IT BURNS !!!!!

  It is toasty today!!! Personally, I love the fall and winter. For those of you that like it hot and muggy , you got your wish. Of  course, that doesn't mean the training is easier. I have the A/C on high and no plans for making friends tonight! We will start slow and easy and end on a high note. I finished my training this morning with a smile and thought..."they are gonn'a love this. So come well hydrated, plan for a night of fun out of the sun and remember...hell is in the shade.  Always thinking of you!

   This was a busy RKC. I am pretty sure this one drained me the most. Maybe because I know more about being an ass't each that I do more to incorporate myself into the weekend. I don't know. All I know is I am wiped out after each one and I didn't do any of the training. We had a great group of students this time around. The learning curve was very high. In many cases I wish we had just one more day...provided their hands could handle it.

  I have some new tidbits. I will sort them out. Nothing real dramatic. Just some stuff. Special thanks to all of the NEKB'ers that trained on Friday and Saturday. I appreciate you keeping up the pace when the mothership calls me for duty.

RKC !!!

  Well, we are off and running for a the next RKC in St. Paul. The test this timearound has the participants doing everything but the TGU with pairs of KB's. Swing, squats, presses, cleans...not so sure about the snatch. We'll see in the morning. I tested and decoded to screw the weigh in and just perform the 100 snatches. My time was a personal record for me at 3:30. Felt a little light headed but overcame it quickly. My team leader was a t the very first RKC so I will get some great intel on how things were done in 2001. I am looking forward to a great weekend. Get in some training Friday and Saturday and I will post if I am not a zombie.

It's a "No Brainer".....

...for those of us already on board. But, for the ones that have not walked in the door the video link give a quick shot in the arm for the help understand why we do the voo-doo that we do...and do so well.  Today is business as usual. I opened up yesterday morning and did some windmills to 'fix' and realign what was broken from the ladders on saturday. There will be a little bit of that again today. Then it is back to work on the strength stuff.  WATCH THIS VIDEO  Nothing super exciting but a nice reminder of some basic talking points.

"What the Heck"

 Okay. I kicked a doorstop in my house barefoot and broke a toe. It hurt. Still does but I am on the mend. This is not the point. My point comes from todays training. I did 100 snatches with the 24kg bell in 3:45 min:sec. Heart was racing pretty good. Then I laddered  24kg, 28kg, 32kg, 40kg, and the Beast (48kg). For the ladder I did 10 swings at each step (50 total swings). Then I started at the bottom again and did 2 swings, clean(L)/clean(R), snatch(L)/snatch(R) without pausing. I went thru the entire ladder ending with snatching the Beast with each arm. What's my point? Well, my toe didn't hurt. I never even thought about it. Now, keep in mind, this toe throbs when I walk on it. Going up or down stairs I look like a hunch back as I baby that foot. So why didn't my foot hurt doing all the snatches and heavy singles? Because I was driving with my heels. This was my 'what the heck' moment. I did it naturally. Weight back. Heels pressing into the ground. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal. It speaks more to the core of our training principals. Trained properly the movement patterns should become second nature so you can apply them without thinking about them.

CLEANING IT UP.....

  I have received the latest copy of the instructors manual. I just finished reading the parts that are newer or have been unclear to me so I will pass them on to you. First, the Max VO2 is to be completed with the 16kg bell for the men. Very strong men can/could us the 20kg but the 24kg bell is reserved for mutants. Ladies use the 12kg bell. 18kg bell if your under 110 pounds. Women may use the 16 kg bell but they need to be serious mutants. The max VO2 is performed 15:15 (15 seconds of work:15 seconds of rest). 40 work sets is the goal. The beast challenge for women is done with the 24kg bell. No exceptions. The rest of the stuff  we are up to speed and current.

  I want to thank everyone for taking in the newer folk. Their pain is our pain. We remember the first time the bell took a bite from us. They are progressing just fine but please share YOUR stories with them about how you overcame your own hurdles. We are a group of very well conditioned folk. I know it doesn't seem like it but we really are top shelf. The last time we did the max VO2 we went  the distance...and then some.

  There will be some days in June that class will be an open for general play. Class is still held but the "dice" may be used or a game of "round robin" might be employed. If you have never been to an open class don't sweat it. Nothing changes. It is just like any other Friday or Saturday in spirit. Fast and loose!!! Take a beating and go home with a smile.