Saturday morning I decided to sleep in a bit, which these days means until about 7am. (And no, I’m not complaining …our baby is an AMAZING sleeper and in my opinion just plain AMAZING. :))
I trained a client and hung out with CJ for the morning, but once nap time hit, it was go time for mama. I had to get my workout in since I wanted Sunday to be a rest day.
What was on the agenda? Some turkish get ups, back squats, chest press and kettlebell snatches. Not just any kettlebell snatches though…snatches with the 16K. One hundred of them to be exact.
A few years back I tried to press a 16K kettlebell to do some overhead walks. It was early in the morning and I definitely didn’t warm up as much as I should have. I ended up with a dislocated shoulder and have feared putting that stinking 16K overhead ever since. I was overjoyed when Dragon Door came out with the 14K kettlebell because for so many exercises the 12K was too light, but I ‘couldn’t do it’ with the 16K.
I’m much stronger than I was a few years ago and have accomplished some pretty cool things strength-wise, but I still have a major issue with that 16K overhead and I need to get past it. For the RKC (which I am signed up for in April) I’ll have to snatch the 16K kettlebell 100 times in 5 minutes. Seems kind of daunting for someone who doesn’t want that 16K overhead at all, huh? If I can get my weight below 123LB before the RKC I can actually do my snatch test with the 12K, but I want to make sure that I prepare with the 16K since I am not 100% sure where I’ll be at.
Back to Saturday. I finished everything in my workout except for the snatches. My husband came home while I was wrapping up my back squats and chest press. I am not generally one for excuses or to say that I can’t do something, but I mentioned how I thought snatching the 16K was going to be too heavy. His response was that I absolutely physically can do it, but that I have a mental block with the 16K because that’s the bell I hurt myself with. I hadn’t ever really thought about it like that, but now I think he’s completely right. (Yes, ladies…I just said my husband was right . ;-))
If you read my blog you know he’s motivated me before with things like the note below.
This time he talked me through the steps and watched my form as I did the first set. And then the second set. And then he told me I nailed it, had it completely under control and just needed to finish up…he was going to mow the lawn.
And he was right. I showed that kettlebell who was boss this time. I still have a long way to go in my RKC preparation since it took me WAY longer than 5 minutes, but it’s nice to know I got past the mental block with the 16K kettlebell and I know I can do it. 🙂
What are your mental blocks with working out? Running a certain distance? Lifting a certain amount? Completing unassisted pull-ups? Getting to the gym when you’re working a lot?
Usually if I get distracted, or unmotivated, I switch the song in my music player! Usually that gets me right back on track to complete.
Good idea! 🙂
Way to go! Those mental blocks can be such killers.
I’m sure you have a terrific plan, but I want to pass this along fyi. I just passed the RKC last week in Chicago, and nothing helped me prepare more than the two Brett Jones programs, both of which can be found at his blog. The first program is his RKC prep program (http://web.me.com/bjonesrkc/Site/Home/Entries/2011/6/19_Preparing_for_the_RKC.html). Make sure you do a lot practice with doubles. The second, and lesser known program, is his snatch-test prep protocol (http://web.me.com/bjonesrkc/Site/Home/Entries/2011/4/8_RKC_Snatch_Test_101.html). You start by doing 5L/5R on the minute for 15 mins and over time increase the number of snatches per minute and decrease the number of minutes worked until you’re at 10L/10R for 7 minutes.
Best of luck to you!
Thanks Laura and congrats on passing the RKC!!! That’s awesome. Love hearing about other’s prep and what worked/didn’t work. I’m lucky because my husband is an RKC II and is helping me a ton. 🙂