A Refined Display of Power

11 02 2013

Yes, before you ask, the title of this post is a poor play on the title of Pantera’s iconic album.

Pantera-Vulgar-Display-Of-Power

But it’s pretty apt after the weekend’s excitement down at the Irish National Kettlebell Sports Championships hosted by Tramore kettlebells.

If you’ve never come across Kettlebell sports then I’LL give you a very quick overview.

- It sucks
- It is brutally hard
- It requires a degree of mental focus and tenacity that is unlike anything else.

The sport requires a lifter to put up as many reps as possible in a ten minute time period as possible.
The lifter who does the most reps with the most weight wins. Simple.

At least on paper.

The events are:
Biathlon- a set of jerk followed by a set of snatch
Long cycle- a single set of Clean & Jerk

Most amateur male lifters compete with 24kg bells, a pair for the jerk, a single cor the snatch.
During single arm lifts the bell can only be swapped to the other hand once.

At no point in the set sure the bells allowed to touch the floor, rest on the shoulders or pretty much anything that takes pressure of the lifter.

Like I said, it sucks.

Yet people are flocking to the sport.
On the weekend I had two lads lifting in the biathlon event. Matt, a first time competitor and Phil who’s becoming an old hand having represented Ireland in international competition last year and has once again qualified for the Irish squad with a personal best on the jerk.

Here’s Phil’s personal best performance on the 24kg Jerk:

Young Matt stole the show though.
He’s a young university exchange student over from the U.S.
He’s no stranger to training with kettles but had never done the sport. Kind of like someone who lifts barbells but has never done power lifting or weightlifting competition.
Matt was both the youngest and the lightest of the men lifting. He weighed in at 65kg and stood on the platform with a pair of 20kg bells
He put up 62 reps, at 68.7kg bodyweight. He followed this by snatching the 20kg bell for 105 reps.

It was awesome seeing this young man put his soul into those two 10 minute periods, stepping of the platform fit to collapse both times. I received several comments complementing his spirit and tenacity from other coaches.

Kettlebell sport is a test of a person’s mental endurance as much as it is about the physical demands.

If you think you have, or if you wish to find out if you have what it takes to survive in Kettlebell Sport, and in doing so wish to build a near bulletproof physique and “old man” strength, come see me.

There are several short 5min events being run around Ireland with the next major open event taking place in Kilkenny in July.

Regards
Dave :
http://www.wg-fit.com


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A Physical Demonstration of Mental Fortitude

21 05 2012

I often talk about mental strength on this blog.
It’s a topic that is important to me, after all what use is physical strength without the mind to back it up?
It’s one of the reasons why I enjoy working with the guys over at RehabCare HOPS, the mental health support group/charity. Seeing them progress in the self defence and fitness training I give them is awe inspiring.

But when it comes to the rest of us, what does mental strength look like?
Usually we hear about it in stories and adventures, people doing amazing feats like climbing Anapurna, running the Sahara etc, stuff we can’t really comprehend because it’s so far out of our point of reference.
But if you’re reading this blog then I’d say you’re a little familiar with lifting heavy things over your head. At least I’d hope so.

Over the weekend just passed I was down in Wexford at Mick Kelly’s gym Total Fitness Systems on the Westpoint industrial estate. I was down to support 6 of my athletes all of whom were taking part in the Cup of Ireland Kettlebell lifting competition.
While every lifter did an incredible job and I’m extremely proud of my guys for taking part, I want to show you the two sets performed by Phil Roche.

Why?

Because these clips sum up what mental fortitude is all about. Both videos are around 10 mins long, but if you wish skip to the last 4 mins of each. This is where those 24kg bells really start to feel very heavy.
Phil only weighs 71kg, this is his first competition lifting the 24′s, last year he was using 16kg bells. He’s been training with the 24′s for 14 weeks, prior to that he’d never lifted them.

If you watch the clips see how he wavers and almost quits but then that switch in his head flicks and he digs deeper, drops a gear and just goes for those final few reps. Reps that earned him not only a place on the Irish squad for international competition, but the respect of every person in the room.
Check it out:

1st, the Jerks, 73 of them:

Then the Snatch, all 130 reps:

Well done Phil, and thankyou for demonstrating what mental strength looks like.

Regards

Dave
http://www.wg-fit.com


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Kettlebell Jerk Tutorial

30 04 2012

Over the last few posts I’ve been talking about the Kettlebell Clean which for those in the world of Kettlebell Sport serves as a precursor to this, the kettlebell jerk.

Jerks.

What a fantastic lift.

It is one of my all time favourite lifts. In fact that gives me an idea for a future post, a top ten of my favourite kettlebell lifts……
Anyway before I go off on a tangent, lets look at the Jerk and it’s component parts.

First, what is a Jerk and how is it different to a press?

When I teach a kettlebell workshop, or if you follow my Workshop series, I have the Jerk as the last step in a continuum. The continuum opens with the “Hard Style” or high tension military press, then relaxes into a Push Press and the more relaxed and efficient military press techniques untill finally we get to the Jerk.

On one end of the continuum all the strength and power comes from the upper torso, particularly the upper chest, shoulder and triceps.
As we move along the continuum we are integrating more and more of the body, adding in more and more potential for force production and power, assuming of course all the links in the chain are working right.

If we take a strict press and say that 100% of the force is generated by the upper torso. We can say that a push press, with its added leg drive, spreads the load to maybe 50% upper and 50% lower body. The Jerk then is closer to 80% lower body with the arm and shoulder merely finishing the lift.

Good news then for beaten up idiots like myself who have recurring nagging injuries around the shoulders.
Good news also if you’re involved in any sport that requires the integration of the entire body to generate force to be expressed by the upper body (think throwing, punching, batting etc…)

So how does it work?
Well in the Level 3 Kettlebell manual where the Jerk is detailed it takes over 1500 words and 26 photographs over 6 pages to give the full overview. If you think I’m repeating all that here….well….

Level 3 Kettlebell Manual - Snatch & Jerk

So what I have done is made a video. In fact it’s two videos, part one is 10 minutes detailing the launch section of the Jerk, part 2 is another 10 minutes detailing the Lockout, drop and breath.

Yes, the Jerk is that technical.

But it is well worth the effort, especially if you’re a combat athlete or any athlete that requires full body coordinated strength and power.

So without further ado, here’s part 1:

And here’s part 2:

Using the Jerk in your training is highly dependent on your training goals. I love heavy jerks for multiple sets of low reps for power.
I also hate doing but really appreciate higher rep sets for the endurance factor. They’ll do more for your ability to hold a high guard and hit hard than any amount of push ups.

Precede each jerk with a clean and you’re now doing the best lift ever, the clean and jerk or “Long Cycle” as it’s known in the kettlebell world.
Long Cycle truly is a total body lift. The posterior chain does the Clean, the anterior chain does the Jerk while the heart and lungs pick up the slack.
One moderately weighted bell is all you need to smoke your cardio with Long cycle, one or a pair of heavier bells will develop strength and power of mind and spirit.

Or they’ll make you simply hate life.

Take your time with this, learn it slow, develop it, nurture it and it will reward you.

Regards

Dave
www.wg-fit.com


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Kettlebell Clean Tutorial Part 2

22 04 2012

This is the second part of the series covering the Kettlebell Clean.

If you missed part one CLICK HERE, better yet, subscribe to our weekly email updates and you’ll never miss anything again…..!

Anyhow, here’s part 2:

In this section we look in more detail at the bottom section of the clean and the breathing.
As kettlebells are often used for high rep sets, especially if you’re competing in Kettlebell Sport or looking to develop your work capacity, you need to get your technique dialled in tight in order to maintain good form and manage fatigue.
This drill is one used commonly by the Kettlebell Sports world to develop several attributes that allow them to throw heavy bells around with almost no effort for hundreds of reps.
Even if you don’t intend to work high rep sets and instead wish to play with heavy bells for low rep power sets, you still need efficient technique. The drill covered here is a great assistance drill regardless of your training goals.

Between each clean you will perform a number of “lazy” swings, each with a breath at the back of the swing and at the top. After the prescribed number you finish with a clean using the exact same swing and breath pattern, simply finishing the lift off with a third breath.

Why so many breaths?
Simple, multiple exhalations mean multiple in breaths which means more oxygen intake and more endurance while maintaining a lower heart rate.
Don’t be overly concerned with the in breaths, if you exhale hard you have no other option but to inhale. Allow the body to inhale naturally, you will reflexively inhale much deeper than if you tried with conscious effort.

I will say, this method is best for endurance based lifting, even with the heavier bells. If I’m lifting simply for power and low reps with very heavy bells I exhale a maximum of twice, top and bottom, sometimes only at the top.

Done after your training sets this drill is great for drilling in technique, developing a tenacious grip and building the cardio.
Watch the video for full details then go and have a play:

More on the Clean and other techniques can be found in the Kettlebell Lifting Manuals:
Level 2 Kettlebell Lifting Manual

Regards
Dave
www.wg-fit.com

Have you registered for Steve Cotter yet? CLICK HERE immediately for more info


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Kettlebell Clean Tutorial – Part 1

20 04 2012

The Kettlebell Clean is an essential tool in your tool box.

While it is a relatively simple movement it does have a long learning curve for many. When I think back to almost ten years ago when i was first learning it I remember banged up wrists, torn calluses and just untidy technique. It took me a while to get it right and even to this day I’m still learning and improving.

This tutorial then is part one of a series. Over the series I hope to give you all the tools to take your clean from a horribly painful experience to a wonderfully painful experience. Part one starts at the beginning and contains the most important info, subsequent parts will introduce training drills to refine the clean or to emphasise certain aspects.

Here’s the video or part 1:

 

 

If you enjoyed that, you’ll find the clean along with other techniques described and illustrated in the Level 2 kettlebell manual:

Level 2 Kettlebell Lifting Manual

Regards

Dave
www.wg-fit.com


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Irish Kettlebell Sports Championships – 23/7/11

26 07 2011

Last weekend saw the third Irish Kettlebell Sports Championships, once again run by the lads at the Kilkenny Kettlebell Club and the EGSA.

The event was fantastic, the lads really have got the running of a competition down. There were in the region of 30 men and 20 or so women competing in the Biathlon event, which is Jerks followed by Snatch. Many of the competitors had experience but there were still a good number of new faces, which is great to see.

From here I had two lads with me competing and one who was forced to sit out due to a recent injury. The two lads were Mark Kennedy and Graham Bird.
This was Graham’s first competition, he trains in my regular lunchtime fitness sessions and competes in triathlon, but fancied a crack at this. Over the last 10 weeks he has had to learn the Jerk, improve his technique on both Jerk and Snatch as well as begin specific training for the Kettlebell Sport. And he did us proud.
In true Wild Geese spirit he decided to skip the light weights and entered with 20kg kettlebells, which meant he was lifting heavier than the majority of lads there, he scored 46 jerks and 90 snatch, which a good score for anybody first time, especially with 20′s. His snatch set finished with an impressive ending, the bell slipped from his hand on the upswing and very nearly took out his judge!

Mark has a little more experience, he joined me from another gym recently as he felt he wasn’t getting the training he needed. The Kilkenny lads had provided him with a program, but he needed a coach to keep an eye on him and tweak his technique. On the day he put up 100 jerks and an impressive 214 snatch with 16kg bells. It really was a gutsy performance, well done mate.

As for myself, well I entered with the 28kg bells for no reason other than I used 24′s the last time out. My training has been far from consistent and for a while I considered pulling out, but I’m bloody glad I didn’t.
With a little help from Steve Cotter in regards to technique and breathing, I managed 40 jerk and 100 snatch, earning a third place overall place.

Here’s my Jerk Set:

And my Snatch set:


Once again, I want to say thanks to Mark and Eddie (more on them here)for organising and running the event and huge congratulations to every single person that stepped onto a platform, regardless of the weight you lifted or the reps scored, you all put on an incredible performance, Kettlebell Sport is one of the most demanding things you can try your hand at, and seeing the spirit with which you all attacked your sets is inspiring.

Regards

Dave
http://www.wg-fit.com


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The Day Before Tomorrow

22 07 2011

Sounds like the title of a James Bond movie….

But what I’m getting at here is that tomorrow is the third Irish Kettlebell Sports competition, once again hosted by the boys in Kilkenny. I’m entered and am resting up today, drinking plenty of water and getting the carbs in ready for my first ever go at a competition set with the 28kg bells.

It’s gonna hurt.

But that’s what we have to do in order to find out what we’re about, to answer the question that always sits in the back of mind, the one that always rises up before an event like this, the question of “Am I good enough?”

There’s only one way to answer it, and that’s to get out there and do it.

Our Wild Geese Muay Thai coach and fellow kettlebell enthusiast Dave “The Rasta” Gordon said to me one time after I’d hurt my shoulder setting a personal best on the handstand push up that “Glory is fleeting, but mediocrity lasts forever”

So tomorrow I intend to give it my all. I’ve spent my quite time visualising the day, I’ve been cycling home from the gym playing my set over and over in my head. All that is left to do is sweat, grunt and lift, 1 rep at a time until either I’m told to stop or I’m forced to stop.

Then next week I can take a back off week, a rest from the kettles and from hard training, I can let the body rest and recover. I’ll allow my niggling injuries repair themselves. I’ll catch up on some sleep and I’ll even have a beer or two.
I’ll then spend some time working on a few personal goals, things like mastering the standing ab wheel roll out, taking my Pistol Squat into double figures, improving general flexibility and getting back out running.

But not until after tomorrow.

While we’re mentioning running, this article got flagged up recently:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/strong-hips-help-knees-1995227.html

Scientists have discovered that strong hips help protect runners knees. We’ll stone me!
Of course they do, running is about hip extension, actually hip HYPERextension which is produced by the Glutes and Hamstrings. The vast majority of the amateur running and jogging population are vastly quad dominant and since the quads are knee extensors they tend to power themselves along with their knees rather than their hips. Any wonder the knees get destroyed?
I’ve a string of clients in this last few months all of whom have knee issues, some have hamstring pain. Every one of them has made massive progress by doing two things:

  1. Strengthening the hip
  2. Lengthening the Quads and Hip Flexors

Strength is built by a number of exercises, Kettlebell Swings, Deadlifts, Glute Bridges & Hip Thrusts  and the Box Squat.
Flexibility / Mobility is developed by firstly getting the Glutes firing properly with the strength training and then using the Hip Flexor stretch and Quad Stretch shown here:

 

Thats all for today, I’ll see you after tomorrow!

Dave
http://www.wg-fit.com


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Training Log – 14/2/11

14 02 2011

It’s valentines day today so I had to lift the red kettles…..

Warm up:
1 min skipping alternated with 1 minute indian clubs x 8 mins

Long cycle x 10 x 12, 16, 24kg

Work sets:

long cycle:
32kg x 10 (5rm)
32kg x 13 (5rm)
20kg x 7min

Hip thrusts 72kg x 16 x 1

Now for breakfast…

Regards
Dave
www.wg-fit.com

REMINDERS:

  1. The 1 Mile Kettlebell Challenge is fast approaching, we will be kicking of at a new time of 12.45pm on feb 26th on Sandymount Strand. The new time is because Today FM have said they’ll be down to support us!
    If you can’t make the day you can still sponsor us by following this link:
    http://www.mycharity.ie/event/1-mile-kettlebell-swing/
  2. Boot Camp is already half over, drop us an email asap to book your place on the march Boot Camp before it is completely sold out.
  3. The Next Kettlebell Workshops, Levels 1 & 2 are scheduled for Sunday 20th Feb, drop me a line to let me know you’re coming

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