Two a days - three goals

(April Harkness) #1

Not sure if I should post this here or the progress thread as I have some goals I want to publicly put out there. I train both oly lifting (I am a beginner at oly lifting. Started as my 42nd birthday gift to myself and surprisingly am now addicted!) and also kettlebell sport which I actively compete in. This means I train Olympic lifts in the am and kettlebell sport in the pm. My goal is to compete in my first oly meet this spring and to progress further in competitive kettlebell sport, specifically the kettlebell biathlon event with double 16kgs for a spring competition as well (I last competed in the biathlon with double 12kgs in Dec.) Third goal is not really exercise but involved movement- get phenomenal at West Coast Swing. I am an avid lindyhopper and want to add it’s sister dance to my repertoire. Mon- Fri I train oly in the am. Mon, Wed, Fri I train kb sport in the PM’s. I do a West coast lesson on Tues and dance lindy hop on Sat nights and West Coast on Sun. Having consistent pr’s on keto. Keto has not helped my spins in West Coast. Any tips? Just kidding. And yes, dancing does have a lot in common with weightlifting. It’s GREAT active recovery for olympic lifting and kettlebell sport!

Goal 1: Make that right part of the vid my new before and throw up more weight with better form! - https://youtu.be/S_HIaDFPbNY

Goal 2: Do this same competition with a heavier bell than this! https://youtu.be/KdwTl8uxQB4

Goal 3: Make my west coast which I am just learning, thus why I look awkward https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs9XaQ3FVjj/ look as effortless as my lindy (yes that was me almost 20 years ago and with keto I now look the same! perhaps slightly better!) https://youtu.be/seAzl9N5KVc

So goal is to achieve the above 3 while on keto!

Also if I should move this to progress let me know. I already have one for the diet itself but I wanted to keep my exercise post separate.

#2

I used to lindy hop a ton! I started in the late 90s when it made its comeback. Then got into blues and then Argentine tango. Not doing any social dancing these days, but hoping to get back into it.

I’ll need to try West Coast.

#3

I love these. You don’t look awkward in the WC videos. I can see the difference between beginning of lesson and end. You definitely loosened up. I bet you look even better now.

Sorry no input on the other stuff. I’m caught up on the dancing. :slightly_smiling_face:

(April Harkness) #4

I used to go out every once in a few month. New goal is to do it more frequently which I am happy to say I am doing. After a friend found my vid from my 20’s on the Chicago Lindy archive, it lit a flame in me. Plus I must say all that dancing loosens up my hips and really does help in recovery from heavy lifting, no joke, dancing does help! I went to a salsa, merengue ,bachata workshop on Sat where I learned the lead part (wanted the extra challenge!) and the next day when I did my squats? I pr’d. Coincidence? I think not!

(DougH) #5

April are you worried about over training with two a days? The Olympic lifts by themselves are a large neurological strain.

(April Harkness) #6

Most definately. But two days are not always kb sport. Oly all 5 days in the am,kb sport two days in the pm. Dancing lessons and actually going out social dancing is 2-3 days a week. although i admit…im still feeling my kb training from mon and it may have affected my lifts up until today. Will give it another month. If i cant do both i may drop kb sport for awhile. Dancing i view as active recovery

(DougH) #7

Got it.

In my world that would be far into the range of over training, but I have always been more of a pure power lifter than an Olympic lifter.

Honestly my comment may also be off base because I don’t know what your weights are, and what percentage of your max you are working at. You mentioned you are new so maybe you are working at a low percentage of your max and are just focusing mainly on technique and perfect form?

Sorry from the detour, not trying to take from your thread!

(April Harkness) #8

Oh no, I welcome your questioning. This is a bit of an experiment for me as well. Being 42 can I hack it? I have no aspirations of being a nationally or internationally ranked lifter in either sport. Just want to compete locally, but the training is still more than what I anticipated! I think it adds to the thread, not detracts, so no worries. I have a lot on my plate and it will be interesting to see if I will be a jack of all trades master of none, or will I excel at one and my performance subpar in others. Or can I do it all? Also I have fallen in love with oly lifting…albeit a lot of my friends are in the kb sport world. A part of me continuing, is to be a part of their world. Can I keep up? Should I just do kb’s for fitness instead of sport? These are questions that go through my head. I already told my kb coach that if my performance in oly suffers I will stop. I am hoping this does not happen but if it does, at least I tried!

(April Harkness) #9

Update! So I competed in Two kettlebell sport comps and currently training for an oly lifting comp this Aug. I now have decided to step away from competing in kettlebell sport… or shall I say I won’t pursue it and train on the same level as I do with olylifting. It did interfere with rest and recovery.

I plan to just do one kettlebell sport comp a year and only do one lift ( i typically do two events which takes alot of time and energy out of me). Most of my kettlebell training will now be for fitness not competition. I will continue to put more of my energy into olympic lifting. I gave it a good try. But I must be a realist and be laser focused on one goal. https://www.instagram.com/p/BynLnzkADxM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link