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
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.
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.
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.
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:
I know that I talk a lot about kettlebells. They're a great fitness tool, and I really believe in them. They're simple, fast, and efficient. If I could only have one piece of fitness equipment for the rest of my life, I'd probably choose a kettlebell. But at the end of the day, a kettlebell is just that, a fitness tool. And it's only one piece of the fitness puzzle. Fortunately, at Athens Fitness and Mixed Martial Arts we've got a lot more than just kettlebells. In fact, we've got everything you could possibly need to become the best that you can be, whether you're a beginner, a pro athlete, or something in between. Take a look:
Here's a pretty comprehensive list (as of right now) of what we have:
*Sorinex multi-function power racks
*Sorinex Olympic bench
*Multiple Olympic lifting platforms
*Dumbells from 5-120lbs
*Full set of competition kettlebells from 8kg-32kg
*Standard kettlebells from 4-32kg
*Four Woodway high speed/high incline treadmills
*Hundreds of pounds of bumper plates
*Specialty bars (safety squat bar, diamond bar, log bar, fat bar, etc.)
*A Jacob's ladder
*Two C2 rowing machines
*Elliptical
*Two Airdynes
*Lots of medicine balls and Swiss balls
*Battle ropes
*Plyo boxes
*Adjustable hurdles
*TRX
*Giant tires
*Sledgehammers
*Agility ladder
*Sorinex Shrugger/Farmer's Walk unit
*Three Prowler sleds
*Two Sorinex Root Hog sleds
*Glute-Ham Raise machine
*And more...
I've been wanting a set of these for a long time. One of the nice things about these kettlebells is that since they're all a uniform size (including handle thickness), your technique doesn't have to be adjusted to accommodate progressively larger and larger bells as you get stronger. It also makes teaching exercises like the clean easier, since the competition kettlebells always sit in the proper place. Double kettlebell work is easier as well. Basically, there are a lot of pluses.
So if you're ready to start training with kettlebells, want to try a different type of kettlebell, or you're interested in Girevoy sport, stop by Athens Fitness and Mixed Martial Arts and ask for me, Steve. Or call us at 706-850-8444.
I don't post too much about diet and nutrition. I'm not a doctor, a dietician, or nutritionist. I'm a jiu-jitsu coach, a kettlebell instructor, and a personal trainer. I will, however, post my opinions about what works for me diet-wise, and anything that I feel is a good, solid, basic nutrition principle. That being the case, I do feel that mainstream nutritional approaches push a lot of things on people that may not be in their best interests. And I tend to agree with everything on this list. Read it, do some research on your own, and apply it. I think you'll be a lot better off if you do.
I get that losing weight can be tough for some people. Making lifestyle changes, having to give up foods that you love (even when you know that they're bad for you), trying to fit workouts into busy schedules, trying to figure out the best way to get in shape, getting used to being sore after a tough training session, dealing with negative influences in your life, etc. But has it really gotten so bad that even just taking a pill is too much?
That's certainly what this product makes it look like. If the only thing that you're willing to do to lose weight is chew on candy, you've probably got a long road ahead of you. Although given the obesity rate in this country, that might be sadly close to the truth. You have to give some credit to the people who make Hydroxycut. The marketing is brilliant, and they'll make a ton of money, but it's a shame that once again they're taking advantage of people who don't know any better. Real weight/fat loss takes lifestyle changes, like a smart diet and exercise program, not gimmicks.
I've mentioned before that if you're interested in training with kettlebells, it's important to pick an appropriately qualified instructor. This video is a perfect example of why:
Literally everything in this video is wrong, from the explanation to the demonstrations. And that's bad enough, but what's really terrible is that one of the women is a trainer for one the largest fitness franchises in the country.
And she has absolutely NO idea what she's doing!
The swings are just wrong, and being able to properly swing is the cornerstone of the kettlebell world. She's squatting with her legs, not hinging with her hips. The kettlebell shouldn't go overhead on a swing (looking at you, Crossfit). The rows are the least offensive exercise shown (probably because they aren't a real kettlebell exercise), although I have no idea why she's even mentioning the triceps. And the exercise they refer to as a Turkish get-up is just laughable. Other than starting from the ground and ending in a standing position, that movement in no way, shape, or form resembles a Turkish get-up. It's also worth noting that most women can easily start training with an 8kg/18lb kettlebell. The one in video appears to be so small that it would be almost useless to most people.
If someone chose to try kettlebells on their own, based on what this video teaches, the best case scenario is that they wouldn't get much of a workout and walk away thinking kettlebells are just another worthless exercise fad. Worst case scenario is that they get injured. Bottom line, this video is full of incorrect information, and is incredibly irresponsible on Gold's Gym's part. If you're interested in kettlebells, please learn from a qualified instructor. If you need advice on finding one, check out the How To Pick A Trainer link at the top of this page.
Now, the amount of weight isn't terribly impressive (about 425lbs), but what's sort of cool is that my deadlift has gotten good enough that I can't use the regular bumper plates that we have at the gym anymore because I can't fit enough of them on the bar. At least the kilo plates should be able to keep up with me for a while.
Once again, I found myself having to explain to someone why they shouldn't be doing Jillian Michaels kettlebell workouts after hearing "But she's got her own line of kettlebells, and she's a trainer on The Biggest Loser, so she must know what she's talking about". No, no she doesn't. Jillian Michaels has a fantastic marketing machine behind her. What she doesn't appear to have is any sort of kettlebell certification, or even a basic knowledge of kettlebells. I'm not going to get into her qualifications as a personal trainer, since it appears she may actually done some sort of certification for that at some point in her life. But she doesn't know what she's talking about when it comes to kettlebells. And I'm not going to repeat what hundreds of others have already said, so I'll leave you with some examples.
At best, Jillian is teaching INCORRECT techniques - view here
At worst, Jillian is teaching DANGEROUS techniques - view here
Do yourself a favor if you want to try kettlebells, and find a properly qualifiedtrainer. It might cost more than buying her kettlebell sets and dvds, but it's a lot cheaper than paying a chiropractor and/or a back surgeon.
A client that was almost a Jillian Michaels victim:
Sara Machen 2013 APC Nationals
Sara Machen 2013 APC Nationals
Sara Machen 2013 APC Nationals
Sara Machen 2013 APC Nationals
