Monday

Picking up the pace on the snatches a bit this week.

Warm Up

Snatch(28kg) 8 minutes @ L15/15/15/13 ---> R 15/15/15/15

OAJ(28kg) 4 minutes @ L 8/8 ----> R 8/8 - several second hold in overhead position each rep

Swing(32kg) 45/45 x 2

Snatches continue to feel strong. Set went well until last 30 seconds on each arm, when the back swing began to break down. I dropped the bell on the backswing after the 13th rep on the 4th minute, picked it up and continued on the right.

Knee seemed to handle the OAJ OK. Will see how it feels tomorrow.

Swings were brutal on the grip, even with focusing on the finger lock. Forearms felt like Popeye at the end of these.

Tender Hands

This weeks long snatch sets has started to catch up to me with tender hands. Decided to give another 8 minute snatch set a go tonight, even though my paws were sore.

Warm Up

Snatch(28kg) L14/14/14/7 ----> R14/14/14/7

Swing(40kg) 35/35 x 1

Swing(32kg) 40/40 x 1

BSS 10/10 - bodyweight

BSS 10/10 - (2x20kg)

Snatches felt good today, but at the 3:30 mark on both sides my hands had had enough. Swings were a struggle due to sore hands, but I got it done. Weighted Bulgarian split squats, even with only 40kg, was a challenge.

Another 8 Minute Snatch Set......Really!

I was worried that my tender hands wouldn't be recovered by today, but they were. Another 8 minute snatch set on the agenda for today.

Warm Up

Snatch(28kg) L 14/14/14/14 ---> R 14/14/14/14

Jerk(2x24kg) 3 minutes @ 8 rpm

Swing(40kg) 35/35 x 1 set

Swing(32kg) 40/40 x 1 set

Bulgarian Split Squat (Bodyweight) 10/10 x 3 sets

Snatches felt good again today. Left side was better than the right. I was able to keep my backswing all the way to the end on the left, but the right side started to fall apart over the last 40 seconds with the last 3 reps being dead snatches......but I did it. It is important for me to get comfortable working the eight minute sets both mentally and physically, then I can start to pick up the pace again.

I shut down the planned 5 minute jerk set at the 3 minute mark secondary to some knee discomfort. At this point, I think it is better for me to heal than to start pushing the jerks too early. I continued to work the single leg squats (Bulgarian Split Squat) and am hopeful that by rebuilding the strength in my quads (especially vastus medialis) and glutes will help my knee pain.

Breaking the 8 Minute Barrier

Today was a breakthrough day for me from a mental standpoint. The pace of my snatches was slowed down to 14 rpm and I was actually able to complete a full 8 minute set. Yahooooo! Now, I am not going to lie.....the last 15 seconds on each side was a struggle, but I did it (came up a few reps short on the left). The slower pace really allowed me to concentrate on following the bell on the descent and not rushing the start of my ascent. This really seemed to help me.

Warm Up

Snatch(28kg) L 14/14/14/11 ----> R 14/14/14/14

Swing(40kg) 30/30 x 2 sets

Swing(32kg) 35/35 x 1 set

Had to stop the 32kg swings early due to hand issues.

Overall, my knee is feeling much better today. Hit my right calf, quads, and hamstrings with the Tiger stick last night and was amazed how much better I felt today. Some interesting discussion on the AKC forum concerning squatting. Over the past year I have essentially stopped working my legs as I have focused on GS. Ever since my knee injury, I have had problems with knee pain when I let my vastus medialis and rest of the quadriceps on my right side get weak. It is funny how you forget these things despite going through it many times. I think I need to introduce some squatting into my workout regimen. I don't have a squat rack or barbell in my basement, so I think I am going to give Mike Boyle's one legged squats a try. Did 2 sets of 10 reps today with bodyweight, followed by 1 set of 10 reps each leg holding two 16kg bells in the suitcase deadlift position. I think these will be effective and do the trick, without causing my legs to get too big.

Monday's Workout & Right Knee Pain

Last Tuesday, I tweaked my right knee (ACL/MCL repair '89) while doing a 32kg jerk set. Later that night, the knee became swollen and mildly painful. I took off the rest of the week in preparation for the Toledo comp. Although not completely 100% on Saturday, I don't think my knee interfered with my performance. However, by the time I completed my 2 hour drive home, my right knee was stiffening up. Today, it was a bit better, but I have decided to lay off the jerks for a while as I think this is what is aggravating the knee. The good news is.......this will allow me to focus on my snatches even more!!!

Warm Up

Snatch(28kg) L18/18/18 ----> R 18/18/18

Swing(40kg) 30/30 x 2 sets

Swing(32kg) 40/40 x 1 set

Was aiming for 7 minutes of snatch, but only made 6. Grip fatigue was the main issue.

The swings were good, but quite difficult on the grip. I felt like Popeye after the swings, with bulging forearms. I think these can only help me....

Toledo Midwest Kettlebell Competition

Eric St-Onge, Matt Schinabeck, and Andrew Durniat - Toledo Jan 30, 2010

Another great competition was put on in Toledo this past weekend by Todd Baden, Mike Sherman, Rachel Suh, and Kettlebell Bob. A who's who in North American male kettlebell sport was in attendance to compete including Eric St-Onge, Marty Farrell, Andrew Durniat, Michael Cluse, Mike Sherman, and Sean Armstead. Some pretty impressive performances were recorded including Eric St-Onge hitting 101 jerks with the 32kg bells, and Andrew Durniat making CMS ranking with the 28kg bells in the LCCJ with 70 reps. On the female side, Svetlana Krechik hit 58/58 reps with the 24kg bell in the OALCCJ just coming a few reps short of the AKC MSWC ranking. I put together a video montage of these performances which can be seen below.

As far as me.....I had a very strong jerk performance, hitting a personal best of 82 reps with the 28kg bells. I felt quick and solid for the entire set. Video below:

My snatch continues to be a work in progress. I was pretty happy with the performance, hitting 55/52. It was nice to have Catherine able to see me perform live. She was able to give me a few more things to focus on in hopes of making my elusive CMS snatch numbers. Compared to Atlanta, I am now catching the bell higher and engaging the finger lock consistently, but Catherine pointed out that I started to short my backswing about half way into my left hand set which led to a cascade of problems including: causing my timing to be off on the ascent, pulling with my arm and using my legs less, and dropping the bell straight down (instead of casting out) leading to more jerking of my arm at the bottom of the descent causing significant grip fatigue. I need to be more mindful of my descent, backswing, and following the bell with my body. I also need to consistently remind myself to not rush the backswing as this leads to more pulling with the arm and less use of the legs and ultimately grip fatigue and failure. The video below:

New Logo for Northcoast Kettlebells

Just finished designing a logo for Northcoast Kettlebells using an excellent graphic designer named Derek Brigham. I would highly recommend his services for anybody looking to design a cool logo. He also can help with business card design, T-shirt design, and web design. Check his web site out here.