Sara's First Powerlifting Meet

On Saturday, June 22nd, my girlfriend Sara (whom I train) competed in her very first powerlifting meet (and her very first athletic competition ever). The meet was the American Powerlifting Committee's National Championship, and it was held right here in Athens, GA. Although she's only been lifting weights seriously for a little over a year, she really got serious the last two months and put all her efforts into getting ready for the meet, and it really paid off. She's right between the 56kg(123lb) and 60kg(132lb) weight classes, so she decided to cut a few pounds and lift at 56kg. She was a bundle of nerves at the beginning (which affected her squat a little), but all in all she had a great first meet. Her best lifts were:

Squat - 105kg/231.5lbs

Bench - 57.5kg/126.8lbs

Deadlift - 112.5kg/248lbs

Total - 275kg/606.3lbs

She ended up finishing second in her weight class, and the woman who beat her actually won the "best lifter" award. She had a lot of fun (once she settled down a little), she learned a lot, and she's already planning on how to get better for the next one. I'm really proud of her, and I believe she has a lot of potential in the sport. Now, on to pictures.

Sara Machen 2013 APC Nationals
Sara Machen 2013 APC Nationals

Sara Machen 2013 APC Nationals
Sara Machen 2013 APC Nationals

 

 

 

No Money + No Equipment + No Time = No Problem

I love simple things. That's why I enjoy kettlebells and powerlifting so much. I also know that not everyone has the time or money to do these as a way to get in shape. Fortunately, there's this workout. This is as simple as it gets. It doesn't require a gym membership, it doesn't require any equipment, and most importantly, it doesn't require more than 7 minutes of your time. That's right. 7 minutes. There are no more excuses. This is all you have to do:

* Do the first movement for thirty seconds (intensity for all movements should be about 8 out of 10)

* Rest for 10 seconds

* Repeat the procedure for the rest of the movements

That's it. 30 seconds of hard work, followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated until you're done. It won't be easy, but it couldn't be simpler.

Here's the full article: The Scientific 7-Minute Workout

Why the American Swing Is Wrong

If you watch enough kettlebell videos online, you'll eventually see someone swing the kettlebell all the way over their head with both hands. Despite what some people will try to tell you, this is incorrect technique, and it can be dangerous. There is no kettlebell organization that either teaches or endorses this technique. In fact, a Master RKC told me that swinging a kettlebell overhead with both hands is "dangerous, negligent, and stupid". A WKC Master Trainer that I know agreed with him. Even Pavel and Valery Fedorenko, the two men responsible for bringing kettlebells from Russia to the United States in the early 90's, have both spoken out against this practice. So if this something that you do, maybe this article will help you understand why you shouldn't. Or if you don't swing this way, but you know someone who does, maybe it will help save their shoulders.

Rationalizing the Swing: Why the American Swing Is Wrong

The Strongest Family In The World

Cool video. Too bad a family that does something healthy and enjoys spending time with each other while they do it get written off as having a "crazy obsession". But keep your eyes open during the video, because their kids have some pretty good kettlebell technique.

Got Elbow Pain? Try This To Fix It.

Several years ago I strained my elbow pretty badly doing some power cleans. It was the inside of the elbow, on the medial epicondyle, which is also know as golfer's elbow (tennis elbow is on the outside of the elbow). So I took some time off, rehabbed it as best I could, and after a while it felt pretty good. As you can imagine, that wasn't the only time it's happened. I've re-aggravated it a few times over the years. I did it most recently when we got the new competition kettlebells at Athens Fitness and Mixed Martial Arts because I went a little overboard playing with them. Except this time, taking time off didn't really help. Neither did the handful of rehab exercises I've used over the years. So I started looking around online. And while videos for hip, shoulder, and ankle rehab are everywhere you look, there's not too much out there for fixing elbows.

So I checked to see if Diesel Crew had any suggestions. As it turns out, Jedd Johnson (one of their members), had just put out a product with rehab specialist Rick Kaselj that specifically addresses both types of elbow pain. So I spent the $27 for the ebook and video. Best money I've ever spent. Rick tells you how to fix the problem once it's occurred, and Jedd tells you how to keep it from happening again. I don't really recommend too many products, but if you're dealing with elbow pain, this one is a winner. You can buy a copy by clicking the link below:

GOT ELBOW PAIN? CLICK HERE

Heavy Kettlebell Swings

Sara swinging a 32kg (70lb) kettlebell at the end of her workout.

It's Nice To Be Appreciated...

...but she did all of the hard work.


If you're interested in kettlebells and/or personal training, just let me know.