Snatches: 10-minutes

Today I performed 10 minutes of snatches with the 24kg kettlebell. Twenty rounds of 15 seconds on and 15 seconds off. I had no problem hitting 8 reps every 15 seconds for a total of 160 reps in ten minutes. This was very easy, I was hardly out of breath, my hands were fine and I frequently achieved my 8^th rep around the 12 second mark. Next time I will perform 10 reps, rest and repeat for the entire 10-minutes and achieve 200+ reps in 10-minutes passing the Secret Service Snatch Test.

The Train kept a rollin’…

I've kept up with my own Kettlebell workouts, but have cut back on posting. Here are some of my achievements

32kg Getups
I performed 5 minutes of getups with the 32kg alternating arms every rep. This used to hurt my wrist… not any more. A New Personal Best.

Double 24kg Getups
I performed 5 double getups with a pair of 24kg Kettlebells. A New Personal Best.

32kg Clean > Press > High Pull Ladders
I achieved 5 Clean & Press & High Pull ladders of 5 rungs ea. using the 32kg/70lb kettlebell. I've been doing ladders this way for a while now.

The Warrior Diet
My girlfriend bought me a copy of Ori Hofmekler's book "The Warrior Diet". I've been reading it over and over again trying to soak it all in. Tons of great information… I'm convinced that this is diet for me. It gives me a great sense of freedom when eating and a ton of energy. I've lost 3 lbs that I didn't know I had to lose and all the while I've continued to set new personal bests during my workouts. There have been several times I've been surprised at how much energy I had in the evening despite teaching up to 6 hours of back to back TKD and Kettlebell. Coincidentally, the days I've experienced the most energy are the days I've followed the warrior diet to the "T". I highly recommend this book. Someone saw me changing shirts and actually commented on my abs… that's never happened, ever!

Ladder + Weight Vest + Front Squats
I was getting bored with the 32kg C&P, HP ladder but I didn't feel ready for a heavier Kettlebell so for two weeks I kicked up the intensity by introducing two new variables to the workout.

1. I added front squats to my ladders after the high pulls. The first rung looks like this: Clean > Press> High Pull > Re-Clean > Front Squat > Repeat with other arm.
   
2. I added a 20lb weight vest for the entire Ladder workout. This means my body is under extra stress the entire time.
   
   These two modifications make the ladders a lot more "interesting", more "fun" and much more challenging. My heart rate monitor reported unusually high amount of calories burned for grinds. It's obvious to see why.
   
   I added Clean, Press, High Pull and Squat ladders to my students group classes… they responded well. Some cursed, some called me evil, some wondered aloud why they subjected themselves to such "torture"… I took this all as compliment. Thank you, thank you very much.
   
   To make things even better whenever there more the 7 minutes to burn at the end of class I throw in one of the circuits from Keith Webber's RKC Extreme Kettlebell Cardio DVD. I love the way his circuits
   

My New Heart Rate Monitor
I purchased an awesome Polar Heart Rate Monitor from Body Basics. This model now calculates my average and maximum heart rate achieved during my workouts. It has a mode that beeps when I should start my next set/ladder. It tracks calories burned per week, keeps a running total to be compared to my goal. It tracks time spent in different heart rate zones determined by me. It has adjustable volume for the heart rate zone alarms. I can input entire workouts into the watch with weights, reps, set and so on. As I move from one exercise to the next I just hit a few buttons and the name of my next exercise pops up with my goal weight, reps and sets. When I get home & upload the data I see all my stats during Clean & Presses & compare them to Swings and so on. I love it. This adds another dimension to weight training giving me tons of ways to compete against previous workouts. IT saves me time because I no longer need to write so much down in a journal while working out.

A week off
Between teaching Taekwondo, teaching Kettlebell, teaching private lessons and getting in my own workouts… I've been sensing some burn-out. I took a week off from my own planned Kettlebell workouts and only participated with my KB students when possible. I was no longer looking forward to my workouts… a clear sign I needed to back off. My only KB workouts were essentially the Extreme Kettlebell Cardio workout with 35s and sometimes 40s. Then I was a little lazy and essentially took another week off, kinda.

28 KG Snatches
Last week I performed 30 seconds on 30 seconds off of snatches with 28kg KB. This was done during the last 10 minutes of a KB class I was teaching.
When I teach I normally don't do a lot of lifting because I need to focus on the safety of my students. This day everyone was in great form so I joined in during the last 7 minutes. I turned on the heart rate monitor and turn out a new personal best. I had never done 30:30 with the 28kg before but that day it seemed easy. I was breathing hard, but my grip was good, my hands were unscathed and I felt like I had plenty of gas left in the tank. When it was all over I checked the stats on my Polar HR Monitor and plugged them into my spreadsheet. To my amazement I had set yet
another Personal Best
and achieved .092 Calories/Minute/Lb of bodyweight. I can't wait to try it again at 40 seconds work and 20 seconds rest.

The 36kg Kettlebell: A surprisingly triumphant Return
Saturday I was feeling guilty and itching to workout. I did some fast tens with double 24kg Kettlebells consisting of cleans, presses, squats, high pull and swings.
I was going to call it day when I decided to do some loaded cleans with the 36 kg/79lb Kettlebell. I cleaned it… it felt light… I pressed it… it seemed light.
I continued cleaning & pressing the 79lb Kettlebell, doing 1 rep per arm, then two, then three, then four reps per arm. I failed on my fifth rung with my left arm but banged out 5 reps with my right with surprising ease. I had just performed a 4 rung ladder of Clean & Presses with my heaviest Kettlebell! Does this mean I'm ready to start my normal ROP workouts with the 79lb Kettlebell? Yes it does! Unfortunately this also means I need to save up for the "Bulldog", Dragon Door's 88 lb kettlebell. All of sudden I felt energized and new level of enthusiasm for returning to the basics.

Some Student Achievements
This morning both Kelly and Pat set new personal bests during 10 minutes of 30:30 snatches, press test and getups.
Both students moved up to the next size KB during their press tests last week. Today they performed 5 minutes of getups with the new KB and a 3x3 ladder workout of Clean, Press, High Pull and Squat. Kelly achieved 0.0691cals/min/lb during 10 minutes of 30:30 snatches with a 25lb kb. Up from her previous record of .0526 with a 20lb.
Pat achieved .0823 cals/min/lb at age 63 while snatching a 15lb kettlebell. This beats her old record of .0816!

Begin Again (36kg)
Today I started the Rite of Passage with my 79lb Dragon Door Kettlebell.

• 3 getups per arm with the 36kg. A new Personal Best.
  
• 3 Ladders x 3 rungs of Clean & Presses & High Pulls 36kg. A new Personal Best
  

  I ended this morning's strength workout here. I will return this afternoon to try some snatches with the 79lb kb before teaching class tonight. I have a feeling I will set a new personal best… after all, I am on a roll. ;)
  

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Kathryn Whitney, the first of many.

Kathryn is the first of my Kettlebell students to successfully pass the Russian Kettlebell Challenge Snatch Test. The RKC Snatch test is one of three tests and one challenge that all kettlebell instructors must complete at the RKC Certification. Kathryn snatched a 26lb kettlebell overhead 64 times in 3'03".

Are you ready to pass your RKC Snatch Test? All students must test using their choice of Kettlebell before December 1^st.

Intensity Scores

What does Calories/Lb/Minute measure? In one word: intensity. Kettlebell students wear a heart monitor calibrated for age, gender and weight during portions of the class and engage in ten minutes of intense non-stop kettlebell exercises. As students fitness level increases so does their ability to achieve and maintain an elevated heart rate which translates to burning more calories per minute per pound. With regular attendance students typically increase capacity by 50% within 2-3 months. Most people can achieve a high heart and keep it there for a couple of minutes, but not many can keep their heart rate high for 10 minutes or longer. This kind endurance is a measure of mental toughness as well a physical fitness. I choose to use ten minute and five minute test because these times correspond to the RKC Snatch test and the Secret Service Snatch test.

October 22^nd
Pat Loontjer moved to the head of the class by achieving the most calories burned per minute per pound of bodyweight (0.0816 cals / min / lb). The average person burns about 0.06 Calories/Minute/Lb. Pat is a 63 year old grandmother that has been taking kettlebell classes for three-months and has outperformed all 26 classmates at the Southwest YMCA, many less than half her age. She surpassed Carl Reerink at 0.0756 Calories/Minute/Lb.

October 31^st
Vivek, my youngest Kettlebell student is ten years old. He trains with Kettlebell two times a week as part of his conditioning for Taekwondo.
On 10/31/2008 Vivek achieved a high score of .0867 Calories/Minute/Lb.during a 30-minute kettlebell session and moved to the head of the class surpassing Pat Loontjer's record.

November 3^rd
Kelly Rushlow moved into second place on Nov 3^rd by burning .0844 Calories/Minute/Lb.…. No small task for someone that usually sports a lower than normal heart rate.

November 10^th
I finally surpassed by previous record and achieved .0920 Calories/Minute/Lb by performing a snatch workout with the 62lb kettlebell.

Who's next?

 

More Snatch Test Results

Date	Name	Kettlebell		Repetitions		Time	Result
		Required	used	Required	Completed
Women's Master Class
10/30	Kathryn	26lb	26lb	64	64	3'03"	100% Pass!
Women's Open Class
10/30	Hannah	35lb	26lb	56	56	2'26"	Good
10/30	Mandy	35lb	26lb	70	70	3'32"	Good
10/30	Kelly	35lb	26lb	80	70	5'00"	Incomplete
Men's Master Class
10/30	Jan	44lb	45lb	76	38	n/a	50% Incomplete
Men's Open Class
11/4	Scott	53lb	53lb	72	72	2:50	100% Pass
Junior Open Class (under 18)
10/29	Vivek	-	5lb	36	72	2:30	Good

 

SOME MORE INTENSITY SCORES

DATE	Name	Cals/Min	Cals/Min/Lb
11/10/2008	Scott Stevens	14.82	0.09205
10/31/2008	Vivek	7.46	0.08670
11/03/2008	Kelly Rushlow	15.27	0.08439
10/22/2008	Pat Loontjer	13.79	0.08161
11/11/2008	Peter Jensen	12.27	0.07865
10/01/2008	Carl Reerink	19.66	0.07560
11/11/2008	Debbie Aschoff	9.15	0.06778
10/28/2008	Megan Mueller	9.20	0.06571
11/06/2008	Hannah Unger	7.48	0.06233
11/03/2008	Terry Elliot	12.25	0.05935
11/11/2008	Lakshmin	13.01	0.05834
10/29/2008	Darcy Horn	7.50	0.05769
10/29/2008	Rene Jensen	11.57	N/A

To be tested you must your own heart rate monitor that tracks calories burned and workout duration.
OR You may use the instructor's heart rate monitor if you wish.

 

The New Amended RKC Snatch Test

The RKC Snatch test is one of several tests that RKC instructor candidates must pass at the three-day certification. This test is the minimum physical requirement that proves candidates have put in considerable time working with the kettlebell before arriving at the certification course.

RKC Chief Instructor Pavel Tsatsouline has recently changed the rules for the RKC Snatch Test making it considerably easier to administer and much tougher for women.

Overview of Amended Snatch Test:

• A 5-minute time limit has been implemented.
• Participants must complete 1 repetition per Kilogram of body weight, not exceeding 100 reps. Someone weighing in excess of 100 kgs will still "only" need to perform 100 reps.
• Women must now use a 35lb kettlebell replacing the 26 and 18lb kettlebell from the old test. Women under 100 lbs have the option of using a lighter Kettlebell.
• Multiple hands switches are now allowed.
• Participants can set the Kettlebell down as often as necessary.
• The kettlebell can not be dropped.

This is essentially a 5-minute version of the Secret Service Snatch Test.
The full Secret Service Snatch test is a ten-minute test where men must perform at least 200 snatches with a 24kg kettlebell and women must perform 200 snatches with a lighter kettlebell.

I like the fact that women now must use a heavier kettlebell making much more difficult for them. This is a good thing in my opinion since most women could pass the old test with very little preparation while the same was not true for the men. The new test seems to make the test equally hard for women and men.

Finally the new test allows for setting the Kettlebell down so that the examiners can enforce Hardstyle technique which is much more demanding on the grip. Hardstyle technique as taught at the RKC certification requires actively pulling and accelerating the Kettlebell on the downswing making the event a whole different animal. I will be curious to see how the test is implemented as future certifications.

The RKC snatch test is the standard I judge all of my kettlebell students by. To date only one student has passed.
Passing it the first time will be difficult. After that it will only get easier... it's as much a mental thing as a physical thing.

The first time I passed the old RKC snatch test in training it was very difficult. Now it's a cinch. The new test is much easier for me... I completed 72 reps in under 3-minutes, but then again I should expect it to be easier for RKCs.

If you are looking a challenge within reason, a fun way to spike to your heart rate and hack up lung in the process... then the RKC Snatch test will help you find out what you are made of.

From: Pavel Tsatsouline
Subject: Fitness
Date/Time 2008-10-23 14:38:40

Message
Comrades, thank you for your feedback!

Below is the amended test. The language regarding dropping the kettlebell has been clarified; Com. Tom Corrigan's suggestion to match the reps to the student's weight in kilos, which makes the test simpler and fairer, has been implemented.

Kettlebell Snatch Test Rules

The girevik picks up the kettlebell, swings it back between the legs, and snatches it overhead in one uninterrupted movement to a straight-arm lockout. If you have a medical restriction that prevents you from fully locking out your elbow you must notify your team leader in the beginning of the course. Poor flexibility does NOT qualify as a medical restriction.
After fixing the kettlebell in the top position until the kettlebell and the student are visibly motionless, the girevik lowers the kettlebell between the legs in one uninterrupted motion without touching the chest or shoulder.
The snatch may be performed with or without a knee dip at the overhead lockout. The girevik is allowed to place the free hand on the hip or waist (but not on the thigh) and move the feet. However, the student must stop all movement when fixing the weight in the top position.

On each attempt, the judge will announce the repetition number or “No count.” A repetition is not registered if the student has failed to lock out his elbow, pressed out the kettlebell to the finish, or touched the platform with a knee or free hand.

You will be given 5min to complete the test.

You are allowed to make as many hand switches as you wish. The sum of both arms is scored.

You are allowed to set the kettlebell down and rest. If you have let go of the kettlebell before it has touched the ground (dropped it rather than set it down), your attempt will be disqualified. This applies to the last repetition as well.

You are allowed to make multiple back swings.

Chalk is allowed; belts, gloves, wrist wraps and other supportive equipment are not.

Kettlebell Snatch Test Requirements

An RKC candidate is required to put up the number of reps matching his or her weight in kilograms, up to 100 repetitions.

Students heavier than 100kg are still required to do only 100 reps. For instance, an 60kg student needs to perform 60 snatches, an 82kg student 82 snatches, a 100kg student 100 snatches, a 122kg student 100 snatches.

Kettlebell Sizes

Men Open Class 24kg
Men Masters (50 and Older) 20kg
Women Open Class 16kg *
Women Masters (50 and Older) 12kg

* Women under 50kg /110 pounds in the open class may opt to perform 80 repetitions with a 12kg kettlebell instead.

How to Convert Kilograms to Pounds

One kilogram equals 2.2046 pounds.

Here is a sample conversion of 53kg:

53x2.2046=116.84.

To make a quick kilos to pounds conversion multiply the kilos by two, then add ten percent. For instance, 53x2=106. 106+10=116. Thus a 53kg comrade weighs approximately 116 pounds.

There are no private weigh-in facilities; you will be required to wear a T-shirt and training pants or shorts. There is no disputing the official scale; be overprepared in case it is not consistent with your home scale.

Power to you!