NW Kettlebell Competition a great benchmark event

For those who have caught the Kettlebell Sport fever, regional meets such as the NW Competition in Seattle are extremely gratifying.

First of all, it's a chance to go all out with a 10 minute set. This requires preparation, not just a few 15-rep sets in the middle of your circuit training. I mean focused training sessions to grove the lift, learn how to connect timing with breathing cycles and train the anti-panic mechanism.

The second major benefit of training to lift at a regional meet is that you may be in the weight class by yourself, earn a gold medal for showing up and log a great personal record! Currently Kettlebell Sport is an elite, niche sport in the US. Due to the intensity of training, not many athletes will go the distance, so until we have a few more years of growth in the ranks, most people will earn a first, second or third place medal at local and regional meets. National Championship meets are another story...

The third, but not final benefit of making it to regional KB Sport meets is the look you see on the guys in these pictures. The people, the sportsmanship, everyone respects the process of working toward personal goals. We all know what it takes to finish, or even attempt to finish a 10 minute kettlebell set. And the ranking system is not easy. That's right, there are ranks in categories such as Health, General Physical Preparedness, Sporting Perfection and High Mastery of Sport. As in all elite level sports, it's not every month that an athlete can achieve one of these ranks. We prepare for months, sometimes years to achieve goals and improve our previous records. Each year the local and regional events bring both new and seasoned athletes, community, friendly competition and benchmark achievements that might just be World Records. The joy of accomplishment is something you just have to experience for yourself.

For more information about upcoming meet, lifting events, and classes to improve KB Sport skills contact me at kettlebellfitness@yahoo.com.
Please visit my website http://mindbodyenergetics.us/kettlebells.html for the current class schedule.

Best wises for a fantastic, healthy season!