With about 7 days to go for the Kolkata Kettlebell Meet on the 19th, I will be honest and admit, that finally I am starting to feel some nerves before the event. I am starting to get a sense of what I am trying to put together, and how special this event is. For those who are not aware, this is the first time in India that a kettlebell sport contest meet is taking place. We have had workshops and seminars on kettlebells in India, but no contest meet that I am aware of. Though I will not be lifting, and will be there as a official, it is still my first time even as an official. So I am really hoping that I can do what I am supposed to do, and help make the occasion a fun and memorable experience that the particiapants remember, and share with great joy.
So if I as an official am feeling some nerves, it is highly likely that those who will be lifting will also be nervous to some degree. Plus, its the first time for every lifter at this event, that they will be competing in a kettlebell meet. So I am sure that they will be wondering what to expect, and how best to maximize their performance. Now since I myself till now have never lifted at a kettlebell contest, I decided to turn to some others who have the experience of lifting onstage, and know how to excel. In particular I was keen to learn and share some tips on what one should do on the day of the contest, and of course, when lifting onstage. And, I was lucky to receive some really helpful tips, which will benefit anyone who intends to step on a Girevoy stage, anywhere in the world. So pay attention to the following tips, they will definitely benefit you:
Thierry Sanchez- this guy has created an absolute online treasure on the Girevoy sport, via his outstanding free ebook, and his extremely informational website. Considering the relatively little information that is available on the net relating specifically to Girevoy sport, Thierry's site has all the information that you could look for in a blog. This is what he had to say to help Gireviks on stage.
"Here are some tips
I hope you can put to good use for your first kettlebell sport competition.
First of all, have
a warm up routine well established in advance. It should be the same you use on
the competition day.
Check the flights
to be sure of when you'll be lifting. If you have the chance, take a buddy with
you who can look after you, help with small things, and of course cheer you on!
15-20 minutes
before you're up, start your general warm up.
I recommend joint
mobility and a progressive warm up. Use a light weight and perform 10-15 reps
of 1 arm swing, figure 8 to a stop, goblet squats.
Then do a few reps
(6-10) of the discipline you'll be competing in for your specific warm up.
Go up one size, and
repeat, but perform less reps. End up with 1 size over what you'll be lifting
for 1-3 reps.
To bring your heart
rate up without exherting yourself, do 1 minute or 2 of bellows breathing just
before your set starts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7xwRXsYwB4
One of the best
ways to be relaxed and confident, is having hit the numbers you hope to achieve in competition a few
times during training. If all goes well on the day, you'll achieve even better
results.
Stepping up on the
platform and performing on demand is quite stressing. I'd like to add: if you
never tried it before, but it still happens to me every time!
Your heart rate and
breathing will probably rise sharply during the first 30 seconds, and your legs
might feel like jelly due to the stress hormones rushing around your body. Just
accept this and pace yourself from the start. Lockout, wait, breathe, smile.
After 30 seconds, you'll start to relax and realize you can do this.
Strive to maintain
the same tempo thoughout the set, and finish by speeding up the last minute if
you have the energy for it. Doing it the other way around doesn't work well,
because you basically force your body into the anaerobic mode, and the downside
is that energy production doesn't last very long.
Stay in tune with
your body and focus only on yourself, not what the other person is doing. They might just start off like a rocket to
only crash and burn after 3 minutes.
To have the most
chance to peak on the competition day, I recommend reading "Consistent winning". The 3 day peaking cycle works pretty well.
That's it, I hope
you have a great event, make new friends and catch the kettlebellsport bug!
All the best from
Denmark."
Thierry Sanchez
Trainer, athlete,
husband, father.
http://kettlebell-fitness.dk"
For Thierry's great resources about
kettlebell sport and online coaching, click here
Muk Venkataraman: in 2011 Muk created history by organizing the first ever kettlebell contest in the whole of Asia. Yes, the whole of Asia, and considering that kettlebells are still not as popular as barbells/dumbbells in Asia, it takes a lot of guts, and great organizing skills to put together a great kb event like Muk did. He also happens to be the most experienced Asian lifter onstage, and to help new GS competitors, he suggests the following 3 tips:
"Yes of course I have a few tips from my experience. Here I list them down :
1 - Worry about your number and your set only. Don't get distracted by how many reps the guy next to you is doing. His reps don't matter. What matters is your score and if you lived up to your own potential. The lifters around you are the background.
2 - Enjoy every second of it. Take in the feeling. Take in the experience. Most importantly, have fun while doing it.
3 - Forget all the external stress. You have a very short (or long depending on how you look at it) amount of time to inspire people with your lifting. Forget all the things that stress you out and lift!"
Check out more information on Muk Venkatraman by visiting his site- www.elitefitnesshk.com
Man, KKM 2013 is only 7 days away, and I am looking forward to it big time! I wish all the competitors the very best, and hope that the experience will be fulfilling and highly motivational for all those who attend it. And for my regular blog readers who will not be able to attend KKM, I do plan to put up the results and videos of the event here. So wish me and the competitors the very best, and I will soon let you know how it all went.
