This mornings rush to finish, not so bad...considering AND a new 10 x 10!

Remembering that I will be getting plenty of "exercise" during my trip to Milwaukee, and "new to me" exercise like snowshoeing, which could result in a little soreness (1 hour until touchdown), I took my warm up a bit easy this morning before I left (30 minutes 14kg swings).  I knew I had a couple of GS sets to do because there would be no comp bells where I'll be staying.  I was looking forward to doing them anyway, so....

Even with the best laid plans, when you feel in a rush, the potential for being less than 100% can be at risk.  Maybe this morning was 100%, which is fine, but I do think I could have done better.

First set, 14kg 6 min (3/3) "easy pace".  Rep count was 33/32.  Slower than 12rpm which is pretty "easy"!  Too easy, but I think I was just feeling the pressure of getting the sets done and also I was a bit nervous about the snatch set I knew was coming.



I don't know why, but there seems to be a world of difference between the 14kg and the 16kg.  I'm still playing with some techniques.  Watching the last 3 minutes on my L I remember taking my time on the first dip, making sure I felt all of both feet square before coming up on my toes.  Then I thought, hmnn, I don't think this part of the jerk os supposed to be slow and deliberate, it should be explosive.  So I tried loading and getting up on my toes faster.  Still trying this and that, I guess waiting for that "ah-ha" moment...or should I say another ah-ha moment?  There are plenty of things I've figured out recently and I'm grateful for the small breakthroughs I have had.

Onto the infamous snatch set....ouch, ready?  I wasn't!  8 min 16kg snatch 22rpm.  I knew last weeks 6 min 22 rpm was good and tough, and now looking at this one I probably should have tried a 7 minute set.  Man, what you sacrifice in reps when you speed things up!

Of course I wanted to at least complete 66 reps in each of the first three minutes, but that was not to be!  Close on my L, but boy, did I crash on my R side just before 3 min.  I was desperately wanting to complete the 66 and on rep 63 that bell almost ripped out of my hand.  I had to regrip, but by that time I was done.  I eeked out a few more reps, having to swing it at least one more time, but let me tell you, it was the longest 4th minute in a while!  I thought about abandoning the set, but na!  Just couldn't do it...close though.

I barely made it over to my L, in fact technically I didn't.  I touched the floor during the transfer which pissed me off, but if I didn't quit the minute before I wasn't going to quit now.  L side was better but again, around 3 minutes, whoa!  I was 1 rep short of 22rpm at the 2.5 min mark, but again it slowed way way down.  For an 8 minuet set to NOT get 80/80 was an eye opener.  Gives me some thoughts about a few changes I need to make in my conditioning.

This is the description I wrote on the Youtube video;

75 R/78 L

I almost lost it right before 3 minutes trying to at least repeat last weeks 66 reps in 3 min (rep #57), I had to swing it once before going on. I made 63 reps in 3 minutes. From bad to worse...3 more reps, #65, lost my grip again and had to give it an extra swing. I completed 75 reps total, touching the ground on the transfer from R to L...darn it!

54 @ 2.5 min, 62 @ 3 min, slowed way down, barely being able to do another 16 reps in the last minute. Big rep sacrifice for speed. I can't wait to be ready to give it another go!

• 
  

I called it a morning, hopped in the shower, threw some clothes in a backpack, some lunch together and the computer in my bag.  right now I'm over Nebraska somewhere and the next post I write will NOT be about kettlebell training....unless it's a 10 x 10! Which I NEED to post soon...in fact let me see if I can find one.....hang on!

And here it is!  I hope you have been practicing transferring from a two hand swing to a one hand swing!  Here is an "equal work to equal rest" 5/5 R, 5/5 L 10 x 10 workout....you've got 5 minutes, don't you?

What a Difference a Day (or two) Makes....short story long

After a full day and a half rest I had some unfinished business to take care of....that 16kg jerk.  I'm going to try and not get into a big story because this blog is partly my own personal training journal so this post will be a simple accounting of my last two workouts.  As much as I would love to lead off this post with my best event, my snatch set, instead I'll just keep things in order....



First....Tuesday's disaster.  I just now looked over the first video, the second isn't even worth remembering much less posting, so let me just recap this one.  I thought I had rested and recovered enough after training and teaching in the morning, by having a nice big lunch (probably too big), and taking a fairly long nap, longer than usual, over an hour.  I got out into the garage gym around 4:15 and took about 15-20 minutes to warm up.  The 12kg felt fine, the 14kg not bad, but the 16kg felt heavy.  I never like to say out loud that the weights feel heavy; it's a superstition of mine.

I always start with my "good" side, my R, and things were going along okay...oh, probably what kind of set me off in the wrong direction is that up until the minutes before my workout I thought my sets were with the 14kg.  I checked my program before I went out to the gym to find out my coach had changed the workout the day before....totally unexpected, and since I hadn't looked at it for days I was kind of blindsided.  I probably should have just stuck with what was in my head, but that's where the mental breakdown started.  Anyway, just reviewing the video minutes ago it all came rushing back to me....I'm so glad it's over now.  It was just a not good day.

The Swing Quest event on Sunday took more out of me than I realized. It wasn't the 2014 swing reps, it was the "event".  The responsibility the adrenaline, etc.   Then without enough recovery Tuesday's teaching and training in the morning, eating too much at lunch, not enough rest, last minute program change = recipe for a challenging workout.  

28 R/ 17 L, with multiple, multiple re-cleans.  This was supposed to be a 5 minute set at 12rpm (30/30).  I was also having some forearm pain from the pressure and the weight of the bell and tried removing my wrist pads because they weren't seeming to help.  Well, removing them didn't help much either.   Man, that was a long story for such a short video! Goodness.

Fast forward to yesterday morning (Thursday).  Much fresher, and my forearms were feeling much better.  First set I got lost in focusing on going the distance and had it in my mind a 3/3 min set, even though I knew it was only a 5 min total set.  I completed 3 minutes R, switched to my L only to realize after about 1 min that I had screwed up.  It was kind of a relief to figure out I only had to finish another minute to technically complete the 5 min set.  So that's what I did.  Yep, I chickened out on my L side.  3 min R/ 2 min L, 34 R/20 L.

This was good and bad, both.  Good because I did indeed finish 5 full minutes without re-cleaning.  Whew, I can in fact complete 5 min w/16kg.  Bad because I probably could have kept going on my L, but I would never know because I quit.

Second set.  Decisions....I know I can do 3 min/2 min, should I just accept the fact I'll probably have to jerk longer on my R and focus on making that better?  Well, I decided to fall back on the theory of progressions and jerk 2.75 min R, compromise between 3 and 2.5, leaving 2.25 min L, again compromising between 2 and 2.5.  Really my motivation was success.  I needed to feel successful.

I switched at 2.75.  I got lost and as I approached the end of my 6 min set....wait a minute (literally), did I say 6 minute set?  This was only a 5 minute set!  So have I been jerking for almost 3.25 min L?  Apparently I had!  Crazy.  6 minute total.  Okay, now I know I can technically jerk for 6 minutes.  29 R/29 L isn't a PR by any means, but I can, in fact, complete 6 minutes.

I left plenty of time to go on to my 6 minute 16kg snatch set (22rpm) but after looking at the clock I thought I might be able to get that done with enough time left over to video tape a 10 x 10 workout before my next appointment.  So with only about 10 minutes rest after that last jerk set I just went for it.  I only briefly warmed up my snatch with the 12kg and 14kg.

132 total reps, right in the money, I think.  66 R/66 L.  Maybe an extra rep, but not one less.  I'm pretty sure I hit 11 reps every 30 sec but to be honest I haven't sat through this entire video to confirm.  I'm not going to day it was an easy set, but I'm not going to say it was hard either, but it was only 6 minutes, not 10. That kind of pace is crazy fast for much longer, in fact I'm sure it would have dropped off substantially if the set was any longer.

I never did get to my 10 x 10 video.

5:30am-6:10am
after a quick 12kg, 5 minute 100 swing warm up:

Double and moderately heavy two hand swings
230 dbl 16kg's
100 24kg
250 16kg
30 min, 580 swings

Well I guess not turning this into a big long story didn't quite workout!

Good Thing I Believe in Goodness and Miracles

I was really hoping to post some amazing videos of my Kettlebell Sport practice this afternoon. I mean, my snatch sets are fine, kinda good, but my jerk skill has yet to breakthrough.  Really, I have a positive attitude about it.  I never start my training/practice thinking I can't or won't do it.  I always go into the gym completely ready for goodness, and sometimes miracles, to take place....I believe in goodness and miracles, if you don't know that about me by the way.  I also believe in earning things in life, that nothing you hold of value is given to you by accident, without some kind of previous asking and preparations....not sure if I'm expressing that exactly right....  Sure, maybe we think some people are born not having to "worry" about money, looks, or status, and in some cases strength and athletic skill, but that doesn't mean that those people may not have any worries about other things in their lives!  And more power to them if they don't!  I want to be one of those people and in fact I feel more and more confident I am becoming one! 

I believe that anything is possible because if "one person can do it, then it can be done".  I live with this philosophy.

Long story short.  My 16kg jerk sets were an epic fail.  So much so that after my first set (of two) I actually broke down and sobbed uncontrollably on Marks shoulder.  I sobbed for about 2 minutes.  (aren't I lucky to have his shoulder there for me....geez, I'm so lucky)  I could have just wrapped it up, or tried the next set with a lighter bell, but instead I tried to pick myself up by my bootstraps and attempt a second set.  I started out as fresh as I could shake off what just happened but then as much as I wanted to gut through it, my forearm was bruised, and I just could not take the pressure the weight of the bell was creating....I tried really hard to hang on but combined with everything else it was too much.....today. 

I just really do not understand how I can be so weak or so stupid when it comes to this skill.  I was feeling at my lowest point ever.

But that was then (a couple of hours ago), and this is now.  I'll get back in the gym tomorrow and try again.  I will get this done.  It's not impossible, in fact it's very possible.  It's not like it's one thousand pounds for God's sake....well, technically it is.  36lbs x 100 reps = 3600 lbs = almost two tons....good thing I believe in miracles!

photo above was a still image I took from the video of my first set, trying to pull my head out of my "&$$", before a major meltdown that included 2 minutes of actual sobbing.  Aren't I 50 years old?  Way too old to be sobbing over a missed set.  Tomorrow I will try again, and regardless of the outcome I will probably post video.....no sobbing, promise.

Tracyrif's 10 x 10 One Hand Swings! Don't be a Scooper!

I often talk about how the two hand swing is my favorite swing!  I have a few reasons why, but the biggest reason is because it's the swing I feel the most powerful doing (and because I can apply more power I feel as if it's most responsible for changing the shape of my body).  Which is no wonder because the two hand swing allows me to use both R and L together and simultaneously.  One hand swings, either R or L require much more effort and thought to stabilize your midsection (core) and shoulders, which is a good thing.  Neither is better, just different and there are many more advantages to training both.  I'll talk more about all of these bits in my next series of "10 x 10 one hand swing practice" videos post.  10 sets of 10 swing reps takes less than 10 minutes, sometimes as little as five minutes, so understand that if I were working with a new student I would have 45 minutes to teach and practice and that's just in the first lesson.  

I almost always teach a new student to start with two hands, and in the middle of the set to release one of their hands, and simply continue on with only R or L.  The reason for this is that I feel it can be a more comfortable transition by establishing a correct and symmetrical swing groove with the two hand swing, which feels familiar and comfortable.  I do not like to tell anybody what "can go wrong" before it does, crossing fingers nothing does!  I also resist fixing problems that don't exist, which is why in this video I demonstrate and coach it as if you can learn it perfectly before I offer up any corrections.  The same will go for the next 10 x 10's. I will start out assuming all is well, and only talk and demo corrections that I've needed to help people with in the past.

10 2 hd swings x 2 sets

5 two hand swings + 5 one hand swings R (5/ + 5 R)

5 two hand swings + 5 one hand swing L (5/ + 5 L)

5/ + 5 R

5/ + 5 L

x 8 sets total

I've demonstrated how releasing the hips/glutes prematurely can cause the weight of a moving / swinging bell to jerk a person around, and in this video I offer up one more reason.  If the bell is too light (for you) you may be trying to lead and lift with your arm, forgetting that it's your hips that drive the bell, causing what is often referred to as "scooping".  There are many corrections for this, but sometimes knowing the cause will allow a person to make the correction themselves.  There is another reason for scooping and I will have another 5-10 minutes in the next video to share more information.  Enjoy, and don't be a scooper!

Oh, and one more thing...  If you are in No Cal, or would like to

travel here for a SFG Kettelbell Course here is the next event Mark is teaching at (and of course I'll be riding shotgun!)

Be there or be square!

Full Force Pt is happy to have Mark Reifkind instruct Northern California's first SFG kettlebell user course March 29th. If you have ever wanted to learn how to use a kettlebell safely and effectively, or just want to refine the skills you already have, this course is for you.Sign up today!!!

https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1419999

Saturday GS practice

I had two 14kg jerk sets to complete this morning and one 16kg snatch set.  I was supposed to drive to Juno this afternoon and do my practice there, but one of our training partners cancelled last minute and so I decided to train with the other girls first thing (7:00am), then with my Intermediate class so I can rest up for The Swing Quest in the morning (super excited about that one, by the way!)

I know that one day I'm going to walk into the gym and my jerks are going to just fly up!  In fact I really thought today would be the day...but it looks as if I'll have to look forward to my next workout for that to happen!  And it will...it's got to because I'm going to keep showing up, so there!



Two 6 minutes sets with a 3 min rest between at 14 rpm (42/42). The results were 42/33 first set, very disappointing in a lot of ways.  First of all I just could not wrap my head around 14 rpm, wth?  I know I started off fast, but with no one coaching or counting my first goal was to complete the 6 min set.  It was an accident I actually did 42 jerks on my R side.  The L?  Well, history keeps repeating itself.....until it doesn't anymore, but today it did.

Three minutes to "rest", and my strategy for the second set was to not spend so much time overhead in the lockout, especially on my L.  Surprisingly I dropped the bell out of the rack on my R side 2.5 minutes into the set, and I thought about switching, but I just swung it a couple of times, re-cleaned it and went on to finish the 3 minutes before jerking L.  After that little fail on my R I was more motivated to complete the 3 minutes L no matter what the rep count was.  Focus instead on the bits and pieces of the movement. (35 R/ 31 L, with a re-clean on my R)  One more thing...I've been having to handle some outer forearm pain from the bell's resting position, especially on my R side.  Back to the drawing board.

My snatch set was...well I want to say BRILLIANT!  And it was perfectly fine.  6 min, 60/60 (20rpm) was the prescribed pace and I completed it exactly right.  It didn't feel that hard, except for the mucus in my throat that was blocking the air into my lungs!  About 1 minute L I had to make a decision; try and clear my throat so I could breath easier BUT waste energy and oxygen trying, or leave it and suffer in a different way....I decided to try and cough it up!  Yep.   Waste of energy and it didn't make it that much better.

Looking back two weeks ago when I completed a 5 min 16kg snatch set 56/59, five reps short and 1 minute faster just goes to show you how snatching faster sometimes is easier!  Less time in the overhead hold, and I find that my natural pace is probably closer to 21-22 rpm, which means I don't have to spend energy purposely slowing down....oh...but wait.  Yes, that 5 minute set was indeed faster, but there would have been no way to turn that into a 10 minute set, at that pace. Okay, mystery solved.  Todays set was BRILLIANT!

I'm really excited about The Swing Quest in the morning. I've got a couple of special guests AND I hardly did any swings today!  Two thousand, fourteen swing reps in the morning!  Love it!

Finishing and Starting

As many of you know I started posting simple, quick kettlebell swing videos I call 10 x 10's out of the frustration I felt from trying to help a couple of friends I care about just get their asses up, out and swinging.  I'm pretty sure the couple /few people they were aimed at did not follow through, but that's about them, not about me.  Once I realized that it was in fact doing some good from the emails, messages and comments I received I thought I'd keep the momentum going and continue to post new ones focusing mostly on the beginning kettlebeller which is why they are all two hand swing workouts. (which is my favorite swing, by the way!)

Now that some of you have been practicing regularly, or more regularly I'll be adding another series of ten 10 x 10's incorporating one hand swings!  Yay!  But first, here is the last, the 20th, 10 x 10 video demonstrating some of the important bits of the two hand swing for you to remember before you let go of that bell handle with one of your hands!  This workout is 10 minutes long, starting each set "on the minute", but if you know you can do between 10 - 20 swing reps in that time, then by all means do more!

And why should you want to do more?  Well....let's see....there's always....

THE SWING QUEST 2014

Sunday January 5th I'll be hosting The Swing Quest 2014, starting at 7:15am.  The Swing Quest is a marathon kettlebell swing event that I have yet to finish designing and promoting.  Last year we did The Swing Quest four times, once every three months, on the first of last year, and last weekend of March, June, Sept (Big Sur).  I will absolutely continue to lead and host The Swing Quest at least 4 times this year, and this Sunday will be the first event.  Here are a couple more details I sent out to my group via email:

The Swing Quest 2014 is scheduled for Sunday.  Over 2000 swing reps will start around 7:15am, and will last for almost 2 hours.  Every 30 minutes or so a new routine of 500 reps will begin so you can come and go as you please depending on your time or desire, and if you feel confident to join in, grabbing a bell and a space without taking away from any established flow...it's a long haul and it's best that once we get going we just go!

I will have a photographer/videographer for the first hour only.  I want to tape the first workout, maybe the second one, but not all of them (4).  I'd also like to get a group shot before the event starts so if you would like to be included you must be there before 7:15am.

The location is at the Studio I currently lead my morning and weekend classes at in Palo Alto, http://noxcusesfitness.com/.  It is an open invitation to experienced kettlebellers only at this point. That means that you are either an Instructor or you have been working with a Certified Instructor and are confident in your swing skill.   The fee for the two hour event is $40 and you must confirm attendance via email, tracyrif@yahoo.com, comment here on my blog, or Face Book message me. Space is limited.

If you want to know more you can do a blog search here for "The Swing Quest", I've written at least four other posts about it, but here is my favorite one:

http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-swing-quest-2013-rise-to-occasion.html

My own personal 2014 New Years goals are to #1 finish all of the lovely ideas I had last year, and then #2 give myself less choices.  So technically I have no choice but to finish and organize future events for The Swing Quest as top priority this year.  Events that include beginners progressions, classes, workshops as well The Swing Quest's marathons.  Building support, and interest of a community of people that decide that strength is moving more than the weight of a kettlebell. Strength is the commitment we make to ourselves to show up consistently, no matter what we "feel" like on any given day.

Here is to our strongest year ever.  There IS a finish line, but not just one.  Let's cross a few of them together!

You know what? It's a new year, that's what!

My sister Donna posted something on facebook that made me rethink the "New Year".  I have to confess that until I read her post I didn't really care for this delineation of time, of days/weeks, "year" being so tied into a calendar date of "Jan 1st".  I mean, so what, really? Jan 1st somehow was supposed to be different?  What the hell have you been doing for the last 364 days of last year? I'm just so compassionate, aren't I?

Anyway.  Donna posted that the "New Year" was her favorite time, and for all the reasons why it should be. YES, that particular date does, in fact, in these times, in this culture, have significance, and why not?  Whatever sparks motivation for change, good change, IS a good thing....so I've decided to stop being a bitch about it and let it motivate me!  January first, second, third, fourth....it's time to shut up, finish up and move on!

My theme for 2014 is "Actions Speak Louder Than Words" and to finish ten things I "started" last year before I move on to "New Year", the "new me" which will help me make this the best year of my life so far!  I'm not sure which "ten" things those are, but I have a handful of last years responsibilities to complete.  Not that I'm waiting to start implementing some new changes, but my first priority is to finish, not to start!

omg...what does this have to do with training?  Yikes.  Well, it has to do with attitude.

Fast forward.  This is actually a post about my training.  A couple of days ago I had a pretty rough day....because of my attitude and because I'm spoiled as shit.  I have too many choices in my life, which is what I would call a "high quality problem", BUT it doesn't change the fact that I've let it become a problem.  "Problems" are things I don't let myself have!  I choose not to ever say that I have a "problem" because owning it makes it so.  Really, I promise I'm getting to the training and I'll write more about this year's "ASLTW" theme another time....I have to!  I have to because this year is about finishing! HA!

Here are my latest GS training videos.  The first two, taken on Tuesday morning, sucked.  I can say that now because it's over and done.  Really it was the jerk set that sucked. The snatch set was, well, it was snatches and I can always gut out snatches.  I didn't have to gut out this set, but what I mean is that I don't feel as if my snatch skill/strength can make up for what I lack in the skill of the GS jerk....but that was really a 2013 attitude!  It's a New Year after all.

Jerks always come first in training so as not to potentially tear up the hands first.  I went into the set kind of confident, but part of last years "high quality problem" was that I did not have a definite time to practice my sport.  I had too many choices.  Morning?  Afternoon?  Tuesday? Wednesday?  Saturday?  Sunday?  On this morning I let a last minute private cancellation dictate when I was going to do my sets.  These first two sets were done after a pretty fun (hard) morning of a New Years Eve 20/14 Hardstyle, high volume swing/snatch workout that included double bell swings and a ton of other high volume practice.  Maybe not the smartest move.

This was supposed to be a 6 minute set.  15rpm w/14kg.  The best part?  I really like my new pink tank top!  lol  43/31 (45/45 was the prescribed pace)

14kg jerk 6 min (supposedly)

Then next comes my 18kg 5 minute snatch.  I didn't think too much about it because I knew I could do it, BUT in the first minute I thought, "Wow, I could, probably complete a 'SFG snatch test' (100 reps in 5 minutes) with this 18kg, AND with only one hand switch!"  Which then made me pace myself a little too fast.  Too fast to focus on insertion and technique.  As I mentioned....I can gut out snatches, which is not the point.  I ended up with 97 reps in 5 minutes.  Good Lord, if I could have switched hands, no doubt I would have easily exceeded 100 reps, and on a "normal" training day.  How many other female SFG's can do that?  One hand switch w/18kg?  

18kg snatch 

Today.  With a new attitude for the New Year AND the decision to take away some of my choices the plan was to NOT over train my heavy swings this morning and wait until the afternoon to do my GS sets.....after plenty of recovery and a nap!  Also, the new plan was to stop being a baby.  Look for what may need improvement and freaking improve it!

Prescribed was 3 jerk sets, 4 minutes each with the 16kg at 12 rpm.  I decided that my first goal was to complete the 3 sets, no particular pace since I haven't really jerked the 16kg for months.  Here are my results. (sorry the videos are posted in opposite order, starting with the 3rd set of 3, but I'm not editing this post all over again!)

The first set was okay.  After only 2 minutes rest between sets I fell into what I already knew was one of my problem areas in the second set.  When I jerk on my "less strong" side, my left, I tend to shift over to my left hip, not utilizing my right hip/leg and it becomes really apparent and the reps get super wonky.  Two legs are better than one!  So on my third and last set you may notice before I jerk I re-shift my weight to both legs before each jerk rep.  I'm super thrilled with my last, 3rd, set, even though I did not complete my prescribed rep count.  Now I may be on to something.

My snatch set.  16kg 8 min (4/4)  Again, no worries.  Relaxed, kind of.  What I mean by that is that I know my "insertion" needs improvement and I'm still playing with technique.  This set was prescribed as "easy pace", so I didn't try and count at all, instead relying on video to review.

I noticed that I prefer my grip to be/stay in the corner of the bell's handle, and how to use more of my entire torso.  Insertion still needs improvement, I know that.  I've got a few things to focus more attention to, and I'll practice that.

All in all I'm so much happier and it's only the 2nd day on my New Year!  Wow.

ps Photo above is my cat Winnie's tail!