Frankie Mecono, RKC II of The Training Room, Santa Barbara, CA

For the last five weeks I have been focusing exclusively on 32kg kettlebell two-hand swings. With an increasing business work load, I switched to this exercise exclusively as it delivers the biggest bang for buck for both strength and conditioning. Also, this seemed to be the safest way to get back in shape as the prior three weeks was forced downtime due to some heath issues that are now under control.

After the lay-off I started with ten sets of 10 reps of 32kg two-hand swings, each set at the top of the minute. A simple ten minute session to start .. just enough to get going again. By slowly increasing reps per set and the number of sets I improved both the session intensity and volume to all time PRs:

• For intensity  I am now at ten sets of 20 reps at the top of the minute .. this goal had eluded me for five years.
• For volume  I have had several recent sessions of 27 sets of 15 reps at the top of the minute (405 reps in total).

So what does any of this have to do with Frankie Mecono? (That's the young man on the left in the photo ..  not the balding geezer on the right (yours truly)  .. perhaps the photo should be captioned "Never clean anything bigger than your head!") Well, two weeks ago when I had to travel to Santa Barbara for business for three  days ..  I did not want to interrupt my swinging sessions. So, I went on-line to find an RKC instructor in the Santa Barbara area using this  RKC Instructor Locator link looking to  rent a 32kg  bell for the duration. Low and behold, the very first instructor listed was Frankie Mecono, RKC II, CK-FMS. This  brought great joy to me as  Frankie was one of the first candidate RKCs I met at my certification over five years ago and we had really hit it off exchanging stories of how RKC kettlebell training had changed our lives. Not only one of truly nicest persons I have every met, Frankie is one VERY strong customer:

During one of the breaks after the session on military pressing at the RKC cert, Frankie was experimenting with heavier bells (we used 24kg for the session .. more than enough for me). It wasn't long before he was easily cleaning and strictly military pressing the 40kg [a.k.a. the "bulldog"] with each arm at around 75kg body weight. [Hey, if you think this is easy .. be my guest and go ahead and give it a shot .. hey hey]

Fast forwarding to my Santa Barbara trip, I met up with Frankie at the "Training Room", a phenomenal facility with all the classic strength tools. After catching up I noticed there was a 32kg bell sitting in the middle of the floor in his office awaiting me. Frankie refused to accept any compensation for loaning me the bell. He also said I could return it anytime including leaving it outside in front of the door if no one was in .. he had no fears of anyone walking away with it.

I did meet my end of the bargain and brought the bell to the office and put it to good use. I trained outside and got in two solid sessions over the three days:   the first with  300 swings and the second one with 400. Many of  my Santa Barbara peers were quite interested in learning what the heck this 71 lb monstrosity was. I did some simple demonstrations and explained that I planned to do timed sets of two-hand swings. At least three times I was asked  "Is that all you do is swings?".  I still get a big laugh out of that one.

32kg Kettlebell Snatches

Saturday, 9/14/2012 Nanjing Office

32kg Kettllebell snatch:

5left/5right x 20 @ 90 secs
Total 200 reps in 20 minutes

I have been alternating Olympic lifting sessions with kettlebell ones averaging four sessions per week. Yesterday was a volume PR; the pace was just right as I had plenty of time to rest between sets yet my shirt was completely soaked through when I finished. My only casualty was blister below the forefinger of my left hand. I had to use a little chalk through the last five sets to keep the bell from slipping from my sweaty hands.

Three years ago when I snatched the 32kg in sets of three left/ three right for 100 reps it took an entire week to recover .. I'm older and stronger still keeping father time at bay.

200 in 12:03

Made some improvement on shortening 200 24kg snatches to just over 12:03. Three years ago I did 12:23 so I'm greatly pleased that I'm still able to hold father time in check. Last week I did 300 in 24:30, a PR with this volume. I've been traveling to both California and China for business and have a 24kg always waiting for me at both office locations .. no excuse to keep pushing.

More 24kg MaxVo2 Snatch

Wed 12/7/2011

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch :

• 7 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest: 
• 16 sets, 2 mins extra rest
• 10 sets, 2.5 mins extra rest
• 8 sets, 2.5 mins extra rest
• 6 sets

Total: 280 reps/27 mins


Sat 12/10/2011

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch :

• 7 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest: 
• 18 sets, 3 mins extra rest
• 8 sets, 3.5 mins extra rest
• 6 sets, 2 mins extra rest
• 4 sets, 1.5 mins extra rest
• 4 sets, 2 mins extra rest
• 4 sets

Total: 308 reps/34 mins

Tue 12/13/2011

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch :

• 7 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest: 
• 20 sets, 2.5 mins extra rest
• 8 sets, 2 mins extra rest
• 6 sets, 2.5 mins extra rest
• 6 sets, 1 mins extra rest
• 4 sets

Total: 308 reps/30 mins

Still not back to 26 continuous sets. How did I ever do that? And a goal of 40? .. better just take it one session at a time.

Thu 12/15/2011

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch :

• 7 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest: 
• 22 sets, 3 mins extra rest
• 10 sets, 2.5 mins extra rest
• 8 sets, 1.5 mins extra rest
• 4 sets

Total: 308 reps/29 mins

More training logs

Monday 11/07/2011:

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch 6 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest:

30 sets, 1.5 minutes rest, 4 sets

Total: 204/18.5 minutes.

Tuesday 11/08/2011:

32kg Two Hand Swings:

20, 15, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Total: 105

32kg Clean left, swing transfer, Clean right:

18 x 6

Total: 108

Sunday 11/13/2011:

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch 6 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest:

• 22 sets, 2.5 mins rest
• 8 sets, 3 mins rest
• 10 sets, 3 mins rest
• 6 sets, 2 mins rest
• 6 sets

Total: 52 sets/36.5 mins

Tuesday 11/15/2011:

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch 6 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest:

• 34 sets, 3.5 mins rest
• 10 sets, 2 mins rest
• 8 sets, 1 min rest
• 2 sets

Total: 54 sets/32.5 mins

Tactical Grip Pullups: 3

I started GTG-ing tactical grip (pronate with thumbs over the bar) pullups as the new RKC requirements call for each male candidate to perform 5 dead hang pullups or chinups. I elected to do tactical pullups as these are a bit more difficult yet easy on my elbows. Four years ago I worked up to 9 before injuring my elbows from over doing it. For now its just twice a day going to max before failure.

Thursday 11/17/2011:

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch 6 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest:

• 36 sets 

Total: 36 sets/18 mins

Sunday 11/20/2011:

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch 6 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest:

• 30 sets, 5 mins rest
• 6 sets, 2 mins rest
• 4 sets

Total: 40 sets/27 mins

Tuesday 11/22/2011:

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch 6 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest:

• 40 sets, 3.5 mins rest
• 8 sets, 1 mins rest
• 4 sets

Total: 52 sets/30.5 mins

Great session. I hit 40 sets without extra rest.

Thursday 11/24/2011

24kg MaxVo2 Snatch :

• 6 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest: 
• 6 sets
• 7 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest: 
• 20 set, 
• 6
• 10
• 6
• 4

Total: 374 reps/38 mins

Having hit 40 sets of 6 reps without extra rest, I moved up to 7 rep sets. Unfortunately I only remember on the 7th set doing the next 20 sets with the new increment. Definitely much harder similar to the jump from 5 to 6 rep sets. Once again I must work up to 40 sets before incrementing to 8 rep sets.

Saturday 11/26/2011



24kg MaxVo2 Snatch :

• 7 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest: 
• 26 sets, 4 mins extra rest
• 10 sets, 4 mins extra rest
• 4 sets, 2 mins extra rest

Total: 280 reps/30 mins




Monday 11/28/2011



24kg MaxVo2 Snatch :

• 7 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest: 
• 20 sets, 3 mins extra rest
• 6 sets, 2 mins extra rest
• 6 sets, 2 mins extra rest
• 4 sets, 2 mins extra rest
• 4 sets

Total: 280 reps/30 mins


Saturday 12/4/2011


24kg MaxVo2 Snatch :

• 7 reps/set, 15 sec work/15 rest: 
• 10 sets, 2.5 mins extra rest
• 6 sets, 2 mins extra rest
• 4 sets, 2 mins extra rest
• 6 sets, 4 mins extra rest
• 4

Total: 210 reps/25.5 mins

Major backsliding having taken 4 days off. No excuses.

Max Vo2 Snatch

Olympic weightlifting is on hold for at least six months as I focus strictly on kettlebell training. I had too many nagging injuries (right knee, left shoulder, left hip) that have since gone away since resting for a few weeks and then transitioning to kettlebell for the last two weeks.

A further impetus for putting down the O-lift training is work has been a lot more demanding with late night and week-end meetings that require extra preparation. My kbell training sessions are now under 45 minutes from start to finish versus a minimum 1.5 hours for the O-lifts.

At the moment I have been focusing on snatching the 24kg bell looking to get as close as possible to the SSST (Secret Service Snatch Test: 200 24kg snatches in under 10 minutes) before I turn 60. One of my students, ten years younger, succeeded with this challenge via a program of Max Vo2 I recommended. Well its time to follow my own advice. Prior to a trip overseas I was able to to do 40 sets of 5 rep/set with 15sec work/ 15secs rest protocol. Since returning and only training twice over four week period I had some serious back sliding. Here is where I am now:

Max Vo2 Kettlebell 24kg Snatch: 6 reps/set @ 15 secs work/ 15 secs rest:

• 26 sets
• 3.5 minutes rest
• 10 sets
• 3 minutes rest
• 8 sets
• 3 minutes rest
• 6 sets

Total: 50 sets / 34.5 minutes

I found a few years ago that resting after the first session and then doing mini MaxVo2 sessions gets the volume up without injury. A five minute Z-Health R-Phase warm-up and quick shower afterward got me through this in 45 minutes.

New England 85kg class, age 55-59 snatch record

I've been off the blogosphere for over six months now due to work and family and am now back. My training continued as I focused over this time towards breaking the New England 85kg class, age 55-59 master's snatch record of 82.5 kilos. Well I did it back on Feb 21 at the 2011 Atlantic States Open in Lynn, Ma with a lift of 83kg on my third attempt. I had never done over 80 in training so it was a quite a surprise to have pulled it off.

I was so focused on achieving this I cut out all kettlebell work the last three months to focus exclusively on the competition lifts. I tried to stay mostly with the Joe Mills template but found I could only handle one session a week of it as the weights started to come within 95% of my 1RM in both lifts and I couldn't recover adequately for the next session. Instead I went to doubles and sometimes even triples training of both lifts on the other days staying in the 80-85% range. I also was able to rejoin my Boston Weightlifting club mates (formally Excel Weightlifting) in their new location at TPS in Everett, MA as the commute there is under 50 min compared to the 90+ to get to Norwood. There coaches Ben Fuller, Yasha Kahn and Matt Delaney were quick to help me correct some bad habits I picked up training alone.

Along with making the 83kg snatch record, I matched my 100kg c&j to total 183kg which gave me a 318 Sinclair (first time I ever broke through 300) and enough for first place master in the heavyweight division (85, 94, 105, 105+). To put the new 83kg NE snatch record in perspective the National snatch record for the same age group and weight class, set by world record master's holder and legend Chris Dariotis, is 101kg. If all goes well I might get close to 90kg someday before age catches up. However the point of choosing to attempt to set the New England record was it was a stretch goal for me and still in the real of possibility given where I was as a lifter and the time available. It helped me focus and grow.

Apart from my personal lifting, it was fantastic being a member of the first place team, Boston Weightlifting, as we continued our roll with now three consecutive 1st place team wins.

Having a specific goal to be achieved in a specific time period was fundamental in focusing my training and then meeting that goal. Knowing the power of such a goal, I have committed to a new goal of breaking the New England C&J record of 113kg by the end of 2012 giving me a year and a half to do it. I have already recently cleaned 104 and front squatted 115 so it doesn't seem quite as daunting as when I set the goal a few weeks ago. This time squatting, and in particular, front squatting returns to my training.

Looking back I've come a long way since November of 2008 when I could barely squat snatch 50kg. I hope to be looking back at this day a few years from now and say the same thing! And hey, did I mention that besides hardwork and dedication, its fun!