The Ice Chamber Kettlebell Girls were featured alongside WKC kettlebells on live network television this week! Leigh Glaser from “ABC’s View from the Bay” invited the team to share their experiences with Kettlebell Sport over the past year and to demonstrate the techniques and protocols of the WKC. This is the first time that the tools and methods of Valery Fedorenko were featured on network television to target the general fitness population. Thanks to the team, the show was a huge success!
In February of this year, I was asked to share my experience with you about Kettlebells and the WKC Fitness Protocol. At that time I had just started working with the 12kg exclusively after passing all the levels of the Fitness Program with the 8kg. But in working with the 12kg, I was kind of hopping around between the levels and not doing the max reps. In early April, I went for it and was able to get Rank II in Long Cycle.
For 4 months after, I was going from Fitness to Strength & Conditioning to Sport, doing whatever with the bells I felt like that day. Sometimes I’d pick up the 12kg, and sometimes the 16kg (usually the 12kg). Sometimes I’d do a 10 minute set switching hands every minute, and sometimes I’d do 5 minutes each hand only 1 switch. Even looking at my own training log, I’m a bit confused what I was doing I was working out with the bells and I was loving it, but I was doing it just to get my workout in. I didn’t really have a clear goal and was kind of just going through the motions of doing my set for the day.
Then came the World Kettlebell Lifting Championships in August. Personally I was going through a transition, and after attending the Championships and, again seeing smaller women than me using bigger bells, it was time for a change. I found my goal…Candidate for Master of Sport (CMS) in LongCycle. On the way back from Worlds, I asked Eric if he would be my Coach and get me to CMS. He agreed after I told him I really was serious about it and I would work hard to get it. I also asked, “Do you think I can get CMS LongCycle by Vegas?” (in November of this year). The answer was unsure, so at the time I was settling to make it by Worlds 2010. I had the goal set…now, what did I need? Let me think…oh yeah…mental focus And LOTS of it!
The first 2 days after Worlds were days off-no bells. September 1st was the first day of training, and Coach asked me what I could do. So even though I hadn’t done the Rank II level since April, I picked up the 12kg and did Rank II a second time (with 1 extra rep each hand, breaking my PR ). For a few days after, it was alternating between shorter sets of more reps per minute and longer sets with stable reps per minute trying to increase my numbers. At the start it seemed like Rank 1 was a long way off-14 extra reps per hand from that first day. But on the 10th, I decided I was just going to go for it, and that failure wasn’t an option. Mental focus and mental strength…HELP ME! I got it! 9 days of training took me from Rank II to Rank I ! Thanks Coach! Now what? Well, right after I had to go for a run to get out the excitement
The next day I started working with the 16kgs, and every day since until yesterday when I decided I was going to try for Rank I Biathlon. I have NOT been training for biathlon at all, and the last time I tried for Rank in biathlon was back in early April. I tried for Rank II and I didn’t get it. My numbers at the time? 40/40 Jerk (enough for Rank II) but only 30/34 Snatch. That’s a long way from Rank I numbers of 55/55 in Jerk and 55/55 in Snatch! But I just wanted to see. I got the 55/55 Jerk no problem…took an hour and 20 minutes rest after…and was nervous I told myself that at the very least I was getting my Rank II. I was pretty sure I could at least get the 40/40. It’s absolutely amazing what you can do when you’re telling yourself to just do it! One rep at a time…just do it! Rank I Biathlon was mine yesterday!
Eric posted to the forum that I had achieved Rank I in both events and was asked to show my video. I had filmed, but I did it sideways, and even though there was a solution suggested on the forum of how to rotate the video, Eric posted that I would be able to do it again at will and that I would re-film. Thanks a lot Eric So today, the day after getting Rank I Biathlon, with sore muscles and not much sleep, I decided to test Eric’s theory and put MY money where HIS mouth is And…I did Rank I numbers again in LongCycle! I think I CAN get Rank I everyday…I think I can, I think I can
I have received an amazing amount of support from those who knew I was trying to get Rank, and I couldn’t appreciate it more!! Thank you all! And especially thanks to my Coach, Eric, for helping me make tremendous gains in just a short period of time! Onward to CMS. I know now it’s just a matter of time. It’s really not to compete…It’s just for me. This is my goal that I know will happen. A clear goal, mental strength and focus, and my Coach & support system. That’s all I need! So….What’s YOUR goal?
Krystina, Office Manager, AKC Lab Rat & soon to be CMS
All American Kettlebell Club and World Kettlebell Club T-shirts are now on sale, including a variety of rarely before seen ladies tees! They can be purchased directly from the FAQ section of the AKC Forum
This is the American Kettlebell Club Classic, the AKC’s annual Kettlebell Competition held in Sin City. This year’s Meet will be held on “The Strip” at one of the busiest intersection in the world (Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard) The four corners are made up of the worlds most famous Casinos, Excalibur Hotel and Casino, Tropicana Resort & Casino, New York-New York Hotel & Casino and MGM Grand Las Vegas (MGM being the largest hotel in the world!). So, if you can’t find this venue we know you just got sidetracked
Divisions:
Womens Biathlon (Jerk/Snatch)
12kg, 16kg, 20kg
Womens LongCycle
12kg, 16kg, 20kg and 24kg!
Mens Biathlon (Jerk/Snatch)
20kg, 24kg, 28kg, 32kg
Mens LongCycle
20kg, 24kg, 28kg, 32kg
Lifters MUST Qualify to compete under the WKC Rank System. For this Meet a Rank III is required to play. Each subsequent rise in competing weight bell must have the next higher Rank. For example, a Woman who is Rank I may compete with the 16kg, the next higher bell. If CMS, then she may use 20kg in Competition.
I was working out with the bells and I was loving it, but I was doing it just to get my workout in. I didn’t really have a clear goal and was kind of just going through the motions of doing my set for the day.
