The difference between "workout" and "training"

A.K.A. Short book report on the stages of learning motor skills.

The word "workout" indicates vigorous exercise, and may include specific physical skills. A second meaning of the word conjures images of people following a leader who orchestrates a routine of low-skills exercise for 45-minutes to an hour. In both cases, the desired effect is to elicit hundreds of breathing cycles (1 inhale + 1 exhale = 1 breathing cycle), turn off the critical cognitive function and make sweat pour out the body.

     A "good workout" incorporates few or no movements that require participants to slow down and learn new motor skills. This is not a criticism. Most workout material makes use of movements that exercise angles, feats of strength and coordination skills that are not typical in daily life. For basic health and fitness this is great for moving blood, lymph and synovial fluid through it's natural cleansing cycle. Plus the benefit of bringing the brain wave frequency closer to the alpha state, deep relaxation.

     The downside is that, even though the entire group may enjoy the experience if the combination of moves produces endorphins and sweat, perhaps one-third* of a group will be correctly addressed in an "exercise class." Because a majority will not get specific results, they will not be inspired to practice any part of the movement routine on their own.

*The comment "one-third" of the group is in reference to the somatic types (images below), which can be found easily with an online search. Every person is born with a physical disposition. The three broad groups are ectomorph, mesomorph and endomorph body types. Each of these types have specific strengths and weaknesses regarding muscle development, weight and fat management, thus each need a different workout to achieve desired results. Anyone who wants to achieve maximum physical potential or just plain good health will accept his natural build and learn how to use it. 

A person can no more change his natural physique than can a blue jay turn itself into a goose.

The word "training" is commonly used for dedicated armed forces and professional athletic team practice. We may also say "training" in place of "practice" or "drill" to indicate the act of ingraining cognitive knowledge into physical skills with focused concentration.

     Exercise is therefore a practice of skills learned through training. In contrast to the low-skill workouts described in the first paragraph, a proper exercise is a skilled movement pattern. Every sport has specific physical skills, such as footwork, ball-handling or efficient movement sequences that must be learned with intense focus. Athletes quickly understand that with repetition, specialized techniques become more automatic, thus increase their performance level in a competition or game. A committed athlete will engaged in "practice sessions" separated from her general workout. The result of hard earned skill-building is greater enjoyment of "play" outside of practice.

"Enjoyment" and "play" are desired effects of both workouts and trainings. "Concentration" and "challenge" rarely come in as desired factors for an average exercise enthusiast. It is my experience that the challenge of training new motor skills stops many potentially great athletes from participating in sports. 

"Training" has the implication of learning from the beginning, thus an outside resource is mandatory. Anyone undertaking to learn new skills must find some form of instruction, ideally a "trainer" with knowledge of the entire skill set. Because each person learns uniquely there must be trust in the trainer's awareness of how much time and input to give each stage of motor skills learning* and when to tell the student "practice on your own until you get this part."

*Information about the three stages/phases of motor skills learning is easy to find online. The first stage is cognitive or verbal phase, second is associative phase, and third is the autonomous phase. Everyone wants to be at the autonomous phase as soon as possible, however the first two parts are essential for correct learning.

I surmise that the cognitive phase is what separates those who intend to learning

Sergey Rudnev demos GS Swing.
Photo by Diana Yap

from those who don't want a new hobby. At this stage the learner knows there is something they don't know and need to learn. This must take place in methodical steps with verbal cues and clear demonstrations by the teacher. 

The learners' tasks in the cognitive stage are:

1) to conceptualize the logic and form of basic moves

2) begin putting these moves into physical practice

In this stage the focus is connecting understanding with a chunk of motor skills. The learners cannot be judged on performance at this point, but encouraged to talk themselves through initial attempts. This helps merge the mental and physical experience, thus the name "verbal stage."

     In workshop-style training a good teacher will allow up to 3 hours for a group of new learners to grasp the cognitive phase. There will be plenty of time for short breaks and note taking. To maximize this time, assistant teachers and advanced student must be available to answer questions. 
     The Motor Skills Genius will not take breaks, knowing it's only a matter time and patience to leave the cognitive stage behind. People of this nature know that frustration in this phase is a sign of new synaptic firing patterns, and may exhibit more irritation at being interrupted to help someone else than at the slow, stilted process of programming their own bodies. These folks know that after lunch break the initial rote repetitions will have paid off.

     Learners less familiar with the physical learning stages are advised to neither compare themselves with fast learners nor indulge in negative self-talk. Rather they should clear up any gaps in understanding and then push away from the safety net of follow-the-leader. 

People will become frustrated in the transition between cognitive and associative phase. The best cure for this is a light-hearted mood.

     Moving into the associative phase will occupy another few hours, or the entire second

Ken Blackburn coaching associative phase.

day in a workshop setting. If skills are being learned in on-going classes or a seasonal training it is best for learners to practice after and between classes to speed up this transition. 

The learner's tasks in the associative phase are: 

1) to practice movement segments until all major steps become part of the physical experience

2) to string segments together into a completed pattern that can be practiced without supervision

At this stage supervised practice provides correct demonstrations, questions answered and physical feedback cues. A mirror is most useful at this stage.

     In a workshop, a night of rest from the practice often does wonders for new learners. Athletes will naturally group together based on the speed with which they make this transition or the ability to make each other laugh. Seasoned teachers encourage these groups for the magic they can produce. Through focused practice a learner gradually moves into competence with basic movements and can incorporate nuances to improve fluidity. Performance has a disjointed quality, but becomes more consistent as learners relax into the practice. Teachers can introduce intermediate training drills to help smooth out common sticking spots in this phase. 

The associative phase may last several months or years, depending on the learner.

     

     Some people say it takes 100 repetitions of the basics to achieve competence, some say 1,000. Before a learner reaches the autonomous phases there will be countless hours of practice. I think of this as the "obsessive" phase. Indeed, the more effort a learner puts into studying new skills the sooner he will begin to enjoy the flow of practicing them.

     As the athletes skill become autonomous he can practice with little input from the teacher, but will benefit from subtle form corrections and new mental tasks. Athletes will have specific questions, so staying in contact with the teacher or class mates as solo practice ensues is beneficial. 

In the autonomous phase the learner's tasks are:

1) remain open for points of refinement that will make their skills more efficient

2) develop mental discipline and positive self-talk while training for important events

     In subsequent training events the teacher will see an athlete's personal style as mental focus is now available for improvisation and variation. Performance is consistent and the athlete "makes it look easy." This is also the most tenuous phase for high-performance athletes, as mental distractions may inhibit results.

Some useful habits for learning new motor skills:

• use of video, mirrors and coaches to mark progress
• study video of high-level athletes in action, especially those with a similar body type
• visualize the movements while practicing the breathing pattern
• search for a local or online groups that practice your sport
• set goals and find a coach to help achieve them

    
    At this point I'd like to bring back the importance of the "workout" even to advanced athletes. World Class sportsmen organize their training with skill refinement built into every practice session. After the high-skills technique session is over, athletes take a short break and then move into a normal looking exercise routine with focus on physical rather than mental effort. This may be a calisthenics circuit, 20 minutes on the rowing machine, or both. This elicits the well-known endorphin release needed to "feel good" after a training session. In other words, these powerful engines need to run through all the gears to get the full mental and emotional benefit of their gym time.
     The above summary of motor skills learning phases is intended to illuminate the universal process of learning a new sport. In my observations, the only thing that separates a Motor Skills Genius from a Motor Skills Moron is that the former approaches the process determined to do what it takes to learn, while the later allows frustration and negative self-talk to put a stop to the entire process. No matter where you have been on this continuum, please bear in mind the philosophy of every person who succeeds at sports:

"It's 10% talent and 90% hard work."

Motivation to start Kettlebell Sport

As a Kettlebell Sport athlete I find it very important to maintain connection with the reason I started in the first place. People in the gym think I'm crazy. I'm the only person there willing to log 8+ hours/week crushing myself with the same three exercises.

For any one who determines to excel at an activity there must be an underlying motivation. In my case, I know I'm a physically oriented person and can ingrain complex movement patterns into skills. This training helps me pick up less intricate sequences quickly, so I can enjoy playing with new movement during the learning phase.
Of course, each lifter has a different motivations for learning this sport. Here are some that may give inspiration to anyone wondering if Kettlebell Sport is good for him/her.

Physical challenges light me up! This is the type of person who enjoys climbing as many 14K-foot mountains as possible in one season. It's the exhilaration of meeting the task head-on and standing victorious or nobly acknowledging defeat at the end. Kettlebell Sport offers endless challenges to this type of athlete who sees him/herself as the ultimate opponent. Technique improvements happen at every step of the way offering a constant puzzle, or meditation, to athletes who want the workout to simulate constant growth.

Need a mountain to climb?

My lifestyle needs intense activity. These are people who sit at a desk most of the day, have a long commute, or simply need a healthy hobby. The good news for this group is that Kettlebell Sport starts at an amateur level and progresses at a natural pace. Rushing to a competition is not required, nor is getting a particular rank in the first year. People who are seeking vigorous exercise at a regular human pace will enjoy the gradual improvements that come with this sport. This group will find additional motivation to continue once the hard work turns into improved results!

I need a counter-balance for less healthy habits. In other words, "I need me my donuts but don't want the extra flab." This motivation could work for a while. Unfortunate for this group, endurance sports makes our metabolism more efficient. Fortunate for this group, one of the side effects of healthy habits (such as regular exercise) is that we tend to let go of things that compromise the natural high accompanying them. If motivation is based on compulsiveness or impulse control, check out the mental discipline gained from an obsession with Kettlebell Sport! It will transform your life and view of "calories earned," amid other surprising benefits.

I'm looking for something new and am curious about how this sport works. Folks who have the habit of regular exercise find themselves losing their edge now and then, especially if there are no goals or cycles within the routine. This type of person will enjoy the changes in intensity of a full-length Kettlebell Sport training cycle, complete with a competition or two. Many first time competitors get the pleasant surprise of a medal after their first event! You don't get that after four months on the stair-stepper and nautilus machines. There is a high likelihood that after a competition season, re-engaging in the old routine will prove how training "outside the box" can produce massive strength and cardiovascular improvements!

I love to compete but don't love the aggressive crowd. The first rule of Kettlebell Sport is sportsmanship. At one event, the Head Judge followed that statement up with "but I've never seen that as a problem with this sport." We all know what it takes to complete a 10-minute set with any kettlebell load, there is no faking it. The most succinct way I've heard it translated is this text applied to the picture (left) of Sergei Merkulin, Master Long Cyclist, Snatch lifter and Coach:
"In Girevoy Sport - there are no bad people;
all the junk sweats out under the weight of kettlebells, especially on the 10th minute."

If any of the above motivations appeal to you, your next step is to get specific training, figure out where you're going to train or buy the equipment to get started at home, and find a coach! Not to worry, all who seek earnestly will get their needs met. And with the whole internet at your fingertips it's only a matter of due diligence.

Best wishes for your health and athletic goals!
Christian

The California Open World Grand Prix

What makes it a World Grand Prix? The number of countries represented?

Buckley, Solodov, Vasilev and Mishen open the event.

Six countries and 13 states sent their best lifters, including an impressive team from the birthplace of Girevoy Sport, Russia! The fact that this event coincided with the finale of the Winter Olympics seems to have raised the quality and sportsmanship.

Credit must be given to Denis Vasilev for serving as translator for all the announcements between American and Russian communities. I have tremendous respect for the Russian Girevoy Sport Association President, Solodov, for making the trip to observe this event.

Wow, what a show! The DJ did his best to help us forget we were competing on an international playing field. Loud rock music disturbs my calm, and that was my personal least favorite part about the event. Naturally, I could not expect to find the same peace of mind I seek at home, so I take the ongoing craving I had for still space to be a sign that my inner cultivation is not complete. As was mentioned repeatedly in interviews by Olympians, and demonstrated by the Russian National Team lifters present at this event, we need to be ready to perform at our top level under all conditions. That’s what makes a champion.

The 5-minute set lifters started us off at a super high pace. In general, 5-minute sets are “entry-level” events that allow multiple hand-switches for Snatch and one arm lifts, and count just about anything that gets overhead as a good rep. That said, seasoned lifters enter these events to achieve rank and medals with clean sets (only one hand switch), including Ivan Denisov. I will most definitely do a 5-minute set myself in the future.

This World Grand Prix event drew an exceptional group of Elite level lifters. They each took the opportunity to do an “exhibition” set. A some members of this group focused on breaking personal records for reps with amateur level kettlebell loads.

Vasilev and team mate Pavel Petrov.

Okay, you have to consider 24kg amateur. Both Sergey Rachinsky and Denis Vasilev put up ridiculously high numbers. 

Rachinsky showed us 151 Jerk and 230 Snatch reps (which came down to an all-out sprint against Aaron Guyett’s 222 rep 24kg Snatch set in flight 9) on day one, and a nice and slow 101 rep. 24kg Long Cycle reps on the second day. 

His student Denis Vasilev reserved his effort for a 10-minute 24kg Long Cycle sprint, getting 152 reps total. For the record, this is just over the known speed limit for double Long Cycle. 

Another member of the super-fast-with-a-drop-weight club was Sergey Mishin, who ripped a 246 rep 16kg Snatch Only. This sort of thing is not meant to represent the specific quality of Girevoy Sport lifts, but rather demonstrates the excellent speed technique and physical conditioning of World Champion athletes. 

In contrast, Ksenia Dudhenkina performed a technically perfect 201 rep 22kg Snatch Only, dropping 2kg off her World Record Snatch Only load for the event.

Sergei Merkulin demonstrated World Champion technique with 32kg Snatch Only x 160. In the final Long Cycle flight loaded with 32kg kettlbells, Evgeniy Goncharov kicked out 63 reps well ahead of the 10-minute timer. This reminded me of the Super G ski racer who did her run first and still won Gold.

Merkulin, Khvostov and Farrell.

In the other extreme corner of Elite were examples of higher-than-professional weight loads perfomed as if they were normal. The King of Kettlebell Sport, Denisov amazed us with 36kg Snatch Only x 156 and a 5-minute 2x36kg Jerk Only x 85. Aleksander Khvostov pulled out the white kettlebell for a demo of 40kg Snatch Only x 100.

The Russian community had easily identifiable lifting uniforms and team sweat suits (that’s classy, I tell you). Clubs from all places wore their coach’s logos or team shirts. The flight announcements introduced the lifters, their rank achievements and their team affiliation, another detail that brought the California Open up to World Class standard.

Speaking of teams, this event provided an amazing opportunity to see how teams work in various ways with such distinct personalities. The teams were most evident by their t-shirts. The one thing I don’t quite understand is why women wear sports bras as their shirt on the platform. Maybe it represents athletes from CrossFit, maybe it’s the loud rock music… just a thought.

One out-of-country team that made an impression was Sistema Movimento Integral Acadamia (SMI)

Me with SMI Brazil! Photo by Luciano Oliveira.

Brazil, under coach Luciano Oliveira. These folks had fantastic cohesiveness as a group and demonstrated high-level lifting on the platform. If it wasn’t impressive enough to see 51.8kg Julia Oliveira Jerk Only with 20kg x 100 reps in the same flight with team mate Valentina Cesar
making MS rank with Jerk Only (28kg x 83), just imagine 61.7kg Davi Oliveira on the platform with the 24kg Biathlon next to team mate Maricelio Correla, same event, same load. Not impressed enough? SMI Brazil’s Roberto Rocha stepped up to a 28kg Biathlon, completing 72 Jerks and 107 Snatches. These folks have put some time into this sport. On the second day the entire team crushed the 24kg relay (Julia and Valentina used a single kettlebell while the men pushed double 24) with 207 repetitions in 15 minutes.

Kat Helcmanov. Photo: Jennifer Tan.

Individual athletes really stood out, namely self-coached Paul White of Way of Art, New Zealand, who lifted 32kg Biathlon the first day and 32kg Long Cycle the second, earning MS rank for both events. Why not join forces with the League of Extrordinary Jerks to finish the meet with a 3-minute leg of 24kg Jerk Relay?

Another stand out individual and sole representative of Commando Temple Gym, UK/Slovakia, was Katarina Helcmanov, under coach Gregor Sobocan. Katarina earned every woman’s respect with her 147 rep, 20kg Snatch Only set, standing side by side with world-famous Dedukhina. On day two Katarina earned the women’s absolute lifter award after 24kg Long Cycle x 120 repetitions (that’s MSIC if you don’t have a KETAcademy rank table handy), but not before working the middle leg of 2x24kg Jerk relay for the League of Extrordinary Jerks.

Amazingly, I met facebook friend Jennifer Tan the sole competitor from Singapore at this event, a true testament to the supportive community offered at OKC/Juno Fitness hosted events. Jennifer came with a 16kg Long Cycle set and to connect with her online coach, Sergei Merkulin.

My Snatch Only set. Photo by Jennifer Tan.

Having prepared a Snatch set with “the next weight up,” I was ready to see my deficiencies. It is a very vulnerable thing to take a first-time-ever lift to competition, especially one as big as the California Open. Even though I was going with a very small group from Colorado, there was great support for my first effort with 20kg Snatch Only. With Sergey Rachinsky as my judge, I knew the stars had already determined my set and didn’t even watch the rep count until the end. Unfortunately I lost feeling in the first hand before half-time and ended up folding early with only 107 reps, just 3 shy of the MS rank. Considering I did my own programming for this event I feel good with this result, and look forward to improving the set in upcoming events.

The Hero of this event for me is my student, Kimberly Hodes (that’s Hodees, with one “e”), who braved her first 16kg Long Cycle in a weight class with one other competitor! She truly has a sporting attitude about her results: this event provided a baseline number, not to mention Personal Records of rep count (48) and time (just shy of 10 minutes) with the 16kg bell. Her pay-off was a Silver medal (amazing on so many levels) and Rank 2! She lost to a more seasoned 16kg Long Cycler from Team Blackburn who definitely earned the Gold with 99 reps.

Way to end your first year in GS, Kimberly!

Last weekend gave me deeper respect for the integrity Orange Kettlebell Club brings to Girevoy Sport. This organization is truly focused on bringing new lifters to the sport, seeing lifters from all clubs improve and meet their goals, compete with a fair sporting attitude, and they attract athletes that can show us how World Class lifting looks. They gave away great swag from their sponsors, co-efficient cups for both Biathlon and Long Cycle, as well as the first ever Sergei Mishin Cup to the best overall male and female lifter. In his closing remarks, Mr. Solodov announced that based on this competition, it appears that Girevoy Sport lifters in America are ready to compete in Russia for Gold medals!

Bring an extra luggage if you plan to win one of these!

Even those of us who did not get the one of these beautiful prizes got well-made medals for first, second and third place. When I say this is “well-made” I mean this is a weighty piece of bling that could be used for self-defense. Though with the massive circle of friends surrounding OKC, it is more likely to be a gate pass at any given club or concert out of respect for the Awesomes.

I hear that in Russia athletes with Master of Sport or greater are afforded certain privileges.  What these are I do not know, but if there are any inherent privileges for MS athletes in the US, my feeling is that they are to be gained through OKC and it’s sister organization, Juno Fitness. This idea is yet to be proven, so I will continue doing research and report in future blog posts.

Thanks for reading!

Chu-Hi!

What are the gloves for?

Anyone who has learned GS lifts from “the Sergeys” and their peers (circa 2009 - 11), learned the evil beauty of using gloves in GS Snatch training.

The glove is for overload sets. This might seem wrong to someone who has embraced the mentality that there is no “train to exhaustion” in effective endurance conditioning. In fact overtraining is an easy mistake to make with Snatch programming, so use this tool with discretion.

It soon becomes obvious to beginner GS lifters that the grip is the weakest link in the

Just plain, innocent work gloves. 

muscular chain. Though it is a full-body exercise, if the lifter does not learn correct technique in the beginning the fast-twitch muscle fibers in the forearms will fail sooner than expected. Once the grip fatigues in a Snatch set it’s a matter of seconds (at best 120) before the weight simply launches. For the record, launching the kettlebell is not a good skill to practice in training. Not only does it give GS lifting a bad image in the gym, like it or not, in a competition it’s the end of your set.

If you’re going to try using gloves for training, get simple work gloves. No non-slip surfaces, thumb/finger pads or cut-off fingers. Cotton work gloves. Start with whatever you consider a "drop weight," and attempt 200 reps of non-stop One-Hand Swings. See if you can perform 100 reps on each side in one go. One hand switch.

There are at least three reasons for glove training. Beefing up the grip is at the top of the list, but let's not overlook its effectiveness as a technique training tool.

Grip strengthening:

The glove reduces friction between the handle and hand. Like the old-style method of olive oil on the handle for a friction-less surface, with a glove you don’t need to de-grease your gear before you use it again.

Another “hard-style” grip trainer is swinging two kettlebells in one hand, thus putting the muscles in a position of compromise and under a heavy load. However, as a finishing set the Snatch lifter does not benefit by this load increase, which may cause deterioration in form, or increasing workout volume at the end of a training session.

The glove set load is at least 4kg less than the competition load. Because the glove creates a friction-less surface, more finger flexor activity is required to keep a hold on the handle. This increases the physical experience of the weight by about 4 kilograms at the points of maximum inertia, so the lifter practices with a drop weight, loading the grip without overtraining the entire body.

Technique tool:

"This is how the glove landed."* A thick glove.

The aim of a Snatch lifter is to use as many muscle groups as possible to keep the ‘bell in play. Glove sets create an excellent opportunity for the lifter to find ways to use lower body muscles and timing to achieve this goal. Using the glove early in a training cycle can help the lifter discover correct technique to reduce handle rotation at the points where blisters most often occur.

There are a few variations that could make all the difference in a lifter's training cycle. Glove sets may include One-Hand Swings for rep count (excellent for training correct timing and leg movement), adding a Swing to each Snatch (helps the lifter integrate nuances in the acceleration pull), and adding time to the overhead hold (if you don't have fixation, you don't get a rep count, so learn to love it) to name a few.

I personally use fast paced glove Snatch and high-rep glove Swing sets for testing new form ideas. With the drop load there is opportunity to experiment with subtle movements. This translates to the training load in subsequent workout sessions.

Protect the skin:

It is generally unwise for a Snatch lifter to put his/her hands at risk of tearing off a callous. Torn skin can be an unwanted turn in the training cycle, requiring up to a week of partial to complete stop from Snatch training to heal. Rather than attempting a third or fourth heavy set in Stages 2 or 3, a wise lifter will drop to a long glove set for skill and grip training. This allows all the fight to leave with the sweat, and the lifter ends the training session with hands intact.

Within two weeks of the competition the gloves preserve skin while continuing high-rep/low volume skill practice. No matter how well conditioned a lifter may be, there is no place for over-confidence in the Snatch these last weeks. Glove sets will help keep reality in check when used correctly.

By way of last paragraph disclaimer, this is certainly not all there is to GS Snatch training. In fact, I discourage anyone from taking blog post advice as reason to re-vamp the entire training program. I advise all GS lifters to get first-hand instruction at training seminars. Hook up on Facebook and you will see there are many good options. To prepare for a competition, employ a coach. Unless you are lucky enough to live near a Kettlebell Sport club, few GS-specific coaches are available in most gyms, so you will most likely need to work with someone remotely. Any online coaching will require you to video lifts and report training results regularly. If you choose a remote coach, make sure you enjoy communicating with this person, he/she will hold you accountable for your goals.

If you need my advice, send me an email at mindbodyenergetics@gmail.com. I am happy to give initial consultation on your GS lift video, and am I available as an online coach. 

Best wishes to all for productive, and tear-free Snatch training!
Christian
Glove Snatch Bloopers video
* Thanks to Amanda Wagner for permission to use this photo and her quote.

IKSFA Holiday Open 2013: gifts and surprises

Last weekend was the first Girevoy Sport event ever hosted at QCrossfit in Randolph, NJ. Gym owner and organizer Eric Reyelt did the amazing by getting all of us out-of-town people in to the event and also preparing his own team, QKB Club. Co-hosted and officiated by IKSFA, this event was attended by lifters from several U.S. locations and clubs, a team from Kazakhstan, and World Champion Kettlebell Juggler, Coach Oksana Nikifor. The greatest gift for me was the chance to meet with my coach, Sergey Rudnev, for the first time in a year!

 

The whole gang after awards.

This event was an end-of-year gimme to some of us striving for specific ranks. Coach Nikifor dazzled us with an incredible juggling routine at the start of the event. Though there were a few surprises, (the most obvious being random glitches in the electronic timer technology, and a few clerical errors that left the correct medal recipients unrecognized at the awards ceremony) participating lifters showed good sportsmanship and support for each other throughout.

Many personal bests were achieved, including

Tatyana Potemkina of Team Kazakhstan (72kg weight class)

 World Record in Women's 24kg Snatch (170 reps)

Jeff Martone of Team IKSFA USA (100kg weight class)

North American Record in Men's 24kg Snatch (234 reps)

The Biathlon turn out was down-played due to a whole team withdrawal at the last-minute. Apparently they did not want to risk life and limb in the New Jersey snowstorm. Two lifters, one male and one female, did perform the double event and gave us a great demonstration of the mental fortitude required of GS Biathletes. Sergey Karpenko of Team Kazakhstan 32kg Biathlon (score of 179.5: Jerk 90 + Snatch 179), and Julia Lui, under coach Lorna Kleidman 16kg Biathlon (score of 172: Jerk 145 + Snatch 199).

These two shared the first and last flights with an intrepid first time lifter and the only competitor with two single events, Aaron Lassiter of Team OKC: 16kg Men’s Long Cycle (93 reps); 16kg Snatch Only (213 reps). These three kicked off the event in the first flight and finished it 3 hours later.

Long Cycle dominated the day with 35 participants.

A majority of the Men’s division lifted 16kg LC in a demonstration of the fun and easy nature of this event.  My teammate Slava Barsuk, under Coach Denis Vasilev, took the opportunity to practice the faster pacing required for greater achievements planned for early next year, lifting Men's 16kg LC x 97. Heavier loads were represented, and top numbers turned in by Mike Sanders of Team NJ KC with 20kg LC (81 reps), and Juan Pellot of Team KB Athletics with 24kg LC (69 reps).

With Sergey Rudnev seconds after the set.

Among the women we saw a range of weight loads from 8 – 20kg, again, representing amateur athletes starting into the sport, logging personal records with non-professional weight loads, or (like myself) making use of the soon-to-expire IKSFA rank table. I took this last opportunity to achieve MS with 20kg LC (123 reps).  My student, avid One-Hour Long Cycler Kimberly Hodes took the moment to earn her Rank 1 with 12kg LC (120). Meredith Riccardi, under the guidance of Coach Mike, put up the highest amateur (16kg) Women's LC numbers with 117 reps.

Kudos to my Colorado team mate Alison Zemanek, under Coach Slava Barsuk, on her first major event! She achieved Rank 1 her first time out with 16kg LC (88 reps).

There were 11 Snatch Only lifters and every one of them seemed to have something to get done. 

The lowest rep count of this group in both divisions earned the lifter MS rank. Marty Farrell of Team IKSFA USA put up 32kg x 109 reps. The highest rep count for Men’s Snatch Only is the above mentioned by Jeff Martone, 234 reps. Coach Sergey Rudnev of Team IKSFA Russia, played into the new international ranking table with a 28kg set yielding 167 reps.

The Women’s division kept up the pace, the highest coming from Lorna Kleidman of Team IKSFA USA, lifting 16kg x 232. Her student, Avery Wittkamp snatched 20kg for 119 reps and a rank of CMS. Amazingly, this respectable effort was the lowest Snatch Only rep count of the Women’s division. 

Starting in 2014 all AKA/IUKL affiliate organizations will be using the new table, which can be found here.

Results of this even are available on the QCrossfit website: click the "Protokol" link

From Colorado, Kimberly, Alison, Slava and me.

Placement awards for the Holiday Open were given based on co-efficient.* This seemed to have been a surprise to many participants, who anticipated the long ceremony of first, second and third place for each weight class/weight load based on rep count for each event. Last weekend's IKSFA event concluded with a fairly brief awards ceremony. Trophies were given for Men and Women for best in all events: Biathlon; Professional and Amateur Long Cycle; Professional and Amateur Snatch Only; medals given for first, second and third co-efficient factor in all events; Best Absolute Professional and Amateur Male and Female lifter (I believe this is based on rep count regardless of co-efficient); and medals given for ranks CMS, MS and MSIC.

*The co-efficient factor is the result of the entire weight load times the number of reps divided by the lifter’s body weight. With this method of scoring a lifter using less kettlebell weight may prevail over one with a heavier load.

Guest writer explains the One Hour Long Cycle fundraiser event

This post was written by a Girevoy Sport athlete with a personal investment in this year's One Hour Long Cycle event's recipient, The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Please click the links and donate what you can. You may give any amount, and may choose to be anonymous if you'd like.

"Hi everyone-

Many of you know that I took up kettlebell sport this year and competed in several competitions.  It’s been a lot of fun and a lot hard work, and I’ve enjoyed the challenges of training.  It has also been fun winning medals and achieving my ranking goals, but so far, it’s been all about me.

                                                                      

This past August, I competed in an event in Berkeley, California, and had the honor to meet, compete and train with the founders and members of the Orange Kettlebell Club (OKC).  These folks are a hard-working bunch who also know how to have a lot of fun.  During my visit with them, I learned about an annual event they do, the One Hour Long Cycle (http://www.onehourlongcycle.com/).  As the name suggests, it’s a one-hour event in which the participants pick up a single kettlebell and perform continuous repetitions of the kettlebell clean and jerk without putting the kettlebell down for the entirety of the hour.  The main location is in Costa Mesa, California, and the event will commence at 11:00 a.m. PDT on Saturday, October 19^th.  There will be satellite locations all over the country and all over the globe, with groups in Japan, Singapore, Canada, Russia and others.  We will all be lifting at the exact same hour. 

The One Hour Long Cycle is not a competition.  It’s a fundraising event (you knew this part was coming, didn’t you?).  This event began in 2010, and every year, the OKC selects a recipient charity for funds raised as part of this event.  Please take a minute and read this page:  http://www.onehourlongcycle.com/event-info/next-event/  to learn about what we are lifting for this year, The V Foundation for Cancer Research (http://www.jimmyv.org/). 

So now it gets personal … when I decided to participate in this event, I wanted to set a goal number of repetitions that I’d like to achieve during that hour on October 19^th.  I thought about how cancer has touched my life.  My father, unfortunately, lost his battle.  I’d like to think that I’ve won mine, but I remain vigilant in the hopes that if it does return, we can catch it early and deal with it.  This summer, a very dear friend’s eldest daughter was diagnosed with Lymphoma.   At the age of 26, she has suddenly found herself in the deep end of the pool, undergoing chemo and facing a tough battle.  In her honor, my goal number is her birthday, June 12^th, so I am shooting for 612 lifts during that hour.

My coach put this event in perspective beautifully:

We are giving only an hour of our lives, albeit an hour that we may have prepared for up to a month to endure, as a gesture of support for people who are living full-time in difficulty.

We’ve all been touched in one way or another. We’ve lost or fought or supported someone.   I would like to humbly ask that if you were thinking about making any charitable donations to a cancer-related organization this year, think about this one.   Consider just a small donation -- $5 or $10.  It all adds up and it all helps.  None of the funds raised are going to support the event – all of it is going directly to The V Foundation.

Here’s where you can donate:  http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/onehourlongcycle/onehourlongcycle2013

Thank you for reading this!"

Girevoy Sport Information for Spectators!

As our sport grows in popularity more spectators want to know what competitive kettlebell lifting  means. As with any sport, it has taken a few decades to fine-tune the lift requirements and rules, and put a 10-minute time limit on a competitor's set. This post is dedicated to the friends, family and students of Girevoy Sport lifters. Here is some basic information to help you understand what is going on.

Girevoy Sport Terminology:

• GS Events: Long Cycle, Biathlon, Jerk Only and Snatch Only.
• Set: The lifter's set is the number of repetitions counted and the portion of the 10-minute time limit utilized.
• Set Termination: A lifter may terminate his/her set by dropping or putting down the weight before 10-minutes have elapsed. In most cases all completed repetitions count toward the score for a lifter-terminated set. A judge may terminate a set if the lifter's safety becomes a concern, if the lifter makes too many errors or outright brakes the rules. Depending on the reason for a judge-terminated set, the completed repetitions may count toward a lifter's score in the competition. A time-terminated set is preferred, meaning the lifter utilized the entire 10 minutes and all counted repetitions comprise the lifter's score.

A flight of lifters, coaches seated behind the platforms.

• Hand-switch: In any event with one kettlebell, one hand switch is allowed. This means the lifter switches the kettlebell from the start side to the other side. The hand-switch may occur at any point in the 10-minutes at the lifter's discretion.
• Flight: A group of lifters who will all begin their 10-minute lifting duration at the same time. Flights are usually numbered, and the event announcer calls the lifters to their flight by that number. A competition may have as many as 30 or as few as 5 flights.
• Platform: The specific area designated for a lifter to perform a set during a competition. In many cases this is a 4x4 foot area. It may be a portable stage-like piece of floor or a space marked off in tape on a gym floor. In any case, in a competition the platforms are aligned in such a way that the lifters are all facing the same direction, as pictured above.
• Divisions: This is a general grouping of competitors by gender and age. The most common divisions in local and regional competitions are Mens Open, Womens Open, Youth/Boy, Youth/Girls, Men Masters/Veterans, and Womens Masters/Veterans. In World Championship qualifier competitions there may be a further division of Professional, Amateur or Beginner. 
• Weight Categories: Also called weight classes, this refers to the lifter's body weight. In all divisions each competitor falls into one of several 5 to 10kg weight categories. Each hosting organization has it's own body weight categories. A lifter's weight category is determined before each competition at the weigh-in.
• Kettlebell Load: The kettlebell weight is in kilograms. Depending on the competition, loads may range from 8 to 40 kg. At current qualifier competitions the kettlebell load for Professional Men is 32kg, for Amateur Men is 24kg, and Beginner and Veteran Men lift 16kg. For Women, the Professional load is 24kg, Amateur load is 16kg, and Beginner and Veteran Women lift 12kg. 
• Score: In general, each lift is one point. For the Biathlon, the score is determined in a number of different ways. Each hosting organization uses a designated set of regulations made publicly known with the announcement of a competition.
• Prizes: This varies with each competition and is made publicly known with the announcement of a competition. Prizes range from bragging rights to medals, trophies, rank certificates, qualification to higher level competition, and cash prizes. There may be additional recognition for Best Lifter, Absolute Winner or Co-efficient.

The traditional weight loads: 16kg (yellow), 24kg (green) and 32kg (red).

The Lifts:
The components of GS lifts resemble and are named after Olympic Weightlifting moves.

• Long Cycle: This is a GS event known as Clean and Jerk (C&J) in Olympic lifting. Due to the number of lifts involved in a GS set we refer to it as the Long Cycle. The components of this lift are Clean, Rack and Jerk.

  

  A swing between LC Cleans.

• Clean: The lifter moves the weight from the floor to shoulder/chest height. In GS, there is one Clean from the floor at the beginning of a competitor's set. Once the weights have left the floor for the first Clean, the kettlebell/s must stay in the lifter's hands. For all subsequent Cleans the lifter drops the load into a swing and then brings it back to the Rack position.

• Rack: this is the shoulder/chest position mentioned above. This position is a required stopping point for the LC/C&J, but looks very different for each lifting sport. GS lifters bury their elbows deep in a lower body resting point.

  

  Olympic weightlifting Rack position.

  If an Olympic lifter attempted this, he/she would drop the load or cause back damage. GS lifters develop strength and flexibility to launch the weight from Rack to overhead and then return to the Rack. Olympic lifters only return the bar from overhead to the Rack position in practice sessions. In a competition the load is too massive to safely return a loaded barbell to the Rack.

Arm lockout in Olympic Jerk.

GS Rack position.

• Jerk: This is an element of both GS and Olympic lifting, and also a stand alone event in GS. The Jerk starts in the Rack position. To practice this, Olympic lifters either Clean the bar from the floor or begin with a loaded bar sitting on Jerk Boxes. GS lifters Clean the weights from the floor once at the beginning of a set. Otherwise the Jerk for both sports is identical in required elements. The lifter must launch the weight into a straight-arm overhead position and then straighten his/her legs to complete a Jerk. The arms must be straightened before the legs straighten for the repetition to count. This is a form point known as "lockout." For the repetition to count the lifter must hold a stable lockout position under the weight long enough for the load to stop moving. This is referred to as "fixation" of the weight. In both Olympic and GS lifting, a lifter may achieve a good lockout, but if he/she does not establish fixation after a Jerk attempt, the repetition will not count.

  

  Jerk fixation.

Swing between Snatch reps.

• Snatch: This is a lift performed in both sports, and until recently the only women's event in GS. As with the LC/C&J the Snatch begins with the weight on the floor. The weight is moved continuously from this low position to overhead lockout and fixation bypassing the Rack. This lift appears very different between the two sports. Olympic lifters use two hands on the bar and drop the bar from overhead once the repetition is judged complete. GS lifters use one kettlebell for this event, and after the first repetition the kettlebell does not touch the ground until the lifter's set is complete. It is a cyclic exercise with no pauses aside from the required overhead fixation. The lifter and kettlebell are in perpetual motion with one hand-switch for the duration of a set.

• Biathlon:  For this GS event the athlete performs one Jerk set and one Snatch set with the same kettlebell load.  Currently most local, regional and some qualifier events invite both men and women to participate with a Biathlon. Men use two kettlebells of the same weight for the Jerk set and one kettlebell for the Snatch. (ie. Mens 32kg Biathlon, the Jerk set, is shown above right, Snatch set shown lower left.) Women use one kettlebell of the same weight for both sets, shown lower right. For men and women, there is equal time to rest between the Jerk and Snatch sets for all Biathlon competitors. This amount of time varies with each competition.

The Competition:

24kg Biathlon, Jerk set.

32kg Biathlon, Snatch set.

• In current GS competitions Men and Women compete in all events. Men lift two kettlebells for Long Cycle and Jerk, and one kettlebell for the Snatch. In traditional competitions Women lift one kettlebell in all events, though recently women are invited to compete in a 5-minute Double Jerk event.
• Each competitor only competes directly against other lifters in the same division and weight category who are performing the same lift with the same kettlebell load. This also applies to events specific to certain competitions, such as the 5-minute Double Jerk, 5-minute Snatch and Chair Press.
• Though GS is mainly an individual sport, the traditional team event is a Long Cycle Relay. This event is not available at every competition in the U.S. but is part of Russian Girevoy Sport Championships.

I hope this post gives new meaning to Kettlebell Sport for the friends and family of GS lifters. Thanks to all who support this intense strength endurance sport, and best wishes to beginners who are training for their first competitions!

**Photographic acknowledgement: most of these pictures came from my own camera. The pictures of Sergei Merkulin came from Nazo Okc's pictures of my LC flight in 2012. The images of Olympic weightlifters and Aleksander Khvostov were pilfered from internet and facebook posts.**