Mara is one of the tiniest members of the Ice Chamber and yet, her strength packs a punch. True to form, Mara is a natural weightlifter. Check out her triple extension (ankles, knees, and hips) on the one-arm power snatch. We love Mara even more now that she has taken to kettlebelling with the colorful bells.

Mara is another 9 a.m.’er on the rise…

Sport specific conditioning for Judo.

The stretch cord allows the athlete to change levels and move fluidly between anatomical planes with variable resistance. The chains add the drag factor. The gi provides the tactile sensory input. Mix it up and you have a great tool for implementing judo throws without the uke.

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Congratulations to El Cerrito resident, Sayaka Matsumoto of the East Bay Judo Institute, on her successful entry into the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games!

Our dear friend and fellow Kettlebell Sport competitor, Ms. Bonnie, made history today by becoming the 4th woman (5th person) ever in the U.S. to achieve the Master of Sport ranking. To put this into perspective, out of the tens of thousands of people using kettlebells in this country, there are only 5 people with MS rankings!

In order to achieve the honor, Bonnie had to total 348 reps with a 16kg kettlebell in the Biathlon (10 minutes of Jerks / 10 minutes of Snatches). She astounded the audience when she completed 195 Jerks and 174 Snatches for a total of 369 reps!

In addition to being one of the most fierce bellers in the U.S., Bonnie is a new mom and one of the sweetest people we’ve ever met. (She’s the one who loaned Heidy a pair of her shorts to compete in Las Vegas.) This young mama deserves all the props in the world - Congratulations Champ!

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1. Working the snatch at 17 rpms

2. Finishing the jerk

3. Sporting her new IC kettlebell tank top (and a gift from Heidy: black shorts) after her big win

4. Resting in the rack position

5. Driving the bell into mid-air from the hip: a perfect launch

6. Switching hands one time at minute 5 while Judge C.I. counts reps

7. Bonnie with her proud Coach, Kev

Letting go of the leash can cause extreme trauma.  Piera instructs Tracy and Mallory on the intricacies of this move. Notice the perfect relaxed posture mixed with the intense stare down.

Green beans are hitting their summer stride. When you’re at the market, don’t look for the biggest, but rather the greenest. Snap one and taste it raw. if there’s lots of flavor in them, even before you cook them, you’ll have a tasty side dish.

The absolute best way to cook green beans is in rapidly boiling salted water (drop the beans in after the water is boiling). This method seals the pores, brings out the color, and enhances their flavor. Two preparations are provided since most people are loathe to lug out the big pot in the summer.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb green beans
2 tbl extra virgin olive oil mixed with 2 tbl lemon juice
1 meyer lemon
1/2 tsp clay salt
pepper to taste

Clean and snip your green beans, rinse them with water and shake off excess, but do not dry completely.

BOILING METHOD: Drop beans in rapidly boiling salted water (make sure the pot has LOTS of room and the beans are not over-crowded), and cook for 6 minutes, until beans are al dente. Drain the beans in a colander and blanche under hot water. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with olive oil/juice mixture. Arrange them on a platter, sprinkle with extra clay salt (or your favorite salt), add pepper, and garnish with fresh lemon slices.

MICROWAVE METHOD. Arrange cleaned beans on a heatproof non-plastic cooking dish, add some lemon slices, and cover the beans with wax paper or parchment.

Microwave beans and lemon on high for 3-4 minutes under the wax paper, until bright green and al dente. Remove paper and cooked lemons. Toss with olive oil//juice mixture, pepper and clay salt. top with more lemon slices and serve.

These can also be served at room temperature with hummus or fava bean dip. Makes a great substitute for chips.

-Dish It Out Tsan!

Prior to becoming a legal goddess, Tsan worked in the food industry, both as chef (in Cambridge and New Hampshire) and as an event planner (in Vail). She also ran the Culinary, Hospitality and Restaurant Management Certificate Program at UCLA Extension.

“Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s ____?

Who should be getting those props? ”

Today it’s called being vegan, but long before there was a cool term for it, it was called Chinese food. If you’re trying to eat healthy and stay out of the kitchen, dust off that old wok (it’s probably behind the 8-track), and get ready to stir your way to health.

There are a couple of tricks to making this method of cooking a Wok in the park. First, combine vegetables that have roughly the same cooking times. If you prefer a collection of vegetables that have different cooking times, it’s all good, but you’ll have to make your food in batches.

Second, use an oil with a high burning temperature. The trick to getting crisp, cooked vegetables is to keep the oil from absorbing into the food; that means it has to be hot! Go for peanut oil, if you can, and shelve the olive oil for your salad.

Third, don’t overcrowd your vegetables. Make sure there is plenty of room to cook them, otherwise the vegetables will give off moisture and you’ll effectively steam-fry your veggies (which, as Steven would say, “is OK, but is not the exercise we’re doing today”).

Heat your wok until it just begins to smoke, then slowly drizzle the peanut oil down the side until you have a few tablespoons in the bottom. Add your vegetables (whatever you like), and stir them rapidly in the hot oil for a few minutes. Reduce the heat, and add the liquids (soy sauce, hoison, whateve…). You’re on your way.

-Dish It Out Tsan!

Prior to becoming a legal goddess, Tsan worked in the food industry, both as chef (in Cambridge and New Hampshire) and as an event planner (in Vail). She also ran the Culinary, Hospitality and Restaurant Management Certificate Program at UCLA Extension.

“Just the type of thing I like to do after a devastating deadlift work out. Did you say I would be sore tomorrow?!”

Beth

The hurdle and broad jumps performed from a static position require strength and flexibility of the hips flexors prior to power expression of the lower extremities.

The parallel position of the femur to the floor while in mid-air makes it possible for the feet to clear the obstacles.

Take a sneak peek into the training sessions of 14 year old Junior Olympic Ski Champion, Foreste Peterson, with her Performance Coach, Jessica Dibiase. This Gym Short will provide insights into the power and speed training that is required for our young ski racer to win. In addition, check out Jessica “leading by example” - providing the motivation for Foreste to go above and beyond.

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