pimpin' out the minions

Jennifer and Julie. It WAS movember

Somehow, trainers just fall in my lap. Not in a naughty way, but in the best way possible. Willow showed up right before Juno opened, and she has been with us for the three years we have been open. Miss Carey happened to be training at Ralph Gracie next door one day about a year and a half ago. The moment she shook my hand I knew she was right for Juno. John, well, he's my coach and has been instrumental in building our amazing kettlebell community. All of our staff are beyond amazing, I am grateful for them every day.

jennifer=note taking minion.

But let me introduce you to the trainers in training, Juno's minions.

An old friend emailed me about Jennifer, saying she was interested in becoming a trainer and did I have any tips (this is very similar to how I hired Willow, btw) for her. She dropped by and I knew she would fit right in. She faithfully attended the am bootcamps, observing, working out, taking ten jillion notes (I will never understand that, I think I'm just lazy as fuck). When I decided to add a pm drop-in class, I decided she would be the one to teach it. She worked with me all summer and took over late August. I think that all of the clients who get their asses whooped twice a week would agree that she rules. 

julie explains how sprint intervals are better,
not that we have a treadmill...

Julie moved here from Chicago and strolled into the nitey nite bootcamp, did the workout, posted a 5 star review on yelp (because...she was a minion even then!) and emailed me about tips on how to be a trainer.  She started assisting Willow in the mornings, and has been rocking her trial client, Liz. She is funny as hell, which I love. Even if she does send me links like this when I am doing the whole 30.
Both the new minions are great, I am really am amazed that these people just fall from the sky (like, it's raining men, only they aren't men) into Juno.
And, I know, we all roll our trainer-y eyes at Jillian Michaels, but this video is hilarious.

-juliet

Why We Do This

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!!!

On July 14, 2011 this email arrived at Juno: 

Hello!

As you can see I am very near by. I am looking for a trainer to work with who will get in my face, not take my bullshit, and push me to do what I know is best for my middle age, middle class, white lesbian, 250 pound body.  So please tell me the truth, is that you?  There's aches and pains and 60 hours a week of work and I have two labradors and a damn elliptical in my garage that I clean every month or so and my heart rate only goes up when I'm in the hot tub every morning. I drive by you all the time and wonder if we were working together would I walk the 8 blocks or drive? My life has become a series of mental negotiations to avoid exercise.

So, are you for fit folks wanting to be fitter or can you take on a struggling ex-athelete trying to figure out how to get some amount of control back in her life?

the before

I feel like I'm writing a personal ad but I'm a little desperate.

Best,

Marj

Juliet asked me to make the follow-up call and Marj began training at Juno in early August of 2011.  

From day one Marj knew she had some demons to face and some work to do BUT she never actually complained. Not once. I have rarely seen such drive and dedication.  Marj was ready.  

Soon Marj's partner Tracy started training too and they inspired each other in a team effort.  They initiated major changes in their nutrition and educated themselves about what foods work the best for them individually.   They began working out between training sessions on their own and together.  Their dogs didn't know what hit 'em!

Of course there were setbacks. There were the aches and pains that accompany a leap into exercise.  There were times when we had to construct workout work-arounds to keep the momentum going despite old injury flare-ups and the body shifts that come with such full commitment to lifestyle change.  

They developed mental toughness and self-compassion.  They learned about physical self-care, respecting their limits and how to keep going when the going gets...hard.  They learned perspective. 

And: They took everyone with them.  They became vocal about their commitment to health and fitness.  Marj participated in a cardio challenge fundraiser and began posting her workouts online.  People noticed.  Juno noticed.  

Their hard work paid off: They are in amazing shape.  Their in-session training intensity is high-level.  Over 14 months Marj has lost 60lbs and Tracy has lost 40lbs.  And they want to take this further.  THEY ARE NOT DONE!

They took themselves on a walking tour of Tuscany last week and I got this email from Marj: 

The trip is fantastic! We are hikers! I've always wanted to be hikers. People talk to us like we are hikers. Yesterday we hiked 5 miles straight up and down a hill (twice because we took a wrong turn) and it was totally doable. We thank you with every step.

We, at Juno could not be more proud of, impressed with and inspired by the two of you. (Juliet admitted she actually shed tears over how far you have come, and Juliet is...well...badass).  This is why we do what we do.  THANK YOU. 

the after

-Carey

Oh look, Juliet is talking (whining) about kettlebells...AGAIN

45.5, hot in my reading glasses, yo 

I lift kettlebells because I love LOVE lifting them. The technical aspect keeps me from ever getting bored (like having a child, it's never boring and often frustrating), the fact that I am actually a decent lifter at the age of 46 (I know! I only look 45.5)  feeds my vanity and helps my self esteem.

I am getting ready to compete in Chicago at the WKC worlds. I registered in June (being the super organized lady I am) thinking I had sooo much time to train. How the fuck did it get to be four weeks away? I feel like I've procrastinated, but I know I haven't. I just don't feel like I'm getting any better.

i perish...

My training protocol is brutal right now. I'm almost into stage 4, when I start to taper so I don't explode into little pieces when I compete. Stage 3 is the hardest stage, I am under the bells either at a brutal pace, numbers or weight. I often can't/won't finish sets*, actually I am shocked when I can. My body constantly feels beat up and I am exhausted. I do my last viciously hard set, why...TOMORROW. I cringe just thinking about it.

tether? i'll show you tether...

*Note-often when I can't finish sets it's because my mind tells me "nofuckingway...NOFUCKINGWAY" and I put the bell down. This is a different type of failure than the physical donsies. This is the mental quitsies, and is much more insidious.

Here is a conversation I had with my glorious (read-big meanie) coach after I put the bell down early in a set:
me-"I'm at the end of my tether!!!"
jwb-"no, you're not."
me-(almost in tears) "But...I just...am..."
jwb-"you're not."

who doesn't love sexy anime cheerleaders?

And he's right. I am not at the end of my tether (the husband has informed me that rope would be the correct noun in this saying, but fuck him) I am at the end of stage 3, about to start my competition season at a much higher level than last year. So on a positive rah-rah note, with very little eye rolling, I am better, WAY better. I am ready for the next two competitions. I have trained hard, I have competed many times in the last 2 years and have done well. I look forward to being on the platform and doing my best, I always do in competition, it's where I thrive. I can snuff out the mental quitsies when I compete, all that hard work and frustration finally pays off.

UPDATE-it's the next day, I did the way hard set today. I didn't do the numbers in the time I wanted, but I held onto the bell.

Bootcamp

willow, pre-coffee iv

Beep beep beep beep…4:37am the alarm goes off…that is on days when I manage to sleep past 4:15.  I hate waking to an alarm clock so my brain usually wakes me up beforehand so I can switch the blasted thing off.  Get up, drink that first quart of coffee.  This time of day is so surreal; all of the people that stay up most of the night have gone to bed and the next shift of human activity hasn’t quite started yet.   It’s the best time ever to commute; the city is dark and quiet, just a handful of cars on the road.  It feels like I own this town.  Shift to the gym…almost eerily still…the smell of rubber mats and chalk. I switch on the lights and the brightly colored walls instantly saturate my retinas.  “Willow get ready to get your fitness on…did I drink all of my coffee yet?...where is the 18lb medicine ball?...I hope they like this workout…oops I failed to make a new playlist, AGAIN…how can I be this tired?” 

typical bootcamp workout

The words “boot camp” evoke a lot of negative imagery of some pinched looking guy in a uniform, barking out orders and raining down shame on everyone within shouting distance.  Not so at Juno.  Neither is it one of those cult-like gyms where you must, “comply to our lifestyle or fail”.  We don’t serve Kool-Aid at Juno, thank you very much.  A client once said (while groaning on the floor after a class), “I’m glad this is the ‘kinder, gentler’ boot camp because I don’t think I could take working this hard AND getting yelled at”.  I love teaching boot camp classes at Juno.  Of course it’s in no small part due to the amazing clientele.  I count myself lucky because across the board, from beginner to seasoned athlete they are inspiring.  Half the time when I’m standing there calling out time or counting (poorly) I’m thinking, “Wow I want to be like (your name here)!”   There is so much to love.  There’s the determination and fierceness that comes out in even the shyest, most unassuming person when they are driven to do that one more rep, to jump a little higher, to lift a little heavier.  There is the sea of positive energy that comes from a room full of people with the same goal, to be a little bit better tomorrow than they are today.  There’s the success that comes from hard work.  Seeing client progress is the best; that first push up or pull up, that perfect deadlift, positive changes in body composition, relief from back pain, better performance in their usual sport, the person that has “never worked out” admitting that she’s started doing Tabatas on her own.  Seeing those positive changes is so addictive it’s like a drug.  So what’s so special about boot camp at Juno? What gets me up at that early morning/fuzzy headed/haven’t-slept-enough-in-years time of day?  It’s not that I have some magical early morning skills (just try and get me to do simple math!)  It’s the people that come to class.  They are awesome. 

-Willow

OKC bay area competition! we laughed...we lifted heavy shit...

group pic! photo courtesy of Nazo...

On 8/11/12, Juno Fitness hosted the first bay area open kettlebell competition with the Orange Kettlebell Club and it was wonderful, we had 25 competitors and a bunch of awesome spectators.
The OKC and Juno team lifted really well, and a bunch of peeps hit PR's in their sets. Christian Golberg came from Colorado and whipped out a set with the 20k, just one rep short of MS! Folks from LA came up, also blowing away personal bests left and right. You can see all the videos here.

friggin' domo bell

Personally, I just decided to try out a snatch set with the 24k. That bell's a beast, there is absolutely no wiggle room. I did manage to eke out 50 reps total, not bad for my first run with kermit the bell.
I am really REALLY proud of are my students, Jennifer finally came back after years of refusing to compete (I'm sure she'll tell you why...suffice to say, a bell was thrown) and made a mad splash. Rebecca competed for the last time with the 12k (look out Detroit! she's a'comin' with the 16!) after a few months absence to deal with a health issue. Katy and Elisa each competed for the first time, funny ladies, both total robots doing rep after rep after rep. I missed my other peeps, Nathan, Shelley, Vaile, and Elle, but they will be competing soon.
John and Jason's students (which include...well...ME) did well, Nazo blew away her previous PR by whipping out 131 reps of long cycle the 12k and Mike Salemi with the 32? wowsers. And on and on...

look how smiley we all are! photos by nazo

All in all it was a great time, a lot of fun and the people were great which made the event a pleasure to host.

Guest blog by Julie. We love Julie already!

I think I got a booty call(ing)

 “That was a barf inducing set.”  These were the words that came out of my mouth mid-workout on Monday, August 13th at Juno’s nighty night boot camp. Or what is often referred to as “booty camp.” Don’t worry, continue on with grabbing that kettlebell, I didn’t lose my lunch on it.

My name is Julie, and I just moved from Chicago to Berkeley just over 3 months ago. I am a sugar-loving, I-would-do-anything-for-some-chocolate-pescatarian- vegan-marathon runner. I have been marathon and ultra-marathon training for the past 5 years, and jumped right into trail running and racing within weeks of arriving in the bay area. I haven’t always been competitive and I did think at one point not too long ago that running a marathon was fucking crazy and stupid. Why would anyone want to run longer than I even like to drive?

So what! What does Juno have to do with this? Though active, I am pretty hard on myself.  I have always hated the scale and the full-length mirror.  I am not one to run around screaming, “I am so fat!” But, I am one self-conscious mother. As the years pass, I have realized one pair of Spanks just ain’t cutting it, that my abdominal region is a magnet for every single thing I eat, and that I can knock someone out with my arm flab trying to hail a cab. My jeans are still my worst judge on how fit I am. Right now my jeans are awfully critical.

Within my first week here, I was craving a new challenge and a new community of like-minded people who are outgoing, kind, and like to kick ass. Running was great, but something was missing. I did some research and first tried the Daily Method, which is hard as hell, but I didn’t sweat, so I didn’t like it. I knew I wanted some direction—I wanted someone to tell me what to do, hold me accountable, and to yell at me. I Googled and Yelped gyms in the Berkeley area, seeking out a boot(y) camp-style workout. I read the reviews and checked out the website and knew I had to try Juno. My first class was on June 27^th with Juliet, and dayyyum my body hurt for days after! I was immediately addicted. The class was not only challenging, but my booty classmates, Juliet, and Willow were all so kind, supportive, and non-judgmental on how much I could not lift. Juliet and Willow were great about paying attention to every person’s form, and made sure that no one was slacking. I have never been to a class like this before, and it was so encouraging to know that anyone of any ability was welcome to join. After my first class, I immediately signed up for the 6 a.m. July boot(y)camp class. What was I thinking.

Let’s just say I think I made it to two classes. A 5 a.m. wake-up call did not suit me, clearly. In addition to waking up at the asscrack of dawn (I give mad props to those who can do this), I was also still competitively running and often found myself in days of pain after a race that I was not physically able to even look at a kettlebell.  I spent most of July doing some athletic soul searching. I was suddenly bored with running and dreaded my daily run workouts. I would walk in the door from work and want to spat on my trail shoes (I actually might have spat on them, now that I think about it). I pretty much became sedentary and refused to run, using any excuse I could to get out of my mileage. I realized that I lost my big picture goal, or, perhaps I reached it. I placed third in my marathon age group just over a month ago, and I completed 35 mile ultra-marathon last October in Chicago. It was my ultimate goal, and now I realized I needed something new. It was an emotional realization for me. At first I felt like a quitter. Who quits the one activity they have loved for the past 5 years? Running and competitiveness defined who I was for so long. I realize, though, that my love doesn’t have to completely go away, but it is time to refocus; it is time to try a new poison and a new barf and sweat-inducing love that brings out my inner-competitiveness.

I attended the OKC East Bay Kettlebell competition on Saturday, August 11th at Juno. This was the first kettlebell competition I had been to. I dabbled in Cross Fit back in Chicago, which is where I played with my first kettlebell. That weight with a handle is not as easy to throw around as it may look! I watched strong and dedicated athletes do what they love, and was lucky to experience just a little bit of what this community is all about: Awesomeness. Each and every athlete clearly connected their mental and physical strength, and gave the competition all they had.  I was so inspired by the sport and the dedication it clearly takes. I only knew one person competing and I found myself so proud of every person in the room. I left knowing I wanted to set a new goal.

So…here it is.

The measurements and the meat: 39 inch bust, 31 inch waist, 39 inch hips

Height: 5’8’’

Current weight: 156 pounds

My goals (in a nutshell):

·       Most importantly, I want to engage my mind and body in a new, challenging way.

·       I would love to be able to wave my arms and not say hello twice with my flab and ditch the belly fat.

·       I would like to break 150 pounds—I would be happy with 149.

·       It would be pretty cool to have at least a semi-decent looking snatch (with a kettlebell, you perv).

So, how in the hell am I going to get there?

The sweaty stuff:

·       For two months, August 13 - October 13, I have committed myself to attend boot(y) camp classes two times a week at Juno.  (I will of course attend after my two month goal, but I need to have an end date in site for my flab loss and muscle gaining goals.)

·       In addition, I am incorporating at least 45-60 minutes of cardio, 3 days a week. This could be running, the elliptical, cycling, whatever my little heart and big ass desire.

·       And, last but not least, I will lift weights on one additional day during the week.

The diet:

·       I am a vegan who eats fish, but I eat out A LOT! It’s probably a good thing Berkeley is not known for its overabundance of drive-through food joints. I often eat salads, veggie burgers, or tofu scrambles, but not knowing EXACTLY what the hell is in my food is vexing and clearly adding to my big-ass (literally) problem. That being said, I am committing to only eating out for dinner 2 times a week and lunch 2 times a week for two months.

·       Dark chocolate is the second love of my life, so I am committing to giving up any candy and chocolate for 2 months.

·       Alcohol: Anyone that knows me well knows I love me a good Belgian Ale or porter. Though I am not a daily consumer, I have committed myself to not drink any alcohol for the first month.

**Disclaimer**Labor Day, however, will be the only exception to these rules, as my best friend is visiting from Chicago, and he is shipping me my favorite brew from my favorite pub.

Last but not least, why in the hell have I decided to blog about this and think you care? 

I want to be held accountable. Now if you don’t see me at boot(y)camp you can judge me, and if you see me slacking in class you have free reign to yell at me. 

wow, thirty days goes faster than you think

Yesterday, 7/31/12, was the last day of eating whole 30 style. So I am going to wax poetic to my now five readers, and answer some questions that peeps asked.

almost ate the husband and kid...

Food:
I ate A LOT of meat. I bought about 10-15lb a week for a family of three, and we ate it all. I tried to eat three times a day, with protein, vegetables and good fats; bunches of ghee, nuts, coconut oil, avocado. I was all up on some sweet potatoes. I never counted calories and never worried about how much I ate. I tried to drink bone broth after my workouts. I had a hard time not snacking. I found myself walking by the kitchen cabinet and grabbing handfuls of nuts without thinking. Even I'm not perfect, last week I went through a bag of cashews in three days.  But, I never cheated.

me n'marilyn doing back squats, or something sexy

Strength and Endurance:
Just today someone asked how my eating effected my workouts. Initially it was hard (dizziness, weakness) because my body was not adjusted to using fat as an energy source rather than sugars/breads/sugars/sugars. Also settling into how much to eat at each meal. It took about two weeks of fucked up kettlebell training (you can't fudge through snatching a 24k bell) and then...my strength returned, my energy blew up. Besides my regular inherent laziness, my training was better than ever. Not always, not every day. I had my ups and downs, but training is like that.

Body, weight and mood:
I heard a lot of "wow, you look good!" "your skin is so clear!". Honestly, I don't own a full length mirror at home, and the one at Juno is unkind. And, I have that chick body dysmorphia thing. When I started this process, I weighed 140lb, my measurements 38/29/38. This morning, the first morning of my notwhole30 I weigh 133.5lb, my measurements are 36/28/36. My mood has been fairly stable this whole time. Fairly being the operative word. I also noticed: never, ever, got a stomach ache or got bloated.

Bikini Pics:
I am not as horrified as usual. You can see the previous ones in earlier posts. Here is what I notice:

• no frigging back fat
• no damn bra fat either
• more evident muscle definition
• still uneven hips
• bikini is too big!!!

What Now?

omigodsogood

I am doing The slow reintroduction.  Today it's all about dairy. 1/2 and 1/2 in my coffee this morning. I had ice cream!!!!! Every thing else will stay the same for a bit, and then in comes gluten etc. I will certainly keep you posted.
I think now that I am below my "magic" weight... all kindsa good shit will happen.

Carey, oh Carey

Carey has been working at Juno for about a year now. The first time she walked into Juno I had a great feeling about her, like her "vibe" was right (I know, vom) for Juno. We went to coffee and discussed the idea, but it took a while to come to fruition.

 she also likes purple guns.

Boy, is Juno lucky to have her.
I have been watching her (oh so slyly I'm sure) train a variety of folks over the past year and here is what I realize:
a) she's a great trainer, in form, function and imagination.
b) her clients love her, she already has a cult following at Juno (I heard one say she will never leave her).
c) she is hilarious, her humor is subtle, and she has me in stitches all the time.
d) she totally knows what she is talking about when it comes to cutting weight and nutrition, but will work with your foibles (like...ice cream). She helped me get to competition weight,  multiple times.
e) she has been incredibly patient with Juno's growing pains, as a young gym.

bell on the way up, and at the top. lovely form.

Recently I watched her train one of her clients, a woman of about 70. Every time this client comes in, she is a mishmash of aches, pains, imbalances, and inability to remember a single exercise (so she claims, she actually is able to do all of them as far as I can tell). Carey patiently took her thru a number of exercises. What struck me (because, as always, it's about ME) was this woman was swinging a 16k bell, with excellent technique! So I took some pictures to show off their teaching/learning skills.
OK, I'm going to end this love-fest on Carey. I know she is probably terribly embarrassed.
SMOOOCHY POOO, CAREY!!! We love you at Juno!!!

Interweb blog snuggles!

never EVER say never.

Ok, I'm late in updating my weight loss adventure. I apologize to my four readers that have been holding their breath for a month. Here is a recap of what's been going on:

part of the reason i haven't written. ugh,
you can really see how cockamamie my scoliosis
makes my hips.

Food:

This past month or so has been a slow elimination of foods/substances from my diet. I blew off sugar and diet coke. I have nevereverever had the willpower to drop sugar, but somehow I managed. I am on day 6 of the Whole 30, now this is a paleo diet but even stricter. I swore on my mothers life I would never go paleo. The eating is fine. I just can't seem to eat enough, meaning I can't just wander back and forth in my kitchen shoving chips and ice cream in my face. So it is really an adjustment trying to eat enough in three meals.

i totes look like this because of paleo, yo

Bikini Picture: 

Is above. Argh. These are from about 3 weeks ago. Weight, prolly 140.

Strength:

Now this is problematic. The past few weeks I have been going along like normal, working out 6 days (mostly) lifting the bells, doing bootcamp etc. But since starting the whole 30 thing, everything is difficult. I'm not strong, I have no wind, I get dizzy. I am frustrated, but I realize my body is adjusting and I am not eating enough calories. Patience, grasshopper, patience...

Maybe some of my smarty friends who have more experience with this will help me out.

Weight loss:

As of this morning, I weigh 135.5. Wow. 1/2 pound short of the "magic" weight. Of course I'm happy, but I also realize the weight loss is too fast.

Hey, what about Juno??? 
Juno? I swear, I will write a post dedicated to Juno in the next few days. But Juno is pretty sweet right now.

The "magic" weight, I strip myself down.

 Let's start by saying, I love LOVE to eat. There are three reasons I ever started working out:

i'm sooo taping this on my mirror because I  heart affirmations, gag.

1. Vanity
2. To be able to eat
3. Stress

And yes, that is in order. I get that health yada yada should be on there, but that did not come until years later.

Currently I weigh 140lb (on a good day) and stand at 5'10" (this doesn't change, even I'm not THAT old) and I realize this is not big, but it is not my magic weight, I have a belly and muffin top and the infamous back fat. I eat...oh do I eat...probably 3000 calories a day. OK, I train four days a week for hours at a time lifting huge weights over my head. I don't eat poorly, I eat a lot of protein and vegetables and ice cream and sometimes cookies and sour dough baguettes and cakes and donuts and diet coke like a fiend. OK, I eat whatever the fuck I want and a lot of it.
Oh, what's my magic weight? 135 lb this is the weight when all of my dreams will come true. My son will be a drug-free teen (so far, this is true, but he's only been a teenager for 3 months), my business will make buckets of money the profit-y kind, I will be happy and happy and happy!
Why am I bringing this up? Because I compete in a weight class sport at 65k (143lb at the highest) and I want to drop to a lower weight class, 60k (132lb at the highest) and 59k (129lb at the highest). The problem is, I love to eat and I get cranky (the husband is uber scared) when I don't get to eat what I want. I know that competitive athletes cut weight all the time and I have had to do it and it SUCKS.
So...I want to weigh less than my magic weight and keep my strength. This is a tall order. Luckily I have four months to do it.
Why am I blogging about it? because it makes me frigging accountable.
So here's the deal so far:

6/2/12 ARGH!!! I hate doing this.

1. I will post pictures of me in a frigging bikini every other week. This is scary for any lady of a certain age.
2. I will give a basic account of what I am eating. I know! Yawn, but I swear it'll be fun!
3. I will keep all my (two) readers up to date on how the fuck I'm keeping my strength.

So...without further ado, the bikini pictures. BTW these were taken in Puerto Vallarta. On a real vacation where I ate a ton.

Looking forward to being cranky pants...
Juliet

A Quickie about Rebecca...

I high fived her like 70 times. Swear.

About a month ago I had the honor of flying out to Detroit to coach my student  Rebecca at the IKFF Invitational Kettlebell Competition. Rebecca has been training with me and the rest of the Juno/OKC folks since August of 2011 and has made remarkable progress. From the start, I knew that she would be good at kettlebell sport--she is long, has an excellent rack (ahem) and caught on to the movements very quickly. Her strength in the beginning left a lot to be desired, she could barely press a 10lb dumbbell. She was a yoga/hiking gal who in our initial conversation mentioned learning kettlebells in order to have a workout to do "at home" that was quick (hey, at least she didn't ask if they would make her bulk up... or if we had an elliptical for her cardio) and efficient.
Anyways, by the time January of 2012 rolled around, she was ready to compete (biathlon no less!) with the 12k. We made our arrangements to go to Michigan. Now, training for a competition is no joke. She worked really hard, improving technique and strength four times a week: three in the gym, one at home. There were times that she almost decided not to go, an elbow injury was treated with technique tweaks and acupuncture and healed before she could cancel.

Jumping to March. After Rebecca weighed in (2k under, I might add) we stuffed our faces and went to bed. Now, she doesn't know this, but I was really nervous for her. Competing is difficult on so many levels: distractions, stage fright, mental and emotional difficulties, traveling issues. And this was her first competition, I had no idea how she was going to do.
Her first set was early-ish. She got up on the platform and...she was great. She didn't get distracted by the judge or the lifter next to her. She heard my coaching (mostly key words) and did very well. Now, she did not make the numbers she wanted. Her goal was 75/75 and she made 70/65. Personally, I was really proud of her. I made sure she knew that her technique was excellent. About a bijillion people came up to her and praised the fuck out of her technique, including the organizers of the event.

Look how happy we are!

We had an hour or two to sit and wait for her snatch set. I was worried that her jerk numbers would screw up her snatch set, she even had a weepy moment or two.  She got on the platform and...WOW. She just blew away her goal. She just settled, got in the "zone" and snatched the fuck out of that 12k. Her goal was 72/72 and she hit 80/78. I was so excited for her (well, it is all about ME), she hit her goal of rank 1. Here are her jerk and snatch sets. Again, everybody praised her technique.
Rebecca is preparing for a May competition, along with 2-3 other of my students. May will be the last time she competes with the 12k. On to the 16k.

Change is good, right?

There are some changes coming down the pike at juno. Good changes, growth changes. Changes that will tickle your inner child, or smack that kid in the ass.

Starting May 1, 2012 we will be offering 7pm classes on Monday and Wednesdays for you night owls who can't haul yourself out of bed for 6 or 7 am bootcamp!

We will also have a Monday/Wednesday/Friday noon class with myself and John Wild Buckley which will be geared towards GPP (general physical preparedness) for Kettlebell Sport, although it will be fine for everyone else too.

Besides all these awesome class choices we also have a fine line up of personal trainers...you can see and choose one from here. We have a new addition too, Jennifer, who is our new Trainer in Training (more about her later).

it's the fitness bandit!!!

So, come on down. Throw some weights around, do some pushups, or some "meatgrinders" or lift kettlebells or get on the erg and curse us. We would love to see you all sweaty.

Smooches!
juliet

Break.Through.

What is an athletic breakthrough?  Is it completing more reps, winning a match, lifting heavier weight, losing weight, gaining muscle, running faster, passing the CPAT?  Or is it tapping into the mind-body connection and working intelligently within the physical system to strategically create a breakthrough performance?

Culturally there is a huge push toward working hard in the gym, burning tons of calories, manning up to ass-whooping workouts that leave participants lying on the floor in pools of sweat unable to remember their own names.  Everyone gets a reward for this type of behavior, be it in the form of an ego pump, a reprieve from feeling lazy or the relief that bodies can actually go that hard when driven.  Of course, there is a fitness level that comes from this too, which is *generally* pretty good. 

The effort in the extreme workout is laudable.  Participants have learned how to face physical exertion and endure discomfort - the opposite of remaining sedentary.  Culturally, that is a leap which deserves positive recognition.  The challenge is in preventing those workouts from becoming leaping points to physical disconnect at which point they cease to advance athletic development.

Athleticism implies a mind-body connection.  One of the compelling factors in consistent physical practice is the flow state or the zone.  In the flow state there is an interplay between challenge level and immediate feedback which provides a deep sense of satisfaction.  As we improve our athletic development, aiming for the flow state keeps us in a healthy range.  If we move out of flow, we move into something more like force or strain and there is a split between our mental/emotional engagement and our physical exertion.

John Douillard, author of Mind, Body and Sport recommends breathing through the nose during physical exertion (when possible - some sport specific technique doesn't support this).   Breathing more slowly allows more oxygen to enter the blood stream and keeps the pace of our movements consistent with what we can be present with.  As technique improves and physical adaptation develops, we move more quickly with this breath style.  

Developing athleticism does involve hard work.  There are points of significant physical discomfort.  The difference between strategically crafting a breakthrough performance and going balls out without a plan is implementing intentional mind/body connection and sport science.  

Next time you hit the gym ask yourself:

What is my big picture goal? 

What is my goal for this workout?

Where does this workout fit within my big picture goal?

Ask us to help you pinpoint where exactly you are in relation to your breakthroughs.  How can we help guide you toward improved mind-body connection in the midst of your badass workouts?  We want the whole package, and we want that for you too.  

written by Carey Rockland for Juno Fitness

Red Velvet Cake

Does anyone not think about cake?  I don’t mean constantly but perhaps in fleeting moments?  Like when you are out running or walking in the early morning and you pass that neighborhood bakery that’s gearing up for the day and pow! you get a face full of warm, caramelized-sugar, bakery air?  It always makes me think, “yeah, cake, I love you” in an internal Barry White voice.  Full disclosure here, I probably think about cake more than the average person:  

I used to be a pastry chef in one of my previous careers and I’m still somewhat obsessive about cake…actually since I’m getting this all out, really I am a PIE person, as in “last meal” wishes and all.  Show me a blackberry-nectarine pie and I will make the time for it.  Me and pie, we have a thing going on (ok not Barry White, but the same idea).

To abruptly change the subject (sorry Mr. White, et al) I recently obtained a juicer.  I’ve been juicing the hell out of everything.  If I could get blood from a stone I would put it in the damn juicer.  It turns out that I love juice!  Of course there are the usual suspects (carrot, apple) and the perhaps more daring (kale, turnip) and so far I like it all.  Somehow is seems kinda fancy to be drinking my veggies from a glass now and then.  Wasteful you say?  Oh noooo, all of that leftover pulp goes into other things (chili, spaghetti sauce, meatloaf, homemade veggie crackers).  Pretty much nothing is wasted.  Every time I juice, the pulp either goes directly into some food thing or I pop it in the freezer for later use.  This has resulted in quite a bit of experimentation.

Ok so what the heck is cake (pie, pastry, etc) doing in a blog post for Juno “Fitness” other than the fact that I’m kind of a chazzer, and what the heck am I doing luring you in with talk of “Red Velvet” when there is clearly no damn cake to be had?  And what is all this about juice?  Well, I was recently considering baking a red velvet cake I found out that in addition to a red color producing reaction between (acidic) buttermilk and cocoa, beets are often used bump up the red color.   Thankfully I managed to talk myself out of making (and eating) an actual cake but in the interest of science (and yumminess) I decided to try and make a red velvet smoothie that would satisfy both nutritional needs and a little of my sugar-mongering-piggishness.  Enter Red Velvet Beet Smoothie!  With this smoothie you won’t get that that tactile springy-moist-white-flour-refined-sugar cake crumb on your tongue but you also won’t end up with it on your ass.  Plus it’s pretty to look at and tasty too.

Red Velvet Smoothie

Tasty and RED!

1/2 - 2/3 C fresh beet juice (from ~3 medium beets, raw, peeled)

1 C kefir (you could go old school and use buttermilk I suppose but I had kefir)

1/2 scoop whey protein powder

2T golden flax seed meal

2T cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

optional/to taste:

additional sweetener (I used a dash of stevia, but use whatever you like)

water

ice

Put everything in a blender, blend the heck out of it, and enjoy

-Willow

The elusive snatch...a snapshot

I too like to snatch shirtless...

The lift that frustrates most kettlebell athletes is the snatch. I spend a lot of time thinking about my snatch and how to improve it. I dream about snatching. I ponder snatching while driving to Juno. I get nervous before every snatch training. I have been working on this lift consistently for almost 2 years, and it never EVER seems to get easier, some days I find my rhythm, most days I don't.
The snatch is broken down into what seems like a bajillion components, and here they are, as I  understand them, both in technical language AND what goes through my head at each part...

1. Technical speak: the swing:  the swing starts the pendulum movement of the bell, moving from your backswing (behind you) to the top of the swing, where the bell is weightless. Your hips MUST follow through, using them to move the bell without interrupting the pendulum.  My head: fuck me, the bell keeps hitting me in my ass. My stupid hamstrings are too tight to move out of the way, maybe I should do some yoga to stretch them. I hate yoga.
2. Technical speak: the acceleration pull/transverse rotation of the hips: right at the top of the swing, the bell is weightless. Right at this point you twist your hips a wee bit and...pull the bell, this is starts the throw of the bell upwards and helps it remain weightless until the top, basically pitching the bell upwards. Your upper body is slightly leaning back, this keeps the bell closer to your body, preventing it from pulling you forward. Note: this is not way up high, it is a low pull, right at hip level. My head: huh? what did you just say? like this??? ok, how about like...this? what the fuck, I don't get this shit at all. Stupid kettlebells. I quit.
3. Technical speak: insertion of your hand through the handle: this is catching the bell. You don't want to catch it at the top, because you don't want to wrench your shoulder. You insert your hand through the handle about a foot in front of you (the bell magically having turned around your hand rather than flipping over it) this makes the landing of the bell on your forearm soft, and prevents the shoulder wrench. You then ride the bell to the top, slowing momentum up to your lockout. My head: that was way to high, even I could feel that. Why can I do it with my right hand and not my left?

And now for bringing the bell back down:

1. Technical speak: coming out of the lockout to drop/deload the bell. This is done by leaning back a bit and at the same time "unlocking your arm" by moving it forward at the shoulder. While moving your arm you are also internally rotating the arm and body. You allow gravity to move the bell, you are not throwing it, you don't want to waste any energy hurling the bell down. At the same time, maneuver the bell around your hand (not flipping it) by a slight turn, again pitching and catching the bell. At the last minute, you move your torso forward again, move your hips out of the bells way and...voila, you start again. This is a very precise sequence to avoid pulling on your arm or wrecking your grip.  My head: the damn thing yanked my arm AND hit me in the ass again. How many more times do I have to do this? I should just put it down. Oh god, my grip is going. I'm really tired. Did I mention I quit?

I fully realize that this is just a smidge of the bajillion components. I haven't even touched on using bigger muscles in the back instead of the eleventy-thousand muscles of the shoulder or relaxing at certain points. This is a snapshot, after all.

S-N-A-T-C-H!!!

My client Nathan pointed out: "You know, maybe you should be a bit more positive about kettlebells, you do want people to come and learn them. Stop scaring them." to which my eyes rolled. But I suppose he's kind of right so here's the rah rah section:
This last week of training my snatch has been really good, especially with my right arm.
But I'm not holding my breath.
Stupid fickle snatch.

-juliet