I'm Back from a Break

After nearly a year break from posting to the Get off the Couch blog, I'm back. I hope you have been working to improve yourself during this time. I've certainly made some huge strength gains and getting closer to pressing the Beast (48kg) kettlebell although it will take until later next year to achieve. In the upcoming blog posts, I will share some training ideas as always. I also hope to share various psychological theories that will help give you the mental edge you need to succeed in anything.

Psychological theories? Yes. These theories are not the crap offered by self-help gurus. I've spent the past 2 years in graduate school learning how to help organizations, teams and individuals make changes and improve performance. Do a quick search on the internet about achieving goals and you will find a few acronyms that are supposed to be the key. In your search, you will find the Ultimate Guide to Motivation, and How to Achieve Goals. Go ahead and follow them, and you MAY find success or you might NOT. The latter is trying to sell you some canned software. Honestly, how many times have these simple methods worked for you in the past? Sometimes? Well, they can work but you need a coach to make them effective.

I'm not a huge proponent of using goals as motivation. It can be effective for some people but it is not the strongest method for improving. Pavlov for example had great success modifying behavior. Like goal setting, Pavlov's theories are effective but based on theory that has been improved upon for decades. There are other more proven frameworks that will help someone improve performance and achieve goals (I'll use goals for ease). The most effective frameworks for improving performance is a combination of psychological approaches. If you would like more information please let me know. I intend to write about some of these theories here.

Over the past 5 years, I've helped people improve their kettlebell technique and improve their strength. I'm considering change. I would like to focus more on the mental coaching part of physical training. Think about it, achieving most of your goals is more difficult mentally than physically.

What do you think about this?

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Enough about you. This is about me.
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In the mean time, I have a tentative schedule for 2012. Although this is a rough list, I've put some though into each of these events.

• Brevets (200km, 300km, 400km and unfinished business on that 600km) (Spring/fall)
  
• Marine Corps Marathon (t) - Need to see how body holds up to the miles. (Late October)
  
• Tough Mudder (t) - This just looks awesome. Not so into electrocution though.
  
• RKC Re-Certification (January or February)

First up is the RKC Re-Cert in January. I have some work to do to get ready for this event. The requirements are not exactly easy. The core of the certification is 5 pullups and 100 24kg snatches. Other requirements include teaching and demonstrating the core lifts of the RKC program, military press, front squat, turkish get ups, swing and snatch.

Assessment -

• Weakness is Snatch. In fact I only completed 100 snatches in under 5 minutes a few times in the past year.
• Need to do multiple workouts in a day. The event is 8 hours with several short workouts.

Plan-

1. Snatch 2x per week, heavy swing 1x per week.
2. 1 day per week: Do 2-3 small workouts including my own Pre-RKC prep smoker and a complex.
   
3. Continue normal Easy Strength x 3 days.
   
4. Need to hop on bike/road 3x per week working to build aerobic base. Use MAF method.
   

Comments, Suggestions or Complaints about my plan?

Wanna get better? Do it.

I'm out of my self-imposed exile from the blog. My bucket was full for the past few months so this was one of the easiest do drop. At the end of September, I went to an RKC instructor seminar presented by Pavel and Dan John. WOW, I'm still digesting information. As a result of the information I received, I have totally changed my training protocols. This new 'easy strength' protocol is very simple and as Dan John says, you will want to quit because it is too easy!

Basically, I have chosen a few lifts and work them 5 days per week. The intensity is somewhere around 50% RM. The concept is not unlike training to improve cardio vascular fitness and building base. I did this for 40 days and had outstanding results. True to what Dan John said, I wanted to change things up periodically especially as I neared the end of the protocol. (Note: my description is vague to respect Dragon Door, Dan John and Pavel there is more to it, it is not published yet.)

Upon completion of 40 training days, I pondered several protocols to switch for the remainder of the year. An Enter the Kettlebell cycle, VWC, Kettlebell Muscle, Return of the Kettlebell, some kettlebell sport (GS) training, just to name a few. I chose to do another 40 day cycle of easy strength with the same focus. Heck, if you want to get better at something, you have to do it.

My lifts for this cycle:
WU with swings and goblet squat then military press, single leg deadlift, Row/pull up (choose 1), Evil wheel. Oh yea, snatches too.

How simple is that?

I've already had mucho success in the 11 days of my second cycle! I'm hitting more volume easier with bigger weight than ever and I'm knocking on the door of a new all time PR in the MP. It is hard to believe that I'm pressing 36k (80 lbs) kettlebells for multiple reps and sets. !!EXCITEMENT!!

More to come on my progress over the past few months. I have graphs!

I have began riding my bicycle again but don't have enough cycling fitness to ride any real distances because I didn't ride for 3 months. This could prove to suck bad but 2011 is right around the corner and I have goals. Thus I'm slowly rebuilding stamina and I mean real slowly! My short term goal on the bike is to build to 80-100 mile ride before 2011.

RKC - assistant

I was asked by Pavel to assist at an RKC certification for some frogs here in Virginia Beach. On Monday morning, a group of hand selected RKC instructors began providing instruction to some of the world's most elite warriors. We taught in the heat, rain, and a bone chilling wind. On Tuesday we finished the crucible with several newly minted RKC instructors.

The kettlebell is a tool that can be used anywhere in the world. There are kettlebells used as door stops in quaint destinations all over the world including Afganistan. The problem is most people don't know how to use the tool properly so they don't benifit from it. This weeks certification was one way to change this problem as several operators learned the basic and advanced kettlebell techniques.

Most of the candidates had never touched a kettlebell until Monday morning. Here is the impressive part: by Tuesday afternoon, they ALL looked like long time gireveks.

The sad part? Well, 2 Devil Dogs attended training on Monday and were too sore to continue on Tuesday. I think they are weak and they didn't represent very well. In fact, these 2 chuckle-heads piss me off.

Overall this was an awesome expierence. I continued to learn new things and hone the old.

Snatch test update: Begining in June, the snatch numbers will change again. Males need to snatch the 24k kettlebell 100 times in 5 minutes regardless of body weight. Start practicing now.

5 min SSST

After some practice on various lifts, I planned some snatch practice. When it came time for snatches, I decided to do the test. I was actually inspired by the Karen Smith, the other RKC in Virginia Beach. She is preparing for the level 2 RKC this summer and has nailed her test a few times already. I said, "Hmmm, I should actually try in one of these days." If you rember, I did in a few months ago; I hit my number in the first 3 minutes and decided that was enough, need more practice. The 5 min snatch test is the new RKC certification standard. ALL RKCs and RKC candidates must complete the test.

Males will use the 24k kettlebell, you may switch hands as many times as you like and you may set the kettlebell down. You must complete your weight in KG for me right now that is about 84 reps/kg. I figured that anything over 86 would be a good number to shoot for. (Just keeping it humble)

Of course as soon as I hit start on the GymBoss, I changed my mind and went for 100 reps. It looked like this, 15/15, 15/15, 10/10, 10/11 = 101 reps (did 1 for the Corps). Regardless of your weight the most reps you have to complete in the test is 100. I actually rested about 43 seconds after the second set of 15/15 and had plenty left in the tank when I was done.

I plan to keep working towards improving my score in the test as it is a fantastic workout. I will shoot for the 10 min SSST in the next month or so with a goal of 200+reps. I have never attempted this test but I think it will be good GPP for the events in the spring.

Practice:
ZNWU
Rifga
OH Swing 16k x 100
Pistols 16K 10 x 1/1
TGU 16k 5 x 5/5 (alternated fluid GU and high hip)
5 min Snatch test - 101 reps

Evening:
Bike 10 min wu + 8x20sec/10sec + cool down 2 min.

1st Class == Update

Tonight we had the first class. Although the turn out was low, neither I or the attendees were discouraged. This meant more 1 on 1 instruction. We started out with joint mobility, worked on wall squats, box squats, swings and then on to the Turkish Get Up.

The swings are looking awesome! The swings we built and tweaked look better than many people that show up for the RKC cert. Of course with a little tweaking, they look perfect! What I'm telling you is this -- -- -- QUIT WASTING YOUR TIME WITH THE VIDEOS AND KETTLEBELL INSTRUCTOR WANNA BEES. The problem is you are learning technique that is substandard, it is weak or just wrong. You may be missing key cues that make an exercise effective or make an exercise safe. You should NOT feel any pain - ANYWHERE - using kettlebells. Your back should not hurt; your knees should not bow; wrists should NOT be black and blue.

Seek a currently certified RKC Instructor (like me)! It will be well worth your time and money.

Practice Today:
Z
RIFGA
Clean and Press - 24k 5 x 123 ladders.
Snatch 24k on the minute - 3 x 10/10, 2 x 5/5 - 80 total. This was more difficult than I thought it would be. Hitting 100 in 5 is easily in my grasp. This is also the first time I've snatched with the 24k bell since September.

Pull up - 1x14
JM
Swings
Turkish Get ups

Yesterday:
Z
Rifga
Pull up x 12 (boots and utes)
6x6 Sand Bag protocol x 15 min

RKC II

I completed the RKC II certification this weekend. It was a great time and I learned so much that my head is spinning. Not such a bad thing. I am sore phsically at all. My ability to recover keeps improving!

The course covered the basic level I skills including swings, clean, press, snatch, TGU and squat. We spend most of Friday reviewing these skills as some participants clearly did not spend any time honing these skills. It was disappointing.

Pavel taught in depth classes on the pull up, pistol, bent press and windmill. These skills are very challenging! In fact they are nearly impossible to do without basic strength and mobility in all joints.

Other classes were given in the FMS (functional movement screen), muscle length and tension, working with special popluations and of course Kenneth Jay's VO2 max protocol and boost program. Of course we went through first day of the protocol. TOO FUN.

You can read more about the cert from these blogs:
Kenneth Jay
Brett Jones
Rif

What's next for me? I am working on the plan for the 2nd half of the year.