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
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
To my fellow KB Lifters.....
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
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
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Snatch Tips from Yours Truly
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
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
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Survival
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.
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.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Back to Basics.
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 tens of thousands 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 because they are paying me; they need me to fix something. 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
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 tens of thousands 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 because they are paying me; they need me to fix something. 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
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Ice Chamber Kettlebell Documentary
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
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
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Kettlebell Immersed
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
Kettlebell Immersed
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