Breathing and Lifting

Breathing was taught to me from the first time I touched a kettlebell: breathing and specific ways of using my breath throughout an exercise. The main technique was to pressurize my abdomen and "irradiate" strength, especially when finishing overload sets. For the first several months I got a head rush after heavy sets of Swings and sustained exercises like the Turkish Get-up, but was getting stronger and staying safe.

Didn't everyone learn kettlebells this way?

A major revelation in my lifting was the introduction of Girevoy Sport. Right away I learned that the "hard style" breathing pattern (above) would not work for sets longer than 2 minutes. The next thing that took me by surprise was to pay attention to breathing cycles in the rest positions and use them to maintain pacing for sets of more than 2-minutes.

What is the difference between a breathing pattern and a breathing cycle?


A Breathing Pattern is a specific synchronization of movement with the inhale and/or exhale.

• In weightlifting the use of pressurization and diaphragmatic breath patterning might include holding the breath through a phase of movement and release it at a resting point, or exhaling through the exertion. Under weight, the inhale often comes as a quick gasp with this pattern.
• The counter-balancing pattern is anatomical breathing, more often seen in cyclic activities such as rowing or stretching, that pairs compression of the body with the exhale and extension with the inhale. This is an aerobic, continuous breathing pattern. The breath is not stopped, only sped-up or slowed-down.

One Breathing Cycle is the completion of an inhale and an exhale.

• On a simple level, the breathing cycle uptakes oxygen for the body and releases carbon dioxide. 
• More sophisticated exercise scientists consider the volume of oxygen uptake and maximum restoration of the lactate balance, connecting the breathing cycles with heart rate.

For a Kettlebell Athlete or any Weightlifter, breathing patterns and cycles are woven together. Of vital importance is when in the training the efficient pattering is learned. Success is more likely when the learner use technique-specific breathing patterns and cycles automatically.

Anyone who wants to take Girevoy Sport to a higher level must learn correct breathing at the foundation. For those who learned "hard style" lifting, it is important to commit time and awareness to re-pattern breathing in the rest positions. For maximum efficiency, my strong recommendation is to get one-on-one training with a certified Kettlebell Sport Trainer, such as myself.
www.mindbodyenergetics.us/register.html

For those who enjoy a group learning experience, check out
Ken Blackburn's schedule of Certified Ketttlebell Teacher training events :
http://www.ikff.net/events-calendar/event-registration.html

The next IKFF Level 1 in my neighborhood, Lakewood, CO:
Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8 & 9th
followed by the Level 2 certification on the 9 & 10th.

For those intrepid athletes who want to jump in with both feet might contact Ken about doing them back-to-back. Look over the physical assessment portion before committing to this....

Best wishes to all for a great, safe workouts with kettlebells,
Christian

Persevere

As a multi-faceted athlete I have taken a winding road toward Girevoy Sport. Like many others, I came to kettlebells after several years in the martial arts. The first and most profound teaching I was given as a martial artist is that commitment to the practice will give something that can never be taken away.

The late Koichi Tohei-Sensei (died 2011), founder of Shin Shin Toitsu (Mind and Body Unification) Aikido, or Ki-Aikido*, was tapped into this same wisdom. He knew that he could not personally teach everyone who walked into his dojo so he wrote principles to guide the teachers of his line.

Principles of Learning Ki:

• Have a mind like a mirror
• Persevere
• Practice in daily life
• Change the subconscious mind
• Teach what you have learned

For this blog I have picked out the word "persevere" because it addresses athletes on a universal level. Though it is the only single-word principle in the above list, it has implications on every level of our reality. If you Google the word you will see that it is a verb that describes direction with the pretense of resistance.

Those of us who have chosen Girevoy Sport have chosen the pretense of resistance. May this post serve to support your direction in the pursuit of unquestionably difficult goals.

• Psychology of winning is a fine art. Tell yourself what you are doing well. Always practice the way you want to perform. Get outside perspective and form corrections from trusted experts often as possible.
• Emotionally set yourself up for challenges that you are likely to achieve. There are large growth phases in between amateur and professional weight loads. Set a goal that pushes your limit, and will not kill you in the preparation. Mental and emotional exhaustion will derail performance.
• Physically recognize the nature of our bodies. Our livers have two-week cycles in which they restore and detoxify all of our blood. Therefore, micro-cycles and multi-stage training are realistic models to maximize growth and test performance potential. After a test or major competition, honor your nervous system with complete rest.
• Community connection. Once you have decided on your goal and event, consult a coach who trains athletes in your sport. Train at a gym where your goals are honored, with other GS athletes if possible. Share equipment with more advanced lifters and get to know your gym mates.

For those who are beginning GS, join social communities like facebook, or look up international organizations to find coaches and fellow-athletes. You must have specialized equipment, so check out sources of "pro-grade" kettlebells while you're online. YouTube videos show endless examples of World Class lifting as well as amateur test sets. Take it all in, and above all, persevere.

For information about GS lifting in Boulder, CO, contact Christian at kettlebellfitness@yahoo.com

*For information about Ki-Aikido: http://www.shinshintoitsuaikido.org/english/renew/aikidokai_001.html
"List of Ki Society" tab gives world-wide Ki-Aikido dojos.

2012 IKFF Championships results... Say what?!?

That was a BIG event in US Girevoy Sport lifting. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 180 competitors and 35 flights of Biathlon, Long Cycle, Snatch Only, Jerk Only and 5-minute Chair Press took place at the Sheraton Novi Hotel on Saturday, November 17th. It was an incredibly long day for the organizers who, admirably, kept their spirits up even among numerous registration problems.

Ken Blackburn and his team fielded registration and scheduling concerns for people from all over the world. Puerto Rico, Russia, Australia, Norway, Canada, and of course all parts of the US. Slava and I were the contingency from Boulder, representing team IKSFA. Also present was the OKC/Juno Fitness team, and the IKFF team.

Sergey Rudnev's Jerk set. Note the variety of weight loads.

One major feature of this Championship was the mixture of skill levels in each flight. World Class lifters stood between both seasoned and first time competitors alike. The level of difficulty was high in general. In the past two years I haven't seen so many men putting up 32kg sets and women going for 24kg sets.

The rules review was at 9 am, where Ken, always aware of the general mood, announced that "anyone using the term Kettle Ball will be escorted off the premises." Flight 1 started at around 9:15 am. Everyone with two events planned were scheduled with 4 or 5 flights to rest in between, roughly one hour. Slava had two flights early in the day, I was in two afternoon sets, the last 8 lifters finished the day at 5:30 pm. 

To say that the staging arena was tense is an understatement. You could scoop the adrenaline out of the air and serve it in a custard cup. Many first time competitors were not new to the sport but were new to competition jitters, which amps the stress level. Accomplished lifters envisioning Master of Sport or higher ranks could be seen hiding in their headphones, or were completely absent until just before their flights. World-class lifters were in the house demonstrating complete relaxation and total calm, which seemed to make the contrast between them and the unseasoned lifters even more obvious.

Juliet Lederle shows fortitude with a 24kg Jerk set.

I was able to connect with some of my IKSFA team mates and found that everyone had been programmed for tremendous goals, many by Master Coach Sergey Rudnev. A few personal bests were achieved, yet on the whole it seemed that the strain of training for this event caught up with us all. Take a look at the four events Slava and I completed. (The competition results are posted on IKFF.net.)

Slava preps for Snatch in a flight with 5-minute Chair Press.

Slava's primary event was Men's 20kg (Double) Long Cycle with 49 reps in in 10:00. He was in a class of his own (there was no official 20kg LC in the Men's division at this event), missing his personal best, set at the OKC meet, by more than 10 reps. He went ahead with his second event, Snatch Only with no special preparation, and took third place in his weight class in Men's Professional division 24kg Snatch with 63 reps in 5:06, 7 reps shy of Rank III. He was bested by above mentioned Norwegian, Allan Fallro, who took Rank I with 166 reps at 9:13, 2 reps from his goal of Candidate Master of Sport (CMS), and Sincere Hogan, who hit 116 in 8:32, 4 reps short of Rank I.

I meditated on Yellow Alert until my primary event, Women's Professional division 20kg Long Cycle (flight 19), and took first place with 98 reps in 9:52, and CMS rank for the second year in a row, 2 reps short of MS. This year it was a legitimate win against fitness trainer Terri Parker, who hit 57 reps in 7:50. ("Where did you come from?!?" she asked as we stood in line for our medals.) My second set was Women's Amateur 16kg Snatch, where I completed 150 reps in 10:00, the same result as at NW Comp in Seattle, giving me second place. Looking at the results data to write this blog I do not see anyone else in my weight category. According to international ranking I would have achieved CMS, however it is listed as Rank I on the results page. My nearest competitor is listed as the only 16kg lifter in the next weight class up with 156 reps in 9:53, ranking CMS. I'm thinking this glitch in the results is a casualty of the event and am actually quite proud to have a second place medal!

The big surprise for me was winning the Women's 20kg Co-efficient award, aka, Pound-for-pound ratio. This is calculated by dividing the lifters body weight by the total volume lifted. Co-efficient awards and Absolute lifter (total volume lifted) awards are given for Women's 20kg and 24kg divisions, and Men's 24kg and 32kg divisions.
Best Women's 20kg Absolute lifter was Andrea Borders, with LC, 120 reps in 10:00, MS.
For Women's 24kg division, Donica Storino took both Absolute and Co-efficient lifter with LC, 110 reps in 10:00, achieving Master of Sport International Class (MSIC).
Men's 24kg Absolute and Co-efficient award went to Jeff Martone for his LC set, turning in 100 reps in 8:50, and CMS.
Men's 32kg Absolute lifter went to Bill Esch for his MS Long Cycle, 67 reps in 9:05.
Mitch Blackburn earned Men's 32kg Co-efficient award with LC, 62 reps in 10:00 and MS.

Marty Farrell setting an American record in Biathlon!

So what's the plan for ultimate success in Long Cycle? For me, Stage 5. Rest and allow my frazzled nerves to recover. There is a strong rumor that in the future this competition will be held on two separate days, and will follow more strict international guidelines. One significant change would be to hire judges rather than recruit volunteers to judge. Ken also announced his plan to install air filter "to remove stress."

In all seriousness, more competitions are being announced every week. In fact there is at least one every weekend in February. My plan is to follow my coaches advice, repair my form and only train the Long Cycle for the IKSFA NW Kettlebell Invitational in Sumner, WA, April 27th.

For more information about GS training in Boulder, CO, and the surrounding areas, contact me at kettlebellfitness@yahoo.com
Best wishes for safe lifting!
Christian

BOLT KB Comp, Dec. 9, 2012, Denver, CO

Thanks to Nico Rithner and his vision to bring more people into Girevoy Sport, we have one more opportunity this year to challenge our kettlebell fitness!

This is a "nothing to loose, everything to enjoy" experience for strength-endurance athletes. More experienced lifters will challenge themselves with only one hand switch, or to not set the weights down during the set, but BOLT rules make it easy to stay on the platform for 10 minutes:

• you can do up to four events, double Half Snatch, double Jerk, single Snatch and single Long Cycle
• you can put the weights down and rest during your set, just don't leave the platform
• if the event is with one kettlebell you can switch hands as many times as you want
• scoring is based on volume, compete against men or women in your weight class
• you may use a different size of kettlebell for each event you participate in

Go to this website to register!
http://www.iklstore.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=meet1

Please note, attempting a 10-minute set of any Kettlebell Sport lift without some preparation is not advised. Scroll down the above webpage for demonstrations of each lift. If you would like to participate, please look into the lifts and practice beforehand.

For those in or near Boulder, contact me if you would like to learn or practice the lifts ahead of time. I offer training sessions at Body Balance Gym, Boulder, CO.
kettlebellfitness@yahoo.com

Best wishes to all,
Christian

The Value of Stretching

***A note up-front, stretching is not just for athletes. It's for anyone with a body. However, since this is a fitness blog I will focus my comments on sporty-folks.***

An athlete who has gone to a chiropractor or massage therapist as a result of unexpected pain will at some point hear the analysis "your (name of muscle or muscle group) is/are tight." While I am happy to take your money, hammer away at "knots" and then re-schedule 10 more sessions to "get it out," I would rather help people help themselves. Knowledge is power, and my wish is for everyone to have power over their own well-being. Therefore I offer these pearls to you.

Important things to know about muscles: 

• the action of a muscle is to contract, which causes a joint to move, thus a muscle in perpetual contraction will eventually move a joint out of its normal position = sharp pain
• blood vessels and nerves pass through muscle bellies, between muscle groups, and between muscles and bones, thus a muscle in perpetual contraction will eventually interfere with blood flow and nerve endings = numbness, lack of strength and pain
• a muscle will maintain the state of contraction that is the most useful or commonly needed by its owner = gradual development of muscular aches, "knots," lack of flexibility and range of motion
• a muscle lengthens under two conditions: first, when catalyzed by a different muscle's contraction = "strengthening a weakness"; second, when mechanical elongation is coordinated with sustained, relaxed breathing (ie. a "stretch") = pain-prevention, resilience of joints and self-care

This makes two things important for athletes:

1. preparation before practice to ensure unrestricted motion during specific skill training
2. actively and passively releasing muscular contraction during and after a practice session

In my opinion this is the Value of Stretching: Prevention, Self-care, Common Sense.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Like putting on a hat and gloves before going outside in freezing weather, prevention is a small act with small cost that saves us from potentially enormous problems.

In terms of stretching, it is the extra 15 or 20 minutes of sprawling on the mat and breathing after a workout that ensures relaxation later in the day and restful sleep at night. To their credit, most athletes own their self-neglect while paying me big money to help them breathe and stretch for 60 minutes or more. They usually come to me after the second night of no sleep due to muscular tension, or when the pain has kept them from working out at least once. (Note the time:cost investment in both cases)
One thing that is certain for all athletes, not stretching thoroughly has a cumulative effect which eventually impinges normal structural and vascular action, and inhibits every day activities. An athletic career without debilitating injuries is a rare one indeed, but is not impossible.

Self-care = self-empowerment. It requires learning. It requires time. It pays off exponentially.
The link here is almost 17 minutes of video showing Denis Vasiliev doing his post training routine. Notice how many breathing cycles he commits to each position.
video by firefire999
In a recent Girevoy Sport seminar, Denis made special mention of the importance of warming-up sequentially before using the competition weight, and recommended immediate muscular recovery upon setting down the weights. Anything that needs to be released should be done as soon as possible while blood flow is abundant.
(See also my blog of Sunday, February 5th, 2012 "No-Brainer Return-To's")
 
At the risk of ruffling some feathers, I assert that self-care is not popular because it requires self-responsibility. It is a personal study and is rarely prescribed by specialists. The good news is that resources are abundant. Restorative and Yin-style Yoga classes are excellent avenues for athletes to gain knowledge with guidance. Self-empowerment begins when you practice outside the yoga studio, look deeper into your habits and amass information to meet your personal needs. Public libraries and YouTube are readily available. Also, word-of-mouth recommendations are worth investigating.

Common sense, or, "I knew that."
Once you have a stretching routine, a vital part of self-care is solo-practice. This will help you understand a flow and drop deeper into stretches that are more useful to you. Here are some pointers.

Time and space must be given for stretching, ie. not in a room full of furniture or equipment. The most opportune time to stretch is after exercise.
Another choice moment is before engaging in evening activities such as a meal or watching television.
Be unrestricted in your movement when stretching. Remove jewelry, belts, shoes and anything that will confine you.
Over-training will sabotage an athlete's performance goals. Days off of training can be dedicated to deep stretching, breathing and mobility exercises.
Control the environment as much as possible during a stretching session. Calm music or silence are conducive to relaxation. Set a timer to allow your mind to rest.
Finish stretching with a few minutes of "corpse pose," or being supported by the Earth in unstructured stillness. This is the last thing in Denis' routine, the last thing in a yoga class, and often considered the most important component of a mind-body practice.

Please leave your comments and personal stories here.
Best wishes for your journey into stretching!
Christian Goldberg
kettlebellfitness@yahoo.com
www.mindbodyenergetics.us

To chalk or no, the Girevoy Sport question.

It's somewhat of a trick question. The primary purpose for chalk (magnesium carbonate) in Girevoy Sport is to minimize friction between the handle and the lifters skin. There is one story of a 32kg Snatch lifter who did not use chalk. I hope this is an urban legend.  Rumor has it that the athlete lifted the entire 10-minute set with no switch to the second side. The lifter had apparently epoxied his hand onto the handle. eeeuuu! This may be the reason most current GS organizations clearly state that the only thing to be used on the kettlebell handle is magnesium carbonate, and also why the kettlebell must be placed on the platform in full view of the judges before the lifting starts.  ... just a thought.

It is uncommon to see anyone competing at a professional level with Snatch or Long Cycle who does not have some chalk on hands and/or handles. Less chalk is needed for the Jerk though it is still used with heavy weight loads (ie. +20 or 24kg for women and +24 or 32kg for men).

Lifters who avoid chalk are probably those whose hands stay dry through the work set. To this group, chalk causes friction and will create a skin tear. I would love to see this group advance to higher level lifting - the only reason for not using chalk for a 10-minute heavy weight load set is complete confidence in impeccable technique, so please show us how it's done!
Another reason people don't use chalk is because it's an "all-or-nothing" proposition. Too little chalk will become a layer of sand paper which eventually rasps the skin into a tear once the hands become sweaty. Those who need chalk, aka. the sweaty-hand group, need to go through a fairly involved process of cleaning up the kettlebell handle with emory paper, a wet cloth and spray bottle before getting to the powdered chalk. This can be messy in the learning phase.

Those who benefit by chalk also quickly learn that the right amount is key. It varies from person to person. In a 2012 Snatch seminar, champion lifter Alexandra Vesileva mentioned two chalking options, either a "fur coat" (for lifters whose hands sweat more), or a "thin layer" (for lifters whose hands stay dry). Both types of lifters cover their hands with chalk, especially the area between the thumb and index finger. Alexandra did not mention any other options and waited patiently for me to put a light weather jacket on my handle before beginning a work set later that day. (She told me it was not a fur coat because it was not yet one-quarter inch thick.)

Here is a video I made for some fellow GS lifters who asked how I get the handle so white:
Chalking for Snatch may be more thorough than OneArm Long Cycle.

Anyone who has attempted a 10-minute Snatch or Long Cycle with 20kg or more already gets the reasoning, but for those who would like more details, there are three moments in the cyclic GS exercises that warrant the use of chalk:

1. The point of Maximum Inertia - this is when the weight, having been dropped from the overhead or rack position, reaches the point at which the lifter must change it's direction into a pendulum swing. The handle has moved from the thumb to finger side of the lifter's hand during the fall, but has not yet weighted the hand. There are a few techniques to minimize "grip shock" and if the handle is in a perfect position there will be no friction at this point.
2. The Dead Point of the back swing - this is when the weight has reached the zero velocity point in the back of the pendulum. The kettlebell will stop moving upward and begin to fall. If the lifter is patient, he/she will wait for this course change and re-direct the downward movement into a forward swing in complete harmony with gravity. With the patience of a turtle climbing a mountain, there will be no friction during this point.
3. The Dead Point before the Acceleration Pull - this is the other side of number 2, when the weight has reached zero velocity at the front of the pendulum swing. If the lifter waits for the kettlebell to stop moving upward along the pendulum arc, just before it changes direction on its own, he/she can "pull" the kettlebell into a vertical trajectory. With correct timing and technique there will be no friction in this movement.

Chances of learning and practicing correct technique at all three of these points in the Snatch or Long Cycle are slim. A motor-skills genius who can practice it correctly from the get-go will dominate his or her weight class. If this is you, please make videos of all your training sessions and post them for the rest of us to learn from!
After three years of practicing GS exercises I continue to refine these three parts of my lifts. Yes, it is the beginning of my competitive years, and thanks to chalk I am able to experiment. Mistakes mixed in with correct lifts do not devastate my sets.

For more information, questions or to find out where in Boulder you can practice these skills, please contact me at kettlebellfitness@yahoo.com. 
Visit my website: mindbodyenergetics.us

A word on the schools of kettlebell lifting

Much like the many types of Martial Art, no particular school of kettlebell lifting is "better." All uses for kettlebells have specific benefits when performed correctly. Because I am asked so often, I figure it's time to spell it out the different styles of kettlebell lifting to the best of my understanding.

Something to note upfront: Kettlebells are designed to be one-handed tools. Strong folks have complained that the handles are too small or the weights aren't heavy enough. Keep in mind the two-handed swing is a basic exercise that leads to one-handed momentum exercises, such as Clean and Snatch. Swinging with two kettlebells is a simple solution to the above mentioned problems. (It is not advised to Snatch with two kettlebells.)

Kettlebell assisted aerobics vs. "Hard Style" strength training
(more weight = more need for technique)

"Kettlebell assisted aerobics" includes lower amount of weight, ie. 2, 5 or 7 pounds, which are incorporated with mostly un-weighted routines. Aerobic workouts focus on high repetition, movements outside the normal routine and maintaining a target heart rate for a duration of time. A light weight kettlebell intensifies the core aspect of this workout. The kettlebell exercises are basic enough to be taught on-the-fly, and small sizes provide safety from injuries if form is not completely correct. Fast paced music is common to keep the focus on perpetual movement and elevated heart rate. Using kettlebells with aerobics is a great way to loose weight and get started with resistance training.

"Hard Style" (a term applied to a specific style of kettlebell lifting) strength training makes use of kettlebells as free-weights rather than dumbells, cable machines and a weighted bar. A major difference in this style is the off-set weight of a kettlebell. (A variety of sizes come into play, such as those pictured to the upper left and lower right. These kettlebells are solid cast iron, thus the diameter of the bell increases in proportion with the weight.) This requires the lifter to use deep core contraction, specific breathing and technical knowledge to accomplish a lift safely. Another characteristic of "Hard Style" is improved mobility and flexibility. "Hard Style" kettlebell lifting is a great way to take your physical fitness to a higher level and learn valuable skills for daily life.

Kettlebells to assist in a workout vs. Kettlebells as the workout
(more kettlebell exercises = more need for technique)
"Kettlebells to assist in a workout" is when a few exercises in the workout include kettlebells, ie. a circuit style workout with kettlebell exercises mixed in with exercises using other pieces of equipment such as a barbell, pull-up bar, tire and sledge hammer, etc. This style is typically a group workout with minimal emphasis on teaching technique, which slows the pace. Great for those who need a diversified workout, this style is characteristically intense and supports functional movement. Can be an excellent way to condition the cardiovascular system and gain strength.

"Kettlebells as the workout" is when the entire set of equipment for a workout is a variety of kettlebell sizes and open floor space for bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and burpies. Skills must be developed to complete an entire workout with kettlebells only. It is a good idea to get a series of private training sessions or attend a certification workshop (such as "Hard Style" or Girevoy Sport training) so the lifts become correctly ingrained. Great for those who like to workout on their own. Also excellent for at-home training and for athletes who want to improve their performance in a sport.

"Hard Style" vs. Girevoy Sport (more time with one lift = even more focus on technique)

"Hard Style" has a trademark of high intensity with fewer repetitions. Which is not to say that cardiovascular endurance is left out. In fact, many long-time weightlifters pick up kettlebells for the added cardiovascular conditioning of the momentum exercises, ie. Swing and Snatch. Great for breaking out of a training rut and gaining relative strength due to the high focus on core conditioning. Excellent for short workouts with a minimal amount of equipment.

Girevoy Sport (GS) takes the momentum exercises to a whole new level. The diameter of these hollow steel weights are standardized so a lifter can move from 8 to 12 to 20 kilogram weights without adjusting their form to fit the different dimension. (A 32 kg kettlebell is more solid than an 8 kg kettlebell.) This type of kettlebell (shown in the picture above) is useful for all types of kettlebell training. A characteristic of Girevoy Sport is the initial challenge of learning the "classic lifts" which make it a sport: Snatch, Jerk and Clean & Jerk ("Long Cycle" in GS talk). The duration of a competition set, 10 minutes, is the next challenge of GS. At a competition, the amount of correct repetitions completed in 10 minutes are counted as a lifters set. In the beginning, just keeping a kettlebell in motion or in one of the "rest positions" for 3 to 5 minutes is a major accomplishment. GS training is great for developing work capacity, strength endurance and flexibility in shoulder and hip joints. Also excellent for athletes who want to learn a new, highly competitive individual sport.

I hope this is helpful for those who've been wondering about the various uses for kettlebells. Please feel free to contact me with comments or questions: kettlebellfitness@yahoo.com  See my website for information about classes or private training: www.mindbodyenergetics.us

Best wishes for a great season!