Michael Eldred took Gold at the 2009 USA Judo Senior National Championships in San Diego, CA over the weekend. This win has secured his spot in the World Championships to be held August 26-30 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Congratulations Michael on another remarkable performance!
One year ago, Alexa joined Morning Bootcamp to get stronger and have more energy. She had serious concerns about her ability to sustain the pace, do push-ups, and the prospect of achieving one pull-up. Little did she know then that approximately twelve months later, she would lose 8 pounds of body fat, do multiple pull-ups, and even earn a degree 
in Kettlebell Lifting!
Congratulations Alexa – your journey is an inspiration to everyone!
Annie Shiraishi is a fierce competitor making her bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. In addition to being USA Judo’s 2008 Olympic Team Alternate in Beijing, she is one of the IC’s most cheerful and unassuming athletes. Be sure to say hi when you see her!
On March 17, 2009, Pavlos Giorgiadis set a new PR (and possibly another “unofficial” world record) in the one-arm snatch using a 32 kg kettlebell in front of Coach Pantelis Filikidis, World Champ Valery Fedorenko, as well as the rest of us attending the WKC’s International Kettlebell Sport Camp in Greece. It was an intense moment and one I’ll never forget. It was brought to my attention again today because the WKC released the much anticipated video of Pavlos’ incredible feat of strength-endurance.
For those unfamiliar with the sport, the footage may not be that exciting–he’s in the same place the entire 9+ minutes, doing the same movement pattern, lifting the same kettlebell — it’s not like watching Track & Field or Dancing with the Stars, but I say this with certainty: what Pavlos accomplished is nothing short of amazing. Spectators tend to look for struggle and the entertainment of possible defeat, but Pavlos never grimaces in pain or comes close to dropping the bell on his head. In fact, he never switches hands and yet, despite the obvious fatigue, every rep still looks exactly like the one before it. Notice how the bell is traveling up and down the center of his body and how his elbow and shoulder come to a perfect lockout and stop at 12 o’clock. Also, pay close attention to the precision of his rest breaks — on minute one it’s at rep 19. I wonder what else our KB students will notice about the timing of his breaks (hint: pop quiz in tonight’s class). For KB fans, these tiny details are aspects of the sport that we find riveting! My girevik buddy said he felt choked up after seeing the footage and I immediately agreed. In fact, I know I wasn’t the only one shedding a tear in the room that day.
-Maya
Our Body Change Challenge was our most self-directed event to date. It was also one of our most successful because it helped illuminate the diversity of the “it” factor here at the IC. How can five people (Tracy Lenihan was too ill to take the recent photo) on five different diet plans achieve such amazing results in the same amount of time (60 days)? Each one of these winners prioritized performance & nutrition on their own terms and discovered what worked best for their needs along the way. We welcome you to initiate a dialogue with any of them about their path to success because supporting and learning from each other is part of the magic of this community. In the meantime, check out this awesome “after” photo…
What have you gained in this process?
Jason: “While dropping a whopping 18 lbs. (to date mind you!), I have greatly increased my physical strength, learned good eating habits, and most importantly, gained confidence in myself. (CHEESY, but true).”
Tracy: “I have a great sense of accomplishment. I feel so much better about my body, and happier to ‘be in it.’ Also, I have a deeper desire and commitment to exercising and challenging myself physically.”
Mary: “It’s very important for me to reach my goals with regard to weight and fitness, but now my focus is to be consistent in my attendance. I’m glad to have this healthy outlet to relieve stress and feel better emotionally.”
Craig: “I’m back in the saddle.”
IC Athlete Michael Eldred is one step closer to his Olympic dream. He took the Bronze Medal in the Pan American Championships of Judo on Friday in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Pan-Am is one of the toughest competitions in the world!
News from the United States Olympic Committee: “Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute) and his first opponent, Jose Hipolito (MEX), were each scoreless in the 73kg division when Eldred pinned Hipolito in the last 14 seconds.
In the quarter-finals, Eldred was thrown by two-time Olympic medalist Leandro Guilheiro (BRA). Eldred then dropped down to the repechage where he pinned both Leandro Vaz (URU) and Arturo Zapata (VEN) to advance to the bronze medal match where he choked Francisco Cuneo (ARG).”
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Michael will be training at the IC on Monday. Be sure to give him a huge congratulations when you see him!
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Sara, Brenda, and Sherry completed the 4th Annual Big Sur Mud Run on Sunday! “… We ran approx. 5 miles (lots of uphill and sandy terrain) and went through four mud pits, over two 5-foot walls, across one beam and over several road block/hurdle things…”
So much of sport camp in Greece went beyond kettlebells and included great food & culture, family, and fun. Here is a scene from Valery’s favorite restaurant around the corner from Coach Filikidis’ gym.
2 x 32kg Jerk (17 reps in 1 minute)
Come to find out, we have a mutual friend in Ivan Denisov, the Absolute World Champion. Among other things, he is very intrigued by the ICKB Girls, since the ladies in Russia are not allowed to perform Jerks or Long Cycles.
Below is a recent interview I did with Valentin. Enjoy.
Best,
Steven
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Where do you live?
I live in Rybinsk (Russia, Yaroslavl region)
Which Federation do you belong to?
Russian Federation of Kettlebell Lifting.
How long have you been training with kettlebells?
I started to train for the sport at the age of 12. I am 24 years of age now.
Who is your coach?
Nelehov Yaroslav, however I am currently training without a coach.
What is your favorite lift?
Jerk, but I like the Snatch too…
What does a typical workout look like for you?Â
I tend to focus on the Jerk. All workouts are done with kettlebells between 28-32 kg during periods of training for competition:
1. 8-10 sets X 1 min
2. 5-6 sets X 2 min
3. 4 sets X 3 min or 3 sets X 4 min
4. 1 set X 4 min + 1 set X 5 min or 2 sets X 5 min
5. 1 set X 8 min (28-29 KB only)
(Sometimes I really limit rest time between reps)
What are some of your records outside of official competition?Â
I don’t have too many records outside of competitions. My best results were in competitions:
Jerk 32kg KBs 10 minute: 90 reps
Snatch 32kg KBs 10 minute: 54 reps of each hand
However, here are some “unofficial records”:
Jerk 2 x 32kg KBs 1 minute: 21 reps
Jerk 2 x 28kg KBs 8 minute: 91 reps
Jerk 2 x 26.5kg KBs 8 minute: 101 reps
Jerk 2 x 24kg KBs 10 minutes: 138 reps (I was 17 years old)
Snatch 24kg KBs 10 minutes: 102 (right hand) and 92 left hand
What advice can you give amateur lifters that want to improve performance in KB sport?
1. Always work with good technique!!!
2. Train with kettlebells near 5 times per week without break
In your opinion, who is the best female lifter in Russia today?Â
I think the best female lifter is Irina Pyanko. She lives in Kaluga, homeland of Kettlebell’s legendary Sergey Mishin. 
Her best result in the snatch is 120 reps @ 24kg (both hands). Her body weight 65 kg.
When is your next competition?
European Championships (April 25-29)
The Final Championship of Russia (June 12-15)
Team 0600 rock star, Dr. Amanda Calhoun, is featured in this month’s Women’s Running Magazine. Her article provides excellent insight into running and the female physiology. Click here to read her article!
(Note: Even though in the history of kettlebell lifting no one has completed this non-traditional feat of strength to this capacity, Valery is uncomfortable with calling this an official world record since it was not performed at a sanctioned competition.)
Coach Filikidis treated Sport Camp to a once in a lifetime opportunity today. He asked his top kettlebell athlete, Pavlos Georgiadis, to attempt an unofficial world record in the one arm snatch. He needed to complete 145 reps to defeat the defending record holder. By rep 143, the energy in the room was intense. Coach Filikidis had a lot to say to his prized student throughout this incredible moment, but since none of it was in English, I can’t share any of his words of wisdom with you. What I can say with certainty is that Pavlos surpassed his own PR by 15 reps and earned a new record at 180 reps in 9 minutes!
Note: Pavlos snatched 32 kgs on one side (he recently broke his left arm); he did not switch hands. Keep in mind that most elite lifters cannot accomplish this many reps with two hands!
The universal language of love between a great coach and his world class athlete.
