KB Girl has an affair with barbells

[jrosto]

 

You make those kettlebell snatches look so easy. I'm sure they're not, but you look like you're just chillin' and swingin' some KBs, all chill

 

That's what I think when I watch those vids  Just chillin' with some KB's.

[msuroo]

People behave so weird when they've got a 'heavy' weight. You see this a lot in weightlifting, they think it's heavy so instead of lifting it like they normally would they start acting like complete f*king morons who don't know how to move or get under a bar.

I have no idea what you are talking about *whistles innocently*.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[raptron]

Head games, man. Head games are so much of so many sports (Do this thing perfectly on a 2" line... but put it on a 4" beam? WHAT? AHGUAHGUHG!) and there aren't really any good, catch-all solutions, so I totally sympathize with dealing with that as a coach.

 

I find ring pull-ups way harder than bar pull-ups, personally, but I also barely spend any time on rings so my stabilizers are shit for it, which coooould be why.

 

And you are doing good! Keep killing it with those training workouts!

[Wolverine]

Ring pull-ups are harder. It's decided.

 

I'm finding this window into skill acquisition fascinating... as well as the glimpse into the mind of a coach.

[Mad Hatter]

Ring pull-ups are harder. It's decided.

 

Agree to disagree.

[chammy]

I have no idea what you are talking about *whistles innocently*.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Me neither. <.<

 

>.>

 

<.<

[KB Girl]

Really enjoy reading through everyone's posts I'll reply to everyone in a minute.

I went missing for a couple of days because the boyfriend and I went on a spontaneous camping trip. On Monday we found our schedules relatively free, found someone to fill in for our training hours and on tuesday morning we were gone! We had planned for a while to go on a cycling vacation, so we went on a 2-night mini version to test the waters. It was good fun. My legs are dead though, to my eternal shame the last day my bf had to push me up every hill the last hour of cycling x)

Got home last night and spend today catching up on work. Spend an hour at the gym working on loosening up my legs a bit and playing with some handstands / ring work. Look forward to lifting weights on sunday, missed it even these short few days!

Couple of pics;

[KB Girl]

It's kind of interesting how that works, though.  I've been desperately in need of some focus and discipline on the adulting side of my life, so the PVP is really helping me.  I'm really glad I don't have any food goals, since my focus and habits there are pretty miserable right now.  There's really a limit on how many things we can focus on and prioritize at a time.  Since your competition is getting closer, it really is great that you're really on point with the physical stuff, even if some of the adulting stuff is getting less attention.  

 

It seems like finding that balance is especially tricky in that people in the same class probably need different approaches.  Some people need a lot of coddling and encouragement.  Other people need a lot of harshness and constructive criticism.  I think it's great that you spend so much time thinking about your approaches to coaching and modifying the way you go about things to bring out the best in your students.  You sound like a really awesome coach!

Yea thanks for putting that first bit in perspective!

It's funny, now that you mention it I do remember finding it hard to deal with different people in the same class when I first started, but now I really don't anymore. I know my people very well and I have the luxury of having the time between work sets to speak to them individually. And in the end I don't stray too far from who I am, harshness doesn't suit me, but I have my own flavor of telling people to suck it up Coddling and constructive criticism I can do! Haha. Thanks <3

 

That's another reason why your progress is extra inspiring!

Optimistic of course! Panic won't help your training so just go for it.

Good! I feel the same way, when you can do something it can feel kinda far away but it seems way more possible than watching the guys at the gym do stuff. Nofi x) 

And ok! I'll try! No panic. And i'll try not to be too frustrated

 

I'm currently doing 3x5 lat pulldowns, sometimes with the V-bar and sometimes the normal one, and one-arm dumbbell rows. Sometimes I also hang from the pull-up bar to improve my grip strength. I used to do inverted rows, but didn't really seem to improve in them, and my current gym doesn't have a Smith machine that I used to do them with (the only use I ever had for the Smith machine)

 

I decided to try front squats on Friday when I was still on that crazy PWO, and oh my dog. I couldn't comprehend the hand/bar position at all. I read how-tos and watched videos on how you're supposed to hold the bar, but everything seemed so awkward and my arms were bent really weirdly, even though I don't (to my knowledge?) have arm mobility issues. I'll probably have to get someone to teach me, and continue back squats until that. Not that front squats are a huge priority to me atm, since my ambitions are more power- than Olympic weightlifting-oriented, but it'd still be nice to, you know, be able to do them.

 

Does your heart rate matter if you were otherwise not getting especially fatigued? I mean, your heart will adapt or get the f out. Hopefully not the latter  (Want me to send you some of my crazy PWO in an envelope?)

 

You make those kettlebell snatches look so easy. I'm sure they're not, but you look like you're just chillin' and swingin' some KBs, all chill

That's a great compliment, thanks! The problem with HR getting too high is...well, it getting too high, which stops you from functioning or continuing. Like doing sprints, eventually you'll have to stop moving or fall on your face. That's how the 24kg makes me feel.

 

Front squats can be tricky to learn, especially when you have any mobility issues getting in the way... it's a bit too complex for me to give any tips! But you could always take some video, then i'm sure me or others could give some pointers

 

For remote vs home team lifters I think you need to unify the solutions. I use Excel + Dropbox for everyone. Home team lifters with individual programs work off the Dropbox app on their phones and I write the more general population/kid's programs on the board.

 

@grip: do you guys ever use gloved sets? My GS buds were always doing those near the end of their workouts to challenge grip.  

 

And yeah, heavy sports are 120% mental. Staying cool and doing the same thing regardless of what weight is on the bar is something that can only be forged through thousands of hours of dedicated practice and is part of what makes these sports so damn hard/annoying sometimes ha.

You're right, I should probably do that. Do you have your home-team lifters lift without you at all? And have them take video?

The mental aspect and the hours of dedicated practice is hard/annoying but also probably a large part of what makes us love it But as a coach sometimes you just want to shake people, hahaha.

 

About grip/gloves- we pretty much never do them, which is mostly because my atletes don't have enough training hours. I can imagine if you train more than 4 hours a week that you would want to spare the rest of your body by challenging grip with a light kb, but our limited time is much better spend actually using heavier bells. 

And to be perfectly honest, I don't find gloved sets that much more challenging either, I can pretty much do the same amount of reps with or without. Not sure why, i've got theories, but they're untested because I haven't wanted to dedicate my people's training time to it. 

 

Head games, man. Head games are so much of so many sports (Do this thing perfectly on a 2" line... but put it on a 4" beam? WHAT? AHGUAHGUHG!) and there aren't really any good, catch-all solutions, so I totally sympathize with dealing with that as a coach.

 

I find ring pull-ups way harder than bar pull-ups, personally, but I also barely spend any time on rings so my stabilizers are shit for it, which coooould be why. 

Yea it's probably more universal than I imagine! I appreciate the sympathy  

 

Ring pull-ups are harder. It's decided.

 

I'm finding this window into skill acquisition fascinating... as well as the glimpse into the mind of a coach.

Haha, my boyfriend actually agrees with you two. But not for me. So w/e

And good! Fascinating is good!

[KB Girl]

I have no idea what you are talking about *whistles innocently*.

Me neither. <.<

 

>.>

 

<.<

This cracked me up <3

At least we can all suffer together! 

[Nymeria]

The spontaneous camping trip sounds awesome!   It's really healthy to get some mental breaks from your normal routine, and you seem really cheerful and ready to tackle all of your goals, now that you're back!  

[jrosto]

Sounds like a fun couple of days.  

[Elastigirl]

Glad you got to get away and have some relaxing fun.

[Mad Hatter]

Looks great, glad you had a fun time! Spontaneous trips are awesome!

[KB Girl]

Thanks! It was really nice Bit stressful coming back, playing catch up. But worth it! 

[KB Girl]

Remember I was pretty positive about recovery? Well not so much anymore, my legs still feel like dead weight and don't want to do much of anything. Also shoulders were tired really quickly today, not sure what is up with them. Did get a massage on friday, got some knots loosened up. She almost got me to cry

 

Sunday, week 3

Because of above mentioned stoopid legs and shoulders this wasn't very great.

 

Kettlebell swing-snatch ladder 

16kg, 5/5, x3

18kg, 5/5, x2

20kg, 5/5

22kg, 5/5

(tried 24kg but couldn't hold it)

 

Front squats (kg)

15 x 5 x 2

25 x 5 x 2

 

Just a couple of light ones for mobility/form keep up.

 

BB Hip snatches

15kg x 8 x 3

BB Hang snatches 

15kg x 3 x 5

 

Both of those just drills again. Not sure it's doing much for me this light, but at least i'm practicing getting my wrists in the right position overhead and working a pattern into my brain. I think. I'm frustrated. 

[KB Girl]

In other news, I've sort of decided to go ahead and get my weight cut done. I dropped all my water weight in the last couple of days (77kg > 75kg) and now just need another 7kg to get into the appropriate weight category (under 68kg). 

Deciding this makes me anxious. I'm scared of disappointing myself. 

[SymphonicDan]

How long do you have to lose 10% of your body weight? Do you have enough excess fat that you can even get down to the <68kg class? Good luck for it if so!

 

I'm pleased you factored in the water weight so many people forget that and wonder why their weight loss (or gain) varies independently of whatever factors the dieter is striving to affect!

[KB Girl]

How long do you have to lose 10% of your body weight? Do you have enough excess fat that you can even get down to the <68kg class? Good luck for it if so!

Not very long actually, which is why i'm kind of forced to get started. Just 6 weeks until the last qualifier for worlds.... I'm an idiot.

 

But yes, I do have plenty of excess fat (can't you tell from video? ). I was around 70kg last year, which was a pretty good weight for me with still a fat% of around 25.

It should be possible.. And I do have some wiggle room.. If I can get to 69/70kg I can get down to 68 for a weigh in.

[Mad Hatter]

Oof that sounds rough. But sometimes a strong incentive and tight deadline is exactly what's needed to get ones ass into gear. 

[jrosto]

 

Deciding this makes me anxious. I'm scared of disappointing myself. 

 

You've got this!  You have the experience, and the determination to get it done

[Nymeria]

Good luck with the cut!  I think summer time is one of the better times to try for the cut, honestly, since it's easier to do more salads, light fare, and water.  If the cutting starts making you hangry, you can always vent to all of us.  

[raptron]

GOOD LUCK. Hopefully your BF can also help you out and keep you in the right mental place. You have a solid deadline and a really great reason to want to get there, so with those two motivators, I'm sure you can pull through if you are just super zoned in about it and make it a high priority. 

[jrosto]

I tried to find a cool, motivational, cutting gif for you.   Google Pro Tip...  Do not search for 'Cutting gif' images.  Just trust me on this one.

 

So I didn't find a cool, motivational gif for your cut, but I did find this -

 

 

That just made me smile for some reason.  Now to get my Sweetie off the couch

[annyshay]

Oof that sounds rough. But sometimes a strong incentive and tight deadline is exactly what's needed to get ones ass into gear. 

 

You've got this!  You have the experience, and the determination to get it done

 

Good luck with the cut!  I think summer time is one of the better times to try for the cut, honestly, since it's easier to do more salads, light fare, and water.  If the cutting starts making you hangry, you can always vent to all of us.  

 

GOOD LUCK. Hopefully your BF can also help you out and keep you in the right mental place. You have a solid deadline and a really great reason to want to get there, so with those two motivators, I'm sure you can pull through if you are just super zoned in about it and make it a high priority. 

 

You can dooooooo it!  All the reasons they said, and because you really love your sport, dammit.  

[Twilight]

You can do it!

 

I need to join you!