A legend in the making, an article and a video
Last weekend the Ice Chamber added two more Masters of Sport to the list. Congratulations to Sara and Surya who both achieved this ranking with the WKC in women's long cycle. This is a remarkable achievement both for these talented athletes and for the Ice Chamber team. You will be hard pressed to find a more decorated team anywhere, particularly in the USA where this sport is in its infancy. There are four ladies on the team. Jess was the first female to achieve Master of Sport in long cycle and Maya has achieved CMS (Candidate for Master of Sport) ranking in both traditional and long cycle. Sharing in the success of these athletes is their coach Steven Khuong.
I first met Steven and his team about two years ago at Ken Blackburn's meet in Flint Michigan. I was immediately struck by the excellent technique his athletes displayed. All the reps looked the same and they were sharp and quick. At the time they had only been training kettlebells for a few months! I was shocked. Even more impressive is the fact that they are continually improving. In addition to all of that, the Ice Chamber has done a lot to promote kettlebell sport. I suppose it doesn't hurt that the team is comprised of attractive young ladies. The general public, I believe, wants the fitness look and that is what drives the majority to train. Thus the look goes a long way. It is really much more than that though. Because of their ability to relate to people,create excitement, and ultimately deliver the goods,
the Ice Chamber has really put the sport on the map. They have been featured on ABC's View From the Bay and in the Wall Street Journal for example. Not too shabby.
I first met Steven and his team about two years ago at Ken Blackburn's meet in Flint Michigan. I was immediately struck by the excellent technique his athletes displayed. All the reps looked the same and they were sharp and quick. At the time they had only been training kettlebells for a few months! I was shocked. Even more impressive is the fact that they are continually improving. In addition to all of that, the Ice Chamber has done a lot to promote kettlebell sport. I suppose it doesn't hurt that the team is comprised of attractive young ladies. The general public, I believe, wants the fitness look and that is what drives the majority to train. Thus the look goes a long way. It is really much more than that though. Because of their ability to relate to people,create excitement, and ultimately deliver the goods,
the Ice Chamber has really put the sport on the map. They have been featured on ABC's View From the Bay and in the Wall Street Journal for example. Not too shabby.
You can check that out here.
About a year ago I visited the Ice Chamber gym and I wrote it up here on the blog. Since then the Ice Chamber has continued to grow and improve. My respect for Steve continues to increase. He has helped me with several technique related issues and while my technique is far from perfect I feel his insights have helped me a great deal. I have said this before and I will say it again, everyone needs some coaching, even if they never plan on competing. Proper technique is obviously important for safety but I believe it also enhances enjoyment. One of the more "fun" aspects of endurance training is getting into that flow state where everything seems to happen without much thought or effort, some refer to it as "being in the zone". You can't get there without some skills. I strongly recommend that anyone with an interest in kettlebells or any other type of training get with a good coach. It is worth it. If you are anywhere near the Ice Chamber you should book some sessions and get in the game.
Here is an outstanding article on Long cycle technique written by Steven. Following that is a video of Sara demonstrating the one arm long cycle. Note how she uses the lower body to really get the bell moving this movement is quick and sharp. Like anyone with perfect technique she makes this look really easy. Also she displays impeccable taste in shirts.
One Arm Long Cycle: Executing Good Technique at Faster Paces by Steven Khuong
When discussing the Long Cycle, it is important to make the distinction between the one and two arm variants. The traditional Long Cycle for men is a double bell event with heavier loads and paces usually no faster than 10rpm (unless you're Ivan Denisov). However, the One Arm Long Cycle, a women's event in competition, is typically executed at 10+ rpm with a max speed somewhere around 13 reps per minute (note: many experienced lifters would agree that going faster than 13 reps per minute would jeopardize fixation for an event that required two movements for every one count; clean and jerk).
Here are two common pitfalls to avoid when executing the One Arm Long Cycle (OALC) at a fast pace:
1) Initiating the jerk before the knees lock, when coming out the back swing into the rack
2) Dropping the bell from overhead position into the rack without first locking out the elbows and/or stopping the bell from any shaky movement
These two points can be remedied if we remind ourselves to think of the OALC as two separate movements with a stop in between. Often time, this is not so easy to do when we are rushing to go faster than 1 rep count for every 5 seconds.
Here are some coaching cues that have worked nicely for the Ice Chamber Kettlebell Girls:
1) When coming out of the clean into rack, be sure to "park" the bell tight on the hip or body and lock at least one knee before even thinking about moving the bell overhead. This will not only distinguish the clean from the first bump of the jerk, but will also instill a strong launching position.
2) Before dropping the bell from the overhead position say "one one thousand," while at the same time asking your self if the bell has stopped moving and your elbow is locked out.
I know these strategies may seem simple and perhaps even ridiculous, but they have worked for us in terms of making distinctions between the separate movements in the event. Here is the cadence we use: clean, stop, jerk, stop, drop into backswing, and repeat. Once your nervous system adapts and becomes accustomed to the separate stages in the OALC, you will then be able increase the speed while maintaining great form; and obtain legal rep counts in competition.
Here is a video of ICKB Girl Sara Nelson, Master of Sport, illustrating how the OALC can be executed at a fast pace (13rpm) with good technique.
For more on the Ice Chamber Kettlebell Girls, visit www.ickbgirls.com
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Ice Chamber
Athletic Performance Training
2700 Rydin Rd., Unit G
Richmond, CA 94804
*Located at Pt. Isabel* Central Ave. Exit in El Cerrito
Telephone: 510-558-0807
Email: info@icechamber.com
Web: www.icechamber.com
About a year ago I visited the Ice Chamber gym and I wrote it up here on the blog. Since then the Ice Chamber has continued to grow and improve. My respect for Steve continues to increase. He has helped me with several technique related issues and while my technique is far from perfect I feel his insights have helped me a great deal. I have said this before and I will say it again, everyone needs some coaching, even if they never plan on competing. Proper technique is obviously important for safety but I believe it also enhances enjoyment. One of the more "fun" aspects of endurance training is getting into that flow state where everything seems to happen without much thought or effort, some refer to it as "being in the zone". You can't get there without some skills. I strongly recommend that anyone with an interest in kettlebells or any other type of training get with a good coach. It is worth it. If you are anywhere near the Ice Chamber you should book some sessions and get in the game.
Here is an outstanding article on Long cycle technique written by Steven. Following that is a video of Sara demonstrating the one arm long cycle. Note how she uses the lower body to really get the bell moving this movement is quick and sharp. Like anyone with perfect technique she makes this look really easy. Also she displays impeccable taste in shirts.
One Arm Long Cycle: Executing Good Technique at Faster Paces by Steven Khuong
When discussing the Long Cycle, it is important to make the distinction between the one and two arm variants. The traditional Long Cycle for men is a double bell event with heavier loads and paces usually no faster than 10rpm (unless you're Ivan Denisov). However, the One Arm Long Cycle, a women's event in competition, is typically executed at 10+ rpm with a max speed somewhere around 13 reps per minute (note: many experienced lifters would agree that going faster than 13 reps per minute would jeopardize fixation for an event that required two movements for every one count; clean and jerk).
Here are two common pitfalls to avoid when executing the One Arm Long Cycle (OALC) at a fast pace:
1) Initiating the jerk before the knees lock, when coming out the back swing into the rack
2) Dropping the bell from overhead position into the rack without first locking out the elbows and/or stopping the bell from any shaky movement
These two points can be remedied if we remind ourselves to think of the OALC as two separate movements with a stop in between. Often time, this is not so easy to do when we are rushing to go faster than 1 rep count for every 5 seconds.
Here are some coaching cues that have worked nicely for the Ice Chamber Kettlebell Girls:
1) When coming out of the clean into rack, be sure to "park" the bell tight on the hip or body and lock at least one knee before even thinking about moving the bell overhead. This will not only distinguish the clean from the first bump of the jerk, but will also instill a strong launching position.
2) Before dropping the bell from the overhead position say "one one thousand," while at the same time asking your self if the bell has stopped moving and your elbow is locked out.
I know these strategies may seem simple and perhaps even ridiculous, but they have worked for us in terms of making distinctions between the separate movements in the event. Here is the cadence we use: clean, stop, jerk, stop, drop into backswing, and repeat. Once your nervous system adapts and becomes accustomed to the separate stages in the OALC, you will then be able increase the speed while maintaining great form; and obtain legal rep counts in competition.
Here is a video of ICKB Girl Sara Nelson, Master of Sport, illustrating how the OALC can be executed at a fast pace (13rpm) with good technique.
For more on the Ice Chamber Kettlebell Girls, visit www.ickbgirls.com
--
Ice Chamber
Athletic Performance Training
2700 Rydin Rd., Unit G
Richmond, CA 94804
*Located at Pt. Isabel* Central Ave. Exit in El Cerrito
Telephone: 510-558-0807
Email: info@icechamber.com
Web: www.icechamber.com
I really enjoyed that video. Keep them coming! Right now I'm into home cardio to lose some weight.
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