Back from the AKC Coaches Cert with a new direction

I am a huge kettlebell fan. Not only do I work with kettlebells I try to get all my clients to work with them too. Over the Father's day (June 20, 21) weekend I attended the AKC Coaches Cert in Lawrence, Long Island( Strong Island to some). I had a great time there. It was an informal format but everyone was still professional. We went over the main reason for kettlebells and all the competition lifts (Clean, Jerk, Long cycle Clean and Jerk, Snatch). It was about creating profiency in all the lift and doing them correctly so that you can reproduce the same lift for the timed set over and over again.

We were able to see Marty Farrell and Connor go for ranking. Marty who is already a Master of Sport in the biathlon (Jerk and Snatch) was going for MS in the Long Cycle. He needed to get 49 reps for his weight class with 2 x 32kg kettlebells. He just missed by one or two with a few seconds left. He was going at 6rpm (reps per min). It was amazing to see his determination to get through all 10 minutes and keep the same rpm. He will get it soon. Connor reached Rank 1 amatuer in the Biathlon. He preformed 68 jerks with 2 x 24kg and 65+65 reps of the snatch to reach Rank 1. They are both qualified to compete in the World Kettlebell Championships in August in Chicago.

So this is what I am in for, haha. From all the experience I had with kettlebells and the knowledge I receive from this certification and the RKC. I am on my way to preparing myself to competing. It is a tough and difficult sport. These Russians are tough. Kettlebell Sport requires patience, determination, a very strong mind, technique( perfect technique). Every rep must look the same and the first rep must look like the last.

So I began my journey on June 22, the day after the Cert. I listened to the advice I received and decided I would do a plan my training out and stick to the routine.

Mondays- Snatch (heavy)

Tuesday- Jerk (med)

Wednesday- Snatch (light)

Thursday- Jerk (Heavy)

Friday- Rest

Saturday- Jerk and Snatch

Sunday- Rest

So workout on 6/22 looked like this:

Joint Mobility & Stretch Band warm-up
Swing @ 16kg- 2min/2mins- 32rpm
Snatch @ 16kg- 2min/2min- 14rpm
Snatch@ 16kg-2min/2min- 14rpm

Boxing- 4 x 4min rds
Power wheel rollout- 3 x 15

Afternoon session( did a double session)

Warm-up-Joint Mobility( focus on T-spine mobility)

OA Jerk@ 12kg- 2min/2min- 12rpm (finding the rack)
Jerk@ 2 x 16kg- 3min- 12 rpm (10 rpm on 2nd min)
OA Jerk @ 24kg- 2min/2min- 10 rpm

Jump Squat @ 200lbs- 3 x 30

That was it for that day. I will post my other workouts later today. They have switched up because I have researched more information about how to train for Kettlebell Sport. It is a lot more difficult than I thought in the beginning and I am reading article that other Masters of Sport have written.

Orange Classic 10k race and Prior training

On Sunday June 14th I competed in the Orange County Classic 10k Road Race and finished the race in 56 mins and 47 seconds. It was a good race with a good amount of hills both up and down. A good perk of doing the race is that I ran into a bunch of classmates and friends that I haven't seen in a while. The reason I ran the race was because I was asked to by a co-worker and I was helping support the Joshua Stamm Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Both of Josh's parent are members at Sports Fitness and Fun, the gym that I work at. I was happy to help out and do the race and join their team.
My training for the race wasn't the smartest way but being that I am a kettlebell practitioner at heart. Most of my conditioning was with the kettlebells and not on the road running. I did run tho a few time. I started off by doing a 2 mile run Memorial Day weekend, and then the following week I ran 3 miles. Followed by a 4 mile run under 40mins 5 days before race day. In between and on those days I did GS and Hardstyle training.

Here are my recent training sessions before the race.

6/11/09

Warm-up:

• Stretch band
• Battiling Ropes 3 x 30sec
• Hip raise 2 x 10/10

Workout: GS Style

• 2kb Jerk @ 16kg 1 x 50
• Snatch @ 12kg 1 x 30/30
• OA LCC&J @ 24kg- 6rpm- 2 min/2 min; 1 min rest
• OA LCC&J @ 16kg- 8rpm- 2 min/2 min; 1 min rest
• OA LCC&J @ 12kg- 10rpm- 2 min/2 min; 1 min rest

Jump Squat @ 200lbs 3 x 20

6/09/09

Warm-up

• Jump Rope- 5 mins
• Stretch Band
• Shoulder rotator cuff work

Workout

Boxing- 5 x 3 min rds/1 min rest

GS Work

• Snatch @ 12kg 3 min/3 min
• Snatch @ 12kg 3 min/3 min
• LCC & J @ 12kg 3 min/ 3 min

4 mile run- 38 mins

Now back to getting ready for the AKC Cert this weekend. I'm sure there will be a lot of 2 KB Jerks and LCC& J and great tips and strategies from Valery Fedorenko and Mike Stefano. Can't wait to expand my kettlebell knowledge to the next level!!

Updates, Updates, Updates!!!

A lot of things are happening in the month of June. I've been pretty busy with work since coming back from Memorial Day weekend. And it looks as if I will be busy till the 4th of July! Which is always nice but I would like to post more especially since I feel as if I have been progressing in my GS workouts getting ready for the AKC Cert coming up in a couple weeks. I have also been preparing myself for the Orange County Classic 10k road race. I did say prepare because 1. I am not a runner especially for long distance and 2. I never ran further than 3 miles even when I was boxing for Lock Haven University of PA. With those events and work I have been pretty busy. But I must say that the training is going good. I am still using RKC Strength routines on my off days from GS. And mixed it up with Boxing/Kickboxing on my running days and once or twice a week I will do a couple circuits.

Speaking of running, I started training for the Orange Classic on Memorial day with a 2 mile run on a track. Since it has been a while I knew it was going to be tough. I have to work on my mechanics being that I haven't really ran in a long time. Kettlebell workouts are helping especially with controlling my breathing during the run. As of right now I have gotten up to 4 miles and for the next few days I will work on my speed and hills.

As for my workouts, I believe that they have been good. I am sweating more than usual. The time sets are tough and I have worked up to 3 mins on each exercise. I am having a little trouble with the rack and relaxing my forearms also with my triceps being burned out by the last exercise. I guess this will come with more practice. I find when I breathe correctly with the movement I can relax more and get out more reps. So for my workouts; here is what they looked like.

RKC Hardstyle:

5/29/09

One arm Swing @ 16kg- 15 reps x 1, 10 reps x 1, 12 reps x 1

Cleans @ 16kg- 10 reps x 1, 15 reps x 1

TGU @ 24kg- 3 + 3

Clean & Press @ 24kg- 1 x 8/8, 2 x 10/10

Pistol- 3 x 5/5

3 mile Jog- 29 mins

AKC GS workout:

6/3/09

Jump Rope and KB Swing to warm-up

Jerk @ 16kg- 2 min/ 2 mins- 16 rpm

LCCJ @ 16kg- 2 min/ 2 min- 10 rpm

2 KB Jerk @ 16kg- 3 x 1 min- 12 rpm

OH squat- 3 x 8/8 @ 16kg

Windmill- 3 x 8/8 @ 16kg

2 mile run on treadmill- 18 mins

Yesterday AKC GS style:

Stretch band and KB swings to warm up

Level 19 WKC Fitness

LCCJ @ 16kg- 3 min/ 3 min- 8rpm

Snatch @ 12kg- 3 min/3 min- 18 rpm

Snatch @ 16kg- Didn't last the 3 mins. Triceps were burning and forearms hurt a bit!!!!

I was able to do 2 mins on the right and 2 mins half snatch on the left.

Barbell Hang Clean @ 95llbs- 3 x 10

2 KB Front Squat @ 16kg- 3 x 10

On a side note I received my pair of Adidas Ironworks 3 from Dynamic Fitness. I hope they help in my GS work and allow me to better balance myself and not beat my heels up. I recently did some work with Vibram Five Finger to help strengthen my feet for the run. As a recent article in Men's Health about the runners from Mexico, the Tarahumara Indians, that run practically barefoot and go for very long distance and have no foot or joint problem. And being that I have used my VFF before to strengthen my feet I will use them again!