Today marks the one -year mark for this blog.  It’s strongsarah.com’s blogiversary, which also means that today is the (4th) anniversary of  The Accident. That was a rough day, but it was also the start of something very cool. You just never know how things will unfold and evolve into something beyond your wildest imagination.

A look back at the past year is in order.  It has been a big year, most of which has been documented here. In the last 12 months I have evolved from kettlebell newbie to HKC instructor.  Not to be limited to kettlebell training alone, I became quite proficient at jumping rope, and also tried a Randy Couture MMA (mixed martial arts) workout that I loved.  I explored (and did not love) the Eat Stop Eat program. My kettlebell studio, Intensity Works, was conceived and opened, and I shared many details of that process. I worked through the Enter the Kettlebell (ETK) program twice and realized success with it,  nearly doubling my kettlebell pressing ability.  I struggled with physical limitations resulting from The Accident and worked around or through them. I even began to feel ready to register for the RKC Instructor course. Just contemplating that was a milestone for me. I feel pretty good about the last year.

The blog has been neglected a lot too. I didn’t want my posts to become too repetitive, so I stopped posting regularly when my workouts often looked the same.  When starting a small business became my focus, blogging dropped down the priority list.  Then, when a (cancer) bomb was dropped on my world, I started a new blog, strongersarah.com, which has received much more attention than this blog lately.

But, Happy Birthday to strongsarah.com.  I hope to be able to post many more workout triumphs over the course of the next year.  Possibly, I will even have the priviledge of posting my experiences at an RKC instructor weekend.  If not, maybe I will have at least registered for one by the time this blog turns 2.  I am grateful to all who have visited and commented and encouraged me here. This has been fun, and it is far from over.  You just never know how things will unfold, and I am excited to continue the adventure!

I’ve had quite a dilemma for the past several months.  I have been preparing for the Russian Kettlebell Challenge Instructor certification for almost a year and making good progress.  At a body weight of approximately 135 pounds, I would be required to use the 16kg kettlebell for the snatch test.  (To use the 12kg bell, a woman’s weight must be 123.5 lbs or below at weigh-in.)  It became obvious that snatching the 16kg was going to be a problem for me.  But not for typical reasons.

My accident in 2006 left a few permanent limitations with my hand and arm.  One of them is some numbness in my right index finger and thumb.  When I began training to snatch the 16kg kettlebell I ran into major difficulty.  The handle of the 16kg is significantly larger in diameter than the 12kg.  I could not seem to grip the 16kg well due to the numbness. After a few single-hand swings with the 16, my grip would fail. And it wasn’t improving with time.

So I made the decision to change what I could change, and that was my weight.  Although I had a fairly significant amount of weight to lose (I figured 15 pounds, so that I’d have some lee-way at weigh-in) and I was already below 20% body fat, I felt like it was the best way to get to RKC in the least amount of time.  So I began to refine my eating.

All the while, I kept working on my grip, just in case.  I trained as if I expected to be able to use the 16kg. I didn’t know for sure if I really could reach my goal weight and maintain the strength and endurance necessary for RKC, so preparing for the possibility of being able to use the 16kg felt like a safety net.

In a few months I had seen the weight loss I was after. I reached my goal.  In the meantime, I noticed the grip strength in my right hand had begun improving slightly.  I bought a 14kg bell to try to snatch and that went well.  For a few weeks I wondered: what would happen if I tried to snatch the 16kg? I had visions of major property damage and/or injury in mind!!  But then I began to think it was possible to someday snatch the 16kg bell.  And someday began to feel close.

February 7, 2010 I decided to go for it.  Without thinking too much, I grabbed the 16kg kettlebell with my right hand and snatched it.  I was in disbelief when I realized the bell was safely locked out over my head.  Then I repeated it.  And I did the same on the other side.  Surprisingly, it was actually easier on the right side!  At that point I knew that all that stood in my way from using that bell at RKC was time and practice.  If I could snatch it once, I knew I could train to fulfill the certification requirements.

Strangely, snatching the 16kg successfully somehow made me feel ready to go to RKC using the 12kg for the test.  One hundred snatches with the 12kg  in 5:00, though definitely not easy, was definitely doable and I had done it on several self-tests.  My weight was within the range of where it needed to be to use the 12kg.  The success I had with the 16kg gave me hope for long term continued improvement with all my kettlebell skills despite any lingering hand issues. No longer an issue of which bell I MUST use, it became a question of which bell I would PREFER to use.  What a great feeling!

My kettlebell training is nearing the end of another phase. I have one more workout left in the Enter the Kettlebell program.  This is my second time through ETK, and once again I have seen significant improvement in my kettlebell pressing ability.  I’m now able to quite confidently press the 12kg kettlebell.

Me right after my ETK Week 11 Medium day.

I estimate that by the time I complete this “Rite of Passage” portion of the ETK program,  I will have pressed the 12kg bell nearly 1,000 times on each side.  It’s an understatement to say that there is a lot of pulling (rowing, pull-ups or chin-ups) and cleaning and pressing  the kettlebell with this program, but I love it.  I feel strong pushing that kettlebell over my head.  Challenging my body and mind to do it even when I think it can’t be done is the type of challenge that I crave. Doing this program right, in my opinion, will guarantee you strength gains and improved conditioning.  It is tough.  It can be boring.  But it works.

Until now I’ve been focusing primarily on my kettlebell pressing, as it was the skill that needed the most work prior to attending an RKC weekend.  I still need to work on pressing some more, but other things have risen to the top of the list. When I finish Enter the Kettlebell, my main priority is going to be improving my kettlebell snatch technique.  Turkish Get-Ups are always on my to-do list, and I find that regular practice with them is vital, to avoid regression.  Also, it may be time for me to try some double kettlebell work.   Of course, lots and lots of swings are a priority as well.

RKC Instructors: what else am I missing?  What would you have done differently (if anything) to prepare for your RKC weekend? What’s the best way to get ready for the Grad Workout? How can I determine if my overall conditioning is good enough to get me through the weekend? I know I am not going to be ready for RKC until at least late spring, so I have time to change my training now to make a difference.  And you know I’m committed.  Or maybe I should be (committed!)

After a lot of thought I have decided not to write this post.  At least, not to write it the way I had planned.  My idea was to write a post detailing the things that were difficult, or to be honest, nearly defeating, for me at the Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification event.  But I’ve decided that I’ll stick to my original purpose with this blog, which is to be a source of encouragement.  Whining doesn’t fall under the category of encouragement, in my book.

The things that were tough for me all stemmed from weakness within myself anyway.  Now I know some areas that I need to investigate further and/or bring up to standard.  I’m one step ahead having gone through this event, both in my technique and in my expectations for what it takes to succeed at RKC.  For this knowledge I am grateful.  Besides, our struggles are what make us stronger.  And I have stated that I’m a strength addict.  Time to act like one.

I am proud to be an HKC Instructor and I encourage others to pursue the title themselves.  I learned much more than I imagined that I would, and although I am nervous about beginning to train others in kettlebell technique, I know that I am prepared.  How cool for more qualified instructors to be out in the world sharing their knowledge of proper hardstyle swings, squats and Turkish Get Ups.  With any luck, maybe Jillian will run into one of us!

I first read about it back in May.  About 10 minutes after that, I registered.  For me, this is a no-brainer.  It should be exciting, rewarding, career-advancing and fun.  It’s the HKC, the Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification.  And it’s happening on Saturday.

Rather than being excited right now, my tendency is to be concerned about what is ahead, worried that A) I will forget everything I’ve learned thus far about kettlebell training and won’t be able to assimilate the information I’m given or B) I won’t be able to unlearn the things that I am doing wrong.   Everyone will need correction – that is a fact.  I just hope I can learn and learn fast.

I keep thinking too much.  I think about how I’m NOT a natural athlete.  About how doing something that requires a degree of strength and athleticism like this would have been completely out of the question for me just a few years ago.  “What have I gotten myself into?” a voice in my head repeats. I wonder.  I question.  I doubt.

My family and friends (who really know nothing about my kettlebell skill or lack thereof) all offer their support and encouragement, saying, “You’ll be fine!” among other positive things.  My twitter friends, many of whom are very knowledgeable about kettlebell training and the RKC system, have been incredibly encouraging and helpful, far beyond my wildest dream.  Even Elise Matthews, RKCII and  my trainer, has said that I will do fine.  I’m not sure why that’s not enough for me.  But it isn’t.  I won’t believe it until the moment I am told that I have passed.  If that happens, I’ll be one happy puppy.

Nervous but hopeful.  Excited for the opportunity to actually meet some of the greats in the kettlebell community. This is what is on my mind.  In a few days, there may be an HKC shirt on my back. Stay tuned. 

Lack of time is probably the number one excuse people have for not getting their workouts done.  With the busy schedules that most people have, that is understandable.  Especially if they are considering workouts that last 45 minutes, an hour or longer.

Interval training is most definitely the answer to this problem, since you can easily get a great workout in under 10 minutes.  My favorite flavor of intervals is  — no surprise, kettlebell training.  I have made good use of well planned kettlebell interval workouts this week.  Regardless of my schedule issues,  RKC is still my goal and my training needs to proceed.

Here’s what Friday’s workout looked like:

A quick 3 minute warm up and then right into focused chinup training.  These have always been tough for me and still are.  I’d like to blame it on my bad wrist but that’s just not it.  I’m working on it. Really really hard.  5 minutes

Clean and presses.  My 12kg bell was at the studio and I can’t press the 16kg (yet) so I used the 10kg for presses.  I wanted a tough, quick workout with the 10kg so I did 3 sets of amrap (as many reps as possible) with good form and without going to failure.  I just cleaned the bell once and continued with presses.  I managed 1 set at 15, 1 at 13 and 1 at 12 reps per side.  I had hoped to get 15 each set but was satisfied nonetheless — about 8 minutes total.

Next was the kettlebell intervals.  I had about 10 minutes available.  I decided to do intervals of 20 swings followed by about 10-15 seconds of rest.   Swinging the 16kg bell for that long is still tough for me.  After a few intervals, it’s not unusual for me to get nauseous. For this workout my plan was to complete the 10 minutes with good form and going as hard as I could without hitting that point.

It went well.  When I was done I was completely exhausted. Between the chinups and the presses I got a great upper body workout.  The kettlebell swings are certainly a great lower body workout.  The intervals pushed my conditioning farther and guaranteed me a nice “afterburn” effect.  Excellent!  And all in under 30 minutes.

Some days when I am really pressed for time I skip everything but the intervals.  Five or six minutes with a heavy kettlebell is plenty.

Since time is now ruled out for an excuse, here are a few more ideas.  Kind of .  .  .

The end of my current round of Enter the Kettlebell is in sight.  I finished Week 11 out of 12 yesterday.  At this point I have mixed emotions about being (almost) done.

On one hand, I’m pretty excited to be nearly done.  Completing the program with anything larger than a kettlenetics-style toy kettlebell is something to be proud of.  It takes significant discipline and hard work to do these workouts.  And to do them over and over again.

Being done with ETK also represents a milestone in my training.  I’m one step closer to RKC having done this program.  No question, I’ll have to repeat the program at least once,  and probably twice before I go to RKC.  It will take me that long to develop the strength and conditioning necessary to be ready.  But having done it once and getting that behind me is one more step on the path.  That’s pretty exciting!

On the other hand, I’m strangely sad to see the end of this round of ETK.  (Anyone who has completed the program:  pick your jaw up from the floor!)  Pavel designed a winning program in Enter the Kettlebell.  I must admit, I barely believed Sandy Sommer, RKC when he so highly recommended the program and touted its benefits.  But he was right.  (Catch that, Sandy?)   My results have not been limited to strength gains.  Those are evident for sure.  However, I’ve also seen some fat loss !

So now I’m somewhat attached to this beast of a program.  Yes, you have to work hard, ridiculously hard.  But you get amazing rewards from the hard work.  It is so worth it.  I hardly want to think of training any other way.  I know there are many great options available.  For variety, I’ll need a break from ETK before I restart it with a heavier kettlebell, so I’ll be looking for one of those great options.

In the meantime, I’ll be working through my last week on the program.  And loving/hating every minute of it.

I’m shifting gears with my training.  I have followed the Beginner Kettlebell program that Elise designed for about the last 2 and 1/2 months.  It’s what she gives all of her new kettlebell students.  I think doing them helped me in many ways, and I feel that the time doing those workouts was well spent.

However, I’ve decided to follow the program designed by Pavel in  Enter the Kettlebell.  It seems to be the most trusted method for developing the kind of pressing ability and conditioning that is necessary for the Russian Kettlebell Challenge.   Given that I’m jumping into this game a little bit later in life than most, I want to follow the program that I feel will give me the greatest chance of success at RKC, in the shortest period of time.

That is not to say I’m in a hurry to get to RKC.  In fact, having started Enter the Kettlebell this week, I see now that it is probably going to take me even longer to get ready than I thought before.  That’s okay.  As long as I’m moving forward at a steady pace and seeing regular gains, I know I’ll make it when the time is right. 

I am cheating a little and I hope it doesn’t come back to haunt me.  I am skipping the Program Minimum section of ETK.  I feel that my workouts from Elise have earned me the right to start at the beginning of the second part of the training, the ”Rite of Passage.”   If I can’t handle it after I’ve tried it for a few weeks, I will reevaluate. 

For anyone unfamiliar with Enter the Kettlebell, the idea is that you begin the program with the kettlebell that you can press 5-8 times.  You follow the program, repeating it as many times as necessary, until you are doing  presses, swings and snatches with the size kettlebell that is appropriate for your tests at RKC.  Or until you can one-arm press half your bodyweight and snatch a 53 pound kettlebell 200 times in 10 minutes (men.)  The similar goal for women is to be able to perform the 10 minute snatch test of 200 reps with a 12kg kettlebell and clean and press the kettlebell closest to  a quarter of their bodyweight once with each arm.  I will be following this program a long time.

 My ETK training actually started several days ago.  I’ll finish Week 5  on Saturday.  (It’s week number 5 because I skipped  those 4 weeks called “Program Minimum” this time and went straight to “Rite of Passage.”)  So far it is going well, and I’m finding I have a bit of DOMS from the pressing, a very good sign in my opinion.

“Rite of Passage” in Enter the Kettlebell calls for 3 structured practice days, 2 variety days in which you pretty much do whatever exercise you want,  and 2  days off.  One of my variety days will be spent doing sprint intervals.  I’m doing this for extra HIIT benefits and for the extra lower body work.  You may know that lower body is the part of me that I love to hate.  My other variety day will probably be spent doing Turkish Get Ups and/or trying out the workouts I’ll be using in my coming-soon fitness classes for women. 

I’m also hoping to continue Eat Stop Eat,  the intermittent fasting that I’ve tried recently.  I completed a second fast this week. It was more difficult this time, quite different from the first.  But I’m starting to see some results.  (I’m after a bit of body fat loss.)  I’ll be closely monitoring my strength as I go along, as I know it is difficult to see fat loss and strength gain at once.  Since strength is primary for me, I’ll stop the fasting if things don’t go well.

Probably I won’t post my ETK workouts.  They are quite repetitive.  I’ll likely only write about whatever is new or what my variety days are like.  Or maybe I’ll find other things to drone on blog about. 

That’s my plan.  Unless I change it. 

The family went to the pool and part of me wanted to go with them.  But there’s all summer for that, and I was ready for my scheduled appointment with Elise Matthews, RKC II.  My goal of becoming prepared for RKC was my priority. So I trained with Elise for an hour and change on Sunday. 

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! 

How about you?