ONE DAY AT A TIME

Monday (30th) is a "Go" for some training this week. I spent Saturday picking field stone to finish some work in the back yard and I am ready to rid myself of some little 'kinks' in the system. Bring gloves, water and any other foo-foo items that will get you through it. Monday is suppose to be clear and in the 80's. We just may see some more summer this week. Training begins at 5:15 pm at the Comm. Cntr.

WEDNESDAY EXTRA TRAINING

Thirty percent chance of rain today...hell, I'll take those odds. That just means a excellent chance for some cloud coverage and a break from the sun. Today will be easy on the hands-I promise! The extra session will be at 5:15 pm.

"TUESDAYS" CLASS PICTURE

NO CARPET. NO SAUNA. NO JUICE BAR. JUST IRON.

Mondays Training

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z-UxEZ6yA0&feature=related

The link above.....keeps me up at night.
Well, the weather held and Paul and I decoded a great movement pattern. And that is what it is...just a new pattern. It will take some contact time. There is a learning curve. The important thing to remember Tuesday is you know every one of these patterns. Now we just put them together. Wednesday the extra class will be at 5:15 pm if the weather holds. I am looking for a good spot to train that has tree coverage. We need some shade for the July training. Anybody know of a great spot, park or field that fits the bill?

PLAYING WITH 'THE BEAST'

I have been reassessing and evaluating my own limits since I snatched the Beast on Wednesday. I honestly thought it would torque my back so much that it would not be possible for me. The 'jerk press' to the overhead hold and windmill had felt good and strong. I was on grass so I thought if it was going to be to much, I would just bail out. Despite all the voices in my head telling me how stupid it is to try I did it anyway...and it went well. Now I am wondering what's next. I guess I can keep chipping away at the different benchmarks until I can't do it anymore. Either way I was feeling a little empowered today and decided to add to the windmill video on YouTube. My plan was to do a little circuit and push my abilities.About a third of the way into it I felt a tear. It was a pretty bad tear that will end my training for the day. Watch the video and see the ugliness. Mark O would have been proud of me.

Went Big and Went Home

Six of us trained Wednesday on our off day. Since we had trained the previous two days we decided to keep the conditioning wear to a minimum and go heavy with the weight while keeping the reps down. After five rounds of floor attacks we went outside our comfort zone with snatches. Holding true to form is the key. The bell can not be slopped up into position. Once the confidence was built the fun began. The end result was Sarah and Kristina snatching the #3 (16 kg). Laurie snatched the #4 ( 20 KG!!). Mark whooped the Bulldog [#8] (40 kg). Paul snatched the #7 (32 kg), two bells heavier than he had snatched in the past. Against my better judgement, I snatched the Beast (48 kg). I say this because I am not sure where the boundaries are with my old back injury. I can rationalize the movement but it just doesn't seem possible. It appears to be another case and example of getting past self limiting factors. Kettlebell training doesn't seem to have any limits if the practitioner sticks to the principles. I will look at the weather on Saturday or Sunday and try to predict any extra training days we can insert into the week.

TGU...it does a body good

There is a reason Pavel uses the Turkish Get Up as part of his minimum. It is a non-grooved movement that will strengthen your entire body. First you have to pick the right weight. We had three sizes to train with today. The light one primed the motion. The second weight introduced you to the serious side of the movement. The third weight was for real. The intention was to do five on each side with each weight. When I got to the third (heaviest) bell, I could only do two on each side and keep my form. I felt my wrists giving out. As I type this the muscles in my forearm are turning from muscles to mushles. Fatigued, to say the very least. It's funny, it's always something. The body is getting stronger supporting the weight and then a new weak area is developed. This is a sense only possible with KB's. I was constantly changing up my training when I used machines or free weights to feel something in my training. A total of twenty four TGUs...I'm good for the day. Great effort on everyones part especially with the "pinwheel".

EXTRA TRAINING ON MONDAY(16)/WEDNESDAY(18)

The weather looks favorable for additional training and practice. Added training days are open to any class member enrolled. It doesn't matter if your a "one dayer" or "two-dayer". For those that haven't been to an open session, it is very informal. Sometimes we work independently. Sometimes it is group work. I will help or tweek movements in between my own training. If you want to bring someone that has no previous exposure to kettlebells you are welcome and they are your responsibility. I provide the weapons. I will insert myself into your instruction only if I see something unsafe. My focus is for an upbeat fast moving training session. Not to spend a lot of time teaching. The only exception is if you are already a student. I will help with anything. We can meet at the Community Center at 5:15 for an hour or so. Check this blogsite a couple hours before class. I will post a cancellation at least 1 1/2-2 hours before class time if the weather doesn't look good. WE WILL BE OUTSIDE!
Friday hit to the main focus of strength training and what we are doing with kettlebells...hardstyle. I felt like a brick wall rolling out of bed this morning. Bullet proof! Long cycle presses and squats. GGrrrrrr!!!!!! The rope was just silly. Added punishment. There is value in the movement. And it is fun to watch people.....uh.....well, churn butter? What some people did to that poor rope was just obscene. Fifteen seconds is a LONG TIME !
If you did not get an email from me recently about the extra training, email me here through the 'about me/profile' link so I can get you on my group list for this summers training notifications in August . THANKS !!!!!
I have Turkish Get-ups (TGU) and a special hell on the menu for Monday. It will rock!!
If you did not get an email notification from me about the extra training days, email me here through the 'about me/profile' link. I am building a contact list for the August training. FREE MONTH!!! Now that's love!

It's about movement.....

...and linkage...linkage and movement. Tuesdays training was an example movement. Continuous movement. The weights were not heavy. The movements were not difficult. Okay, the KB flips were a little touchy for those that did not want to break a nail. What we felt was not gross motor movement muscle soreness, but the linkages that connected the movements. Strengthening the linkage between movement patterns contributes to a balance of power. Under fatigue the body will take the path of least resistance-the easy way out. If the linkage is not strong, injury can leverage itself at a vulnerable point in the movement. The fluid movements with tension (load,weight) on a stable surface is an easy way to train difficult areas within your structure.

It's not the end of the World...

...it only feels like it. Nothing cuts at you like training with kettlebells. The greatest athletes in the world are adding KB training because of the benefits. Everything else becomes 'activity'. Golf isn't exercise...it's activity. It's cute. They have a 'clubhouse'. Come on! Doesn't anyone else see the connection with Mickey Mouse? Walking isn't exercise...it's activity. Stay active with these activities. Get your life back with KB training.
It takes 2-3 days to get your sea legs when your on ship. Until then you better keep a bag close because the nausea keeps rolling over you. KB training demands 3-4 weeks before the soreness slides to the sidelines and you can really open up your training. But you have to make it 3-4 weeks. One day, wait 3 weeks, one day wait 2 weeks is a recipe for perpetual discomfort. You will build on this schedule but the results will be slow and hard fought. Jump in with both feet. Enjoy the pain. You have earned it! It won't last. You will never feel this much pain again. Then you will discover you have never felt this good in your life. Hang in there. Recovery is fast. Afterwards you will be apart of a group of training snobs that laughs at the hamsters on the machines! Like the photo shows, you can either be at your best or your worst...the choice is yours!!

Answers Found!!!!

A few years ago I was getting way off track in a search engine. Sometimes those things just take me places. Anyway I stumbled upon a site that sold rope. Rope. How cool is that. I always need rope. Lets look at the rope. I began going through all the different ropes. Looking at rope is like touring the Barbed Wire Museum in Oklahoma City, who knew there were so many different kinds? Gripping stuff...really. Anyway, I saw a sale on a two inch thick piece of rope. How cool is that !?! I just had to buy it. The break strength on this fifty foot piece is over 13,000 lbs. That should hold my kids. So I took this rope up to the family cabin and there it stayed for a summer. It just wasn't long enough for any application at the cabin. Hmmm, sad face. So, I brought it home and for a year it sat in the back of my truck and it kept my kettlebells from rolling around. Now it is has the same status as a passport in my life. Great to have but I can't go anywhere or do anything with it right now.
A hulk of a man missed one of my classes due to a shoulder injury he sustained shaking a rug out at his wifes request. This is a man that can easily snatch the 20 kg for reps. I know, sounds a little silly. But the sheering forces coupled with the contractions and relaxations of the movements put this 83 year old mans shoulder in a bind for a few days. Kettlebells are great for training movements but I don't see shaking them anytime soon as part of a training cycle. This one left me a little stumped. How do we train for such motions. We wouldn't do it a lot, but there has got to be something out there. ENTER....THE ROPE! More to he point, John Brookfields "Battling Ropes" (www.PowerRopes.com) . This is going to be great. Check out the site. I set it up in my backyard today and went for one minute. This will be a "station" I will introduce soon! You will love to hate this movement. It rocks. Your welcome.

Tuesdays Training (New Session)

WELCOME TO THE NEW STUDENTS !
It will always surprise me the type of people that come into the class. It surprises me more who stays. Kettlebell practice is not for the casual observer. There is a learning curve.We all looked foolish at the start. We are in a new infancy. This is true with most things but you can't bluff the KB dynamic. Additionally, nobody can do it for you. We see this with every new group of students. The basic 'swing' looks so silly at first blush. I remember my first exposure. I thought, "That's it...just swing it?" Just swing it. How wrong was I. How about 'just kill yourself trying' to swing it. I say it over and over in class, you have to 'dial in' and stay with it until you park the bell. You must also be very aware of your physical self. Body awareness. Where your body is in your space. What is straight? Vertical? What is shoulder width? What is forty-five degrees? Trajectory is a big one. What path is this thing taking? What path does it want to take based on your own body framework and structure. It was a great effort last night. The room seemed a little tight. Maybe we are just spoiled from being at Wilshire Park. The group I used to train with practice in a space the is about 400 sqft. 20+ people : 400 sqft. I think we are doing fine. Plus we still have the outside.
Friday will be the same. We have a couple new people. We will get them dialed in and then it's on. FOR THOSE THAT WANT A BELL !! The difficulty is deciding what bell should be the first bell. Trying to find the one bell to satisfy all your training needs. Well, there isn't one. Your strength curve will change and some motions will be stronger than others. So, here is the guideline. Pick a size you can swing safely. Just swings and cleans for the new people when your at home training by yourself. Let's not over think this. This combination of lifts will build the most over-all strength and have the best cardio (I really dislike that word) effect for the beginner.
Friday we will hit some press work on the ground and standing. Bring your STATIC STRENGTH !!!

A New Session

   Tomorrow is the start of a new session. We will be at the St. Anthony Community Center (33rd and Silver Lake Road, St. Anthony. MN.) in the multi-purpose room. There is some road construction so find the best path for the day. This is a better spot for us than the gym. The surface is much more forgiving. If the weather is good, we are outside. Look for the trailer!

   I feel like today (Monday) is the first day I don't feel the effects of Fridays training. This session we will move away from the hi-rep movements and focus on the basics (grinds) that we have grown to love.  We can't over review the basic. It just isn't possible. I was looking through Pavel's "Enter the Kettlebell" last night and was reminded of what we should be doing. I will slowly reintroduce some of these things once again. What was old becomes new.

   I don't know of anyone in the class that is preparing for an event. Not that this is bad. It just shows where most of us are. We train  because we love to train. Period. Still, it is important to see some sort of progress. A bench mark. If your using the same size bells day in and day out, what is keeping you motivated? Each of us should pick a bench mark. A reasonable goal. For some it may be to complete the daily training. That doesn't seem unrealistic with the proper bell choice. Others may want to snatch a higher weight. Or, snatch the same weight with both arms. Balance is important. Maybe get a body weight pistol! I know, we hate those things. Well, you wouldn't hate them if you could do them. My bet is  if you could do them, you would spend most of your time in a bar doing pistols for free rounds as you  humiliate the muscleheads that night.  

   We have six weeks ahead of us this session. Let's make one little change this session. One improvement. Step outside your comfort zone a couple times a week to work on this goal. 

Windmill with the BEAST (106 lb)

I was combing through the YouTube vids and noticed that nobody had posted a windmill with the Beast. There was one with a heavier bell but the windmill was so poorly executed I didn't think it was a good representation. Look, words mean things. If your doing your own variety of something then give it a new name. Pavel makes it very clear how to get listed in the beast challenge. The movements must be performed correctly. Not your own variation. Same goes for the other movements including the windmill.