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Showing posts with label Biathlon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biathlon. Show all posts

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Get Ready!!! New Year of Competitions to come!

Now that World Championships in Hamburg has come to an end it is time to prepare for the upcoming year! I would like to just take a moment to Congratulations to the USA team for getting 5th place in the World and everyone who competed and received metals!! A huge Congrats to Will Metcalf for bringing home the Gold in 24kg Biathlon. Will has made a huge comeback from being injured and not being able to compete in many meets this year. Results from World Championships
Next year the IUKL World Championships will be held in Dublin, Ireland, USA Nationals will be in Chicago. If you plan to go to these competitions plan now and start saving so you don't have to worry about travel and hotel. There are some other great meets to get to so plan accordingly so you can compete at the events you want. I haven't decided which competitions I want to get to yet but here are a few I have in mind. Holiday Kettlebell Sport Championship in December,  West Coast Classic in February, Punch Sarasota in April, USA Nationals in August, World Championships in November. Those are what I have planned but I don't know what the schedule is going to look like so there might be some adjustments. Also something I brought to question was to stay at 73kg weight class or drop to the 68kg weight class and compete there. The USA team had a pro and amateur in 73kg but no one in the 68kg weight class. So there is a spot that is open for competition. Time to plan!!

In recent news I competed at the Georgia State Open Kettlebell Meet in Norcross, GA. The weight categories were compressed because of it being a small competition. Only 19 lifters so there wasn't a lot of competition so rather than saying I got first I'm prouder of my results. I weighed in at 73.8 kg (only one in my class) lifted 24kg Biathlon. My training leading up to this competition wasn't the best and has been very inconsistent so my goal was to hit a few targets. Jerk 80 reps and Snatch 160 reps. Here is what I did!!







Overall pretty good meet for myself. It's time to continue to prepare for the West Coast Classic in February but first the Holiday Kettlebell Sport Championship in NJ in December. More training ahead. And I have switched to the Adidas AdiPower shoe. It has a composite heel and it feels snug on my feet which is something I had a problem with before with other shoes. Also I have the Virus Intl compression shorts on which feel pretty great. If you have a chance check them out...similar to 2XU but not as expensive!!

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Training review- Oct 27- Nov 1.

A review of what happened this past week.
I started a training journal to keep track of all my activities I completed during the week. Even tracking weight and body fat percentage. Why? Because you need to know what works and what doesn't. I am starting this week to add some things to my training like I mentioned before. Flexibility is my weak area. It makes things like straightening my legs in my rack tough which weakens my jerk numbers. So this week I start a Prasara yoga program. It will be part of my cool down. Prasara Yoga is created by Scott Sonnon of Tacfit. There are several flows I'll be practicing because of the areas they focus on.
Training has been difficult this week due to my primary job as it was closeout so I wasn't able to get all my sessions in. Monday was Jerk, Tuesday was Snatch, Thursday was Jerk and Friday is Snatch again. It was a tough training week and consistency is what would have helped but not all training sessions were completed. This fact just hurts when trying to get to the next level. It really messes with your mind when you are capable if doing something but your body tells you NO. In a couple weeks I'll be competing in Georgia at the Atlanta IUKL open, lifting the 24kg in biathlon. So i will try to match my best in Jerk and increase in Snatch. Snatch has improved so the next couple weeks I'll look to maintain or improve my results. My training schedule will become normal again as I go into the last couple months of the year looking forward to the West coast classic in San Francisco.

This weekend I got my running legs back which is always a great thing. Saturday Nov 1st, 6.6 miles in the rain.
First long run over 3 miles in a while. The One hour Long Cycle event really brought back the "going for it" thought in my head. It really plays out that Kettlebell sport is all about enduring the suffering that is the sport and being mentally strong not just physically. Being able to sustain a pace and mentally pushing past what you are capable of doing. 
Now to planning out the week and sticking to the program.  
     

Monday, August 25, 2014

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.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

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...

Saturday, July 19, 2014

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!!

Monday, June 16, 2014

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!

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Going into Taper week- IronBell Challenge

Finished the week on a good note doing test sets at Reebok Sports Club NYC on 6/6/14. I tested with the 28s in Biathlon. I did 7 minutes in each lift. I hit 53 reps in Jerk and 49/50 in Snatch. Snatch wasn't my best set because a couple days before I did a killer snatch workout with the 28 and 24kg bell. So going into this week I'll be preparing for the Iron Bell Challenge in Warren NJ. Its another attempt to do my best with the 28s and make CMS! The new rankings by the AKA for biathlon in the 73kg weight class I have to total 125 pts. So far my best is 109 pts (59 Jerk, 50 snatch) in competition. It'll be my second time lifting the Vulcan bells so I know what to expect and and I'll be prepared with everything I need this time. Here is a recap of this past week.
Monday Kettlebell Jerk training



Good start to the week. Next workout was a double set of Kettlebell Snatch. Hands got hot here.



Finished the week on a good note with a test biathlon set with 28kg bells at Reebok Sports Club NYC!!


Now going into taper week preparing for competition. Today I had a my first Bikram yoga session in the FlatIron district and I highly recommend it to any kettlebell lifter!! I see it helping with breathing, balance and flexibility. For myself and my tight hips, hamstring and upper back I may be finally able to release some tension up there!! This equals better rack position and better numbers in Jerk!  

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Taking the 32kg bells for a ride

The beginning of this week I began training to lift the 32kg (red) bells for competition. I will be competing with them at the IUKL meet in Wilton, CT May 4th. Here are my first 2 sets going after these bells. They are no joke!!
Kettlebell Jerk 2x32kg


Kettlebell Snatch 32kg



So this is where I am at. My goal is to get Master of Sport and hope to lift these at the Nationals in September and the WKC championships in October. Reps needed in IUKL is 175pts and WKC 58 jerks/ 55 snatches per arm.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

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!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

1st competition of 2013...on to the next one!

Last Saturday I had my first competition of 2013 at the IKSFA New York Open Kettlebell Sport Championship. I have competed in this competition all 3 years it has occurred and this was my best performance yet. The first year was a bit of a bust doing long cycle and the following year I had a personal best in Biathlon. This year I bested that score and felt great doing it.
My goal for this year is to make Candidate of Master of Sport in WKC and IUKL. But for right now I know I am not ready for the 32kgs bells. So I went into this competition going after the 24s. Last year I did 75 jerks in 10mins and 125reps in 9:45min. I have had some great training sessions and experiences from last year so I wanted to show it here. This competition also served as a warm up to this coming weekend's competition in Sarasota, Fl. So I went after it and had a goal in mind, minimum 80 reps in jerk and 75/75 reps in snatch. I came close to achieving them but still glad with my performance. Here are both sets. It was a good competition glad I was able to see some old and new faces and glad the sport of kettlebell lifting is still growing!!

Kettlebell Jerk 2x24kg


Kettlebell Snatch 24kg

Sunday, March 10, 2013

New Personal best in Snatch 28kg

Recently I was able to put up a new best in kettlebell Snatch with 28kg. Here is the video of that training session. I didn't think it was great but Coach Duffey looked at it and it was a new PB. I was amazed that I had did this but when you consistently work at things improvements do happen. Check out the video!

How to improve Snatch....Snatch more often!!

Recently the Girevoy Sport union created by Mark Stapleton and Anton Anasenko had their first certification of a group of non-russians through a university on kettlebell sport. Don't know if I made that out correctly. The group that went had an experience like no other. From what everyone who went posted on Facebook I followed and it looked like a great time training for a week with one of the best lifters in the World. One of the things Anton does great besides Kettlebell Jerk is Kettlebell Snatch. Here was one of the videos that was taken during the week. Anton has a great way of training snatch especially since he does a run before he starts most of his training sets. He is at such a high level its unbelievable to watch. Here he is with Mark Stapleton after an interval run doing a swing snatch combo 10min set.


Here is another way to increase grip strength and endurance by doing the Black Snatch. This involves multiple swings and snatches. No matter how you set it up its 3 rounds: 1st- 2 swings, 1 Snatch, 2nd- 1 Swing, 1 Snatch, 3rd- Snatch. Here Anton does a 12min set with 34kg Black Snatch.


As my coach says you want to get better at something you concentrate on getting it done and do just that. Hope some of these videos inspire you to go after it and get better.
I will put up more videos about improving techniques and other ways and things to get better.

Recent Training week of March 4th

This was a week that started great and ended rough. Coach started me off with a test Kettlebell Jerk set and working on increasing numbers in both lifts. Finishing the week off continuing working around the numbers I need to make rank. I also added in a long run since the wether turned for the better.
Monday's test set was with the 26s. I have worked with them before going for a long set but never have I made it to 10 minutes 70 reps 2x26kg.


This turned out to be a challenge but I was able to make it through. Next time more reps!! There are still  a few more things i have to work on but its getting better.
The next workout was Snatch and that was a tough day. the goal was to get 6 minutes each arm with 24kg. I usually can get 4:30min 67/68 reps was my best. In this set I was able to get 65 on the right in 4mins and 71 on the left in 4:30mins. Much better than I though. I may try to add some black snatch in the workout. On Saturday I did the second kettlebell Jerk workout. which was great. I had 2x2min sets then 1 long set. the long set was with the 28kg try to reach 53 reps or get close. My body was tired haven't trained early in the morning before but I went in and lifted. I got to 4mins needed a break and then finished up with a total of 40 reps. I needed some energy. I took some Honey Zingers energy waffles and I felt much better. So good I ran 10.5 mile in 1:27.05.

I feel long runs really help out in mental strength as well as endurance. A 10 minute set sometimes feels like a long run so it has helped me get through these workouts and competition sets. I also see that some of the elite lifters are doing long runs as well. One of my favorite lifters Anton Anasenko does runs before he lifts and also competes in half marathons as well. If the best lifters do it there is no reason why I shouldn't be trying it out.




Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Still working....on getting better

So after the worlds I got an urge to really really go back at it and train even harder. The IKFF Nationals were a few weeks after the WKC Worlds and I wanted to see what other competitors were going to do. Kettlebell sport has grown in the USA over the last few years. WKC, IKFF, IKSFA, and now the AKA are hosting competitions all over the year which make it great for the lifters because we have more chance to compete. Last year I competed 3 competitions....this year I will do 3 in less than a month and look at competing in at least 7 competitions and a chance to go to Russia to compete in the World Championships!! This is amazing, a competition to decide who will represent the USA in the Kettlebell World Championships in Russia.
So I have been training hard to get ready for all of these competitions I will be participating in. I recently (1month and few days ago) ran a half marathon in Central park in 1:48.11
After that day I felt mentally strong but also tired. I had no idea that I could do that. This put a whole new perspective on my 10 minute competition sets. Here is a recent 10 minute set that I did in training with the 24kg bells. I set a new PR with this weight. It was great, I had no idea that I could do this.


This was a great feeling from here there is no turning back !!!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

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.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Continuing forward....

This past week of training went very well. I'm working my way up to getting further with the 28s en route to CMS. I have plenty of time and a great coach to lead me there. The sessions for this past week looked like this....its amazing what I'm getting out of the workouts even those they are small.
Monday
2x20kg KB Jerk 2min 12rpm
2x24kg KB Jerk 6min 10rpm- New speed
32kg OAJ 20/20
2 mile run 18:30
Hanging Leg raises- 3x12

Tuesday
24kg KB Snatch 8mins 16rpm- 64/57 reps. My right hand grip was tired that last minute.
32kg Swing 3x35/35 reps

Wednesday 4 mile run 33mins

Thursday
2x26kg KB Jerk test- 7mins 8rpm set a PR of 56reps First time ever testing with this weight and rep speed.
Squat/Squat Jumps- 135lbs 5/40, 155lbs 5/40, 185lbs 5/40

Friday- day off way too much work. To many clients not enough breaks
Saturday
26kg KB Snatch interval 2x30sec work/ 30sec rest
R1- R:10,11; L:10,11
R2- R:11,11; L:11,11
R3- R:11,11; L:11,11
R4- R:11,11; L:11,11
R5- R:11,12; L:11,12
Back Extension- 3x25reps

I am not where I want to be just yet but I am working on getting better each day I train. Get to CMS and then MS...that's what I want and I will get there!!! Hard work and Dedication

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Making some head way

This week I continued working with the 28s. Again they are my main focus leading up to the WKC world in October. First objective is to get a full 10 minute set in with this weight. It's no small feat, 28kg is heavy and not something to just mess with. So I was pleased with this week of training.

Monday 5/7/12
KB Jerk 2x28kg 7min 6rpm

KB Jerk 2x20kg 3min 12rpm
Jump rope 15min

Tuesday 5/8/12 KB Snatch 20kg 30/30 reps
KB Snatch 28kg 7min 12rpm (was suppose to do 8min)
KB Swing 32kg 25/25-2x
Rowing 15mins 3419m 

Wednesday 5/9/12 Off- much needed that work with the 28s was tough.

Thursday 5/10/12
Interval KB Jerk Training
2x22kg 2min 12rpm
2x24kg 2min 12rpm
2x26kg 2min 10rpm
2x28kg 2min 9rpm
2x30kg 2min 6rpm (I did 8rpm oops!)
2min rest between sets Legs were dead no squats this week 
Friday 5/11/12 skipped the day too busy

Saturday 5/12/12
KB Snatch 26kg 8min 14rpm R-13/15/14/14, L-13/14/14/13
KB swing 28kg 30/30-3x
Back Extension 3x25 (these were tougher than I thought)

Ready for next week!!! Keep it moving!

Friday, April 27, 2012

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!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

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!!

Saturday, March 24, 2012

A Period of PRs!!

So since I've been back to training I have kicked it up since my first competition is only a week away. Friday I was able to get my jerk sets in
March 16th Friday
Kettlebell Jerk
2x24kg 3mins 8rpm
2mins rest
2x24kg 3mins 8rpm
2mins rest
2x24kg 3mins 8rpm
2mins rest
2x24kg 3mins 8rpm

March 17th Saturday
Kettlebell Snatch
24kg 10mins 14 rpm (New PR 66/59 8:30min)

32 swings 25/25 x 3


Monday March 19th
2x24kg Kettlebell Jerk 10mins 7rpm (new PR 70 reps)
20kg Kettlebell Snatch 6mins 20rpm (def felt this set)

Tuesday March 20th
2x20kg Kettlebell Jerk 5mins 12rpm (This was a bit of a tough set too)
24kg Kettlebell Snatch 6mins 15rpm (Felt good but had a small blood blister)

Thursday March 22nd
Kettlebell Jerk
2x24kg 3mins 9rpm
2mins rest
2x24kg 3mins 9rpm
2mins rest
2x24kg 3mins 9rpm
2mins rest
2x24kg 3mins 9rpm

Friday
24kg Kettlebell Snatch 10mins (only 6mins) 14rpm ( Only did 6 minutes, my right shoulder and tricep wasn't feeling the best and i have injured it before. I didn't want to do it again right before competition and while I am having such good progress.)
32kg swings 25/25 x 3