The Actionaut (Vol. 3 Issue 6)

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Dear Actionauts,

It is now post-RKC workshop, arguably one of the most difficult and exhausting physical events I’ve gone through (next to my black belt test in Ninjutsu). Three days of pure kettlebell training (learning drills punctuated by workouts culminating in arduous rights of passage to become an official RKC instructor). This was a sporting event just like any other and needed to be treated as such. This was MY personal goal, with another goal sprinkled on top (the mountain’s never high enough). I passed, by the way. Did my 100 snatches, even though my weight requirement was to complete 82.

The process started over a year ago, in London, upon completion of my Wildfitness Coaching workshop. I mentally and physically dialed in for the event, taking into consideration my wrist injury, and upon medical clearance and physical healing, I hit the turbo in February, released the Nitro in April (8 weeks timed to sync the apogee of my preparation with the workshop dates). A year in the process is what it took, with milestones at every corner to reward my progress, boost my morale, and keep me in check of the remaining path ahead of me to succeed.

You can’t wing it, you can always do better and you have to constantly get out of your comfort zone. I’m a realist who strives for the unattainable perfection. I’m not a perfectionist though, because in my mind, perfectionists tend to control things too much, do not adapt and end up not getting anything done.

In this issue:

FITNESS: Trainer’s log

This journal (and journey) started around November of last year. At the time, the requirement was to complete 56 repetitions of the Snatch (based on my weight), without pause and one hand exchange only, but no time limit. Then, in January 2009, the criteria changed to 1 repetition per kg of bodyweight, unlimited hand exchanges, in 5 minutes or less (which for me meant 84 when I was in my “final stretch”). The new challenge is now 100 repetitions, regardless of your weight. While it is not a requirement until the Fall, I needed to achieve that goal (and beyond) for my own gratification and sense of achievement. I was determined to put myself on the RKC map! My wrist injury was a blessing (until I was cleared medically and was no longer feeling pain without wrapping my wrist, which is not allowed at the RKC) as it forced me to clean up my form and chart my path to success.

I am posting my log here to record and store the information. Every detail, every workout counts as a stepping stone, shows realistic setbacks or situations where adaptation was necessary, because Life happens! You don’t have to read it, it’s really for me, but I’m sure you can find some of the entries inspiration for your own workouts.

(Click here for the complete log.)

NUTRITION: How I got ready (you might be surprised).

The surprise here is that I didn’t change anything in the principles of proper eating and proper timing of what I ingested, other than increasing my caloric intake only to fuel my supplemental workouts. The breakdown and ratio of carbohydrates to protein and fiber remained constant. I was not looking to change weight classes (although I initially intended to drop a class in order to make it easier on myself, and I quickly nixed that idea because the point was to push myself with where I was at!)

So, since I frequently worked out two, sometimes three times a day at various levels of intensity, I absorbed between 20 and 40 grams of carbs around the sessions (sometimes before, sometimes after, sometimes both), not only to fuel myself during, but also in order to recover (be it for the next client, workout or simply to recover, passed out like a zombie on my couch, bed or massage table at the gym). The increase in both meals and intensity resulted in a gain of 12lb of muscle over 4+ months of training and a loss of 4lb of fat (November through April). In the last 4 weeks (mid-May through mid-June), I actually lost 4lb of fat while maintaining muscle mass.

The simple equation here could be as follows (if weight reduction is your goal): Eat More + Move A WHOLE LOT MORE = Lose Weight without really trying. (I don’t recommend Eat Less + Move More, though it works, I’d prefer Eat Well + Move More to achieve your weight loss goal without yo-yoing).

I did, however, add certain supplements to my eating regimen (remember, I hate the word “diet” which has temporary implications in our society) in the last 2 months:

It is normally recommended to take vitamin and mineral supplements. Having the ability to control what I ingest and time it as efficiently as possible, I don’t always supplement my diet (other than protein powders), but I do cycle them based on my own goals. Cycling assures that my body does not get accustomed to them. It paid off beautifully as I truly felt the difference during the last 8 weeks of training (when I implemented the aforementioned supplements). The physical changes and improved performance were quite noticeable. Could it be in my head? It definitely started there, but the training log doesn’t lie! Determination, focus and perception did originate in the mind and the positive thinking definitely provided the extra fuel. So, whatever your plan, start with your head too!

TIME MANAGEMENT: Increase workout intensity safely for max results.

I wrote a long time ago that one can workout daily without overtraining, although I don’t recommend it for extended periods of time. There are multitudes of training “splits” in which one can train opposing muscle groups on consecutive days, or follow a heavy day with a light day, even vary exercise types/cross train (running, surfing, boxing). Just make sure you plan adequate recovery time.

This section deals with how I timed the process of getting in shape for the workshop over several months. In the initial phase of my preparation which physically began in November of 2008 (mentally sooner, as mentioned before), I followed the Wildfitness principles of doing the most neurologically demanding tasks first, then hand-eye coordination drills (combined with power drills), then resistance training. The goal and intensity of my resistance training was to pack on some muscle. The added size provided added strength, and between November ’08 and April ’09, I went from 176lb. To 184lb.

My second phase was broken up into two 4-week sections. The first 4-weeks I worked out Monday through Friday, focusing my training on a separate body part every day (Back, Legs, Chest, Shoulders) for 3 weeks (thus designating 4 workouts body part), with a week of light work to recover (total body work, 3 Monday-Wednesday-Friday). While the dominant body part of the day was the “main course”, I’d add a secondary “Crossfit” workout (either after the workout was over, or later on that day, with a 6-hour rest period in between) with that same body part as the focus of the second workout, to keep the daily focus (e.g. I’d do a lot of pull-ups, combined with running and KB swings for instance, on “Back” day). If done shortly after the main workout, the point was to teach my body to push beyond its previous limits. Done later the same day, I was recovered to push harder than I would have had I done the 2 workouts back to back (my work schedule would dictate how I’d approach any given day).

The second 4-weeks of the final 8 weeks were dialed in even more closely on kettlebell work (it is a kettlebell workshop, not a squatting contest, UFC fight or marathon). I only trained using kettlebells and my body weight for focused work like push-ups, stretching etc. The schedule also was modified to mimic the conditions of the event, i.e. I trained Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On those days, I would exercise several times to accustom my body to the several daily workouts the RKC coaches put us through. During the week, I’d reserve Tuesdays and Wednesdays for my “Snatch test” or snatch test-oriented drills, with some stretching, technique perfecting or endurance building activities. Mondays and Thursdays would be off.

Timing was be such that the final week of the 4 weeks was be the light/off week. My body was ready, conditioned and tuned in for what the RKC workshop, which fell on the 3 regularly scheduled training days (Fri-Sat-Sun) marking the climax of the whole preparation.

EXERCISES: What I did to prepare

Before I go into the details of my approach, I want to mention that my cross-training hobby, surfing, provided me with mutual benefits for my RKC workshop. Surfing moves are quick, light yet powerful and require multi-joint flexibility and stability. Surfing brings me a sense of peace and relaxation through activity, and the range of motion allows me to remain flexible.

Kettlebell exercises mimic natural movement patterns at higher intensity (with the adequate weight), and there are many similarities between surfing and kettlebells, or any other activity, if you know how to find the angle.

The best way to train for any sport is to do the actual sport, so you can guess there were a lot of kettlebells being swung, cleaned, pressed, snatched (kettlebells ONLY in the last 4 weeks).

In order to get not only sustained strength (i.e. lift heavy for an extended amount of time), I needed to boost my absolute strength (maximum one-time lifts, very heavy). So I combined the pillars of Powerlifting (Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press) with Olympic lifts with barbells (Snatch, Jerk, Clean & Press) to get explosive for the same movements that would be needed with kettlebells, be it single or dual-handed.

After a heavy Powerlifting or Olympic lifting session, I’d add explosive bodyweight movements (burpees, jump squats), heart-pumping drills (kickboxing, interval running, jump rope) and of course loosen up with various forms of stretching (PNF, static, dynamic, overhead squats for brachiation &emdash; some heavy, some light), as well as foam rolling.

NO isolation or bodybuilding moves. Only compound, efficient, effective, strength-building, body-shredding exercises. So, nothing really different from the types of movement I favor, only at a much increased intensity.

Next issue:

Remember the lesson in this newsletter: punctuate big goals with smaller, smart, specific and aggressive goals. There are no short-term plans. No 12-week programs to look like a cover model (you still have to hit the gym after those 12 weeks). The only guarantees are improved performance. Do you want progress or entertainment? Sacrifice, dedication and will power along with a healthy dose of reality (2 hours of training weekly, no matter how hard, won’t get in into the Olympics. Start where you are, then go from there) and understanding of your limitations are the only true factors of your progress. This newsletter is focused only to my preparation for the RKC. A new chapter now opens!

Philippe