Saturday, June 30, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Double Jerk, 16k- 80 reps
Two months ago, in April, I got 56 double jerks with 2x16k at the USA Kettlebell Lifting meet at Ross Gilling's gym in Rutherfordton. That was pretty near a max- I may have pushed it to 60, but my deltoids and triceps were wearing out prematurely. I've been working on jerk technique, along with overall strength. Following some good advice, I've worked the jerk in multiple short sets, rather than always doing grueling long sets. Today I hit a milestone: 10 minutes with the 16k bells at 8 rpm. I can hit 10 minutes at 10 rpm with the 12k bells, but had not pursued 10 minutes with the yellow bells until today. I hit 80 reps in 10 minutes- a 24 rep improvement (42 %) since April.
My goal for this weekend’s Throwdown Kettlebell Meet at Cyrus Peterson’s gym in Charlotte is 80 double jerks, and 80 snatches per arm with the 16k kettlebell. This would get me rank in the biathlon with World Kettlebell Club with reps to spare, and might be competitive against other lifters in my weight class- but maybe not. Double digit jerks and snatches with 16k is small potatoes in kettlebell sport. There are 14 year old girls in Russia who do this as a warm up! However, for me, it’s a pretty good number, and I look forward to this weekend’s meet. It’s always great to meet other lifters, and to reach your goals. It’s a great feeling to know what you are capable of, and do it on the platform where it counts. I hope to add a snatch video shortly.
I think it’s no small coincidence that I hit Candidate for Master of Sport in the single clean and jerk last week after hardly training that lift for months- my jerk and snatch numbers have been steadily increasing, and as Pavel Tsatsouline points out in his book Russian Kettlebell Challenge, many studies have demonstrated that a higher total in the traditional kettlebell lifts has great carryover to other strength and endurance activities, such as a different kettlebell lift.
I’ll continue to train with the 16k bells until I can regularly hit 100 double jerks and 100 snatches per arm in 10 minutes. Then it’s on to the purple 20k bells! I’ll also put some time into single clean and jerks with 32k to train for Master of Sport, but I have no doubt that higher numbers in the traditional biathlon lifts will be a great help to get me there!
My goal for this weekend’s Throwdown Kettlebell Meet at Cyrus Peterson’s gym in Charlotte is 80 double jerks, and 80 snatches per arm with the 16k kettlebell. This would get me rank in the biathlon with World Kettlebell Club with reps to spare, and might be competitive against other lifters in my weight class- but maybe not. Double digit jerks and snatches with 16k is small potatoes in kettlebell sport. There are 14 year old girls in Russia who do this as a warm up! However, for me, it’s a pretty good number, and I look forward to this weekend’s meet. It’s always great to meet other lifters, and to reach your goals. It’s a great feeling to know what you are capable of, and do it on the platform where it counts. I hope to add a snatch video shortly.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Candidate for Master of Sport!
Today I earned the rank of Candidate for Master of Sport. I completed 89 one arm clean and jerks with a 28k kettlebell in just over 9 minutes. I don't have a competition 28k, so I did it with a cast iron bell. I just submitted this video to Nico Rithner for rank:
I have a few thoughts to pass on about this. First about the organization I’m a part of . USA Kettlebell Lifting/International Kettlebell Lifting is a smaller and relatively new organization, but they are top flight. Nico Rithner is working hard to bring more lifters into the sport, hold local, regional, and national meets, and provide a fair ranking standard. Every experience I have had with this organization has been first class. If you are happy with your kettlebell sport organization, then by all means, lift, rank, and certify with them- I continue to lift in WKC meets. But if you are looking for an alternative source for instruction, ranking, and competitions, give this organization a good look. You will probably like what you see. If you lift hardstyle/RKC style and want to give ranking a try, this is a great place to start.
Second, about the set. This was really an anomaly. When I completed this set, I had been out of town for almost a week, and down for a few days with a stomach virus before that. I spent most of my day working in the yard in 90+ degree heat, and had already completed 100 double jerks in 10 minutes with 2x12k, and 100 snatches per arm with 12k, with one hand switch. I was working in my office and printed out the new ranking standards. I looked over them and thought I could probably hit rank I in the single clean and jerk- 70 reps with 28k. That was my goal, and in the video, you can see when I hit 35 with my left arm, I stopped a minute to think about it. I figured I could get to 44, so I went for it. I had been working hard all day, and somehow had enough gas in the tank to make CMS! Can’t explain that one.
The other thing is that I have hardly trained single clean and jerk in ages. My training log is on this site, and in the last months, I have done a couple of sets of 16/16 with 32k, and sets of 8-10 with 40k, preparing for my Kettlebell Strongman Sport set at next week’s competition in Charlotte. My training has been a steady diet of the basics: jerks, snatches, bench presses, deadlifts, pullups. Perhaps this is the “what the heck”effect Pavel talks about. There is certainly carryover from being reasonably strong and from performing high rep ballistic lifts. Of course, the single clean and jerk is a lift I have spent time on in the past, so my technique was already fairly efficient.
What’s next? I’ve got Master of Sport fever: 88 reps with 32k. I can’t do it right now- I’ll have to work up to it. But first, I’ve got a meet on June 30 at Cyrus Peterson’s gym in Charlotte, where I will compete in biathlon with the 16k, and strongman long cycle with 36k. I’ve paid my money, so I can’t get distracted in the last week. My goal is to bring home two gold medals and two ranks. After that, we’ll see about specializing in the one arm long cycle and getting that Master of Sport rank!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
June Training Log
June 26- Double jerk: 2x16k: 10 minutes @ 8 rpm. = 80 reps. Probably my last long jerk set before Saturday's meet. This is my goal number at the meet, so it's good to know that I've done it once before. I kept the pace, though I could probably have sprinted in the last minute and gotten maybe 85 jerks. If this were the meet, I would have, but in training, this is a great number for me, and I'm happy with it.
June 25- Bench Press: 2x5 @ 175. Pull ups: 2x5. Pistols: 2x5 per leg. One arm long cycle: 11 minutes @ 24k, switching hands every 5 reps. Pace about 8-9 rpm. Practiced barbell clean and jerk- 5 singles @ 135 pounds. Emphasized full squat clean.
June 24- Some light yard work. Bench Press: 2x5 @ 165. Double Jerk, 2x16k- 9 min. @ 8 rpm = 72 reps. My goal is 80 at the meet on Saturday- a full 10 minutes @ 8 rpm.
June 23- Snatch, 16k: 9 minutes @ 16 rpm = 72 reps per arm. Played around with heavy jerks- 40k, 76lb., several singles per arm.
June 22- Back to training for meet next Saturday. I'll be training with the 16k's next week, but have not done serious kettlebell lifting in a week, so today I used the 12k's for two 10 minute sets: 100 double jerks, and 100 snatches per arm. Also several hours of yard/farm work: mowing, shoveling, hauling, etc. One arm long cycle, 28k: 44 left, 45 right, for Candidate for Master of Sport. New PR!\
June 18-21- Went to lake house with family. Lots of walking, swimming, boating, some pullups, pistols, and dips. Lots of rest.
June 15-17- Feeling strange lately. Nausea every morning, aches and pains in my lower back. Went to Dr. for possible kidney stones. Turned out to be a strange stomach virus that finally hit.
June 14- super busy today, so no time for a real workout (I was in my office until almost 9:00 at night!). I grabbed 2 24k kettlebells and put them outside my office. Throughout the day I did a total of 7 sets of 10 long cycle clean and jerks, for a total of 70 reps with 2 24k bells. 7,420 pounds clean and jerked.
June 13- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 165. Deadlift- 2x5 @ 265. After each barbell set, 15 swings w/ 40k (60 swings total). Snatch: 5 min. left, 3.5 min right @ 16rpm, 16k. Double long cycle, 2x16k: 5 minutes @ 8 rpm. Partial Squats (+-6 inch range of movement), 3-4 singles @ 350 lbs.
June 12- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 155. Deadlift- 2x5 @ 255. Squat: 2 singles @ 225, 2 singles @ 255, to keep groove. Double Jerk: 3 x 3min. @ 10 rpm, 2x16k, 2.5 min. rest between sets. Snatch, 16k: 1min. 16rpm per arm- workout was interrupted.
June 11- Bench Press- 1x5, 1x4 @ 185. Time to start a new bench press cycle @ 155. Deadlift: 2x5 @ 285. Heavy cleans- 40k: 10 per arm; 32k: 10 per arm. Heavy jerks- 40k: 10 per arm.
June 10- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 175; Deadlift- 2x5 @ 275. Jerk: 2x16k: 3x3min @ 10 rpm, 3 min rest between sets = 90 jerks. Snatch: 4.5 min. per arm @ 16 rpm= 72 reps per arm. One arm clean and jerk: 32k: 16 reps per arm; 40k: 8 reps per arm. Mowed the grass and did yard work for a couple hours.
June 9- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 165; Deadlift- 2x5 @ 265.
June 8- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 155; Deadlift- 2x5 @ 255; Double Jerk: 2x16k: 1 min. @ 10 rpm; 2x3m @ 8rpm, 1 min rest between sets. Snatch, 16k: 4 minutes per arm @ 16rpm. Pistol squats, unweighted: 2x5 per leg.
June 7- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 145; Deadlift 2x5 @ 245
June 6- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 135; Deadlift 2x5 @ 235
June 5- no training
June 4- kettlebell swings (sport style), 16k: 2 minutes per arm @ 30 rpm = 60 swings per arm. Single arm lockout, 16k- 2 minutes per arm. Single clean and jerk, 16k: 3 min/arm @ 8 rpm. Press, 16k: 1,2,3,4,5; 1,2,3,4 per arm= 25 presses per arm.
June 3- Double jerk, 2x16: sets of 50, 25, 15, 10 = 100 jerks. Snatches: 3m left, 2.5m right @ 20 rpm.
June 2- Powerlifting meet- a push/pull. Bench pressed 195 clean. Redlighting for raising my glutes off the bench with 215, then failed at the bottom with 215. Deadlifted 315, 325, failed on 355. Total: 520. First place in novice 181. Bodyweight 177.
June 1- No training. Powerlifting meet tomorrow.
June 25- Bench Press: 2x5 @ 175. Pull ups: 2x5. Pistols: 2x5 per leg. One arm long cycle: 11 minutes @ 24k, switching hands every 5 reps. Pace about 8-9 rpm. Practiced barbell clean and jerk- 5 singles @ 135 pounds. Emphasized full squat clean.
June 24- Some light yard work. Bench Press: 2x5 @ 165. Double Jerk, 2x16k- 9 min. @ 8 rpm = 72 reps. My goal is 80 at the meet on Saturday- a full 10 minutes @ 8 rpm.
June 23- Snatch, 16k: 9 minutes @ 16 rpm = 72 reps per arm. Played around with heavy jerks- 40k, 76lb., several singles per arm.
June 22- Back to training for meet next Saturday. I'll be training with the 16k's next week, but have not done serious kettlebell lifting in a week, so today I used the 12k's for two 10 minute sets: 100 double jerks, and 100 snatches per arm. Also several hours of yard/farm work: mowing, shoveling, hauling, etc. One arm long cycle, 28k: 44 left, 45 right, for Candidate for Master of Sport. New PR!\
June 18-21- Went to lake house with family. Lots of walking, swimming, boating, some pullups, pistols, and dips. Lots of rest.
June 15-17- Feeling strange lately. Nausea every morning, aches and pains in my lower back. Went to Dr. for possible kidney stones. Turned out to be a strange stomach virus that finally hit.
June 14- super busy today, so no time for a real workout (I was in my office until almost 9:00 at night!). I grabbed 2 24k kettlebells and put them outside my office. Throughout the day I did a total of 7 sets of 10 long cycle clean and jerks, for a total of 70 reps with 2 24k bells. 7,420 pounds clean and jerked.
June 13- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 165. Deadlift- 2x5 @ 265. After each barbell set, 15 swings w/ 40k (60 swings total). Snatch: 5 min. left, 3.5 min right @ 16rpm, 16k. Double long cycle, 2x16k: 5 minutes @ 8 rpm. Partial Squats (+-6 inch range of movement), 3-4 singles @ 350 lbs.
June 12- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 155. Deadlift- 2x5 @ 255. Squat: 2 singles @ 225, 2 singles @ 255, to keep groove. Double Jerk: 3 x 3min. @ 10 rpm, 2x16k, 2.5 min. rest between sets. Snatch, 16k: 1min. 16rpm per arm- workout was interrupted.
June 11- Bench Press- 1x5, 1x4 @ 185. Time to start a new bench press cycle @ 155. Deadlift: 2x5 @ 285. Heavy cleans- 40k: 10 per arm; 32k: 10 per arm. Heavy jerks- 40k: 10 per arm.
June 10- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 175; Deadlift- 2x5 @ 275. Jerk: 2x16k: 3x3min @ 10 rpm, 3 min rest between sets = 90 jerks. Snatch: 4.5 min. per arm @ 16 rpm= 72 reps per arm. One arm clean and jerk: 32k: 16 reps per arm; 40k: 8 reps per arm. Mowed the grass and did yard work for a couple hours.
June 9- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 165; Deadlift- 2x5 @ 265.
June 8- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 155; Deadlift- 2x5 @ 255; Double Jerk: 2x16k: 1 min. @ 10 rpm; 2x3m @ 8rpm, 1 min rest between sets. Snatch, 16k: 4 minutes per arm @ 16rpm. Pistol squats, unweighted: 2x5 per leg.
June 7- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 145; Deadlift 2x5 @ 245
June 6- Bench Press- 2x5 @ 135; Deadlift 2x5 @ 235
June 5- no training
June 4- kettlebell swings (sport style), 16k: 2 minutes per arm @ 30 rpm = 60 swings per arm. Single arm lockout, 16k- 2 minutes per arm. Single clean and jerk, 16k: 3 min/arm @ 8 rpm. Press, 16k: 1,2,3,4,5; 1,2,3,4 per arm= 25 presses per arm.
June 3- Double jerk, 2x16: sets of 50, 25, 15, 10 = 100 jerks. Snatches: 3m left, 2.5m right @ 20 rpm.
June 2- Powerlifting meet- a push/pull. Bench pressed 195 clean. Redlighting for raising my glutes off the bench with 215, then failed at the bottom with 215. Deadlifted 315, 325, failed on 355. Total: 520. First place in novice 181. Bodyweight 177.
June 1- No training. Powerlifting meet tomorrow.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
First Powerlifting Meet
Last Saturday, I competed in my first powerlifting meet: the Iron Boy Powerlifting North Carolina Push/Pull Championships, in King's Mountain. I had a great time, and am still processing the entire experience. I met a lot of really nice people, and learned a lot about the difference between lifting in my basement gym and lifting on someone else's time. I benched a solid opener at 195, then was red-lighted at 215 because my rear end came off the bench. I felt it happen, but it was over before I could stop. My fault. My second attempt at 215 stalled on my chest, and just would not budge. I was disapppointed in myself because I have pressed 225 at home once, and 215 several times. I can rep with 205- I did not think that 10 pounds would matter that much, but it did. Then came the deadlift. I hit a solid lift at 315, then three white lights with 325. My third attempt, for 355, came up about 3 inches, stalled, and dropped to the deck. My total was 520. I won first place in the novice 181 raw category, at a bodyweight that morning of 177.
A few quick lessons learned. First, I learned that I will not rise to the occasion. In the moment of truth, I failed on bench presses that I can hit every day at home. Why? The first lift was lost because my technique wavered, and the second lift didn't happen because by that point, I had used up so much energy pacing and worrying about making the lift after failing. My deadlift went well well as long as I stayed in the range in which I had trained. My heaviest deadlifts in training recently have been 335, and I hit 315 and 325 with no problem. I assumed that I could pull 20 pounds heavier than I trained with last week. Wrong. Not at the end of the meet, hyped up on adrenaline. I assumed that the inertia of the event would increase my lifts. Dead wrong. I've heard that you will not rise to the occassion; you will rise to the level of your training. That's exactly what happened.
I also learned that I need to develop "low gear" deadlifting strength. I used to have it, when I was focusing on the deadlift using the Power to the People program. My best ever deadlift is 405 at a bodyweight of 202. I have the lift on video- it took me nearly 5 seconds to take it from the floor to lockout. Some lifters pulling the big weights kept the tension turned on for 6 or 8 seconds, pulling as hard as they could. I stalled after 2 or 3 seconds. Pavel Tsatsouline has described training that inhibits the central nervous system shutdown I experienced- low gear strength that just keeps pulling. I need it, big time. I know that if I can get 375 to the knees, I can lock it out, because I do rack pulls from time to time. But I can't get 355 off the floor.
What's the prescription, now that the powerlifting bug has bitten me? The same prescription as for all lifting, I think: the basics. I like how the push/pull format complements the jerk and snatch in kettlebell sport, and how I can recover faster, without knee pain, than when I squat. I'm going to train for the kettlebell meet at the end of June, then seriously prepare for the next push/pull meet in Morganton in November. Lots of benching and deadlifting, along with high rep kettlebell ballistics.
Oh, and I learned one more thing, looking at the other lifters in the meet: I should probably lose the gut and compete in the 165 division.
Edit: I thought of one more thing I would do differently. I stopped deadlifting 8 days before the meet, and stopped benching on Tuesday. I was a lot stronger last week- I think that I took too much time off.
A few quick lessons learned. First, I learned that I will not rise to the occasion. In the moment of truth, I failed on bench presses that I can hit every day at home. Why? The first lift was lost because my technique wavered, and the second lift didn't happen because by that point, I had used up so much energy pacing and worrying about making the lift after failing. My deadlift went well well as long as I stayed in the range in which I had trained. My heaviest deadlifts in training recently have been 335, and I hit 315 and 325 with no problem. I assumed that I could pull 20 pounds heavier than I trained with last week. Wrong. Not at the end of the meet, hyped up on adrenaline. I assumed that the inertia of the event would increase my lifts. Dead wrong. I've heard that you will not rise to the occassion; you will rise to the level of your training. That's exactly what happened.
I also learned that I need to develop "low gear" deadlifting strength. I used to have it, when I was focusing on the deadlift using the Power to the People program. My best ever deadlift is 405 at a bodyweight of 202. I have the lift on video- it took me nearly 5 seconds to take it from the floor to lockout. Some lifters pulling the big weights kept the tension turned on for 6 or 8 seconds, pulling as hard as they could. I stalled after 2 or 3 seconds. Pavel Tsatsouline has described training that inhibits the central nervous system shutdown I experienced- low gear strength that just keeps pulling. I need it, big time. I know that if I can get 375 to the knees, I can lock it out, because I do rack pulls from time to time. But I can't get 355 off the floor.
What's the prescription, now that the powerlifting bug has bitten me? The same prescription as for all lifting, I think: the basics. I like how the push/pull format complements the jerk and snatch in kettlebell sport, and how I can recover faster, without knee pain, than when I squat. I'm going to train for the kettlebell meet at the end of June, then seriously prepare for the next push/pull meet in Morganton in November. Lots of benching and deadlifting, along with high rep kettlebell ballistics.
Edit: I thought of one more thing I would do differently. I stopped deadlifting 8 days before the meet, and stopped benching on Tuesday. I was a lot stronger last week- I think that I took too much time off.
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