Beware of the Kettle Witch. “Wear your wrist guards or else…” she says.

Happy Halloween!

Congratulations to Brenda, Jen C, Melissa, Christy, and Surya for their performances at the 2011 WKC Championships in Chicago this weekend!  The WKC competitions are by far the most difficult of all the organizations because they only count the lower score of the two hand attempts.  For example, if you score 80 points on your first hand and 20 points on your second hand, your score would only be 20.  For this reason, we are especially proud of the team for sticking to the game plan set out for them in training.

Surya took Gold in the 20kg biathlon with a competition PR and the highest one-arm jerk score in the entire event.

Brenda took Silver in the 16kg long cycle division and set a personal best at her first competition.

Melissa took Gold in the 16kg biathlon and also earned her Candidate for Master of Sport rank.

Christy took Gold in the 16kg long cycle division and also made Rank 1.

Jen took Silver in the 24kg long cycle, losing by only a couple of points to our great friend – the tough and dynamic Canadian Champion, Misty Shearer.

Ivan Denisov, Valery Fedorenko, and Sean Armstead with Jen C.

After 3 years of intense kettlebell training, Jen earned her Master of Sport rank.  Her hardwork and commitment to solid technique were reflected in her set.  Jen is now our 5th Master of Sport while Melissa became the 8th Candidate for Master of Sport produced by the IC.  We are SO grateful to our athletes for their faith in higher standards within the sport of kettlebell lifting.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the WKC and Sean from Phenomenal Fitness in Chicago for hosting one of the best GS events in the US thus far. For the first time we got to enjoy great music from a local DJ, a concessions stand, as well as a live feed online so that our friends and family back home could join the fun!

Best,

Maya and Steven

*courtesty of United States Pan American Team

From USA Daily (Official Newsletter of 2011 U.S. Pan American Team):

Highlighted by Kenny Hashimoto’s (Thornton, Colo.) silver medal at
66kg, the U.S. judo team won three medals on Friday (Oct. 28) at the
Pan American Games…

Hashimoto competed in the men’s 66kg division, where he won his
first-round match against Chile by ippon with uchi mata, then came
out the victor in his second match against Ecuador by ippon with a
counter throw. Two shidos to one shido gave Hashimoto a semifinals
victory against Venezuela, before he faced Brazil in the finals, where
he dropped the match by ippon to earn the silver medal.

“I definitely didn’t do as well as I would have liked to. I didn’t have set
expectations coming into the tournament. I just planned to come out
to do my best and see where that got me,” said Hashimoto.

Congratulations Kenny!

No one noticed that Catha was the only one in class able to complete these advanced drills.

Last Thursday night, Catha attended Core class and wowed the trainers with her intervals of picture-perfect donkey kicks.  They looked more like mini handstands each time she exploded in the air fully executing dozens of rounds.

Jim's interest in different modes of fitness is not good news for his competitors

Jim, meanwhile, was taking it easy on a SPIN bike next door that same night. Notice how happy he looks not to be alongside Catha at that moment.  In general he saves most of his energy for his 1 rep max attempts on either the bench press, deadlift, or back squat… AND of course for scoring points against his buddies in Battle Zone.

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Team Name:  Equitable Remedy

Claim to Fame:  Catha was once on the same competitive swim team as Olympic Champion, Dara Torres.  In addition to powerlifting and attendance in both IC Core and SPIN classes, Jim plays for the IC Softball Team on Tuesday nights.  Catha and Jim excel in nearly every area of fitness.

Potential Team Strength: Catha operates under the radar and can easily slide past you without notice.  Jim is a rhetoric expert whose gift of gab has saved him many times in Battle Zone.  Both are attorneys secretly planning to leave law in pursuit of opportunities as professional athletes.

Potential Weakness:  Paralysis by analysis?

Amy knows fashion and function

John and Amy are two IC veterans who’ve been committed to intense physical fitness for over five years now.  These two always perform well under fire and have never backed down from an IC challenge.

If push-ups are included in the pentathlon, competitors beware.

Team Name: Suits and Martinis

Claim to Fame:  Amy is well known for her stylish workout gear, but her competitors may not know that she also studied martial arts (should help explain why she demos kicks so well in class). Her idea of fun would include turning Saturday Core class into Morning Battle Zone.  John is a financial wiz and seasoned endurance athlete, best known for calculating strategies and leaving everyone in the dust (including Team IC!), most notably during the 2010 Inaugural Tough Mudder race.

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Potential Team Strength:  They are not a couple in real life so there is no emotional baggage posing any present or future threat.  Instead, they’re seasoned workout buddies with their own secret form of fitness-sign language (i.e. John will throw up two fingers if he wants Amy to request a lighter set of dumbbells) which will undoubtedly serve them well during the pentathlon.  They are straight shooters who believe in good planning and strategy.

Potential Team Weakness:  Will their dependency on tactical forecasting be enough to overcome the unpredictability of the pentathlon?

Congratulations to Eduardo for taking a Silver Medal in one of the toughest sports on earth!

“Hi Steven, one more time I want to say thank you. Saturday I got second place on my division and second on the open class. Training with you at Ice Chamber makes me feel ready to face all my fights.”

Thanks,
Eduardo Fraga

IS Team preparing for the APA West Coast Championships in November.

Congratulations to all of the IC participants. Here are some of your highlights:

Chris, Julie B, Selby, and Sarah Mac!

“A Marine pushed Selby and I off the “Walk the Plank” because we were clearly never going to jump on our own.”
-Sarah Mac

Jim and Matt feeling thankful to be fit

Jen and Mike climbing the mountain

“Running up the quarter-pipe my first try and all of the awesome IC team members decked out in red and yellow at the start line all juiced up and ready to conquer the mountain.”
- Mike Lee

Mike, Carrie, Chris, Gretchen, JD, Brittany, and Patty starting strong

“Many wonderful memories but the best part was seeing everyone help each other out through the difficult obstacles- I stood at the wall (8 feet?) wondering how I would ever get up and over it. Through the sea of people at the top of the wall I saw a group of red IC tough mudder t shirts (sherry and doug and jill…and others who I was too delirious to recall) and I felt instantly relieved.  I knew I would make it up and over with Chris B and Greg and Brooks (and others-again was too cold to recall) at the bottom and the other IC people at the top.”
- Gretchen Davidson

Doug, Jill, Dan, Tsan, Jess P., Tracy, and Melissa F., having pre-race fun

“Climbing out of the Chernobyl Jacuzzi and causing a massive riot with my fellow frostbitten IC mates.”
-Melissa Fernandez

Post-race fun: Dona, Beth, and Polly showing us the way to finish strong

“We had a blast and have the bruises, scratches, aches and pains and that awesome orange head band to prove it! We couldn’t have done it without the Ice Chamber…that’s for sure!”
-Polly Hancock

Lovebirds Melissa and Prestor stuck together through the 13 mile climb!

“Feeling, at mile seven, completely fresh and unfazed; not knowing that two miles later that would all change.”
- Melissa Seka-Wilson

JD and Brittany representing the IC in full force!

Love

“Facing my fears and supporting my friends in doing the same.”
- Jeremy Steinkoler

The Mecklers looking like rockstars!

Big thanks to ICTM Chief Administrator, Sherry Sarintra

IC Teamwork

John and Seth standing proud. Big thanks to John for reserving the beautiful location for the after party at the beach!

“I have a renewed or perhaps reaffirmed appreciation for the Ice Chamber and the community that’s formed around it. This was a great event for people who enjoy working out and working with others and that certainly applies to folks who do boot-camp. It’s also great to see people outside of the normal gym since it deepens those connections. I wouldn’t have done this event if it wasn’t for the IC.”
-Seth Kaplan

OGs from the 0700 Crew

IC'ers taking care of each other

“The free Dos Equis at the finish line.”
-Nate Torra

Ken, Tracy, Jen, Melissa, Tsan, Greg, Cathryn, and Jeremy sharing a moment of greatness together!

“Watching a dude with a prosthetic leg clamber up the Berlin Wall – one bad mudder.”
-Ken Kokka

Amy and Nicole showing off their heart and lung capacity

“Giving my son–and biggest fan–high 5′s at 4 of the obstacles. Yes, he walked and watched the course.”
-Amy Suits

IC after party hosts, Doug and Jill, finishing like champs. Huge thanks to The Beat-nicks!

Ross and Loredie made sure no one was left behind!

“I’ve always wondered what it was like to experience hypothermia. Now, I know.”
-Loredie Lugos

Jen working hard to straighten her knees while extending her ankles and hips; not an easy task under a heavy kettlebell

Matt and Jen C. are two of the IC’s most well-rounded athletes. From Boot Camp to Battle Zone and Kettlebells to Powerlifting, these two know how to take their Family Flex membership to the next level! In addition to working together professionally, they’re also the proud parents of two active young boys. How do Jen and Matt do it all?

Matt working just as hard to extend his ankles, knees, and hips without bending his elbows; not an easy task when attempting to then land underneath a loaded barbell

Team Name: The Power Cords

Claim to Fame: Jennifer is a Candidate for Master of Sport in kettlebell lifting and coffee drinking. She is currently training with a stainless steel mug and a 24kg (53 lb.) kettlebell in preparation for the WKC’s World Championship in October.  Matt played baseball for UC Davis, but is most famous these days for powerlifting. He recently deadlifted 435lbs. in a red leotard singlet.  Despite these notable achievements, they are perhaps most famous for their high level referee skills during bouts between their two boys in the IC parking lot.

Potential Team Strength:  In addition to triple lattes, the power of training the triple extension with either a kettlebell or barbell to enhance human performance should never be underestimated.  As competitive lifters, they have both had practice slaying their own inner dragons and facing unforeseen opponents.

Potential Team Weakness: Will the pentathlon prove to be too much togetherness for Matt and Jen?

Tracy in the lead

Never ones to back down from a challenge, Wendy and Tracy are two of the gutsiest women at the IC.  They are the only all-girl team in the Pentathlon thus far!  Needless to say, nothing scares these two fit moms.

Wendy's turn

Team Name: Ladies First

Claim to Fame: They each lost over 25 pounds of body fat since first starting at the IC several years ago.  In the time they’ve spent training their butts off, they have only continued to enhance their athletic performances and competitive spirits, making them true femmes of fitness.  In addition to legs of steel, they have arms even Michelle Obama would die for.

Potential Team Strength: They are devotees of the Battle Zone cult.  They are not just Mudders, they’re Tough Muthas too.

Potential Team Weakness:  They may be secretly looking forward to the IC after-party more than the pentathlon.