TruFusion KB Comp ~ first 16kg snatch!

last week I got to go to Vegas to compete in a kettlebell competition and do my first competition with anything other than a 12kg bell. Which was really exciting and I trained really hard for it over several months mostly on my own

  Training for this event was wayyyy different than anything I've trained for over the past year. Usually I do my training with Kor and with my team but this cycle, no one else on my team was doing this event so i bought the online training program from Brittany van Schravendjik (my coach) that had a monthly program so I could do the training by myself. (Side note, if you're thinking of getting some online programming for kettlbell sport, definitely check out her programs! They're awesome!!) 

The first month was some of the hardest training I did, because I was trying to get ready for the long cycle championships in May and simultaneously progress my lifting weight with snatch (that month was training with the 14kg). It was hard and to be honest there were lots of days that I just didn't want to train and it was just a push to do all the training. but I did it! And once I finished with the long cycle championships I was able to fully focus on snatch training and boy did that make a difference. 

Once I started training just on snatch, I was less fatigued, my hands weren't as torn up, and I started really feeling stronger with the lift. 

The progression from a 12kg snatch to a 16 kg snatch is substantial. And it's really hard to go from snatching fast as heck (20+ rpm)  to really figuring out how to pace yourself so you can actually last a full 10. 

that was the breakthrough I really made throughout this training cycle ~ it's okay to go slow. And tbh, you have to start slow with just about anything you do. plus the whole "slow is smooth and smooth is fast" deal really comes into play here. and the weeks leading up to the event on the event I was feeling real strong with the lift and was looking forward to the comp.

The comp itself was different from any one that I've done before. First, didn't have the whole team there (only Dan & Albert). Second, definitely the farthest I've traveled for a comp. Third, it was an afternoon comp vs a morning which was different. And fourth, it was just a totally different competition vibe and space and competitors. And fifth, I could NOT stay hydrated. It was like a 30 degree hop and I couldn't stop being thirsty the entire time I was in Vegas. 

Just in general, the competition was just much different than what I've experienced in the past year. It definitely wasn't catered to someone who had actually been training for the event like I had been. And the scoring system was made up for this comp and it was odd. (It was calculated with your weight, bell weight, and arm length ~ so it seemed that someone with long arms [bc the bell travels further] would have an advantage in the point system). But the music was rocking and the energy was fantastic which is honestly key. Cause lifting in silence feels like murder (as I learned at the long cycle comp). 

my set was also weird because i was suposed to be lifting against two other ladies lifting a 16kg bell and then one of them decided to not lift snatch at all and the other decided to lift a 12kg. Which was kind of a bummer cause I really wanted to lift against and with people but I had come in with my own goals and I only ever focus on myself during my sets anyway so that's all I would do for that set. 

My goal for the ten minute set was 1) to finish a whole 10 minute set and 2) 130 reps 

and I did both! finished a whole 10 minutes AND hit 141 reps (11 reps over my goal!) 

really proud of myself and for keeping my mind right for the competition despite all of the deviations from my normal routine and set up for a comp. It went beyond what I thought I was going to do, I got only one hand tear (left side in the last minute) and I was the only woman to lift anything over a 12kg bell at the competition. So I'm taking it all as a win. 

Now I don't have any competitions until October now, so I have lots of time to train for the next one! 

If you want to get training for kettlebells or running come check me out at Edge in San Marcos (Wednesday @ 4pm / Friday @ 7:30am) & I'm available for one on one and small group training along with online training! Send me an email at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com or a DM on Instagram or Facebook! 

on attitude

right up front, i'm gonna be honest. this may very well turn into a word vomit. i would apologize, but it's my blog so i can do what i want, and sometimes that means i get to just throw up a bunch words onto a screen and the very few of you who read it just have to deal with it. 

i recognize that i am a kind of special case when i come to fitness. i love it. i genuinely enjoy working out and pushing my limits and breaking PRs and just all of it. 

most of the time. 

but the issue i see pretty regularly with people is that they say that they don't like ANY exercise EVER. all of it is terrible and boring and hard and they just don't want to do any of it. 

and let me tell you, that's the problem RIGHT THERE. 

if you go into every workout with that attitude then OF COURSE it's going to suck. you can't expect to go into a workout with thoughts of "this sucks, this sucks, i hate this so much" on repeat in your head and expect any sort of movement is going to feel good. 

there are SO MANY different ways to move and to add exercise into your life and you're telling me that LITERALLY every single one is the worst thing you've ever encountered in your life? sorry, i'm calling bullshit. 

did you actually TRY to enjoy the workout? or did you show up and complain about it the whole time? 

and what have you tried? did you just try running one day and say well that was hard, i'm not doing that shit again? or go into a gym and go down the row of weight machines and were bored AF and never went back? did one class at that studio and it was really challenging so you just stopped going after a couple classes? 

there are SO MANY ways to move and to add exercise into your life. you don't have to just do the regular gym thing lots of people picture when they think of "fitness." 

but the thing is, you cannot go into every single workout session with an attitude of "omg this is gonna suck" because that will make literally everything you try suck. 

self-talk is a huge part of fitness and if you are being negative the entire time, you are gonna feel terrible & not want to come back and do it again because ALL of the feeling you have with it are all these unhappy and gross feelings. 

you're setting yourself up for failure if you are constantly going into with a negative attitude. 

even on days that you don't want to do it, just go have a good attitude for like 15 mins and do a warmup and if you feel terrible after that... stop. but 90% of the time if you go into it with a decent attitude after the first 10 mins you'll want to keep going! and if you don't... you gave it a solid try and that's okay cause some days you do need the break. 

the main thing to take away from this all is to have a good attitude about your workouts. if you're gonna look at exercise like a punishment it will always feel like a punishment. 

&i cannot tell you how much adjusting my attitude has changed my training. 

even on days where i have sets that are going to be objectively hard and in the past I have just been D R E A D I N G it and guess what... THEY SUCKED. they were hard and it felt terrible and i didn't hit goals that i had set for myself. and a few weeks ago i had a break through. i was NOT looking forward to a set, but before it i was like, "WELL, i have to do this anyway, so I may as well have fun with it all" so i had a goofy ass warmup and danced around a lot and listened to bangin' music and when it came time for my set i was pretty pumped! and then i crushed it! and that's been the theme since that set. like, if i go in with a good attitude the workout feels SO MUCH better and I DO so much better. 

just think ~ you're working out for YOU. exercise is an experience for yourself. you're doing it feel good for you. not anyone else. and if the type of exercise you're doing doesn't feel good - don't do that anymore! like i said before, there are so many ways to move... you just gotta go in with an open mind & you'll find what you love to do too! 

if you need help or some guidance in finding the way you want to exercise drop me a line on Instagram or Facebook or send me an email at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com . And if you want to work together check out my Programs page or just shoot me a message and we can make something that works for you! Movement is good for you & you deserve to find the way you like to move! 

What is: metabolic conditioning?

on some of my posts for workouts and finishers you'll see hashtags for #metabolicconditioning or #metcon (its abbreviation). and you may be wondering, what the heck is that?

 well let me tell you!

the most simple definition is that metabolic conditioning is basically workouts that are structured around increasing the storage and delivery of energy for any activity. and what the heck does that even mean? WELL when you start exercising you are making your body more efficient in using energy (which is why you get faster and stronger, like, the workout you did from your very first workout would be much easier if you did it 6 months later). Metabolic conditioning are  workouts designed to increase your strength and metabolism fast and efficiently; think HIIT (high intensity internal training) or CrossFit or circuit training. Metabolic conditioning is a lot of compound movements (squats, deadlifts, pushes, and presses) in a compact time frame with minimal rest periods. This not only increases your strength, but also your cardiovascular endurance! 

and WHY should you be doing them? 

to be honest, for all the reasons I talked about above!

want to get strong?  

metcons! 

want to increase your cardio?  

metcons!!  

 don't have a lot of time!? 

metcons!!!  

now that I've answered every easy question, seriously, metabolic conditioning is a time efficient way to get it all done! 

They're highly versatile exercises that can incorporate just about any piece (or no pieces) of equipment that you have. They can be just a few minutes or longer if you need/want. 

would I do a metabolic conditioning workout for every single workout that I do?  

Nope! They are usually pretty high intensity and will wear your muscles out and will make you sore, so you should definitely let your body rest and recover between high intensity sessions.

But it is a genuinely great type of workout to add into your training routine on a regular basis! Maybe add in a EMOM (every minute on the minute) or AMRAP (as many rounds/reps as possible) at the end of your training session to really push yourself at the end of a workout or maybe have a conditioning workout day!   

And it depends on what your goals are too! Like, if you're training for a powerlifting meet... Maybe metcons won't be a regular occurrence in your regimine. And if you're specifically training for events, specify your equipment or the conditioning to that! 

SO what are some metabolic conditioning workouts?  

Any movement can be transformed into a metcon workout! It's all about rests and sets! 

Try this one on for size: 

AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible) in 10 mins

use a pair of kettlebells or dumbbells (or both!) 

goblet squat × 10  / renegade rows × 10 / lateral weighted lunges × 10 / overhead press × 10 / mountain climbers × 20 

if ya do it, let me know how many rounds you got on my Instagram or my Facebook page! If you make a post about it, tag me so I can share!  Or send me an email over at tiffnessfitness@gmail.com!  

And check out any of my social media for regular workouts that you can do! 

If you're looking for more specific training, drop me a line and let's get you set up with a program that's suited for your needs! I do in person and online training!  

And if you're around, come check me out over at Edge in San Marcos and take a kettlbell class with me on Wednesday at 4 pm and/or Friday at 7:30 am!