Third Year Anniversary Party Recap

The third RISE ABOVE Anniversary Party was truly a wonderful occasion celebrating the continual hard work and dedication our members displayed over the past year.  I use this day to give thanks to my family, friends, and dedicated gym goers for their ongoing support in allowing me to build a gym and career based around what I enjoy most in life.

Much like how the gym has continually grown over the past three years, the Anniversary Party itself has followed suit.  This year was BIGGER and BETTER than the last.  Four teams of five participants competed in the challenging Strongman Competition.

The Strongman Competition consisted of three events including: Pull up/Push Up Challenge; performing a rep of each and going up a rep each round until no more reps could be completed.  We had two males and one female competitor making it as high as seven reps for each exercise.

The next event was a timed relay of tire flip and farmer walk (males: tire farmer walk 253 lbs., females: 2x24kg kettlebells farmer walks).  The final event was a team medley where one person did their best event.  Events included of 50 kettlebell snatches (males: 24kg, females: 12kg) two laps of the prowler (150ft.), 30 reps of overhead press (males: 70lb keg, females: 18lb kettlebells), Two laps of overhead farmers walk (males: 70lb keg, females: two 12kg kettlebells) and 75 2-arm kettlebell swings (males: 48kg, females: 24kg).

Here is a video displaying the great effort all of the contestants put forth.

I felt bad last year that so many people brought their children and they watched the competition with both a little excitement and disappointment on their faces.  To avoid that this year, I had the kids work for their hotdogs and had the first ever Rise Above Strongkid Competition.  The Strongkid competition was two events consisting of hang on the bar for max time and an individual medley of prowler push and farmers walk.

Like their parents who participated in the big event; these kids gave it their all.  We had two hang on the bar for over three minutes and some very fast times in the medley that would give the old guys a run for their money.

Each team participated to their fullest potential and the contest was tight.  All of the highlight pictures can be seen on the facebook page.

As always the key to making or breaking a party is the food you serve.  I like to cook but I am nowhere near the ability level of Chef Javier Montano and I am very thankful that he came back again this year to feed this hungry crowd.  Ceviche, steak and sweet mash potatoes were on the menu and everyone ate until their bellies were stuffed.  I highly recommend you get in contact with Chef Javier Montano either by facebook or through his website Real Restaurant Culture. Just don’t book him when I have my next anniversary party.

I am truly amazed and thankful for another great year of Rise Above Performance Training and I owe it all to the members and to the people who help me out behind the scenes.  Special thanks goes out to AJ for helping out around the gym with training and to Debra who is the creative genius behind the design and execution of all of the posters, fliers, monthly newsletters and online work that goes into the business.   I also want to thank my family for their continued support and especially to my sister for helping me with the articles for the blog and other publications.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of you who subscribe to the email list.  I greatly appreciate you sticking with me as I try the best I can to provide you with simple and honest training and nutritional insights.  I would never have imagined that I would have the online following like I do and without your support my career would only be an empty shell of what it currently is.  I hope to have all of you come by the gym to visit, lift or compete at the next anniversary party.

Until then: Thanks and Stay Strong.

Tags: Anniversary Party

Second Annual One Hour Long Cycle Charity Event

For the second year in a row I picked up a 20kg kettlebell and proceeded to do clean and jerks for one hour straight.  Why would I do such madness?  It was for a great cause.

Jason Dolby, John “Wild” Buckley and Nazo of the Orange Kettlebell Club (OKC) are all rich in knowledge as they are rich in the human spirit.  They always relish the opportunity to use their passion and skill in order to give back to people who need it the most.

Last year, Jason Dolby started the inaugural event to celebrate his birthday.  In the process, he set two world records in kettlebell lifting and most importantly, raised money for Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.  I participated in the event and had plenty of support from the Rise Above Performance Training members.  We were able to contribute $500 to the cause.  You can read more about last year’s event here.

This year’s One Hour Long Cycle Event was bigger than the last and was especially emotional because all of the money went to Japanese tsunami relief.  The OKC’s own Nazo was trapped in Japan for months after the tsunami and she wrote a very heartfelt blog post about the experience; read her post here.

With the tragedy hitting so close to home, the OKC crew had an easy decision to make by having this year’s One Hour Long Cycle Charity event help raise money for the Japanese relief efforts.

The experience is both unique as it is amazing.  This year there were 38 participants (18 more than last year) ranging from recreational kettlebell lifters (like myself) to record setting world champions.  Where else can you share space and lift in the same room with some of the sports elite superstars?  Rise Above Performance Training was able to contribute $700 for the cause which is truly amazing.  I am blessed with such great members.

It is one thing to simply train and another to give money to a cause, but when you combine the two the experience is multiplied to the highest degree.  I cannot wait until next year’s charity event and I truly hope all of you consider picking up a kettlebell and joining me.

Tags: Conditioning, Girevoy (kettlebell) sport (“GS”), GS Kettlebell Training, Kettlebells

IKSFA Coach Sergey Rudnev Performs Feats of Strength II

World Champion Kettlebell lifter and coach Sergey Rudnev demonstrate several amazing kettlebell feats of strength during the 2011 USA Elite Kettlebell Training Workshop. Check out the IKSFA website for more information about the event.

Tags: Kettlebell Juggling, Kettlebells