Last time through Enter the Kettlebell, I used a 12kg kettlebell.  Around the time I finished the program, I pressed the 16kg on a couple of occasions.  Then, I shifted my focus and began to lose a bit of weight.  I really haven’t tried to press the 16kg again lately, but instead have worked more with the 12kg and 14kg for presses.  I considered starting Enter the Kettlebell again with the 14kg but a couple of weeks ago, but struggled horribly to get through a 3 x 3 Clean and Press ladder. I ended up doing push presses or assisted presses for many of the reps.

Since then I have worked with the 12kg strictly, but haven’t spent too much time with it, only focusing about one day per week on pressing.  Today I decided to try a 3 x 3 Clean and Press ladder with the 14kg.  I really expected to have to shift to the 12kg part way through but totally surprised myself.  The entire 3 x 3 ladder went well, and I know I could even have done more.  I’m very happy to be getting somewhere with the 14kg kettlebell.  I used it for my easy snatch practice on Monday also, doing 112 snatches at 10L/10R/rest for 9:00.

My muscles don’t seem to know I have cancer.  That’s cool with me!  I really don’t feel like I have it at all.  And when I’m happily pressing my 14kg, cancer is pretty much out of my mind. That’s priceless. 

Starting to think about what will be next, too.  I probably have about 2 more weeks of ETK left.  Finishing a program is always bittersweet.  I’m not sure what my plan will be after that, other than, of course, kettlebell training.

Mental toughness factors in on heavy days.  It may not sound too daunting to read about, but in practice, hoisting a kettlebell overhead many, many times becomes not only a physical challenge but also a mental one. I’m sure it is  not unlike any other tough athletic practice, in which self talk can make or break the entire effort.

No doubt, during a heavy ETK day, my thoughts can become tainted with self doubt and/or slight insanity.   Here’s a sample of a few of my thoughts during today’s kettlebell practice: 

(Note my abbreviations:  Rg- Rung: Repetitions performed in a specific pattern.  On your first rung you do one clean and press on the right, then one clean and press on the left, followed by one pulling exercise (chinup/pullup or one single arm row per side.) On rung #2 you perform 2 presses on the right, 2 presses on the left and 2 pulls.)    Lr-Ladder:  A group of rungs.  Generally three to five rungs make a ladder.  A heavy day in ETK has 5 ladders with 5 rungs each.)

Lr 1 Rg 4 This kettlebell feels heavier than it did last time. Am I still recovering from being sick?

Lr 1 Rg 5 Made it through the first ladder, only 4 more to go.  Ugh 4 more!?

Lr 2 Rg 1 OK gotta blow through Lr 2 so I will only have 3 more ladders to go.

Lr 2 Rg 3 Ouch that was a bad clean.  I know how to do cleans.  What’s my problem?

Lr 2 Rg 4 Ouch gotta fix that bad clean.  RKCs don’t do that.  Gotta do better than that to be an RKC.

Lr 2 Rg 5 Almost done second ladder, push! And I have to do how many more ladders? Right.

Lr 2 Rg 5 This is taking a long time.  Who do I think I am?

Lr 3 Rg 2 I think I’m almost half way done.  Ugh. I’m not mostly done?????

Lr 3 Rg 4 I lost count, what am I doing?

Lr 3 Rg 4 Oh yeah I just did 3 pulls last time so I’m on Rung 4 now. FOCUS!! Don’t want to have to repeat a ladder.

Lr 3 Rg 4 Gotta watch the clean.  Lock out the elbow.  Don’t make stupid mistakes!

Lr 3 Rg 4 Only two more ladders, almost.  I’ll feel good later.

Lr 3 Rg 5 Two more whole ladders??????? I did this before but it’s so harrrrd this time.

Lr 4 Rg 1 Yeah next to last ladder!! One silly rep. Ha Ha!!

Lr 4 Rg 2 Keep shoulder down, don’t make stupid mistakes.  Focus!!

Lr 4 Rg 2 Am I on ladder 4? cool.

Lr 4 Rg 3 Why do I practice with kettlebells?  This is extreme.

Lr 4 Rg 4 Shoot. This is hard. Come on wrist, stay locked and straight.

Lr 4 Rg 4 Grip the bell HARD!!! Push!  Don’t want to have to repeat week 10!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lr 4 Rg 5 I am on the last rung of this stupid ladder thing.  I must get this last press. NOT going to have to redo!!!!!!!

Lr  5 Rg 1 Oh yeah!  Oh yeah!! I’m on the last ladder!! Oh, the swings are ahead.

Lr 5 Rg 2 Hee hee two presses.  Easy!

Lr 5 Rg 3 This isn’t a tough rung to get through.  Come on.  Can’t run out of gas.  But the swings are ahead.

Lr 5 Rg 4 Shoot.  My arm feels weak.  I don’t want to repeat this week.

Lr 5 Rg 4 I’m tired.  The swings are ahead.  Pavel is a bad, bad man.

Lr 5 Rg 4 I hope this stupid program pays off.

Lr 5 Rg 5 Last rung of  last ladder – this might happen.  Gotta make it through.  So hard to push.  I have to!!!!!!!!!

Lr 5 Rg 5 I don’t like this. 

Lr 5 Rg 5 Last press -come on YESSS!

AHHHHH!! Putting the silly kettlebell down, but in a minute I have to do the swings. . .

Thankfully, with the swing practice, there isn’t really much time for thinking.  It’s mostly counting and breathing and hopefully focusing on good form.  And glancing at the gymboss to see how much longer.  And then, finally, REST.

Whenever I leave her studio, I always feel great about what’s ahead and what I’ve learned.  And it was no different this time.  It is always a pleasure to work with her.

As usual, she started by asking me how the last few weeks had gone.  I told her how I’d had fun figuring out the kettlebell snatch, and how I had torn up my hands in the process (although thankfully, they’re better now.)  I told her that the workouts had gone well, that I’d made progress building endurance and strength, but that a brief bout with a cold had erased some of that, at least temporarily.

Then she began to evaluate three main movements for me:  the swing, the clean and the snatch.  We focused on each one individually.  With the swing we discussed my range of motion, and whether or not it was large enough.  I made a mental note to work on enlarging the range, even though she said it would be fine as is.  My kettlebell clean needed another dose of  “arc taming,”  something I never seem to hear enough about.  Apparently the arc was especially wild on the left, which accounts for the bruises on my left forearm only. 

At our last session I was introduced to doing kettlebell snatches.  At that point, mine looked more like one of the pictures of Pavel demonstrating the WRONG way to do them in Enter The Kettlebell.  So I was psyched to show Elise my progress.  I knew my technique would still require much refinement, but I also knew I had come a long way.  I was both surprised and relieved when she didn’t find too much wrong with the snatches.  When I told her that I was having some low back pain when I used a  (for me) medium sized kettlebell to do snatches, she immediately diagnosed and showed me how to  fix the problem.  This is one reason why it is important to work with a certified kettlebell trainer.

We spent a good deal of the time talking business.  She gave me some great ideas to use when coaching other women and shared some of her experiences in the fitness business.   We talked about how kettlebells are basically unheard of in our area, and what the best way to change that would be.  We discussed RKC:  the organization, and the certification weekend.  I think I may have enjoyed our conversation more than the training. 

Then she walked me through a workout she had her kettlebell group perform the day before.  I’ll be doing this workout as part of my weekly line up over the next several weeks.  I only did one round, and I can say with certainty that this will be a good one, for those of us who love to train hard.   Details to follow. 

Once again, I’m ready to charge forward and see how much I can accomplish before our next meeting.  We made plans to have that next session in several weeks. 

Today’s workout:  none.  Too much DOMS.  Love it!