My knee keeps getting better. But its been very slow. Over a month after the dislocation, my knee remains stiff after I sit for more than 15 minutes at a time. Although it keeps getting better, I still look like an old man when I get out of my car after my 30 minute commute.
Despite the injury, I continue to set personal records ("pr's") in the Long Cycle, both for pace and total reps. Last night I had a 5 min 2x24kg set for 45 reps (9 rpm) and tonight, I set my total rep record of 59 reps in 7 minutes (rpms = 9,9,8,9,8,8,8). This is truly significant, in that my previous pr of 55 reps (set June 16) took 8 minutes to acheive with rpms of 7,7,7,7,7,7,6.
I had been wondering what changes I needed to make to continue my progress. Things like OAJ's with a heavier KB, or adding squats or heavy barbell cleans.
Given the success I'm having, despite the knee injury, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing until it stops working.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Return to Long Cycle: Ups and Downs
As I said in the last post, I returned to training Long Cycle. My knee continues to improve, but its not 100%, and I think it will be a long time before it completely heals and is back to normal.
Despite that, I have set a number of pr's in my LC training since the last post. The chief accomplishment is the increase in my rpm's using the 20kg KB's for LC.
I had hoped to up my rpm's to 9 rpm for 5 minutes, and eventually 10 rpm for ten minutes in the next few months. In just a few workouts, I maintained over 10 rpm (close to 11) for 5-7 minutes. And last week I had a 98 rep 10 minute set, maintaining 10 rpm for eight minutes, and 9 rpm for the final two minutes.
I decided to return to 24kg KB's and had two workouts in which I met or exceeded 8 rpm for 5 minutes (42 reps and 40 reps respectively, both efforts bested my previous pr's from before the injury). I crashed and burned the next workout and only managed 8-9 rpm's with the 20kg bells before calling it quits.I just don't think I'm up to using the 24's every workout yet.
Still, I have progressed very quickly, despite the knee injury, and should be able to reach 69 reps with the 24's by December.
At this point I think its wisest for me to continue using the 20's for most of my workouts. I know KB orthodoxy would call for me to use the 24's for one set, then the 20's for another, and then some OAJ's with a heavier bell. But with my knee injury I think it's best to use lighter KB's to rehab my knee, and to work on pacing and longer sets than I could with the 24's.
I'll let you know how that works out.
Despite that, I have set a number of pr's in my LC training since the last post. The chief accomplishment is the increase in my rpm's using the 20kg KB's for LC.
I had hoped to up my rpm's to 9 rpm for 5 minutes, and eventually 10 rpm for ten minutes in the next few months. In just a few workouts, I maintained over 10 rpm (close to 11) for 5-7 minutes. And last week I had a 98 rep 10 minute set, maintaining 10 rpm for eight minutes, and 9 rpm for the final two minutes.
I decided to return to 24kg KB's and had two workouts in which I met or exceeded 8 rpm for 5 minutes (42 reps and 40 reps respectively, both efforts bested my previous pr's from before the injury). I crashed and burned the next workout and only managed 8-9 rpm's with the 20kg bells before calling it quits.I just don't think I'm up to using the 24's every workout yet.
Still, I have progressed very quickly, despite the knee injury, and should be able to reach 69 reps with the 24's by December.
At this point I think its wisest for me to continue using the 20's for most of my workouts. I know KB orthodoxy would call for me to use the 24's for one set, then the 20's for another, and then some OAJ's with a heavier bell. But with my knee injury I think it's best to use lighter KB's to rehab my knee, and to work on pacing and longer sets than I could with the 24's.
I'll let you know how that works out.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Return to Long Cycle
Since injuring my knee (see last post) I spent several workouts working on the snatch and the one-armed long cycle. I slowly re-integrated double KB work, using the 20 KG bells instead of the 24's, and last night did a 10 minute set of long cycle. I averaged over 8 rpm, with a total rep count of 83.
Normally I'd just pick up the 24 KG bells and resume where I left off with long cycle. But my knee is still tender, and it's very stiff every time I sit for more than a few minutes. I look like an old man when I climb out of my car after my 30 minute commute to and from work. Once the knee loosens up I'm fine. But those first minutes after I get out of the car look pitiful. Thankfully, my cautious return to double KB lifting has not hurt the knee or caused any soreness.
Anyway, the knee is getting better but I'm cautious about returning full bore to double 24kg work. So my plan is to work on speed work with the 20kg bells. Tonight I'll try a five minute set at 9 rpm. I'll progressively up the pace and minutes until I can go 100 reps in ten minutes with the 20 KG's. When I reach that point I'll return to the 24's. At least, that is the plan.
My ultimate goal for the year is to make my Level I ranking at the Southeast Regionals in Atlanta on December 5th. That means at least 69 reps of Long Cycle with two 24's in ten minutes.
We'll see how that works out...
Normally I'd just pick up the 24 KG bells and resume where I left off with long cycle. But my knee is still tender, and it's very stiff every time I sit for more than a few minutes. I look like an old man when I climb out of my car after my 30 minute commute to and from work. Once the knee loosens up I'm fine. But those first minutes after I get out of the car look pitiful. Thankfully, my cautious return to double KB lifting has not hurt the knee or caused any soreness.
Anyway, the knee is getting better but I'm cautious about returning full bore to double 24kg work. So my plan is to work on speed work with the 20kg bells. Tonight I'll try a five minute set at 9 rpm. I'll progressively up the pace and minutes until I can go 100 reps in ten minutes with the 20 KG's. When I reach that point I'll return to the 24's. At least, that is the plan.
My ultimate goal for the year is to make my Level I ranking at the Southeast Regionals in Atlanta on December 5th. That means at least 69 reps of Long Cycle with two 24's in ten minutes.
We'll see how that works out...
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Knee Injury. Or, How I Became a Snatch Specialist
Yesterday I dislocated my knee. Although I've dislocated my knee more times than I can count, I have not injured it to this degree since I had reconstructive knee surgery in 1996. The irony here is that I did not dislocate the knee exercising (GS has a very low incidence of injury). I actually did it sitting down in the courtroom, in the middle of a rape trial. Long story, I'll spare you the details.
As you may know from a previous post, my favorite kettlebell exercise (and sporting event) is the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk aka "Long Cycle" or "LC" in Internet parlance. In addition to loving the LC for the total body workout it provides, I have progressed faster in the LC than I have in other lifts, and the positive training results have encouraged me to concentrate more on this exercise.
The legs are the prime movers for much of the LC, and it provides a much more intense stressor on the lifter's legs than the snatch. Using two kettlebells instead of one has a lot to do with that.
I had planned, based on my progress, to enter into a competition in the Men's LC event. In light of that, I had already shifted my workout focus to LC. I was even considering dropping the snatch completely from my workouts until the contest was over. Then I dislocated my knee.
Now the knee is pretty sore. Sore enough that I'm just not up to cleaning and jerking two 24kg KB's for 8-10 minutes at 7 rpm. Or, more accurately, I'm not up to cleaning and jerking any amount of weight right now for any period of time.
Fortunately, I can still get a good KB workout with the snatch. Because of the mechanics of the snatch, I can still do this lift for several minutes at a stretch without any stress on my knee. As a matter of fact, my knee felt better after an eight minute snatch set with my 20kg KB than it had all day.
So, while I'm waiting for the knee to heal up, I'll be concentrating on the One-Armed Snatch (OAS). Its not so bad. It's a weak link I need to work on, and here's my chance. In the mean time, I'll be formulating a plan to incorporate squats and stretching into my routine to ensure a proper muscle balance in my knee area. Wish me luck...
Here is a video of a KB expert, Bonnie Mullaney, working the snatch. She has also recently suffered an injury, although much more serious than mine(broken leg). Please remember her in your prayers. I wish her a speedy and full recovery.
As you may know from a previous post, my favorite kettlebell exercise (and sporting event) is the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk aka "Long Cycle" or "LC" in Internet parlance. In addition to loving the LC for the total body workout it provides, I have progressed faster in the LC than I have in other lifts, and the positive training results have encouraged me to concentrate more on this exercise.
The legs are the prime movers for much of the LC, and it provides a much more intense stressor on the lifter's legs than the snatch. Using two kettlebells instead of one has a lot to do with that.
I had planned, based on my progress, to enter into a competition in the Men's LC event. In light of that, I had already shifted my workout focus to LC. I was even considering dropping the snatch completely from my workouts until the contest was over. Then I dislocated my knee.
Now the knee is pretty sore. Sore enough that I'm just not up to cleaning and jerking two 24kg KB's for 8-10 minutes at 7 rpm. Or, more accurately, I'm not up to cleaning and jerking any amount of weight right now for any period of time.
Fortunately, I can still get a good KB workout with the snatch. Because of the mechanics of the snatch, I can still do this lift for several minutes at a stretch without any stress on my knee. As a matter of fact, my knee felt better after an eight minute snatch set with my 20kg KB than it had all day.
So, while I'm waiting for the knee to heal up, I'll be concentrating on the One-Armed Snatch (OAS). Its not so bad. It's a weak link I need to work on, and here's my chance. In the mean time, I'll be formulating a plan to incorporate squats and stretching into my routine to ensure a proper muscle balance in my knee area. Wish me luck...
Here is a video of a KB expert, Bonnie Mullaney, working the snatch. She has also recently suffered an injury, although much more serious than mine(broken leg). Please remember her in your prayers. I wish her a speedy and full recovery.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Kettlebell Comparison
Kettlebells were not commonly available in the US for the last several decades of the 20th century. Then, in 2001, Dragondoor.com made kettlebells available to the US general public. These bells appear to be based on a very old kettlebell design, and more resemble the weight-measuring implement used for weighing grain than the modern physical training tool that has become standardized in size for international sport competition. Most Americans didn't know any better, and the kettlebells sold well for DD. Well enough, in fact, that a number of companies began selling knock-offs of the dragondoor product.
In the last few years, true Kettlebell Sport has grown in the US and other Western countries. To compete on the international level, American athletes needed true sport kettlebells, built on the standardized sport dimensions. The Amercian Kettlebell Club was the first organization to offer true sport Kettlebells in the US. In true American (and Chinese) fashion, it wasn't long before knock-offs appeared. (Edited to add: In September of 2009, three months after I first posted this blog entry, I learned that usgsf.com first imported sport kettlebells to the US in 2002, although few lifters were aware of this event. USGSF imports their kettlebells from Russia).
I bought my first competition-style kettlebell from Perform Better (performbetter.com). PB carries a number of differently styled kettlebells. Their "First Place Elite" Kettlebell is their competition-style model. The 20kg KB I bought appears to be the same dimensions as other competition bells. Here it is next to an AKC 20kg and an AKC 24kg:
If you look closely you will see that some of the paint has chipped off at the lower right portion of the KB. The paint on these KB's chips off easily when they strike another KB during jerks and long cycle. You will also notice that the stripping of the handle is not even or uniform. The PB KBs do not come pre-stripped, so all blame for the shoddy job belongs to me. Unfortunately, stripping the paint revealed quite a bit of bondo. I had to grind the handle with a drill and file to get the handle smooth enough to use. It took a lot of time to get it ready to use.
My next competition bell purchase was an AKC 20kg KB. It appears below:
This KB is a great improvement over the PB bell. When the PB and the AKC Kb's collide in jerks or long cycle, the PB bell loses paint. The AKC bell still looks like the day I bought it. The only difference is its handle is slightly thicker than other comp bells and the handle surface is slightly rough. I decided to leave it as is, and it has been fine.
The newer AKC bells I mentioned in my last post ("Wonder Twins") are the AKC 24kg's. I have no complaints about the bells and find them to be near perfect. Here is a photo of compared to the 20kg AKC bell:
An here is a close up showing the differences in the handles in old and new:
As you can see, the new AKC handles are polished and require no special touches to make them ready for immediate use. You may also notice that the new AKC bell has a slightly thinner handle than the old one.
That's all for this time. I hope to post comparison picks of DD style Kb's in the near future. I am especially fond of one DD knock-off brand that I find to be an exceptional value. Until next time...
In the last few years, true Kettlebell Sport has grown in the US and other Western countries. To compete on the international level, American athletes needed true sport kettlebells, built on the standardized sport dimensions. The Amercian Kettlebell Club was the first organization to offer true sport Kettlebells in the US. In true American (and Chinese) fashion, it wasn't long before knock-offs appeared. (Edited to add: In September of 2009, three months after I first posted this blog entry, I learned that usgsf.com first imported sport kettlebells to the US in 2002, although few lifters were aware of this event. USGSF imports their kettlebells from Russia).
I bought my first competition-style kettlebell from Perform Better (performbetter.com). PB carries a number of differently styled kettlebells. Their "First Place Elite" Kettlebell is their competition-style model. The 20kg KB I bought appears to be the same dimensions as other competition bells. Here it is next to an AKC 20kg and an AKC 24kg:
If you look closely you will see that some of the paint has chipped off at the lower right portion of the KB. The paint on these KB's chips off easily when they strike another KB during jerks and long cycle. You will also notice that the stripping of the handle is not even or uniform. The PB KBs do not come pre-stripped, so all blame for the shoddy job belongs to me. Unfortunately, stripping the paint revealed quite a bit of bondo. I had to grind the handle with a drill and file to get the handle smooth enough to use. It took a lot of time to get it ready to use.
My next competition bell purchase was an AKC 20kg KB. It appears below:
This KB is a great improvement over the PB bell. When the PB and the AKC Kb's collide in jerks or long cycle, the PB bell loses paint. The AKC bell still looks like the day I bought it. The only difference is its handle is slightly thicker than other comp bells and the handle surface is slightly rough. I decided to leave it as is, and it has been fine.
The newer AKC bells I mentioned in my last post ("Wonder Twins") are the AKC 24kg's. I have no complaints about the bells and find them to be near perfect. Here is a photo of compared to the 20kg AKC bell:
An here is a close up showing the differences in the handles in old and new:
As you can see, the new AKC handles are polished and require no special touches to make them ready for immediate use. You may also notice that the new AKC bell has a slightly thinner handle than the old one.
That's all for this time. I hope to post comparison picks of DD style Kb's in the near future. I am especially fond of one DD knock-off brand that I find to be an exceptional value. Until next time...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Wonder Twins: My New AKC 24kg Kettlebells
Today I received two 24 kilogram competition-style kettlebells from the American Kettlebell Club. I've been anxiously awaiting their arrival since I surpassed the "Rank II" level for amateur kettlebellers set by the WKC.
I was pleased with what I got. They are uniform in size and shape, and the handles feel great in my hand. They look really nice; not quite the Rolls Royce quality of Leoko kettlebells from Finland, but I have to say that Leokos were the first thing I thought of when I took these out of the box. These are nice, quality kettlebells. I'm glad I bought them.
As soon as I took them out of the box, I did a five minute set of Long Cycle. I averaged 7-8 reps per minute, and finished with 37 reps total. I'm hoping to make the 69 rep total I need to make my "Rank I" level in the next month or so. Judging by how tonight went, I think that's realistic.
By the way, the American Kettlebell Club has a sale going right now (that made this purcahse possible) and they had very attentive and efficient customer service. I have no affiliation with these folks other than being a fan of their training methods and coaches. I'd recommend them to anyone considering buying kettlebells.
Here is the link to the AKC web site shopping page:
http://www.americankettlebellclub.com/forum/faq.php?s=d74bc8c4cd5d59ac2ae03bf2b8d4fad7
Here is the WKC rankings page:
http://worldkettlebellclub.com/ranks.php
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Long Cycle Clean and Jerk
There are two traditional lifts in GS (girevoy sport; "girevoy" is Russian for "kettlebell"). The lifts are the snatch and the jerk. The jerk is performed holding two kettlebells. It is an explosive pressing movement that uses the legs as well as the arms. The snatch is a one-armed snatch; the competitor switches hands once during the time allotted. Contestants are allowed ten minutes for each lift. There is usually at least an hour between lifts.
My favorite kettlebell exercise is the "long cycle" clean and jerk ("LC"). It is a newer competition lift, although it is now a well-established event in GS. In LC, the girevik (Russian for "kettlebell lifter") lifts two kettlebells off the ground to his shoulders (the "clean") and then jerks them both overhead. He then lowers them to his shoulders, then lowers them again between his legs, then resumes the exercise.
I like LC because it works the entire body. I think I also like it because one body part does not get appreciably more fatigued before the others. If anything wears out first for me it is my wrists. But I guess that is not a bad thing. One of the benefits of GS is the strength-endurance it builds in a girevik's connective tissues as well as his muscles. Strong wrists are a useful and valuable attribute for everyday life.
In full disclosure, I must admit that I have progressed in LC much faster than I have in the snatch or the jerk. It just comes naturally to me.
Here is a video example of the long cycle clean and jerk:
My favorite kettlebell exercise is the "long cycle" clean and jerk ("LC"). It is a newer competition lift, although it is now a well-established event in GS. In LC, the girevik (Russian for "kettlebell lifter") lifts two kettlebells off the ground to his shoulders (the "clean") and then jerks them both overhead. He then lowers them to his shoulders, then lowers them again between his legs, then resumes the exercise.
I like LC because it works the entire body. I think I also like it because one body part does not get appreciably more fatigued before the others. If anything wears out first for me it is my wrists. But I guess that is not a bad thing. One of the benefits of GS is the strength-endurance it builds in a girevik's connective tissues as well as his muscles. Strong wrists are a useful and valuable attribute for everyday life.
In full disclosure, I must admit that I have progressed in LC much faster than I have in the snatch or the jerk. It just comes naturally to me.
Here is a video example of the long cycle clean and jerk:
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