Taking notes this weekend:

 It was a pleasure to see Coach Rudnev work with some of my students and myself before going to UA (Underground Athlete) for a training day.  He really is the “Yoda”, Charles Xavier of Kettlebell and physical culture.   His approach was very succinct and applicable to get points across in record time.

Forever the Student:

In this post I want to make a point about consistency in doing anything or any activity for fun or otherwise despite what I like to call ADHD marketing has us believe.  In the “fitness” world, most people want progress without consistency.   The buzz word is “variety” and while balancing training is important, training without a goal is “hard work” when it doesn’t have to be.  Losing weight and looking good are poor choices for goals unless you make it quantifiable and measurable.  Progress, quantifiable is enjoyable whether one competes or not in anything.  It’s why kettlebell sport can be done for fitness, it means work for less time or lighter weight or don’t but you will gain fitness benefits that complement your current regimen.

As a swimmer dropping time is exciting on a side note and quantifiable.  Sometimes with regard to the masses, there is a high turnover rate in the fit biz. ‘Here is the magic answer”.  “I don’t want consistency, I want variety” (subconscious). Why learn “boring” consistency when you can have variety and “choices”.  The underlying principle is consistency of activity generally (x per week) and specifically (performing the activity itself).  Someone said.  “You have to sweat” and people don’t want to because it’s effort based and not “easy”.

Consistency occurs in a general activity of exercise (how many x per week/month etc.) and also the actual activity (biking twice per week etc.). People actually believe and argue for skill-less-ness and marketing has capitalized on it.  The trainer is there to tell me etc.  I don’t need to “think”, just do.  Yes in the right context but typically that takes time.  Thus the person is being provided for rather than learning to fish.  Empowerment occurs with the latter though I’m not discrediting learning from a trainer/coach.  I’m discrediting not paying attention in doing so.

Developing skill happens whether we want to recognize it or not.  Broad but stay with me.  ANYONE who pays attention will learn what it is they are doing and be able to repeat it or take the knowledge for their own if they decide to pay attention.

Coach Rudnev’s visit

That was my second one on one with my coach exclusive to my knowledge.  Not that many.  I paid attention! So one must take advantage and not for granted the lessons being taught listening to every single word and nuance as much as possible.  It saves time and frustration.

Kettlebell relevance:

With kettlebells, I can almost identify based on the weight where one can see a distinction in mindset as one progresses.  Natural ability as well as lifestyle play a role and vary.   People who start out at 40 have a different ability than someone at 15.  Take into account someone who had been an athlete before and one who had not.

Fun to Serious

People who continue to progress to high levels, generally are silent doers but some are not.   It phases in and out.

Those who are predisposed to a harder sport (heavier kettlebell weight) who announce goal prematurely, usually shy away from the responsibility have legit excuses because of the subconscious.  Those who have legit excuses not to train will never make it, because a justifiable excuse is still an excuse.  It is not a bad thing.  Life happens.  It’s not divided into good and bad.

It’s about priority. 

It boils down to becoming honest with yourself.   This is not meant as belittlement, but meant as a an indicator that people may have life events or this that and the other and are not willing to sacrifice aspects of their life to get to the next level.   The hard truth is sacrifice is what it takes; sacrifice to stick to the plan.

Sticking to the plan:

Programming is relatively simple if the information between coach and student is transparent.  Quite frankly, I’m not sure having multiple “Masters” is a bad thing but it’s up to the student to be forthcoming and honest with assessing if “this makes sense” when trying to mix and match?  It depends on what it’s for and why.   Most athletes have more than one.

Does the student relay all that they do or do not do, how they feel consistently ?  Or is it “I can or I can not”? Go with the former, be brave and provide feedback to your coach/trainer if you are having too much to do or too little and why.   Otherwise, it defeats the purpose of a coach.

Undertraining and overtraining are common challenges and are never fully understood.  It comes down to the individual and monitoring them specifically to make a determination.  That is the point of competitive sports be it strength sports, speed sports and endurance sports.   The trick is to take what is working and improve upon it.  The first step is to identify what is working. Does the individual continue to improve?

End rant

nice post on Coach Rudnev here: (thanks fella!) http://orangekettlebellclub.net/2011/02/21/the-rudnev-system/

See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/sports/kettlebell-devito-hires-worlds-best-coach-bid-form-team-world-cup#sthash.LJ7dw5uM.dpuf

Originally posted Dec 2014