Year in Review and Year in Preview

Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays to all. It’s been awhile since I’ve blogged. I have been training about as much as one can with an infant. We’re adjusting to having our little boy in our lives, and he is quite a blessing.

Late December is the time of the year when we commonly reflect on the past year and boldly resolve to do great things in the New Year. I’m no different than most of us, but as 2008 transitions into 2009, I wonder if I have it all wrong. Rather than set multiple goals or make multiple resolutions, why not set a single goal for 2009 and devise the ways and means to get there? Of course, the goal needs to be challenging and meaningful, and there needs to be a way to achieve that goal that fits into my life style of sometimes long working hours, occasional nights of little sleep, and the flexibility required to father a growing boy.

Reflecting back on 2008 in my kettlebell lifting, it is noted, quite simply, that I floundered and have an inability to follow simple directions. My numbers at the end of 2008 aren’t dissimilar to the beginning of 2008. My programming was all over the place, and I never stuck with anything long enough to truly test if what I was doing worked. To be brutally honest, I did not consult with the Office of Common Sense.

Simplicity, hard work, and consistency were missing for me in 2008. What is done is done.

Looking to 2009 –

Goal: Before 2009 closes, my goal is to score at least 205 combined repetitions of jerks and snatches with the 24kg kettlebell.

Means: Train the jerk and snatch five days per week. A Saturday through Wednesday five day week works best for me. It will look like this:

Jerks (double) for time
Snatch for time
One arm jerk or swings
Non-kettlebell finisher of some sort

Measurement: I’ve purchased a cheapo wall calendar from Office Despot. I’ll log my daily work on this calendar, and the red pen comes out if I miss a scheduled session.

For a few weeks, I am spending time with the 12kgs to work on my flexibility, wind, and overcome the mental block of 10:00 sets. Check back periodically for results.

OCS People of the Year

I’ve been remiss in blogging recently. As 2008 draws to a close, I’ve reflected back on my own year of kettlebell lifting (topic for another blog) but I’ve also admired the efforts of others. We all know that hard work, simplicity, and consistency pay off. The Office of Common Sense wants to recognize two individuals in the community of North American kettlebell lifting that demonstrated these virtues in 2008. I will call these two individuals the OCS People of the Year.

Like all North American kettlebell lifters, both of these individuals work full time. They are both fathers of young sons. And, in 2008, both of these men demonstrated that hard work, simplicity, and consistency will yield results.

The first 2008 OCS Person of the Year hails from northern British Columbia. I don’t know him personally, but I know of him from the American Kettlebell Club coaching community. If you have access to the AKC Coaches Forum, look for a thread called “Finding a Starting Point” and read it all the way through. In January of this year, Scott was able to snatch 16kg 100 times a side in 10:00 with one hand switch, which is quite respectable. Scott stepped back in February and found a formula that worked for him. Consistent hard work paid off big time, as Scott was able to achieve amateur rank with the 24kgs – 200 snatches and 20+ jerks. Check out Scott’s inspiring snatch effort here, complete with commentary from his two boys, and check out his jerk effort here. Scott’s achieved his results with a simple program of snatches and jerks, consistently applied.

Another Scott can also call himself the 2008 OCS Person of the Year. I know Scott Helsley from the 2007 World Kettlebell Club meet in Miami, and I hope to connect with him and his lovely wife again in Chicago at the end of August for the 2009 World Kettlebell Club Championships. Scott is probably the hardest working (and funniest) kettlebell lifter I know. Juggling the busy demands of being a father and a doctor frequently on-call, Dr. Helsley was able to achieve Master of Sport by completing at least 54 long cycle clean and jerks with the 32kgs. Scott writes about kettlebell lifting and other topics at RFP, and all of it is worthwhile reading. How did Scott get to Master of Sport? Hard work, consistency, and a simple program of long cycle clean and jerks and a moderate bit of assistance work five days a week.

What lessons can we as kettlebell lifters draw from Scott and Scott?
1. Consistency, good technique, and the mental fortitude to pick up the bells on days when you’d rather not.
2. There is no substitute for hard work.
3. Although there may be other ways and means to high amateur rank or Master of Sport, a simple program seems to work pretty well. If you want to get good at jerks, it looks like you need to jerk. Same with snatches and long cycle. Both of these individuals worked for time, and it doesn’t look like there was a great deal of complex set or repetition routines in either of the Scott’s programming.
4. Just lift. When combined with a sensible diet and rest, the coincident benefits of good health and a sound physique should result from consistent lifting.

Here’s to both of you, Scott, and keep up the hard work.

Pooooooooor Aggies

I am pissed that a series of computers decided 0U goes to Kansas City instead of my Longhorns, but then again, maybe the Sooners won’t get past Missouri.

Oh well, Thanksgiving sure was a lot of fun. How can a team lose 24 yards of rushing in a game? What in the hell is going on in College Station?

Recent Training and Ropes Gone Wild

Being a father is busy. Sleep doesn’t always come regularly, and a hungry son can (and rightfully does) wreck havoc with a schedule. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Recent activity:

1. My right knee reminded me that certain things, like squats with weight, make it angry. That bought me a week off Thanksgiving.
2. Since I can’t always train when I want and I can’t guarantee consistency, I need to eat cleaner. My pants have gotten tight, and I got rid of the bigger ones I had when I lost weight 18 months ago.
3. My template is basically double jerks and one arm jerks 2-3 days a week, snatches and swings 2-3 days a week, and a strength endurance session based on the Art of Strength. I rarely go longer than 30 minutes.
4. I recently acquired a 50′ of 1-1/2 inch manila rope from these guys. What do I do with my rope? Well, check out Art of Strength for more on Ropes Gone Wild. It looks deceptively easy, but it isn’t. For a guy with a balky knee, this is an excellent form of supplemental cardiovascular training and is very efficient.
5. I’m holding ground not setting any PRs right now. Life is good.