Something Special Lined Up…

I’ve come across a big stash of training articles written by the undisputed masters of kettlebell coaching – guys like Rachinsky, Tichonov, Lopatin and so on. The information is actually pretty readily available on the internet – the problem is it’s all in Russian.

Now, I can speak a little bit of Russian – but I’ve come  up with a craftier way to translate these en masse, and publish them here on the blog.

I realise bits and bobs have been translated already – either by Eugene on http://girevoysportafter40.blogspot.com/, or on Rachinsky’s own IKSFA site http://www.iksfa.com/drupal/index.php?q=node/23 – but I don’t believe all of these documents are out yet.

Far as I know there shouldn’t be any copyright issues – the information is already freely available, just not in the English language! So keep your eyes pinned to the blog and you’ll start seeing these crop up, posted under the category “Original Russian Training Documents”.

Cheers

05.03.11

I found (what I believe to be) an abridged copy of the AKC’s Fitness Protocol posted online. Honestly, it isn’t hard to find (though I can’t guarantee the accuracy until the WKC actually get over to England and I can take a course).

So, in pursuit of some form of structure, I decided to go with this. Started low – level 2/20 – with a 16kg. All of it is ONE HAND SWITCH ONLY. To be honest, that is the number 1 problem I am having so far, and I’ve been avoiding it. I find that it taxes not just the grip, but the entire body when the grip fatigues.

So although my overall volume has gone down, I figure this is good practice and structure for where I am now.

Workout:

• Snatch: 2:00 @ 12RPM
• OAJ: 2:00 @12RPM
• OALC: 2:00@6RPM
• Snatch: 2:00 @12RPM
• OAJ: 2:00@12RPM
• OALC: 2:00@6RPM
• Swings: 30L/30R

1 minute break between each exercise

Notes:

• Somewhere between hard and easy. I feel fine shortly after workout, but during it (snatch particularly), I feel under quite a bit of stress. Particularly around the grip.
• Grip is definitely my limiting factor here. I can go for longer based solely on my work capacity. But, part of this training is to improve my grip. After all, I am (long-term) aiming for ranking.
• Can go much faster with OALC. Push up the RPM next time.

Next week is my last full week of training before I am away at a meditation retreat for 10 days, so I want to make it count.

01.03.11

• Started with 2:00 in the rack with 2x16kg. Need to improve the rack, as this is supposed to be my ‘rest’ time.
• 3 mile or so run, I didn’t have my watch with me but this was a fair clip. Felt a little faster than the last time of 20 minutes.

Also, saw this amazing video on Gregor Sobocan’s Facebook. It’s Anton Anasenko – a MSWC I had not heard of before – completing 213 snatches in 10 minutes. Amazing!

Other than that, trying to figure out a statistical equation to track workout progress, make fancy spreadsheets and charts. Sexy!

28.02.11

Some longer sets, some heavier sets. Still trying to find a structure in these workouts, but I guess that is partly why personal trainers cost so much:

 

• Plank: 1:00
• 24kg OAJ: 2:00 @ 6RPM
• 2x16kg jerk: 2 x 1:00 @ 10RPM
• 16kg OAJ: 6:00 @ 10RPM (hand switch every minute)
• 24kg swing: 20L/20R

 

Thoughts:

• 24kg jerk felt VERY good right hand, but rather unstable left hand. A part of this will just be me finding my way with, what is still to me, a new technique.
• The double 16′s are still pretty hard for me, but when I was flagging I started adding in a chest bump out of nothing more than instinct, and it made a HUGE help. I’m well aware that my double jerk is completely inefficient.
• I am making a conscious effort to not bend my knees in the rank.
• 16kg jerk was tough but definitely doable. I would like to go longer before switching – I will try to bump this up next time, although (as so often) my left hand was the limiting factor.
• Swings were fine. Decent workout.

23.02.11 – Running

3 mile run – 20:27

Travelling from here so not going to be training until Monday.

22.02.11 – Manic Street Preachers

Today was about pressing and jerking. I’ve done a lot of presses and push-presses beforehand, but not so many jerks.

• 28kg push press, 1st attempt
• 24kg press, 5R/L
• 2x16kg jerk, 2 x 1 min @ 6RPM
• 16kg OAJ, 4 min @ 10RPM

I found this pretty hard. The double kettlebell work in particular. Again, I’ve dabbled in doubles, but not done a great deal to be honest.

So it was a little disappointing. You can see where my left hand conks out in the final timed set and I switch back to the right. In fact, everything about my left hand side feels wrong. Pushing, jerking, in the rack. Work to do.

On the plus side, I managed to push press the 28kg at my first attempt. A new PR! That would have seemed impossible a year ago. Very pleased with that!

Plus a little publicity for my hometown football (soccer?) club, the mighty Tranmere Rovers…

28kg push press, 1st attempt:

2 x 16kg jerk, 1 min @ 6RPM; 1st set:

2nd set:

16kg OAJ, 4 min @ 10RPM:

21.02.2011 – Daft Punk

Today was the start of my training for snatch.

• Warm up of yoga stretches and some 12kg swings
• Snatch: 20kg x 10 R/L (x3)
• Snatch: 16kg, 5:00 @ 12RPM
• Few 24kg swings

Videos below.

I’ve only snatched the 20kg a few times before, so you can see me struggling to stabilise the bell (particularly left hand side). This did get a lot better by the third set, although I don’t have any video of this. I also noticed that with my right I am much more confident letting go of the bell and then re-catching it on the way down than I am with my left. This is why my left hand now looks like this:

And this is also why my planned switches every minute in the 5:00 set quickly became 30seconds.

Oh well, lots to work on technique-wise, but a good session for me and already showing some progress. Still pretty hard on the bells though – need to be way more efficient and controlled.

Today’s suitably overblown music is the TRON:Legacy soundtrack by Daft Punk.

20kg Snatches 1:

20kg Snatches 2:

5:00 with 16kg: