next level performance » Kettlebell

ROD 090410

Coach D — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:32:05 +0000

ROD

Saturday, 04Sep10,

The Sport of Kettlebell

Sportnoun
1 a game, competition or activity needing physical effort and skill that is played or done according to rules, for enjoyment and/or as a job2 all types of physical activity which people do to keep healthy or for enjoyment

3 old fashioned fun or enjoyment

Girevoy (kettlebell) Sport (“GS”) as practised in Russia encompasses various tests of strength endurance. Depending upon age , sex and ability, competitors participate in various weight divisions to achieve the highest number of repetitions in a 10 minute time limit. Furthermore, the spirit of competition is enhanced by special feats such as “odd” lifts and kettlebell “relay races” after the main program is completed. History During the 20^th century, kettlebells were used by strength athletes e.g weightlifters and “strongmen” to compliment more traditional barbell lifts. In 1948 Russians commenced kettlebell sport, whereby a man performed as many legal repetitions as possible in his chosen event(s), the snatch (weight swung with one arm straight above head ), the clean & jerk ( 2 bells swung to chest once, and then put overhead as many times as possible) and the one armed push press. Such was the conditioning developed by competitive gireviks that eventaully a 10 minute time limit was imposed to allow the meeting to be completed in a reasonable time frame! The competition press was deleted from the program for the same reason it was turfed from Olympic weightlifting: simply the event was too difficult to fairly judge. The sport evolved from military circles to the wider population and in 1985 the first official Russian national championship was held. Since then many other nations have entered international competitions. Finally it is becoming a world sport! The GS Novice Whilst the individual lifts may not seem that taxing, or indeed technically challenging for a few reps, once the lifter starts to build an element of endurance into the session he/she will find the degree of difficulty rapidly escalates. At this point the natural tendency is to think “this is impossibly hard – not for me!”. To succeed in competition requires the rhythm and efficiency of a rower , the tenacity of an high altitude mountaineer (with no supplemental oxygen!) and the technical skills of an Olympic weightlifter. Only with an iron will and dedication to mastering efficient technique will the aspiring lifter be able to achieve a competitive score. Having said that, the sport requires tremendous patience to gradually increase both strength and stamina over years, at the same time ensuring he/she is able to complete high volume and high intensity of training without overtraining and burnout. So new is this sport outside Russia and the Baltic states that it will probably be several years before Western athletes are able to significantly challenge the majority of the experienced (and in many cases professional) athletes. Ranking systems have been developed to track progress of skills, manifest in improved repetition totals over months and years (see “GS rankings” section). So it is clear that competitive Girevoy Sport attracts those with the discipline to endure often repetitive training and a grim determination to build ever increasing power endurance, tempered with the patience and commonsense to enable continued progress.

Though many who sample GS are unable to stomach the type of training required, for those who persist the mental & physical rewards are high. The athlete will develop truly exceptional conditioning, flexibility, strength and power. Indeed, one’s overall work capacity may greatly exceed that of even highly trained athletes in other disciplines. Whilst the training is largely based on repetitive lifting, a variety of assistance exercises and modalities used to complement the competition lifts are help prevent staleness or boredom. The challenge is to maintain progress on several fronts. Activities such as running, swimming, cycling, rowing, rollerblading, skiing and ball sports are encouraged to develop and maintain all round sports skills . The solid base of GS training will ensure that at any age the athlete will have qualities enabling him to excel at these activities. It is obvious to all that use them that kettlebells used to their full capability build tremendous injury resistance whilst maintaining joint flexibility and stability. What kind of person might be suited to Girevoy Sport? Given the wide range of body types exhibited at GS events, clearly no specific physical attribute is required. Clearly, tall athletes have to move the bell farther, whilst a stocky athlete with short arms and powerful lower body might be well suited to the jerk event. Fundamentally though, all athletes have weak points which when addressed through mindful training , enable all to compete on a relatively even keel.

It is unlikely that complete athletic novices will be attracted to this type of training. Otherwise anyone who enjoys a physical challenge, the thrill of practise & learning as well as the will to persist under duress may be attracted to this sport. Obviously, weightlifters and those from power sports such as throwers (shotput, javelin, discus, ball sports) are at an advantage in that they will be possess the knowledge of applying controlled power in a tightly honed groove. Endurance athletes understand well the skill of energy efficiency. However, any sportsman with a strong will to succeed may find the sport irresistible. Over time, many older athletes find the rigours of certain sports excessive (impact sports, throwers have a use-by date, competitive weightlifting requires ongoing coaching and often close to maximal loads…with attendant injury risk). GS offers the challenge of a constant load performed in a safe fashion with the ultimate result dependent upon mental fortitude (“guts”), efficient technique and cardiorespiratory conditioning. Though to the uninitiated the weights used seem rather heavy, and the movements rather “dangerous”, in fact the weight is primarily moved by the large muscles of the body whilst the smaller muscles merely provide control. Safety, longevity issues. The injury rate even amongst elite gireviks is low compared to most sports.As long as the athlete is aware of signs of overtraining (e.g. persistent tightness/soreness, lack of energy, poor sleep, performance plateau etc) he/she can recover quickly between training sessions. On competition day when maximal performance is called for, the volume of preceding training will ensure the tendons, ligaments and muscles are well accustomed to an heavy workload. It is well accepted that weight training is highly beneficial in maintaining muscle mass, promoting stability and control of joints and reducing the risk of osteoporosis in men and women. Furthermore, the nature of kettlebell exercises emphasize power endurance and flexibility of the back muscles as well as delivering superb conditioning of the often troublesome shoulder rotator cuff muscles. The cardiorespiratory benefits are immense, and unlike heavy lifting sports the risk of a “lift gone wrong” is negligible.

ROD 083110

Coach D — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 04:48:39 +0000

ROD

Tuesday, 31Aug10

15/15 seconds for 20 minutes ~ No rest

Push-Ups (elbows back-NLP way)
DB Renagade Rows (keep the hips straight – Don’t tip)
Tuck Jumps (land softly)
Kettlebell Swings (Hand 2 Hand) Let go of the bell in transition

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ~ Mark Twain

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ROD 083010

Coach D — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 04:56:25 +0000

ROD

Monday, 30Aug10

Muscle Monday

Five rounds :

30 work/25 rest
25/20
20/10×3

Jumping pullups
Push press
KB snatches
Power rope
Barbell clean/squat
Push ups
Rowing
Mtn. Climbers w/hold

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“A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. “ – Herm Albrigh

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ROD 082810

Coach D — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 02:12:04 +0000

ROD

Saturday,28Aug10

Saturday Wake-up

4 rounds for time:

20 DB Thrusters w overhead press
25 H2H KB Swings
30 Box Jumps
35 Kick-ups

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“The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly; ‘Tis dearness only that gives everything its value.” -Thomas Paine

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ROD 082710

Coach D — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 05:23:23 +0000

ROD

Friday 27Aug10

Happy Friday

Four rounds for time of:
5 KB Renegade rows
10 Dbl KB Front Squats
15 Pushups
20 Hand to hand KB swings
25 Sit-ups

Let’s all get ready for this event.

Tough Mudder Race at Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ, Saturday November 20th!

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Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

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ROD 082610

Coach D — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 05:45:27 +0000

ROD

Thursday, 26Aug10

Tabata Boxing 8pm

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Athlete Training 6:30pm

Burpee Swing Sit-up & Run

5 rounds for time of:

100 meter run
20 Burpees
20 Kettlebell swings
20 Air squats
20 Sit ups

Tough Mudder Race at Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ, Saturday November 20th!

Compare to ROD 040710

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“We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

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Believe in what you do. Check this video out.

ROD 082510

Coach D — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 05:21:56 +0000

ROD

Wednesday, 25Aug10

Big Hit

Jumping pull up
KB racked step up
Mtn. climbers
Push ups
Evil wheel
Sandbag clean/squat
Dumbbell press
Med ball ab/toss

round 1: 30 seconds work/30 seconds rest
round 2: 30 work/25 rest
round 3: 30 work/20 rest
round 4: 20 work/10 rest

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A slip of the foot you may soon recover, but a slip of the tongue you may never get over.

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Are you getting ready for this event? Start here at Next Level to ensure a high placing. The Tough Mudder Competition is a 12 mile obstacle course that includes monster trucks, walking a plank and running through flames! Registration is $160.00

Tough Mudder Race at Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ, Saturday November 20th!

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The Burpee ( we love burpees)

To perform a Burpee:

Begin in a squat position with hands on the floor in front of you.

Kick your feet back to a pushup position*.

Immediately return your feet to the squat position.

Leap up as high as possible from the squat position.

Repeat, moving as fast as possible. You should maintain a fast pace for this exercise. Strive for maximum height with each jump. Most athletes will average between 12 and 15 repetitions per 30 seconds.

* Notice how I highlighted Step 2. You can increase the intensity of the Burpee by altering this step. Instead of keeping your arms straight as you kick your feet back. You will drop your chest to the ground just like lowering yourself to the bottom position of push-up and then continue by returning your feet to the squat position, and conclude with an explosive jump into the air.

ROD 082410

Coach D — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:46:01 +0000

ROD

Tuesday, 24Aug10

This is a timed routine of

Round 1: 40 sec / 20 rest
Round 2: 35 sec / 20 rest
Round 3: 30 sec / 15 rest
Round 4: 25 sec / 15 rest
Round 5: 20 sec / 10 rest

With a 1 minute recovery in between rounds of:

Burpees
DB Thrusters
Box jumps
KB swings
Mtn Climbers
Jumping pull-ups

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“We are here to change. We are here to grow, develop and unfold. We are progressive beings that have infinite capacity” – Michael Beckwith

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Motivational Commercial from Versus

ROD 081910

Coach D — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 12:44:52 +0000

ROD

Thursday, 19Aug10

1 Bell 1 Body

Get as many rounds as you can in 20 minutes of

25 Push-ups
20 hand to hand swings (turn the thumbs in on the back swing)
15 mountain climbers
10 kettlebell push press 5r /5l
5 Squat jumps

don’t forget to Post the number of completed rounds.

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NLP

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?”In the absence of clearly-defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily trivia until ultimately we become enslaved by it.” -Robert Heinlein

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ROD 081710

Coach D — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:59:46 +0000

ROD

Tuesday, 17Aug10

10 minute couplets

Do 20 seconds work/20 seconds rest for 10 minutes at each station.

Here are the couplets;

Couplet 1

Single Arm Kettlebell swings L/R
Dbl Kettlebell presses

Couplet 2

Jumping pullups
Burpees

Couplet 3

Kettlebell high pull (Long Cycle swing )
Dumbbell thrusters

Rest 1 minute between rounds

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“Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.” – Frank Leahy

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Try this workout in the backyard pool, your neighbors pool or even at your local YMCA or LA Fitness. This is cool.

Greg Amundson Thruster/Swim WOD – video [wmv] [mov]