Newest and Bestest

There is always something new out there to hopefully improve our training.. I recently purchased Gym Movements based on some good recommendations. I received it today. Unfortunately, I am unable to recommend it to anyone at this time. The info and DVD did not live up to the hype. To Frankie’s credit, they are refunding the purchase price and our working on a retooling. I hope that it is a much better product. As it stands now it is not the newest and bestest product out there.

I have been trying to decide how best to train for the Warrior Dash in May. It should be pretty self evident on the training program, except I HATE running. It is my least favorite thing to do. I thought about Viking Warrior Conditioning, but decided that it was not exactly what I needed right now. I have ran the Cooper test in the past with no running, but this is a 3.5 mile course. I could do it, but would be pretty screwed up afterwards. I also wanted to be under a heavier load and increase my strength again. I can Press the 88’s still, but would love to be where I was at 2 years ago with multiple sets and reps with them. So… It is back to Rite of Passage with heavier weights. I also have to work on my snatch technique, but chose to go with swings tonight. I rolled a 7 minute swing fest tonight! I have bought some running shoes, Yuck, and will start some running next week. I hate entering anything if I do not plan on doing well. That means that I have to bite the bullet and start running. I keep telling myself it will not be an extended program.

I am working on some more things for the future. I am most likely going to become a kettlebell distributor for the area east of Dallas in the near future. I am also working on holding more seminars for both Combatives and Kettlebells. I am also setting up some Law Enforcement training. If you are interested in a seminar, please contact me.

Gym Movement

I am always amazed by what happens on Forums across the internet. I am down to posting on only a few as it takes a lot of time away from important things, kids, family, and training. On Dragon Door recently a big stink was created because a well known trainer chose to “Forsake” kettlebells and Pavel. That is not really what happened, but someone took it and ran with it. Next thing you know, TMZ will be on his doorstep! It was such a blasphemy that there were over 92 responses and 5400 views on the thread. It has to be a record for Dragon Door. People have to realize that training is never stagnant. There is always a way to improve what you are doing. That includes looking at the past for answers. If it offends you that people do not follow a single principle from birth to grave, welcome to America. It is what sets us apart.


If you look at the blogs that I follow, you will see Adam T. Glass’ blog. I have never trained with him, but have followed him as he has become freaking strong! Adam and I have talked in the past and he knows what he is doing. He has lately talked about Gym Movement being an incredible training paradigm. It was created by Frankie Faires over the last several years. I have never met Frankie, even though he lives in the Dallas area. He was an early RKC, Z-Health person that I wanted to meet a few years ago. It did not happen. It is funny how things circle around however.

Adam has pretty much stated that Gym Movement is well worth looking at as a training tool. That is enough for me to at least look at it. When I gave him advice a few years ago, he took it and followed through. I owe him that much. Adam is one of the few people that I look forward to meeting at one of the gatherings in the near future. He is a squared away, top notch trainer. He will tell you like it is and not mince words. We have that in common.

I ordered Gym Movement last night and hope to get it in the next couple of days. I will post my thoughts on it in the near future. If it is everything Adam says it is, I should be hitting the Beast Challenge pretty soon. So close, but so far still.

We have Shen Chuan tonight. I have been asked by Joe R Lansdale to put our stuff on tape. That will be the plan tonight. We want to get the first set or two recorded. It will allow us to post more circus monkey beatings on the blog!

I am also training a few people online and have to tape some stuff for them also. I will occasionally post a nameless update on their progress as we get it into full swing. (Pun intended)

http://www.warriordash.com/info.php I just came across this on Dragon Door. I already registered. It will change my training a little bit...

Z-Health, CK-FMS and Down Time

Lots of down time this weekend, but it was nice. I ended up taking a 3 hour nap after class on Saturday! The body knows what it needs; we just have to listen to it. I have been watching CK-FMS videos and working with Z-Health.

I ended up taking a couple days off from hard training this week due to being exhausted. That was cemented after the worst snatching I have done in years. I could not get my hip snap right and banged the kettlebell off my wrists and forearms. It has been about 3 years since my snatches have been that ugly. I was actually bruised up from it. I have been teaching upwards of 8 classes a day for the last month. It equates to about 6 hours of exercising a day, before my own training. I continue to walk that fine line between rested and over trained most of the time. I was starting to step over the line this week.

I believe that the Z-Health has really helped me out a lot. I have been working on R-Phase for several weeks with noticeable improvements in posture, movement and durability. I have been unable to sleep on my Right side for as long as I can remember. I have felt bound up in that position and my back would hurt immediately. I was able to sleep on that side last night! That is a big change. I think that R-Phase has helped keep me from being as severely over trained as I have been in the past. It is a good program and I wish I had started it years ago when I saw it on RMAX. I recently picked up the I-Phase Manual and DVD and will start that in about 3 months.
I have decided that I need to run through it at a much slower pace than I have been using. I still need to work on my ankles and T-Spine a little more in-depth. It has worked well, but the slower speed should make a bigger impact.

I cannot wait until the CK-FMS class in October. I am really excited about it. I think that it will be an incredible experience. It will allow me to really help people with their training. I have learned a lot from the videos and I am itching to be hands on. I will have to watch the DVD’s several times by the time of the class.

I have a small chance of attending RKCII still this summer. I am still trying to decide if I should wait till next year. I most likely will wait, but I have about a month to decide. That is time that I could use to build the kettlebell side of my business life. I have had a couple of opportunities come up and I would like to jump on them. Meanwhile we are starting to expand the group class. That will force me to clean out our training area to allow expansion. That is a good thing.

I will be back to the program this week. I plan on restarting at three Ladders with three Rungs this week. I will be adding a Ladder next week and the following week also. That should put me back on the right path. I will be working Z-Health at a much slower pace as well.

No Mind

 I love the time that I spend out in the garage training. For me it is that time where I am able to let go of the cares and the worries of the day. It is me and the iron. As Henry Rollins has written, the iron is always there for me. It is what gives me peace during times of stress. It occurs because I can allow myself to think of nothing but the struggle to beat gravity and the iron. It is the time that there is nothing else but the struggle to overcome imperfection and myself. Basically they are the same thing as I am imperfect and will always be so.




It is the time where you are dialed in and it is the process that allows you to reach that place where there is nothing but you and the bell, everything else fades out, and nothing interferes. I miss the days I am not able to be there.



Last night was really a good night. I have not really pushed it with heavier weights like I should have been doing. My form has been really good with the 24kg and I decided that it was time to head to the heavy stuff again. The 32kg was covered in dust and looking lonely.



It was pretty amazing how easy it was for my training last night. I was worried that I would be struggling with it and not even able to get a single rep. I felt strong and it floated up last night. This was after training kids from 9am -6:30pm. I contemplated skipping training as I was pretty tired. The struggle was worth it. I hit Clean and Presses and Pull-ups before 4 straight minutes of swings. I felt strong and tight while doing the C&Ps. I only put the bell down 3 times during the swings as I rotated between 1 and 2 hand swings.



I have also joined the Z-Health club. I recently was able to pick of an R-Phase manual and DVD. I have been through the drills at the RKC with Zachariah Salazar and Geoff Neupert. I have been working it for a couple of days with some noticeable improvements in my shoulders.

Ugly Swings

In looking at my training and my skill level lately I have figured out lots of things. I have some issues that need to be corrected to continue to grow and improve. B.J. Bliffert's FMS work with me has opened my eyes to making sure that I am doing things correctly at the highest level I can achieve. My initial foray into Kettlebells begans as a way to fix myself of all of the bad habits developed over the years of "shiny gym." training. I found that Pavel was teaching what I was on the path of for years but could not put my finger on. The kettlebells were the answer to my questions. Pavel's knowledge was the answer to the junk I saw at the gym. I have to remember that as I continue training.

I recorded my latest workout to check my shoulder mobility. I have been working on my shoulders since the RKC in 2008. It seems that it is beginning to finally pay off. I still have lots to do however in that area.

I figured that I have been doing swings forever and almost decided not to record that part of the workout. I am glad that I did record it. I saw how ugly my swings have become. I have never looked at what I saw as a set in stone skill. why shhould I? After all I am an RKC and have been doing this since at least 2004...


How ugly is it? It is pretty bad. I am leaning back way to much, I have way too much pelvic tilt.  I am also not activating my lats as I should to. I am glad that I recorded the swings after all. I always try to better my training and improve my skills. I am searching for perfection in each swing.. I am a good coach, it is hard to coach yourself. My core group of trainess are my coaches. I learn as much from them as they from me and look at it as a chance to make all of us better. They were coaching me on my swing this morning between their sets. One of them, Jaqui, needs to become an RKC. She has a lot of knowledge and is able to teach! (Hear that Jaqui!) I was a lot better by the end of the class.

More videos as I progress through this.

In that spirit, I am not scared to put my errors out there for the world to see. I am on the same path as everyone else. I want to be better and help others as well.

listening

I started the blog initially to keep track of where I was in my training. It is still based on that thought process. Lately there has been a lot going on in my life that has even somewhat affected my training. I have been running my tail off covering schools for my coaches. Just doing that has doubled my activity level on a daily basis. It has its good points in that I am very active lately. It also means that I am pretty tired by my time for training. I have been fighting sinus issues caused by all of the running and exercising that I have done as part of my business.

I have driven my body to the brink for years as that was all I knew how to do. I have since figured out that you need to listen to what it your body is trying to tell you. Jeff Neupert and Adam Glass have discussed biofeedback lately in their blogs and it got me to thinking about my training over the last year. I have really been following that type of process for the last year. I looked back through my blog and have been able to track the times that I have pushed hard and the times were I pulled back. I can also see where I pushed when I should not have, as there are illnesses and injuries at those times.

The first thing I had to figure out was the reason behind pushing 100% every time. Was it habit, ego, stupidity or something else? It turns out that it was usually all three at once. I finally realized that I am older and not competing in anything these days. I do not have to be the strongest person on the block. I just need to be in better shape than 90% of the population. Attending and completing the RKC pretty much guarantees that! The top 10% attends and passes the test.

I am also shooting for durability and longevity. Jack Lalanne is one of my heroes. I want to be as active and healthy as he is at 90+. How do you make it there? Steady, long haul growth without injury. The training has to be well planned and you have to listen to your body.

I stepped back one week on my training this week as I was tired. I did not push through just because I was required to. My training program was written down, but it is not set in stone, unable to change. I am following ETK and the Right of Passage. It is a journey that allows some detours. I was supposed to have 5 ladders this week on three different days. I missed a workout last week, the heavy day of course, and started this week at 4 ladders. I missed last night’s training, but will hit it tonight and the heavy day on Sunday. My body told me to slow down and I listened. I woke up this morning after a good night’s sleep feeling much better. Yesterday had an hour of sleep and knew not to train, even if I did think about doing it anyway. If I had I am sure there would have been a negative consequence...

I am still going to hit 6 1/2 more weeks of this program and then take a week or so off. After that it is on to the Return of the Kettlebell blocks. I am rebuilding my base now with an eye on the future.

I am currently doing some online training. If you would like to hit a high level of fitness and ability, this is for you.

Great Video

Well done video about kettlebells



This is a great resource to get the most out of your kettlebells!

Viking Warrior Conditioning
The Scientific Approach to Forging a Heart of Elastic Steel