Getting Comfortable with Discomfort

2011 Schedule

2011-04-27T06:25:00.000-07:00

I've been slow in getting out our Schedule, but here is what we have on the books for 2011.

All the WKC Fitness Trainers courses listed below will be taught by me. Any WKC Strength and Conditioning course or Sport Coach course will be taught by Valery Fedorenko, and I will be assisting.

Valery Fedorenko and I will be in Asia at the end of May!

May 27th - WKC Fitness Trainers Course in Singapore
May 28th - WKC Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification in Singapore
May 29th - WKC Sport Coach Certification in Singapore

June 25th - WKC Fitness Trainer Course in St. Louis (This date is Tentative because we're not sure if the location will be ready yet)

August 6th - WKC Fitness Trainer Course in Limerick, Ireland

August 12th - WKC Fitness Trainer Course in Minneapolis, MN
August 13th - WKC Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification in Minneapolis, MN
August 14th - WKC Sport Coach Certification in Minneapolis, MN

September 17th - WKC Fitness Trainer Course in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)

If you are interested in registering for these courses or have questions regarding the courses, please contact me at cimes01(at)gmail.com or vist the WKC Store. Remember, in order to take the WKC S&C Course or the WKC Sport Coach Certification, you must already be a licensed WKC Fitness Trainer.

A few more dates and locations are likely to be added soon. If you are interested in hosting a WKC Fitness Trainer Certification or other WKC Certs, please contact me at cimes01(at)gmail.com .

CI

Do you need more strength 2011?

2011-01-27T07:43:00.000-08:00

I've had more discussions with folks on this topic recently, so it seemed appropriate for me to once again address this subject with my opinions ;)

Do you need more strength?(2008)

This seems like a stupid question still in 2011 :)

Since 2008, I've been teaching alongside Valery Fedorenko at our World Kettlebell Club Coaches Certification and taught quite a few one day World Kettlebell Club Fitness Trainer Certifications. We routinely get asked the following types of questions? Where do squats, deadlifts, and presses fit into the mix? Should we do supplemental grip work, i.e. Grippers for snatches.

Lots has happened since 2008, but not much has changed in regards to the view on this topic. One related topic of discussion is why women typically do better than men even though women are working heavier now than they were in 2008. One of the reasons is that the lifts with 2 bells are harder. It's true; they are. I worked through a cycle of them in 2008 and worked my way to 10 min and near 70 reps with 20s and did 7 min with the 24s. It was a great challenge, and I did it so I could use it as an excuse for not bettering my snatch haha. However, I think this difference or difficulty has been somewhat blown out of proportion when trying to explain the success of the men in this country vs. the women. Let's face it, all of the men I have coached save one can exceed the Jerk numbers they need for their desired rank. The snatch is always the limiting factor and that's pretty typical with women as well.

What you mean you don't need no presses?

Have you ever seen the Ice Chamber women like Master of Sport, Sara Nelson do Jerks? Folks, I got news for you, her fixation is as good as any I've seen. She's powerful. I judged her set when she achieved the 28kg Strongsport rank in Long Cycle weighing less than 60kg. She has hit WKC MSWC long cycle numbers in training with a 24kg. Master of Sport, Emily Friedel has exceeded MSWC Snatch numbers with 75/75 in late 2010 and has hit or exceeded the required number of jerks as well. Without much 24kg training, she attained CMS IUKL Snatch rank with the 24kg recently. Neither Sara nor Emily do presses. I know for fact that Sara would not be able to press a 20kg, yet she has jerked a 36kg. These women are not the exception. There are other great examples in the USA and abroad.

Women pick up on jerks and to some degree snatches more quickly than men because they don't have the strength baggage (baggage meaning flexibility issues from benching or other grinds and reliance on strength to do the lifts). This seems to also be true of Girls and Boys. They are forced to adapt and learn the techniques or it simply won't work for them. Of course, I was the exception to this rule.

A message for the already bad ass strong folks.....

When I started the sport in 2004, I was relatively strong. I've been lifting weights for 26 years and up until 2004, my training consisted of mainly powerlifting type exercises and sets. By 2005-2006, I could press the 32kg for 4-5 reps per hand, and remember doing double 28s for 5 reps and pressing a pair of 24s was nothing for me. I was ok with snatching. But, I had a very difficult time learning the jerk. By 2007, I decided that I had to stop pressing. It was interfering with my ability to develop the speed and power that I would need for the Jerk.

That journey definitely gave me the ability to empathize with men who have a hard time learning the jerk (most specifically developing the first bump and flexibility). Moreover, it clarified the role of strength and training for this sport.

As I said in 2008, your strength will serve you well initially. If you came from a strength background, the bells don't feel heavy and that does help in terms of making it less overwhelming. Still, the issue is that many don't develop the qualities that they need to be better lifters whether that be speed, power, endurance or flexibility.

Maybe lifting Kettlebells doesn't stroke your ego like lifting a barbell!

Would I ever say that squats, pressing or deadlifts have no value? Absolutely not. However, if your goal is to become a better Kettlebell Lifter and achieve a significant rank, then you have to ask yourself whether or not you really need these things to achieve your goals, especially in the beginning when you have yet to develop technical proficiency with the lifts.

Let's face it, some folks really don't want to give up their strength training regimens. They like lifting heavy shit. So, for those individuals, it may take them longer to achieve a significant rank, or it may never happen. It's all about priorities.

If you are at your wits end in terms of improving your numbers, and you are sure your technique is just fabulous, your program is the best on the planet and not your limiting factor, then taking a break from the lifts for a few months and focusing on strength work may be worthwhile. However, if technical improvements seem very hard to achieve and you are doing heavy pressing or deadlifting, you may want to rethink your strategy.

CI

Time To Relax

2011-01-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

I procrastinated for a while on this article, but finally completed it recently. It's hopefully a good and concise explanation of our views on speed, stability, tension, relaxation and how those attributes are coordinated with breathing.

Check it out.

Time To Relax

CI

Just Added WKC Fitness Trainer and Coaches Certifications

2010-08-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

We've added several new courses for the fall. The dates for Australia will be advertised soon. But, we are targeting mid-Feb 2011.

There will likely be a few more added. If you are interested in attending any WKC Coaches Certification course or the Fitness Trainers Certification, please contact me.

Fitness Trainer and WKC Coaches Certification.

Different Roads

2010-06-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of teaching a great group of folks at Complete Kettlebell in Niles, OH over the weekend.

Inevitably, the question (or some variation) always arises: To what degree should we emphasize technique with our clients who are only interested in Fitness?

Steven Khuong elegantly stated the case for technique. I'm going to go a step further.....

Anti-Elitism.....

There seems to be an attitude that KB Lifting techniques used in the sport are too technical for the non-competitive masses just seeking fitness. Personally, I think that is elitist bullshit. It stinks of someone who thinks that most people won't be able to pick up on the techniques at a safe passable level. Sometimes it resembles rank inexperience and it could be that they lack confidence in their own capabilities as instructors to teach techniques in a manner in which folks will grasp. Perhaps they lack knowledge to develop effective programs/protocols with KB exercise selections that are geared towards fitness or could serve as an addendum towards an existing GPP program.

Is the fitness enthusiast going to do the volume or put in the time to perfect the technique with the same zeal as a KB Sport competitor? Probably not. They probably aren't going to use the same weights or same protocols either. However, there are movement fundamentals and mechanics that can and should be taught to everyone who wishes to pick up a KB regardless of their competition aspirations, and whether they do only KBs or integrate KBs into other training. Everyone can benefit from learning how to breath correctly and how to employ tension and relaxation at the right time..This all heightens body awareness which will have carryover to other activities. Otherwise, they just need to put down any silly free weight and sit their ass down on Machine Row at their local gym.

We can debate those fundamentals, the mechanics and the protocols that should be prescribed to learn them, but I think everyone reading here knows which side of the fence I sit on this matter.

Thinking like an Athlete.....

I've been lifting KBs for 7 years now. I've been competing in some capacity for over 6 years, and teaching for 5. Over the last 2 years, I have done many things in terms of teaching to get better at teaching. I will teach anyone. You don't become a better coach or instructor by only teaching athletes who pick up on things easily. I'm a better teacher from taking on the more challenging assignments. I take pride in the fact that I have taught folks who considered themselves to be un-athletic and got them moving better!

One of the most empowering things you can do with your students is to get them to think like an athlete whether or not they will ever step onto the platform. As Coaches or Trainers it is our job to teach people movement (Motor skills, ect) and give them training protocols that will facilitate learning those movements. It is much easier to just put people through a workout and have the effectiveness of that workout measured by the sweat on the ground, torn hands, ect. Teaching skills and getting your trainees at some level to appreciate the skill is far more challenging. Training should be physically challenging and if you are a good enough coach or instructor, you can build skills and find ways to make sure your students still get an effective workout.

Why emphasize skills for those that just want a workout? Well, I won't talk too much about safety, because it's already been discussed. How about building coordination? In teaching skills, and good movement, we create body awareness. How about building their confidence? Believe it or not, folks don't just train for aesthetics. Folks want to feel better, and one way of getting them to feel better is getting them to move better.

Fitness is building the sport.....

Most if not all KB Sport competitors in this country picked up KBs initially for fitness. The sport is actually contagious. Competition gives folks goals and incentives, and many people who never thought they would compete are finding their way to the platforms. Many walked into their respective gyms to lose weight or get fit, and what happened? They saw the challenge of the sport and the ranks and decided to pursue it. I've seen this phenomenon occur in several gyms across the country: Ice Chamber, Club Liberty, East Coast Kettlebells, and Complete Kettlebell just to name a few.

Are Kettlebells the only way?

Of course not. Many folks take up Martial Arts for primarily fitness. Martial Arts are another arena in which learning skills is emphasized as much as just getting a workout, but in many cases (Depending on the Art), both can be done. I took MMA classes for years for fitness, but I went to each class and practiced the techniques just as if I were going to compete right alongside the men who did fight.

Any training modality that treats and respects their movements as skills is viable.

Once again Empowerment....

Is it any wonder that many of the folks that are dedicated to training for fitness today have previous athletic backgrounds? It's been stated that children that compete in sports are more likely to stay fit as adults. So, why not take Adults who don't have that background and empower them to become athletes whether or not they decide to rank or compete? I for one think it will make their pursuit of fitness much more enjoyable and enriching. They'll be much more likely to make fitness a lifelong pursuit.

Different Roads......

You may have found your way to Kettlebells because you were already an athlete and you were seeking a new competitive athletic challenge. You may have found your way to Kettlebells because you were looking to get fit and feel better or you wanted something different to add to your current training. Regardless of the road that was taken, everyone should have the benefit of learning the best techniques because everyone regardless of goals can benefit from them.

How to pick an Online Coach

2010-06-20T06:10:00.000-07:00

Emily was gracious enough to do an interview with me awhile back, and I felt it is worth reposting:

How to Pick an Online Coach...

CI

Gratitude Revisited

2010-05-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Nearly 2 years ago, I wrote a blog post called Got Gratitude. That post was fueled by a relationship change and some other events in my life at the time. I dedicated that post to my Grandmother who I loved and admired deeply.

Well, today would have been my Grandmother's 90th Birthday. She passed away on June 12th, 1995 right after she turned 75. So, I thought about her today, and thought it would once again be therapeutic to take stock in things in which I am grateful.

Followers of this blog probably know that my Brother Jonathan passed away 10 months ago. That event coupled with some other things has made this last year a very big challenge. I have found it difficult at times to process all of changes and found myself in despair. So, I just let it be and I returned to Gratitude.

I am very grateful for the obvious things; My friends who are always there to listen to me when I need to vent, but at the same time who are very honest with me; they tell me what I need to hear and not what I want to hear. Their actions are a constant reminder of the importance of friendship and cause me to strive to be a better friend.

I am grateful for a sport that has brought me together with some great people worldwide. It has provided me with an avenue to meet people and see places I otherwise might have never encountered.

I am grateful for all of my hard working/dedicated students that entrust me to coach them. I can honestly say few things are as rewarding as seeing a student gain confidence while making technical improvements in their lifts, and increasing their repetitions.

I am equally grateful for non-obvious things; I'm grateful for folks that I have encountered in business and in the sport that don't always act with integrity. These people remind me of how I should treat others. Their actions strengthen my resolve to be a better coach, better friend, and a better person.

While I can't say that I am grateful for my Brother's passing, I am grateful for some lessons I have learned. It did renew my resolve to live my life better and to the fullest. It was a wake up call for me in terms of how I spend my days on this planet now that I have gained some perspective on the tragedy. It is at least a part of the fuel for the changes that I am making now. In addition to that, it renewed my gratitude for my immediate and extended family. Even though I live 500 miles from most of my family, I have never felt closer to them.

So, once again, take inventory. If things aren't going the way you want, fall back to Gratitude and act accordingly. It works.

CI

Current Workshop Schedule the remainder of 2010

2010-05-05T07:15:00.000-07:00

So far this is the schedule of the Fitness Trainer courses that I will be teaching and the WKC Coaches Certification for the summer and Fall (I will be teaching/assisting Head Coach Valery Fedorenko)

September 25-26 - WKC Coaches Certification in Richmond, CA @ Ice Chamber

October 1st - WKC Fitness Trainers Certification in London (UK)

October 2-3 - WKC Coaches Certification in London (UK)

October 16th - WKC Fitness Trainers Certification in Elizabethtown, KY

October 30th - WKC Fitness Trainers Certification in Union City, CA

November 12th - WKC Fitness Trainers Certification in Bethesda, MD

November 13-14 - WKC Coaches Certification in Bethesda, MD

December 3 - WKC Fitness Trainers Course in Cincinnati, OH(Location TBD)

December 4, 5 - WKC Coaches Certification in Cincinnati, OH (Location TBD)

We are currently working an Australian Certification for next year. Stay tuned for additional dates.

If you are interested in attending any of the above certifications or hosting a Fitness Trainers or Coaches Certification please contact me @ cimes01@gmail.com

Another Great Interview by the Ice Chamber

2010-03-19T11:53:00.000-07:00

Just so happens to be one of my students this time :)

Kukka Laakso Interview

CI

Potential Energy

2010-03-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

This is a technical article I have written for the World Kettlebell News site.

Potential Energy

CI

Great Interview with my Coach, Valery Fedorenko

2010-02-14T13:18:00.000-08:00

Maya Garcia co-owner of the Ice Chamber interviewed our Coach, Valery Fedorenko.

Interview with AKC Head Coach Valery Fedorenko.

CI

Embracing Minimalism (Repost of An Old Article)

2010-02-12T09:32:00.000-08:00

I wrote this a few years ago and posted it at my site which of course is in horrible need of a makeover.

I re-read it today to make sure that I still felt this way and to see if anything had really changed. I think the only thing that has changed is that I'm not driving to Madison, WI anymore..haha. I guess not everything stays the same.

Embracing Minimalism.

I have spent the last few years “embracing minimalism”. In my late teens/early twenties I was obsessed with material things. I spent too much money on booze, clothes, and gadgets. Consequently, by the time I was 23 or 24, I found myself in debt.. I worked a better part of my mid-late twenties getting myself out of debt. The more money I made, the less money I spent. Over time, I became less concerned with spending money on things that I really did not need.

I’m not sure what the real turning point was for me. I think I realized somewhere along the way these material things were not making me happy or healthy and often not utilized.. That’s not to say that I still don’t get caught up in some material things. I like to keep myself in a newer car, but it is mainly for reliability because I spend so much time driving. I also love a few gadgets like my IPOD which keeps me from having so many CDs in the floorboard of my truck and I also enjoy my Sirius radio which keeps me company on my long-frequent trips to see Kelly in Madison, WI. For the most part, I now save my money for things like travel and other things that are more “enriching” than clothes or the latest gadgets.

Embracing Minimalism is a concept that has found it’s way into my training. I used to buy anything I could on training be it magazines, books, DVDs, ect.. Some of these products served me well and did have a profound impact on some of the training changes I made over the years. Many of the materials are great resources but all of the information became almost overwhelming. I didn’t want to stay trapped with Analysis – Paralysis syndrome.

A couple of years ago, I came to the realization that dedicated focus on one rep maximal strength was not the best thing for me nor were the training routines associated with the goals of increasing maximal strength.. At one point in time, it was definitely important and the priority of my training. However, at that time, my ego ruled my training and I found myself driven by the weight I could lift even though it did not correlate to my fitness or well being.

Over time, I became more concerned with my longevity and my health. Moreover, I wanted my training to benefit my emotional state. That’s hard to do when your focus is on constant tension and Lord knows I have enough of that outside of my garage gym. That’s not to say I don’t backslide and get caught up on occasion by how much I can lift. That is also not to say that I don’t have a tremendous amount of respect for athletes who push themselves to go heavy, e.g. Olympic and Powerlifters. I just know there is something better for me at this stage in my life.

Obviously, as a kettlebell sport competitor, I try to do as many reps as possible and initially that was the primary focus of training high rep snatches, swings and some jerks. But, what I’ve found is the process involved in this training has made me more “connected” and physically aware. This training system is more than a competitive outlet for me.

I have learned that when I can remove my ego from the effort, I tend to have an easier time making progress and going longer and even faster. I found myself struggling before the last competition. Even prior to Nationals, workouts were a struggle because I was too concerned with numbers. Right before the competition, I just kind of let it go and had a great day….

What I’ve realized is that I don’t need a multitude of exercises or exotic routines. Minimalism is my friend. Too many things are a distraction and if you’re like me, you’ve got enough distractions in life.

I have the confidence to say now that all I need is couple of full body movements like the swing, jerk, snatch and maybe some variation on those movements. But I have an overriding need to stay connected and this training modality that I’ve found through Valery Federenko and the American Kettlebell Club is the best way to do that; it is very similar to a martial art.

How do we get to this connected state? In order to be successful, you’ve got to learn the skills and apply those skills for time. Even for the non-competitor, there is a specific-simple way to do this. You focus on making your reps good through slow and deliberate practice. There is no need for complex training routines with this approach. This is simple, but not easy. It is certainly not easy for those who have spent years training tension or training to crank out mindless reps in a particular lift.

Going slow is a sure fire way to bring out flaws. Even going slow, you cannot last if you have bad technique. Going slow allows you to get a true feel for the movement. Going slow also allows you to go longer which of course is a critical component of building work capacity. No one has a true appreciation for this until they do a timed set where they can’t switch hands multiple times or set the bell down. This one component is the single most important component in my opinion. Nothing else forces you to become connected or increases your ability to “stay”. How can you reach this connected state if you set the bell down after a minute or even two minutes when it starts to get hard?

You might wonder what I mean by connected or when I use words like stay? Connected to me means that your body and mind are in harmony; you know that even though it is uncomfortable, you can keep going because you are physically capable. I don’t hit this state every workout. The days events or personal problems may find their way into my thoughts during training and I’m distracted; those days longer sets are a huge struggle. But, the goal is to reach this state and to do that I must clear my mind of the days events which is skill in of itself. No one said relaxing under stress was easy and we should never trivialize that skill! This training is tough; but you will learn to become tougher and the voice that is telling you to stop will become quiet.

The greatest carryover for some is that they learn how to stay by not setting the weight down even for a few seconds. In almost every other strength and conditioning modality involving weights, you can stop or set the weight down for a break. We train to hold onto the weight so even when we are resting we are working. We are forced to learn how to accept a safe level of discomfort.

This is definitely a modality that can boast effective short duration workouts that will definitely improve your overall fitness and well being. After a short time, I found that I recover between workouts quickly and I am rarely if ever sore. I have found that I can increase my volume gradually and things that once seemed impossible are now completed goals. There are times when my ego does get the best of me; I still find that I can grab a 32kg and press it or deadlift a respectable amount of weight even now weighing 35lbs less than I did in early 2006, and without any dedicated pressing or deadlifting practice.

This minimalist modality has been very liberating. It has given me the confidence to go heavier at times, but it has also given me the confidence and ability to go lighter or to do things for an extended period of time because the successful execution of this training works your mind just as much as it works your body. More times than not our mind is what limits us from doing truly remarkable things.

Technique First

2010-02-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

Technique First

This article was written by very good friend Steven Khuong. He and his wife Maya Garcia own the Ice Chamber Gym in California.

CI

Kettlebell Workshop In St. Louis On January 23rd

2010-01-06T16:04:00.000-08:00

I will be teaching a KB Workshop at The Studio on January 23rd. I will provide in depth coverage on the basic KB Lifts, the Swing, Clean, Snatch, Press, Push Press and Snatch (and Jerk time permitting).

Please visit The Studio website for registration details.

Thanks.
CI

Battling Confusion with Concision - World Kettlebell News

2009-12-14T17:47:00.000-08:00

This is my first article at the new World Kettlebell Club News site. There will be more articles in the near future from myself and other editors that delve into more technical details of the lifts.

Battling Confusion with Concision - World Kettlebell News

CI

The Fall...For Jonathan

2009-09-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

The summer is over. To say it was a challenging time in my life would be a huge understatement. I've obviously neglected this blog for a variety of reasons, but figured it was time to make another post or to shut it down. So, I decided to write the post that I had been avoiding now for nearly 2 months.

In terms of KB training....I went into the summer training pretty steadily. I won't say I was training "hard", but I was getting in consistent jerk and snatch sets. I felt on target to hit MS numbers in Chicago (Late August)

The highlight of my summer was getting a visit from my very good friend Kukka Laakso in July. I picked her up in Chicago where we spent the weekend doing things like watching UFC 100. She came back to St. Louis with me and we spent a week training Kettlebells (and doing some drinking of course). It was probably one of the best weeks that I can remember spending with anyone. We trained, trained some more, talked training over beers and I can't really think of anything else I would have rather been doing

A week after her departure, I received the worst news of my life. My youngest sibling and only brother Jonathan had died suddenly on a Saturday morning in the parking lot of an Oklahoma City grocery store. He was 32 years old. Jonathan and our cousin John Mark had been shopping for food for a barbecue. John Mark was with him when he collapsed. I can't imagine what that was like for him. John Mark and Jonathan were very close.

Not only was I heartbroken that I had lost my only Brother, but I was especially hearbroken for my Mom and Dad and Jonathan's young wife Nikki. All of my Grandparents are gone. But, my Brother was the first in our immediate and our huge extended family to die outside of the natural order of things.

Of course, I haven't been able to assuage the guilt I feel for not spending more time with him. I moved away from Oklahoma over 13 years ago. As we both got older, we got closer in terms of our communication during the rare occasions we spent together talking. I really enjoyed our all day conversations on Thanksgiving and other holidays and I will truly miss them. Jonathan was a great Brother, Husband, Son, and a very good friend to many. (Pictured below with our Family Friend Woodard. Photo was taken 3 weeks prior to his death on the 4th of July)

After my Brother's death, I had seriously considered canceling the trip to Latvia the following week. I wasn't really going to compete, but I was going to support a few folks including Kukka and my good friend Maya Garcia. After strong encouragement from my family that I should go and that Jonathan would want me to go, I made the journey.

In addition to the grieving, the trip was not without it's challenges. My flight to NYC was canceled. I had to scramble to get re-routed through Chicago, then to London. From London, I went to Helsinki. The problem was that I got to Helsinki to late to make a connection to Riga on Thursday. So, I had to go to Riga Friday morning and I just made it in time to catch the van to Ventspils.

At this point, I have to thank my very good friend Steven Khuong (Maya Garcia's husband). When my first flight had been canceled, I had touched base with him. I was about ready to bag the trip. But, he kept me focused and helped me make the hotel reservations for my unexpected stay in Helsinki.

All of the outbound challenges were worth it. When I met up with my friends like Lorraine, Kukka and Maya, I knew I had made the right decision to go. Of course, I was still very much heart broken, but I knew my friends would provide support along with a lot of humor on the trip. In the end, it proved to be very good therapy for me. The trip just reinforced the gratitude that I have for my KB friends.

So with fall here, I feel like I'm sort of starting over emotionally and somewhat physically. The cooler air will be very refreshing. I'm back to fairly consistent training. I'm doing more coaching now which has been very fulfilling and rewarding. I still struggle on certain days with the loss of my brother. I visited Oklahoma City this past weekend. While it was great visting with my family including cousins I haven't seen in years, there was definitely still a huge sense of loss and heartbreak.

I know the gratitude I have for my family and friends will continue to carry me through this difficult time along with the great memories Jonathan. I've got a new found gratitude now for my own health and the things I'm doing to improve it.

From the AKC Blog

2009-07-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

I don't have much time these days to write everywhere. So, I'm crossposting for my very few friends/readers that may not see the AKC Blog.

My post on Intent.

CI

Congrats To David Elkins

2009-07-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

I've known David for a while. I'm not sure where we officially met. But, we reconnected at the Arnold Classic in Columbus back in March. David asked me if I would coach him. I have been coaching a couple of people online, so I took David up on his offer.

I might mention David is 63 years old. At the Arnold, he used the 16s and put up impressive numbers in the biathlon (191 Snatches and 106 Jerks). However, after reviewing his videos it was clear that he needed some technical work. Initially, we stuck with the 16s because we thought that is what he would use for his competitions the remainder of the year. However, when we saw the new rankings and qualification requirements for Chicago, we decided that we should go ahead and set heavier goals instead of faster goals with the lighter weights.

David is very strong. I always felt like the 16s looked light. I also think he was training at paces that would have led to burn out long term. We decided that we wanted him to move towards competing with the 24s in Chicago. So, the first step toward that was to get him to the Level 2 with the 20s.

David hit level2 numbers in training (with video) a few times. I told him to hold off on video submission because I wanted him to do this level in front of an audience at the recent Atlanta meet, and it turned out that he got to do it in front of Valery.

David not only achieved the Level 2 numbers (he is also considerably lighter than he was in Columbus), but he won best lifter for the meet. He did 90 Jerks and 70L/90R Snatches. Not too long after the completion of the meet, I received an email from Eric Liford telling me that David did extremely well at the competiton. Eric went on to say how good David looked technically. I was quite proud.

Now, David is well positioned to hit level 1 numbers in Chicago and make a great showing with the 24kg bells.

I've coached David. I've written workouts for him on a weekly basis since late March. Since there are challenges with online coaching, we've had our ups and downs. But, David has put consistent time in under the bells and worked very hard. He's taken my technical advices to heart and really worked to improve. He's a great example of what a little coaching and a lot of hard work can do. Congrats David!

CI

Good Reps vs. Bad Reps Part 3

2009-06-08T19:06:00.001-07:00

This last installment covers the LCC&J. Really, the main issues with the LCC&J are the Jerks. The only other issue is not treating the clean as a separate movement.

Once again, Thanks to Steven from the Ice Chamber for editing these.

CI

Good Reps vs. Bad Reps Part 2

2009-06-05T04:24:00.000-07:00

This video covers the snatch. Once again, thanks to Steven Khuong from the Ice Chamber for editing and providing the text.

Good Reps Vs. Bad Reps

2009-06-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

After some discussion with my good friend Steven Khuong from the Ice Chamber, we decided that I would shoot some informal educational videos for lifters on good reps and bad reps. This is not a judges video: It is merely provided to help those who are unsure about the reps. Even if you received counts for reps at the Arnold Classic, there is no guarantee you would receive counts for the same reps in future meets.

My advice to you if you train alone is to get a video camera and watch your sets. I do this nearly every practice because I'm certainly not above a bad rep and I like to make sure I'm not developing bad habits as I go. This is really one of the few things we can do when we train alone.

The first Video is the Jerk. It is also the most extensive out of the series. It is a little long since I was a little verbose. I hope folks find it helpful. Steven was kind enough to spend time editing adding the text to the video to make it a bit more user friendly. I apologize for the video quality.

CI

Patience And Lynn Hill

2009-05-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

I've always been fascinated with Rock Climbing mainly from just watching videos and looking at scenic pictures in outdoor or climbing magazines. For some time, I've been fascinated with Lynn Hill. She is arguably one of the best climbers that has ever lived (Male or Female). After seeing a TV show where she lead a small team of women up a 2000ft wall in Madagascar, I became even more fascinated. I was extremely pleased when her biography Climbing Free was published 5 or 6 years ago. Lynn is only 5'1 and she's got hands that are smaller than mine (Her actual hand size is on the back of the book)

While perusing youtube, I came across her discussion on Patience. While the content of the discussion in the video is extremely specific to climbing, the points regarding patience could be applicable to any athletic endeavor...in my case Kettlebell Sport.

Initially, patience is one of those things many of us lack as lifters. We're too focused with winning or getting a rank initially to take the time to really learn the movement in the lifts. If we do learn it is often by accident and then our results are somewhat inconsistent.

Sometimes we are too focused on studying the nuances of others looking for some silver bullet to make our lives easier when what we really need is patience: Patience to perform the thousands of reps that are needed to really build the foundation for the lifts. There is nothing wrong with studying the elites or others and I've done plenty of studying, but you have to keep things in perspective. The basics are typically the basics. Nuances you notice in the techniques of others are result of someone playing to the strength of their bodytype and are not likely going to add 50 reps to your snatch when you jump to adopt them. Yes, I know I've blogged on basics and other stuff that is similar to this, but patience is needed by many of us to really learn to focus on the basics.

Now, I'm not going to compare the techniques of KB Lifting to something as death defying as Rock Climbing, but I will suggest that patience as Lynn describes it in some parts of the video is entirely applicable to our development as lifters. There is a good progression system in the rankings, but it seems that many of us want to rush through them..I know I was guilty of that.

We don't always have the patience to work for a duration and slow our pace so that we may analyze our own movements. Where is our weight distributed? At lockout, is the bell where it should be? When I drop the bell out of the stop the snatch, do I drop it and let it pull me down or do a move with it? Patience helps create that mindfulness and it is really needed since few of us have a coach standing in front of us yelling at us when we are screwing up.

CI

Stick the Lockout

2009-04-20T04:47:00.000-07:00

This is an article I wrote for the AKC blog.

Stick the Lockout

This article was motivated by some poor lockouts and no-count reps that I witnessed at the Arnold Classic KB Comp. It is meant to be educational so that lifters who are interested in competing in Chicago work towards improving their reps and lockouts.

CI

Ron Lipton

2009-04-18T07:53:00.000-07:00

Sometime early this year, my good friend Lorraine Patten emailed me and told me about a man she had just met named Ron Lipton. Ron is a boxing instructor with vast experience coaching, officiating, and competing. Lorraine was impressed not only with his resume, obvious physical skills and his abilities to teach, but she was also impressed with his passion and that passion is illuminated in several of his boxing articles.

Please check these out!

CHAMPAGNE ON ICE

HE ALWAYS GOT UP

A BIG MAN WILL HURT YOU, A LITTLE MAN WILL KILL YOU

I've not had the pleasure of meeting Ron. I hope some day that I get to travel to NY and take a lesson from him like my favorite Finn Kukka. But, I love physical culture, and I love reading stories that eloquently capture passion for their sport and the relationships they've forged through their sport. Even though I don't really box aside from a workout one night a week, these stories inspire me for my sport and remind me of all the great friendships I've made along the way.

Hope you enjoy the articles. Ron is currently working on getting a website hosted. Once he does, I will be linking it here and on my site.

CI

WKC Fitness Trainer Course at the Ice Chamber

2009-04-10T17:31:00.000-07:00

If you live in California near San Francisco, or will be visiting, and are interested in learning how to lift KBs from 2 Great KB Instructors, this certification is for you.

Details Here:

Ice Chamber World Kettlebell Club Fitness Trainer Course

CI

Couldn't have said it better

2009-03-17T07:54:00.000-07:00

And probably couldn't have said it this well.

I really enjoyed this post by Boris Bachman.

Second Noble Truth

I was actually discussing something similar with a friend the other night.

He eloquently states what I have known for a little while, and I really enjoyed this post and his perspective. His blog has been a great source of information for some time, please check it out!

CI

To my fellow KB Lifters.....

2009-03-10T11:45:00.000-07:00

On the AKC Forum, Chris Rice paid me one of the best compliments I’ve ever received in regards to my set at the Arnold KB Competition…He said “I got to watch Cate Imes – beautiful economy of motion – she never makes a move that doesn’t advance the KB to where she wants it. I wonder how many reps one has to do to get to that point?”

I love that compliment because in my mind it acknowledges the hard work I’ve put into getting decent at the lifts over the last few years (I assume in this case he means the snatch). It also confirms the mark I would like to leave on this sport in terms of technique and what I would like others to see in me as a lifter.

I am always in awe of great athletes regardless of the sport. I’m in awe of raw talent. I’m in awe of the hard work, consistency and the dedication that it takes to reach a certain level. I’m also continually impressed by those who can put aside their egos to learn like many of the lifters at the Arnold Kettlebell Competition are prepared to do. Several years ago, that is exactly what I did. I decided to really dedicate myself by giving up other types of training. I’ve written about that experience in other blogs, so I won’t bore you with a rehash of that experience. But, for anyone who hasn’t read, that is one of the things I personally had to do to reach my current level of proficiency. A better athlete with more raw talent may not need to go to such extremes, but I did.

What fuels your sets in training and competition? Is it a drive to win to rank? There is nothing wrong with these things and we all start there. For me to reach a higher level, my goals had to shift somewhat. I had to stop focusing only on numbers. When I focused on them and only them, my progress stalled. I struggled and let my technique slide. What I learned in training or not training specifically for the Arnold classic is that not focusing on numbers for awhile or even just a meet can have very good benefits. I know my coach Valery Fedorenko has said something similar to me and others many times. But, we don't always hear it right away.

I told folks I wouldn’t set PRs at this meet. I didn’t. But, I didn’t do a single 10 min Jerk set in training with a 16kg since Vegas in May 2008. I also did very few snatch sets with a fast pace. Yet, I came into the meet and put up respectable numbers and technically displayed probably my best sets in terms of evenly pacing myself and making every rep look good. Even with less than stellar competition ready conditioning, I was able to put up decent numbers. Why? Because my focus has been on technical improvements and refinements. Those refinements have boosted my confidence in terms what I can do on a given day under less than ideal conditions. There is a big picture; and I’m starting to see it. My ultimate goal is to move the 20kg like I do the 16kg. To do that, I must be near perfect with my technique or as perfect as I can be.

Does this mean that I don’t need to ramp up my conditioning and intensity? Absolutely not. But, in my opinion those things can be at odds with each other if you are trying to use the lifts for conditioning when you lack the skills. If you go too hard or to fast before you have the technique, you run the risk of not ever really learning the technique.

I will use my Finnish friend Kukka Laakso as an example. I started corresponding and doing some online coaching with Kukka sometime in the spring of 2008 in preparation for Hamburg. She was struggling with 16kg snatches, but it was apparent to me that she was plenty strong and plenty fit. In Hamburg, she did 63 reps but was showing a mindful pace. I'm sure she had done more reps than this in practice, but I had advised her to slow down. Later in the summer, she did 89 reps after being sick for a few weeks. On Saturday, she did 157 reps. Did her fitness levels and strength levels double or triple since June? I doubt it. She made huge technical leaps and in fact there were very few suggestions that I could offer her.

I will use the Steven and Maya's Ice Chamber team as an example. At every meet, each lifter is displaying better technique than the previous meet. They may not all be setting PRs everytime, but they are better lifters and they see the big picture.

Liberty Gray and her team are fine examples of folks that are new to this sport but understand that they are going to have to step back and focus on technique if they wish to get better. There is a huge amount of talent on the team and like their Ice Chamber counterparts they will do great things in the future.

In addition to several really good technical displays, I saw the lifters at the Arnold Classic demonstrate some awesome displays of conditioning and guts. Now, the focus needs to shift somewhat to technical improvements. That may mean that you slow down your tempo and that you do more assistance work like the one arm jerk. It doesn’t mean you are going to get deconditioned, because even slowing down is still work and there are other things you can do for your conditioning like running or rowing if you feel you need more.

I realize that these ideas are not revolutionary and strength and conditioning coaches have been writing about these things for a very long time in terms of training cycles. But, I felt the need to put it in context of Kettlebell Lifting and the sport in terms of what I witnessed at this weekends awesome Arnold Classic Kettlebell Competition. I also feel like this is timely. Many folks came away from the competition wondering how to improve for the next meet. My advice to several of them is to slow down and focus on technique. I think conditioning is much easier to build and takes less time than skills and once you solidly develop skills….you own them. Everyone that asked my advice is more than fit. So, now it’s just a matter of stepping back, evaluating technique and taking the necessary steps to improve it. Initially, your numbers in practice may go down, but over the long term, they will climb significantly and your ability to handle heavier bells and longer durations will grow.

Thanks to everyone who made the Arnold KB Competition. The list is long and we all know that this meet would not have been possible without folks like Lorraine, Matt M, Andrew, the AKC (Valery, Eric, Jon, Krystina), the IKFF (Ken and Steve), Ironworks FE, and all of those who volunteered their time to judge. Thanks to all of the competitors. This is probably the biggest KB meet to date in the USA (110 competitors). I think it is a very exciting time for the sport and I hope that my posts and advice helps those of you who are struggling see the big picture so that the sport continues to grow.

CI

Snatch Tips from Yours Truly

2009-03-03T13:29:00.000-08:00

Maya Garcia from the Ice Chamber Gym asked if I would do a short interview addressing snatch tips. Snatches are a source of frustration especially for those of us who've got smaller hands, wrists, ect.

Here is the Article. KB Snatch Interview at the Ice Chamber Blog

Keep in mind, this assumes that you've been coached and are proficient in gross movements of the snatch technique. Once you get the technique in order, then you need to really build consistency in the training to further refine the technique.

CI

Survival

2009-01-13T04:39:00.000-08:00

I wrote this blog article for the AKC Blog:

Survival...A Beginner's Guide

It is mainly to serve as a guide for those starting Kettlebell Lifting. Many of us train on our own save the few times a year we may meet with a coach. So, understanding why we recommend certain things and how it pertains to ongoing progress is very critical to keep new lifters from getting overwhelmed and frustrated.

There will be more posts in the future that will hopefully offer more guidance to other lifters based on my experience and things I've been able to pick up from my Coach Valery Fedorenko.

My Friend Eric

2009-01-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

I met Eric in January 2007 during the first AKC Certifciation. He was a quiet and unassuming gentleman.

Since meeting him, all of our correspondence has been online through email, forums or places like Facebook. I've followed Eric's training since Early 2007. During that time, Eric has demonstrated immense dedication and consistency in his Kettlebell Practice. I've read his frustrations at times in his training logs, but he has never quit . In fact, he recently hit a PR of 65 reps with 2-24kg bells and is looking towards 70 reps perhaps even this week. His consistency and spirit are inspiring and some of the reasons I really love the lifting.

While perusing Facebook, I've recently noticed some of Eric's poems and have been quite impressed with them. I was quite taken with this particular one:

A Season Found-

Grey,
And rain falling soft and
Full of the season.
Yet still there seems a wish for snow and
Cold acceptance in the air.
No season stands alone…a blending of
Tomorrow’s dream and a longing
For the warmth of days
Before.
But this rain holds a
Promise -
A season found in every
Drop.

Eric is a published Poet and you can check out his Books at Amazon:

Eric P. McCarty Books

Thanks Eric for providing some beautiful poems and for being a continuous inspiration to those of us who are struggling and training along with you. Your recent poems have also inspired a topic for my next blog post...stay tuned :)

CI

Back to Basics.

2008-12-25T14:41:00.000-08:00

Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.

Lyrics from the Tool Song Lateralus

Those lyrics have stuck with me since I first heard them many years ago. I'm not going to profess to have really related to them all along. However, once I found myself immersed in physical culture, the lyrics had a special meaning to me.

There is a tendency with many of us to want to learn everything at once....to over think. I think we don't always realize that we lack the capacity to immediately utilize all the knowledge available on a given topic or physical skill.

I think about my very wise Martial Arts instructor and Good friend, Jay Damato. He has said many times that when he works with someone in boxing, grappling, or Kali stick drills (really anything), they may be doing 5 or 6 things wrong, but he only points out one thing. Because in reality, fixing one thing at a time is all we are capable of doing. However, in fixing that one issue, the other issues may take care of themselves. Jay doesn't overwhelm someone and he controls the information going to them. Of course, some folks would rather Jay tell them everything at once, but Jay knows best.

I can tell someone everything I know about Kettlebell Lifting, i.e. the gross movements and every little subtle thing that I've figured out through ten thousand reps. However, that would be too much information for most everyone especially anyone that has yet to master the basics. So, in taking a lesson from my friend Jay, I tend to focus on one thing when trying to fix a technique issue.

I also make it a point to not find little things wrong with what someone is doing. That is if what they are doing looks good, I don't look for little things or subtleties that I would change. Why? Those things come from more time and more reps and they are individual. Once someone owns the basics, those little things will be individual to them they will be things that they learn in the fire of training.

I will also not point out something minor because it could be mere nit-picking. As teachers or coaches, we often try to find something wrong just to show our superiority or that maybe we think hey they need me to find something; they need something to fix. But as teachers or coaches, we need to have the confidence to say, "you know, that looks good". In reality, many times what your students need is confidence. If you nit pick, you may cause them to over think or over analyze and that may in turn cause them to regress.

My Coach Valery Fedorenko is great in handing out the right information at the right time. He is good at disseminating the information in the proper doses. I remember one instance when Valery made a suggestion on someone's snatch. They said, "he said last time my snatch looked fine". I said, "Well, it probably did look good to him given how long you were doing it. Valery knew that you weren't ready for more information. He knew that if he presented you with that minor detail that you wouldn't focus on the things you were doing well."

If you want to learn a new physical skill, master the basics. If you want to coach and teach others, focus on teaching the basics and keep your students focused on them.. Get good at handing out the right information at the appropriate time. If you give to much information to soon, it may derail them.

As a coach and a student, I'm merely going to say don't over think or over analzye; Your body and mind need to work together and you want to build good basic movement patterns. If you are coaching, learn how to find out if the student has a grasp of the basics, get a sense for the information that they really need. Don't over think or over analyze the corrections they need to make. Their confidence in their abilities is more critical to their progression than any little minor change you could suggest.

CI

700 Mile Therapy

2008-11-17T14:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday, I traveled to Cincinnati, OH for the day to pick up 9 KBs and see a few friends at the AKC Certification. I would have gone up Friday night, but I had a commitment on Saturday evening that I needed to keep. So, I drove 350 miles each way in one day to grab the bells and visit for a few hours.

I used to make at least one long drive a month when I was involved in a long distance relationship. I enjoyed the drives. As I headed east on I64 at 6am , the sun was rising over the clouds. I realized how much I missed them.

At some points yesterday, I felt like I had the road completely to myself. While passing through Illinois and Indiana, I would go several minutes before seeing other cars. It was great.

I don’t require tall mountains or exotic scenery for visual stimulation. Of course, fall foliage is wonderful and there were some pretty scenic stretches yesterday especially through the Hoosier National Forest. However, I found myself more fascinated with the lonely farm houses and the endless dirt roads. There is experience in those things.

While I’ve become a much more social animal over the last few years, I still love my alone time. Driving fits the bill for me. I’ve got an IPOD packed with nearly 500 songs, and a Satellite radio with 100s of channels at my disposal.

Most people probably don’t realize how much I love music. Now, I won’t profess to love all music, but I do have a pretty diverse selection on the IPOD. I’ve always loved music and rarely go a day without listening to it. Consequently, my life has somewhat of a soundtrack. A song would play and I would be taken back to long days at the summer pool when I was in my teens or the early 90s when I partied way too much ;)

This reflection or state of being just typically won’t happen if I just hear the music in my daily commute. It usually has to be on an open road and a long drive with few distractions…but the music will bring those out those long lost faces, good and bad memories unlike anything else.

Reflection is a powerful thing. It helps me see how far I’ve come over the years both physically and emotionally. I no longer think of bad memories as bad; I think of them as experience. Sure, they were painful at the time, but I survived and emerged Ok. I realized in spite of some things that have happened this year, that I’ve still got it pretty damn good and that for the most part, I've always been moving forward.

Driving back last night was rough. I was tired. In spite of the exhaustion, the day gave me a sense of accomplishment. The last few weeks, I’ve been mired in apathy and I knew I needed something to snap me out this funk and help me focus on my workouts and projects. I’ve had ideas for AKC/KB articles and such that I just couldn’t get completed because of this fog, but I think it has started to lift now thanks to the 700 Mile Therapy.

Ice Chamber Kettlebell Documentary

2008-09-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

Steven and Maya owners of the Ice Chamber gym put together a great video. It includes training highlights, and their teams journey to the NAKF meet in Flint Michigan, and several highlights from the meet.

Video

It is great to see a video of actual KB training in a great facility like the Ice Chamber. Moreover, it's great to see the enthusiasm about the lifting and how they are using it to meet their fitness goals. Lastly, it is great to see what a wonderful job Steve and Maya have done coaching their team. These ladies did great and I have no doubt they will do even better at the next competition.

CI

Kettlebell Immersed

2008-09-18T14:27:00.000-07:00

I wrote this entry mainly for aspiring KB Lifters and Coaches, but you could substitute KBs for just about anything and it would still apply

Kettlebell Immersed

Marko's Ogre Story

2008-09-16T17:18:00.001-07:00

Check out Marko's blog. Marko is my Finnish friend and fellow KB Lifter. He has written a several part story about the competition in Ogre Latvia where he first met Team USA. I really enjoyed the account of his trip and was touched by the events leading up to it.

Be sure to check all the parts!

Marko's Ogre Story

CI

Congrats to Finland Kettlebell Lifters

2008-08-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, some of our Finnish friends took part in the Ventspils Latvia IUKL Competition.

We've had the pleasure of meeting a couple of folks from the Finland team on separate occasions.

We first met Marko Suomi in November 2006 at the IGSF World Championships in Ogre, Latvia. Marko hadn't been lifting long. But, turned in a gutsy set with the 32s. I believe Marko was hooked and inspired after this competition. He is the "Lorraine Patten" of Finland. On his own, he has done a very good job of trying to promote the sport in his country and learn all he can about the lifting. This is hard when you don't have regular access to coaching, but Marko and the other lifters from Finland have stayed after it. In fact, Marko spearheaded a Virtual KB Lifting meet this weekend with participants from Finland, Australia and of course the USA.

Earlier this summer, we met Kukka Lasko in Hamburg. Kukka and I had corresponded online, and I gave her some training tips. Kukka is strong and when she gets her technique down, she will be putting up some bigger numbers. In Ventspils, she turned in a PR performance of 89 reps in the Snatch with a 16kg bell. She went 7.5 minutes. She did this in spite of being sick 3-4 weeks before the competition and being unable to train. Healthy, I have no doubts she would easily broken 100.

Training Bio

2008-08-18T13:28:00.001-07:00

This is actually a repost of a blog I wrote on my old site Titled "We All Started Somewhere". However, given recent internet discussions and debates, I feel it is worth reposting and for me re-reading.

How did I get here to Kettlebell Lifting as my primary source of training and why is the journey important?

I started weightlifting when I was 13 years old at a summer weightlifting camp. I actually remember starting earlier than that when I would routinely grab my dad's dumbbells and try to curl them. I've always loved strength training and had a fascination with lifting heavy things.

In the 9th Grade, I tried out and failed to make the Jr. High basketball team. I was crushed. Sports and athletics had been something that I always wanted to do. I was afraid that I may actually have to enroll in a non-athletic program, and my friend said, hey what about Cross Country? I said, "do I look like a runner?" She said, "No, but the throwers get to enroll in Cross Country and they lift weights in the off-season". It was a dream come true. I enrolled in Cross Country. 3 of us had a simple but well-equipped weight room to ourselves. The other 2 were 2 years older than I was. We had basic olympic barbell weights, one lifting platform, and one or 2 squat cages. Most of our lifting comprised of compound movements, bench pressing, squatting, power cleans, ect. Mind you, we were lifting un-supervised for the most part. Two days a week we did running, sprints ect. I'll be the first to admit, we probably weren't the most adept lifters, but by the time I was 16, I had benched 150lbs, and squatted (although not a full squat), 300. We were strong for our age. At that time, I had no appreciation for the basic movements we were doing.. I also had little appreciation for the role of strength training, build, and other factors in athletics. I was arguably one of the strongest throwers, but was not one of the best.

After leaving High School, I didn't do any serious exercise for a couple of years. My idea of exercise was an occasional basketball or recreational softball game. I gained a lot of weight after high school. I ballooned up to 210. I managed to lose 60 pounds without serious exercise, but I knew I wouldn't keep the weight off, so I joined the gym. Even at 150 lbs, I was "fat". Several years of inactivity, and I no longer had any of my High School muscle. At the time, Gold's was running something called Nutrionanalysis. It really was a pre-cursor to body for life, but you basically ate 6 meals per day, worked out 5 or 6 days a week and did cardio. They took measurements at the beginning and after 12 weeks. All of the weight training consisted of machine circuits with 8-10 machines. Of course, I didn't fully appreciate the simplicity and the effectiveness of the High School weight room I had and thought that these modern machines were much better. Well, I went through the program with great results even on those blasted machines. I went from 150lbs - 30% bodyfat, to 165lbs-22% bodyfat. The trainer was stunned at the results. My clothes were definitely loose...and I was able to regain the lost muscle..with machines. But, I was consistent with my training and diet.....

For several years, I worked out at the gym and did a pretty good job maintaining what I had accomplished. I might have gained back a few pounds, but I was consistent and I enjoyed the routine of the gym; I enjoyed and took pride in my 30-45 minute bouts on the stairmaster or life cycle. Then life happened....

My Grandmother passed away in 1995. This was a life-changing event. I had lived with my Grandmother from the time I was 18 until the time she passed away when I was 23. Even when I was young, she only lived less than a mile from us. She was always a source of stability in our family when we went through some very hard times. Needless to say, her passing was a major milestone in my life and I fell into a depression as a result. I pretty much abandoned all exercise. I made it to work every night on the graveyard shift, but could rarely sleep more than 2 hours a day...I was ridden with insomnia and wasn't eating.

In January of 1996, I was given the opportunity for a promotion if I moved to St. Louis. This was my opportunity to get out on my own and grow up. Of course, this opportunity wasn't without it's challenges. I was on a startup project and I worked 4 or 5 months straight (on graveyards) without a day off, and sometimes worked as much as 100 hours per week (and this was for $27K per year). Needless to say, while I might have been minding my career, I had totally neglected my body. I gained back all the weight I had lost and stopped caring about the food I put into my mouth.

While the job I had taken was a good stepping stone, I knew there was no future in the company. I also knew that working the graveyard shift was not good for my long-term well being. So,I found a better paying job with better hours. After settling in to this position, I was quite content with work, but very unhappy with my appearance and my overall health. So, I rejoined the gym. For a few months, I went on an irregular basis. I was still in school at night working on my bachelors or routinely had to work late. So, it was hard for me to juggle the gym with school and work. Well, I knew that the only thing I could do was go in the mornings.

I started working out at Gold's Gym in downtown St. Louis in the morning at 5:30. I got the consistency back. I started back with a mix of barbell and machine lifts, and got back into a regular routine of cardio. I met some great people in the morning. The morning types were always friendly but were always there to work out-not socialize. It was here that I met Francine. She and I both recognized that we were both "strong" girls. We started working out together. Francine introduced me to some high intensity training, circuits and stuff. At that time, they were harder than anything I had done. I still did curls, leg machine stuff, but I had re-integrated squats, some ugly Power cleans, and bench pressing back into my training.

Francine also introduced me to California Martial Arts Academy where I've made some lifelong friends with folks like my instructor Jay Damato and his wife Robin Veale. CMAA is a mixed martial arts school. I loved learning BJJ, boxing, ect. However, I quickly realized that while I was strong, my strength did not serve me that well in this environment. It was like I was in high school..very strong, but the strength didn't readily benefit me for this type of sport. After I got my butt kicked several times, I began to realize that I needed to focus on relaxing and learning and practicing the specific skills.

My progress in the gym had stalled. I had been an avid reader of MM2K and seen several of Pavel's articles. I picked up a copy of PTP. I started regular deadlifting for the first time in my life, and applied the principles to the bench press while I worked to side press the olympic barbell. After 6 months or so of dedicated training, I had worked up to 265X5 on the deadlift and 210X3 on the bench press, and was finally able to side press the bar. It was around this time that Pavel had an article related to using dumbbells for KB lifts like swings, clean and jerks and snatches. So, based on his article, I started finishing my workouts with dumbbell swings, C&Js(although I hated them with dumbbells..they were awkward for high reps), and snatches. I immediately saw the benefits in this training. My conditioning was rapidly improving..so much so that the cardio equipment was a far less challenge.

After a year or so of this training, I finally forked over the cash for a 12kg and 16kg KB. I immediately discovered why everyone was saying they were far better than dumbbells for these lifts. I remember snatching the 16kg KB the first time and fighting to stabilize it at the top. I still did the barbell lifts at the gym, but by this time I had abandoned all single joint movements like curls, tricep extensions and leg extensions. I would do a strength session in the morning, and save the ballistics for the evening. Within a few months, I had noticed a tremendous increase in my endurance on the mat. I could outlast guys who were stronger and bigger. I also was just simply moving better. I started to appreciate the idea of training movement and not muscle!

I started posting a little on the DD forum about my results. I purchased a 24kg after 6 months. I was able to use it for swings, and worked diligently to press it. It was around this time that Kettlebell Sport or GS was a hot topic on DD. Chicago was hosting a meet in Jan of 2004, so I decided to make the drive and compete. I didn't have any anticipation of winning; I didn't train specifically for it. I think I did 95 total on my snatches and 30 jerks with the 16kg. I loved the atmoshpere and I met some very cool people that day.

In spite of a "strike scare" at work, I managed to make it on a last minute plane ticket deal to Sterling, VA in May 2004 for the NAKF Nationals. The results of the competition are unimportant, but what is important is that I finally got to meet Lorraine and Christine and made several other good friends through this meet. Steve Cotter was in attendance and I got to meet him for the first time. Like the Chicago competition, I loved the largely supportive atmoshpere and the grit of the competitors.

In June of 2004, I attended my first RKC. It was another great opportunity to meet great like-minded people. It was a fun and informative workshop.

I continued to attempt to improve my numbers in the Snatch and Jerk the only way I knew how. I continued to train some at the gym and some at home. In December of 2004, I finally squeaked by and made CMS numbers. In February 2005, I attended a Valery Federenko workshop in San Diego. It was here that I finally understood how to structure my training and that in turn caused me to look at my training differently.

Numbers are really important to most of us and for good reason; they are a representation of progress. I had to put my ego aside with this new information. I had to learn pacing and duration training. Moreover, I had to learn how to relax while stressed. I'm not talking about tension and relaxation although that is important...I'm talking about learning to breath; learning to accept discomfort and learning how to safely push through it. Endurance activities (aside from cardio machines) were things that I had generally avoided. I really wanted to make 10 minutes and learned to put the numbers aside and work towards that goal. In doing that, I not only went 10 minutes, but saw my numbers shoot up. I hit 183 by May of 2005.

Even with all these benefits, I viewed this type of training as a seasonal-competition thing. It wasn't that I didn't do snatches, jerks, ect. But, I didn't keep my attention on training for time until several months out for a meet. Even though I knew the benefits of this training, I still just did it for the sport. That's not to say that I stopped training or stopped training intensely.

This year has been another turning point in my training. I've come to really appreciate Kettlebell Lifting, not only for the sport or a specific competition but as a viable training modality in it's own right. My conditioning has never been better and neither has my recovery. Now that I'm finding consistency in my diet, I'm once again losing fat. What is the point of this very long-winded training bio?

Many of us are often zealous when it comes to our training. We are quick to judge others that may work on machines or do something we know or think is probably less effective. Remember that a large portion of our population doesn't do anything for exercise. I found success with machine training at the age of 20 because I was consistent with it and mindful of my diet. Was it the best thing I could have been doing? No. But, it served a purpose at that point in my life and I learned that consistency is extremely important as well as the diet.

I've come full circle....My garage gym is very similar in simplicity and effectiveness of my high school weight room from 20 years ago. I couldn't be happier with the arrangement even in the dead of winter when it is 20 degrees and in the summer when temps approach 110 in the evening.

Remember..we all started somewhere. It is the journey that makes me appreciate my current training modaility. I'm now reminded of the Rush Lyric "The point of the Journey is not to arrive". Every step in the journey has been a learning experience and the journey isn't over.
CI.

IKFF/NAKF Meet in Michigan

2008-07-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Flew to Flint, MI last weekend to attend the IKFF/NAKF meet. This was a great meet in terms of competitor turnout and organization. We had over 50 competitors. I didn't compete this time around. I needed a mental break from competitions and it turned out to be a good decision as I caught a cold earlier in the week. In addition to that, it allowed me to lend a hand to Ken, Lorraine, and Matt and the rest of the volunteers to ensure the meet ran as smoothly as possible.

Just a few of the many noteworthy accomplishments: Marty Farrell returned to the platform after major surgery and did a 10 minute LCC&J set with 2-24kg bells. Scott Helsley made a valiant attempt at a MS ranking in the LCC&J with 2-32kg bells. He missed by only 4 reps. He's very close! Friend Boris Bachman was the sole competitor in the mens 32kg Biathlon. He did an impressive snatch set (over 50 total reps). Glad he made the trip. Chris Duffy turned in an awesome performance in the Biathlon and did 106 reps with 2-24kg bells. It has been fun to watch his progress since meeting him in Boston last September. Phillip Humphrey also did very well.

Andrew Durniat competed with the 24s since his time lately has been dedicated to his Strongman endeavors and he was recovering from a recent Strongman competition. Of course, he had an impressive performance. In addition to that, he did some awesome grip and strongman demonstrations. Unfortunately, we were busy tallying the results so I had to catch the highlights on the video.

The most rewarding thing about this competition was watching some folks that I have trained/Coached shine not only as competitors but as KB Lifting Coaches. Maya and Steven were both at the January Certification in San Diego. Steven was in my squad. They've taken information from Valery Fedorenko, AKC Coaches Like Jon Hoskins and myself, and have done very well at absorbing it and then disseminating it to their students at the Ice Chamber Gym. Their ability to learn and to coach was reflected in Maya's awesome 16kg LCC&J performance, and the awesome performance of all of their students.

It was also rewarding to watch up and coming lifters like Eric St. Onge and Sean Armstead. I worked with these guys in Toronto. Their technique is coming along and I'm really looking forward to watching their continued progress. Eric turned in gutsy performances in the 40kg LCC&J and Chair Press events.

There were many many other great performances. It was great seeing Liberty Gray and the rest of the Michigan crew. Liberty turned in some awesome 10 minute sets including going the full 10 on the 24kg LCC&J event.

Our Irongarm friend Andy (Andy74) made the trip to watch the event. If you don't know about Irongarm, you probably shouldn't ask. He seemed bored initially, but quickly got into it. Lorraine and I were so thankful he stuck around for the evening festivities. It was great seeing him again. We hadn't seen him since the Sterling, VA competition in May 2004. Thanks for coming down and hanging out Andy! Along those lines, our friend Peter Silverman also made it to the competition to watch. He couldn't stick around for the party, but it was good to see him again.

We had a great dinner on Saturday night. It was fun hanging out with the competitors and of course knocking back some cold ones with my steak. I had a little too much to drink, but my cold is gone now.

Thanks to Ken, Matt and Lorraine for helping organize the event and to all folks who volunteered as judges. Thanks to Valery, Eric and Marty for making the trip from Cincinnati to show your support. Most importantly, thanks to all the folks for making the trip and stepping onto the platform. The turnout will defiitely help the continued growth of this sport.

I did a poor job of taking photos again (got a few to download of Lorraine and Andy). Here are a couple of great links that detail the event along with the photos.

Ice Chamber Blog

Boris Bachman's Account of the Festivities

Check out the last 2 posts in Scott's Blog...

Funny Guy Scott Helsley's Twist on the Events.

CI

Got Gratitude?

2008-07-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

Gratitude is a funny thing sometimes. It's a "feeling" for most of us. That feeling is easy to come by when all is right in the world. However, Gratitude is a fleeting feeling or moment when things don't necessarily go the way we would like them to go and times get tough.

Like many folks, I've got an interesting back story. I grew up at times in a fairly impoverished home by American standards. My parents always struggled to make ends meet. Our diet consisted of Potatoes, Pancakes, and other bad cheap stuff. Our electricity and other utilities were occasionally shut off, and in the summer of my 10th grade year, we lost our house. Still, we were never without a roof over our heads thanks to my Grandmother. She used most of her saved money to make sure we had shelter and clothes in times when it was difficult for my parents to provide for us. Mind you, my Grandmother had modest means. She lived in a 900 Sq ft house on an income of less than 800.00 a month. She had no central heat and no air conditioning. She drove a small beat up car. So, when our family needed help, my Grandmother went back to work full-time at the age of 67 and worked full-time until she was 74.

When I graduated from HS, she let me live with her when my parents moved into a smaller place (I'm the oldest of 4 children) so that I could attend college part time while working. When I was in my late teens even early 20s, I'm sure I didn't feel adequate gratitude for my Grandmother or even my family in general. I was too focused on all the things I didn't have at the time to be thankful for the opportunity my Grandmother provided.

Over the years, She taught me to be generous. Even though I learned the lesson later in life, her generous actions taught me that when things are going rough, fall back to gratitude. Instead of taking inventory of everything that is going wrong, take an inventory of the things you do have. This will help you get through the tougher times faster because you won't be paralyzed by self-pity.

Why write this blog entry now? Well, it's really pretty minor in the grand scheme of things but I feel it is important nonetheless.

As some of you know, the WKC decided to postpone the World Kettlebell Lifting Championships until spring next year. The primary reason for this decision was because they could not get Eastern European lifters to attend in September. There simply isn't enough time for them to get the funds together for travel and to fit this competition into their schedule.

As team captain, I was notified of this decision a few hours prior to the official announcement. Of course, my initial response was disappointment. In terms of the USA female competitors, few have trained harder or longer than I have for these meets. I had truly just about reached the peak of what I could do with a 16kg. So, I was definitely looking for an opportunity to showcase my skills with the 20kg.

As disappointed as I was when I heard the news, I realized I would have been far more disappointed if we had a competition with no International Women. It would not be a true World KB Lifting competition without them and would not have the same meaning.

After I got over the initial disappointment, I realized how thankful I am for the WKC. I'm thankful that they made this decision. It is the right thing to do under the circumstances.

Over the last 2 years, they've been extremely generous. Several of us won huge cash prizes in Miami. Even though there were no international female competitors, the WKC made good on the prizes. Everyone in Miami that competed got a Gift Certificate that was equivalent to a free KB. Many folks in Vegas got these prizes as well.

I'm thankful to be part of an organization that is merit based and cares about the competitors and the sport. They have given me and others opportunities to compete in quality meets. They have provided coaching to develop us as Kettlebell Lifters. They've also given me opportunities to coach and help others in a sport that I absolutely love.

Once I was able to feel this gratitude, I was immediately filled with ideas on how we can still make the Toronto event a great event for those who will still attend. We are working to build our team right now. This would be a great opportunity for folks to get more time on the platform that lack experience. This will allow us an opportunity to provide extra coaching to folks who are really interested in this sport and provide more training to folks interested in Judging.

Most importantly, it will still provide us an opportunity to get together and lift Kettlebells!

I dedicate this post to my Grandmother. She passed away in 1995 at the age of 75 while I was living with her. Her actions taught me very valuable lessons on generosity, gratitude and of course, hard work. Those lessons have contributed to most if not all of the success I have had professionally and with KB Sport.

CI

Do you need more Strength?

2008-07-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

This seems like a stupid question. Many who likely visit this site have an interest in Strength and Conditioning and building strength in some capacity may likely be a primary goal. Stick with me....

I assisted at an AKC certification in Toronto nearly 2 weeks ago. On Sunday of the certification, I was asked to give a talk. I was asked the following question: "Should I do some sort of gripper or grip strength work for my snatches?" This was a great question because there are a lot of misconceptions on assistance exercises and how much strength you need for Kettlebell Sport. So, needless to say I went on a productive tangent.

Clearly in a sport like Powerlifting, maximal strength is the goal. I would imagine that maximal strength would be the primary factor in a Strongman competition. In a sport like Weightlifting (Olympic Lifting), strength is a major component. Obviously, if you cannot deadlift 300lbs or Front Squat 300lbs, you aren't going to be able to do a clean with 300lbs. However, there are other attributes in Weightlifting that are very important; Timing, Speed and Flexibility (I'm sure there are others, but I don't know shit about Weightlifting). So, if you can Front Squat over 320lbs and deadlift over 350lbs, but can't clean 300lbs WTF is your problem :) ?

For the sake of this discussion, we'll talk about Kettlebell Sport because it is really the only thing I like to discuss.

Kettlebell Sport is very new in the USA. The folks who have done well in this country tend to have a decent (and in some cases elite) strength background.

It seems intuitive to us that the stronger we get, the better we will get at the KB Sport lifts. If I strengthen my grip, I will last longer on my snatches. If I strengthen my press, my Jerks will get better. My favorite one is "I need to build more leg strength with squats". This all assumes that strength is the limiting attribute. In my observations, this usually isn't the case.

Now, is there anything inherently wrong with any of those things, Squats, Grip exercises, presses? Hell No.

The issue is misapplication of those principles. The focus on strength (Maximal Strength) may keep folks from actually bettering their technique and progressing. We know that you need strength to build strength endurance. However, if you are relatively strong, the tendency may be to rely solely on that strength instead of building the other important attributes of the lifts; Speed, Flexibility, Timing and Tension/Relaxation mastery ect.(NOTE: I'm not even talking about pacing in a set, just the actual attributes of the lifts).

I would propose that if you are really strong, that you may have a harder time developing the other attributes out of the blocks even if you are otherwise very athletic. Your strength will serve you well initially and may even give you a false sense that your technique is adequate. If you're really strong, you will look good relative to your peers with equal experience. Once you make the decision to jump out of the small pond (Local Meets) and across the ocean (International), you'll discover that strength isn't enough.

How do I know this? I know from my own experience. In 2005, I was getting better at snatches..slowly. However, I couldn't Jerk my way out of a paper bag. I couldn't do more than 40 reps with 2-16kg bells and couldn't go longer than 4 minutes. Yet, I could press a pair of 24kg bells for probably 8-10 reps, and press a single 32kg bell for reps. Why couldn't I do more Jerks? Well, I didn't have the flexibility for the rack and I didn't have the speed/timing for getting under the bells for starters(there were many other issues). I simply wasn't that athletic. After 30 reps, my shoulders were toast. My initial reaction was to build more strength. More strength would have maybe added a few reps, but it wasn't going to push my reps into a respectable range, i.e. double them.

As stated in other posts; In 2007, I abandoned all low rep strength training and focused on building my skills and other attributes with the primary KB Lifts. Where am I today? Well, last week I did 66 reps in 5 minutes with 2-16kg bells; This was not a max effort, i.e. I could have kept going albeit at a slower pace. I haven't trained double jerks in 4 or 5 months. The last time I did a 10 minute set, I believe I did close to 90 reps. I have a feeling that 100 reps in 10 min is doable now. I can also go a while with a pair of 20s. On a good day, I can still press the 32kg for a single. I don't quite have the pressing strength I had back when I did more pressing, yet I can do 2 times the amount of Jerks (and I weigh 35lbs less than I did in 2005).

During my Sunday Speech, I drew a parallel to grappling. When I started grappling (BJJ/Sambo) in 1999, I was pretty damn strong (300lb+ Backsquat/200lb Bench Press). I would rely on my strength when rolling and slowly realized that it wasn't about that. Sure, before I knew the techniques, strength would allow me to keep from getting tapped as quickly if I were rolling around with another novice. However, it didn't mean much when going against someone experienced. And as long as I relied on my strength, it kept me from developing the other attributes. When I learned to relax, became more flexible, and improved my technique (by learning to properly utilize my strength and flexibility), my performance drastically improved.

The argument will always be that more strength will not hurt you in your sport. I would propose that folks learn to properly utilize their existing strength by learning when and how to apply it in concert with all of the other attributes. What good are super strong legs for a 10 minute set if you haven't developed the speed and timing to get under the bells on a Jerk? Your legs won't be what fails you. It will be your shoulders and your arms.

What good is a great grip if you don't have the timing and quickness on the snatch for a crisp (stop on a dime) lockout? A good lockout ensures the bell lands in the right spot. If you are pacing yourself, this position is critical to utilize the skeletal system. That is the way we support the weight of the bell overhead; grip will get taxed overhead-not just on the downswing. This position is also critical for longevity since it builds shoulder stability.

Why do I say all of this? Because there are only 24 hours in a day. Most of us have jobs and limited time to train. If your goal is to improve your numbers in these lifts, then you may be spinning your wheels if you try to inject pure strength training into your regimen in hopes that it will be a silver bullet. For one thing, your CNS can only handle so much. If you are still trying to build the other attributes, that construction may be hampered by supplemental training (that may be unnecessary).

So, am I saying to not do it? No. What I'm saying is that you need to understand the role of it in the sport. You need to know if it is really what you need or if you are choosing to do it because it is what you like to do or because you are good at doing it and it makes you feel better about yourself :) Ultimately, if it keeps you from addressing your weaknesses, then I would say it shouldn't be in your regimen if your primary goal is to improve your numbers.

Now, if you've got very good technique and possess all the aforementioned attributes and you want to focus on maximal strength, knock yourself out as long as it doesn't set you back. Who knows, then it may be the thing that you need or at least a good mental break. However, most of us are not yet in that position. We are plenty strong. We are just slow or inflexible or both :)

Resilience

2008-06-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

The WKC is moving to the 20kg at the Toronto meet this year. I’m in total agreement with this move in terms of the Professional Women’s division. Knowing that, I wanted to make a very good showing in Vegas and in Hamburg with the 16kg. As many know, we didn’t get our chance to take the platform in San Diego at the IGSF Worlds. So, Hamburg was another chance to compete with some of the best in the world.

This winter and spring, I trained very diligently. I missed maybe one snatch and one Jerk workout in 3 months, and most weeks snatched and jerked 6 days in a row. I snatched even when my hands hurt and even when I didn’t feel 100%. I would throttle back the pace or duration, but I lifted the Kettlebells.

In May, I had a disappointing set in Vegas. I didn’t hit what I had planned in Jerks or Snatches. What I didn’t disclose to many folks was that one week prior to Vegas I was in a car accident. Luckily, I was uninjured ($6500 damage to the truck), but didn’t really account for the toll on my nervous system. It showed in my final training sets, but I didn’t really put two and two together. I just fatigued faster and unable to move with the same precision that I had the week before the accident. It wasn’t until after I returned from Vegas that I had really given it any thought. I shrugged it off and focused on Hamburg.

When I got to Hamburg, I felt good. Sure, there was jet lag. But, I hydrated (something I didn’t do in Vegas very well). I slept. So, when I only managed 187 reps (That is a competition low for me since Latvia), I was extremely shocked and disappointed. There was a lot of second guessing myself. Like maybe if I had come out at this pace or that pace, or did I really push hard enough? Clearly, I couldn’t sustain the 24rpm pace I had planned. I had 114 reps in 4:40 but found it hard to breath and slowed down significantly in the last 5 minutes.

I tend to set lofty goals for myself. In some respects, I am very much a risk taker. With risk there can be reward but sometimes there is disappointment.

That being said…I did what I had trained to do and it just didn’t work out on that day. I took the risk of coming out fast. Now, if I had paced myself differently, I may have had a shot at first place. The first place winner did 211 reps. That was not anywhere near her best effort. Then again, I had a number in mind and not a place or medal. So, that is where the experience comes into play. Even though it was a competition, I looked at it as more of a platform for me to push myself.

I’ve thought a lot about this. I realized that while I’ve been training consistently on the KB lifts for several years, I’m still relatively inexperienced when it comes to competing. Before Kettlebell Sport, I had not really seriously competed in anything since 10th grade Track and Field 20 years ago. I’m certainly not experienced when it comes to any sort of International competition. One attribute that I still lack is the ability to gauge how I feel on competition day and make the necessary adjustments to my pace. It’s funny that I do this in training all the time. For all the awareness I have now that I didn’t have prior to this training, I know that it could be much better.

Upon returning from Hamburg, I started training again. I realized that I’m not defined by one or two competitions. I am defined by my ability to keep training and keep competing. I am a Kettlebell Lifter. I am resilient. In my opinion, Resilience is the hallmark of a Kettlebell Lifter. I’m not just talking physical resilience, but emotional resilience. It is the ability to look at the big picture and the long term goals in your training and learn from the experience of every competition whether it be good or bad.

Resilience is forged by the modality itself. It is further solidified by lifting when your hands are sore, or lifting in a hot or cold garage and of course lifting on those days when you don’t quite feel up to it….or bouncing back after some lackluster competitions ;)

When I got back from Hamburg, I reread a blog post from last year titled “Why do you Compete?” That’s the great thing about blogging, it is a way to get your thoughts down for future reference. There is much more to it than the number, the place or the ranking. I just need to quiet my ego and remember that more often.

The competition was but one aspect of the Hamburg trip. Certainly it was the facilitator for the travel and the trip, but the overall experience was indeed very valuable. Thanks again to all who participated.

CI

The Hamburg Experience

2008-06-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Last week/weekend, I traveled to Hamburg, Germany for an International Kettlebell Lifting competition. Actually, it was the World Championship for Long Cycle Clean and Jerk (LCC&J). The womens competition was Snatch only and an International Meet.

I flew out on Wednesday and arrived in Germany on Thursday afternoon when I met up with Team America. Upon arriving, I was quickly briefed on the rules of walking on the sidewalks. Evidently, the bike lanes are marked (in some cases) with a different color of brick.

Some of our team stayed in Ahrensburg, a suburb of sorts outside of Hamburg. Our friend and fellow KB Lifter Stefan lived only a couple of blocks down the street from our quaint hotel. Here is the site: http://www.nummer-8.de/. Leave it to me to not take pictures... It was very convenient in that we could easily meet up with Stefan and his lovely wife Maneula or we could easily catch a bus into town.

The town center of Ahrensburg was very cool. Plenty of great places to eat. Many people walking around, riding bikes, ect. I loved this place. The atmosphere was very laid back and relaxing. Did I mention the near perfect weather?

On Saturday, we traveled into Hamburg for the competition by rented VW Bus. Some of our team rented the bus for the group, but more importantly so that we could transport the weights needed for Andrew’s Attempt at a WR Double Overhand Axle DeadLift.

At the sports hall, we connected with the rest of our teammates and Head Coach Valery Fedorenko. We weighed and registered, and sat and sat and sat…You get the idea…We got there at 9am and I don't think I was on the platform until 4pm. Jet lag was setting in and I was dozing off in the stands. Some of the delay was due to the fact that they use the “Just In Time” methodology for building platforms which ended up being very shoddy, but what can you do?

Andrew Durniat was the first on our team to compete. He competed in the LCC&J. He did an impressive 45 Reps with 2-32kg bells.

As always, there were many great performances. Anytime I get to watch someone like Fedor Fuglev do 85 reps with 2-32kg bells, I’m amazed! The lighter weight class guys were probably the most impressive overall.

Our new Ukranian Friend, Alona (who spoke excellent English) turned in an awesome snatch set in the 60kg class with 174 reps. I get the feeling that she hasn’t been doing this very long and she was personally coached by Yuri Scherbina (IGSF President). We will be staying in touch with her.

Lubya the WR Holder from the Ukraine took the 70kg class (of course) even though her numbers were quite lower than what we know she is capable of doing. She had some blister issues and stopped her set a little early to save the hands and ended up with 190 reps.

In spite of having some asthma issues, Lorraine Patten turned in a gutsy performance and took 1st in her age division. Our friend Kukka from Finland who is very new to this sport had a good performance and improved her numbers significantly from the last competition. She is very strong and when she gets more technically adept, she will be one to watch.

Susanna and I were in the same flight. Susanna did a good paced 10 min set and took third with 155 reps.. I took second even though I had a relatively bad set and got 187 reps. I will elaborate on that experience in another blog post. 1st place for the 70+kg class was a very talented girl from the Ukraine (I say girl because she looks young). She did 211 reps. Her numbers were down from what I saw her do in San Diego, so it wasn’t a great day for most of us snatching.

After the women, the men Masters lifted. Teammate David Zink turned in an awesome performance of 85 reps with 2-24kg bells.. David has come a long way. He took his age division in the 75kg class with a first place Trophy!

Our German Friends, Stefan and Harry, turned in great performances in the Masters Division. We also watched Fedor Fuglev lift a second time in the Masters division. He did 101 reps with the 24s in less than 10 min.

The awards ceremony was a great moment to watch several on our team take the platform for Medals and Trophies. Of course, I didn't get pics of this, but I know video and photos were taken. Stay tuned.

After the competition, some of us grabbed beers and some of us(not me) loaded up the Axle with 461 pounds. We then watched Andrew Durniat set a new WR for the Double Overhand Axle Deadlift. It was great to watch him do this in person especially while drinking a beer. The lift was made official because our new German Friend, Dr. Hermann Korte from Ironmind made the trip to Hamburg to Witness it!

Stefan also loaded up his inch dumbbell. It was fun to watch all the guys try to lift and then to watch Andrew come over and lift it...easily.

On Saturday night, Stefan and his lovely wife Manuela had us over to their house for a great barbecue…We played around with KBs, grip stuff, ect. If someone asked me about my idea of Heaven, I might point them to this barbecue. It was a perfect evening filled with Good Food, Good Beer, and most importantly Great Friends. It was a great ending to a challenging day.

On Sunday, we made several trips to Ahrensburg and a trip into Hamburg. We had to find a bunch of Euros to pay cash for our quaint hotel. We said goodbye to our Finnish friend Kukka. We’ll be seeing her again...

On Sunday evening, we met up with our friends for dinner..I finally found one of my favorite beers at this restaurant....Berliner Weiss. It is a very light (Probably low-alcohol) almost champagne like beer. That beer along with Franziskaner and a good steak made for another great meal.

Our German friends were great and very hospitable. Stefan and Manuela are 2 of the nicest folks I’ve ever met. They made this trip painless on so many levels. It was great to meet Harry. I've corresponded with him and seen his posts for years on several forums. He and I exchanged T-Shirts. It was great to meet Hermann Korte. We will likely be seeing all these folks again as we plan to do more traveling to Europe later this year and next year for more competitions.

Thanks to Lorraine for basically spearheading this trip and making the hotel arrangements for many of us. Thanks to Matt M for offering moral support and humor throughout the entire trip. As you can see from the Photo above, Matt will be the new Spokesman for Billy Boy Condoms :). Matt and Susanna also spent a lot of time coordinating the uniforms that were generously provided by the AKC. Thanks to David, Andrew, Ashley, Susanna and Lorraine for competing and providing a great representation of KB lifters from the USA!

Thanks to Steve Cotter and his lovely family for attending the competition and supporting the team!

Last but not least, thanks to our Head Coach Valery Fedorenko. It was rewarding that the Europeans had noticed our significant improvement. We fit in well this time. I had several folks come up to me including the IGSF figureheads and congratulate me. Even though we didn’t speak the same language, it was clear that they were impressed with our collective performance. We’ve all come a long way and I don’t believe our improvement since our last International Competition would have been possible without our Coach!

CI

AKC Classic and Training Update

2008-05-12T16:22:00.000-07:00

It's been too long since my last blog post. But, I've really been focused on my training.

May 3rd the AKC Classic was held in Las Vegas. As always this was a great time to catch up with many friends like Ken Blackburn and Steve Cotter (and of Course Fellow Team Captain Marty!) and there were also many new faces. I was very happy to finally meet Scott Shetler. I feel like I know the guy from seeing him post online. He didn't disappoint. It was great seeing Steven and Maya again. They brought down several folks from the "Ice Chamber" in Berkeley, CA to compete. Kevin Jodrey brought in several impressive athletes. This competition was very cool in that Gyms and Clubs were represented!

In addition to having many new men and women step onto the platform, we had several Junior athletes (under 18 boys) compete. I'm told there were 40 competitors. There were many inspiring performances and the attendance at this meet I believe signifies the growth of this sport in the USA.

On Saturday, we got to see Ivan Denisov attempt to break his own World Record. He fell a little short. But, how many times do you get to see someone do 169 jerks with 2-32kg bells in 10 minutes?

My performance was lackluster compared to other competitions. This is the first competition where I didn't hit what I expected based on my training. There were several factors or excuses :) I'm not going to dwell on those. It was just not a good day and it wasn't for lack of preparation. Head Coach Valery Fedorenko looked at this meet as a training day and further preparation for Hamburg.

Regardless of my disappointing performance, I had a great time. I got to spend more time with Ivan Denisov (Towering over me above). He came over and helped several of us at the certification. He's a really cool guy with really nice thighs :) The man is an awesome athlete and did several jaw dropping demonstrations that I'm sure will be on Youtube soon...stay tuned.

On Sunday and Monday, I assisted at the AKC Certification. I did several demos. Some of which included a 6 min 20kg Jerk set, and 6 min LCC&J set with the 24kg with one hand switch. I also managed to Jerk the 36kg bell. I was happy I could do this since I wasn't feeling "quick" all weekend. Before this weekend, I hadn't put anything over my head except the 16kg bell since early March.

It was great meeting several new folks at the cert and catching up with friends like Lisa Shaffer and Mike Mahler who attended the cert. Thanks to the folks in my Squad. You were a great group and I enjoyed working with all of you.

Thanks to Chris St. Onge, Jon Hoskins, Valery Fedorenko, Michael Stefano and of course Eric Liford. Thanks to all who helped Judge and Organize the Competition and Certification. These events would not be possible without your great effort. Thanks to all the competitors for traveling and stepping onto the platform!

Valery gave me most of last week to recuperate from the Competition, Certification and Travel. Of course I didn't actually need recuperation from Vegas itself. Kelly and I didn't partake in any gambling or "Show Girls" even though we had the hookup (Mahler ;) !

This week I'm back to training for Hamburg. Now is the moment of truth. I've got some very definitive but challenging goals in terms of what I would like to accomplish with the 16kg snatch before moving to the 20kg. It is now or never. So, I'm dropping most jerk work for the next few weeks and focusing on the snatch, swings and some rowing.

My next blog will likely be the Hamburg blog after June 9th!

CI

Spring Time!

2008-04-05T11:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you may or may not know that I'm originally from Moore, Oklahoma. In addition to missing friends and family, I miss the spring and the storms. It's just not the same in St. Louis. Tornado Season was kicked off recently. In honor of that I decided to blog about Tornadoes. I've always been fascinated with them.

I moved to St. Louis in January of 1996. I'd lived in Moore, Ok for over 24 years and had seen one small Tornado.

On May 3, 1999, a huge Tornado came through Moore and 4 years later in 2003, another one ripped through Moore. Both Tornadoes missed my Mom and Dad's house by a mere 3 or 4 blocks. The May 3rd tornado was part of a historic outbreak and is said to have had the fastest wind speeds ever recorded...318mph. Along with 10000 homes and 1000s of businesses, it destroyed my high school and grade school.

It was the first F5 Tornado to hit a major metro area. Even though it took 44 lives, they considered the death toll relatively low given the size, the populated area it hit, and the distance it travelled.

While I was somewhat disappointed I missed these awesome displays of nature, they definitely caused plenty of tragedy and destruction.

Here is a video of the May 3, 1999 tornado.

On Learning and Skills

2008-03-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I do a lot of thinking and not much blogging. Lately, I've been doing a bit of thinking about physical skills and carryover and establishing some correlations to other things or possibly better put..drawing parallels between learning computer programming and Math and learning KB Lifting and other physical skills, e.g. Weightlifting, Rowing, Jumping, ect.

When I was in middle school or high school, I was not naturally gifted in the mathematics department. I struggled once I hit Trig and Analytic Geometry. Now, I got Bs. But, unlike other subjects, I had to work at this. Even though my grades were acceptable, I didn't have a good comfort level in my understanding of the material. In my Junior or Senior year, I started taking Computer Programming classes. While it was challenging, the concepts were easier to grasp than Math and I enjoyed it.

When I went to college , I continued to take Comp Sci classes. I continued to learn. Of course, most Comp Sci programs contain a fair amount of Math. In the first semesters, I found myself dropping the math classes and even dropping back to a remedial type Algebra class because I had no confidence to move forward. So, I wasn't a typical comp sci student.

As I continued to advance my computer programming skills with logic classes and other related subjects, my understanding of things like Calculus improved. Now, I never became Calculus expert because I wasn't that studious and had no desire, but something that had once puzzled me was now understandable and the coursework doable.

You see for me, I had a reverse learning experience. At least when I was in school, most folks who were Computer Science majors were pretty good with Math. There is a strong correlation between the 2 because both require logic, both have their abstractions, and both require understanding functions. Functions came easy to me with Computer Programming, but I struggled in Calculus initially and then it clicked after making the correlation.

I wasn't good at advanced math, but what I realized is that learning things in computer programming related classes improved my thinking ability over time... The better I got at something that I enjoyed and that came a little easier to me, the more carryover I had to something that didn't.

The thing is that once I built this base and understanding, my learning curve was reduced when it came to other related activities.

So, how does this relate to physical skills?

If you are reading this blog, you know I'm a Kettlebell Lifter. I've been involved with Kettlebells for nearly 5 years and competing for 4. Since 2006, I've made a concerted effort to get good. That is, I've let everything else take a back seat and focused on learning the techniques from Valery Fedorenko. I've watched and rewatched his videos probably hundreds of times studying the movements. I've done the prescription reps for time. I started slow and really focused on the movement so that I would know when I wasn't doing it correctly. I've stayed consistent with the training so that I could keep the movement patterns fresh until they became second nature.

Like Computer Programming, I enjoyed KB lifting and competing and the techniques were not hard to learn at least conceptually.

How has KB Lifting helped me with other things like Computer Programming helped me with Math?

There is a movement in the KB Jerk and the snatch that involves the hip. It's requires speed, timing and some power with the legs. These attributes and hip action never clicked with me when I attempted to learn Weightlifting in HS. I know as a thrower in HS, I didn't have any concept of how to generate power, and I relied solely on strength. I was overwhelmed and didn't really understand how to move in either capacity. I realize the movements aren't identical between the modalities, but I understand all of them better now as a result of learning the KB lifts. I've got better awareness because I focused on getting good at something and that was easier to do with something that wasn't initially overwhelming for me.

I found out how to transfer this knowledge to rowing and I can put up a respectable 500M time because I understand how to generate power. But, if you had asked me to do it 4 or 5 years ago, I would not even be aware or know I needed to do this let alone know how.

The take home point is that I believe there are things most of us can do that will make us more adept at "learning". Like my computer example, the more I focused on advancing my programming skills the easier it became for me to learn things like Calculus.

This is my basic understanding of my own Adult learning process.

It's all about awareness and using that awareness to shorten the curve when learning new but somewhat related skills. I could have just as easily drawn parallels with Martial Arts. The trick I think is to find that "thing" that will do this for you. Find something that is challenging that you enjoy and is not so overwhelming from a learning standpoint that you won't stick with it. For some, it may be learning how to jump. For others, it may be learning Weightlifting, KB Lifting, or Martial Arts. However, you must be consistent and really focus on learning it. Don't just go through the motions.

CI

Test Days

2008-02-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

If you've been doing KB Lifting for a while and sticking to a prescribed protocol of Jerks and Snatches with the same weight, every once in a while you get a hankering to do something different. I call these test days. How I conduct my test days will change depending on the circumstance and how I feel. The last AKC Training day in December was a test day. I did a 20 min LCC&J set w/24kg switching hands on the minute and then followed it up with a 20 minute 12kg Snatch Set (one hand switch).

My test days may be something like 1000 reps with the 12kg. Every once in a while, I will test my capacity for other things and do thrusters, rowing, bodyweight stuff but not KB Specific stuff.

Some of you may have read about the triathlon challenge (created by David Zink), that is 10 minutes of LCC&J, 10 Minutes Snatches, and 10 min Jerks. These are performed all back to back with no rest. If you are a guy who is well versed with 24kg Jerks and snatches, you would try this first with the 16s. I've done it with the 12s and the 16s. Actually, last time I was in Madison, Kelly and I did this together. My pace was nothing like Mr. Zink, but like most people who do a triathlon, I was just happy to finish.

Yesterday, I started out with a couple of sets of 32kg Jerks. That's nothing out of the ordinary. But, I've been curious as to whether or not I could still do Jerks with a pair of 24s. I rarely train with a pair of 24s and don't do that much double work right now at all. Most of my training right now is single 24kg Jerks and 16kg snatches. Much to my delight and surprise, I could still knock out 20 reps. I've done 20 one other time, but I actually paced myself this time and went just over 4 minutes. All the reps were strong, and I focused on getting under the bells quickly and getting a very solid lockout. I had a few reps left, but wisely ended it at 20. Someday, I'll go for a PR and break 20, but I won't do as many 32kg Jerks beforehand.

After that, I wanted to snatch. However, I knew that the 16kg may be a little challenging from an overhead stabilization standpoint and I was "feeling" the need to go light and really break a good sweat to contrast the heavy work and loosen up a bit. So, I thought well I'll try a 20 min Snatch set with a 12kg and I'll try to maintain a 20rpm pace. I didn't know whether I could maintain the pace but I knew I could do the 20 minutes. I made it...200L/200R = 400 reps with one hand switch. It was tough especially in the last 2 minutes. But, I felt good after I was done.

So, if you've been training a while on a healthy diet of Jerks, Snatches or Long Cycle, give yourself a test day. I think it is a good way to display how training a couple of lifts consistently will carryover to other challenges. For some, a test day may be going out for a long run or row and finding that you've got the conditioning to complete it. I recently did a 10K row. I've only done that one other time and this time I did it in less time and without puking. It may be grabbing a bell and doing a non-stop set for 30 min or an hour. If all else fails, give one of the things I stated above a try. Of course, this assumes you have a good grasp of the basics and that you've done an adequate pace and duration with the traditional lifts.

In addition to being a good "test", Test Days are a great way to give yourself mental break from the rigor of the usual timed sets that one may perform especially when training for a competition.

CI

Continuing Minimalism in 2008

2008-01-23T01:08:00.000-08:00

I'm always hesitant to state New Years resolutions. So, there was no obligatory New Years Post because well, I rarely feel obligated to do anything. But, since we're into January and I've had time to reflect, I'll be happy to give my thoughts on my goals. I won't call them "resolutions" because they are not really that. They are a refinement and further commitment to things I've already been doing.

I'm not one to set a bunch of goals for the year for training or anything. Now, I do have a couple of goals and yes they even have numbers attached to them. However, these goals will be the results of higher level goals or initiatives. Those initiatives and their proper execution are what matters; the results or the numbers usually take care of themselves.

Continue Minimalism. That's the high level goal; the goal in which all other goals and initiatives are derived. If it doesn't fit in under that one, it is an antagonist..

This takes the guess work out of a large part of my training. I don't have to worry about doing 10 different things. I can stay out of analysis paralysis hell. I can continue to pour my focus and my energy into a few movements and in turn, I will continue my journey to mastery of those things.

You see, I don't think it is necessarily easy or natural for many of us to narrow our focus to a few things even in training. It is counter-intuitive in our complex culture. I see it at work all the time. We get inundated with many initiatives and information. Consequently, we get overwhelmed. The end result is usually low and/or sub-standard productivity even though we work harder and longer.

Prioritization seems to be a rare skill in my work and in some of the training I witness. Commitment is also rare. If you prioritize things, you inherently make a commitment to something; You've made a decision to elevate something above everything else. So, the inability to prioritize is also the inability to commit, and it is also the inability to decide.

That's why minimalism will continue to be my friend. It is easier to prioritize things when the list is shorter. It is easier to make commitments when you don't over extend yourself. Decisions are easier to make when you have fewer choices.

So, the lower-level goals (and I'll stick to training and personal goals):

Training: Jerks and Snatches 4-5 times per week and progressively increase the volume when training for the competitions. Row 10-15K meters per week. Do some sort of joint mobility and squatting everyday even if it is for 5 minutes. If I have time and energy, do a few circuit or met-con workouts per week. It won't be at the expense of the Jerks or Snatches. It will provide a break from any monotony I might feel and provide an additional conditioning challenge. When I'm not training for a competition (and that won't likely be until after September), then I may take up learning a new skill like Weightlifting.

The goal of that training will yield results and those results will be a noticeable improvement over the last competition. The other and equally important goal of that training will be to maintain strength and continue to enhance my mobility and conditioning.

Diet: When I'm not traveling, continue to consume large servings of veggies through the vitamix. I find that when I do this, my diet naturally gets cleaner and my cravings for crap diminish and my appetite is reduced. Drink 2 liters of water per day. My bodyweight will drop further if I stick to this plan.

Other: Travel and spend more time with friends here in St. Louis and in the rest of the country. Attend Martial Arts class when possible. Read a couple of books per month. Write a couple of blog entries a month. These goals will enable me to be a good friend, keep my mind active, and maintain balance.

CI

Family Guy + Star Wars = LMFAO

2008-01-19T17:43:00.000-08:00

Since I'm trying to relax this weekend after a challenging week at work, I don't actually feel like thinking and I've got nothing thought provoking or witty to say right now (Probably because I haven't started drinking this evening). I'm also trying to contain the nervousness/excitement for the Packers tomorrow. GO PACK GO!

Anyway...I picked up the Family Guy-Blue Harvest earlier this week. Needless to say, if you are a Family Guy Fan and a Star Wars fan, this is your cartoon. If you aren't familiar with both, then I'm sorry for you. I've been a Star Wars fan since I was six and a Family Guy fan since it started on Fox about six years ago.

Easter has Come Early

2008-01-14T15:18:00.001-08:00

Any of you that know me, know that I probably don't own anything pink. Well, I do now and since it is a rest day, I'm going to tell you about it. AKC has introduced the 8kg KB(Pictured in my garage below). It is the same size as all of their Pro Grade Kettlebells. It is now the most feminine thing I own.

The only thing to distinguish it from the heavier weights is the pink color.

It is a needed addition to their product line. While I and others take our strength for granted, even the 12kg can be a little daunting at first especially when you are new to ballistic movements and fixing a weight overhead. Behold the power of pink!

When I'm feeling blue...

2008-01-11T18:09:00.000-08:00

I just watch Best In Show. If you haven't seen it, it's one of my favorite comedies. Here is one of many good clips from Youtube.

Get Your Sunshine Tomorrow

2008-01-07T14:48:00.000-08:00

I rarely see movies that make me look forward to buying the DVD on the release date. However, Sunshine was one of the best movies I saw in 2007. It is a Sci-Fi thriller. While it gets a little weird and Friday the 13thish, I found the movie to be a great one. Of course, I've got a thing for Asian Actress Michelle Yeoh and that just made the movie even better.

I enjoyed other Danny Boyle films like 28 Days Later and Trainspotting. Sunshine didn't disappoint. In fact, the only disappointment is that they have not released the Soundtrack. The Soundtrack to this movie was one of the best instrumental movie soundtracks I've heard.

1000 Snatches

2008-01-06T05:10:00.001-08:00

The article is up on the American Kettlebell Club Blog Now!

http://www.americankettlebellclub.com/blog/?p=87

Don't Follow

2008-01-05T22:38:00.001-08:00

This was a classic that I had lost until I heard it on the appropriately titled "Lithium" Channel on Sirius.

Alice in Chains. Don't Follow.

Hey, I ain't never coming home.
Hey, I'll just wander my own road.
Hey-hey, I can't meet you here tomorrow - no, no.
Say goodbye don't follow -
Misery so hollow.

Hey you, you're livin' life full throttle.
Hey you, pass me down that bottle, yeh...
Hey-hey you, you can't shake me round now.
I get so lost and don't know how, yeh...
It hurts to care, I'm goin' now.

Well I forgot my woman, lost my friends
Things I've done and where I've been,
Sleep in sweat - the mirror's cold -
Seen my face? It's growin' old -
Scared to death, no reason why
Do whatever to get me by,
Think about the things I've said
Read the page its cold and dead

An' take me home!
Yeah! Take me home!
Oh-oh... take me home
Take me home, yeah.
Take me home. Yeah, oh.

Say goodbye. Don't follow.

The Grunge and hard rock scene of the 90s certainly produced some great music. Who cares if we have Heroin to thank for some of the great dark lyrics?

I hear a strong contempt for loneliness in these songs. Maybe that's how I felt in my 20s (in the 90s) . I know I could relate to the some of this music back then. Throughout the early part of the decade, I never strayed from the bottle for very long. Still love the music now, but I no longer feel the same familiarity. That's probably a good thing.

CI

Looks like a fun time

2007-12-21T22:58:00.000-08:00

My friends Ken Blackburn and Steve Cotter recently did another Bootcamp in Fenton Michigan. Here are the highlights. Sorry I missed it..(Same weekend as San Diego)

Rain on our Parade

2007-12-03T20:27:00.000-08:00

As some know, AKC Team America traveled to San Diego in hopes of competing in the IGSF World Championships. Needless to say, it was a gloomy weekend and I'm not just talking about the weather.....

A little back story. My original intent was to go and watch with my friend Lorraine Patten. She has traveled to Eastern Europe for more meets than any other American and formed many friendships with some of the best male and female KB Lifters in the world. So, we definitely wanted to see our European friends while they were relatively close in the states.

Since I knew Dmitri Sataev was organizing this meet and based on my prior experience and the experience of others, I knew I wanted nothing to do with being a member of his "Team USA". Dmitri heads the USGSF. USGSF is an obvious "For Profit" organization. Unfortunately, he is the IGSF representative which is really a "Not For Profit" organization. See the problem yet? If not..you will.

Sherbina is the IGSF President. My coach Valery Fedorenko had contacted Sherbina 4 or 5 times to ensure that we could compete. We would compete independent of Dmitri's "Team USA". We would pay the same registration and license fees that our Eastern European counterparts paid. We would not pay the ridiculous $170.00 fee demanded by Dmitri.

Even though we were told by Sherbina we would compete, we still suspected that there would be a snafu because of the prior dealings with Dmitri. Needless to say, he exceeded expectations.

Lorraine and Valery represented our team in meetings on Friday morning because it was clear that Dmitri had no intentions of letting us compete as independent guest lifters. After a 2 hour battle, they reached a compromise. We would pay the $170.00 to compete. We would be independent and not represent the USA. Lorraine and the AKC offered to pay part of this registration but all of our teammates were willing to contribute their fair share. We paid. We weighed. We registered. After doing this, we were all approached by Dmitri who was clearly upset. He kept babbling about his "Business" and "insults" and his house. He kept trying to bait us all into an argument and we just ignored him and went to lunch.

We returned from lunch, and long story short...We were told we would not be competing. Dmitri had raised enough of a stink ( I Suspect he threatened to pull the entire competition) to get our registrations nullified. We were all stunned and extremely disappointed, but we left it alone because we respected the fact that our friends from Europe had paid a great deal of money for travel and we didn't want to ruin the meet for them.

I can say with absolute confidence that the best lifters in the USA did NOT compete in the IGSF World Championships this weekend.

We had decided that we would attempt to be spectators on Saturday so that we could cheer for the Ukranian women.

On Saturday, we paid $20.00 to watch (that was just for Saturday!). One thing I can say is that Dmitri gave absolutely NO THOUGHT to the competitors when spending his money on this competition. I was almost glad I wasn't competing. The platforms were too small. They were on a shaky stage. Did I mention that there were no digital-visible counters? So, the spectators had no clue as to the count. They used these card counters that were not really visible to some of the competitors. They screwed up the flights and consequently people were not prepared to step onto the platform. The clock didn't work for the first few sets. The height of the professionalism of this meet came when Dmitri counted for his wife Elaina's set and could not figure out how to use the card counters. Who knows if he screwed up her score or not. To be fair, She did a pretty good job and went the 10 minutes.

There were also little things. For example, when the teams walked out in the opening ceremony, they couldn't seem to get the appropriate National Anthem with the appropriate team in some cases. However, when Dmitri took the stage the "Rocky" music was flawlessly synchronized with his grand entrance.

He claims to have spent a lot of the money on the competition. Perhaps he spent it on the absofuckinguseless jumbotron screens. Maybe he spent it on the security guards that were onsite to make sure our team didn't start trouble :) Perhaps he was too obsessed with who was talking to Valery to make sure his own meet was running smoothly? Did I mention that he tried to have security remove Valery from the meet on Saturday because a competitor approached him to talk to him? Sherbina intervened and Valery stayed.

Our Eastern European friends were less than complementary regarding this meet. I've been to my fair share of meets. In all the meets I've attended with > 20 competitors, this was the worst as far as organization and supplies. Maybe it was because Dmitri himself has very limited experience in the competitions. We know for certain that he didn't attend the World Championships in 2005(Moscow) or in 2006(Latvia). How do we know? Because members of our Team attended both meets. Dmitri sent one competitor in 2005, and no one represented the USGSF in 2006.

Trust me when I say I haven't even captured 1/2 of the drama here...As awful as this all sounds....The sun came out on Sunday and I had a great training day with my teammates. Many thanks to AKC Coach Rich Sayen for providing us with training facility and AKC Professional Bells. I would be remiss if I didn't thank Steve and Tracy Cotter for making sure we got an additional set to use.

Things I learned from this experience.....

I will never take the AKC or Valery Fedorenko for granted. They care about the sport and the competitors as evidenced by the meet in Miami and their gestures in San Diego. While they are in the business of training to make money, they know where the line is drawn for competitions. We were disappointed that we could not compete because we really wanted to showcase what we had learned from Valery.

Lorraine Patten is one of the most passionate supporters of this sport. I actually already knew that, but it was constantly reinforced this weekend. She went to bat for all of the AKC athletes. In fact, the IGSF was going to present Lorraine with an award at the competition but after the debacle with Dmitri, they had to present it to her in a Midnight Ceremony. This was recognition for all of her hard work in promoting this sport in the USA and going above and beyond many times to provide USA representation in IGSF competitions in Europe.

As long as you are with your friends you can make a bad situation good. We had a great time even though we were not able to compete. It reinforced once again that our sport and the events are not just about the competitions , medals and ranks but they are also about the friendships we forge. Our friendships and our team grew stronger this weekend. Thanks to all who made the trek to San Diego. I love you guys!

CI

Updates

2007-11-19T18:12:00.001-08:00

Blogging has been slow lately and will be slow until the first of December when I wrap up my weekend travel for the rest of the year.

Taught a workshop in Chicago over the weekend. It was a great group of folks and everyone did an awesome job lifting the KBs. Thanks to everyone who attended and thanks to Betty G for lending me the facility once again .

I haven't gone through all my Miamk WKC pics, but I got a few uploaded to my gallery.

Pics can be found in my gallery at catherineimes.com.

If I don't blog again this week, everyone have a Great Thanksgiving!

CI

Why do you compete?

2007-11-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

I get a little reflective after a memorable competition like Miami. I re-evaluate why I do this sport, and why I will continue to do this type of training even when there are no competitions on the Horizon.

Anyone that embarks on training for KB Sport, or any sport for that matter should ask themselves some very fundamental questions.

Why this sport? How much am I will to sacrifice to get good? Am I willing to step onto the platform knowing that I won't win?

I've been competing in KB Sport in some capacity since January of 2004. I've got some name recognition thanks to this sport. I've won some competitions and I've earned a MS Rank. That stuff is all great...However, it pales in comparison to the real benefits of this training and the competitions.

Why is this sport right for me? Training for the sport has kept me focused. It has driven me to be a better athlete. I now move better. I eat better. I've lost 35lbs since 2006 and kept it off and while increasing my LBM.

My well being has been enhanced. I've compared this training to meditation. It teaches you to move and to breath. Yes, you have to do those things at the optimal level to be elite, but the process of learning those things are where the real benefits exist.

How hard have I had to work to get there? Well, I've been training off and on for the sport since Jan 2004. This past year, I've become much more dedicated. While other things are more fun or exciting in terms of training, I decided to give this a serious shot which meant that most of my workouts have been snatches, jerks and swings. The monotony and simplicity would drive many people crazy, but I have embraced it.

I wanted to be good at the exercises. It wasn't just the numbers or the rank. I wanted to be able to demonstrate the movements with fluidity so that when someone watches me they will aspire to move that way. Because I feel so strongly about the benefits of the training, I wanted to understand the movements. You can learn a lot by doing..if you pay attention. Anyone that thinks that these are just long boring sets, hasn't gotten it. You have to be mindful and focused. This is how you learn to be efficient; this is how you learn to move. It is time under the bells and if you are just going through the motions, you're missing out.

Why am I outlining these benefits? Because the competitive aspects of the sport don't always bring out the best in us. The desire for winning or rank is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't blind you to the fact that this is hard work and getting good takes a while for most of us save the few with genetic gifts.. That desire is fine as long as it doesn't keep you from competing just because you may not win or get a rank. Part of a competition is getting on the platform, giving it your best shot, and learning from the experience. If you only compete when you know you will win or where you know you can achieve a rank, YOU WILL NEVER GET BETTER . You will never realize the non-rank or non-winning benefits of this training. Quite frankly, you won't keep doing it and you'll miss out on the wellness-health benefits as well.

I spent 1500 or more last year to travel to Latvia knowing that I would not win. Why? Because I knew that the experience would make me stronger. I knew that going over there and seeing those Ukranian Freaks (I mean that in the nicest way) would be a good motivator. I knew that I would have a great time and I knew the experience would be one that I would cherish for the rest of my life.

Getting a high rank and winning a competition does require dedicated practice. There are no short cuts or easy answers. You can shop around for an easier road to obtain a Medal or a ranking, but in the end you will be selling yourself short.

You know when you've really earned it and you have respect for everyone who steps onto the platform whether they do 10 reps or 100.

I am so very proud of everyone who competed in Miami as they reflect the very reason I have stuck with this sport for nearly 4 years. The friendships formed and maintained through these competitions are probably one of the biggest benefits. We have such a great group of people. The atmosphere was so positive and everyone is looking towards the next competition.

CI

WKC Championships

2007-11-08T03:37:00.000-08:00

Kelly and I traveled to Miami this past weekend to compete in the World Kettlebell Club Championships.

As always these events are stressful, but they are extremely fun. The official results have yet to be posted but here are the highlights.

After several years of hard work, my friend and fellow team captain Marty Farrell earned his Master of Sports Ranking. Marty is less than 70kg. He Jerked 2-32kg bells 66 times and did 87 snatches. I'm very happy for him.

Kelly weighed in light and it turned out to work in her favor as it put her in the 50kg class. She easily achieved the MSWC ranking with the 16kg bell. She had a comp PR of 187 Jerks and 178 Snatches. She took the Co-efficient prize. Kelly won the Chair Press on the following day with a freakish 106 reps.

Ashley Hughes also achieved a MS Ranking with an outstanding performance of 180 Jerks and 187 Snatches. Ashley won the LCC&J on Sunday with 127 reps. Her pace was blazing in this event and definitely set the standard for pace with the 16kg bell and of course this made it obvious that we need a 20kg bell for the women.

Susannah Baxter is showing great promise. She had a PR in Snatches with 155 reps. That is a vast improvement over her numbers from SLC in May 2007.

All the other women were very impressive especially since it was their first time competing. I had a good day with 221 Snatches (comp PR), and 202 Jerks. I competed in the 20 min LCC&J event on Sunday and the Chair Press shortly after that. Happy that I could eek out 100 reps after the "Cardio" beforehand.

The Russian and Latvian men were very impressive. Vasily Ginko and Ivan Denisov competed in the Biathlon on Saturday. Denisov got the absolute prize while another Russian (cannot remember his name) turned in a technically flawless Jerk performance and grabbed the Mens Pro Co-Efficient prize.

Andrew Durniat had an amazing performance on Saturday in the Mens professional Biathlon event. He is very close to a MS ranking. On Sunday, he won the Mens LCC&J with a very impressive 10 minute performance. He was accompanied on the platform by Marty Farrell and Scott Helsley. Scott is another gentleman who is going to MS sometime in 2008. His LCC&J performance after Saturdays Biathlon was extremely impressive as was Captain Farrells...

David Zink turned in a very impressive performance and won the 32kg 20 Min LCC&J event. Eric Tiarks and Marty were also impressive especially given that they don't really train for this event. This was Eric's first time doing anything like this.

Ken Love is a Senior competitor (60 something) and he did an impressive 14 minute snatch demonstration with the 16kg bell. He's got a good goal of going 20 min.

Ken Blackburn had an extremely impressive chair press set...52 reps with 2-32kg bells!!!!

Matt M, Steve C, Chris Duffey, David Zink, Eric and many other guys all turned in good performances on Saturday for the Mens amateur Biathlon. Eduardo from Latvia who is 68 competed in the Biathlon and did over 200 snatches with a 24kg!!!

This was a great meet. It was great to see our Eastern European friends. It was also great to see all of my American friends again.

I want to personally thank everyone (Competitors, Judges, Volunteers) who volunteered their time to make this meet possible. Eric Liford, Valery, Jon Hoskins, Lorraine Patten, Matt M, and many others worked very hard and very long this weekend to make this meet successful.

CI

Miami is around the corner

2007-10-30T19:41:00.000-07:00

We leave bright and early on Friday morning for Saturdays competition.

Completed my last full workout on Tuesday night. I always ALWAYS look forward to getting the competition out of the way. This training is grueling. I'm finally glad more people are competing because misery loves company or maybe familiarity breeds contempt..something like that.

Others are discovering the mental challenges of this training in terms of preparing for a competition. Now, I know that competition stress is not unique to our sport. But, by the time the competition is here, you are ready to just get it done.

This is the first big AKC-WKC meet. So, I would really like it to do well. I really enjoy the multi-event meet. Looking forward to Sundays non-traditional events like the one arm chair press. I'm also looking forward to seeing some of our Eastern European friends compete. Even though there is a language barrier, everyone I met in Latvia was extremely friendly. We'll likely have to wait and see our Ukranian friends in San Diego this December, but it will be really cool if Denisov from Russia (175 jerks with 2-32kg bells in 10 min!) makes the trip to Miami.

I probably feel mentally and physically better for this competition than I have in my last few outings; I'm certainly not anxious this time around. I've done a very thorough job of moderating the intensity and volume of my workouts. I don't get the feeling that I peaked 3 weeks ago like I had prior to other competitions. I'm also excited and looking forward to doing the one-arm Jerk. I think the addition of this event and the requisite training has enhanced my conditioning even further.

The best thing about the competition is that I get to see many of my Kettlebell friends from across the USA. The competition itself gives me training goals, but the event has given me great opportunities to meet some very very great friends over the course of the last 3 or 4 years. Looking forward to seeing the ones that make the trip to Miami. Looking forwared to knocking back a few beers with the crew on Saturday and Sunday night!

Will post pics and a review of the competition when I return next week.

Meanwhile, here is an inspiring clip of 80kg KB Sport Champion, Ukranian Fedor Fuglev. This is a partial video of his 142 rep performance with 2-32kg bells.

Let me explain the title of my blog

2007-10-28T04:37:00.000-07:00

I've had another bout of insomnia and decided to post my blog on a more "easier" to read venue. I've blogged on my site off and on, but decided that this was a little more edit and reader friendly than the blogging on my site www.catherineimes.com

If you found your way to my blog from somewhere other than a fitness or Kettlebell related venue, then you'll have to be patient with me. I will talk about something besides Kettlebells at some point. Maybe I'll review the movie I decide to see later on today.

For now, this inaugural entry will be a simple and lengthy explanation on the Blog title. Here is a hint: I WON'T be receiving an invite to next years "Beat Me in St. Louis" S&M extravaganza. I've got the story on how I started KB lifting on my site. It's titled "We all Started Somewhere"...extremely profound I know. But, the history is there. So, I won't get into it here.

The concept of "getting comfortable with discomfort" is the main reason I've embraced Kettlebell Lifting. It has simply made me tougher physically and emotionally. But, I'll go a step further and say that it has done those things...safely. I'm not one that advocates working into pain. True pain is a sign that you should stop what you are doing and cut the offending limb from your body where applicable.

Discomfort avoidance is something that plagues our society. I should know; I've been a repeat offender. I'm not just talking about avoiding exercise because it's hard; I'm talking about avoiding situations in life because they are uncomfortable. I'm talking about finding the true path to complacency.

So, for me the process of embracing my discomfort in my "physical life" is starting to have a carryover effect outside of the gargage torture chamber. I don't avoid conflict. Note: I don't like conflict for conflicts sake, but I don't run away from it. I'm not naturally combative or even that competitive. But it is just like when I'm lifting the Kettlebells, I don't set them down when it gets hard.

It will be an ongoing process; Like my Southern Baptist preacher used to say, I will backslide. The goal is and will be to keep that backsliding to a minimum.

CI