“The Difference between Me and You… I Make this Look Good”

The Red, Black and Grey…
You can spot the Club at any event by the surly mob of spectators there to cheer on their friends dressed in those colors.

It’s just how we Roll.

And as promised the I/C is finally releasing it’s long expected fight shorts to add to that collection of Black gear all Club members and Supporters roll deep wearing. As soon as the Club became a Gameness Fight Gear Affiliate we started putting in work.

The end result is a Gameness fight short inspired design Branded with the Clubs Crest and a Bell bearing the Bridge to the place we call home.

Shorts are availble for order in the Iron Club Store.
CLICK HERE TO LINK TO THE I/C STORE
We are getting set to place our first bulk order so if you want in on this shipment get your order ASAP.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I/C Original Bad Boy Tim “BeastMode” Preston took a pair for a test drive this week when he took on a Club favorite Mastodon.

In case you can’t tell thats a 405 Deadlift and a 70 pound Bell. Viking or Victim…

Posted by: Z

“I’m so Bad I make Medicine Sick…”

I gave you the Clubs highlights from the IKFF National when I returned from Detroit. I gave you some personal highlights from that same event. But there was a great moment I saved up to get its own post. One that was truly an honor to be witness to.

All my athletes know one of our Golden Rules in the program, I’m Coach. You listen to your Coach and believe they’ll lead you down the right path. Coaches span a huge number of areas of life, it’s not always as simple as athletics. I’m lucky enough to have someone I refer to as Coach. He doesn’t write program for me or watch videos of my technique but he has been a large part of how I’ve shaped my professional career.

Everybody is lucky to have somebody they call Coach. The man I refer to as Coach is Jeff Martone.

Coach Jeff is the reason I traveled to Russia. He is as it was put at Nationals, “a legend in our industry.” He is professional and very humbled. Coach would never talk himself up, so I’ll say it for him, Coach Jeff is a bad ass.

At the IKFF National Championships I had the honor of watching Coach step out on the platform and break the North American Record in the 24kg Long Cycle. He clean and jerked two bells for 10 minutes without setting them down for a total of 104 reps. Game

If you don’t know who Coach is he’s the one to the left murdered out and rockin his Red and White lifts. The video doesn’t get his whole set but trust me when I say I cheered my ass off the last two minutes.

Congrats Coach, you earned it.

Posted by: Z

“Eating Las Vegas…”

We all have our own battles we fight. Old Country Co-author and my brother Nickay has his own as well.

Nickay is getting on a plane to Vegas tomorrow. And did he ask me what bars or clubs he should hit on his first trip?

Nope… No Nickay asked me for my advice. For those of you that aren’t familiar with Nickay besides being one strong son bitch, he is also the Clubs wandering eating champion.

“So do you think I should take on the 4 pound burrito or the 10 pound Nacho challenge?”

Good Journey Nickay you earned it, and Good Hunting.

Posted by: Z 

“You will be… You will be…”

Many society and cultures have tracked the calendar year throughout time. Some did it by seasons or animal migrations. It has evolved through time into regimented days, weeks and months that sum up what we consider our year.

Now your days are broken into hours, minutes and seconds. You wake at a given time, you eat your lunch when a clock tells you and go to bed by that clock as well.

It wouldn’t be a new thing to for me to say something anti establishment but Fuck the given calendar year. I don’t plan for months or care about Fall, Spring, Winter or even Summer. My life for the last year and a half has been broken into Cycles. Training phases. When people ask if I remember something my answer will be, “oh yeah that was three Cycles ago.”

Well it’s that time again. It’s time to dig in and do what we do best. It’s time to train and train with a purpose. We have very few competitions left before the Open. And while we still have drinking horns filled and shields high with the performance of the team at nationals it is time to realize that our training is never truly complete.

Caliber Cycle in its 9th Edition will begin December 5th. We will again see a 3 week Cycle. I will again ask more of your bodies then they may be able to handle.

Maybe you think you know how to train. Maybe you think you know how to Cycle. If you believe this then you need a reality check.

I will demand more of  you this Cycle then I ever had. I will be holding an Iron Club Methods Meeting at the gym saturday the 26th at 11am. If you want to succeed this next Cycle I’d suggest you’d attend it.

Posted by: Z

“Come back with your Shield, or on it…”

Anyone familiar with Old Country and our Training Log may have noticed my absences in our Log forum as off late. To put it simply since our last Training Cycle I’ve been off the Reservation. No I haven’t gone Rogue. But in the last four weeks since we wrapped up the 8th Edition Cycle the Clubs been VERY busy. We’ve been putting in miles and putting in work. Two high end competition in the last four weeks. This has left me, as you can imagine “Busy,” to say the least.

As I’ve said before I’m a Coach first and a Athlete second. But to add to all the craziness, planning and Coaching as of late I decide to make life a bit more complicated and compete myself. Two weeks ago the Competition Team had a big win up in Canada at the Crossfit Taranis Winter Challenge Team Tournament. I’m proud to say I was a part of that Team. We went up, trusted in our training, and performed at the level we all knew we were capable of competing and added a large notch onto our belts. The 3 day event left us with tired bodies hungry for calories. We ate and competed, ate and competed, ate and competed, etc, etc, etc….

The Club returned home from Canada with our shields held high and a scale waiting for some of us. The battle before the battle. Me and Roo, who was also a member of that winning Team that went to Canada, had committed along with 6 others to travel to Detroit, Michigan and compete in the IKFF National KettleBell Championship. And there would be weight classes. We talked about this in some detail last week. I wont bore you with details but we stepped on that scale heavy after our return. We both realized the next 2 weeks would be dedicated to making weight. The battle before the battle.

We weren’t alone in this. My other girls looking to achieve rank were in the same boat. Jamie, Margaux, and Michelle all stepped up without complaining and did the same thing. In all honesty I didn’t need to drop a weight class, I was confident in my training and the event I was competing in. But I’m a Coach first and a athlete second. Roo was going for her Master of Sport, which is a big deal, and needed to make her weight class. This was my first athlete to be seeking this rank and it was only her second kettlebell meet. You combine that with this being her first weight cut and she needed a partner to drop the weight with. I’ve competed in a number of sports involving weight classes as have my brothers. My oldest brother drops regularly to compete at a high level of BJJ. This competition was not Roo’s first Rodeo but the added pressure of a weight cut does not help. So I “volunteered” to drop with Roo.

It was not a pleasant cut for either of us or any of my girls for that fact.

But we all stepped on the scales last friday and made weight. We rehydrated, ate and then went to bed knowing the next day would be the day to test ourselves on the platform.

Kettlebelling is not pleasant. You have to have a steel constitution and be as game as a RedNose to see success in this sport. We are not “traditional” kettlebellers by any means. Our training is as foreign to those that we shared this weekends competition with as their sport is to those that do not compete in it. I am proud of our program. I believe in our Methods. I’m known for my Fuck It Attitude. I don’t care what people think about how we train. The Iron Club trains how it trains.

“We’re stronger than them so who cares what they have to say…” Sound Familiar?

Iron Club marches to it’s own beat and I could care less what those outside our family think. Usually…

This was a Big Meet for me. Last spring I traveled half way round the world to Russia. I made the trip to become a Kettlebell Sport Coach. I attended a training camp with the Best Kettlebell Coaches in the world. The man I call COACH was also in attendance at this camp. My entire outlook on kettlebell training changed on that trip. My program, my Club, everything changed from that trip. The company I kept at this camp was a “who’s who” list of kettlebell legends. And I was the scruffy kid from the Pacific NorthWest that was too muscular for his own good, so I stuck out like a sore thumb. The friends I made on that trip will last a lifetime. But lets bring this back to the topic on this National Meet. The largest Meet ever held in North America, this Meet was special. Almost everyone of those friends, Kettlebell Legends, World Champions and Coaches would be in attendance, and most competing.

No I’m not saying I had a chip on my shoulder. It’s actually the opposite. I wanted to walk into that Meet with my Team with my head high and chest full of pride. I was not the same scruffy kid that walked off that plane in Russia. I wanted my Coach and his Coaches to see what Iron Club was. What we stood for and that we were Game. I’m very proud to announce that the Club did just that.

Our Competition Teams IKFF National Results

Womens 72kg Division
16kg Chair Press

Amina Saleh – 1st Place

Womens 72kg Division
16kg Long Cycle

Amina Saleh – 1st Place

Professional Bell Weight Divisions

Womens 72kg Division
20kg Long Cycle

Michelle Chan – 2nd Place

Womens 65kg Division
20kg Long Cycle

Margaux Chan – 1st Place
Achieved Rank of Candidate of Master of Sport

Mens 80kg Division
32kg Snatch

Zach Filer – 1st Place
Achieved Rank of Candidate of Master of Sport

Womens 59kg Division
20kg Long Cycle

Jaime Papineau – 2nd Place
Achieved Rank of Candidate of Master of Sport

Marissa “Roo” Luchau – 1st Place
Achieved Rank of Master of Sport

Roo captured the highest rank possible with a 20kg bell. This was only her second meet and she hit her rep count of 106 cycles with time to spare. As my brother put it, She’s kind of a big deal. She is the Club’s first Master of Sport and she wore her colors with pride on that platform Saturday. Game is an understatement, no one could take that 10 minutes away from Roo. For those 10 minutes everything stopped and she was in complete control of her world, it was an honor to Coach and watch.

I’m very proud of every one of my athletes that represented the Red, Black and Grey this weekend. Valkyries doesn’t do the women of the Competition Team justice this weekend, they were all amazing.

But they were not alone. The Competition team was joined by a father-daughter duo this weekend. Lexii Martin is my first true teenage project. And I’ve never met a more dedicated athlete. Lexii would come train after soccer games and cheerleading practice. Yes, cheerleading practice. She never complained and followed the system. I don’t know many 15 year olds that will repeatedly subject themselves to 10 minute rice bucket sessions. So, when Lexii wanted to travel to Detroit to compete I gave my blessing. And once her dad Rob signed her up he decided to toss his name in the hat as well and compete in the masters. Lexii took first place in her age division. She need 126 reps to get her rank one with the 8kg bells and never slowed in 10 minutes on her way to solidly passing that number. I was proud of her composure in a very miserable sport at a very young age. Looks like you going up to the 12kg bell next meet Lex.

The Meet was a huge success, our program and training leading up to the Meet was a Huge Success. Being able to show my Coach and his Coaches that I took what they taught me and reapplied it to my people with Iron Club principles was a very proud moment in my Coaching career. But, I still don’t do it for the recognition. I don’t need medals or titles or people talking about what we do. All I need is one athlete to give it there all. I would travel to Detroit again in a heart beat for just one athlete. I was lucky enough to have 7 athletes leave it all on the platform Saturday. Inspiring is to say the least. My job and the long hours that come with it are worth it to me because I get to witness these athletes pour their hearts out. It makes me proud to be the Coach for this Club.

Posted By: Z

“Why don’t you stand up and fight this guy hard? Like you done before that was beautiful!”

The OCIC is weighing Friday for IKFF Nationals and competing on Saturday. We just had the “Any Given Sunday” speech, thought I change it up. I keep this on iphone to watch in the car before workouts and I think it is appropiate.

Good luck and good hunting.

Posted by Nickay

“Think light”

As Z mentioned on Monday, several members of the OCI/C competition team are heading to Detroit for some kettlebelling. While this sounds like a good time there is a down side for most of the competitors. You see the competition has weight classes which means one thing for our atheletes…weight cutting. Ah weight cutting, something wrestlers, BJJers, and mixed martial artists know all too well. The subtle art of losing weight temporary to make a weight class and than gain that weight back all the while without running your body ragged in order run shit. A few…well I think actually every OCI/C member is cutting this week so I thought I make a quick weight cutting checklist for them.

WARNING: WEIGHT CUTTING IF DONE TO EXCESS OR STUPIDLY CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY. THIS LIST IS FOR FUN. IF YOU ACTUALLY NEED  HELP CUTTING WEIGHT PROPERLY, DON”T BE A IDIOT, ASK FOR HELP.

1. Clothes, lots of clothes. The easiest way to lose water weight is to sweat it off. And while sweating like a pig before a luau naturally only applies to some of us, the rest of you will need layers. So put on your running socks, than put on your tube socks, and than cover those with your wool socks. What about clothes that wick? Bullshit, I don’t need clothes to avoid overheating, I need clothes up my body temp. I once saw a friend have on two cotton t shirts, a long sleeve shirt, and a hooded sweatshirt over his dad’s WETSUIT!!! True story. Your 15 articles of clothing will help turn your body from a friendly day at the beach to the bayou in no time and get rid of that pesky H20.

2. Sauna. Here in the Northwest the weather is never muggy/hot enough for most of the year to help you out with your sweat. So while you can turn up the heat in the gym or your room to mimic a sauna, why not just go to a sauna. Its miserably hot in that little box of a room but you can always leave if it gets too bad and walk back into glorious room temperature in seconds. Also the all wood interior is rather soothy I feel. Some people support steam rooms, not me. Cutting weight is miserable enough in a mimiced desert such as a sauna, why subject yourself to the equivalent of the Vietnamese prison camp hot box Rambo was kept in.

3. Jolly Ranchers. Wait a minute, what is candy doing on this list? Well some people like lose excess water by spitting (easy to do while behind the CPU at the gym or in your Bellevue law office). You can only spit so much before well you run out of spit. That’s were the Jolly Ranchers come in. Pop that bad boy in your mouth, suck on it hard, and than spit out the juice. Wait for it, wait for it, now…

4. Friends. No one likes to weight cut alone because A. It can be dangerous and more importantly B. They will not let you bitch out. You want to stop running? Your friend doesn’t let you. You want to rip that sweatsuit off? Your friend stops you. You’re lying on the ground not wanting to go back in the sauna? They drag you back in. You try to get out? They don’t let you. Below is a good example of friends “helping” you not bitch out.

After you make your weight and throw out the obligatory muscle pose, replenish with water, electrolytes (gatorade/pedialyte), and food (orange slices both traditional and candy version acceptable). Getting this part right is almost as important. So in closing remember, good weight cut…

Bad weight cut

Posted by Nickay

“I’m here to Fight, Promise me you’re Not gonna stop this Fight…”

Well this weekends a Big One.

The Competition Team is Traveling again. This time we are loading up on plane and heading out to Detroit. Why Detroit? Because it is the host city of the IKFF KettleBell Sport National Championships. This will be the Teams 3rd appearance in actually KettleBell Competition.

Iron Club Training isn’t really about being the best at any one thing. But we do have aspects to our program that are Geared towards Sport. The mental toughness one finds in KettleBelling is hard to match. If you ever want to challenge an athletes Gameness stick them under the weight of a KettleBell without the option of setting it down and see what happens.

While it’s not mainstream KettleBell Sport is old and full of tradition with its own following Worldwide. Some may view the sport as boring to watch(I’m sure waterboarding is boring to watch too). Coming from a wrestling background I’m use to hearing this. Anyone who does a sport like this knows what I’m talking about, but you do it anyways. You do it for the challenge, you do it to prove to yourself that you won’t give up.

5 more Days til the Big Show.

Posted by: Z

“Cause ain’t no such thing as HALFWAY CROOKS….”

All last weekend we got the same question….

“How do you guys train?”

Iron Club is a program, method, and if your doing it right a lifestyle. There isn’t a middle ground with the Club if you want the program to work. Asking us how we train is hard to explain. But I’m pretty sure my boy Skylar has hit it on the head, “We tell Gravity to fuck itself.” Pick up heavy shit fast and repeatedly and over enough time you will become more Badass.

Roo has wrapped up the last week of our 8th Edition Training Cycle that we completed leading up to the Taranis Winter Challenge so everyone can see some Iron Style Training.

Video by: Roo
Posted by: Z

“You fumble the Football, and I will break my Foot off in your John Brown hind parts and then you will run a mile. Perfection. Let’s go to work…”

Intensity is a aspect of ones character I personally hold in high regard.

It doesn’t have to be spittin, yellin, cussin intensity… Well at least not all the time. Any of you that know me, I guess we can be honest and say that’s my kind of intensity. It doesn’t mean chairs go flying through the air at the drop of the hat but I take my job as a Coach very seriously. And the way I try toprepare my athletes for whatever it is they have coming is with intensity.

I’m not the easiest Coach to please. My athletes know that. But it isn’t medals, or championships, or even prizes that make me happy. It’s effort. Are you truly Game. Are you the guy or girl who will grit and grind your teeth until every thing you have is completely taxed? Because that’s perfect to me. Leaving it all on the Line, maybe you win maybe you lose, but you gave it your all. Everything you had, and if it was good enough or not on that day it doesnt matter you were still perfect.

This past weekend I had the honor of Coaching the I/C’s Competition Team up in Canada. I actually even got to compete myself. This is something I try not to do when I have as many people competing as we did. But the Crossfit Taranis Winter Challenge only comes around once a year, and it is one of the premier events in the NorthWest.

The Iron Club had two Teams enter through preseeding into the 20 Team competition that Taranis was putting on. And the Club had two compete in the individual that really laid it on the line over the 3 day event.

All in all our two boys went toe to toe in 6 workouts with some of the best Canada, Washington and Oregon had to offer. And our Teams slugged it out tooth and nail. The Team Competition was formatted so a Team could do up to 7 workouts in the three-day span. The last three were on sunday in a head to head elimination bracket.

Todays post isn’t about me recapping this event. It’s about those that were there with me making me proud to be their Coach recapping it. To any of you that went up representing the Red and Black for Old Country this weekend please list your event highlight to comments.

Personally mines pretty easy. The picture below is my Team. We jokingly called ourselves “Red, White, and Blue Bellz” and said that we represented The Cascadian Kettlebell Federation. But there was no joking on the floor. My Team went with the Goal of bringing the Winter Challenge Title home and we did.

Crossfit Taranis 2011 Winter Challenge Team Champions, we are Old Country and we are Game…

Posted by: Z