Variable And Intuitive Rest Periods

Rest periods are an essential part of any training program.

The purpose of rest periods is to allow some (partial or total) recovery of the taxed systems (energy, nervous, cardiovascular) and elicit a specific training response.

The conventional approach uses pre-determinated rest periods, according to which principle you are training, be it dynamic (45-60″), repeated (1-3′)or maximal effort( 3-5′).

Pre-determined rest periods give an opportunity to fully rest, do some mobility drills, or some rope skipping before a next set.

This approach doesn’t take into account all factors, like form of the day, and gradual fatigue creeping in during the session itself or in the training cycle. You might be fine with longer or shorter periods.

Intuition and body awareness can be an option in some instances. Welcome to self regulated rest periods.

Listen and feel your hear rate, your breathing frequency and tension in your muscles. Are you ready to go again? Then why wait any longer? And if training special endurance for GS, you might want to do some sets in a partial recovery mode, so don’t wait too long!

Obviously, if doing interval training for metabolic conditioning or super-setting exercises to have a time efficient session that’s another issue, and you may well follow pre-determinated rest periods.

While classical intervals might never go out of fashion ( tabatas or 15″ on /15″ off 30″/ 30″ or whatever), sticking to one interval method is also a sure way to become bored.

Another way to do interval training allowing a variable work/ rest ratio is to use the every minute on the minute type training.

Variables will adjust of themselves depending on your form of the day and gradual fatigue.

You can also introduce a variable workload by changing reps from minute to minute, or stick to a constant workload.

When doing intervals where max speed and intensity is required , technical exercises are a poor idea for people who haven’t a solid technique in place.

Why would you want to reinforce bad/ butchered technique or set yourself up for an injury by trying to bang out as many snatches as possible in 15 seconds?

It is easy to find a safer substitute, in this case a high pull swing will do.

This type of session can vary from 10 to 20 minutes or could be done for 5 minutes as a gradual warm up.

Exampe: High pull swing: start pace: 8 reps each side

Set the bell down the rest of the minute, next increase by 1 or 2 reps.

When you come close to working the full minute non stop, it is time to pyramide down, go back to the intial pace or stay at the near maximal pace. That way your sessions will never be the same and allow for progression.

Don’t limit yourself to one exercise only.

Be creative!

Example: clean, jerk, ½ snatch: 1 rep, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 and so on

All reps on one side before switching hands, and obviously, low reps= go heavy!

This format has a great advantage for a class setting/ group training, because everyone can work at his own tempo/ ability and all participants will still finish at the same time.

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Reflections about January

At the beginning of January I went back into Biathlon training after a long period of stuffing around, starting off with 20kg bells as my main bell.

Here’s where I was at the beginning of the month:

Jerk 2×20kg: 28

Snatch 20kg: 128

Assistance work: mainly 28kg

Here’s where I am now, 4 weeks later:

Jerk 2×20kg: 60

Snatch 20kg: 160

Assistance work: switched to the 32kg

I now have the required scores for WKC rank 2, both in biathlon and Long cycle at bodyweight of 69kg.

Next is Rank 1 with the 24kg by the beginning of Summer, and better scores than last year in Ventspils!

So far, I didn’t get to train 100% as much as I had planned, but it worked nonetheless.

I sticked to the main GS training and primary assistance exercises, only doing extra assistance work when I had the time and energy for it. Bulgarian split squats, single calf raises and ab wheel. Why? Because I’m still training at home and have no barbell. Single limb training is the (only) way to go then.

Time to deload for a few days! Happy training to all!

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Latissimus Dorsi Dysfunction & overhead lockout

Lately I’ve become aware that a lot of people who can’t properly lockout with their arms behind their ear, arms fully vertical, have in fact tight lats.

They usually shrug their shoulders to their ears too, can’t rest or breathe in the overhead position.

Compare the range of motion between the 2 pictures above.

Tight lats will cause people to lean back with their upper back and shoulders in order to achieve a vertical lockout position.

Tight lats limit a proper range of motion in the shoulder joints and are also involved in the ugly looking shoulder forward position.

There is a simple dysfunction test anyone can do.

I came across a great article about it from http://floota.com that explains it all.

too tight - notice the hands can't reach the ground

too tight - notice the arched lower back

The most effective Lat stretch I’ve come across can be found in Ming Chew’s “The permanent pain cure”. Page 125, the broad back stretch.

Do the stretch and review this post for other stretches. Your position should look like the last picture below. Then you’ll be able to take a break at the lockout when lifting overhead.

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New Snatch PR

” You’ll never have a shot at yesterday but you’ll always have a shot at tomorrow.”

How true! I decided to try to set a snatch PR on Monday morning after my failed attempt on Friday ( read previous post)

I warmed up for 5  minutes or so, and as soon as I set the video camera in place I felt the adrenaline kick in. A few reps with the 20kg told me I was ready to set a new PR. I had big online stopwatch running on my PC and some of my fav training music “The living End”.

A few deep breaths, and I hit the start button and stepped to my “platform”, starting on my left side.

Sure, the last minute on each hand became hard and ugly but I maintained my 16 rpm tempo right throughout the 10 minute set. My first 10 minute set with the 20kg, alright! I went from my PR of 8 minutes and 128reps on the 4th of January to 10 minutes and 160 reps 3 weeks and 6 submaximal snatch training passes later.

The video is not optimal but this is the only place in my flat where I can get a full frontal view. The light and background sucks but hey!

“Most people run a race to see who is fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.” Steve Prefontaine

That sums up well Girevoy sport and any other endurance event! Have a blast!

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Platform stress, video cameras & a good timer

I keep track of all my training. The weight, the reps, the time of each set, the rest and so on. It makes it easy to keep track of progress.

My latest tool is a video camera, mainly to count the reps and review form but it also acts as some kind of audience. Meaning I experience some king of stress, just like when I am about to step on the platform. The palms go sweaty, the heart rate goes up and I wonder if I did warm up properly. Small details which are all part of a competition sport.

A few days ago I filmed my set of snatches, done at  a rate of 16 per minutes and  keeping an eye on the clock. It taught me a few things…

My last PR was 4 minutes per hand with 20kg. That day I did 6 minutes. The 3 minutes on the left side felt like a near maximal effort although matching the right side was easy enough.

Of course I was irritated. All the small disruptions prior to testing myself had something to play in this poor performance. I hadn’t trained enough snatch lately, my girlfriend was walking around the small flat, didn’t have good chalk, I was running late, I had been sick a couple days ago, finding a spot to set the camera with OK light was proving itself impossible. You name it, any of those factors had an impact on my performance. And the camera was on…

Suddenly doing a routine set became a challenge, and I wasn’t ready for it. It wasn’t the small details that affected me. It was how I responded to those small details, how I let them take over me. I wasn’t mentally ready or strong. And this is what happens when I go up on the platform.

Although I was in my flat, I experienced the set just as if it was a competition. I had to put on the brakes not to rush and maintain a medium slow tempo of 16rpm. It is hard. I have a tendency to hammer it from the start… So yes, suddenly this set felt like the real thing.

Mental training is a skill that has to be practiced if you ever intend to compete one day. The more you do this, the less those external details will bother you, the more you’ll be able to control your reaction and perform at your best.

The interesting thing is that after reviewing the video that evening, I found out that I went 4 minutes on my left arm, and 3 minutes on the right. 7 minutes, not 6. Duh!

So I cheated myself of setting a new PR (even if only 1 rep on each side) because I misread the clock. Counting reps in my head is confusing enough it seems… The good thing with this cock up is that next time I’ll probably go 8½ minutes!

Reminder to myself: get a good timer, with big digits. I never use my gymboss when doing timed set of snatches, because I have to be sure to change on the minute or half minute if I want to work evenly on both sides.

So yes, the video camera is a great investment. I just have to learn to use it properly now…

Sport is not only about physical performance. This is a known fact. It takes skill to be able to focus on the one task and shut out everything else. Visualization is a great tool for athletes, and to get over stage fright I think you have to throw yourself repeatedly into the context of competition. Make your set count as if you were competing. Feel your body mentally, have a good look inside. Breathe slowly and let go the tension, make the surrounding melt away and kick ass!

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Easter Kettlebell Strongman/woman Comp

Emily Friedel and her crew from Down Under has organized a cross world virtual event according to the new discipline of “kettlebell strongman” created by Valery Fedorenko.

Ok, so what is the strongman comp?

Here’s what I can tell you about the new sport so far:

-NO Weight-Classes!
-ONE Kettlebell contest!
-TWO lifts, Jerk followed by Clean!
-FOUR minute “fast” sets, only one switch of hands!
-HEAVY Pro-Grade Kettlebells used!
-STRICT Judging for maximum safety and fairness!
-RANK SYSTEM Worldwide with online video submission!

Guys can lift from 32 to 48 kg, girls from 20 to 36kg.

When is the virtual comp?

The virtual comp will run over a week starting Easter – 2nd – 11th 5th April 2010. This means you can complete your comp set whenever you like during that time.

Read the rest of the details on Australian Kettlebells Blog!

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Snatch refresher

This post is for my students. This is NOT an instruction video, but rather a refresher of principles about the kettlebell snatch for fitness purposes.

In a previous article I mentioned the differences in snatch technique and style. Check it out.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has released an independent study about the fitness benefits of kettlebell snatches.

“We estimated oxygen consumption and how many calories they were burning aerobically, and it was 13.6 calories per minute. But we also measured the blood lactate, so anaerobically they were burning another 6.6 calories per minute,” explains Porcari. “So they were burning at least 20.2 calories per minute, which is off the charts. That’s equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace. The only other thing I could find that burns that many calories is crosscountry skiing up hill at a fast pace.”

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January, the time to take resolutions…

Well, not really. For me it is a constant process. However January marks my going back to biathlon training, focusing on the up to come competitions this Summer and Autumn.

Yesterday I made the outline of my training plan for the months to come.

There are a few things I had to take into account.

I’m   going to train differently from what I did last year. My technique has improved and there are lots of assistance exercises I did that I won’t be using. My circumstances have changed and will change dramatically in July when my girlfriend gives birth!

Right now I am training in my flat. I have a limited amount of gear (bells up to 32kg and powerclubs up to 20kg), so no heavy strength training for a while.

I can not jump or rope skip in my flat, and in Winter I can’t be bothered running. Not that I run much in Summer …

I had thought of getting a coach, but I think I’ll wait a bit and see how I respond and progress.

I am not going to go all out frequently  so that I can easily train 5 times a week.  I plan to split my sessions so that I train in the morning and afternoon whenever possible.

One will be strictly mobility and GS training, the other a light session of mixed stuff .

I don’t plan to post my training log, just PR and progress.

I plan to deload every 3-4 weeks. At the moment I am learning more about restitution. That is one thing I didn’t learn much about in my education. I will include more active rest.

Russian sports restoration and massage by Dr Yessis is a real eye opener.

So, after 2 weeks of  sweet F.A, I did 3 days of light training to minimize DOMS and  got back into the groove. Nice and easy, and loving it!

Snatching the 20kg was relatively easy. 4′L+4′R at 16rpm, 128 reps with a submaximal effort on the first attempt of the year. If only jerk could go so well!

I’ll stick with the 20s as my main weight for a while until I’m happy with the results and move up to 24s in a few months. No point rushing like last year!

Have a great training and stick to your plan!

http://kettlebell-fitness.dk

 

GS, hardstyle, strength? Whatever

Here’s a little reflection about my training with kettlebells over the year gone past.

It seems some people have different ideas about what method give what effect and that GS doesn’t address strength but only endurance.

To me GS encompasses every aspect of training.

I mean if you take all the mystic stuff out of RKC, or do fitness oriented exercises with kettlebell you have basic assistance exercises for GS, at least for the GPP period.

It is no shocking news that athletes use strength training with barbells and other tools  to help better their performances And like in all all sports, there are also athletes that do not do any strength training, but just play their sport.

Strength training can be used to balance your physique or assist you in reaching your personal goals.

Where does it say you shouldn’t do strength training while doing GS?

Why do some people think GS makes you weak? Your GS training makes you weak. Obviously if you’re strong, and only lift 24kg, you will experience a detraining effect in relation to your max strength. You have to keep lifting heavy stuff. I see the issue as common sense and a stupid argument. Stop following blindly some program and become responsible for the way you choose to train.

I have a diary of my progress from January 2009 to August 2009. January was I switched from training with the 16s to 24s in preparation for the biathlon competition in Ventspils. It was also the start of my GS training proper. Everything prior to that was just GPP.

I was at a sport academy for a year, studying strength coaching, and as we did some 1RM test every few months, I have a few bench marks to go by.

Many might argue that I am not strong (it is not my primary focus), but my point is that I got stronger right through my GS training. This is enough to show that it is possible to improve both max strength and GS numbers at the same time. I set up a year plan up to Ventspils, and followed it (except of course when I got injured). The plan was to do 140 snatches and 40 jerks.

I was learning and experimenting with strength training (only done bodyweight stuff before I came to the school), and with GS as well. Cardio was never an issue for me so I didn’t do any. Just a bit of skipping between exercises here and there, the occasional low key mountain bike ride, and some juggling once in a while.

Here were my stats First week of January

Age 38, weight 69kg.

16kg snatch: 180

24kg snatch: 69

2×24kg jerk: 12

Front squat 1RM: 80kg

Deadlift 1RM: 130kg

Push press 1RM: 57.5kg

Bench press 1RM: 70kg

End of March

16kg snatch: 223

24kg snatch: 90

2×24kg jerk: 24

Front squat: 102,5kg

Deadlift: 145kg

Bench: 90kg

Power clean and push press: 70kg

Training 5 passes per week of 60-75′  (3 KB passes and 2 times strength training in the beginning, less strength training towards the comp)

Strength training pass: Basic exercises, mainly front squat and push press done  at max effort (85-95% of 1RM, 1-3 reps for 8-10 sets)on the 1st session, and repeated method (60-85% RM, 8-12 reps for 3-4 sets) with other exercises (good morning, 1 arm press, chins, rows…)

KB training pass: Mostly jerk since I was (and still am) better at snatch. I used mainly short sets and repeated effort method/ pyramids and various assistance exercises.

May

24kg snatch: 125

2×24kg jerk: 25 (Density program and other shit sucked eggs big time)

No new PR in basic lifts, since by that time  I had switched to a maintenance program: 1 exercise- hang clean, front squat, push press or deadlift- before the main KB training, done to a heavy single, and some high rep squats at the end.

June

2×24kg jerk: 33

Injured, no snatch, limited strenght training

Started mixing 16s, 20s and 24s instead of sticking to a linear loading. Also introducing higher intensity and interval protocols.

August (Ventspils)

24kg snatch: 51 and dropped the bell before I was ready to switch hands

2×24kg jerk: 44

September

Access to barbells limited since I came back from Ventspils, and the few times I used them, I didn’t lift at max effort.

Started to train again with 16s and 20s to improve numbers before jumping back to 24s. Mainly GPP stuff.

16kg snatch: 231

Deadlift: 115kg x10

Front squat: 80kg x4

October

No more access to Barbells. Training in my flat from now on.

Start training Clean and Jerk at the end of the month in view of competing in Croatia. 54 reps on first attempt.

November

2×20kg LC: 65

Italian snatch comp: 123 with 24kg. Only trained snatch with 16s until the comp

Croatian LC comp: 50 with 2×20kg. Bad back and too high tempo.

December

age 39, weight 69kg

With holidays around, I stop caring about improving numbers. Just easy training with the AKC fitness protocol for a break.

What I knew:

I have a lot to learn and it takes time to become good at GS.

What I learned:

I wasted time with accidents and injuries, useless protocols and too much variation with strength training and assistance exercises. Then again, maybe not since I was experimenting and found out what worked for myself, by myself. I expect faster progress next year, and hope to have access again to barbells. I miss lifting heavy, but I’ll have to make do with what I have.

If I want to keep getting stronger, for me a minimum of 1 pass per week at max effort is necessary.

My verdict:

I have no doubt that improving numbers and getting stronger at the same time is possible. I might have stopped doing strength training a little too early, but again my focus was 100% on the biathlon. After the initial gains I felt I was strong enough and didn’t think that I would improve hugely by getting stronger. After all that energy could be better employed.

After the comp, I didn’t have the same opportunity to keep strength training.

So endurance or strength? In the end it is just a matter of balance and proper planning. I believe we can have it all but it is hard work!

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Happy New Year 2010!!

I personally wish you all a great start to 2010. May it bring all the rewards of the things you have sowed in the past!

I started the day with a 36 hour fast and a light training session. I can already feel it after 2 weeks of pure relaxation…

New and challenging things are happening for me this coming year. First, I’m going to be a dad! Second, I’ll be moving to Italy in a few weeks and become very involved with badminton sport! I just hope to find time to keep training, set new PRs and travel to GS meets.

I revised 2 posts that  I feel are important for good progress. Clean up your technique today and enjoy the progress!

breathing-mechanics-for-jerks

how-good-is-your-rack

I wish you success in all the endeavors you embark on this new decade!

“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” Thomas Jefferson

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