Countdown to Punch Kettlebell Sport Championship (SRQ)

In preparation for the upcoming Punch Kettlebell Sport competition in Sarasota, Fl I have been trying to get my training to be a lot more consistent. With the recent changes to my job to allow for more time to train things have really been turning for the better. Its been a while since I lifted the 28kg bells in competition so I have been preparing to get back to the 28s and 32s. This will be the competition to see where I am at with my training. Consistency is key at making improvements! Leading up to this week in training I have been going steady for the past few weeks. I know I still have things to continue to improve but progress is great when it happens. I still have some work in Jerk but Snatch is starting to feel pretty good. Here is what my 2 training sessions this week look like.
Monday-2x20 Jerks 9,9/ 2 min rest/ 2x24 Jerks 9,9/ 2 min rest/ 2x28 Jerks 7,8,7,8,7,8/ 3 min rest/ 2x26 Jerks 8,8,8

Tuesday -24 kg snatch 30/30 /3 min rest/ 28kg 8 minutes 15rpms

So far the week has gone well but the real check is on the platform in Sarasota. It'll be my 3rd year there so I am excited to compete there and put up some good numbers.

Brittany VS taking the Cali Open by storm!!

At the end of the February Brittany and her KOR Kettlebell Sport team competed at the OKC Cali Open and had some great results. I wanted to share her sets with you because as a Coach and athlete she is continuing to grow and excel in the sport. This was her second time lifting the 24kg bell in Snatch and her first time along with other ladies lifting the two bells in Long Cycle. Here are both of her sets take a look at her technique and pacing through out. She achieved Master of Sport in Snatch and completed the 10 minutes in the two bell Long Cycle.






Enjoy both and take notes!!!

Competition Re-cap

It's been some time since I posted and between now and my last post I had competed in two competitions.
First competition to take a look at is the IKSFA/AKA Holiday Kettlebell Sport Championships in NJ. It was a the last competition of 2014 and it was a local event (tri-state area) so it was a good place to see where I was in my training. It was a great competition with a lot of the kettlebell community (old and new) there. Personally is was one of the better competitions I had with the 24s. I should have been lifting the 28s or 32s but training has been so off. One thing that has hindered my progress in the inconsistency of my training. One things that has helped is that I have been in this sport for so long that I am somewhat of a seasoned athlete. I can put up some decent numbers (in the States) with little training. Back to competition my teammates were there. Will Metcalf hit CMS rank with the 28s. My coach Chris Duffey put up decent numbers with the 24s and Judi Demuro (superstar) hit some good numbers in Snatch with the 16s. All in all it was a great competition and a fun way to end the year lifting. Here are my sets from the competition 24+24kg Jerk - 91 reps, 24kg Snatch 150 reps.






After that event I felt re-energized to get back on the platform and lift even better than before. This is the usual thought after competing but a plan must be set in order to get the results you are looking for and consistency needs to be there as well. So I set a goal to lift at the Annual West Coast Classic hosted by the fine group of lifters of the Ice Chamber in San Francisco. If you ever get a chance to go out west or are in the San Fran/ Berkley/ Richmond area please take some time and visit them. Its a great facility and the team there is very welcoming. They do a lot for Kettlebell Sport in the US and have produced a lot of great lifters and champions.
So I wanted to lift the 28kg bells at this event but as usual training had not gone the way I wanted it to. I came off a great event at the Holiday Championships and wanted to continue that progress but not so much. So I reverted back to the 24s and did what I could with them. Not my best performance with them, but its a lesson learned even being somewhat of a seasoned athlete you can't have a good performances all the time. My jerk set didn't go as planned and I stopped early in the set, snatches were a little better but not my best there either. Here is what my jerk set looked like.


I got to share the platform with Will M. who is a great lifter and one to watch going into the 2015 season. He competed at the World Championships in Hamburg, Germany and had a great event there winning the amateur biathlon Championships. We both didn't compete to our potential but its a learning experience. One thing I can take away from this competition is that every time I step onto the platform its a learning experience. Whether good, great or bad in competition you pick up a new gem that can take you to the next level in lifting and LIFE. So there is a plan and schedule that is coming.
What is needed to get back to where I was and surpass and move up to be competitive in the states and around the globe?  

NJ Iron Bell Competition- 2 Weeks away

This past Friday the NYC group of lifters got together again and lifted at the prestigious Reebok Sports Club on the Upper west side. It's a great facility with plenty of items that make training there great!!
Juan, Eric, Kyle, Cara, Megan and myself all met up and got to work. Training with a group really helps keeping everyone motivated. Its also great to see where everyone is and what their training cycle is looking like. Most of the group is getting ready for the US Nationals in August. Cara and myself are getting prepped for the competition in New Jersey and Art of Strength NJ. It's a prep for Nationals and a chance to get back at the 28s and get CMS rank. I missed it because of some personal mistake when traveling to Florida in April. This time I will be ready to go after them. Here are my sets from the AKA/IUKL Punch Gym Kettlebell Competition in Sarasota in April.
Kettlebell Jerk

Kettlebell Snatch


I travelled unprepared so one thing I did learn and it helps to practice training at another facility is to bring my stuff! Training with others also helps to show other lifters techniques and what to look for as far as mistakes and corrections. Your work can also drive others in their sets. Juan Pellot has a good rack position so whenever we lift together I try to get my rack position to be similar being thats where I lose it. So this past workout was Jerk being my week was thrown off from Memorial Day. I got in some good sets. I forgot my timer so my main set was thrown off by it. Here is my sets...Jerks are improving..speed under the bell and rack position are improving slowly but improving.


Two more weeks!!!

2nd Kettlebell Sport competition at Punch Gym Sarasota!!

This was a great meet!!! Jay and Karen Trunzo put on one hell of a meet. It ran smooth with no bumps in the road. Times and flights were set, lifters knew when they were lifting and had no question when they were up. No matter what they stayed on task and made the meet GREAT!!
Jay and Karen worked with me and I am very proud what they have been able to do with their gym and  how they positively affected their community for the better. And now that they are into kettlebell sport I can't wait to see what they do.
Back to the competition, it was a small meet but a huge turnout! Some big names and some new comers  showed up and decided to put it all out on the platform. The ladies from the Ice Chamber flew in from San Francisco, Scott Shetler came down from Atlanta and the entire Punch Gym Sarasota Family came out to take part in this 1st Kettlebell Sport Championship at Punch Gym Sarasota! It was a WKC endorsed event so they use WKC rules and ranking. Since a lot were new to the sport they didn't go to heavy but that doesn't take away from what they were able to do and experience. Scott had a small competition with John Beamon in long cycle with 20s, Melissa lifted the 24kg amazingly in biathlon, Surya and Jessica both lifted the 20kg in Biathlon and put up a great performance with Jessica getting her second MS. I lifted the 28kg in Biathlon and had a great meet. I missed CMS rank by 2 reps in Snatch....not that happy but still good. Here are my 2 sets from the meet.
2x28kg Jerk


28kg Snatch


Overall it was a great meet as I said before. Melissa Swanson and I both won the Best Lifter Award in Biathlon and Scott Shetler won Best Male lifter in Long Cycle and Teri Stabler from Punch Gym won Best Female lifter in Longcyle!! Awesome!! The sport is still growing!!
Next Competition will be in Wilton, Conn and it will be an IUKL/AKA meet. Back to training!!

Huge Thanks to Jay and Karen for hosting me this weekend. I can't thank you both enough and very happy I was able to inspire the both of you into this wonderful sport!

Updates...Reflecting and progressing

So the last time I posted I was getting ready for the WKC World Championships in Chicago in Oct 2012. I had a great time and it was a great experience. It really opened my eyes up to what I could do and a level I would like to get to. I am currently coached by C. Duffey of Lockout Kettlebells. He is an awesome coach and know how to get his athletes to the top level. I also added a lot of running into my program. Its one thing to get a 10 min set once or twice but to consistently and hit PR's is something totally different. Right now I'm training to get ready for a few competitions coming up in April.

Back to what happened in Chicago. I competed in the 75kg weight class and lifted the 28kg bells in biathlon. First up was Jerk. My best in training was 50 reps but a tough 50 reps. I once hit 48reps good but lost that steam. So I wasn't expecting CMS number but a good set. Here is what happened.....


Then came the second part of the Biathlon which is Snatch. Not a bad set but close to my personal best.  My best in training has been 53/53 which is very good. So since I didn't have a great Jerk set I was hoping for a much better snatch set. Here is what happened....



So now the worlds are over the a couple early 2013 competitions have passed and the competition season of 2013 is about to begin. April 6th starts my competition season and between now and then I will continue to update as well as give some tips and other videos I see and find.

IUKL USA Open Kettlebell Competition

The week leading up to the IUKL Open was a good taper for the competition. Although I though I had peaked already at the IKSFA Meet hitting a personal best in Kettlebell Jerk and Kettlebell Snatch I still had some momentum for the IUKL meet. So Coach Duffy put me through a good taper to get me ready. I had a few more days off than I was use to but it was good because of work.
 Main Work Sets
4/16 Monday
2x24kg Kettlebell Jerk 10min 8rpm (8min 64reps)
22kg Kettlebell Snatch 6min 16rpm
4/17 Tuesday
2x22kg Kettlebell Jerk 5 min 10rpm
24kg Kettlebell Snatch 10min 15rpm (8:45 68/65 new pr)
4/19 Thursday
2x24kg Kettlebell Jerk 6min 8rpm
24kg Kettlebell Snatch 6min 15rpm (This workout felt ok not great.)
Competition day Sunday April 22nd. I weighed in 72kg on the dot for the 73kg weight class. IUKL has a different ranking system than ISKFA,IKFF and WKC. You can't get CMS with the 24s so my goal number of 148pt was out of the window. They go up to Rank 1 with the 24s and I didn't make Rank 1 my goal but I made sure I would pass those numbers again. I wanted to get a better score than I got at the IKSFA meet, I hit 2 PRs 75 Jerks and 125 Snatches. I saw a few familiar faces but wish there were more competitors there. Since the sport is still growing and getting larger more athletes no matter what affiliation they have to an organization they need to make it to these small competitions.
It was a surprise to see the Ice Chamber ladies there all the way from California, Mike Sanders from NJ, Joe Eagan and his family from NH and the Lockout crew from Massachusetts all made it out. Fedor Fuglyev was there with Valentyn Berbenychuk from the Ukraine and they had taught a 2-day seminar that my coach and Scott got a chance to go to. They mentioned that Fedor was insane and his training was different than everyone elses. But he does what he does. Anyways back to the competition. There were only 11 total flights with Long cycle being the last flight. It was organized so that there was a long enough break for those doing biathlon to get enough rest for snatch. Women were only allowed to do snatch as per IUKL rules. There were some great performances by the women with 2 ladies doing snatch with the 24kg bell. Wil Metcalf had a great performance lifting the 32s hitting pr in Jerk and good numbers in snatch before he ripped his hand. Scott hit 45 reps even though he wasn't feeling up to par. Not bad for only being 3 away from his best. The kettlebell handles were thicker than what I was use to but its competition and you have to be ready for anything. Here are my 2 sets. I hit good numbers in jerk and a new PR in snatch. I had the privilege of having Maya from Ice Chamber count my sets. Im glad she liked them :)
IUKL Kettlebell Jerk Set 2x24kg
IUKL Kettlebell Snatch set 24kg Overall it was a great competition even though it was small. I'm glad I was able to hit a New PR in snatch and stayed somewhat consistent in jerk. From here I can hopefully move on up and focus on reaching new heights within the sport. Next competition is the big one unless some pop up over the summer. WKC World Championships in Chicago. I missed the last 2 but I plan on going to this one! Long road of training ahead but I'm gonna enjoy the ride! Whatever competition you are getting ready for train hard and train smart! Whatever it is you do in Kettlebell sport help build it in the USA!

IKSFA competition and taper week leading up to event

This past weekend I competed in the Crossfit L.I.C. IKSFA kettlebell sport competition and the first meet I got back on the platform. Leading up to the competition I finally got a 10 minute jerk set and hit a new PR and bested my snatch number. I'm getting closer to finishing a full 10 minutes and hitting an even higher PR. Back to the competition, I felt good going into it because the last few training sessions I was able to take two days off. My weight was good, I went in weighing 72kg while working my way down to 70kg. I competed in the biathlon with 24kg. Not many competitors in biathlon event which I found a little weird. The sport has changed over the last few years. A few people did just jerk or just snatch but not both. Anyways I competed as part of Team Lockout Kettlebells, Coached by C-Duff and team members Scott Tighe MS, Wil Metcalf CMS, and Melissa Metcalf . 
Scott hit a new PR in Long Cycle with the 32s ( 48 reps) just one short of tying Marty Farrell but still making CMS and Will hit new PRs in both Jerk and Snatch using the 32s.
My week leading into the competition I only had two workout days. Monday's workout:
2x24kg Jerk 7 minutes 7 rpm
24kg Snatch 8 minutes 14 rpm
Tuesday-Off


Wednesday's workout:
 2x24kg Jerk 6 minute 7 rpm
24kg Snatch 6 minutes 15 rpm
Then I took off Thursday and Friday preparing mentally for the competition. I was ready.
Jerk set was up first as always....here is my set
 

New PR 75 reps!!!!

Here is my Snatch set

New PR in competition 60R/65L.

I was 11 away from what I wanted to do. I hit my Jerk goal but missed my snatch goal by 15 reps. I wanted to make CMS but but hit a really good Rank 1.
The venue was great much better than last year. It was great to see old friends of the kettlebell world and great performances. It was a great weekend and there were some great photos taken taken by the host. Congrats to all who competed!!! Can't wait to do it all again. Next competition IUKL April 22nd in Connecticut!!!
I also owe a HUGE thanks to Coach Duffey for helping me reach new highs in the sport!! Im glad I came back to a great Coach!!

Last post probably for 2011...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2012 here it comes!!

So I have been away for a while or I should say pretty busy. I recently turned 30 on December 8th and share the day with friends and family. I had a great time. I received a great pair of lifting shoes that I wanted for a while. The Adidas Adistar Weight lifting shoes and they are comfortable. I was able to get them for a discounted price from Dynamic . I have been lifting on and off for the month of December. I have an idea of how I will plan my training weeks to come and which upcoming competitions I will compete in. I have shifted back to biathlon because for me that is where I was most comfortable. By all means KB sport isn't comfortable but I like that event. I made the switch in November and have stuck to it. Right now its good because I can split Jerk and Snatch workouts either both in one day or separate days. I will post later on how i will plan my year for training and competition. I want to actually get to a couple big events in 2012 and make CMS rank maybe even get in a couple competitions with the 32s. Who knows!! But 2012 has been a really good year despite the loss of my father and uncle :( . I will be competing with them in my memories. I don't know if I have everything going for me or against me but I'm sure going to kick some ass.  Happy Holidays everyone and have a Happy and Safe New Year!! Wish you all the best in 2012!

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Test Day!!!

Today I did a couple test sets to see where I stand with my reps and time. I did a 5 min Jerk set with 2 x 24kgs and then I did a Snatch set with 24kg a few minutes later. I achieved 43 reps in the Jerk and 31 reps R and 33 reps L in the Snatch. It was a good workout.

Jerk Test Set- 2 x 24kg 43reps
Snatch Set 24kg- 31 reps R/ 33 reps L (right shoulder felt weak in lockout)

Back Squat- 3 x 10 135lbs
Calf Raise- 3 x 15- 180lbs

Bike- 20 mins 5.4 miles

Videos
Jerk Set


Snatch Set

Training 1/19/10

Training 1/19/10

Jump rope 30 mins

Evening session:

Jerk 2 x 16kg 7 mins 6 rpm 42 reps
Snatch 16kg 6 mins 14rpm 84 reps
One arm Jerk 28kg 10/10 reps
Swing 28kg 25/25 reps

Run 2 miles 18mins
Stair Climber 1 mile 10 mins

Tuesday was a good easy session. I just wanted to last the time. That was the goal of the workout. Yesterday 1/20/10 I didn't get a chance to train which sucks. Work and personal business got in the way. No excuses though. I will be back on schedule today with timed sets. I may start working with the 20kgs again this weekend. The use of the club bells are a big help in bringing my shoulder blade back to 100%. Apparently I put a lot of the weight there when I rest over head. I am slowly building up back to the 24kgs so I can peak at the Arnold Sports Festival.

Preparation for the Arnold Kettlebell Classic

On March 7th I will be competing in the Arnold Kettlebell Classic in Columbus, Oh. This is a big meet for me because I will be competing against more than one competitor, competiting on a large stage and out of state and in a higher kettlebell weight class. So my performance must great. So in order to prepare myself and my team I created a schedule that I will be following and my team will be training at a higher level also. I am moving up to the 24kgs, Perry will be using the 20kgs and Juan will be using the 16kgs.

So here is my schedule so I can 1. get into my weight class (70kg), 2. be strong enough for 10 mins, 3. reach my WKC numbers(53 Jerk/ 50/50 Snatch) .

Monday:
Morning - Boxing, Cardio, BW training
Evening- KB Sport Interval (Volume)

Tuesday:
Afternoon- KB Sport Short timed sets (Technique)

Wednesday:
Morning- Boxing, Cardio, BW training
Evening- KB Sport Interval reps (Volume)

Thursday:
Afternoon- KB Sport Short timed sets (Technique)

Friday:
Morning- Boxing, Cardio, BW training
Evening- KB Sport Interval reps (Volume)

Saturday or Sunday: Test timed sets

So this is the plan to preform great. I will be posting my workouts daily as much as possible. I have a few issues I need to deal with while training. My right shoulder seems to be weak so it will need to get stronger. I will be doing joint mobility, Club bell twirling, and body weight strength and band rehab exercises to strengthen that area. I will also work on my hip to elbow connection and my breathing. I tend to lean to the left so I can get my left elbow on my left hip. I need to get both elbows down. So more flexibility work and video taping. Boxing will help my breathing and keep things interesting. So this is my set up and plan to succeed at the Arnold. I will let you know how it goes and track my progression.

Late Post: Results from the North Jersey Kettlebell Competition

On November 14th in Sparta, NJ I along with my Kettlebell Sport Team travelled to The F.I.T. Experience to compete. My team consist or Perry Sarles and Juan Torres. Both are athletes that I train in KB Sport. It was my second competition and their first. We all competed in the Biathlon. The Biathlon consist of a 10 min Jerk set and a 10 min Snatch set. I competed with 20kgs and Juan and Perry competed with 16kgs.

Here is my Jerk Set with 2 x 20kg (44lbs)


Here is Perry and Juan's Jerk Set 2 x 16kg


Here is my Snatch set 20kg


Perry and Juan's Snatch set 16kg


We all did a great job competing. We hit personal best records and ready to move up to the next weight. I was able to achieve Rank 2 rep numbers. So from here on out I will be training with the 24kgs and Perry and Juan will be working with the 20kgs. The next competition we are looking forward to is the Arnold Kettlebell Meet hosted by IKFF.

It's been a while, but I'm back for updates.

I'm back...I haven't been on here in a few months. I have been training extensively in Kettlebell Sport. I think the last time I posted a blog I was talking about the rack position with 2 kettlebells. I have been training hard and working on my rack position along with my endurance. I have been keeping track of my workouts so when I get a chance I will post my progression so some of you that are training can look at something different and my coach can take a look at what I was/am doing.
I was training Long Cycle Clean and Jerk for a recent competition that just passed. It was the NYC National Long Cycle Championships at J.K.O. High school in Midtown. I achieved 40 reps with 2 x 20kg. I was competing in the 75kg category. I hope for the next competition I will be down in the 70kg weight class where I should be.
Currently I can achieve my rep count with 2/16kg in the Biathlon (Jerk & Snatch) which is why I am going to compete in the North Jersey Kettlebell competition with the 2/20kg.
The kettlebells that I am training with most of the time range from 16kg to 32kg. I use the 32kg for mostly one arm heavy jerks and I am doing sets of 5 mins with the 16 & 20kg. I will every now and then do test sets of 5 mins. I haven't achieved a full 10min set but I would like to make sure I am well rested for that. I have done a couple of 8 mins sets and achieve my rank numbers with that (16kg).
That is all for now....more to come soon!