Lorna Kleidman burst on the scene in 2007 at the IGSF Worlds where she became the first American (female or male) to be internationally recognized with the International Master of Sport ranking in kettlebell sport. Since then, she has competed with great success overseas, becoming World Champion in both her age group and open category. In the States the last few months she has achieved Master of Sport rankings in the U.S. based WKC federation in the two American kettlebell sport disciplines: One Arm Snatch/Jerk Biathlon and the One Arm Long Cycle Clean and Jerk.
Here is video from the WKC Long Cycle championships in NYC this past weekend:
And some more video from her Biathlon effort a few weeks ago.
Lorna also has a book out Body Sculpting With Kettlebells for Women
Congrats Lorna! Keep up the great work!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Weight Lifting and Sports Performance
Is it a coincidence that George St. Pierre so explosively changes levels on his take downs and that he practices the Oly lifts, both dumbbell and barbell versions?
Taking the easy way out today read my post from Flatirons Crossfit Oly Lifting page.
Been out of the groove posting and training due to this late winter cold...which I seem to have finally shaken. My last few days of training have consisted of box squats, pulls and the usual 10 minutes of continuous kettlebell something.
Yesterday: Did some barbell power cleans from below the knee, then double 12kg KB jerks, 100 reps practiced alternating rack. Saturday 10 minutes of one arm jerks with the 24kg, 60 total, switching hands on the minute. I had done 5 x 5 32 kg jerks before the timed set.
Friday, 160 16kg snatches, one hand switch in 10 minutes.
Thursday, 4 rounds x 5 rung ladders of one arm clean and press with the 20kg.
Wednesday, 20 minutes of 8kg juggling.
Taking the easy way out today read my post from Flatirons Crossfit Oly Lifting page.
Been out of the groove posting and training due to this late winter cold...which I seem to have finally shaken. My last few days of training have consisted of box squats, pulls and the usual 10 minutes of continuous kettlebell something.
Yesterday: Did some barbell power cleans from below the knee, then double 12kg KB jerks, 100 reps practiced alternating rack. Saturday 10 minutes of one arm jerks with the 24kg, 60 total, switching hands on the minute. I had done 5 x 5 32 kg jerks before the timed set.
Friday, 160 16kg snatches, one hand switch in 10 minutes.
Thursday, 4 rounds x 5 rung ladders of one arm clean and press with the 20kg.
Wednesday, 20 minutes of 8kg juggling.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Movement Screens: Is Chasing Symmetry a Good Idea?
The jury is out on just how effective these screens are. Some studies show that screening and correcting detected imbalances or "dysfunction" can lower the incidence of injury in a tested population. Some studies show the opposite. Some studies are just inconclusive.
So what's the deal? I'm not going to pick on any one screen in particular, but personally I haven't been impressed with any of the screens on the market nor have I been persuaded by advocates for them. Indeed, after talking to several people who have been screened and heard from them that they still can't get good scores as much as two years later, I'm not convinced that the screens or the corrective movements are worth much. These people have been avoiding exercising like they want to exercise because the screen hadn't "cleared" them. That's just nonsense.
Back in the Saddle
Still recovering from the cold/flu but almost symptom free. Enough to venture out into the world and get a couple of workouts in.
Sunday I did some box squats with narrow, medium and wide stances. Worked up to100kg x 2 x 10 sets varying the stance each set. Box height was right about parallel, a little above. I'm trying to get the hips and glutes stronger without aggravating the "bad hip" so I'm experimenting with less squat depth.
After squatting I did some clean pulls from below the knees up to 120kg x 5 reps. Finished with a 10 minute set of kettlebell push presses with the 16kg, switching hands every 10 reps...got around 120 reps total.
Last night bottoms up presses, long cycle style with the 12kg bell. 10 RPMS switching hands on the minute. Ended up with 101 reps.
Sunday I did some box squats with narrow, medium and wide stances. Worked up to100kg x 2 x 10 sets varying the stance each set. Box height was right about parallel, a little above. I'm trying to get the hips and glutes stronger without aggravating the "bad hip" so I'm experimenting with less squat depth.
After squatting I did some clean pulls from below the knees up to 120kg x 5 reps. Finished with a 10 minute set of kettlebell push presses with the 16kg, switching hands every 10 reps...got around 120 reps total.
Last night bottoms up presses, long cycle style with the 12kg bell. 10 RPMS switching hands on the minute. Ended up with 101 reps.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Sorry...Under the Weather
I don't know how some people do it. When I get a serious cold or flu I cannot function...all I can do is crawl into bed and sleep. Work out? Hey, if you can do it God bless you. For me job one becomes getting over whatever it is that has me.
Which is what I have been doing the last two days. I couldn't read a book I was so bleary and fuzzy. Blogging was out of the question.
Tuesday night after getting home from the gym I noticed I was getting a sore throat. Wednesday it was a little worse but I was still functional. By Wednesday evening though it was full blown croop and cough and off to bed I went.
Thursday slept all day.
Peeking around today to find more snow on the ground. Wednesday it was 65 and sunny. Go figure, it's Colorado after all. Will take it easy today too.
Which is what I have been doing the last two days. I couldn't read a book I was so bleary and fuzzy. Blogging was out of the question.
Tuesday night after getting home from the gym I noticed I was getting a sore throat. Wednesday it was a little worse but I was still functional. By Wednesday evening though it was full blown croop and cough and off to bed I went.
Thursday slept all day.
Peeking around today to find more snow on the ground. Wednesday it was 65 and sunny. Go figure, it's Colorado after all. Will take it easy today too.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Hammer Strength Clinic
This past weekend I represented Werk San at the Hammer Strength coaching clinic in Miami. Werk San is a sponsor of these clinics. This one was held at Florida International University;a beautiful campus, a beautiful training facility. I really enjoyed all the presenters, especially the presentations by FIU coach Roderick Moore, Big House Power owner and coach Joe Kenn and the strnegth coach for the McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee Bryan Van Vleet.
I'm adopting an idea I learned from Joe Kenn's talk. Resetting an athlete's training age. From now on when someone comes to work with me for the first time, their training age becomes zero. I don't care what you know or how much experience you have or how many years you have trained, you haven't worked with me yet so you don't work the way I will have you work. We start over. Roll the odometer back to zero.
Training: missed all weekend due to travel. Last night barbell snatches up to 60kg x 3, power cleans up to 70kg x 3, box squats up to 140kg x 5 (an experiment) then 10 minutes of 24kg clean and press, 5 RPMs switching on the minute. 50 reps total.
Tonight's session; pulls from above knee to 190kg x 1. Then swings for 10 minutes, 50/40/30/20/10 each arm, 16kg.
I'm adopting an idea I learned from Joe Kenn's talk. Resetting an athlete's training age. From now on when someone comes to work with me for the first time, their training age becomes zero. I don't care what you know or how much experience you have or how many years you have trained, you haven't worked with me yet so you don't work the way I will have you work. We start over. Roll the odometer back to zero.
Training: missed all weekend due to travel. Last night barbell snatches up to 60kg x 3, power cleans up to 70kg x 3, box squats up to 140kg x 5 (an experiment) then 10 minutes of 24kg clean and press, 5 RPMs switching on the minute. 50 reps total.
Tonight's session; pulls from above knee to 190kg x 1. Then swings for 10 minutes, 50/40/30/20/10 each arm, 16kg.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
My New Favorite Kettlebells
The kettlebells I personally use and recommend to everyone these days are the Perform Better First Place Elite Kettlebells. These are professional grade, competition style kettlebells. They are now offered with presanded handles and in the official competition colors. Competition bells are uniform size regardless of the weight. This means that the technique you learn with light bells is transferable to heavier bells...you don't have to adjust your technique to the shape of the bell.
These are the best bells on the market for the price bar none. Plus, you get the awesome service and dependable product supply line Perform Better is known for.
If you are in the market for kettlebells to use in your home gym, I highly, highly recommend these bells.
poor training night...no pop left. 10 minutes of 24kg snatches 5 reps each arm, switched at 26/26 then 10s after that. Lots of rest in the hang.
These are the best bells on the market for the price bar none. Plus, you get the awesome service and dependable product supply line Perform Better is known for.
If you are in the market for kettlebells to use in your home gym, I highly, highly recommend these bells.
poor training night...no pop left. 10 minutes of 24kg snatches 5 reps each arm, switched at 26/26 then 10s after that. Lots of rest in the hang.
Moving On Up
Resignations - Reorientations
I have recently officially resigned my teaching position with the RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge/Certification) and my coach's position with the AKC (American Kettlebell Club)
The reason I resigned was simple. It has become clear to me that how I have come to think about, use and teach kettlebells is inconsistent with the missions of these two organizations. I didn't feel as though my ideas were useful or wanted by either organization. I didn't see that I had anything to contribute.
Over the last few years, both the RKC and the AKC have distinguished themselves in the marketplace in part by publicly distancing themselves from one another. They certainly do stand for different approaches to using the kettlebell. Both organizations have a good deal to offer the interested kettlebell user and indeed many kettlebell enthusiasts have taken courses with both. But this has been a tricky path to negotiate. Both organizations want loyalty to their respective methods and philosophies. I've straddled this fence for a couple of years now and I just can't do it anymore. For example, in order to remain an RKC Team Leader I was required to make the commitment to not teach other methods, to not endorse other kettlebell related products, to only represent the RKC brand. I couldn't make that commitment and maintain my integrity as a teacher.
Reclaiming the Art
What I have to offer as a kettlebell instructor is the best of several worlds. My teaching is based on what the individual needs, not a canned system. I've been taught and coached by some of the best kettlebell teachers in the world and I've made that information my own. You won't get a one dimensional approach from me. Teaching is what I do, it's my art form. Kettlebell classes and workshops and private training are the platforms I practice my art from. If there isn't anybody taking instruction from me, no art gets made. So I'm going to try a different approach. I believe everyone who trains with weights should know how to use a kettlebell. With that in mind, I'm in the process of designing a free kettlebell workshop/certification that will prepare you to not only use kettlebells safely, but will prepare you to show someone else how to use them if the opportunity arises. Totally free. No strings attached.
Stay tuned.
I have recently officially resigned my teaching position with the RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge/Certification) and my coach's position with the AKC (American Kettlebell Club)
The reason I resigned was simple. It has become clear to me that how I have come to think about, use and teach kettlebells is inconsistent with the missions of these two organizations. I didn't feel as though my ideas were useful or wanted by either organization. I didn't see that I had anything to contribute.
Over the last few years, both the RKC and the AKC have distinguished themselves in the marketplace in part by publicly distancing themselves from one another. They certainly do stand for different approaches to using the kettlebell. Both organizations have a good deal to offer the interested kettlebell user and indeed many kettlebell enthusiasts have taken courses with both. But this has been a tricky path to negotiate. Both organizations want loyalty to their respective methods and philosophies. I've straddled this fence for a couple of years now and I just can't do it anymore. For example, in order to remain an RKC Team Leader I was required to make the commitment to not teach other methods, to not endorse other kettlebell related products, to only represent the RKC brand. I couldn't make that commitment and maintain my integrity as a teacher.
Reclaiming the Art
What I have to offer as a kettlebell instructor is the best of several worlds. My teaching is based on what the individual needs, not a canned system. I've been taught and coached by some of the best kettlebell teachers in the world and I've made that information my own. You won't get a one dimensional approach from me. Teaching is what I do, it's my art form. Kettlebell classes and workshops and private training are the platforms I practice my art from. If there isn't anybody taking instruction from me, no art gets made. So I'm going to try a different approach. I believe everyone who trains with weights should know how to use a kettlebell. With that in mind, I'm in the process of designing a free kettlebell workshop/certification that will prepare you to not only use kettlebells safely, but will prepare you to show someone else how to use them if the opportunity arises. Totally free. No strings attached.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Go Light(er) or Go Home
Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body, Go Heavy or Go Home, No Pain No Gain and all the other gym poster, workout T shirt, macho, testosterone driven cliche sayings will when taken literally on a daily basis leave you broken, injured and weaker.Train hard but train smart, is the better way to go. Go light(er) or go home (injured) is my admittedly less than sexy bid for a cliche gym poster.
Sometimes you go heavy. Most times you don't. Strength training is a balance of stimulus-response: adaption to a training load, attaining a tougher equilibrium. As you get older, masters age, you have to go lighter way more than you used to. Tendons, ligaments and cartilage not to mention the central nervous system don't recover like when you were a kid. Masters need less frequent heavy days and more rest days between heavy sessions. We have to make do with less.Injury and overtraining set in much quicker the older you get. The good news is, you get a lot more out of those 70-80% weights than you think. So lift faster and with impeccable technique and only load up the bar a few weeks out from a meet. Save the PRs for the platform, don't leave them in the gym. Or at the physical therapist's.
Tonight's training: some light barbell cleans up to 70kg. Pulls from mid thigh up to 140kg for 3 sets of 3. Kettlebell workout, 20 minutes of 12kg snatches. 1 hand switch 16 RPMS. 160 reps per arm, 320 total.
Sometimes you go heavy. Most times you don't. Strength training is a balance of stimulus-response: adaption to a training load, attaining a tougher equilibrium. As you get older, masters age, you have to go lighter way more than you used to. Tendons, ligaments and cartilage not to mention the central nervous system don't recover like when you were a kid. Masters need less frequent heavy days and more rest days between heavy sessions. We have to make do with less.Injury and overtraining set in much quicker the older you get. The good news is, you get a lot more out of those 70-80% weights than you think. So lift faster and with impeccable technique and only load up the bar a few weeks out from a meet. Save the PRs for the platform, don't leave them in the gym. Or at the physical therapist's.
Tonight's training: some light barbell cleans up to 70kg. Pulls from mid thigh up to 140kg for 3 sets of 3. Kettlebell workout, 20 minutes of 12kg snatches. 1 hand switch 16 RPMS. 160 reps per arm, 320 total.
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Tao (and the Coach) is Silent
A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words. Where can I find a man who has forgotten words? Eagerly I would speak with with him. - Chuang-Tzu
The Yin and the Yang of the snatch and clean. Can you see it?
First the bar slowly accelerates from the floor, picks up speed and then the lifter explodes with it. With no pause, seamlessly the lifter accelerates even faster around and down to receive the bar. Once either lift commences, something is always accelerating until the lift is completed. Either the bar is accelerating upwards or the lifter's body is accelerating downwards. It is continuous motion. It is balance.
The finish of the pull and the beginning of the drop under the bar happen at the same time.There is no hard line of demarcation or pause between the two. They are like the front of the hand and the back of the hand. They cannot be truly separated, only distinguished. Like the yin and the yang. The end of the pull is the beginning of the drop under the bar and vice versa. If you stay too long with the pull, the lift suffers. If you neglect finishing the pull and rush going under the bar the lift suffers. Finish tall and shrug explosively and you will drop under the bar explosively. Action-reaction. The Physics of Tao.
Coaching cues are to convey ideas about movement. When an athlete has mastered the movement, the coaching cue can be forgotten. Where can I find an athlete who has forgotten cues? Eagerly I would coach him.
A few barbell snatches. Played hang onto the 32kg for 10 minutes. A few swings, slingshots. Need to get used to it again.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
BPPV and Me
Annoying few days for me. Came down with a case of BENIGN PAROXYSMAL POSITIONAL VERTIGO. I've had this condition before. It's a kind of short term, episodic dizziness. I experience it mostly when rolling over in bed. The sensation is that I am still rolling even though my body has stopped. Unfortunately, the symptoms persist somewhat after arising. Sometimes I experience it when looking high overhead, but this is a less common occurance. I first experienced this condition 18 years ago when I lived in New York. Lasted about a week then went away. For the next several years I would get it annually in the fall. It would set in for a few days and then leave. Not sure why that was. There is nothing in the medical literature about seasonal BPPV. This week is the first time in about 9 years I've had a recurrence.
The cause of this condition is that some of the tiny calcium deposits in your inner ear called canaliths, also called otoconia (it turns out everyone has rocks in their heads) have detached and are floating around in one of the sensitive semicircular canals. Normally the canaliths are attached to the tiny hairs in the inner ear and assist with balance but when some break free and float around in the inner ear it causes vertigo, involuntary eye movements called nystagmus (imagine the vertical hold on the TV has slipped: the vision "rolls")and sometime nausea.
There are several home remedies that involve systematic positioning of the head to allow the canalith to reposition itself in a less sensitive area of the inner ear. One of these is called the Epley maneuver which I have been using with some success. I've also discovered my own remedy that I don't necessarily recommend.
A few years ago I woke up with the room swirling. I crawled to the bathroom, dressed myself, staggered out to the car and drove to the gym. Every turn made me dizzy. I staggered into the gym holding on to exercise equipment for balance as I made my way to the power rack. I loaded up the bar and then did squats. The Valsalva manuever must have generated enough pressure in my head to move the rocks cuz that wuz that for that year.
So...despite some occasional dizziness during the day, I was able to do some work yesterday and today.
Yesterday I did 10 minutes of 16kg alternating swings, switching hands every minute, for 310 reps.
Today I did some barbell clean pulls up to 110 kg for 3 sets of 3. KB snatches with 32kg, a few sets of 5 reos each arm then 1 set of 10 each arm. Finished with 24kg clean ladders, five rungs. Got in 5 full rungs each arm for 75 reps each arm.
The cause of this condition is that some of the tiny calcium deposits in your inner ear called canaliths, also called otoconia (it turns out everyone has rocks in their heads) have detached and are floating around in one of the sensitive semicircular canals. Normally the canaliths are attached to the tiny hairs in the inner ear and assist with balance but when some break free and float around in the inner ear it causes vertigo, involuntary eye movements called nystagmus (imagine the vertical hold on the TV has slipped: the vision "rolls")and sometime nausea.
There are several home remedies that involve systematic positioning of the head to allow the canalith to reposition itself in a less sensitive area of the inner ear. One of these is called the Epley maneuver which I have been using with some success. I've also discovered my own remedy that I don't necessarily recommend.
A few years ago I woke up with the room swirling. I crawled to the bathroom, dressed myself, staggered out to the car and drove to the gym. Every turn made me dizzy. I staggered into the gym holding on to exercise equipment for balance as I made my way to the power rack. I loaded up the bar and then did squats. The Valsalva manuever must have generated enough pressure in my head to move the rocks cuz that wuz that for that year.
So...despite some occasional dizziness during the day, I was able to do some work yesterday and today.
Yesterday I did 10 minutes of 16kg alternating swings, switching hands every minute, for 310 reps.
Today I did some barbell clean pulls up to 110 kg for 3 sets of 3. KB snatches with 32kg, a few sets of 5 reos each arm then 1 set of 10 each arm. Finished with 24kg clean ladders, five rungs. Got in 5 full rungs each arm for 75 reps each arm.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Live Weightlifting from the Arnold
All Weekend Long. Enjoy.
Last night's KB workout was with Ted...10 minutes of cleans and press 5 rung ladders. I went with 20kg and completed 4 full ladders which adds up to 60 cleans and presses each arm.
Tonight: Front squats, 60x5, 80x4, 90x2, 60x5. 20kg OALC, 10 RPMS, switch on minute, 100 reps.
arnoldweightlifting on livestream.com. Broadcast Live Free
Last night's KB workout was with Ted...10 minutes of cleans and press 5 rung ladders. I went with 20kg and completed 4 full ladders which adds up to 60 cleans and presses each arm.
Tonight: Front squats, 60x5, 80x4, 90x2, 60x5. 20kg OALC, 10 RPMS, switch on minute, 100 reps.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Creativity and Practice
Great talk about the nature of creativity from the author of Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert. A big part of creativity, as in Woody Allen's observation about life, is "showing up". Doing the work.
Training for athletic performance is also creating. It is about working to bring something new into existence. A new level of fitness perhaps. Or a new level of performance. A personal record. It's about visualizing a result in the future and then taking steps to make it real.
Often we call the results we want "goals." How about calling your goals "projects" instead? As in, what you want is "projected" into the future. Or maybe what you are really doing is simply making art. Writers write. Painters paint. Weightlifters lift. The medium doesn't make it any more or less art. All these endeavors involve casting a desire into the future and then reeling that desired future into the present.
As in art, some days the inspiration to train is there, some days not so much. The key is to keep showing up and doing the work. How do you get to the Olympics? How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Every cab drive in NYC knows the answer to both questions: "Practice."
So, "Olé" for your next PR. And "Olé" for your next PR attempt even if you don't actually get it. (You will have to watch the video to get this reference.) Keep showing up. Keep practicing. Keep doing the work. Your performance is your art.
tonight: squatted for the first time in 5 weeks...worked up to 100kg for a triple. 2x16kg long cycle for 10 minutes, 64 reps. Didn't push.
Training for athletic performance is also creating. It is about working to bring something new into existence. A new level of fitness perhaps. Or a new level of performance. A personal record. It's about visualizing a result in the future and then taking steps to make it real.
Often we call the results we want "goals." How about calling your goals "projects" instead? As in, what you want is "projected" into the future. Or maybe what you are really doing is simply making art. Writers write. Painters paint. Weightlifters lift. The medium doesn't make it any more or less art. All these endeavors involve casting a desire into the future and then reeling that desired future into the present.
As in art, some days the inspiration to train is there, some days not so much. The key is to keep showing up and doing the work. How do you get to the Olympics? How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Every cab drive in NYC knows the answer to both questions: "Practice."
So, "Olé" for your next PR. And "Olé" for your next PR attempt even if you don't actually get it. (You will have to watch the video to get this reference.) Keep showing up. Keep practicing. Keep doing the work. Your performance is your art.
tonight: squatted for the first time in 5 weeks...worked up to 100kg for a triple. 2x16kg long cycle for 10 minutes, 64 reps. Didn't push.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Travel
Well, keeping up with my kettlebell workouts during my three days traveling to and from Atlanta this weekend was an epic fail. Last Thursday I did a 20 minute set to cover one missed day, but I didn't manage to get any work in on either Friday before I left or Sunday when I got back. Just didn't make it happen.
So Monday night I did another 20 minute set of one arm long cycle clean and jerks, this time with the 20kg switching hands on the minute. Managed 8 RPMS for the entire time with no rest, just a continuous comfortably paced set. Again with the belt. It really seems to help get a good upper body cradle in the rack and it also seems to protect the wonky hip.
The 20kg combined with the belt gave me some insight and practice on just how abbreviated the dip can be when you get the rebound out of spinal flexion into extension happening. The 16 is just a little too light to feel it.
Tonight I did some snatches off the high block up to 50kg and then some pulls working up to 240kg for a few singles. Finished up with 200 x 16kg KB snatches one hand switch in 10 minutes.
So Monday night I did another 20 minute set of one arm long cycle clean and jerks, this time with the 20kg switching hands on the minute. Managed 8 RPMS for the entire time with no rest, just a continuous comfortably paced set. Again with the belt. It really seems to help get a good upper body cradle in the rack and it also seems to protect the wonky hip.
The 20kg combined with the belt gave me some insight and practice on just how abbreviated the dip can be when you get the rebound out of spinal flexion into extension happening. The 16 is just a little too light to feel it.
Tonight I did some snatches off the high block up to 50kg and then some pulls working up to 240kg for a few singles. Finished up with 200 x 16kg KB snatches one hand switch in 10 minutes.
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