Swimming dog

Cave canem

Yesterday evening we were jogging with Monti and afterwards met another dog, having a jolly play as consequence. And unfortunately, something else, too… The dog-pal (approx. 40 kg and full of muscles) missed a curve after a sprint and run into my left knee. I jumped back, shook it off, little JM and did not care any further… unless starting to swing later that night. Well, my knee signalized without delay to be left alone, or else... :-( Since then: cautious SMR, comfrey (symphytum officinale), chilling, knee protector and hoping for a quick recovery.

Tuesday

I the morning it was training in the gym with Adam. I feel the improvement definitely – I could perform 2x2 chin up and I learnt the feeling of sore abs
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In the evening:
JM, 10 deadlift @ 12 kg, 10 goblet squat @ 12 kg, 10 ULP @ 12 kg

VO2 max, 15 sec on:15 sec off, 68 sets, 34 min, 8 reps/set @ 12 kg

3x5-5 one legged deadlift @ 12 kg

3x5-5 floor press @ 12 kg

2x10-10 Russian twist @ 12 kg
Stretching

Altogether 544 snatches. Yesterday was a rest day, today’s schedule is a light cardio and some GTG, and for Friday 64 sets of VO2 max.

VO2 max

I usually receive two questions in relation to VO2 max training:
1) How can one survive so many snatches, do I not devastate my lunges / my hands?
2) Is it not utmost boring?

My answers:
1) VO2 is designed for a lighter KB than that you are usually exercising. Many reps with light weight, interval training – that is the merit and works as wonder for your cardiovascular endurance.
Of course you shall not jump in it without any common sense. The best you can do is to consult the system with an RKC, preferably with one who is familiar with the book Viking Warrior Conditioning of Kenneth Jay.

I usually train VO2 max in textile gloves with the fingers cut off, but despite the fact that sometimes I just have not found them my hand / finger did not got injured. Anyway, what did Kenneth say – after you have performed 10.000 snatches, nothing can hurt your hands any more :-). The key is the right technique (do not hold the handle tight, drop it loose and of cousre you should generate the arc up with your hips and not with the hand).

2) No, it is not boring and you do not have time to think of that. Ideally you should find a training partner to snatch with. If no one is available, you should count the sets achieved by the time you reach the half, and afterwards the sets you have still to make (or let GymBoss count, just have it in your mind).
And you should concentrate on the right technique FROM THE BEGINNING TILL THE END (tension, hip work, lockout, tension, drop, repeat…). On one hand, there is not much use nor sense in it if you perform snatches the wrong way (unless you want to get hurt), on the other hand I usually concentrate on the right performance so intensely that only the beep of the GymBoss reminds me to drop having completed the 8 reps and rest. In the rest period you should shake off, jump, shadow box, etc. – not to overload your heart with a sudden stop.
If you are engaged with thoughts like that, no time remains for getting bored and you will wonder how soon the mission impossible (as it seems at the beginning) can be completed.

When you finish and can breath again normally, stopped sweating just count the total reps of snatches you have performed… You will feel a different man or woman ;-) – and maybe find some additional motivation to go on knowing that the Power is with you! Keep on snatching! :-)

Splash and beach

Weekend workouts

Friday, 21 August
JM, 10 deadlift @ 12 kg, 10 goblet squat @ 12 kg, 10 ULP @ 12 kg

VO2 max, 15 sec on:15 sec off, 60 sets, 30 min, 8 reps/set @ 12 kg

2x10-10 one legged - 10 two legged ASLR @ 12 kg

10-10 small windscreen wiper, 10 two legged ASLR @ 12 kg

3x10 slow pushup on parapet, max. tension

3x10-10 one legged deadlift @ 12 kg
5-5 pistol on low chair and back
Stretching

Saturday, 22 August
JM

with 30 sec rests in between: 20 two handed swing – 10-10 one handed swing – 20 hand to hand swing – 20 two handed swing – 10-10 one handed swing – 20 hand to hand swing @ 20 kg

Bridge, tension, rotation 3x(30 mp hold, 15 l-r)
Stretching

Sunday, 23 August
JM, 10 deadlift @ 12 kg, 10 goblet squat @ 12 kg, 10 ULP @ 12 kg

VO2 max, 15 sec on:15 sec off, 60 sets, 30 min, 8 reps/set @ 12 kg

4x8 goblet squat @ 12 kg
3x5-5 military press @ 12 kg
3x5 Janda situp
3x10-10 Russian twist @ 12 kg
Forearm bridge hold in tension, forearm raise and stretch (l, r), leg raise and stretch (30 sec, 15-15 sec, 15-15 sec)
SMR

Altogether 1.440 snatches last week...

Fatal climbing accident

Hearing of or reading such news always saddens my heart, even if I do not now the casualty - common predestination... This time it is much the worse... The 25 yrs old climber killed in an accident during rappelling in Austria last Saturday was my first mountaineering trainer and became a good friend of us during the joint climbs. He was one of the greatest people I have ever known. I have liked and respected him and so have many others, too.

Now I cannot find the words, it is hurting too much… Staring at the pictures of the joint climbing adventures, my eyes are filled with tears and in spite of the hot weather I feel very cold, from inside… Only the fair people can be missed that much…

Last night

JM, 10 deadlift, 10 goblet squat, 10 nyolcas @ 12 kg
VO2 max, 15 sec on:15 sec off, 60 sets, 30 min, 8 reps/set @ 12 kg
2x5-5 TGU from sitting to high bridge and back - slow @ 12 kg
2x5-5 TGU from half kneeling to bridge and back - slow@ 12 kg
2x5-5 low windmill @ 12 kg
2x5-5 windmill @ 12 kg
Stretching

Forgot to mention…

After the climbs I did some GTG snatches (above 2.200 m but did not feel any difference): 60 snatch @ 16 kg, 40 snatch @ 16 kg, finally last Thursday 55 snatch @ 16 kg. I did these in 5/5 sets and on Friday the snatch test in 10/10, 10/10, 5/5, 6 sets, somewhere about 3 minutes. Well, the VO2 max system scheduled with Adam according to the system of KJ is working good :-) - therefore, I return to it today. Anyway, with one exception because injura all assistant RKCs passed the snatch test and the technical exam, thus we renewed our RKC degree for two years :-).

RKC cert

It is quite unbelievable for me that I could assist now for the second time (and Ervin for the third) at the RKC cert powered by Chief Instructor Pavel Tsatsouline, "the Evil Russian"; Master RKC Kenneth Jay, "the Dane of Pain" (Beast Tamer), Senior RKC Geoff Neupert "the Captain" (Beast Tamer) and RKC Team Leader Cortez Hull.

We were delegated to the team of Geoff and at the technical exam I could assist Pavel.

It is hard to define what these three days meant to me but I try to summarize my most important thoughts:

- Pavel is simply ingenious. There is no use to go into further details.

- Kenneth, Geoff, Cortez: it was a honor to watch them and to work with them. I can speak of them only with the highest respect, both professionally and humanly.

- In my opinion, the quiet kindness and cheering words of John Du Cane helped more than just a little to the RKC candidates. He is a phenomenon whose absence is promptly felt as soon as he is not there – besides, we owe him the launch of the kettlebell invasion with Pavel.

- The achievement of Peter both in the organization and the preparation of the Hungarian RKC candidates owes all respect – just like the work of Elena, Moni, Robi and the other supporters; thank you very much!

- The tireless high level interpretation of Gabi – and besides she contributed as RKC, as well! – was an indispensable help for many Hungarian participants to accomplish the cert.

- It was good to meet and work together with the other RKCs again – fortunately the list of the names would be quite long, and you could see that all of them train hard with kettlebells since the RKC, are more experienced in teaching, have prepared for the cert, take the task seriously and do all to support the RKC candidates to preferably earn their RKC but by all means to become better men and women. I am glad to belong to You!

- Congratulations to all participants who accomplished the cert, especially to those who have earned their RKC! Ladies, Gentlemen, be proud of yourselves, it was a great accomplishment you will always remember! Who still has to work on a drill, has been furnished with very good stuff to do that and great support, but if needed you can definitely contact any RKC for help!


Power to you and keep swinging!!!!

Holidays

The Dolomites – wonderful and you cannot get tired of them. It is a great experience to climb there, to watch the marmots on the way to the first pitch, to feed the daws on the top, to marvel at the landscape… I am sure that was not the last time we were there – of course it was good to come home to little Monti who in the meantime went to an exhibition with her breeder, Zoli Baffia where she was ranked Excellent 1 and granted the title CAC in the intermediate class. The little winner welcomed us home with explosive pleasure :-D

Blog off till the RKC

Yes, we are going to climb again, this time to the Dolomites. I will make the RKC snatch test today before we leave, then only exercise for it besides climbing. We will arrive prior to the cert, because both of us will be assisting :-)

I+F

Improvement and fatigue. I was not really fit this morning, arriving at 6.45 a.m. at the Gym to train with Adam. A little warm up, behind the neck pull downs and cable rows and then go to pull-ups. 3x1 chinup (the third went for a second try, fist I kicked the tool L). Question from Adam after the second rep: „Well, you do that better now being tired and sleepy than on Tuesday when you were fresh. Half asleep would you tear down the handle?” :-) After the third: „Now that was great!” :-):-) In the following, we trained the critical exercises (those which has not been valuated as „very good” at the course) at I was happy to see that a definite improvement can be seen at each. To be honest, at the end, doing the abs-supersets I gnashed my teeth… but finished them. However, I had only little sleep in the past days, for this training it was worth again to get up early – Adam, thank you!

Light night fun

>JM
3x3-3 bent press @ 16 kg
3x5-5 windmill @ 16 kg
4 min Tabata swing, 20 sec on:10 sec off @ 20 kg
SMR

Yesterday night and today morning

Yesterday:
JM, 10 deadlift @ 12 kg, 10 goblet squat @ 12 kg, 10 ULP @ 12 kg
VO2 max, 15 sec on:15 sec off, 30 sets, 15min, 8 reps/set @ 12 kg
3x5-5 military press @ 16 kg
3x5-5 front squat @ 16 kg
Stretching

This morning I went to the gym and Adam trained me. Chinup is developing definitely but there is plenty to work still on the pullup. Anyway, it was good, Adam did not spare me any work but of course he was not cruel - just as it should be :-)

Update

Long time elapsed since my last blogspot... Training went on continuously, but some things happened in the meantime - a short summary:

- a little heart problem of mine was identified, thank God it causes no problems now for awhile and no medicaments are needed any more, either,

- I made my recovery training sessions for strength and lately changed for VO2 max based on the excellent book of Kenneth Jay, Master RKC,

- We had a really successful TGU&KGB workshop with Ervin (see former blogspot with video),

- I was asked to demonstrate KB training at the Physical Education College, trainers course - they seemed to like it,

- We went to climb again, and will be off to the Dolomites in a week :-),

- We have been invited to assist at the Budapest RKC cert in August :-),

- Monti won her third Hungaria Prima Junior title in exhibitions and became a Hungaria Junior Champion :-)

From now on, I am going to continue blogging regularly again...