Iron Bell Competition 2016

With a big personal event happening later this year I am restricted to picking one or two Kettlebell Sport events. I picked the NJ IronBell Kettlebell competition, June 25th. Since the beginning of 2016 I decided I wanted to compete in both Biathlon and Long Cycle. This was my first comp of 2016 so I decided to go big, I lifted 24kg in both events.
My mindset going into this was to hit a respectable number in Biathlon and get a huge number in Long cycle. Oh how things change when you're on the platform. Biathlon goals were 90 jerks and 150 snatches (75/75) and then 70+ in Long Cycle. My results from the day were

24+24kg Kettlebell Jerk


24kg Kettlebell Snatch



And this is where things changed. I was thinking 70+ reps when I drove to the location in the morning. That changed after completing snatch to 60 reps. After the break and stepping onto the platform I decided to get Rank 1 numbers.

Kettlebell Longcycle


Everything changes when you are tired and your body starts to feel exhausted. Thats what happened. I respect every lifter that trains and competes in both Biathlon and Long cycle. Its tough on the body and the mind. I can't wait to do it again.
Right now my focus is on building reps and speed. The faster I go, the more reps I can get in done in 10 minutes. So from now till next competition, don't know when that will be, I will continue to wokr on all 3 lifts and build up these numbers!!

Hello Long Cycle!!

After the World Championships in Dublin, I noticed that there were a few athletes that competed in both Biathlon and Long Cycle. This happened in the professional as well as amateurs. A couple well known lifters are known to compete in both one of them being Ivan Denisov.
As a goal for myself in 2016, I would like to be proficient in all lifts of competition. Eventually be able to lift 32s in both biathlon and long cycle with good results in both. Why? This makes training interesting :) Also one lift correlates with the others. Training Jerk and Snatch help with Long cycle and vice versa. Example: training Jerk helps with rack and fixation, while long cycle helps with cardio allowing you to lift at a higher rpm in jerk and snatch.
Here is one long cycle session from last week. I'm also starting to do more band work and this is helping with jerk and fixating much quicker. (more on that later)

World Championships 2015 Dublin, Ireland: Re-cap

It's been a little over two week from the World Championships in Dublin, Ireland. Over 36 countries and 560+ athletes. The USA team brought over 50 athletes to compete this year. Almost all professional weight classes were filled up and there were more than 2 lifters in certain weight classes for the amateurs. Some even went against each other in flights. That helped to make things more exciting for the USA team. The competition went on for 4 full days (26th-29th). These were long days as amateurs started the day and the professionals finished it. The schedule for the competition: 26th Nov, Biathlon and Women's Snatch- Men- 63kg, 68kg, 73kg and 78kg, Women- 58kg and 63kg; 27th Nov, Biathlon and Women's Snatch- Men- 85kg, 95kg, +95kg, Women- 68kg and +68kg; 28th Nov, Long Cycle- All weight classes- Amateur, Professional and Veterans, 29th Nov, Veterans Men's Biathlon and Women's Snatch.

First part of the trip and competition was a bit hard but not difficult. It was the task of registering and weighing in. Since we had a lot of members it took longer than we thought. Thank you to Judi and Rhonda for doing their best to keep this part organized and running smoothly. i was a bit frustrating seeing other teams go in, pay and weigh in before we had a chance to even start. Eventually we finally got to weigh in. I weighed in at 67.3kg (148.06 lbs) which was 1.54 lbs under my weight class. It felt good to come in strong and feeling good (although a bit dehydrated from the 3 hour wait). I had till the following day to rehydrate and eat a hardy meal.

Competition day: I got there early with some of the team. Amateurs were up first so it gave the professional lifters some time to relax and enjoy the amateur lifters put up some great performances. Eric Hayes and Carter Berry both had some great performances; Eric 117 reps in Jerk, Carter 156 reps in Jerk. The rest of the team also put up some really good numbers stepping up on the international platform. Some of the judging was strict and some of it wasn't. It's all subjective to the judge(s) watching the lifters.
I came up around 3pm Ireland time. First up was Jerk. Not my best lift but it was something I had worked on for the last 3 months to improve. Here is my set.

I thought I felt good but nerves probably got the best of me. I got stopped after my 32nd rep for a shoulder infraction. I though I was okay resetting my rack position but it was viewed as illegal rest. There is nothing I could do after putting the bells down. Now I know what I can't do and will have that as a focus during my training going forward. Next up was Snatch.


Snatch is my stronger of the two lifts because there is no real rest position besides the lockout. I hit a personal best of 85 reps (5 better than in Aug). I'm proud to represent the USA in World competition and I hope to do it again. Thank you to all who supported me during this journey!!

Please check out some of the other great lifters from the USA: Juan Pellot and Rick Martins in Long cycle, Chris Doenlen, Aaron Guyett, JT Netterville, John Lesko, and some women Melissa Swanson (141 reps in Snatch!!), Brittany VS, Erin Mercadante, Ryle Reeves and can't forget my FL sister Cayla and Teri!!

When I made the decision to lift at the 68kg weight class I knew what could happen with regards to strength and endurance. My improvement to my endurance was definitely noticeable as I hit new PRs when I ran long distances. It also effected my strength possibly more than I thought. Going forward I will stay at the 73kg weight class but keep my weight around 70-72kg. During the weight loss process when I reached this area I felt really good.

Now back to the basics to really work on my technique and find what works best for me. It's kind of what everyone says when you experience something bad. It was an eye opener but this time around there is more work to do. I have plenty of more reps and great sets ahead of me. More competitions to come and another World Championship in the future. I'm back up to 163lbs and ready to get back to work.
Time to lift and lose some pounds ;) Excited for the road ahead!!

Happy Holidays Everyone!!

Meanwhile in Russia.... Russian National Team selected!!

The Russian National Team that'll be competing in the World Championships in Dublin, Ireland has been selected. Some of our favorite lifters will be competing and some that we don't know much about will be there as well. In any case this team is well respected. They have been leading the sport for many years. It'll be a great experience to see them all lift!!

Here is the link Russian Girevoy Sport National Team

photo cred: Sergei Merkulin

The composition of the Russian national team to participate in World Championship
 
Men's Professional Biathlon: 
63kg Johnny Benidze, St. Petersburg 
68kg Vladimir Beavers, Tyumen
73kg Alexander Khvostov, St. Petersburg 
78kg Mikhail Sverdlovsk Kvashnin, St. Petersburg 
85kg Anton Anasenko,  Omsk 
95kg Vladimir Gurov, Kaluga  
+95kg Ivanov Denis, Chelyabinsk 
 
Men's Professional Long Cycle: 
63kg Alex Ryabkov, Tyumen  
68kg Alexander Usoltsev, Tyumen  
73kg Ivan Belyaev, Belgorod region 
78kg Lapshin Nikolai, St. Petersburg 
85kg Denis Vasilyev, St. Petersburg 
95kg Edward Opelender, Omsk  
+95kg Nikolai Kichimaev, St. Petersburg 

Women's Professional  Snatch: 
58kg Olga Yaremenko, Omsk  
63kg Natalya Gorbunova, Omsk  
68kg Xenia (Ksenia) Dedyukhina, Chelyabinsk  
+68kg Anlina Vaskina, Smolensk 

I'm excited to see all the other countries and their participants. Some countries are finishing up their championships to select their athletes. Good Luck to all and see you in Dublin!!

Road to Dublin: Training Update 1

As of right now I'm 5 weeks into my training for World Championships. After having the chance to meet with Ivan Denisov, I have a few things to work on. Biggest thing is to get my numbers up for jerk. So the last few weeks I've been training hard focusing on improving technique and endurance in the lift. The other biggest challenge I face again is the weight loss. I'm going from 165lbs down to 149.6lbs (75kg to 68kg). Its probably the toughest part of my training.
How will I be making the transition from one weight class to another: caloric tracking (intake and usage). I use My Fitness Pal to track calories and Polar Heart Rate monitor to track how much I burn during my workouts and runs. These two applications help make the weight loss easier to handle. I can see exactly what it is I can have and how much food I can eat. Also If I want to have a cheat meal or food I can make sure it works into my daily caloric intake.
As far as training has been going things are working. I'm definitely getting pushed. My technique is getting better in Kettlebell Jerk. Two weeks ago (Sept 26th) I performed some test sets to see where my training is taking me. I was excited with the results. Here is the video:


One big thing in Kettlebell Jerk technique that I'm working on is my balance. I still have a horizontal sway back and forth. It's something I was doing to generate power to get the bells up. What I need to do is remain still until it is time for a rep. Then start the lift without the rocking forward. More on that later.
I'll try to update more often leading up to World Championships. With only 5 weeks left of training until competition things will get more intense.

Training Day with Ivan Denisov

A few weeks after the USA Nationals, a small group of us had a chance to work with Ivan while on his way back from Mexico. Thank you Chris and Yuri for setting that up for us!! The group consisted of Duffey, Aaron L, Cara, Judi and myself. All disciplines of lifting were there, so we were in for some good information.

I won't give everything away but if you get a chance to work with him you'll find out a lot about yourself and where you are. Some of the key points that I will mention, that you have access to, which Ivan went over was being balanced during all movements in jerk and long cycle, and learning to be relaxed in all lifts. He told me some specifics to improve my numbers in Jerk. Kettlebell Jerk is one area where a lot of people know is not my strong lift compared to Kettlebell Snatch. Ivan was able to change the way we thought about the lifts. Same principles just a different thought of how to execute the them correctly. 

I wrote notes and videoed a lot which is something you need to do because there is a lot to go over and over once you are done. 

Big key points- Use your legs not your arms to lift the bells, be relaxed, be balanced and breath. It was a fun afternoon and very informative. Thank you Ivan, Chris and Yuri. 

I will begin to post my Road to Dublin training updates this week. So far re-learning these techniques has been a bit rough but I like where its going!!

A look back to 2014 IUKL World Championships in Hamburg, Germany

In last year's competition at the IUKL World Championships, the 68kg weight class had 4 professional lifters. If you have never seen a Kettlebell Sport competition there are 1- 6 lifters in a weight class going at the same time. Each country is allowed to have 1 lifter per weight class in the professional division. Men lift 32kg kettlebells and women lift 24kg kettlebells. The competition is to get as many reps as possible in 10 minutes with out setting the bells down. I will be competing in Biathlon which involves two lifts, Jerk with two kettlebells and Snatch with one. Here is what last years competition looked like in my weight class.

68kg (149.6lbs) Men's Professional Biathlon Jerk



As you can see a lot of great lifters! Next up is snatch.

68kg Men's Professional Biathlon Snatch



Snatch is where I am confident where as Jerk is what I need to work the most on. The flexibility of my hip, back and hamstrings needs to improve so I can maintain straight legs to rest my quads in rack position. Its a never ending battle but by November I should see much improvement when working with the 32kg kettlebells.

Re-cap of USA Nationals 2015

First I'd like to thank Yuri and Alex and the rest of the American Kettlebell Alliance for hosting a great competition. It was a long day for us lifters and longer for the judges and those helping out. Thank you to Cyrus and Vulcan Strength Training Systems for providing the kettlebells and making sure no one had any issues with the bells. Also thank you to all the sponsors who helped make the event possible of happening.
     This competition was going to be different for me as I would not be competing in my normal 73kg weight class. I would drop down to 68kg for this competition to occupy an open weight class. I used to compete at 147-152lbs in college boxing. So I knew I would be able to get down to that weight. It took some time; reducing calories, increasing cardio, and more visits to the sauna, but I was able to make it down. It took me close to 3 weeks to drop down to 67.4kg (148lbs). I got stuck at 155lbs and then again at 150lbs. I had to fast the last day to make the weight. That was one of the longest days leading up to the competition.
     This event was one of the biggest of the year. It was set up so that those lifting in the professional level would go first and then all amateurs would lift second. Similar to world championships there was only 2 minutes between sets to prepare your bell so you needed a team to help make sure you are set up for your set. There were some advantages to this being there weren't many biathlon lifters and we also lifted first and last. Enough time to get the bells and prepare the handles. The bells we all used were the new Vulcan Absolute Competition Kettlebell (check them out here )

They were different from what a lot of us were use to. Some of us had access to the fist version of Vulcan Bells and others had kettlebells with 35mm handles. So it was time for some adjustments to the plan. The goal was 50 reps in Jerk and 50/50 reps in Snatch but being there would be an adjustment needed for the unfamiliarity of the bells I looked at doing 40 reps in Jerk and 40/40 in Snatch. The plan was to go 6rpm in jerk and 15 rpm in snatch. That's the pace at which I feel most comfortable at. The men's professional line up was a good one. Some of the best in country came out and participated in the event to help make a strong Team USA for World Championships in November. Here are my two sets from USA Nationals

32+32kg Kettlebell Jerk

  

And 32kg Kettlebell Snatch



Both weren't my best sets but I felt I put up good numbers for being in the 68kg weight class. Next time I'll be better prepared when dropping down again to that weight class. Other lifters that did well to make Team USA is John Lesko MS, John "Wild" Buckley, Chris Doenlen, Marty Farrell MS, Aaron Guyett and myself who will round off the Professional Biathlon Lifters. The rest of the professional team includes Juan Pellot, Brittany VS, Melissa Swanson, Erin Moraites, Rick Martins, Will Haas, Svitlana K, Ryle Reeves (junior Pro), Bill Esch and Nocona J. This will be a good showing for Team USA as we are growing in the Professional level.
If you missed the event you can check out everyone who lifted or your favorite lifters on the American Kettlebell Alliance YouTube page.
Over the next 3 months I'll be preparing for Worlds as this will be my first time going overseas to compete as well traveling to Dublin as I have never been there.
I will train hard, train smart and hope to do my best lifting in Dublin!!

Recap from NJ Iron Bell Challenge 2015

This past weekend I competed at the NJ Iron Bell Challenge that was hosted by Art of Strength in Warren, NJ. It was a small event but it was a test for me to see where I am with the 32kg bells. I competed in the 73kg weight class. I wanted to lift in the 68kg class but didn't have enough time to make the cut. I will be trying to make the cut for Nationals in August but more on that later.
The meet was a great event as always. I competed in it last year and made CMS. There were lifters from all over in attendance. Sara Nelson and Steve from the Ice Chamber came over. Chris Duffey from Boston came down along with lifters from NY, NJ and PA. The crowd was great and supporting to everyone on the platforms!
My game plan was to come in as light as possible close to 68kg as possible and see what I can do with the goal of lasting the full 10 minutes in Jerk. I was looking to maintain 6rpm. Jerk is not my strong lift so I understand that is where I need the most work but can't forget about Snatch. I'm stronger in that lift.
Here are my lifts from this weekend.

Kettlebell Jerk


Kettlebell Snatch


Results again weren't my best but they are okay for where I am now. I worked to maintain a 6rpm for jerk and a 15rpm for snatch. I will improve from here on. Results: Jerk- 36 reps, Snatch 85 reps.
Next stop US Nationals!! Goals are set and now it's time to put the work in. 47 days to be focused and make the work count.
Results-

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!!!

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!!

Update last couple months(Sept-Oct)

After Nationals in August I declined to compete in Germany at the World Championships. I didn't plan accordingly to fund my travels. So beginning now I plan to save so I have no excuses to travel where ever the championships are held. As far as training has been going, since I decided not to go to World championship training has been off. I am starting back up the road to Master of Sport in Biathlon. So there will be steps to achieve first before getting to the Master of sport level. 1) One step that I have achieved was getting CMS in June in NJ. The goal is to achieve similar results with the 32s. 2) Next goal will be to hit the (100+ Jerk, 200+ Snatch) 200+ points with 24s. That's something I have been working on for some time now. 3) Over 150+ points with 28s- New objective.

This November I will begin my journey. I am setting up my competition schedule for the next few months. Nov 15th I'll be competing in Atlanta, then February 7th San Francisco at the Ice Chamber, April will be in Sarasota, FL, and then I'll set the rest of the year up. From Nov to Feb there will be enough time to train and prepare for California.
Some of my recent training is showing some promise in hitting my target with the 24s. My two weak areas are my rack in jerk and my endurance on the snatch. The rack has always been an issue because of my lack of flexibility in the hips and upper back. Snatch endurance just takes more practice and fine tuning my technique. Here is a quick workout with the 28s and 24s snatch.
    
Competition is coming soon so this will show where I am at in prep for the West Coast Classic in San Fran. I will be journalling and making sure I get every training session in. Consistency will be key at hitting the targets that are set. More to come....I've been looking into some other training methods to add to my training- more along the stretching and mobility areas.

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!

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!  

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!!!

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.