best time!! Happy about that, I have been slacking on the jogging lately...

Kabuki.. Master of all the Martial arts!! All!

I dont know of you remember this guy, but he was a wrestler I grew up watching back in the 80's. He was a small dude with long hair that hung down over his face. He came out into the ring and blew this red mist out of his mouth to the right, then some blue mist to his left side... "The Asian mist move"He was billed as the Great Kabuki! Master of ALL the Martial arts!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Kabuki

 Even when I was a little kid I remembered thinking, how the fuck can he be the master of all of the martial arts? I mean, think about it... You have thousands of style of Karate alone. Kung Fu, even more... It seems that every insect or animal has there own style,  even though everyone knew this was a bullshit claim.... We all watched this guy! 

Now as amazing as it seems, we see people in the fitness business that specialize in everything... They know kettlebells, barbells, kickboxing, self defense, powerlifting, bodybuilding, nutritional counseling, they offer massages and movement screenings, mobility drills, yoga, Zoomba, Olympic lifting, body shaping, tanning, discounts on botox and seaweed wraps... You get me? They basically are taking the super Wall Mart approach.. they want to be your one stop fitness solution. These people scare the crap out of me...

Russian Kettlebells championship 2011un 78 kg Jerk Denis Gafarov & Valer...

Russian Kettlebells championship 2011un 78 kg Jerk Denis Gafarov & Valer...

Russian Kettlebells championship 2011un 73 kg snatch Ilya Tashlanov & Al...

Russian Kettlebells championship 2011un 73 kg Jerk Ilya Tashlanov & Alex...

Friday 6/3/11

Jerks today
2x28 jerks 6 min 11,10,10,10,9,10
2x24 jerks 3 minutes 16,16,15
No time for jogging tonight...

The Day to Day Stuff

I find that the most important function that I fill as a coach is helping people deal with the"stuff" that complicates training. I would love to say programming is the ticket to helping people, but that is probably one of the more minor things. All of the people I help, have full time jobs, families, kids, tons of other demands that are more important than kettlebells.

 I believe that my highest function is helping people set realistic goals and navigate through the difficulties and issues we all have to deal with. The fact is that injuries happen, kids get sick, you get sick, jobs changes, cars break, divorce happens, bankruptcy happens, businesses fail, accidents.... the list goes on and on.. 

The real job of a coach is keeping people on track when things get mental, (or they get mental)!

It is the not the big workshops or famous people that make great lifters, it is how well you can manage the changing daily demands of life, and staying consistent with the bells that makes great lifters...

Cause and effect

It is very easy to get confused when it comes to improving anything. I remember I went golfing with a friend of mine that was a pretty good golfer. I had never played for real and was just out there having fun. I didn't have the right equipment or shoes or whatever else you need to fit in out there.. I started out hitting the ball great! My friend was amazed, he was hitting the ball like crap... Well after a few holes, my luck started to run out, but I was having fun in spite of this. My well meaning friend started to "help" me with my swing.."keep your chin down" "Don't over grip the club" "relax" "follow through the ball" "spread your stance" "bend your knees" "don't forget to breathe", you get the idea.... So pretty soon I was all screwed up... I mean way worse than when I started and now there was tension and animosity in the air... Things unravelled to the point that I was miserable and so was he... I never got asked to go golfing again...

When I am Coaching somebody, I watch what is happening and I do not try to address all problems... That is very easy to do and some coaches think it is a great help. Really what this is about is EGO... they are flexing their ego to show you how much they know, and you don't... They make you so confused uncovering problems you may or may not have... This over coaching is worse than no help at all.

Understanding the differences between cause and effect, requires a strong knowledge of the principles at work here. Teaching a person the correct principles of moving the kettlebell is far more helpful than chasing down each individual problem and micro managing them on the superficial level... It is like trying to load Bullfrogs into a wheelbarrow!!

Wens 6/1/11

Snatches today... I was feeling very tight from last night's jog... Did some foam rolling and mobility stuff to loosen up my hip... Worked pretty good, I need to take stretching much more serious... Anyway I wanted to snatch the 28kg today... I warmed up with the 12,16,20,24 bells... picked up the 28kg and knew right away that it wasn't happening today... I dropped down to the 24kg i did 2 minutes on my left and things got ugly...
So, I chalked up my third and final bell... the 20kg and did a nice relaxed 10 minute set for 80/80... I feel good about this because sometimes I get an Idea in my head and if it doesn't happen, I scrap the whole session... It wasn't what I wanted to do but still a good session...

My set From Friday..

Starting Over..

I remember hearing from the very beginning that moving up a bell size is a whole new sport. Bascially, I thought this was a silly statement at the time. All the bells are the same size, I am the same guy... I am doing the same things with the bells.. How can it be like a new sport? I just couldn't get my head wrapped around this concept. I nodded and pretended to agree, but I just wasn't buying this one..

What was missing from my equation at that time, was a the most important piece... Experience!! I had never really trained with kettlebells for real, so really I was not in any position to either agree or disagree on this subject. But Suffice it to say, I wasn't impressed with this statement. Might apply to you, but not me!! haha... 

Having had the experience now, I can say that this statement is 100% correct. I was thinking that just because I could do over 100 jerks with 2x24kg kettlebells, I would be able to do like 60 jerks out of the gate with the 28kgs... Wrong!  Even though it is a change of only 4 kg... 8.8 lbs... The way they feel in your hands and the way they compress your ribcage in the rack is very different... Also, the problems you never had before are showing up, and the problems you thought you fixed with the 24kg are back and worse than ever... It is not only like a new sport, it is starting over...