Training past couple of days

Tuesday 7/27/10
Morning workout
Jump rope 5mins
Boxing (heavy bag) 4 x 3mins
Speed bag 2 x 3mins
Stretch

Afternoon workout
Jerk 2x20kg 6mins @ 8rpm
Snatch 20kg 6mins @ 14rpm
Swings 28kg 50/50

Wednesday 7/28/10
4 mile run 37 mins
Bike ride 15 mins
Stretch

Didin't lift the bells yesterday because my shoulders were acting up so I pushed my legs and ran. Hitting the bells today.

Slowly starting back up with the bells!!

After a few days off from lifting and just working on my boxing and restrengthening and stretching my shoulders. I tested myself today. Started back up with an easy set with the 20kgs. No video camera because it was dead. But good work anyways.

Kettlebell Jerk 2x20kg 10mins 6rpm
Kettlebell Snatch 20kg 10mins 12rpm

Oh yeah a cool video from one of the great coaches from the IKSFA
Sergey Rudnev HMS, MSWC

Damien Walters does it again!!

Here is the Gymnast/stuntman at it again. Here is his 2010 Showreel.

Shoulder injury

Reently during training I created some bicipital tendonitis on my right shoulder. It came from the increased volume of doing kettlebell jerk and not properly stretching and cooling down. The other parts of recovery (sleeping, suana, contrast showers) I haven't kept up on. As far as recovering now and getting back to where I left off is up to me to rest the shoulder and do some active recovery. Indian club, Joint mobility drills, and Stretch band stretchs and some Shoulder prehab drills with light weight will be on the menu. Also some self massage will help speed the recovery up. Usually it takes about a week to get it back to where it was but thet week off is going to hurt my progress. I'll be smart when I start up. A good warmup and cool down will be required everyday of training.
I will start light possibly with the 16s and/or 20s. I will also only push myself on test days and not on training days. Its not that I won't do the work required on those days but I will be focused on perfecting the technique. Test days are the most important because they set the week up. Training days are also important and it is key to focus on specifics during the week to improve the testing results.

Training

Tuesday
Jerk 2x24kg 7mins @ 7rpm
Push Press 32kg 12/12
Snatch 24kg 8mins @ 14rpm
Swings 32kg 50/50

Wednesday
Jerk 2x24kg 5mins @10rpm (48reps)
OAJ 32kg 15/15
Snatch 24kg 6mins 18rpm
*Snatch set was going great but ended up ripping my left hand in the end. I didn't get all the reps in but I was close. Training will change from here. I hope it heals in time so I can compete at the worlds but I'll see what happens. There are always more competitions out there.

7/12/10 Test Set...Welcome 28s!!

Today I started working towards a new level CMS. I started the week testing with the 28s.
Kettlebell Jerk 2x28kg 5mins @ 6rpm
Kettlebell Snatch 28kg 6mins @ 12rpm

Good way to start the week. I was very tired last week so this week should be good!
I need to up my endurance. This weight got me tired quick.

Glad the rough week passed

Last week I had a tough time with training. I wasn't hitting my recommended reps and time. It was tough. Then I found out that my aunt had just passed. It was a tough time. We were all pretty close to her but we all know that she is in a better place. From that I didn't train Friday so I didn't get the week completed. It was necessary though. So I think I should still update you on my training. Here is what I got done. Next week so training will be good

Wednesday 5/7/10
2x24 Jerks 6 min 8 rpms
32 Push press 10/10
24 Snatch 6 min 16 rpms
32 Swings 55/55

Thursday
2x24 Jerk 5 min 10 rpms
32oaj 12/12
24 Snatch 8 min 13 rpms strict!!!

Volume work

Jerk 2x20kg 7min @ 10rpm
OAJ 32kg 15/15
Snatch 20kg 8min @ 16rpm
Swings 32kg 50/50

July 5th Test day!!

I hit new p.r.'s today during the test set. I also received my Inzer design forever weight lifting belt. Boy do belts make a difference. I know why the Russian used them. It was a great buy for only $49. Anyways, back to the test sets. I am still testing with the 24s in the Biathlon. I had a good showing at the Red Barn KB competition but now its time to really step it up. I want to compete in the World Kettlebell Championships in August and have a great showing with the 24s. Then after that begin competing with the 28s and going for CMS. Right now Rank 1 is in the works. Here are the videos from today's sets. Thank you Coach C-Duff for all the help you have given me to get to this level.

Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg (7+7+7+7+7+7+6+6+6)


Kettlebell Snatch 24kg (55+55)

Training up to the 4th of July

Hope everyone had a great 4thof July. I was down in Virginia Beach celebrating my cousin's wedding. Joey and Ashley I wish you both the best!! Before I made it down there I got my training in for the week. This is what C-Duff set me up with for the week.

Monday and Tuesday
2x20 jerks 6 minutes 10 rpms
24 oaj 15/15
16 snatch 6 minutes at 15 rpms
24 swings... 50/50

Wednesday
2x24 jerks 5 min 8 rpm
32 oaj 12/12.
20 snatch 6 min 16 rpms
32 swings 50/50x2 (got a lil rip here)

Thursday
2x24 jerks 6 min 7 rpms
32 oaj 10/10 long pause at top 3 secs
24 snatch 6 min 14rpms
32 swings 50/50(couldn't do swings hands were really tender)

Friday
2x24 jerks 5 min 9 rpms.
2x20 jerks 3 min 12+ rpms
24 snatch 8 min 14 rpms
32 swings 50/50x 2 (only one set, hands were tender)

Red Barn Kettlebell Competition

Off to South Glastonbury, CT to the Red Barn Kettlebell Competition. I made weight at 73kg (160lbs). I competed in the 24kg Amateur Biathlon part of the meet. This was my second time competing with the 24s. My last competition was the Arnold in March and I did ok there. I was coaching myself and it wasn't the greatest way to do it. My old PR was 40 reps 6:30mins in the Jerk and 47/47 6mins reps in the Snatch. After a month of solid training with Coach CDuff and with him being there at the meet was great. I hit a new Pr in both the Jerk and Snatch in competition. In the Jerk I hit 54 reps moving at 6rpm for 9:30mins. I missed a couple reps but I did my best. In the snatch I hit 52reps on R/ 48reps on the L. I would have done more but I did rip my right hand and then left I was off my count and didn't even it out. I am almost at the full 10mins with both the jerk and the snatch. It was great to have CDuff there to motivate and encourage me and my teammates through out the competition. I did get second place but my teammate Scott Tighe got first in the 73kg class. We were the only two there. He hit 80 reps in the Jerk and 63/55 reps in the Snatch. Outstanding job for only training for a couple months with CDuff. Will Metcalf and Coach CDuff hit 100+ reps in the Jerk. The snatch set was a bit different with Will losing his grip on the switch it through things off but he did amazing in his jerk set.
Here are the 2 clips of my jerk and snatch set.

Final Taper

Alright even though the Red Barn Competition weekend has past I wanted to finish the taper week I had. It was short. Two money sets and that was it. After that I controlled my intake so I could make the 73kg weight class.

Final workout before Competition
Jerk 2x24kg 7mins @ 6rpm
Snatch 24kg 8mins @ 14rpm

Sauna really helped out with the last pound to make weight.

Final Taper Day 2

Today was a good workout...still only a couple pounds away from weight. I see no problem making it. Today's workout:

Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg 5min @ 8rpm
Kettlebell Snatch 24kg 6min @ 15rpm

Con't Tapering

Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg 6min @ 7rpm
Kettlebell Snatch 24kg 6min @ 15rpm

Felt really good but a bit tired from the long day....Oh yeah 5 days and 3lbs to go.

Tapering Down...only a few days left.

The red Barn KB Competition is only 7 days away. I am getting ready for it. I've increased my running a bit to help get my weight down. I am also implying use of the sauna to help drop the 7lbs I need to make the 73kg weight class. Friday's workout finished off the week pretty good. I felt strong throughout the entire workout. It mush have been the rest I got from the night before. But anyways good workout. And today I did some running and stretching. I did 3 miles in 26mins which is nice but I can probably go longer in fact i should but I'll wait till after the competition. Right now I am in taper mode. Not a lot of work ahead of me just more recovering. I have an idea of what I would like to do on Saturday but I'll know more that day. Here are my workouts from the past couple of days including today.

Friday 6/18/10
Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg 7mins 6rpm
Kettlebell Snatch 24kg 6mins 15rpm
Swing 32kg 50/50 reps

Saturday 6/19/10
3 mile run
Handstand and Planche training- Isometric holds
Stretching

Taper Day 2: Not great but not bad for today's workout.

So dealing with today's workout was pretty good but not the best. I had a little blister that opened up on my pinky side mid hand. Nothing to bad but just made the area sensitive so for the snatch set it was a pain. I have to redefine my technique so I am using my OK grip more and more. So today's workout was this:

Kettlebell Snatch 24kg 2mins L/3mins R 15rpm
Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg 6min 6rpm

Here is the video of my jerk set. I have some things I need to work on and make the technique better.

Tapering begins!!

With the Red Barn Fitness Kettlebell Competition just 2 weeks away Coach C-Duff started my taper. I have never really tapered for a competition but for right now why not. I want to do my best at the competition so this taper will definitely help. Here is the workout.

6/15/10
Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg 6min 6rpm
OAJ 32kg 12/12reps
Kettlebell Snatch 24kg 6min 15rpm
Swings 32kg 50/50

Not bad for Tuesday's workout. I also added in some running afterwards. On a side note I had a little blister form and had to pop it so it wouldn't tear today. I'll patch it up for today's workout. Shouldn't be to bad!

6/14/10 Test day

Today I did my usual testing today for the Kettlebell Jerk and Kettlebell Snatch. I am still working with the 24s. I hit a new PR in the Kettlebell Jerk and in the Kettlebell Snatch I maintained the 8 minute mark. Here are the videos

Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg 9min @ 6rpm
Kettlebell Snatch 24kg 8min @ 12rpm

6/9/10 Training

Had a short workout juts going through the motions and refining technique with the 24s.
Warm-up: Jog 1 mile, Joint mobility and Stretching
Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg 6mins 7rpm
Kettlebell Snatch 24kg 6 min 14rpm
Swing 32kg 50/50reps
Pull ups 1x10

Stretching

Really worked on my snatch technique and will continue to do so today. It feels like my strength in the over head position isn't there. I tend to tire out unless I get to lean away and I need to be a bit more flexible on the right side so my arm lines up correctly. Here is the video

6/8/10 workout

Kettlebell Sport Jerk 2x20kg 6min @ 9rpm
OAJ 32kg 14/14reps
Kettlebell Snatch 20kg 6min @ 16/17rpm
Swings 32kg 50/50reps

Interval running- 1min/1min wind sprints

Monday Test Day!!

Today was a pretty good test day. Felt great this morning and just before I started my test. I started with the 2 x 24kg kettlebell jerk set. Everything was going great till the 6th min...the hell visited my forearms. My drop was getting messed up, forearms were getting tired nothing good. I stayed in it for as long as I could get a rep out. I did my best as I could and reached 8 minutes @ 6rpm. I don't think I got 48reps but close enough. Time is the most important right now. So I am back to where I left off a couple weeks ago. Not bad though. Now on to the kettlebell snatch set. Started off pretty good. My right forearm even though feeling fatigued I was going good. Till I was on the 5th minute. I got a bit greedy and wanted the full time and accidentally tapped the bell on the floor...SET OVER!! That's what set in my head. I continued the set but I was mentally messed up. I did on;y a few minutes on the left then shut it down. It's a BIG no no to touch the bell on the floor but these things happen. Good thing it was just practice. So here are the sets.

Kettlebell Snatch 24kg


Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg

Friday's Workout...

I figured I would post Friday's workout before I test tomorrow. It should be a really good test set being that I have trained hard this past week and the weeks before.

Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg 5mins 7rpm
OAJ 32kg 12/12 reps
Kettlebell Snatch 24kg 8mins 12rpm
Swing 32kg 45/50 30/30 starting on the left.

Here are the work set videos

Kettlebell Jerk


Kettlebell Snatch

Good workout

Warm-up 1 mile Jog
Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg 5 min 7 rpm
Kettlebell Jerk 2x20kg 3 min 10 rpm
Kettlebell Snatch 24kg 6 min 13 rpm
Swing 32kg 50/50

Good work today. The run in the beginning definitely hit my legs so I won't be doing that tomorrow til after the workout.

Here are the videos from today.

A good bounce back workout!!

Warm-up 1 mile jog
Kettlebell Jerk 2x20kg 6 mins 8 rpm
OAJ 32kg 12/12 reps 2-3 sec hold in lockout
Kettlebell Snatch 20kg 8 mins 15rpm
One arm Swing 32kg 50/50
Cool down 2.25 miles

Working on some stuff. Mostly the rack position in the Jerk. I waste a bit of energy and always adjust when I setup for the next rep. Tomorrow, when I am back with the 24s I will make sure I drop back down into the rack correctly so I don't have to waste movement and energy to set up. Should be a nice set tomorrow.

Down but not Out!! not so good test set today!

Today was my test day being that Monday was Memorial Day. I want to thank the the troops that put their lives in danger for our freedoms here at home. I am sure we know someone who is enlisted or has been. To my Friends and Family Thank You! So back to today. It sucked big time! I was waiting all weekend for this set. I looked at others who are coached by Chris and saw they are having great results. People are reaching PRs left and right. I was very anxious to get back and test. My mind played a game with me. In the end I didn't reach my goals for today. Here are results from today's test.
Jerk 2 x 24kg 6:30 mins @ 6 rpm
Snatch 24kg 8 mins @ 12 rpm

"Unless you're willing to have a go, fail miserably, and have another
go, success won't happen." Phillip Adams

I have failed and I may again and again but I won't quit. I know my goals and I will get there no matter what. There is no stopping. I have a great week left of work to do and I will kick ass Next Monday when I test. Look out!!

Mid Week Workout

Kettlebell Jerk 2x20kg 7mins 8 rpm
Kettlebell Snatch 20kg 8 mins 15rpm
1.5 mile jog

Great workout today. I felt really good. I taped today's workout to check the technique.

Kettlebell Jerk 2x20kg


Kettlebell Snatch 20kg

Today's Workout

Jerk 2x24kg @ 5 mins 6 rpm
Jerk 2x20kg @ 3 mins 10 rpm
Snatch 24kg @ 6 mins 12 rpm
Swings 32kg 40/40

Snatch Set 24kg


Jerk Set 2x20kg 3 mins 10 rpm

Today's Workout

Back to the grind. Starting this week where I left off last week. Tomorrow will change that.

Jerk 2x20kg 6 mins 8 rpm
OAJ 32kg 12/12
Snatch 20kg 6 mins 15rpm
Swing 32kg 40/40

New PRs with the 24s

Yesterday was a big test day. I had been gone for 5 days which hindered my training a bit. I got back on track and trained for 2 days then rested again for 2 days. On Monday I tested my Biathlon preformance. I hit new PR's with a bit of rust attached. In the Kettlebell Jerk I reached 8 minutes moving at 6 rpm (total 48 reps 10 away from my goal). In the Kettlebell Snatch I reached 8 minutes moving at 12 rpm (48/48 reps, 7/7 reps away). I plan on making it to the end very soon. Its a tough looking week ahead so next monday should be very good. I will also be staggering my Lung Massage runs along with some speed runs. I am preparing for the Orange County Classic 10k run. I want to beat my previous time of 56 min 4 sec. So we'll see what happens there. Here are my two test sets from yesterday, Enjoy!!!

2x24kg Kettlebell Jerk test set


24kg Kettlebell Snatch test set

Back from the West Coast!

This past weekend my girlfriend and I took a trip to the San Diego to vacay away from everything. We needed a little break from stuff. We took and extended weekend staying from Saturday to Wednesday. So today I got back to my training. Five days feels like a long break from GS training but it was well worth it. Kayaking in the Pacific, checking out the San Diego Zoo, enjoying tacos and margaritas I can't complain but now back to work!!
I started back with the training set I was doing last week. I missed this weeks test day so I will have to wait for Monday to see where I am at. I need to catch up. A few people are ahead of me and I can't let them past me. This is good for me though because I am hungry! I thought i was before but now I really am. Training can be tough and I can do it great but the work really comes down to the test days. They determine my work for the week. I have two test coming up. I recently signed up for a 10k race on June 12th, The Orange County Classic, which I need to get ready for and I also signed up for IKFF Red Barn Kettlebell Lifting Meet June 26th. Both are good challenges and I hope the Kettlebell meet will help me prep for the WKC World Championships in Chicago in August. So I have all that going for me so training will be fun. Everything I will be doing will have a reason. So let all this fun training begin all over again :)
Today's Session:
Jerk set 2x20kg 6 mins 8 rpm
OAJ 32kg 12/12 reps
Snatch set 20kg 6 mins 15 rpm
Swings 32kg 35/35

Similar workout tomorrow. I will crush it (way some ppl say it) I plan on excelling in this sport. I am my only competitor!!

Workout from past couple days

5/11/10
Jerk 2x20kg 6 mins @ 8rpm
OAJ 32kg 12/12
Snatch 20kg 6 mins @ 15rpm
Swings 32kg 2 x 25/25 non stop

5/12/10
Jerk 2x20kg 6 mins @ 8rpm
OAJ 32kg 12/12
Snatch 20kg 8 mins @ 12rpm
Swings 28kg 25/25, 32kg 25/25

Had overall good workouts. Tuesday I was more tired than wednesday's workout. I pulled off an 8min snatch set which felt pretty good. I worked on a few things and it seemed to help out. Here is the video of the 8 min set.

New PR in Kettlebell Jerk w/ 2x24kg

Yesterday I hit a new PR in the Kettlebell Jerk with 2 x 24kg. I was able to get to 7:30min hitting 45reps. My previous best was 43 reps in 5 mins. I am getting closer and closer to a full 10 min set. That will be a very good day. Only sad part yesterday was my Kettlebell Snatch set. Still hit 6 mins but didn't get any further. My technique did get better tho at least on my left side. I have a nice tough work this week so I will have to recover to get in all the work Chris wants me to do. Here are my two test sets.

Kettlebell Jerk Test set


Kettlebell Snatch Test set

Muscle Soreness Recovery with Contrast Showers: GoArticles.com

Muscle Soreness Recovery with Contrast Showers: GoArticles.com

Training Day 2

Jerk 2 x 20kg 5 mins @ 8 rpm
OAJ 32kg 10/10
Snatch 20kg 6 mins 14 rpm
Swing 24kg 50/50

Jerk Set


Snatch set:


Notes: Jerk Set: Felt good. Worked on explosiveness and got under the bells quick. Forearms were starting to get tired but I was adjusting the grip position. I would alternate from handle resting against the heel of the palm and forearm in rack to lifting the bell with the heel of the palm into.
OAJ : Again good feeling good lock out. Little pressure on the right wrist nothing major. I just think it from my forearms being tired.
Snatch set: I felt my right shoulder was getting tired so I had to find the alignment again. Right forearm was tired so it affected my elbow just feeling the weight a little more than usual. Nothing related to injury. Left side felt much better. I feel my technique is better on my left than my right especially when I get tired. Worked on the breathing and expanding the lungs when I stand up.
Swing were good. Got a numb feeling on the right from holding on. Left hand was sensitive (callous area) and I had to put the bell down at around rep 42. but I picked it up and finished the 50.

Training Day One: New beginning

Jerk 2 x 20kg 5 mins 8 rpm
OAJ 32kg 10/10
Snatch 20kg 6 mins 14 rpm
Swing 24kg 50/50

Notes: Workout felt good today. Chris told me that this will be my workout for the week. The plan is to continue to fatigue myself every day so I am force to fix my technique. The more tired I get, the more focused I can be on my technique. Jerk felt good. Snatches were good. I did have a little pain in my elbow but I had dislocated my left elbow when I was 21. So it gets irritated every once and a while when I do snatches. Swings were a surprise to me. They kicked ass. My forearms were on fire but its great to work on grip strength. I used a sauna and hot/cold shower to recover so I won't be to sore or tired.

New Start!!

Today I started my training with Chris Duffy from the American Kettlebell Club. He saw my video of my 3 min sprint set and decided to give me some pointers. After that he asked if he could train me and if nothing changed then I can stop. So today was the first day TEST DAY. How long could I last with 24s in a 10 min Jerk set and Snatch set. I was hoping I would do good but I think I did alright. I usually move at 8 to 10rpm in the jerk and 16-18 rpm in the snatch. Be that I don't last the 10 mins I do move quick. Today was a bit different. I was instructed to move at 6 rpm in the jerk and 12 rpm in the snatch. Boy did I find some weaknesses!! But this was something good. I now know where I need to strengthen my technique to improve my numbers. More to come while on my journey.

Jerk Test Set 6 mins @ 6 rpm 2 x 24kg


Snatch Set 6 mins @ 12rpm 24kg

Working on stuff

Training:
Jerk 2 x 20kg 7 mins 6 rpm
Snatch 20kg 6 mins 12 rpm
OAJ 28kg 10/10
Swing 28kg 20/20

Resting up till Monday. A new beginning will then. More Details to come.

Double sessions 4/27/10

Morning session:
Jerk
2 x 24kg, 2 x 3mins 10rpm
28kg, 15/15
Swing
32kg- 25/25


Assistance Exercises
Standing Long Jump w/ jumpsoles: 20reps
Squats on jumpsole @ 95 lbs: 3 x 10

Afternoon Session:
Interval Spinning Class: 1 hour
Run: 1 mile
(legs cramped up)

Use a foam roller, then sauna, then hot and cold shower*
*more to come on different recovery methods!!
 Some of the gadgets I used: Hang Ups, Indian Clubs, Massage Stick, JumpSoles, Tennis balls for trigger points and t-spine mobility.

Shout out: Singer Jody Weatherstone

Jody is one of my clients and a frequent Kettlebell Class attendee. She has been improving her strength and flexibility throughout the time she's attended class. Kettlebells has opened doors for her taken her to a fitness level she didn't expect.

Here is the link to Jody Weatherstone
Check out her site. She has a tremendous voice!!

Warm-up: Stretch bands, Indian Clubs, T-spine mobility drills

Workout:
Jerk: 2 x 24kg 4.5min @ 6 rpm( lose the grip on the R)
Snatch 20kg 4 mins 16rpm
Jerk Assist: 2 x 28kg, 1 x 15, 1 x 10
Swing Assist 32kg, 2 x 15/15
Farmer's Hold 2 x 32kg, 2 x 45sec
COC #1 1 x 10/10
Back Bridge wall walk 1 x 10

will get the jerk set tomorrow for longer and try the 24s for the snatch. Tech is getting better.

Valery Fedorenko Interview by Maya from the Ice Chamber

It is a great read, with an insight into the mind behind the World Kettlebell Club & American Kettlebell Club. I highly recommend it, as it puts many things into perspectives with regards to being a champion, rank tables, directions for the future of GS and so on…(picture: Cert of Master of Sport)

Maya: Describe some aspects of your childhood that led you to Kettlebells. Did you play any other sports or consider yourself athletic as a young man?

Fedorenko: I’m not sure I considered myself athletic when I was young. Actually I wanted to be strong and athletic, so I turned to kettlebells. I was an active kid but most of my friends were naturally stronger than I was, so it was some motivation to make this skin and bones into something. As for other sports, I did attempt acrobatics, doing flips, jumps and such until I broke my arm. I guess it wasn’t for me. I do remember having to work with a really weak left arm after the break, but even though it’s not my dominant arm, I made it equal or even better than my right with the kettlebell. It didn’t heal straight, but maybe it healed stronger, I don’t know. I also did some Martial Arts training and some Boxing. I just figured kettlebells were more healthy for the long term, and I’ve since realized it’s true. Recently I reconnected with some of those guys that used to be stronger than I was. It was a shock for me to see them, but unfortunately some of them can’t even safely exercise they are in such poor health. There are a lot of things that contribute to such conditions, but I remember when they stopped being physical and active, it was about the time I considered myself just starting.

Maya: At what age and from which organization did you first earn Master of Sport in the Biathlon? What were your numbers then? How many years did it take you to achieve that rank?

Fedorenko: I was 16 yrs old when I did the required number of repetitions 45 Jerk and 45/45 Snatch, but when I was 17 I got the official paperwork from the Ministry of Sport Department USSR/Moscow. Around that time my best was 68 reps Jerk and 55/55 Snatch, as well as 46 LongCycle at body weight of 68kg with 32kg kettlebells. I was a pale skin pink cheeked kid still [Valery laughs]. Actually from that point on I was practically doing Master of Sport numbers in the gym everyday because I began professional training then and had bigger goals, like Champion. This is when I started to get creative with my training. I felt like I knew nothing about kettlebells at that point, and I was right. I kind of “began” kettlebells when I was 12 years old, but it was not serious. Then I was more into juggling kettlebells and putting together routines with my friend for the girls in our building. It was like a show. I wasn’t thinking about Champion anything and didn’t even think about Master of Sport or understanding what it meant until 15 years old. So, I guess you could say it was a few years of training to get to Master of Sport, which I think with enough commitment and a good coach, anyone can do.

Maya: Many people do not know that you’re also ranked MS World Class in the Long Cycle. How did you make the time to train for both Biathlon and Long Cycle?

Fedorenko: Everyone on the team would spend four months out of the year on LongCycle and eight months training for the Biathlon. We competed together in the LongCycle one time per year between 1990 and 1996 so I trained for six years at the professional level.

At 75kgs, Valery had to compete against lifters 10 pounds heavier to become the 80kg World Champion and an Honored Master of Sport by the age of 20. “To get somewhere in life, to be Champion for example, I knew I had to pay the price.” -VF

Maya: I always thought you trained alone. Please tell us more about your team.

Fedorenko: Yes, well, at first I was invited to live at the Olympic Development Center by the Minister of Sport Department of my country [Kyrgyzstan]. The Minister was an Olympic gold medalist in 1980 and he helped me a lot actually because I was able to study, train, and live there for one year with the other weightlifters and national athletes from other sports. I took lots of classes and had to eat special food like them, but I was the only kettlebell lifter. By 17 years old, I went on my own living in an apartment because I was paid by the government to train with kettlebells professionally. The apartment was kind of like a special gift too. The Mayor of my city invited me to live there after I won a few important competitions. I wasn’t rich, but it was enough to get by. I trained as a member of the national team with six other kettlebell lifters twelve times per week because we trained twice each day. Three hours in the morning between 9 and 12 noon and then four hours in the evening from 5 to 9 o’clock, six days a week. That’s what was different about training at the professional level; we were always together as a team. It made training easier. At home alone is not easy.

Maya: So you were training seven hours a day / six days a week before the age of 20. How did you handle all of that responsibility as a young man?

Fedorenko: I clearly understood that I had to decide whether to go party, have fun OR go train. I decided that first I had to become somebody. I needed to get some titles and keep working hard. After that, maybe, I figured I could have more fun, but I never worried about that really. To get somewhere in life, to be Champion for example, I knew I had to pay the price. I didn’t have to go anywhere; I didn’t have to drink or go to the night club to find out what I wanted and needed to do. I had to have discipline with my schedule like 100% of the time. That’s THE secret. [Valery laughs] Training needs to be stable. It’s like 50% of your results actually. A lot of people don’t realize that a stable training schedule is that important.

When I first moved out on my own as a teenager, my mom tried to surprise me by knocking on my door at 8 o’clock in the morning one day. When she realized I wasn’t there, she got upset and went straight to the gym to give my coach a hard time, thinking I had not slept at home the night before. But then my coach, Filikidis, told her that I was already five miles into my morning run! [Valery laughs] You see, nobody controlled me. I already had the discipline. For sure, I was always in bed before 11 o’clock at night because I knew I had to train in the morning. Not everyone can handle that lifestyle. I think most World Champions are just not normal people. You may see them happy and smiling on TV, but you have no idea how hard they are working everyday. I’m thinking normal people naturally want to have more fun in life. [Valery laughs]

Maya: How does one earn an “Honored Master of Sport” rank? Are there many Honored MS ranks issued today? At what age did you earn the title?

Fedorenko: Well, several things are considered, such as level and multiple champion in your sport. For example, Olympic Champion, World Champion, European Champion, National Champion and so on. I think that me being the first 80kg World Champion and having had very high results and records at a young age contributed to that decision. There are not many Honored Masters of Sport in kettlebell lifting in the history. The USSR took this title seriously, and I assume Russia does today. In fact, many Distinguished Masters of Sport are given for special contributions to various sports, but an Honored Master of Sport must be eared on the platform. You don’t even have to be Master of Sport to get the Distinguished MS Title. So, if Arnold Schwarzenegger comes to WKC Worlds in Chicago, I would present him with Distinguished Master of Sport without him touching the kettlebells, but he would have to train really hard for Honored Master of Sport [Valery laughs]. I was 20 and under when I did these performances that allowed me to be considered for this title and send in the application for processing, but 21 when they finished it. Don’t get me started on bureaucracy in the USSR then…

Maya: Please describe your most significant achievement.

Fedorenko: My most important achievement was realizing my goal of coming to the USA in 1999 and bringing the kettlebells to this country. Now, I just keep living this and want to do more and more.

Maya: What Personal Record are you most proud of?

Fedorenko: Snatch 110/110 with a 32kg kettlebell, because it’s still a respectable number even for Super Heavyweights today. But I was just 75kg when I did this. I almost can’t believe this myself. At 36 I look at young guys now and think about what I did at their age. I was an intense young man. I think I just didn’t know how impossible it was supposed to be, what I was doing.

Maya: Will you ever compete or attempt a world record again?

Fedorenko: For my personal ego or ambition, no, I have no feelings to compete or win now. I’m not too old, but I have a different goal. I want to popularize this kettlebell as one of the greatest fitness tools someone can choose. I like to coach other athletes too, and I like to feel free to give all my secrets so that their win is also my win and our organizations win. If this country needed me, for example if kettlebells became an Olympic Sport, I would go compete for Team USA if asked. I think I would need 8-10 months of hard training to get back to my past level, or even higher. I have an advanced program that I never got a chance to try. So, if I didn’t make the team I’d for sure coach it!

Maya: Describe key areas that are unique to the WKC Rank System?

Fedorenko: Many people do not know that I was Vice President in the International Federation. So when it came to developing a rank system, I considered all the things of the old system, both positives and negatives. I used insight from my experience as athlete and board member to make a rank system that was safe, productive, and logical.

The USSR had, and Russia and other republics still do have, an abundance of 16, 24, and 32kg kettlebells. By way of system, they had to work with those kettlebell weights in their rank system. In the USA and now the rest of the world, we have produced in mass professional kettlebells in the same size and shape from 8kg up to 32kg, and actually up to 48kg. The WKC Rank System is actually more applicable to Kettlebell Sport. Our upper ranks are very similar to the standards of many Russian federations, but the lower ranks and the ranks of women are different. In the Russian federations relatively strong people who never touched a kettlebell before could have the strength for a pretty good rank. For example, they could have the strength to LongCycle 15 reps without any specific practice and get a mid level rank. This is not right. It doesn’t reflect much power-endurance or skill in kettlebell lifting. Actually, some of these same people could not perform a lower rank which requires many more reps but with 24kg kettlebells, so the system does not follow logic. Our rank system with World Kettlebell Club is easy to understand, has clear progression and is much safer. We basically have a target number of reps that is considered applicable to your weight-class, and you progress in rank by achieving those reps with the next kettlebell by 4kg increments. Men start with 12kg, and move to 16, 20, 24, 28 and 32, but target the same number of reps.

We also made some strides in Kettlebell Sport for women on several fronts. One is we added One Arm Jerk to the Snatch to make a Womens Biathlon. We also introduced One arm LongCycle so that women can choose a single, but complete exercise to contest. The Russian federations used just 16kg Snatch for women for the few years they allowed women to compete there. We saw right away when creating our rank system that 16kg was just not enough weight to hand out Master of Sport ranks, and it made judging practically impossible since women quickly surpassed the speed at which reps could be clearly fixated and counted. So, we moved the Master of Sport rank to 20kg. One of the Russian federations has moved the women to 24kg Snatch only, but this seems illogical and for sure premature. To make my point as to why is rather easy. Just take Snatch since we have the most data with that lift and Russians are only allowing women to do that lift in competition. To date, just a handful of men including myself, maybe 5 or 6 have done over 100/100 reps with a 32kg Kettlebell. Hundreds maybe have done 90/90 reps, and thousands upon thousands have done 80/80 or so reps. To date, no women have done 100 reps each hand with 24kg Snatch. Actually, we have no women who have shown us over 100/100 reps with even 20kg. The absolute record for a woman with 24kg in Snatch is not more than 80 reps each hand, and that’s just ONE woman. A few others are close to that, but it is so far from the comparable class of men that it is a dangerous and ill-conceived notion. Should the sport for women be more leaning towards strength than endurance than it is for men? For the growth of the sport, we feel not. It should be as equal as possible. I urge any organization to reconsider that direction and adopt the 20kg for high level women until they have several who can do over 100 reps each hand with that weight. Still, we do not feel our rank system is set in stone either. It will continue to be revised and updated based on records and statistics in the future.

Maya: Why do you believe in issuing a low-hand score?

Fedorenko: There are so many reasons why low-hand scoring has been chosen for WKC that it would be hard to explain all the intricacies here and now. Simply stated, I consider it more sophisticated, so therefore more rich. It’s healthier to balance the body. In bodybuilding, symmetry is valued for aesthetics. I believe for this Sport, balance should be valued just as highly but for fitness reasons. We consider this a Fitness Sport. That is, a sport that tests fitness on many levels and at many points, one of which is health. Basically, the more perfect the athlete is, the better they can perform. It’s good to train this way, and the rules you are required to contest by will dictate that training. It is my experience that it is possible to balance almost perfectly. If there is a problem with one arm then it reflects imperfection in your body and/or your training. For sport sake, it’s more tactical and more difficult to balance hands. You have to use your head to plan when to switch hands, and then have the mental fortitude to match that hand. If you do not have this responsibility, it takes away an element of the sport. Also, a more balanced athlete that has been competing with the low-hand score system can always go down to an unbalanced performance/meet, but an unbalanced athlete has a harder time coming up to a more challenging lowest-hand scoring system. In other words, it is lower level athletes or inexperienced decision-makers that could have a problem with low-hand scoring. It identifies weakness, and some don’t like that one does not have to look far in other sports that overuse or favor one arm like arm-wrestling or baseball where pitching creates a less than healthy situation sometimes. These sports do not claim or focus on health and fitness, which is fine, but we do. Besides, if someone wants to perform a feat of strength, they can show how strong their single arm is, and I’m ok with that. When organizing a sport to grow within the masses to have thousands and thousands compete for the same goal, one that has so many health benefits, it makes sense to me to have it in the rules to find and present the most healthy specimens.

Maya: What other lifters have matched or surpassed your total in the Biathlon?

Fedorenko: No one has beat my record under the same circumstances. The original Kettlebell Sport system required weigh-ins same day of the competition, just a few hours before sometimes. Now they have changed this and do it 24 hours or more before the performance. This allows otherwise heavier lifters to enter different categories. It’s equal for them now who are competing, but you can’t compare the records of old with these people in any category except Super Heavyweights. I was about 75kg most my professional career, but then we did not have a 75kg class for some reason. I competed with guys 10 pounds heavier than I was, and now they are comparing my record to guys that could be even 15 pounds heavier. Actually, then I surpassed even 90kg lifters, so that’s over 30 pounds difference. They also originally had the lowest-hand scoring on Snatch, so it was harder. I did 225 reps total (127 Jerk and 100/98 Snatch) which was only surpassed by Mishin who was over 100kg. I’m happy with my result and how it stands even with the looser rules of today in the Russian federations.

Maya: What contribution to Kettlebell Sport are you most proud of?

Fedorenko: I would say the creation of the American Kettlebell Club and World Kettlebell Club Systems. I’d love to coach more athletes, but what is more rewarding is having a system that allows us to instill good coaching and proper technique in others so they can go out and duplicate it in a geometrically progressive way. We take the many trainers who desperately need a safer and more productive way to use this so called “hot tool,” the kettlebell, and give them what they ask for. It further filters down to more heavy duty coaches who need to enhance professional athletes of other sports, and then moves into the Kettlebell Sport enthusiast that wants the most from the kettlebell for themselves or those they wish to coach themselves. It’s really beautiful how it’s turning out. We can give ultimate fitness, ultimate performance, and even ultimate Kettlebell Sport results, all from the same system. So basically I am happy that a new way to finance the sport has been created by fitness, and all of them can get along, understand and respect each other.

Maya: List five of the greatest kettlebell lifters of all time:

Fedorenko:

1. Ivan Denisov

2. Fedor Fuglev

3. Sergei Mishin

4. Roman Mikalchuk

5. Fedor Usanko

Maya: What attributes do great lifters have in common?

Fedorenko: Patience and focus are big ones. I think great lifters must be eager to do well, but have to be patient to wait for it, and focus hard to achieve it. Without stability, a kettlebell lifter will not get far. A chaotic life or mind will not work after a certain level. Sometime during the early steps of kettlebell sport lifting, a great athlete must become a fanatic for this sport. They cannot be in it for money because money can’t make you work this hard. I’m always happy to find that the greats are always humble. They talk about what they did, and they are proud of it, but they know that there is someone out there, many in fact, that have the same ambition, skill, capacity, reason etc. to do the same or better. When they meet their likes, they respect them because they know what kind of people they are. Arrogance has no place in this sport. I’m always aggravated by those who call out what they will do at some future date. When some inexperienced lifter calls out a feat that only 5 or 10 lifters have ever done, not even coming close in training, and then shows way less than what they “projected,” they disrespect those that did that level and themselves. I try to teach my students to keep ambition and dreams inside and in check until you achieve something. Make public announced estimates smaller than what you actually do on the platform. It’s a trait among all greats.

Training 4/23/10

KB Jerk session
2 x 24kg, 3 x 3mins, 6rpm
2 x 20kg, 3 x 1 min sprint 16-18 rpm
28kg OAJ, 1 x 15/15
4 miles- Elliptical

Back to where I left off!!

Training 4/20/10

Jerk Set:
5 mins 2 x 24kg 7 rpm
2 x 1 min 2 x 28kg 10 rpm

Leg Strength:
Zercher Squat 95 lbs 2 x 12 reps
Jump Squat 185lbs 3 x 20

2 mile run 17:36

4/16/10 Training

Warm-up:
T-Spine mobility, shoulder stretch band, walking lunges

Workout:
Kb Jerk, 2 x 24kg 3 x 3mins 6rpm
Kb Snatch, 24kg 2/2 mins 14rpm
OAJ, 28kg 12/12 reps

Notes: Jerk set went well. I will up the the reps to 8rpm. Snatches went well using the hook grip when I needed it. I did rip a callus on my right but nothing bad enough to inhibit further training. I am still refining the snatch tech with the heavier weight. I video taped the jerk sets to check my triple extension and lockout. I will further examine what I need to do to make my movements more efficient.

Kettlebell Sport Lift: Jerk

4/13/10 Training

  Warm-up:
Jerk 20kg- 10/10
2 x 20kg 10 reps

Work sets:
6 mins 2 x 20kg 9rpm 55 reps
3 x 1 min 2 x 24kg- 8 reps, 2 x 28kg- 6 reps, 2 x 32kg- 6 reps
3 x 1 min Sprint 2 x 20kg- 14, 14, 14 reps.

Felt pretty good most likely working with 24s tomorrow and getting in some snatch work. Recently found this video on youtube.


I'm guessing this is what sprints are suppose to look like. One day I hope to have this kind of speed/endurance with the 24s. This type of technique is what I am working towards. Lots of hard work ahead!!

Part 2 of 3 Notes from Steve Cotter Master Class

Jerk

Steve talked about efficient movement here as well. He wanted to emphasize leg drive. The body position that he gave us was for our feet to be slightly pointed out so we can get better use of our legs. From steps to get into the right position:
1. Bring bells to shoulder before racking.
2. Handle over handle with a hook grip on the top handle. Try to not let the bells separate. Handles on one plane.
3. Lower elbows to rack position.
4. Feet are slightly open to allow body to drop straight down. Maximum use of legs during the lift.
5. Small squat down, explosive rise, up on toes then for 2nd dip drop heels and shoot the butt back
6. Arms stay close, no rotation in the handles. They go straight up for lockout then drop straight down into rack. Relax the hands to separate them as they go up.
7. During the drop, one hand move slightly earlier than the other to ensure handles land in one plane and back into rack.
8. Legs absorb the bells.

Assistance Drills

Box Jump Squat
Squats with bells in Rack position
One Arm Heavy Jerk
Barbell Squat Jump
High rep Back Squat
Rack hold/Over head hold for time


Long Cycle


Cleaning the bell(s)- Steve talked about keeping the handles straight here during the swing. No rotation needed here similar to the snatch. Minimize movement and use your energy efficiently. Remember the hip drive to accelerate the bells and instead of cleaning the bells to your shoulder each rep, clean them right into the rack. Handle over handle. Then from there perform the Jerk. On the drop no need to rest in rack position just continue back into the swing and rest on the up when you re-rack the bells. From there the Jerk is the same movement as stated above.

Steve made us do some density training and he talked briefly on that. He gave a high set high rep workout. 8 sets 15 reps with a minute or two in between sets. Enough to get our heart rate down to 120bpm. At the end of the set we did a total of 120 reps of long cycle.

Set up of a training schedule. It really depends on the person's schedule and what their goals are. If you can plan when you will be competing you can separate your Jerk and Snatch workouts developing technique and endurance. As competition time gets closer you can begin to combine the two skills. So a split workout week would look like this: Monday and Thursday Jerk emphasis, Tuesday and Friday Snatch emphasis. Take a day to recover and also use different recovery methods. The recovery is very important because it will you allow you to train harder.  I will be discussing some alternative and different recovery methods next!!

Training 4/9/10

Warm-up:
 Band Stretching, Joint mobility, T-spine curls

Work Sets:
Jerk-
2 x 16kg 5 mins 11 rpm
2 x 20kg 5 mins 8 rpm
Snatch-20kg 4 mins 16rpm
Swing + Snatch- 24kg 2 x 10/10
OAJ 28kg 15/15

Bike Ride 25 mins 6.58 mile

Felt good to get a couple 5 mins sets in. Rack is feeling a lot better and legs are feeling good. Will probably try and get a 5 min set in with the 24s. I did take 10 mins in between jerk sets and only couple minutesbetween the rest. I feel the one arm jerks are helping in the snatch.

Training: Kettlebell Jerk- a.m., Kettlebell Snatch p.m.

4/6/10
Warm-up set:
2x20kg- 2 x 10

Work Set:
2x24kg- 6 x 2 min/ 2 min rest 7rpm
2x28kg rack hold 2 x 2min
Squat Jump- 185lbs 3 x 20

Recovery- 3 mile run 10 min/mile pace

Doing a light snatch workout later today. Building the time and volume back up. Competition in June so I will be ready.

Evening workout

Warm-up:  
Swings 16kg 20/20
Work set:
16kg Snatch 6 mins 16rpm
Swings: 24kg 30/30; 28kg 25/25
OAJ 28kg 15/15
Back Extension 3 x 10

Recovery- stretching and hang ups(decompression)

Training 4/5/2010

Workout 4/5/10
a.m. Run- 2 miles 18 mins

Jerk:
2x20kg 3 mins 8 rpm
2x24kg 3 mins 8 rpm
2x20kg 2 mins 8 rpm
2x24kg 2 mins 6 rpm

OAJ 28kg 2 x 10/10
Back Squat- 135lb- 1x12, 2 x 10

Part 1 of 3 notes from the Master Class: Snatch

Snatch



Grip: Hook grip with handle vertical and thumb pointing straight forward. (Thumb Up)
Start with swing back and accelerate forward and up with the bell. When bell gets chest to head height pull in and shoot your arm straight up, catching the bell with the thumb and pointer. Hand can be opened or closed here. Important note when bell is moving forward; to accelerate use hips and legs in a forward and up motion. Hips are a leverage point to give the bell more acceleration. More acceleration equal easier rise to catch on top.
When dropping the bell the body must move back and let the bell fall back into the hook grip, almost a vertical drop. The bell must not flip but turn around the wrist. Steve was big on using what works and what is most efficient. No wasted movements!!! That was the theme of this workshop.
Body position- in between RKC and AKC , back will be straight and head up, hips and butt all the way back; allows for hip drive when coming forward with the bell.

Workout:

Warm-up: 10/10 reps 5 sets, 16, 20, 24,28, 32
Workout: 60/60 reps 20kg, 1 min rest, 30/30 reps 20kg
Assistance Lifts- One Arm Extended Box Deadlift- 4 x 15/15 reps ( Stand on two boxs high enough so you have to extend to reach the bell, grab with one hand and snap the hips forward lifting the weigh. Use the hook or OK grip. You can go heavy but don't kill the hamstrings, bottom right picture)

Use the bell one weight from your comp weight. Comp w 24s use 28s. Box must be higher than bell handle and legs must be straight as possible.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Here is Vasily Ginko pulling his body back as the bell drops before he re-snatches the bell.
 

Review on the Kettlebell Workshop/workout with Steve Cotter and Ken Blackburn

This past weekend I had the chance to go to a Workshop with Steve Cotter and Ken Balckburn at The Fit Experience in Sparta, NJ, hosted by Mike Sanders. The evening started off slow as we waited for Steve to fly into the gym but that didn't seem to be an issue being that I was able to reconnect with some friends I had made through competitions. Once we got started Ken Blackburn started everyone off warming them up with some fun joint mobility exercises. We all seem to have some fun warming up.
After warm-up, Steve started us all off with the Snatch. He had just gotten back from Italy training with his coach Oleg Ilika. He talked about how there are many different styles in GS and there is no one true way. This is something I believe in. There are many different types of people out there and their lifting style should reflect who they are. So after stating that Steve showed us what his coach has taught in minimizing movement and using the entire body during the lifts.
First lift of the night was the Snatch! Steve showed us the swing, the pull and acceleration into the snatch. We all use the hook grip with a vertical handle swing to minimize the rotation of the handle. It took some getting use to. Steve had us warm-up with 10 reps each hand and progressively move up weight. Men started with 16s ending with 32s and women started with 8s ending with 20s or 24s. Once we were all warmed up we started our 60/60 rep set waited a minute and did a 30/30 set. This is usually more than any set I usually when working because I usually do timed sets. Slowly working up the time. This time I did 60/60 straight then 30/30 which was pretty good. After that Steve demonstrated some assistance lifts for the Snatch. The one arm box deadlift. 4 sets, 15reps with a weight higher than your competition weight. My friend and I got up to 32kg bell and my friend Heidi used a 40kg bell. She was a beast and got a round of applause from everyone. After Snatch we moved on to the Jerk. Steve showed us a few assistance exercises here but started us off with our base. A good foundation can lead to good technique thus better numbers. So he went around and fixed everyone's stance and then asked us to do some squat going straight down so we can use 100% of our legs during the lift. Once we got pass that warmup. He gave some helpful tips on the Jerk. Minimize movements, do not use more movements that what you need to accomplish the lift. From the Jerk, Steve moved onto Loncycle. We did some density training there, 8 x 15 reps. We had no specific pace to get the reps done, just get them done! We had a minute in-between each set or until our partner was done with his set.  After that we finished the class. It was a tough and informational class. During the Steve mentioned a few things he is using to plan his training. He talked breifly about Biorhythm  and Food Combining . I looked them up and they do sound interesting. I will look into those two a little more in depth and post a blog on them. They both seem to be very scientific and legitimate so they deserve a look. I have read the Warrior Diet and am currently reading The Paleo Diet. I don't know which path to take for myself so I will be experimenting with each of these for a few months. The class was expceptional and I am glad I had the oppurtunity to learn some new techniques and review some old technique. Ken and Steve were great teachers and helped eveyone who was there. Mike Sanders' facility was a great site and can't wait to for him to host another meet. His previous meet he hosted was very professional and ran well.
I will be starting my training again shortly. Just busy with work and when I slow down I will start up again. I heard of a couple meets coming up so I will be ready for that.

Steve Cotter Interviewed by Thierry Sanchez

Here is a recent interview Thierry Sanchez had with Steve Cotter Head Director of the IKFF. I recently had an oppurtuninty to attend a training day with Steve Cotter and Ken Blackburn in Sparta, NJ. They discussed some different techniques for kettlebell sport. I will post a review of that shortly. Here is the interview.

When I want answers, the easiest way I’ve found is to go directly to the person and ask.

Steve Cotter generously agreed to put aside some of his time to answer my wide range questions in depth. Enjoy!

How do you usually describe yourself?

First and foremost a student and teacher, a person who loves to experience life, a father and a friend.

Tell us shortly about your background, in sports and business?
My primary background is in martial arts, in particular the Chinese internal martial arts, which are fighting arts but also health systems incorporating physical training and breathing and meditation.
I started teaching professionally at 15 years of age and taught full time for about 15 years. I used to train all day every day, literally 8-10 hours each day, 6 days per week. It was all I did throughout my teenage years into my mid-20s. For a few years in the mid-1990s I fought full contact, in a sport called kuoshu, and I won 2 US National titles in 1995, 1996, and fought for Team USA at the 1996 World Kuoshu Games in Taiwan, where I won a bronze medal at those games with Team USA.
In my late 20s I decided that while I loved the arts, I didn’t want to continue to earn my living through martial arts as I thought that I would have to water-down the training to become financially successful. So I began university study of exercise science to further my education because of my love for physical conditioning.
I began earning my living as a trainer in 2001 after receiving my degree in Kinesiology. I just followed my passion and learned how to develop my business out of this love for training. I have been in business for myself since 2003 and in recent years have developed my own Kettlebell & Fitness certification program called the CKT, and I teach all over the world as part of the IKFF organization I founded in 2008.

What is the worst job you’ve ever had?
When I was 16 years old I worked for a landscape company for 3 days. It was back-breaking work but the worst part was the owner was a real, how do you say “asshole”. I started each day at 5 am and worked until about 3 pm. We had to pick and shovel on real hard ground, mostly stone. Now 3 days doesn’t sound like much, but I had actually set the record because most of the people who worked for this guy quit after 1 day. He usually hired migrant workers from Mexico and they are well known and respected for their work ethic, taking jobs that most Americans would not take, but even those guys could not stand to work for him.

You’ve learned kettlebells from the best. How do you improve on their teachings and pass it on to your students?
I would not say that I improve on their teaching, only that I improve on my own teaching. Communication is very personal, and while there are others who are more accomplished KB lifters, I believe my gift lies in connecting with people and being able to clearly communicate and simplify principles to any population. That said, I have always considered myself a student, open and willing to learn and study from those who know more or know things that I have yet to learn. This is an important aspect of being a good teacher, the ability to always learn and modify when appropriate.
There are some great KB champions who are much more experienced than I, such as Fedorenko, Ginko, Fuglev or my coach Oleh Ilika.They are champions of the sport. However what I think my contribution is the use of kettlebells for diverse athletic mobility, so here are a few clips that demonstrate some KB based mobility exercises:

What makes a great KB instructor in your opinion?
The ultimate test of a good teacher is the success of their students. This includes their results, either in improved health & fitness and/or sporting success, but also improvements in their level of happiness.
Even more, a great teacher can direct his or her students how to apply the principles of the art form (kettlebells or otherwise) into their life at large. To be able to lift a KB more effectively is important, but can you utilize those principle to help your life in other areas as well? If the principles of Kettlebells cannot be applied laterally into other facets of your life, then the training is one-dimensional.
A teacher is one who serves his student’s needs effectively.

How do you see the kettlebell sport scene on the world plan as it is right now?
It is growing well, however the limitation right now I believe, as in most things, is ego and personal ambitions. It seems that the various leaders of the world’s KB organizations are unwilling and unable to collaborate because everyone wants to call the shots. This is a limitation because the talent and passion is divided among several organizations instead of working together for a common goal. KB Sport will never make it as an Olympic sport unless and until there is clear, unified leadership.

Tell us what you’re thinking of bringing into the sport?
There needs to be growth and accessibility. It cannot be viewed as an elitist endeavor because frankly there needs to be fresh blood. In the West at least, the best athletes will gravitate toward the ‘money’ sports like American football, baseball, basketball and hockey and soccer in Europe. So most of the growth has to come from regular folks who are ambitious. Most of them are business people, housewives and young fitness enthusiasts. So there has to be the ability to easily enter the sport through user friendly competitions and lots of them.
We work towards making the sport as user friendly as possible and no gurus.
IKFF has now its own rank tables, does that mean more opportunities for new world champions?
Yes I believe it does. Also because I have been fortunate to develop a global following and some youtube fame (haha) we get opportunities to host events at very large and prestigious sporting events, such as the Arnold Classic in US and the Body Power Expo in the UK. We have also been asked to host a meet at the Mr. Olympia event in Las Vegas. More and larger venues will bring more competitors and out of those new champions will develop.

If I understand correctly, the rank tables will be used for the first time at the Arnold’s. What other events have you got in mind, especially in Europe?
We are working in collaborating with the Trojan Lifting Club in London to put on a competition at the Body Power Expo in Birmingham, England this May, which is Europe’s largest fitness expo.

Why use 20kg bells in the system, but not 28kg?
16kg is very light and strong woman can fairly easily attain Master of Sport ranking with only a few months of training. This is much easier than for the men who have to use 32kg. So 20kg is a nice progression for women.
On the other hand, 32kg is not that much heavier than 28kg. If a man can do high reps with 28kg, he can do pretty well with 32kg as well. No ranking system is flawless, so there needs to be some compromise here and there. The main thing is to have a logical goal in mind and a rationale for the decisions made. We cannot do everything at once, so we must choose, including some things and eliminating other things.

What’s the idea behind the going up on the toes for swings and cleans? Is it a technique to use for extra power or expected to be done every repetition?
It is simply one of many assistance or corrective drills, to be applied in context. Sometimes people will fail to adequately extend from the groun up. The extension begins in the feet, transfers through the ankles, knees, hips and spine. Often folks will not extend sufficiently at the knees, so the coming up on the toes is a corrective drill to teach people how to extend the knees more fully. The raising onto the toes facilitates the knee extension. Once the students has learned how to extend properly, the toes raise can be removed again.
What happens sometimes is someone will take one picture of a video clip and then, either lacking context or unfortunately intentionally trying to misrepresent what is being taught, and post it. This has happened with the technique you refer to. I know of a guy who has very small certification program. He views me as a competitor and so he took a picture of me showing the swing coming up on toes and then posted it on a forum, stating that it is the “official” IKFF swing. Of course it is not, it is simply one of many corrective drills, but since forums are mostly filled by people who do not train (if they did they would not spend so much time on internet forums!), folks will speculate about how it is good or not good, without having any idea about what the drill is for.

What encouraged you to create IKFF in the first place?
A few things. First of all I was not satisfied to be a big fish in a small pond. I started in kettlebells, like most people in the West, with the teaching of Pavel and rkc. It served a very useful purpose in the beginning. I was quite content. But then my eyes were opened to a much higher level of skill with KB when I visited Russia for the first time in 2005. What I saw there blew my mind. Here were folks who were vastly superior, more fit, and more skillful than anything I had encountered in America. It was humbling and quite frankly I was embarrassed because by this time I was already becoming known as one of top KB guys in US with the rkc system. But I believe one has to be honest with himself, and I could not turn a blind eye and pretend my system was superior when faced with the evidence that it was vastly inferior. So at that point I became discouraged by the limitations of the system I had been first brought up in.
The other facet is that I am not a proponent of glass ceilings. It was clear to me that organizationally, the group I was with was not honestly interested in being cutting-edge. They were more interested in the illusion of being cutting edge, in protecting the status quo rather than really raising their standard. I could see that there was never going to be a way to grow to my fullest potential with them, that as long as I was content to be a yes man or a #2 for the rest of my life it would be fine, but since I wanted to grow, it was no longer a good fit. An ambitious person cannot stay under someone he is more talented than forever.
Lastly, I was getting increasingly more emails from folks who really liked my DVDs and teaching style and were asking me if I would offer my own certification. At first I resisted with because I was happy to be a part of a team working for the same vision. As it became clear to me that my vision was not the same as the group leadership, I grew apart and went on my own. Growth can be painful, but for me it was a great decision to go my separate way.
I have much experience that was not going to be able to be expressed fully in a restricted environment, so I created an avenue that allowed for this expression.

What is your vision/ dream and what are the directions for IKFF in the future?
We are continuing to grow at a rapid pace. IKFF was the first Kettlebell organization to be truly global and I see now that other have since tried to follow suite. They say imitation is a form of flattery, so I see that as a huge compliment. IKFF is a community to support ambitious people who want to create a better existence for themselves. It is at service level to improve fitness via kettlebells and other functional training modalities, but also it serves as a model to have a clear vision, to set goals and to achieve success. I want for others what I want for myself, the ability to create and earn by following your passion and by providing useful service to those who seek improvements in their lives.

“We exist to support and help the growth of our members.” How do you achieve this?
Through modeling. It starts with me. I am a guy who had nothing and by using the power of my focus, was able to create clear goals and accomplish them through belief and desire coupled with hard work. This leadership inspires others and gives them an example. If I can accomplish my dreams and am open and willing to share with others, they will in turn be motivated to create and follow their own dreams. This is contagious! Further, we do not operate with some pseudo-militaristic hierarchy. I do not try to create some glass ceiling where, like in a boy’s club, where members can only progress based on favoritism, or timing or how connected they are. It is an open-source community. Anyone who is willing to take initiative and has a vision and purpose has a place to grow. I am honest about this. I know there are and will always be folks who are more talented than me in some manner or another. Progress is based on merit, not on servitude or favoritism. I want those who come up in this system to achieve as much success as they are able, it honors me when students are able to accomplish something great.

What other personal values that you bring into your work environment and team?
Lead from the front. I am out there front and center, sweating along with the students and working as hard or harder than them. My gimmick is that there is no gimmick, just good information and an honest delivery of this information. It is sharing my experience, on one true way or dogma build around cute anecdotes, it you and me and the bell, sweating and learning together as a team.
I think the greatest value is that I am living the life I want to live, I do what makes me happy and I am not a slave to a system. We are constantly striving to improve and grow, if we find some new information that serves progress more effectively or efficiently, we integrate that new way. Progress is our only rule.

Do you have plans of competing yourself in 2010?
I would like to compete in Europe sometime this year. My coach Oleh Ilika has invited me to some of the IGSF competitions and I will try to compete in one of them, however my schedule is very dynamic, so I will have to commit on relatively short notice, because my teaching and travel schedule is so intense.

Who plans your personal training?
I don’t realistically have a planned training. My schedule simply does not allow that now. At 40 years of age, my priority now is teaching and training is supplementary to that. So I just do the best I can and work as hard as I can during the many courses I teach. Along with that, I try to get in as much training as I can in between courses.

How do you keep fit while traveling so much?
My fitness is mostly a result of the many years of vigorous training I did in the martial arts from the age of 12-27. That set a very strong and lasting foundation for me, not only physically, but also in terms of the ability to focus. Most people assume I train much more than I do, because they think I am always in great shape. The reality is that me at 50% is more than most at 100% so in some ways I am living off of the reservoir that I built up.
In general I strive for a balance via diverse movement patters. Kettlebells compliments this philosophy very well because I am able to work my entire body with just a few key movements, so a little goes a long way.

Do you have a favorite place and cuisine?
Favorite place, well I have so many. I really enjoy Thailand, the people are very friendly and the atmosphere is exotic. I also really like Kuala Lumpur, awesome food. Some of my favorite cities are New York, Hong Kong and London, and of course there is no place like home, which for me is San Diego, but I also live part of the year in Genova, Italy, which is a nice city on the sea.
Favorite cuisines is probably Thai food, also like Indian a lot, but it has to be good, there is nothing worse than bad Indian food!

Aside from martial arts and kettlebells, what sport do you really love, and why?
I appreciate American football. It is the quintessential American sport, because it depends so heavily upon teamwork and organization. In many sports, such as basketball and to some degree football (soccer), a vastly superior athlete can dominate a game or segments of the game. Not so in American football, which requires all 22 players (11 on offense, 11 on defense) working together in a structure system in order to have success.
The other thing is American football players tend not to be primadonnas, like in basketball or soccer, they are much tougher and more coach-able. I think this is because it is a full contact sport, so anyone with too big of a chip on their shoulder will eventually get it knocked off, because when you are hit hard and hurt, it tends to humble even the most arrogant of athletes.

Could you tell us…

One tip for optimal recovery?

Qigong breathing helps to relax the body and mind and has a rejuvenating effect on the body.

One supplement you use?

MSM is a very good supplement that I like to take each morning. It is beneficially for helping to alkanalize the blood, as the body in general tends to be more acidic, and most foods have an acidic effect on the blood. MSM is also good for the immune function, and the health of the skin.

One thing nobody would ever guess about you?

I am a very compassionate person, I suffer greatly when I see injustice taking place, particularly when children and animals are abused. I despise tyranny of any nature and believe in the essential goodness of life.

From what I can see, you value the mental aspect of performance. According to you, what stops people achieving their goals?

Mind-body integration is essential to success, not just for athletics but for all facets of life. Training for sport is a microcosm for life. That is to say, sportsmen set goals and then follow a systematic, progressive program to achieve them. The pursuit of the goal is what keeps the mind focused. The same is true for any other type of goal, be it success in business, relationships, health and so on.

What stops people from achieving their goals—first is not having goals. Often people will think they have goals, but all they have is ideas. An idea is simply a thought, but a goal is a thought that is externalized with a plan. To say or think, I will lose 10 lbs, for example is an idea, it comes and it goes. But to say, I will lose 10 lbs, by this particular date by following this specific plan, THAT is a goal. The other link is lack of belief, not believing in his or her own capabilities and worth. Next, it is lack of focus, being distracted or discouraged. Finally, lacking the energy and desire to fuel the goal.

What makes you successful/ What drives you to be the best at what you do?

What makes me successful? The same things, a strong belief in who and what I am, a clear vision about what I want to accomplish and the energy and passion to stick with my vision to its fruition. This whole process is actually a science, it is replicable. If you stick with the program you will receive the desired results, nothing is by chance or coincidence. Conceive, believe, achieve can summarize this process.


Thanks Steve!


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