A.K.A. Kettlebell Sport USA Nationals 2014

USA Nationals was held yesterday at the Reebok Sports Club in NYC. It was a great event with a lot of talent from around the USA coming into NYC to compete. This event was a qualifier for World Championships in Hamburg, Germany later this year. Just like last year at Nationals I competed this year in the 73kg weight class Biathlon lifting the 32kg bell. My goal was to better last year's results and move closer to getting Master of Sport in the AKA/IUKL ranking table. To achieve those results would yield a more competitive field. This year there were 3 lifters in the 73kg weight class lifting the 32kg bells. It was the first time there were 3 people lifting the same weight bell. I was excited for that reason. The field was tough! Marty Farrell who has been doing this for a long time, Michael Cluse who lifted in the World Championships in Tyumen, Russia and myself.
So there were 4 lifters in biathlon lifting the 32s. John Lesko had a good showing putting up good numbers in both jerk and snatch. Note: he was the only one to last the full 10 mins snatch. Great job John!!
So my game plan was to do better than last year because I have improved but I didn't know how much better because training was off leading up to it. Whatever the excuse was it didn't matter. I was on the platform lifting the 32s.
First event in biathlon is Kettlebell Jerk


I did okay...better than last year and a new PR by 3 reps. I felt much better here and solid during the set. I ended my set because of the reps I was producing were starting to get worst and worst. I didn't want to push the reps out from the elbows. So I ended the set.
Next up Kettlebell Snatch


In snatch I didn't hit my intended target of 50/50. On my first hand I switched at 44 reps because I felt a tear starting to happen and it cause me to switch earlier than I wanted. On the second hand I felt pretty good and did 48 reps. I was able to get a personal best on both lifts. New Personal Best in result as well.
It was great seeing everyone and all the great performances. Friend from Punch Gym Sarasota made an appearance with 2 new lifters and they did exceptionally well with some adversities. Teri S. was so close in Snatch to win her event but it was a great job with it being her first time doing snatch. Cayla B. competed in Longcycle with the 16kg first time at Nationals(Next time you'll be prepared for anything). Chris S. great job next time not so many wafels and dinges before you lift ;). The ladies from Ice Chamber Kettlebell girls brought an expanded team out for Nationals. The core group of veterans as well as the newbies lifted exceptionally well. Rylee (13 yrs old) lifted great in the 16kg Snatch division and Miranda (14 yrs old) lifted great as well in the 16kg Longcycle division. They looked like they have been doing this for a while. Brittany from IC achieved CMS in Snatch and MS in Longcycle ( great set with her and Melissa S. going head to head).  Sakaya from IC also produced great results her first time out at Nationals! There were a lot of good sets: Amanada W and BJ from Texas, Chris D from DC kicked ass in 32kg LC, Doug S and Juan P went head to head in 28kg LC, Team Pride Conditioning lifted great, there were so many great sets! It was a long day and the event went well. OH yeah can't forget Team Lockout lifter Will M coming back on the platform lifting the 24s. Great seeing you all!! Can't wait for the next event.....maybe I can lol.

Training week review 8/2/14

This week I got in all 3 kettlebell sport sessions. With some time still left till USA Nationals I can make some improvements. I'm starting to get better at a few things especially in Jerk. But when one element improves there is chance another element falls behind (Snatch). So for myself I made it pretty clear that my rack position is where I need the most improvement for the sake of being able to rest the quads and legs to be ready for the next rep. So I've been working on my stretching upper back, traps, low back, hamstrings, glutes and hips. Stretching the legs helps in keeping them straight in rack....stretching the upper back and traps allow for my elbows to get into a position on my body. Charlie F. helped me out by providing a few cues to look for in training and somethings to be aware of so I can be consistent.

Here is the video from the side at Reebok Sports Club. Training with the 32s- supposed to do 7 minutes but couldn't get there yet.



Looking back there has been some good improvement in my technique but I still need to get better at jerk. Last year at Nationals was a second time lifting them. I also had a small hip injury so this year I will be ready...knock on wood! Mobility and flexibility will be very important part of training here on out.



So looking back I'm happy with where I am but I want to keep going. Exceeding last year's result is what counts.
I'm running more, stretching more and physical therapy also helps to keep me on track.

Training review and update 7/27/14

So far this week has been pretty good as far as training is going. The beginning of the week is always tough but I was able to get my sets in. I had low energy at the beginning and it definitely affect my training and sets. But as the week progress I was able to pick it back up. I recently dropped my training schedule down to 3 days a week. And the training volume has increased because of that but it also allows me to rest and recover while lifting the heavier (28-34kg) bells more often. I trust Coach C-Duff in what he is doing. Its just tough and for this sport it counts. You have to be prepared for competition. The nationals is where we in the US have a chance to compete against someone in the same weight class lifting the same bell. So this week since I started only training 3 days a week with the be I do both lifts in my workout. Here are the sets from my Friday training session at Reebok with the NYC crew.




Ladder Jerk set 2 mins on/ 2 mins rest 5x. Changing weights from 24- 32kg. Goal here was to maintain competition pace for the 2 mins, Keep a good rack position (something I'm still working on), and get use to 32s towards the end of the set. Everything is still a work in progress but still coming along.
Next up snatch.



With snatch I've had good days and bad days....pretty much similar to everyone else. Recently my elbows have been bothering me. Probably coming from my drop and not adjusting my legs or back. So this set I worked more on deflecting from the bell and absorbing with my legs to save my grip endurance. So I'll be analyzing my technique and seeing where I can get better to last the full 10 minutes with the 28kg and 32kg bell. Another area I continue to work on is my level of flexibility. I recently did a few back bends and found out my upper back was supper tight which could explain why my rack isn't the best.
On to the next week of training...

Training review and update 7/18/14

So far training has been a bit tougher than I though. Work load has gone up a bit since the summer has slowed the business down. So my training has been rough. Anytime you move up kettlebell weight consistency is the biggest factor. It takes longer to adjust to the weight and the volume so what you expect to achieve doesn't come in the time you were planning for.
Recently there has been some drama in the kettlebell sport world. Best thing for everyone that participates in the sport is to keep training and help the sport grow. It doesn't matter if you lift for fun, are really competitive, looking to compete on the international scale, bringing something different to your Personal training business, or just trying to learn something different. The drama does nothing but hold the sport and your personal growth back. There are many great lifters in the US that are getting better...My advice go follow them. They are living it along with everyone else trying to get better in this Russian dominating sport. Go with the people who will help it grow rather than one person trying to stop it. That's all :)
So back to training; I've been training maybe 3 times a week and running has stopped to maybe twice a week. Disgusting!!! I'm trying to progress with the 32s and its tough. 32kg bells can stop you right in your tracks if your not ready for them. So the last few weeks the goal has been to get my numbers up in snatch and jerk obviously. Most of my jerk sets I haven't been able to tape but snatch sets I have. Most of the work is developing time under the bell and building the rep number up. Sometimes sets are good and somedays they suck but gotta keep moving!! Here are a couple of my training sets. The more I train the more I can improve.

   

A little test this week with the 24s since I haven't been able to get the 32s in place. Still feeling good about progressing forward.


This week I don't have much time left till nationals so I have to pick the pace and get things moving. The 32s are no joke so I need to focus and get things in place. No missing training days. I dropped down my training so I can be consistent and continue to progress. If you have question about my training my coach is Chris Duffey. I've been working with him for over 3 years now. And he has helped me progress to where I am today in Kettlebell Sport. If you are looking for a Coach he is a great one!!

Starting the Road to USA Nationals 2014

47 days away till the best lifters in the USA will all come together in NYC and a team will be selected through competition to compete in the IUKL World Championships in Hamburg, Germany. Its that time again to get prepared and decide what bell to lift in my weight class. It's important to decide what it is that you want to do when going into a big competition. We don't have a large number of lifters in certain weight classes. So its best to decide what the game plan will be. For example, last year I decided to lift the 32s and there was only one other lifter in my weight class lifting the same bell. I knew that I wasn't going to win but my intention was to do my best and make improvements from my previous competition lifting the 32kg bells. I ended up coming in 2nd place to Marty Farrell but I had a good feeling about it. I figured out what the elite guys were putting up as numbers and what I needed to get to improve for the following year. This year I'm going in thinking about winning and making the USA National Team to be able to lift in Germany!
So this week Coach Duffey re-introduced me to the 32kg. We are seeing where I am at with the reds and if competing with them is a good or bad choice. I recently competed with the 28s and made CMS numbers. Usually before moving up you want to establish a good base with the prior bell. For example in February I lifted the 24s and posted really good results with them. So I was ready to lift the 28s. I did alright with them in April and much better with them in June. This is where we decided it was time to lift the 32s again. If anything I improve my numbers with both 32kg and 28kg bells. So training has changed a bit but the schedule has stayed the same. Monday and Thursday are Jerk days, Tuesday and Friday are Snatch. As I get closer to competition I'll have days I do both lifts. Duffey has put in some unique programs into my training; Pyramid intervals, Black Snatch (Snatch endurance work). I'm sure more things are to come. Here is a look at a couple of my training days this week. Goal for August is to be competitive with the 32s and make Master of Sport rank (125 points in 73kg)!!






Just a start on some new programming. Results will show in the consistency of the work put in.

Finally Candidate Master of Sport!!!

This past weekend I lifted in the IronBell Challenge in Warren, NJ at the Art of Strength New Jersey gym. It was an American Kettlebell Alliance (AKA) event which is the governing body of kettlebell lifting here in the states with over 15 competitions set for this year. They have similar rules and ranking to the IUKL which is their governing body.
The competition went great!! It was hosted by Valerie and Lisa (owners of Art of Strength NJ) and Alex and Yuri from AKA was there as well to make sure the event went smooth. It seems all competition I go to that happen at an Art of Strength gym run smooth. There were lifters from all over mostly from NJ or NY. It was a small event but still a good one. At these kinds of events I like to go in focusing on what I need to accomplish since there isn't a lot of competition these events are good to make rank. Bigger events is where you don't try anything new but go for PRs and go to win.
My goal for the day was to make CMS rank. Its the fourth time lifting the 28s in competition and the second time lifting the Vulcan Strength Kettlebells. So I was a bit conservative and wanted to make sure I got my numbers- (65 reps in Jerk and 120 reps in snatch) to get 125 points for 73kg weight class. I was prepared, I brought everything I had used in training and made sure I missed nothing. Chalk, belt, shoes, sandpaper, tape, nothing was left behind.
 There were 2 other lifters and myself in biathlon. Here is my CMS jerk set from Ironbell Challenge



Things went well although you'll see towards the end of the set. The bells weren't landing right back into a good rack position also not as comfortable on my hands (something I need to adjust to) so I re-racked the bells to sit comfortably. Next up CMS snatch set.



I figured if I had some pain in my hand that I should add some tape to my wrist for stability. So I put some on and see what happens. It was a great feeling making it this far and getting Candidate Master of Sport. These rank numbers were higher than previous numbers so it was a great achievement. Now it's time to prepare for Nationals and possibly Worlds in Germany!! I don't know what I'll lift at both events but I will give it my all!

Get the Chalk out!!

Whenever you plan to lift and you know the area will be humid be ready to get a good coating of chalk on your bell handle. Unless you are use to lifting without chalk everyone should know how to chalk their own bell. Yesterday I helped out a few Juan and Kyle perfect their chalking technique with certain things to look for. For myself chalking the bells are part of my ritual in getting ready to lift. I won't let anyone else do it for me. I'll get thrown off. But I get asked how do I get the chalk to stay on. Here is the video I looked at over and over to get the idea of how to get the chalk to stay on.



Here is another look at chalking the bell by Igor, similar technique. Work the chalk into the bell handle.



Hope these videos can help out and give you a better idea on how to apply a good coat of chalk before stepping on the platform. You want to be prepared and nothing stopping you from getting your goals. In humid conditions an good chalk job can go a long way!