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!