Fedor Fuglev 24kg 300 snatches... new record!

11/29 training

Warm up... Bike ride for 15 minutes.. stretching, feeling kinda sore and beat up... Just needed to get the bells moving today...
16kg snatch 6 minutes 20 rpms 1 switch
3 minutes rest
24kg Pushpress 6 minutes 18 rpms switch on the minute
3 monutes rest
28kg OALC press 4 minutes 10 rpms

cool down and thats it..

12/27&28 training

Tues..
No Bells.. I joined a gym.. I have to get out of my house.. I need a change of scenery..
so I did some squats,, Light and some other general weight training... then 30 minute spinbike ride...
Wens..
the New Gym is totally cool with me bringing my bells there... So, I am going to bring a couple every time I go there.. today I brought a 20 and 24kg...
my workout went like this..
20kg cleans 6 minutes 20 rpms switch on the minute
5 min rest
24OALC press 6 mins 10 rpms
5 min rest
20kg 1/2 snatch 16rpms
5 min rest
24kg OAJ 6 min 16-18 rpms
30 minutes spinkbike...

Fedor Fuglev Kettlebell Snatch technique -How to keep on snatching when ...

Fattest man in America!!

Holy Crap... I have been eating and not training... I offically hit bottom yesterday....
12/26
I did the pentathlon today... I used the 16kg for the whole thing..
cleans 6 minutes 20 rpms
1 min rest
oalc press 6 min 10 rpms
1 min rest
oaj 20 rpms
1 min rest
1/2 snatch 6 min 18 rpms
1 min
push press 6 min 20 rpms
nice way to get back to work!

Just Incredible

ICKB Girl Highlights: Surya Voinar-Fowler

Scott Tighe 32kg OAJ 6 min 20 rpms

Reach out!

If you are training alone for kettlebell sport competitions, you need to find some support! I do not care if it is an online coach or a facebook friend... find a person that understands what the hell you are doing to yourself everyday! Your chances of succeeding are not very good on your own. This doesn't have to cost you anything, and with facebook and stuff... it is easier now than ever...

The very first person I started to talk to about training was Jon Hoskins. He is from Ohio and trained a lot with Valery Fedorenko in the early days. I met Jon at the AKC cert I went to back in 2007. I remember thinking that he was kind of shy and soft spoken for this kind of thing... Nice guy, but not a dynamic personality... That all changed when I saw him training the next day! He was did 80 or 90 jerks with 2x24kg bells in 10 minutes..  His technique was very professional, looked very much like Fedorenko.. What a surprise...Talk soft, lift big!! I loved it! 

I reached out to Jon a few months after that cert,  all I can say is, he really-really helped me! He knew what I was going through and he also knew the right thing to say to me.. not always rosy but truthful and helpful.. I catch myself repeating stuff he told me back then... He is a Great Lifter and a very nice guy! I do not think I would have kept going without his kinds words! Thank you Jon Hoskins...

Reaching out for support was probably the most helpful thing I have done for myself. Build a support system around yourself, find like minded people doing what you are doing. These people have helped me far more than I have helped them...

Scott Tighe 36kg cleans 6 minutes 20 rpms

Master of Sport in 16 months!!!

I first met Scott Tighe in the early spring of 2010, he had taken the World Kettlebell fitness trainer certification with me. I heard from Scott about a month later, he told me that he wanted to try to make rank and told me that he was interested in competing. We met that weekend to work on the specific demands of using double kettlebells. We also went over how to make rank with the WKC. He made his rank video with the 16kg in biathlon... At the time he was in the 75kg weight class, so he needs 58 jerks and 55/55 snatches. He made rank 3 witht he 16kgs so that meant he could compete with the 20kgs bells...

In May of 2010 we went to a small local competiton where he lifted the 20kgs and made rank 2 in biathlon... it was at this competition that Scott got infected with the GS virus!! I started formally coaching him after the meet.

The training that we used was strictly based on the method of training that I had learned from my coach Valery Fedorenko. Scott trained 5 days per week, one set of jerks and one set of snatches every day for 5 days in a row. For assistance exercises he did one arm jerks and one arm swings... His jerks sets were between 5 to 7 minutes and his snatch sets were 6 to 8 minutes. We made sure to put quality first, volume second and load third. So basically what that means is we kept in close contact and talked daily about how he was feeling and adjusted the load based on how he was feeling that day.

With this simple program Scott made rank 1 in biathlon at the Red Barn Meet completing 83 jerks and 123 snatches with 24kg bells. (one month from his first competition with the 20kg) Scott was now working mostly with the 24kgs for the lions share of his workouts but we still kept the 16kgs and the 20kg bells in the mix... As we started to transition into the 28kg bells, progress started to slow and the big gains stopped coming... He always moved forward but this is where is usually gets sticky with male lifters... you find out who you are when you pick up the 28kgs...

The next event we had on tap was the WKC Worlds in Chicago in August... Scott was hitting his snatch number for CMS without too much trouble, but jerks were another story... Ayway in that competition Scott managed to make his jerks, but on snatches he got to 54 reps on his first hand and then lost the bell... He learned a big lesson that day... Things are different on competition day!!!

After a competition, Scott has a hard time taking things easy... I usually just have him do a "fun" training block.. For example maybe do some strongsport/ fitness protocol stuff, or long sets... anything to have fun and stay active but without any pressure on numbers... 

The Next event for us was the Denisov sports camp at the Ice Chamber. Scott had been training the same with the the 28 a couple days a week and lighter bells the rest of the time. Scott made CMS rank in front of Ivan and Fedorenko! He Did 58 jerks and 55/55 snatches with the 28kg bells.

The next meet was the WKC Long Cycle meet in the spring of this year. Scott switched over to long cycle for a couple of weeks and make rank 1 with the 24kgs with 60 reps. He also competed in strong sport long cycle with the 32kg its a 4 minute event he did 25 reps per side!

In June we drove down the the IKFF/IKSFA meet in NYC, Scott lifted the 32kgs for the first time in a real competition. He did 53 jerk and 45/50 snatch.

September was the IUKL meet in NY . He was the only American to compete with the 32kgs! The whole Russian National team was in the United States for this competition! The best of the best!! Anyway, he went 10 minutes in the jerk completing 61 jerks and 94 snatches.

The Beast of the East IKFF meet was in October.. Scott did 54 jerks and 92 snatches with the 32kgs... this meet was just another chance for Scotty to get used to being on the platform with the 32kg before he took a serious swing at officially making Master of Sport in Chicago.

World Kettlebell Championships 10/20/2001 Scott Tighe makes master of sport with Ivan Denisov as his judge! He competed in the 70kg weight class and he did 55 jerks and 50/50 snatches to become only the second North American to Achieve this very difficult goal..

Scott is now training Long cycle and again his progress is amazing! We continue to stay with the basic framework that Valery Fedorenko laid out. I know that there are critics of this system but I am not one of them and neither is Scott!

 Oh and if you want to see Videos of any of these sets, you can find them on my youtube channel.... cduffa

Nice Write up from Charlie Fornelli...

Charlie Fornelli
I think one of the biggest obstacles to many of us truly achieving our goals is our own inflated sense of pride or ability. Basically we feel we are above the basics because we have already achieved some success in another form, thus we skip those early steps which give us the foundation to build upon and truly achieve the success we desire. I will qualify this in kettlebell sport lifting.

What I mean by this is that because we have been lifting kettlebells for a while, or have a high level of strength and conditioning we feel that we should be able to start half way through the process. I know I was definitely afflicted with this mindset when I first got in to sport lifting, and I see many others are the same. I could not figure out why I could bang through the RKC Secrect Service Snatch Test and Viking Warrior conditioning programs and yet could not even come close making a 10 minute single switch sport set with the a 24 kg bell. I could do 5 x 5 clean and press sets, with little to no rest breaks, till the cows come home but could not last more than a couple minutes of double jerks without turning in to a whining baby.

Only about 18 months ago I had almost quit kettlebell sport before I even started because of this. What I realized at that point was that while I had been lifting kettlebells for years and had a pretty high level of conditioning I had never truly developed my technique to be able to handle the grueling sets involved in kettlebell sport training. I had to start over from the beginning, which meant developing all the aspects of my technique. What you realize training this way is that you have to remove as many flaws as possible as these, usually only small details in a 30 second set become massive in a longer set. Back to lighter bells with a focus on proper positioning, breathing and good lockouts/fixation.

The second part of this follows with my last comment above. Lighter bells. I see so many people lifting bells well beyond their capabilities. I would say in genera,l men much more so than women have this need to lift the heavier bells, though this does seem to be changing to some extent with the inclusion of hard wrist-guards. Here is where pride has gotten in the way of success for many. I know that my working through the ranks slowly and progressively is what has allowed me to remain relatively injury free and also to truly develop my technique as needed for each heavier bell. At the end of March I received word from the WKC that I had officially made Rank 1 at Long Cycle with the 24 kg. kettlebells; I made 70+ reps. I then decided that I was going to do a baseline test with the 28 kg bells in Long Cycle. I proceeded to get the piss beat out of me before stopping at ~7.5 minutes and making I think 35 reps. What I learned from that set was I was not ready for the 28 kg bells. Not just that my fitness was not there but I was just not ready. I was not mentally or physically prepared to deal with those bells. I see this but to a much greater extent in many kettlebell lifters. They make some decent progress with the 16 kg and 20 kg bells and then they immediately decide to jump to the 24 kg bells. Almost all of these individuals proceed to struggle lifting these bells because they are not prepared for them. In sport competition this is plain to see because they are the ones who fail to last even close to the full timed set length. I have talked to or read blogs from these individuals and their take on why they chose to lift a heavier bell or why they did not make the reps they had hoped. In general the most frequent response or comment is to a desire to challenge themselves. I find this very interesting as a response because is it really a challenge if you are not even close to meeting the desired goal (10 minutes) or continually fail to meet their own goal (a certain rep count). In my honest opinion I would much rather see a lifter make 100+ reps LC with really high quality at 16 kg then 20-30 reps at less than 5 minutes at 24 kg. I follow kettlebell lifting and sport competition pretty closely and have seen lifters suffering from the same faults each time they lift and this leads to inconsistent results and in some cases their numbers/performance have remained the same or even decreased in spite of their training.

For women I think it is easier to progress towards the upper ranks, Rank 1 and up, without having ideal quality because it is more about speed than strength, as it is is more so for men. However, once they hit the 16 kg and above this seems to be where a lot of women struggle, though some for different reasons. Reason one is the load on the body. Often time the increased weight of the kettlebell resting on the wrist leads to inflammation and the increased load of the overhead lockout leads to increased stiffness and in some cases spasms. With the focus more on speed for women there is much more opportunity for issues to arise if the weight lifted is truly above their ability, technique(movement/positioning) and strength as they have to lift faster which limits their ability to focus on each lift. This will also increase the risk of injury in the lifter. For the stronger women they are able to progress even quicker but often times this leads to a decrease in the quality of the lift. Many of these women end up performing what is a glorified push press. The previous level of strength allows them to complete the lift without having to focus on the second dip, a requirement of the Jerk lift. This in general is merely a lack of focus on the quality of the lift, weak second dip and no fixation overhead. The weak second dip takes away from the explosiveness of the lift and decreases the overhead mobility and fixation aspect of the jerk. It is the fixation and full lockout of the lift which helps to develop joint strength and active(functional) flexibility.

Kettlebell sport takes patience, toughness and commitment. When we focus on solely on the ranks we often miss out on the true benefits of the kettlebell lifting; improved health, mental well being/self-efficacy, and physical performance.

*I wanted to make a quick note on how my comfort has changed lifting the various kettlebells. When I first started lifting I was not truly comfortable lifting any kettlebell but could tough my way through it. With time and consistent effort I improved to the point where I was truly comfortable lifting the 20 kg kettlebells. It felt great, I felt strong and explosive with these bells. The 24 kg bells wore me out. After only a few reps I would slow down and begin to feel like I was fighting the bells. About 3 months ago I was training and I realized that I had than strong and explosive feeling with the 24's. This really gave me confidence that I was making real progress and not just getting better at dealing with the suffering of a sport set. I have yet to feel that way about the 28 kg bells even though I have lifted them in competition making 81 and 77 reps (jerks not Long cycle) in 10 minutes. For this reason I know I am not ready to be lifting the 32 kg bells. I know that with time and continued focus on progressive improvement I will get to that point with them as well.

I know I did not mention much about injury prevention for men. There is definitely risk for injury for male lifters who have not properly developed the technique for kettlebell lifting. As the weights increase so increases the risk for injury when technique takes a back seat to expedited progress. This also arises when we look event's like strongsport. I have dealt with some issues as a result of this. I have the ability to lift the 48 kg bell but I have dealt with wrist/forearm inflammation and also back spasms as a result of poor positioning over head and an insufficient bump from the legs and weak/slow second dip.

Black Friday Kettlebell Sale....

New Kettlebell Design these are the Kettlebells to get you lifter for Christmas!!

11/22/11

tues..
16kg snatch 6 minutes 18/20 rpms 6 minutes
3 min rest
20kg snatch 6 minutes 16 rpms

20 minute row... pretty good session..

11/21/11 training

32kg cleans 6 minutes 16 rpms
3 minutes rest
36kg cleans 4 miutes 14 rpms
3 min rest
32kg oalc press 4 minutes 10 rpms
short and sweet!

11/19/11 training

Trained with the Metcalf at the Canyon Ranch out in Lenox, Ma! Totally unreal place!!
So we did some pentathlon lifts..
28kg OAJ 16/18 rpms 6 minutes
5 min rest
24kg 1/2 snatch 15/16 rpms 6 minutes
5 minutes rest
24kg cleans 20 rpms 6 minutes...
very nice session...

11/17 training

thursday

32kg cleans 4 min 16 rpms
3 min rest
32kg oalc press 4 min 8 rpms
3 min rest
32kg oaj 4 min 18 rpms

thats it for today..

11/16 training

Wens
28kg OALC 6 min 10 rpms one switch
1 min rest
28kg OALC 4 min 10 rpms
3 min rest
26kg OALC press 6 min 9 rpms switch on the minutes

swings  16kg 20/20
              20kg 20/20
              24kg 20/20
              26kg 20/20
              28kg 20/20
              32kg 20/20    good time...

11/15 training..

No training yesterday... got home really late...
today...
Today I felt like skipping the whole thing altogether, but I put my stuff on and went into my KB room... I ended up doing this..
28kg OALC 4 minutes 8 rpms
1 min rest
28kg OALC 4 minutes 8 rpms
1 min rest
28kg OALC 4 minutes 8 rpms

then I rowed 20 minutes  
better than nothing!!

New World Record * Fedor Fuglev * Kettlebell Snatch 32 kg - 220 reps !!...

11/10 training

I have been slacking on the bells this week... I did row 30 minutes 2 times this week...

today went like this..

2x16 jerk 2 min 16 rpms

1 min rest

2x20 jerk 2 min 16 rpms

1 min rest

2x24 jerk 2 min 12 rpms

1 min rest

2x26 jerk 2 min 10 rpm

1 min rest

2x28 jerk 2 min 10 rpms   

10 min rest

16kg snatch 100/100 10 minutes   

Pentathlon day..

So today I met up with Scott Tighe to try the WKC Pentathlon.... We didnt really plan that well, after we met up we realized that we should lift at the same time and we only only brought 1 bell of each size.. so here what happened..

Scott
cleans 32kg 120 reps                 X 4.0 = 480
long cycle press 26kg 60 reps    X 3.25= 195
One arm jerk 32kg 120 reps       X 4.0 = 480
1/2 snatch 28kg 108 reps           X 3.5 = 378
Push Press 28kg 120                  X 3.5 = 420
                                                              1,953. total score

Me
cleans 28kg 120 reps                  X 3.5= 420
long cycle press 24kg 60 reps    X  3.0=180
One arm Jerk 28kg 120 reps      X 3.5= 420
1/2 Snatch 24kg 84 reps             X 3.0= 252  
Push Press 28kg 120 reps           X 3.5= 420
                                                              1,692  
this was no Joke! I think I can try some heavier bells next time, I just wanted a baseline number... here it is!!
                                                             

11/3 back to reality!!

In Chicago I did he 28kg bells, I did 80 jerks and 53/46 snatches.. enough to take second place to WIll Metcalf... I was very happy that one of us Won..
Back to training
tues I rowed for 30 minutes  and called it a day...
thursday
I did like a modified fitness protocol/ pentathlon thing... Just wanted to get a bell back in my hands...
24kg OALC-press 6 minutes 10 rpms switch every minute
1 minute rest
24kg press 6 minutes 14 rpms switch on the minute
2 min rest
24kg cleans 16 rpms 6 min switch on the minute....
thats it for now...

Ivan Denisov 1/2 snatch pentathlon

Ivan Denisov 36kg Push Press

WKC Pentathlon Ivan Denisov Long cycle press 36kg

Ivan Denisov One Arm Jerk 48kg 6 min 20 rpms

Ivan Denisov 48kg Cleans 20 rpms

WKC Worlds Chicago Chris Duffey 2x28 jerk set 80 reps

Scott Tighe Master of Sport part 1- 2x32 jerks 55 reps

WKC Worlds Will Snatch set 75/75 28kg

Chicago WKC worlds Jerks

Scott Tighe Master Of Sport Snatch Set!

Don't get mentally irregular!!

Despite doing all the correct things building up to an important competition, it is very easy to submarine yourself in the days leading up to your big day... It is normal to be nervous, in fact being nervous means you are ready! Not being nervous means that you don't care how you do... 

The week before you compete, make sure to reduce your workloads and enjoy your sets! Remember why that you started lifting Kettlebells in the first place... because you love it... Operating from this position will help remove a lot of the crazy pressure we can put on ourselves to hit certain numbers! I am not saying forget your goals, just stay relaxed, relaxed is loose, loose is fast and speed is strength!!! 

Trust your training, trust your plan, trust yourself! I have had some of the best results when the week before I was completely useless, feeling weak,  breathing off, hand position was off, rubber legs for no reason, catch is off during my snatch.... all sorts of silly stuff has happened to me... do not allow last minute sessions that suck define you as a lifter... they do not mean anything! Gotta rise above this nonsense and know that on game day you will be on! Stay relaxed and most importantly...have fun! 

World Kettlebell Club World Championships next week!

Next Saturday is a big deal for Kettlebell lifting in the United States! The WKC has the toughest rules and highest standards of any Kettlebell organization in the World! Doing well at this event is a big deal!! Good luck to all competitors!! I will be competing in the 28kg divison, the WKC is the only organization to have competitions with this size bell! 

I have enormous respect for any person that shows up to this event... Not many people are willing to put themselves out there to get chin checked publicly!! 

The Russian cup on kettlebell lifting 2011 Long cycle WK 63 kg .MP4

Ya know who I really like?

Once in while I train at my friend gym in my old hometown. Usually, I can only get there on a saturday. There is a core group of lifters that has been training together for at least 25 years! These guys squat every saturday! They have been doing this for a very long time... I was there a couple of weeks ago and it made me think.
I love people that stick to stuff! I do not care what it is either... Some people play tennis, some people go fly fishing, some people do crosswords, it does not matter what the "thing" is. For whatever reason, I find myself really liking the fact that not everyone is out looking for the next cool thing... Some people actually stick to things... These are my people!

10/17 +18 training

Monday...
feeling stiff from saturday!!
28kg snatch 6 min 15 rpms
concept 2 rower 10 minutes cool down...

Tues
rowed 2500 meters warm up like 12 minutes
2x20 jerk 3 min 12,12,12
2 min rest
2x24 jerks 3 min 12,12,12
2 min rest
2x26 jerk 3 min 11,10,11
2 min ret
2x28 jerk 3 min 9,9,9   toast!

16kg swings 30/30
20 kg swings 30/30
24kg swings 30/30
26kg swings 30/30
no rest... good time!

The Best Kettlebells Period!

                                                                                                       

Just in case you are sleeping through one of the hottest deals on the best kettlebells... I just got a  nice pair of 26kg! This is my first crack at this weight! I am very excited to start working thes babies!
I ordered them on thursday of last week, they shipped friday, I was training with them today! These bells really are the best... I have lifted and competed with other brands from all over the world... these are the highest quality most consistant brand you can get... Plus they are cheap as they get right now... STOP SHopping and and start training!!

This is as good as these things are going to ever look... figured I would take a nice picture  CLICK HERE TO BUY THE BEST COMPETITION KETTLEBELL href="http://products.worldkettlebellclub.com/138.html">

World championship 2011 Ksenia Dedyukhina snatch 24 kg KB 143 reps.MP4

10/15 training

I trained with Scott Tighe today...
Not sure how many sets of jerks we did but it was a lot
We took plenty of time between sets and worked on improving technique...
The sets were 2 minutes long and we started with the 20kgs and then the 24kgs then the 28kgs...
After that we did some 20kgs snatches with some swings mixed in.. Then some straight swings, then some fast paced OAJs... This whole session took almost 3 hours...
I shaking afterward!! I am writing this on Sunday am... I am
Feeling the love today!

11/10-11/13 training

Tuesday..
I have not touched the 28kgs in a while...
here goes...
28kg snatch 6 min 12 rpms    (Tough)
5 min rest
20kg snatch 6 minutes 16 rpms

wens- no bells

Thursday
16kg oaj 20/20
20kg oaj 15/15
24kg oaj 15/15
2x28 jerks 10,9,10,9,10
5 min rest
2x28 jerk 10,9,12
3 min rest
2x24 jerk 9,10,13

Will Metcalf 2x24jerks 115 reps Beast of the East

10/10/11 training

Monday
16kg oaj 10/10-10/10
20kg oaj 10/10-10/10
2x20 1 min 16 rep
2x28 jerks 5 min 9 rpms  felt good but hard..
5 min rest
2x24 jerks 3 min 10 rpms
2 min rest
2x20 jerk 3 min 12 rpms
that is it..

WIll Metcalf 24kg snatch set 90/90 Beast of the East

Scott Tighe Beast of the East Snatch set

Beast of the East Report

This was IKFF meet put on by Adam Farrah. It was part of a big Crossift event at Durham fairgrounds... I am thinking that there was about 4 to 500 crossfitter competing in some sort of like Mini Crossfit games... Lot of people, lot of crazy outfits and high socks!! 

Anyway, we were lifting on an outside platform with some kind of quonset hut type covering roof system thing... It was pretty cool set up actually! we would have been in trouble if it rain though I think!!  Well, it was a beautiful day for any ind of outside event! 

This was a small meet with about 16 lifters or so... a few first timers, and some seasoned people. Adam did a good job organizing us to start at about noontime... He asked me to go over the rules and I was happy to help! I was there with some people that I coach, William Metcalf made his return to the platform after having serious Brain surgery a couple months ago... He lifted the 24kg bells and he did 115 jerks and 90/90 snatches pretty easily! Melissa Metcalf also returned to the platform after some time off after having some forearm trouble last year... She lifted the 12kg bell and did 70/70 jerks and 68/80 snatches... Scott Tighe lifted the 32kg bells and did 56 jerks and 42/50 snatches.. I lifted the 24kg bells and did 70 jerks and 60/60 snatches. Joe Egan lifted the 20kg bells.. he did 60 jerks and 110 snatches... This was a warm up for Chicago for our team and it was successful as everyone did well and didn't not get hurt! 

I always love to meet first time lifters! I really feel if you want to help this sport grow, nothing is betteer than getting out on the platform every time you can! Meet the new people and encourage them! I do not understand people who want the sport to grow but do not go out and support the events... But what do I know!!

That is about it for now... Time to get serious about the 28kg bells now!! 

Vasily Ginko, Vitalii Andriiash Long Cycle IUKL meet NY

IUKL World Championships NY 2011

Ilya Tashlanov jerk 32kg kettlebells 5 min -89 reps.MP4.MP4

10/3/11 monday training

2x24 jerks 12,14,12,12,12,12,15

24kg swings 50/50

20kg swings 50/50

Denis Gafarov IUKL World Champion 9/17/11

Aleksander Khvostov IUKL Snatch set

Do something... even if it is wrong!!

Since I changed my working schedule, I have a had a very hard time doing anything consistent.. This is not because I do not want to train, or because I don't have any events coming up soon... I do on both counts.. My problem with hammering out a new time for training is... I think about how it is going to or how it should look... While Im figuring and planning... Days go by...days turn into weeks and weeks turn into a month... Thats right, I have been half assing it for a month now!! Today, I came face to face with the fact that I have been completely full of shit on this whole.. "figuring it out thing"... I needed to do something with a kettlebell... anything..

Here is what happened,

10/1/11

24kg One arm long cycle 6 minutes switch on the minute 10 rpms

2 min break

24kg One arm jerk 6 minutes one switch 18 rpms   this was no joke!!

3 min rest

24kg one arm cleans 6 minutes one switch 20 rpms   again... hard

Great Workout! Going that fast on jerks and cleans is very challenging! 

Battlescars of a World Champion

Kettlebell Accident

Things are different on Game Day!

Here is a Video Of Scott doing 94 reps snatch at the IUKL meet 2 weeks ago. In training his best result in snatch was 10 minutes 60 left 58 right for a total of 118 reps. Now if you figure it out on paper he should have easily broke 100 reps based on his training numbers... But training at home where you create the optimal conditions, more often than not, these numbers are not doable on the platform.  Competitions force you to operate outside of your comfort zone, different bells, game day nerves, different temperatures than you are used to, brighter lights, a million things that never even occur to you at home... This is a fantastic set due to the fact that Scott hit a PR on jerks before this set of 61 reps... He competed in the 73kg weight class... 1 year ago he was lifting the 20kgs! Truly amazing!!

9/26/11 monday

I took all of last week off of bells...
tonight session
2x24 jerk 12,12,12,12,12,12,12
Thats it..
Got training late today..  Started a snatch set and ended up ripping a big chnk of dead skin off my hand.. I guess a week off makes your hand go soft... They looked pretty good before I started and the skin just pulled right off like it was ready to come off... strange really.. the good news is i will not lose any tiem training.. this was  superficial skin loss..

WHere did the week go?

Well, I really don't know where the week went, I started a new job and I have been really busy!! I no longer have the luxury of being a full time e heckler... The pay is crap anyway.. After getting home tonight I scanned my usual spots and I'm happy to report that the posers are still posing, the name droppers are still dropping the names and the self congratulators are still the hero of all of their own stories...

All I know is after hanging out with the best of the best last weekend, I am really motivated to get back to training. I took this week off and it felt great! I am now itchy for some kettlebelling!! Here is a video from last weekend.. this Kid is 19 years old I think.. he is the Junior WOrld Champ!! He is one of many young guns coming up through the ranks!! He did 161 jerks at this event.. In this video he is going like 20 rpms.. I didnt count them exactly but he is a monster!!

Savage Lockouts!!

Yevgeniy Goncharov LC IUKL Set

Jonnie Benidze 200 reps snatch with 32kg IUKL Meet NY 9/17/2001

IUKL Meet update.. Part 1

This was such an EPIC event I do not know really where to start... I will just list a few things that occirred to me randomly...

> The whole Russian national Team was here, if I didn't go I would have felt like a CHUMP!

> The lighter guys lifting the 32kgs are flat-out AMAZING... Lockout are fast and crisp and they do not look shaky or panicked

> Going Less than ten minutes is considered the lowest level move you can pull... the atmosphere is intense and supportive... but lasting the whole time is of paramount importance...

>The women snatching the 24kg for huge reps is proof to me that most of us are strong enough to do this sport, what is lacking is technique and intelligent practice...

> These people are in unreal shape... no way around this fact... WOW!

> I watched the Russian girl Anastasia from the moment she came into the building.. she found a quiet corner to sit down and relax.. she did not move a muscle until she was told it was time for her to warm up.. this is impressive to me because she had a goal and walking around taking pictures and facebooking her friends was not her thing... when she got up she did a minimum warm up and then she set a World Record doing 175 snatches with the 24kg bell... Afterward she was back sitting in the same quiet corner... looking relieved and happy!!

>No matter how much or how little I drink before I lift, one I pick up the bells I feel like I am doing that thing where you eat 10 saltines and try to whistle... Holy Cow!!

>Kettlebell lifters in general don't make any or very little money, so you have to really love the sport to do all this stuff.  All of the lifter there were very friendly and encouraging..

> Not one of the officials or judges spoke any english, they didn't have any flags or road cones, if you screwed up and rushed a lockout or didn't fixate.. they let you know REAL quick!! No Nonsense reps counted at this thing... My Judge was very friendly and came up to me a shook my hand afterward..

> The Russians looked at you differently after you lifted, Like they respected you and there was a common bond between you... I am not saying they condisered us equals, but they did considers us sportsmen and that felt good...

VF Workout 135 - 9/11 Dedication - September 11 - 911 Tribute

9/6/11 snatch training 24kg 8 min 66/62

Getting back on track.. (trying)

I didn't train Tues, wens, or Thursday...
Friday I did
2x24 jerk 6 min 12 Rpms
24 snatch 6 min 16 Rpms
Not a lot of time today... Going away for long weekend!
Saturday
1 hour mtn bike ride in the woods. Great time! I have been riding a little bit here and there... Today was the first day I didnt feel totally uncoordinated. I am getting some skills back...
Afterward I did
16kg snatch 6 min 20 Rpms
24kh snatch 6 min 16 Rpms
Stretched and finish
Sunday... Nothing.. Beach day!
Monday
Trained with Scott Tighe today.
I did 2x24 12,12,12,12
2x24 12,12,12,12,12,12
2x28 8,8,11
2x24 12,12,10
Good session!
Scott Did
2x32 6,6,6,6,6
2x28 8,8,8,8,8
2x24 9,9,9
And a bunch of OAJs

Whine Til You Win!

While I was waiting to board my flight home from California last tues. night, I noticed a man come into the terminal looking all flustered and crazy... He was an older man about mid to late 60's I would say. He matter of factly marched up to the people at the counter and began telling a story about traffic and how long it took to get to the airport, the person driving him didn't understand, he was going to someplace in western Massachusetts... apparently he felt that the people at the airport needed to know that after the long flight he was looking at another 3 hour drive... I was watching this man work his game... I knew he was going to spring some sort of request at theses people... and just as I suspected.. he needed to change his seat.. He NEEDS to have the aisle seat! After his whole show... the airport guy just says, Nope, the flight is 100% full, you are out of luck! The old guy starts to explain that his bladder is weak and he really doesn't want to keep bothering the other poor people on the plane, it is for the general good of the team approach!! This did not work either. The man was tenacious, he started to then ask if he was 20 minutes earlier would he have been able to make the change then?? This really didn't matter unless the guy was looking to use this information to make somebody else feel bad and cave to his will at some later date!  

While sitting there watching this whole show, I was struck with the idea that everyone wants special treatment. This morning in line at Starbucks getting my coffee, some women wanted a big box to put all her stuff in, A box that they didn't have! She was holding up the line looking for the clerk to run out back and find a box for her stuff! Meanwhile, the other folks in line (Me) are thinking about taking a tire iron to the lady! 

This manipulation tactic is known as the "Whine till you win" approach! It helps to explain why you need special treatment, stress that you DO understand the rules and under normal circumstances you would never ask for this special treatment.... treatment that nobody is allowed to get but you... Then hold up the progress of other people, this adds to the pressure of the person by a factor of  at least 10. Keep insisting that it is not your fault, circumstances outside of your control are forcing you to ask for this thing... Also try to look as disheveled and unorganized as possible, try to look like you just combed your hair with an empty Vodka bottle! One last point, have bad breathe! This will increase your chances also...

What does this have to do with Kettlebell training? Nothing directly. But the thing I really like about the kettlebells and any weight training is, the weight doesn't care who you are or what you particular ass ache on any given day! It is always the same for everybody.. No special treatment and whining til you get your way! In a world full of corner cutters and selfish manipulators it refreshing to have an activity that demands that everyone has to do their own work! 

Last Friday and Monday and today 8/30 trainbg

So I was out in California to
Visit my daughter. That means training at the Ice Chamber! Friday 24kg snatch set, 8 minutes 64/57... Kinda beat from the flight and very stiff... Worked on technique for a
While.
Monday
2x24 jerks 5 minutes 12 Rpms
2x24 jerks 3 minutes 12,12,16
Worked on snatch technique with light bells...
Tuesday
16kg snatch 8 minutes 20 Rpms
Feeling better about my form.
18kg snatch 6 minutes 18/20 Rpms
Cool using the 18kg... I am definitely going to get sone of this middle sizes!

Todays training, main set..

8/21-8/22 training

Sunday..
no focus at all.. had big plans but they just didnt happen, so I just made the best of it..
2x20 jerk 14,14
2x24 jerk 12
2x24 jerk 12,
2x24 jerk 12,12
2x28 jerk 8 reps... this is sad  know..
135 squats 2 sets of 10
ballgame...
Monday .
rode my mtn bike for half an hour until I broke my chain and had nothing to fix it with...
2x24 jerk 13,12,12,12,12,12,12
I have a blister on my hand, so no snatch today...

Todays Jerk set

Ivan Denisov teaches Long Cycle

8/20 training

Saturday
24 snatch 6 min 18 rpms
20 snatch 5 min 20 rpms.. had a hot spot on my left hand...
28kg swings 30/30
32kg swings 30/30
24kg swings 30/30
30 minute jog and stretching..

8/19 training

Friday
2x24 jerk 6 min 12 rpms
32kg OAJ 15/15
24kg snatch 6 min 49/53

I have been training, nothing great... But I have figured out after 3 weeks of battling with my schedule.. I need to train friday though tues...

Countdown to Born and Bred (2 of 15) : Teddy Atlas

Re-Starting?

It is not a question of, if you get off track in your training, it is only a question of when. Trying to train around your life is difficult. Things happen that are way out of your control that seriously foul things up! I have a couple a friends coming back now.. one from a death in the family and the other one had serious medical problems... It really doesn't matter what throws you off track... the steps involved in returning to your regular training is what is important.

It is totally normal to come back and get crazy about how much ground you lost! This is unproductive! Thinking about what you used to do or what you used to lift is the fastest ticket to the KB Boneyard! Gotta realize 2 very important things. 1) You are still the lifter you used to be, you are temporarily in a different place. 2) Be realistic about where your body is at for real... accepting the truth and liking it are 2 different things... nobody likes it, but accepting is helpful.

Starting out, have no expectations! This means pick up light bells and try some exercises. No rules here except notice how your body feels when you are doing this stuff. Maybe try 10 swings per side, put the bell down and move around... then maybe 10 cleans each side... 10 presses, 10 snatches... see how you feel... the truth is doing this stuff without big pressure is nice! 

Going slow can be tough to take! You instincts as a competitive person are to push yourself beyond what you have done before. Relax, you are not in that place right now... Your goal is to return to your regular training schedule (not load) as soon as possible,  the loads will take care of themselves in time... Get back to the daily business of training no mater how silly it may seem to you... this is the fastest way to get back up to speed! 

32kg snatch set Scott Tighe 8 min 48/48

Sergey Mishin Feats of Strength

8/9/11

Tues.
I did some foam rolling... I got a rumble roller and it seems to be helping me loosen up and lift better..
2x24 jerk 13,13,13,13,12,14   hard
24 snatch 6 min 18 rpms      solid set!

8/8/11

Monday training...
2x24 jerks 4 min 12 rpms
2x24 jerk 2 mins 12 rpms
2x24 jerk 1 min 12 rpms  x 2
My legs are still fryed from saturday.. I had some snap in them but no distance... kinda frustrated me...
I wanted to go 8 minutes straight at this pace but my legs had other plans!!
24kg snatch 8 minutes 16 rpms... this is probably my best snatch set ever! I was under control, and my form felt great...it is funny because when my jerks didnt go my way... I was ready for the couch... Glad I just kept ignoring the crazy talk in my head.. this set was not a PR or anything, but the quality was much better...

8/3/11 training and the rest of the week

8/3 wensday
jerks
16kg OAJ 20/20
20 kg OAj 15/15
2x20 3 min 12 rpms
2x24 3 min 12 rpms
2x24 3 min 12 rpms
2x24 3 min 12 rpms
that is all I had time for today
8/4
20kg snatch 8 min 20 rpms

Saturday.. training day with Scott Tighe

we did a lot of sets of jerks I am guessing at how many sets we did actually...
2x24 jerks 2 min 12/16 rpms  x 5 sets
2x28kg jerks 2 min 8/12 rpms x 5 sets
2x24kg jerks 2 min 12 rpms

Jump Squats
135/185/185   5 squats and 50 jump squats.. 3 sets

Scott Tighe Plyos

Scott Tighe Jump Squats

Functional

Just like songs that get overplayed on the radio, words get overused. In the fitness world, we see this happen quite often. Basically what happens is you hear a word so many times it becomes flat or somehow loses it meaning. Perfect example is the word functional. I think we all agree that this word has been prostituted so long now... it means nothing, or it can mean anything, regarding anything... "I am going to get on that treadmill because somebody just got off of it"... sounds like a functional plan... 

What we see now is unbelievable... this word functional had exploded into the mainstream America and now we have different degrees of function.. highly functional, extremely functional, sort of functional, not very functional The word functional has completely lost it function.

 

When I see or hear the word functional, I know that somebody is trying to get me to buy some kind of bullshit that they happen to be selling... 

8/2/11 training

Tues..

20kg snatch 8 min 20 rpms

I did a lot of shorter sets with the 16kg and 12kg... working on the drop..

24kg swings 5 sets 20/20 not hard, just working on technique, timing legs extension and weight shifting...

I really need to toughen up my hands... 

8/1/11 monday training

Monday 

lot of foam rolling and stretching... I was tired and stiff from the weekend... did some tubing and slept in a strange bed...  no place like your own bed...

2x24 jerk 12,12,12,12

2x24 jerk 12,12,12,12,14

24 snatch 18,18,20-18,18,18   

thats it

7/27-28 training

Wensday...
20 minutes in bike (trainer)
joint mobility...

Thursday
20 minutes on bike (trainer)
a few short sets of jerks
2x24 5 min 12 rpms

wen& thursdays are really busy for me right now... will be hitting it harder on friday and saturday..

Kettlebells in Siberian Prison

I wonder what kinda rules they use? Also who is Judging the reps??

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/inside-a-siberian-prison-1311687578-slideshow/

One thing at a time!

In an effort to sell you certifications, organizations are now using training methods that are appealing to the "stuck in a rut" lifter... They have magic assistance drills, shorter work sets, more popular and fun training to get you to the gold! I am guilty of biting at this bait myself. I certainly do not love long sets and the daily grind of plain old work... I really would like to do the flashy and exciting stuff... But my experience is that nothing works at improving my competition lifts like doing the competition lifts.

The hardest thing about learning a bunch of new stuff is deciding which things will actually help you lift better. The best way to tell if a new grip technique or a breathing technique works for you if to give it an honest effort. That, to me means I give it a solid 3 weeks to see if it helps my numbers or increases my work capacity at all.

 I strongly recommend only changing one thing at a time... if you change more than that, you will never know what is effective or not effective. I have tried to change a few things at once and it always leads to frustration and confusion. If things improve, you never really know what the critical thing was that helped you. If you change one thing at a time, you will have a very accurate idea of how effective the new piece is...

7/25-26 training

Monday
16kg oaj 20/20
20kg oaj 15/15
2x20kg jerk 12 reps
2x24kg 7 min 12 rpms
cool down stetching...
Tues
feeling very stiff.. I broke out the foam roller and swiss ball... really helped
jogged in place for 5 minutes, another good thing I like to skip!!
16kg snatch 16/16
20kg snatch 16/16
24kg snatch 16,16,16,16-16,16,16,16 felt very good...
I know I used my legs when I can feel some fatigue in my feet and ankles!
32kg swings 30/30

Rank Talk = DOOM!

I have noticed something, anyone that talks about making Master of Sport out loud, has a much harder time than the person who just keeps their head down and works on the goal in private. Something happens when you announce your goal to the world... I do not know if it is Karma or what, but once these people publicly declare this goal, it seems like they are then hit with some kind of life turbulence or injury that pushes them further away from the goal. I have seen this happen to more than a few people.

The process of making progress with kettlebells is an education, the higher you get in rank, the more you understand about yourself. People that want to "skip" this education and bully their way to the finish line are just making it harder for themselves.

7/20 &21 training

It has been very hot and miserable lately.. I have been trying to train in the Morning before the heat gets unbearable... seriously thinking about joining an air conditioned gym...  Probably wont though...
Wednesday...
a few short light snatch sets to get loose..
20kg snatch set 6 minutes 20 rpms
24 swings 50/50
thursday
16kg oaj 20/20
20kg oaj 15/15
2x20 jerk 1 min 12 rpms
2x24 jerks 5 min 12 rpms
24 swings 50/50
hard sessions lately...  both yesterday and today I worked all day outside in the heat...  Tonight after work I was driving home with the a/c blasting... I was feeling revived in the car and started dreaming about doing another workout... then I stepped out of my car and quickly came to my senses!! Haha..

7/19 training

I didnt train Monday.. hot and tired from a busy weekend...

Tues..

16 kg OAJ 20/20

20 kg OAJ 15/15 

2x20 jerk 16 reps 

2x24 jerk 1 min 12 reps

2x24 jerk 2 min 12 rpms

2x24 jerk 3 min  12 rpms

2x24 jerk 5 min 12 rpms

that it... low blood sugar and the heat killed me today... gotta plan lunch better...

Tribute to Fedor Fuglev

7/15,16 training

Friday I took a nap after work and slowly got it going at about 730pm... needed to do something..
20kg snatch 8 minutes 20 rpms... not too bad, the weight is not an issue really it is wind, and settling into this pace... looks easier when some one else is doing it...

saturday...
I hooked up with Scott Tighe today to work on jerk technique...
I did a few short 1 and 2 and 3 minute sets with the 20s and 24kg... nothing organized really but good training...
then I did 24kg one arm cleans 20 rpms for 6 minutes one switch, then OALC 24kg 12 rpms for 6 minutes one switch... good time!

Fluency

I asked a friend of mine (who happens to be a great KB coach) about how to help a lifter improve a skill that is seriously lacking. His exact quote was,

"Conditioning and skill should be separated to an extent until there is fluency in the skill. Then slowly add stress stimulus to the skill and see what happens to the lifter."

Of course, when you hear something that applies to a person you "know"it is great. Then you start t think about all the other people you can help with this little "gemboni". Then, after letting this concept roll around in your cranium for a couple of days... the person who really needs to apply this information is (my favorite subject) Me.

7/14 training

thurs am..
very tight from working yesterday.. needed some serious mobilization...

2x20 jerk 15,15
1 min rest
2x24 jerk 13,13  
1 min rest
2x24 jerk 13,13  
1 min rest
2x24 jerk 12,13  
1 min rest
2x20 jerk 16,16  
tougher than it looks on paper...

7/13/11 training

Wens.
20kg snatch 6 min 20 rpms
5 min rest
16kg snatch 6 min 20 rpms

all the time I had today.

7/12 training

Went swimming in the Ocean today.. Very Hot and muggy here! I swam for an hour...
jerks
2x20 14,14
2x24 12,12
2x24 12,12
2x24 12,12
2x20 16,16
2 min rest between sets... shoulders fatigued from swimming...

7/11/11 training

Monday
2x20 jerk 12,13,12,13,13,12
20kg snatch 6 minutes 20 rpms
3 mile jog

Back to Work!

I have been not training that seriously the last couple of weeks. I have been working with light bells and focussing on technique and breathing. I will also resume a more regular jogging program. The party is over and it time to get down to business!! It was nice while it lasted!

Denisov_Snatch_SlowMo

Denisov_Demo_LC_SlowMo

Fedorenko_Snatch_SlowMo

The Response is in!! I guess, you decide!!

Well, Mr. Wallace has responded... notice how he makes excuses and forgets to address my 1,000 dollar challenge directly... All fakers when confronted just throw excuses and smoke to distract you!!



It appears he did. I also thought it was uncool to mention names outside of IGX but whatever. He mentions my poor performance with the 1 bell 24kg 20 minute long cycle from 2-3 years ago that I did something like 70 reps. But failed to mention that I was wearing jeans, tshirt and didnt even chalk up because I wasn't prepped for that competition because I spent the past few days driving and moving from out of state. I also 1 arm ugly jerked the heaviest bell they had in that gym. Tried the seated press but did horrible with that. I went there to watch, joined some events for the fun of it and chatted with a few guys and went out to lunch with my wife who was waiting for me outside. My lack of specific competition training then and now is obvious. I don't compete, nor do I care to compete. I suppose I could look up what his numbers were 2-3 years ago but I don't care besides I do not see what this has to do with me thinking his girth is a hindrance to his performance.

1,000. dollar Shit talker challenge goes out to mcanus aka Mr. Ryan Wallace!

It has come to my attention that a Ryan Wallace likes to take cheap shots at me online behind his fake persona mcanus, on IGX.(Irongarmx.net) I would like to allow Mr mcanus the opportunity to prove that he is a superior athlete and should be considered a serious person by issuing him a cash (1000. dollars) incentive to defeat me in the sport he knows so much about and loves to talk about online.

 I am giving you a great opportunity here Mr Wallace! This is your big chance!! I will bet you 1,000 dollars in cash that you cannot defeat me in a public kettlebell competition (biathalon-24kg) The highest score wins...I will pay you on the spot when you defeat me and put me in my place. We will film the sets so the whole world can see what a superior Lifter you are. This offer is good for 30 days... after that, I will assume you are doing what you always do... ZERO!

I did see Mr mcanus slink into a local competition  a few uears ago and attempt to do a 20 minute one arm long cycle set with a 24kg kettlebell only to retire at around the 6 minutes mark... Imagine that? I was embarrassed for him!  

The sad truth is that Mr mcanus will not step up to this challenge because he is what is known as a online kettlebell critic... he likes to cynically dissect the results of people that actually go to and compete in a very difficult sport, while he sits at home wishing he had a set of functional testicles. 

What is it going to be Mr Wallace? How hard can it be to beat a fat guy like me anyways?

Second Dip?

When I do jerks and I do not focus on my second dip, it starts to slowly but surely disappear. I have no idea where it goes or what it is doing over there... but by the time my shoulders and triceps inform me that they are sick of doing all the work...it is too late!

The high level lifters we see on the you tube have become so efficient at the second dip that it is hard to detect. I am not a high level lifter and I am not smooth so I need to be much more deliberate about getting my ass back and down immediately after the first bump. Give it a try, your shoulders, elbows and triceps will thank you!

Pre- made excuses

I used to go Mountain Biking with a friend of mine. If we hooked up with other riders out on the trail, he would immediately start informing these complete strangers how little he has been training or how his bike was running like shit. He basically would announce that he was not a threat to them in anyway due to things out of his control and his lack of fitness. If the guys rode fast and my friend held up the group, he would be like "see, I told you", or if they were slower than him he would be like, I can't believe how fast I'm going, this is highly unusual!

This behavior is used to psych out the other guys by lulling them into a sense of complacency. They are hearing excuses and apologies before we even start rolling. After we get going a much different dude is riding his bike than the one he described to our new found friends. This is called a meta-communication, you say one thing, but it means something completely different!

I see this type if behavior before Kettelebell meets also, people are always talking about how they expect to tank, they have been sick, they have jet lag, they had to make weight, or maybe the back or knee or neck is hurting them... Age is another one.. Too old! Keep your eye on the old guys, they always let you know old they are and whatnot... Haha! These things are exposed to you even though you don't ask, then if they choke... it proves they were telling you the truth... They look at you like,"Oh well What do you want from me"?  If they do well, it happened in spite of all there problems!

The broadcasting of Pre-made excuses is the tactic of a coward. It keeps them
safe from the upsetting experience of giving 100% and getting beat fair and square! Don't buy the Pre made excuses.

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope you all have a relaxing fun weekend. I have been taking it easy this last week... Tuesday I will be getting back down to business... Taking a week totally off once in while is a great way to recharge your mental batteries... I am looking forward to  getting back down to business!!

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...

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...