Profile: Antoni Stojak

Our first interview on this blog is with Antoni Stojak from Manly, a suburb of Sydney, in New South Wales. He is a dedicated and impressive lifter with a focus on Kettlebell Sport.

Antoni is arguably the most advanced male lifter in Australia at the moment, as his best performances show, and given his passion for the sport and focus he can only move forward from here on.

Valery Fedorenko, Antoni, and WKC Master Coach Catherine Imes

How did you first find out about kettlebell sport?
I first started reading Pavel books. Then one day I looked up kettlebell workouts on Youtube & came across some of Valery's videos on the AKC channel. From there it was monkey see, monkey do. 

  

How long have you been training for kettlebell sport?
Close to 18 months in total. Although its only been about 10 months since learning from my coach Catherine Imes & Valery Fedorenko in person. Before then I could say I was training good strength & conditioning, but learning the finer points from my coaches in person is what has really transformed my lifting to a higher level.  

What are your personal bests?
For the 28kg jerk its 84 reps in 7 minutes & the 28kg snatch is now at 56/56. I'm not even sure of what my pb's would be in some of the heavier lifts, as I haven't taken the time to do them on their own. I often do a set of 12/12 one arm jerks with the 48kg after my working snatch & jerk sets & I've done 35/35 one arm jerks with the 40kg in 6 minutes, holding the lockout for 2 seconds.

What does a typical day of training look like for you and how often do you train? 

At the moment its a VERY gentle 20 minute barefoot run in the morning, just to wake up because I'm a very slow starter. And for the kettlebell sport training its a working set of jerks, a working set of snatches, then usually a heavy OAJ set & a heavy set of swings to finish up. In between working as a personal trainer & waiter the times of day I train might be all over the place. Sometimes its all done in one session, sometimes it might be spread over the whole day & finished in the evening(even Saturday night!). I prefer to get it all done in one session in the late morning though. 

 
What do you do for recovery?
Light barefoot runs, green smoothies & laying in the sun when its out! Afternoon naps help too.

Antoni with the 32's

What do you like about this sport?

Without getting too philosophical here I'd like to say it brings the right balance & the best qualities out of me. A good balance of yin & yang. So in order to lift the weight efficiently I need to be tense but soft at the same time. I have to be focused & motivated without being "hyped up". I have to be physically strong but also intelligent in the way I apply myself. And to top it off I also learn in this process to drown out the voice in my head that keeps telling me I can't (that voice likes to pop up at around the 4 minute mark, but it's usually gone by minute 6-7:))

Who are your influences/inspiration for lifting?
All the brilliant pros. But not just the pros, also the backyard & garage heroes. The people who have to live real time but find a way to connect with their inner strongman/woman on an almost daily basis.

How do you think we can grow the sport in Australia and what are your hopes for the sport over here?
I think all we need is good teachers who are very dedicated & well qualified. The sport is genius, simplistic, addictive & will grow on its own! I hope it becomes the next Yoga!

   

What advice would you give to those starting out?
Start off light, focus on refining your technique & most of all breathe! Breathe deeply & relax. Then be consistent, hardworking & don't give into instant gratification. Its the one sport ANYONE can be good at if they really want to. 

Anything else you’d like to add? 

Lift bells, meditate & drink green smoothies. If you don't, then you're just a Pleb.