Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Tenacity.

I have never been the most talented, or the fastest learner,but what I lack in innate ability I make up for with sheer determination.It is my strongest attribute and I cherish it like the gift that it is . I also try to hone it to a fine edge. I never take it for granted or expect it to be there if I dont take it out and move it around, challenge it to get stronger, better.
It really doesnt matter whether I am applying it to a goal of an Elite rating in powerlifting or to be able to walk again without pain;its not the size of the goal but that there is a goal.And the steps that have to be taken ARE taken and not skipped. Solid long term progressions can be tedious and frustrating and are uually accompanied by as many stumbles and missteps as correct moves.
But the only way to fail is to quit and I don't have a lot of quit in me.
The next day after a meet, or a PR , win lose or draw it's back to the gym so training is always the key.
Ever since Kenneth Jay unveiled his Max VO2 protocol at the Level 2 RKC last June I was in awe of the workload and the intensity it created. When he said the goal was 50 sets of 8 reps per 15second work bout and I was dying just to get 50 sets of 6( with a 190+ HR) I knew it was long road to hoe.I never thought my shoulder, or my lungs, would be able to handle this many snatches on a regular basis, even with only a 16 kg. But they have and 9 months later, after chasing this unreal( for me) PR for many, many snatch cycles today it was MINE!
And, as all good PR's should be, not that hard. That just meant I was actually ready to accomplish it.
By all rights its should have been a down week, as I hit 50 sets and an 8 reps/set pr last week but I knew it was the right thing to do.I was itching to do it, something that hasnt happened in a LONG time.Iused to feel that way,when things were good, before taking a heavy weight and I knew it meant I would make it.Anxious to get in and get it done;as opposed to the dread and the self flaggelation that is usually necessary to get me doing these days.
When it's right it's right and when you are in shape things get easy. Been awhile since I've been here, nice view, think I'll stay.

Snatch VO2 15:15
16 kgx 8 reps x 50 sets PR!!!
400 reps
14,400 lbs
25 minutes


NIICE! t his went so well and the first 8 sets or so I was finishing 8 reps in about 12 seconds! crazy.I settled in and was getting 8 reps right at 14 or so seconds for the first 25 sets and then the pace slowed a bit and was gettingin right under 15 sec. occasionally I would go 16 and would pay dearly as I started the next set right on time. Wind was great and HR was about 170-18- for most of the sets.It would have been 190 plusnot a short time ago.

And another discovery: as Andrew Durniat said at the Level 2 cert last June when max Vo2 was unveiled: " when you go this fast, you have to do it hardstyle".I realized that and used the false grip but everything else was SOP hardstyle technique. Had to throw the bell down to get enough speed to get the 8 reps.I tried to touch the handle as little as necessary on each rep; snap the hips, flip the bell ,push the bell down and get up again.Fast is great.Trying to go as fast as possible has taught me so much about efficiency and how to create as much power as possible in the shortest ROM.

here's the last 3 sets


2 Arm Shield Cast
15 lb CB x10/10x3 sets
25 lb CB x8/8x3 sets

these were good but I was done.No rack walks today, not in the mood for any more masochism.

22 comments:

Iron Tamer said...

I am clapping out loud for in my office Rif!

This is a tough one, and you have earned it.

BTW--"...used the false grip but everything else was SOP hardstyle technique. Had to throw the bell down to get enough speed to get the 8 reps."

This is called Whitley-Style snatching. ;)

Mark Reifkind said...

thank you very much!it was tough and I have earned it. This is the tenth time, I believe, through the 4 week cycle from 35-50 sets.Felt very solid too.AND even better I have evolved my snatch technique to the Whitley Hardstyle true way! So cool, that I just found that.

Sean Schniederjan RKC said...

what is the false grip? where you hook your pointer finger and thumb around the side of the bell?

for me, the pure genius of this protocal is that it is "hardstyle" par excellance... you can't slow down, and you REALLY want to 3/4 of the way through.

congrats...its incredible for a relative newbie like myself to follow your training and then watch a PR like this fall.

Mark Reifkind said...

thanks shawn, for the false grip check the picture on march 15.the bell sits at a severe diagonal on the heel of the hand and the arm is more externally rotated at lockout.

Cecilia Tom said...

That was our RKC grad workout and you were our Gymboss :-)

I tried that grip with the 12 kg last night and severely banged up my right forearm. Actually the handle of my 12 kg is very smooth and I found I didn't really need to corkscrew. I did kind of a 36:36 workout last night but will try 15:15 too just to change it around. Check it out here: http://planetwarrior.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-training-log_26.html

I have been eating escarole and parsnip soup for a whole week. How do you like your farm box?

Chris said...

well done rif

Taikei Matsushita said...

Congrats!
I didn't know how in depth this snatch drill was.
Kennety Jay said 24kg hard style snatch applies 100kg to 120kg impact to the body during my RKC. Imagining 16kg version occuring in 15/15 pace.

Mark Reifkind said...

cecilia,
you guys outdid yourselves at the cert killing that workout at the end of that incredible three days of work and on first site. well done.
the csa box was great, tracy has been cooking up a storm and I had a parsnip puree that was killer. loves my veggies.

Mark Reifkind said...

thanks takei!

kenneth said the 24 kg produced 100+ kg of force with HS snatch technique. thats 4 times face value of the weight. because the 16 is lighter and therefore moving faster the force might be just as high. or at least very close.easier to manipulate acceleration than weight.
anyway you cut it it's a ton of force and work!

Mark Reifkind said...

thanks chris :)

Joe Sarti said...

Congrats Rif. You are persistent and tenacious and it wears off!

Aaron Friday said...

Awesome, dude! Great goal, great PR and great tenacity. Congratulations. That is a hell of an achievement.

fawn said...

Nice job! I admire how you make a plan, then stick to it... tenacious and methodical... excellent qualities I hope I can learn one day!

Gabi said...

Congratulations, Mark,

awesome work!!
You are so right, having a goal, putting up a reasonable plan, sticking to that plan - this is the "magic formula". Simple, but by no means easy, and it needs a lot of determination and dedication!
This post is highly inspirative, would you mind if I translate some passages into Hungarian and put it up on my other blog? I would like to make your insights accessible for fellow kettlebellers who have difficulties with the English language.

Brett Jones said...

Congrats Rif - but don't confuse stubborn with tenacity ;)
"i don't have a lot of quit in me" is a keeper.
Great work!

Mark Reifkind said...

gabi,

thanks so much and of course you can post it, I would be honored.

Mark Reifkind said...

Hey Mr Jones,

I resemble that remark,lol.thanks dude.

Mark Reifkind said...

Fridays,

thanks guys, I try my best to lead by example,for myself and my students.

Mark Reifkind said...

thanks joe, I hope it does.

Franklin said...

Simply amazing, sir .. I have personally learned a great deal from your posts and their insights and again want to thank you for sharing your gift.

Mark Reifkind said...

franklin,
thanks for the kind words and glad to have been of some help to your training.

Jordan Vezina said...

Great work, tenacity is a good attribute to have. That's why I bought the shirt. I always filed my own virtue under 'Too dumb to know when I'm whipped' but that works out pretty well too.

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