Even little Gabriel knows a good lockout. If you want to lift barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells safely, the lockout is the first thing you should master. This is the basis for healthy joints and connective tissue when holding a load overhead while training. Practicing a proper lockout can help you develop better stability, flexibility, and proprioceptive awareness.

Perhaps the most important aspect of the jerk, the “second dip” is not only a means of lowering your center of mass in order to extend the arm(s) underneath the object (as opposed to pressing up) to lockout, it’s also become an ideological analogy at the Ice Chamber to describe long term survival in sport.

While it is a well known fact that we all will hit the “dip” (time when we face seemingly insurmountable obstacles as defined by Seth Godin) and consider quitting,  the “second dip” is a lesser known phenomenon and yet it holds the key to progress.  It is the purposeful step backwards in training in order to examine technical flaws that may have accumulated over the years from just pushing forward.

Surya, for example, owns some of the highest competition one-arm jerk numbers recorded in America.  However, upon dissection of her technique by Ivan Denisov, she was advised to go back to the drawing board to address one mirco-phase of the jerk that was hindering her ability to break her competition pace.  Initially, this assignment diminished her ability to even keep her record numbers in training.  Now after months of unlearning and relearning, Surya is able to return to her previous competition numbers, but with much more efficiency, power, and grace. 

Sometimes, we have to stop dead in our tracks to look back and examine what has accumulated over time – the good and the bad.  If we continue to push forward while disregarding quality, we will eventually become stuck; confused and dismayed as to why we don’t improve in competition.  The “second dip” is a necessary step backwards.  It is a means for us to understand the symptoms of the first “dip.”  Taking some time out of our training to address technical flaws requires courage and patience.  Let’s face it, most of us do not want to “lose” our momentum in training, even if it means picking up bad habits along the way.  In the worst cases, we will not stop pushing ahead until we get physically or psychologically injured.

The “second dip” must be practiced perpetually – in any sport, if our goal is to improve, progress, and reach our personal best.

Can you outlast your partner?

Cruel and usual punishment.

The evil wheel made an uncanny appearance on Monday night.  It was a true show stopper. 

Jared: “Steve, I’m done.”
Dado: “Can we cut this down to one lap?”
Jill: “What is this?  I’ve never heard so much whining in here before.” 

Latest BZ stats are here.

When done properly, the simple body row is one of the best exercises for lat development.

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Reminder:  6am and 7am Bootcamps will be combined on Friday.  Someone suggested a tug of war between the two classes.

Chopper 5 will arrive at 6:30am.  All IC members are welcome to participate.

The infamous chariot drag races.  Guaranteed to leave you wanting more.

Current Battle Zone stats here.

Amy Suits is a natural with the KB

All great lifting, regardless of the implement (barbell, kettlebell, dumbbell, etc.) being used, starts with the fact that energy is generated from the ground up.  If you can’t get your legs to drive against the floor, you will not be able to lift the external load efficiently – no matter how much upper body strength you use.

One of the most difficult tasks for new lifters to manage is the application of the correct kinetic chain when moving an external load overhead.  Generally speaking, we need to initiate the knees (sometimes ankles), hips, and shoulders before the arms.  The arms are almost always the last component to move in the kinectic chain.

The next time you’re trying to snatch or clean, try to examine the sequence of muscle groups being used and see if your arms are pulling before you finish your leg extension…

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Morning Bootcamp Reminder:  7am Bootcamp will start at 6:30am on Friday, August 12th.

Icky shuffle challenge.  Best time: 7 seconds.