Why "Gym Lifts" don't count! And Tuesday Training

I started out my morning with a quick 10 min 12kg snatch set, 20 rpm 5 min R/L....no problem, it didn't even feel hard.  200 snatch reps in a casual 10 minute set was 3 more snatch reps than my last meet in April, less than 8 weeks ago, and much easier!  Wanting to becoming a competitive lifter is changing me in so many ways.

I say "wanting to become" because I have so much respect for the athletes that have put in the time and commitment to their sport, and sacrifice, yep sacrifice, that I'm not sure how to include myself in the group.  My wanting to be might not have caught up with my belief that I am yet.

Being a competitive lifter and coach for from 1990-2003 Mark has always emphasized the difference between what you might be able to do in gym practice not being the same, not even close, to what you do on "game day".

This morning I had no stress.  No time table.  I didn't have to travel, or change any part of my normal routine.  In fact I didn't even have to do the set if I didn't want to!  I didn't have to weigh in, I didn't have to wait, plan my food, change my clothes, worry about judges.  Nothing was riding on what I could or couldn't do. Oh, and I didn't have a 10 minute jerk set beforehand either!  That's kind of important too!

Competition doesn't wait, it demands.

Tuesday Training

5:40-6:00am
after a quick warm up
200 12kg snatch reps, 100 R/100 L one hand switch.

6:05-6:35
swings (600-700 reps)
6:35-6:45
warm up squat, press, snatch
6:45-7:00
16kg
10 goblet squats
10 clean/push press R 
and L
10 snatch R 
and L
x 3 rounds

7:00-7:45 private session

8:00-8:15
Get Ups
30 total, 15/R, 15/L
8:15-8:30
clubbells 
10 R/L arm casts 
10 R/L shield casts
Bodyblade

Bikrams Yoga 9:15am

LUNCH!

swings w/14kg

10 2 hd sw x 4
10 tr x 4
10 tr + 10 2 hd sw x 2 (30/30, 30/15)
5/5 x 4
5/5 + 10 tr + 10 2 hd sw  x 3 (45/45, 45/30, 45/15)
10 2 hd sw x 4
10 2 hd sw + 5/5 + 10 tr + 10 2 hd sw (1/1, 1/45, 1/30, 1/15)

1 min sets w/16kg w/30 sec rest x 6 (9 min)
29 min total, 690 swing reps

Listen to what you are saying to yourself. Are you? I am!

I always listen to what I tell myself, and for sure I listen to the words I speak to others about how I describe myself and what I do and how I feel!  I can not speak for anybody else, nor do I want to project what is normal, common, or expected.  Let me explain a bit more....

During one of my yoga classes it is common for a teacher to say something like this to the class "I know this is a hard posture, it's hard for me too!", or "I know some of you hate this posture".  This drives me crazy (because I let it drive me crazy!).  It drives me crazy because, sure, sometimes I feel like a posture is hard, but then I remind myself that "hard" is a feeling not a fact.  If I can't do a posture perfectly, according to the God of yoga, still I try my best, and that's all I can do.  And I really and truly feel that all I can do, on any day, IS in fact the best I can do!  Is it hard to do my best?  Um, no.  I like doing my best, it's not hard at all.  

But I recognize that sometimes, some of us, I mean I, because I can only speak for myself, have been in the habit of saying certain things through reaction, without any real thought.  So, when I lead a swing class knowing that the next progression may be more work than the last (or feel like it!), I have a habit of saying something like....

"Okay, now it's about to get hard...." or "Oh, now the hard stuff is coming!"

Then when I hear what I just said, change it to....

"I mean, about to get fun!" or "Oh, the fun part is coming!"

So many times I want to suggest to my yoga teachers to STOP telling us that the yoga postures are hard, and especially stop telling us what we hate.  Stop already!  The most important thing is that we are all here, and doing our best with what we have today!  I already pay close attention to the things I tell myself about my ability and strength, I don't need someone else to discourage me by reminding me that I can use the excuse of being a victim of my own perceived weakness.  I want my teacher to tell me that it may only feel hard at first, BUT if I just relax and appreciate my wonderful life of choosing to be there, of choosing this practice, what a wonderful opportunity to rise above my perceived suffering, and instead rejoice in the fact that I have a life that affords me this luxury.

blah, blah, blah

Okay....moving on....

My point is that I catch myself reacting to old habits of thought.  Old habits of making excuses for not trying to be my best instead of trusting that I can!  Yes!  I can be my best!

Sometimes it feels easier, out of habit, to say out loud when having conversations with others like;

I am "this way"....I am always late, I'm bad about remembering names, I can't seem to finish projects...
I "always do this"....I lose control, I get lazy, I give up....
My "problem"is this....I'm addicted to...?, I've always been this way, I can't change....
I was always taught to do "this"....I have to clean my plate, I have to take care of others before myself, I'm obligated....
My "issue" is this.....I love sweets, I love chips, I can't lose weight, I've never exercised...
It runs in my family....everybody is overweight, we all have big legs, my family loves food...
I've always been this "way"....I never was popular, my sister (brother) were the stars, or the "smart ones", or the "skinny ones", or the "athletic" ones....OR the "good"ones....
I was always the one that....(fill in the blank) got in trouble, was the chubby one, was the geek....
I can't lose weight because my metabolism is messed up, I have thyroid issues, I always gain it back and more, I can't stay on a diet....
I never win anything....I never get lucky....
Nothing ever turns out right for me....I always get the short end of the stick, I always get caught, or "found out".....if something can go wrong it will go wrong"....
I expect the worst....because only good things happen to other people.....

etc.
etc.
etc.

I'm almost 50 years old, half of my life might very well be over, but I refuse to accept some of this shit.  I refuse to give up control, give up my power of free will and choice.  I may have been in the habit of expecting less, for whatever reasons I may have needed to feel undeserving, but I refuse any longer.

If this is middle age then I welcome it!  So far I've had a wonderful life!  Even with the imperfections and magnified dramas.  I just can't and don't want to make any more room for it!

This August 5th I will turn 50 years old.  Less than two weeks later I will have a 16kg kettlebell waiting on a platform for me.  From this point on I will listen closely to what I say to myself.

I am strong.
I am deserving.
I am a hard worker.
I am competent.
I am smart.
I am capable.
I am...
I am...
I am...
I am...

No one else decides for me.  I am not like everybody else.  I listen to what I say, and I say what I believe I can and want to be....I am not afraid to say what I believe I am.

The Great Equalizer.

The Swing is the great equalizer, the kettlebell the tool.  How does an almost 50 year old, former fat girl, teach and lead a 40 year old, former fat and out of shape, ex military guy, through a challenging but fun kettlebell swing workout?


Today is Friday, so it's barely been two days since I finished taping my next two Swing Workout DVD's, "Give and Take #2", and the other still to be titled, but is a "partner" swing workout that is scalable to every level and sure to make couples, groups and or anybody who trains together completely happy!  My tight lower back was not happy about the heavy double swing workout the next morning, but finally a hot yoga class this afternoon and all is almost well in my world again!


But, speaking of partners..... As many of you already know I asked a very special SFG colleague of mine to join me in demonstrating these next two DVDs, Jeff Sokol Sfg.  But for those of you that do not know, or are not familiar with Jeff and his own story of transformation, let me share a bit with you, in Jeff's own words in his recent facebook post:

"I was 35 years old, 240lbs, working a job I despised, and DEPRESSED! During a huge moment of weakness an infomercial about kettlebell training aired. I ordered a 25 lb kettlebell and a set of DVDs. That twist of fate changed my life forever!

I'm absolutely dumbfounded that four years later, I'm doing a job that I love, I'm in the best shape of my life, and now I'm actually going to be in two kettlebell DVDs that may change someone else's life.

To make a long story short...
It's never too late to find your passion, live your dreams, and become the best version of you! 

Thank you again Tracy Reifkind for the amazing opportunity!"


These words, Jeff's story, are part, the first and large part, of why I asked him to partner up with me.    He has a strong presence in our kettlebell community and is respected not because of his past, but because of his present!  He is a great example of skill, commitment and passion for training kettlebells.

The second is that some of you might have noticed a lack of "male" examples in my world of high volume swing training....and there is a reason for that!  Not to pick on the male population, but it is not as common to meet and train with males that are, what I affectionately term as, endurance junkies, or just plain all out crazy!  I was lucky to have Rasul Davis from Santa Monica come up and help me demo "Top 40" and "D30" in Modesto last year, which proves that there is at least one more male "all out crazy" who's a fan of my style of training the swing!  lol  I knew both of these men could bring the business and keep up, rep for rep, and like it, or at least appreciate it for what it is!

The Swing is the great equalizer and the kettlebell is the tool.  Male, female, young, old, overweight, underweight, "out of shape", "in shape".  For me, for Jeff, for you?

The key is to design workouts that make everyone feel like a King or a Queen....to feel in control again...for at least one part of our lives.  Making training the kettlebell swing interesting by adjusting reps, weights, rest intervals and work intervals so it is accessible to everybody.  To combine strength and conditioning effectively and efficiently, and I believe, and have experienced, that the kettlebell swing is one answer....well it was my one answer.

I had never met Jeff in person, so it stands to reason I had never swung with him either!  But I was confident that he would catch on quickly based on his skill, conditioning, passion, and commitment to do a good job!  He demonstrated that by practicing a few 500 rep swing workouts in the weeks prior to the taping date!  He did his homework!

Leading many entire groups as well as individuals through completely new routines I never lost confidence that it would be easy for him to follow along.  After all, that's what my DVD workouts are about.  They are about helping you, by simply following along!  I did the work figuring out the progressions, I count (most reps), you just need to show up!  Both of these new workouts are technically "partner" workouts.

We had a blast, but make no mistake it was also some serious swing rep business!  We started taping at 11:05am, and finished, on time at 2:00pm!  Jeff had been up to catch his flight from Seattle at 7:30am, me, still finishing the programming until I had to drive to Juno in Berkeley (at 8:00am, but up since 4:00am).  Sure, it took a bit of warming up for our personalities to come together, but it was quite the day!

Clean up and a long lunch afterwards...drop off Jeff at the Oakland airport...I had it easy from there!  A little over an hour drive home, but Jeff had to wait for his 7:30pm flight back home.  By the time he landed I was asleep...yikes, lucky me!

I can't wait to start the edit for these workouts!  In the mean time I'll be training them with my groups ('cause they are killer workouts!) along with all of my other routines!  And if you all like them I just may ask Jeff back for an encore!

In the mean time, if you haven't trained "Give and Take" (#1) you might think about practicing those workouts as "G & T #2" progressively build on those routines.  AND, I have a surprise complimentary "D30" workout that will be part of "The Swing Quest 2013" scheduled next, for June 29th!  OMG!  Really?  In barely 2 weeks I'll be leading you all through another installment of a 2013 swing rep workout! But this time with a "D30" bonus!  So you all keep practicing, keep swinging there is so much more to come!

"Give and Take"


Thank you to all of my swing partners, past and present:

My wonderful husband Mark Reifkind MSFG who braved the first workout in "Give and Take" (#1).

My co-swingers in "Give and Take" and "Roundabout 2.0"

Meg Lloyd
Brian Hemedinger
Sabina Dominguez
Christopher Gaines
Genevieve Gaines

"Top 40" and "Dirty 30"

Meg Lloyd
Maribel Medina
Brenda Tierney
Deepika Goyal
Rasul Davis
Monica Worline
and....part of the Full Force PT crew!

"Dirty Thirty"

More to details to come about the new workouts, because I learned even more about training my favorite exercise!  As well as how the swing progressions in Top 40 and D30 all tie into The Swing Quest 2013!  Be there, or be square!

"I don't make the rules, I just know them...and they apply to me too!"

Mark often says this when reminding me about the science of dieting.  Not that he has to "diet" necessarily, because he doesn't overeat in the first place!  But this post is about how I am not immune either!  At the end of the day my body only needs a certain amount of food, and any extra will be taken on in the form of added pounds.  Period.

I've kept a food journal on my computer, off and on for years, but this last time, 3 weeks ago, I decided to go "old school" and actually hand write my daily diet.  In fact I think I still have two of my original journals from 2005-2007...and what I will find in those journals would not surprise me!  I know exactly what I ate and how much because it was simple and repetitive.  I could probably tell you right now the basic daily menu.

coffee/cream
smoothie/shake (yogurt, blueberries, sometimes coffee, ice, fiber)
large salad
soup/stew
apple (at some point during the day)

80% it went down like this for 80% of my week....oh how far we have fallen!  lol

Oh sure, I never restricted myself from any foods, and if you look back at my blogs you will see plenty of mini binges and well as major binges.  Cookies and ice cream topped the list, I'd rather eat those kind of things instead of big burritos or cheeseburgers.  And for the most part I still eat this way....or so I thought!

My portions have...grown over the years and so has my body weight.  Since 2009 my lowest average weight of 129-132 has increased to 135-142lbs.  Menopause hit and boom, another 5-10lbs!  I was not happy.  So I had to at least solve the mystery so I could either accept it or change it!  

I knew I was eating too much.  When Mark would try and help me by asking me what I thought the cause was I always answered, "I'm just eating too much!"  I did not want to admit it, but it certainly wasn't because I was starving myself!  I confess I may have been in denial about just how much I was eating....soooo...I had to write it down...and measure it.  It seemed as if I had gotten into some bad habits!

Now I know that it is a possibility that since going through menopause my metabolism has changed, but how would I know without an accurate accounting?  If "the change" makes me feel hungrier, and  my metabolism changed then I had to decide what, if anything I was going to do about it.

Previously I knew my basic daily calorie consumption was around 2200-2400. That's a lot of calories!  And I knew if I even cut back 200 a day I could have easily maintained my 135-136lb....but I didn't want it bad enough, I guess.  Well, I was shocked to see my daily calories soar around 2400-2600!  Ouch.  Was I hungrier because of menopause?  Or was I just being careless, greedy, and spoiled? 2600 calories is a lot!

Good God.  I've got to go on a diet!  So, diet I did!  I didn't go crazy because I knew I didn't want to, I didn't have the motivation or desire!  I was able to cut back to under 2000, some days better than others to about 1600, but for the most part 1800-1900.  Seven pounds gone so far!  And I'm not going to say it's fun, but it's fun fitting back into my clothes again! In fact, now that I think about it, it is fun!  On the days I look at it as a game I have an even better outcome.  It's just food, and I'm not suffering.

Some days I wish I could gobble up the world of food, but I would rather not want to feel that way, than to actually do it.  And I'm kind of feeling much better.  In fact I do, I do feel better to know and take responsibility for the choices I make.

This has been my own experience.  Everybody has their own beliefs about what is making them or keeping them at a bodyweight they might not
want.  For me I have always known the cause.  I haven't always been motivated to take action, but I've always taken responsibility.

Yes, I'm almost 50 years old. Yes, I'm going through menopause.  Yes, my metabolism may have shifted.  Yes, even my body shape and fat deposits may change....or not....

I've got to get to bed!  I've got a video shoot in the morning and I feel fabulous!

"Give and Take #2: The Partner Workouts"

I have only one day left to get ready to film the next Tracyrif Kettlebell Swing video with co-star/swinger Jeff Sokol SFG, and let me tell you...I'm barely ready! It's not the number of swing reps, or the amount of work to be done, but I am on a tighter schedule, given I chose to film on a Wednesday.

 Wednesday is a "regular" business day for all gyms and studios, which means I have use of the studio for 5-6 hours. And not a minute more! Get in, do thousands of swing reps, perfectly, and get out! Why, why did I NOT choose to do this on a Sunday? Argh! Combine that with the fact that I still only have a template for the workouts, AND Jeff has NEVER swung with me (in person) ever before! At the very least, it will be entertaining! lol

 So, armed with my rough draft of "Give and Take #2: The Partner Workouts", me and "pretend Jeff" headed out to Stone's Gym first thing this morning to practice!


I thought it would be fun to share this short video with you all.

I went out into the gym around 7:00am, deciding to warm up with the first 20-30 minutes that I knew was solidly the first part of this next video workout. I also knew I had to train my Kettlebell Sport sets, jerks and snatches, for about 25-30 minutes. Which I did second. I then went on to ad lib a possible ending progression, having to "pretend" I had a partner that was doing something a little different than I was doing!

It reminded me of being a kid in front of the bathroom mirror, pretending to be "famous", acting in a commercial using my toothbrush as a microphone! Didn't you all do that? No? Just me huh? lol Okay. Anyway....

Tomorrow I have to have everything done! That means that I'll be in the gym tomorrow, before class (5:30am) practicing the routine. I will do a modified version WITH my class, and maybe even do more practice in the 30 minutes afterwards. But no worries. Once I get my hands on the bell Wednesday morning, all will be right. It's really all of the other stuff that has got me worried!

Working during operating hours of a gym/studio means I have to get there early and stage the scene, AND clean up afterwards! What was I thinking? Not to mention I have to make sure I have snacks, water, mirror, makeup, clothes, etc....I know, I know....high quality problems! Let's just have some fun! Shall we! "Give and Take #2: The Partner Workouts"

Picture below:  Looking for the proper "clean" position. I completed my 14kg jerk set and a 16kg snatch in between "G & T #2", which is why I still had my lifting shoes on while I was practicing!

Saturday, it's just swings!

I had a relatively easy GS set this morning. 50/50 snatch reps w/14kg, no specific time limit.  Usually my Kettlebell Sport training is 3 days a week, two "sets", the first is jerks, the second, snatches.  Knowing I was going to Juno in the afternoon (after my "regular" training) and knowing I need the most help with my heavy jerks (via watching other athletes and coaching), I saved the "first set" for last.  Snatches don't scare me....at all.  I don't care if I'm asked to try and snatch the 24kg, I don't care!  It's my jerk that has been scaring the hell out of me.  As usual I brought home with me a wealth of new knowledge that I can't wait to try and apply to my next workouts (easy to say now!).

For some crazy reason I'm stressed the heck out about my video shoot this Wednesday!  It must be because that although I've written and designed the workouts "in theory" based on similar routines I've actually done, I still have not gone through them rep for rep myself.  So, with the help of my two training partners this morning, the majority of what we did was, in fact, my new workouts.  "Give and Take #2" and a "partner" swing workout that has yet to find a title!

I thought G&T #2 would be easy....but somehow I screwed that up!  Back to the drawing board!  The other partner workout I LOVE!  I repeated it in my next class, taking the position of the "other" partner....good-ness you all are going to love it too!

Okay.  So nothing to be nervous or stressed about.  It's just swings!  Hundreds and hundreds of swings!  lol

7:00-7:30 warm up, GS 50/50 14kg snatch
7:30-8:30 G&T #2, partner swing ladder
8:30-9:00 partner swing ladder
9:00-9:30 goblet/front squats, strict press practice

10:00-11:00 privates

12:30-1:30 GS at Juno 14kg 40/40 jerk (4 minute rest in between the 2 sets)

I was not concerned at all about counting reps today.  All I care about is getting Wednesday's video shoot organized and efficient!  I've got the use of Juno's space for about 5-6 hours, and then I've got to get Jeff back to the airport (in Oakland) before 5:30-6:00....geez, I should think about what Jeff has got to do, instead of me!

Good Lordy! New Strength Double Bell Swing Cycle

I don't think I fully made public my last double bell swing/strength cycle I trained before SFG, but I did journal most, if not all, of my next 6 week swing/strength cycle using my Sinister Swing workouts w/32kg.  Well, let me tell you....

A single 32kg, is NOT the same as double 16kg's.  It's too late in the evening to write much more, and although I journaled my exact workout for my own personal viewing, I cannot share it here.  I cannot share it because I've been practicing the new "Give and Take #2" video workouts, to which my last workout, and the next 5 weeks of my Thursday workouts will be based on the template of G&T #2....using double bells!

I have not swung double 16kg's since SFG because, as I recently posted I suffered an injury on day one of the three day Cert.  I came back home with recovery as a priority, BUT also focusing on the high volume work I could do.  Mostly single bell (okay, all single bell now that I think about it!), and training for Kettlebell Sport.

I'm almost 100%, so it's back to doubles...and more about double kettlebell training over the weekend!

120 sw w/12kg, 6 min

120 16kg single, 100 dbl 14kg, 8.5 min

120 16kg single, 100 dbl 16, 8.5 min

90 singl, 130 dbl, 8.5 min

90 sgl, 130 dbl, 8.5 min

34 minutes work sets

420 single16kg 

460 dbls (1/2 14's 1/2 16's = 230 dbl 16kgs)

1000 swings! 

40 minutes total

Onto dbl snatches.

I don't even know...but I'm guessing

10 sets, 2 w/8kg, 4 w/14kg, 4 w/12kg

22 8kg, 40 12kg, 40 14kg.

I can not believe in less than 1 week I am going to be taping 2 new swing videos!  And I've invited a new male co-swinger, Jeff Sokol SFG from Kettlebility in Seattle WA.  Jeff has never swung with me before, but he is a well respected Instructor in our community for his attention to form, technique and for his passion.  Jeff shares his own story of transformation of wellness and weightloss via kettlebells and I'm honored that he accepted my invitation to come swing "TracyStyle"!

On the agenda is first "Give and Take #2"!  Give and Take has been far and above my #1 selling workout video and it's a workout that I use all the time.  Since I teach so many mixed level classes it's a workout that is always relevant.  And when Mark tells me he used it with his clients? Well, it just doesn't get better than that kind of recommendation!

Next is a "Partner Swing" workout DVD, yet to be named.  I've got so many great routines for two, or more, people of different levels training together.  Many, many times this is a husband / wife combo, OR simply two (or more) friends, one has been training a while and wants to help another build up the strength and stamina and feel fit, healthy and overall GREAT...but who is greedy too!  We don't want to miss out on our own time to train!

I'm not 100% yet, but I think the "partner swing" video will end with a double bell "finisher"!  Good Lordy!  Now I've said it...so it must be so!

https://www.createspace.com/357091