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.