Arnold Fitness Expo Kettlebell Contest
Most of you know that last Arnold Classic we did a Demo in the WPO Powerlifting Room where Valery performed 2006 reps with a 16kg Kettlebell in the Push Press. This year we decided to have a booth and put on a Contest for both Men and Women. The results were phenomenal and we gained a lot of valuable research data from a good mix of athletes in the process. We’ll be releasing some the information in our “Coaches Circle” Forum as soon as we analyze it.
The Contest was:
1 Arm Long Cycle
1 rep = (Clean, then Jerk, Push or Press to Lockout)
No Time Limit
Only 1 Switch of Hands
Do not touch the ground
Men used the 32kg/70lb Kettlebell
Women used the 16kg/35lb Kettlebell
Most reps wins…
We had 254 participants in this Contest!
The Mens winner was Zach Beadle with 54 repetitions!
He’ll receive a Free set of 8 Pro-Grade Kettlebells and become a Kettlebell Lifting Coach with the American Kettlebell Club. That’s over a $3200.00 value. We can’t wait to see him at a Certification of his choice in 2007. With proper instruction on Technique and Training Methodology he will no doubt double his performance at the Arnold. I didn’t get a chance to interview him yet, but from what I heard he is a Strongman competitor and since a particular Strongman Organization is considering a kettlebell event, he will have a huge head start on the competition in this regard!
The Women’s winners were Kathy Dandurand 126 reps! and Demetria Blackshear with 125 reps!
Yes, there are two women’s winners and for very good reason. Let me explain…
Kathy was up early and was our leader for most of the Arnold. Her attitude alone will make her a good Coach for our Club. She first performed 66 reps but wasn’t sure at what point to switch hands and actually learned something during the process. She knew she could do more and was determined to win. She went home (several hours drive) and planned to come back Sunday to ensure victory.
That’s where Demetria comes in. She came to the table with a curious look in her eye. I asked her if she wanted to try. She smiled and said no, that she had no idea what it was about. I pushed a little further and asked her to try it with a 12kg (she’s not a very big girl at all) and that Valery would show her how. I pulled the 12kg over and she picked it up. That was the end of the negotiation. She was going to try to win with the 16kg! She ended up with 125 reps and it took her over an hour to complete the set. I’m not kidding when I say she did not even break a sweat. I don’t know yet what type of athlete she is, but she’s a “Natural” at Kettlebells! She too made the same mistake as many other participants in judging when to switch hands, doing 35 or so reps with the first hand and the remainder in the last hand over the next grueling hour!
I thought for sure we had our winner with Demetria and everyone was shocked by her resolve, but in the last minutes of the Arnold, Kathy went at it again pulling out 126 for the win as they announced the close of the Expo. Neither girl was truly spent and no doubt after they get Certified they will be able to do these same numbers in half the time. I don’t know what drives these women, but it was honestly one of the most amazing things I have witnessed in person. They are both serious Winners in everyone’s book and our entire staff can’t wait to see them at Certification.
This friendly Rivalry is not over by any means…
Eric Liford, Editor
American Kettlebell Club