Early Start on the New Year

I started my New Year journey early as I usually do. I took the week of Christmas off as my year end break. I did nothing but pretty much eat badly and not workout at all. It was great and I felt pretty rested. I could tell that it was time to get back to work when I started getting antsy. I find that if i do not workout for an extended period I start to feel like crappola. Today was a VO2max day. I did not push to hard and hit 20 sets of 8 and 20 sets of 7 snatches. The week off hit me harder than I thought it would.

I am also setting my training goals for the year this week. While they are not set in stone, i have a few ideas of what i want to accomplish with my training. I really want to press the Beast. I have been able to to pullups and a Pistol and have one skill to master, the military press. I have gotten to the point where the 88 goes up pretty easily for reps. I am going to get it up.

I might be teaching at a fitness center locally. I have to meet with the fitness manager this week and see what is possible. While I love teaching kettlebells, i have to really focus on Amazing Athletes. It will be nice to have a home to run 4-6 week classes as wells as Seminars and self defense programs.

The group workout this week was pretty hard. I taught windmills and flip squats, two of my favorites.

I ran a cycle of:

1 min swings
10 flip squats
3 windmills

I ran through this four times with a 1 min rest between sets. It seemed to have people huffing and puffing. I liked it because of the different aspects it presented. Windmills for core strength, swings for posterior chain and flip squats work the full body. Lots of fun was had by all!

Stupid is as Stupid Does

I love Kettlebell Squats. I might not do the weights that I did in the past, but they are far safer. This is a great clip about not being stupid.

I hate machines for many reasons. I feel that they lock you into a specific range of motion, no matter if it is your appropriate path or not. I think that they also build false confidence. You are getting stronger in that specific path, but is it a strength that you can translate to real world use? I have seen people injure themselves because they have not stability when using a free weight after machine training. By free weight, I am talking about picking up a child, a box and weights at the gym. I believe in the kettlebell and Pavel's RKC. It has proven time and again to be a great path of training.

In my training this week, I am doing...nothing. This is a rest, recuperation, get fat week. I am training some people but doing no training myself. It is time to sit back and look over the ;last year and plan for the next. I put all my plans and goals in writing and set benchmarks along the way. I have not been so tied down to writing everything until I started to run my own business. Now I plan everything, plus make a daily list to stay on track.

The group workout was intense this week. I pushed everyone pretty hard so that they would earn their holiday feasts.

1 min go, 1 min rest

swings

squat x 5

swings

military press 1 l/r to 5 reps

swings

squat x 5

swings

1 arm rows 1 l/r/ to 5 reps

swings

Squats x 5

2 min rest

2 min snatch test.

Here is a a big BS clip as a suprise gift

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Training Week

It has been a great training week. I have been consistently hitting 8 reps per set in VO2 Max. It is a big difference from 7. I did not think that I would be able to tell that there was any difference, but found that at set 36 and up I have to really dig deep to continue with good form and get all 8. I guess i will start adding more sets now. Next stop will be 60!

It was 27 degrees in the garage the other night. I was sweating like a pig and actually had to take off my shirt and turn the fan on. I put my shirt on as soon as I was done.

We had a small class last night for Shen Chuan. It was nice since we did nothing but fine tune everything that we have been working on. There are a lot of people getting really good, really quickly.

Crossfit-Rockwall had an open house today. I am not associated with it in any way, but stopped by to look around and show support. It is a great facility. I met with the owner and she is really knowledgeable. She is running classes now, so stop by if you are interested.

Tonight will be my medium night. I am planning on using double 32kgs for military press, squat, pullups and maybe some renegade rows. I am shooting for sets of 5.

I did a bunch of sets with my gada, cement filled basketball on a shovel handle, on Saturday. What a beating, I felt it afterwards. To many things to learn and work with. I know my keg is feeling left out as well as my slosh pipe. Have to figure out time for them!

Stuff

I have been tired this week and have had some Ok workouts. I was pushing for 40 sets of 8 in the VO2 max, but decided on sets of 7 after the first 10. I was stopped up and breathing was difficult. It happen this time of year. Last night was my strength night. I worked with the 70 for singles and doubles. I felt pretty good with it. I tore a callouse monday night and did not want to do a clean for every press, so it was strict military press only. 1 x 5 l/r, 2 x 3 l/r, 2 x 3 double kb. I worked dbl front squats for 3 x 5 and pullups 3 x 3 with kb on my foot as described in the RKC II requirements. It makes it harder on the foot versus tied to me.

Tonight we will be videotaping some stuff and will see how it turns out. Tonight will be martial arts only. I will add some kettlebell stuff in the near future.

"Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Matthew 15:14 KJV

I hope to always have my eyes open so that I do not fail. I know that I do not know everything and can always learn more. I do not want to lead others down the wrong path. What is nice about our group is that everyone has a voice, they all call BS when they see it.

Redo of video

I have been told that the video was not playing. It always seems to work for me, so I will try again.



It has been a busy week with some good workouts. The group workout was tough today since we had to get rid of some turkey and pie residue.

swings x 1 min
military press ladder to three
swings 1 min
goblet squat x 5
swings x 1 min
miltary press ladder to 3
swings x 1 min
squat x 5
swings x 1 min

I worked out afterwards and did military presses with the 88 for 3 x 1. I have not attempted to press it since August. I continued with:
Clean and Press 3 x 5 w/70
Dbl front squats 3 x 3 w/88
Pullups 3 x 3 w/53

I felt pretty good, but I am tired now.

Oops

I have been told by the group that I need to put their weekly program up so they have something to go by.

Joint Mobility Warmup
4 Swings 30 sec on/30 off
3 sets of Goblet squats 30 on/30 off. work on quality not quantity
3 sets of snatches 5 l/r min 30 sec rest

Relax into Stretch

Happy Thanksgiving!

First Video

This is some of us playing around with relaxation and balance disruption. This was our first video so it could be better.

Pretty Cool Video

I came across this and thought it was pretty neat.

New Toy

A while back I ran a clip of a macebell. I was really interested in what it could be used for. Steve Maxwell made his own. I made mine this week and hope to have some video up soon. We have had a setback and have been unable to upload anything yet. We got it out tonight after our martial arts training. It was pretty well received by everyone. We all took turns swinging it around. I have not weighed it yet, but it feels like a ton.

Sad State of Children's Health

Fat Kids Have The Arteries Of 45-Year-Olds, Study Shows
stumble digg reddit del.ico.us news trust mixx.com
MARILYNN MARCHIONE | November 11, 2008 09:10 PM EST |

NEW ORLEANS — Obese children as young as 10 had the arteries of 45-year-olds and other heart abnormalities that greatly raise their risk of heart disease, say doctors who used ultrasound tests to take a peek inside.
"As the old saying goes, you're as old as your arteries are," said Dr. Geetha Raghuveer of Children's Hospital in Kansas City, who led one of the studies. "This is a wake-up call."
The studies were reported Tuesday at an American Heart Association conference.
About a third of American children are overweight and one-fifth are obese. Many parents think that "baby fat" will melt away as kids get older. But research increasingly shows that fat kids become fat adults, with higher risks for many health problems.
"Obesity is not benign in children and adolescents," said Dr. Robert Eckel, a former heart association president and cardiologist at the University of Colorado-Denver. It is why the American Academy of Pediatrics recently recommended cholesterol-lowering drugs for some kids, he noted.
Raghuveer wanted to see if early signs of damage could be documented. She and colleagues used painless ultrasound tests to measure the thickness of the wall of a major neck artery in 70 children, ages 10 to 16. Almost all had abnormal cholesterol and many were obese.
No one knows how thick a 10-year-old's artery should be, since they're not regularly checked for signs of heart disease, so researchers used tables for 45-year-olds, who often do get such exams.
The kids' "vascular age" was about 30 years older than their actual age, she found.
Story continues below
A separate study tied childhood obesity to abnormal enlargement of the left atrium, one of the chambers of the heart. Enlargement is a known risk factor for heart disease, stroke and heart rhythm problems.
Julian Ayer, a researcher at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney Australia, did ultrasound exams on 991 seemingly healthy children ages 5 to 15. He saw a clear link between rising weight and size of the left atrium.
A third study by Dr. Walter Abhayaratna of Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, also used ultrasound tests and found impairment in the heart's ability to relax between beats in children who were overweight or obese.
The study involved the first 150 children participating in a larger community-based study.
Earlier research he helped conduct found more rigid arteries in such children _ a possible sign of plaque deposits starting to form.
"Even at this young age of 10, you can have children who have got arterial stiffness who are comparable to 30- and 40-year-olds," he said.
Dr. Michael Schloss, a New York University heart disease prevention specialist, said the evidence shows obesity is more than a cosmetic issue for children.
"If you've seen what's on the menu for most school lunches, these findings are no surprise," he said. "The time has come to seriously deal with the issue of childhood obesity and physical inactivity on a governmental and parental level

Past week

I see that I have not posted anything in a week. It has been pretty busy with life I guess. I am now trying to find a Cookie Manager for our Brownie Troop. I hopefully will find a brave soul.

I have continued with the VO2 max and 3 x 5 program over the last week. Today starts the 3rd week. I really feel pretty good, I can tell that I have lost some body fat. The nice thing is that I have not lost strength. I added reps to my heavy day on Military Presses and Squats. I hope that it progesses this week and next. I have not decided if I will change programs or take a back off week and move up in weight for VO2 Max. It really depends on how I feel.

The group workouts continue. We had a good group on Saturday. Our focus this week was learning the snatch. Everyone got it down pretty quickly and we are going to have a good workout this next week. I have my evil plan ready for the Thanksgiving/Christmas Holiday Feasts. If you want to eat, you will have to work!

I went out and did my workout after posting the intro. I could push a little harder for more reps, but I am really focusing on form. I am really locking the kettlebell down at the top of the snatch and sucking the shoulder down and locking the elbow out. I feel that the form is more important than the increase in reps. I am going to hit 50 sets on Thursday. I will stay at 7 until the lockdown is there for every rep. It does slow me down for now.

How to Snatch

Overtraining?

I am on my second week of VO2 Max and loving it. I think that it is a great program to cycle through my training regime. I usually have a long term goal that I am shooting for and train throughout the year to reach that goal. I try not to skip around to much as I travel along that path. This year was a little different. I was trying to take the Beast Challenge and realized that maybe it was not in my best interest. I like to train heavy, but there is a point that where the outcome is not worth the troubles that occur. When doing Clean and presses with the 88 this summer, I ended up pulling something. It would not have worried me, but it was in the area of earlier injuries. I do not want to cause more damage to my body then absolutely neccessary.

I hit 41 this weekend and my long, long term goal is to be in as good of shape as Jack LaLanne at 94. It is a long way off, but that is the ultimate goal. I am working towards the RKC-FMS and trying to see if I can fix some issues. If I can, maybe I will get the Beast up for a Clean and Press.

Going back to the VO2 Max program. I think that is is a valuable training protocol. After 2 weeks, I feel a difference. It might be all in my head, but I seem to have more "go" power. I have been reading a lot of posts on www.Dragondoor.com about people trying to hit 100 sets of VO2 Max. More power to them. i do not think that it is where I need to go. There are quite a few people shooting for more sets that are over training and getting injured and ill. The recommended sets appears to be 40-50 sets and I do not think that 60 is to excessive. I think that you have to have a plan and a goal for your training. What would the purpose of 100 sets be? If it is just to do it, what are the risks versus benefits?

I guess I am just old now. I like the 40-50 sets and feel that at this point in my life, it is all I need. I have been down the path of over training to the point of sickness and injury. I spent 4 years away from training due to an injury. I was injured because I was stupid. I did not understand periodization. I did not realize that there was an ebb and flow to the body and to training. I went full out each and every time for years.

Maybe it was a good thing. It made me smarter about training. I started to search for better ways to reach my goals. That lead me to the RKC and Pavel. Truly life changing.

I truly believe in training smarter and harder and protecting my body.

Good week

I went from the ETK style workout to the VO2 Max this week. What a change. I only hit 24 sets on my first night, partly becuase it was 10:30 at night. It was a little intimidating at first even though I only had to hit 7 reps a cycle. The next day it felt like I was hit by a truck. I coulod really feel my posterior chain and core. I worked on 3 sets of 3-5 the next night to loosen up. It was the light night and I only used double 24kgs. I practiced squats, clean and presses and pullups.

I went ahead and hit 40 sets on my second workout. I really felt pretty strong and was not as intimidated. It went really well and I actually enjoyed it. I feel really good today and have lots of energy. I am going to skip the workout onight, which is supposed to be 32kgs for strength. It is Trick or Treat time. I will hit it tomorrow instead.

Time to take the kids out and eat badly. I can't wait.

Don't mess with this lady!

This lady decided to not be a victim. I always like to teach people to take charge of the situation. This lady listens to her inner voice and keeps watch out of the corner of her eye. That is what helps her react as fast as she does.


Little Woman Owns Creepy Elevator Guy - Watch more free videos

So much to learn

I love to learn about everything I can. I read just about anything that I come across, watch videos, train with different people and just watch people. I really think that the more you know the better off you are. The amount of knowledge in the RKC community is tremendous. It would be possible to pretty much do nothing but communicate with, read blogs and hang out on forums. I feel a need to narrow my focus in several areas of my journey.

I am in the process of reading Plato's Republic, Pavel's Beyond Bodybuilding, Warrior Diet and lots of studies that I have come across. In the video area, I am watching Kenneth Jay's Advanced Strength Strategies, Pavel's DVDs as well as several others. Granted, I am able to only do some of this in small bits, sure is nice to have a book in each room.. But even small bits is better than nothing as you sometimes get more in the small bites of time.

The problem is that the knowledge you gain has to be able to be used or it is not worth the effort it took to find it. I think that you have to decide what direction that you want to go and learn about that area and experiment, train, play with that knowledge until you own it. I really like the direction that the RKC is headed with the new snatch test and VO2 max. I think that I need to focus on that direction with my training for a little while. I have been doing a little bit of playing with this idea by going back to the ETK. It is time to really turn it on.

I have decided to focus on some other areas as well. I have been super focused on my business and will continue to do so. I am throwing some moderation in however. I am pretty much done answering calls, and emails after a certain time of the day as well as letting weekends be more relaxed. I need to focus on my martial arts in certain areas. I really want to look at the grappling aspects for a little while.

I think that by focusing on what I need to do in these several areas will help me increase my knowledge in an easier path. I will be able to learn more in those chosen areas this way. It will allow me to dig deeper than I would just following every lead or meandering thought.

The nice thing is that all of these things actually dovetail quite nicely. I drive past some really incredible BJJ schools that have classes during my lunch breaks, the RKC fits in well with the combatives and the business continues to grow with the relaxing of the intensity.

There are some other things that I am interested in learning and doing, but they will have their time in the near future.

Zombies

I kettlebell and train in combatives to be safe from Zombies! Guess what two of the best exercises for fighting Zombies is, swings and get ups.

Busy Week

I have had a busy week. I have had one of my coaches out for the week, so I have been covering her schools as well as everything else I do. I skipped my Tuesday workout because I was just tired. It happens to all of us. The problem is that the older I get the more it occurs or at least the easier it seems to happen.

We had a great training night last night. I ended up teaching martial arts for about 4 hours after teaching a lot of Amazing Athletes classes all day. The more worn out I got last night the more I seemed to relax and smooth up techniques.

Today was another full day of Amazing Athletes as well as workout time. I took a little longer on rest tonight, a minute versus 30 seconds. I felt pretty good. It was time for clean and presses tonight. I took it easy and alternated arms for single reps. I focused on lat activation as well as elbow lockout. It went pretty well. I will be hitting Get Ups tomorrow for 5 minutes.

I will have more tomorrow. I am busy getting set for the Women's Self Defense Class that begins on Monday.

Where to start...

Here is someone having a bad day. How many things are wrong with this picture? This is a reason that kettlebells are a great tool, especially training alone!

Last night was an okay workout. I was pretty tired from running classes all day. When you work with children, you have to do lots of demonstrations to get them on the right track. It helps me be in shape, but can be tiring after a long day.I am going to start adding a few exercises to the equation. I feel pretty good with the swings and Get Ups. I am going to start adding some low rep clean and presses as well as some pullups.

So many things to do...

I always seem to run out of time in my day to think about posting anything. I try to stay pretty current, but sometime I falter. I got back to training after fighting a sinus infection for a week. I can always tell when I start over training as I tend to get ill more easily.

I stepped up to the 32kg for training this week. The swings went pretty well and I continued to knock out 8 sets of 10 L/R with only 30 seconds of rest. I was a little worn out on Thursday night, I was only waist level with the swings. It happens, but I need to watch my energy level. I have found that the swings have definitely been a great corrective strategy. I feel pretty good physically. I was having some knee pain as well as lower back issues again prior to starting this program. Those issues have disappeared.

I practiced the Get Up this week also. I hit the 5 minute mark with 32kg, but lost it on my last rep. My elbow gave out. I still need to work on my lockout. I decided to hit another 2 minutes with the 24kg to work that elbow lock. I know what I have to work on and will continue to do so. The goal this week will be 10 sets of swings and 7 minutes of Get Ups.

We had our Saturday training at the park this week. I am starting to get back into the swing of group training again. Everyone seems to enjoy it and we have a great group. We added the Get Up this week. we worked on technique and moved onto the workout.

Swings 30 seconds/30 seconds of rest
Partner Get Ups, "you go, I go" for 5 minutes.
Practiced cleans for about 7 minutes (sneaky training)
cool down and stretch.

Still have room in the 2 day Women's Self Defense Class! Email for more information.

This is not what I am teaching at the Women's Class. This is a nice Silat clip.

Workout tonight

I was a little under the weather this week with allergies. I was tired last night and skipped my workout, so I decided to hit it pretty hard tonight. I am really pushing swings and get ups with some one and two rep extras this week. I ended up doing 8 sets of 10 l/r with the 32kg on swings tonight. Having fixed my swings at the RKC, I have noticed a big difference in power generation. I am really hiking the kettlebell back and snapping forward. I am focusing on the snap and tightening before the bell hits the apex. I can tell a major difference from what I was doing before the trip. It really is setting in the relaxed tension relationship as prescribed by Pavel. It is really making everything else I do more crisp and strong also.

I am still working on my presses. I am only doing 1 rep of double clean and press. I am really working to feel the lats engage, shoulders suck into socket and elbows lock. I am starting to feel pretty confident with my technique again. I am going to start incorporating more presses on a variety day.

Every time I attend the RKC it becomes a life improving event. This time i really soaked up the joint mobility and Z-Health work. I am doing a lot more joint mobility, which has me feeling a lot better and more fluid.

It is amazing how the Joint Mobility fits in with Shen Chuan. They really seem to help in power generation as well as weight transfer for the balance disruptions. Our video man will be back next week and I think we need to put some stuff on film. If nothing else to see where I need to improve.

The Women's Self Defense Class is Oct. 27th and Oct 30th in Rockwall. We still have room if you wish to attend. It will be a lot of fun and as always, very informative. Please email me for more information.

Lots of Stuff

It has been a really busy week since coming back from Nacogdoches and Camp Lansdale #12. Over the last month, I have had the opportunity to be an assistant at the RKC, be a main attraction at a seminar, start a kettlebell group class and schedule a woman's self defense class. That along with my full time job running Amazing Athletes in North Texas.

Camp Lansdale was an incredible camp. That was not because I was there, but for the level of the other instructors. I started my session off by telling everyone that "I suck, " so that lets you know that there were some great instructors.

I cannot say enough how impressed I am with Sifu Brandon Jones and his skills in Seven Start Praying Mantis. I have never been a real fan of traditional martial arts, however, I like this system and Sifu Jones. He is an incredible teacher and shows what his system is really about. I wish that I had more time so that I could head to Tyler to train with him on a regular basis. I think that if you live in the Tyler area, you would be well served to visit him.

What can I say about Joe Lansdale and his crew? They are some of the most incredible warriors that I know. I hope to one day have a quarter of their skill and knowledge. Coy Harry was named a Grandmaster in Shen Chuan and that is really great for the Shen Chuan System. Coy is incredible at pretty much everything he attempts. Coy is a sponge and can see a technique and pretty much use it for real immediately. Billy Jack Worsham is the Soke Dai to the system now. Having grown in my training with Billy Jack as my partner, it is truly an honor to have him beat me senseless every time I visit Nacogdoches. There was a lot of video shot at this seminar. I will try to get a clip or two to put on the site. Joe has to be seen to be believed. He is a consummate student of martial arts. He lives and breaths training and the history of the arts. It is an incredible experience to see and feel what he has to teach. When I say feel it, I mean it. Unless you are on the receiving end, it is hard to understand.

The kettlebell group workout continues to grow. We had two out on a trip and two more in to replace them. It is really fun to have a dedicated and motivated bunch of people to train with on a regular basis. Thankfully we are spreading out a little from our regular core group. It is always nice to have fresh faces and thought. Since this is my first group in a year and there are a lot of kettlebell newbies we are running the group through the program minimum. We have hit swings the last two workouts and will add the Get-Up this next week. Everyone seemed excited, they just don't know what is in store for them next time.

I took the week off from my own training. I felt pretty beat down and just exhausted. I ended up pretty sick this week and decided it was time for a back off week. I was also on some antibiotics that can affect the tendons and it caused my elbow to hurt. I am hitting the kettlebells again starting tomorrow with swings, swings and more swings. I am going to follow the Enter the Kettlebell program for a while longer. I am moving up to the 32kg however. I will also continue to correct my press faults.

How Tough Are you?

This is Monica Smith. I have known Monica since she was about 14 years old. She was involved in a car wreck several years ago. How bad was the wreck? Monica lost her mother and suffered massive burns that covered a large part of her body. Monica's legs were amputated and she lost the fingers on on her hand.

Monica has never quit. I do not think that the word is in her vocabulary. Monica started training in Shen Chuan when we first met. She was always there and always working hard. After the accident she started rehab. My father was in rehab at the same time. He told me at the time that her goal was to become a black belt and that she could not wait to start training again. He watched her go through the pain and suffering of learning how to function again. My Dad called her the toughest person that he ever met.

I have not trained with Monica since I left Nacogdoches 11 years ago. I had emailed her a few times and sent her one of my school's shirts. Monica was at Camp Lansdale 12 this last weekend. She was using her prosthetics and knocking around with everyone there. Monica could just sit back and be a victim, but she has chosen to be a part of life. Monica did not ever stop training other than short breaks to rest. She even worked through lunch with one of my guys.

Monica has taken what some people would see as limitations and worked with them to strengthen them. Monica has learned to use the way her body works to increase her ability to defend herself. She has a devastating low shin kick because of the nice pieces of titanium she now wears. Her hip movements enable her to generate really good power as well as be hard to hold onto.

She has earned her Brown Belt with Black stripe and is working towards her next rank, Black Belt. Monica is a testament to what I wish could be instilled in everyone I train. Never quit and rise to the highest level that you are capable of achieving.

quick training info

We will be having a group kettlebell class at Foxchase Park in Rockwall this Saturday. The class will be at 8:00 am. This is going to be an ongoing class and no experience is necessary.

I will teaching a Women's Self Defense Seminar on October 27 and October 30th from 7-9pm. It will be held at Chandler's Landing Yacht Club in Rockwall. It is being held over two nights as there is a lot of information to share. I will be teaching the Mental, emotional and physical aspects of Self Defense. It will be a great class. Cost will be $55.00 for non-Chandler's Residents. Please call or email me for info.

I will be posting info on Camp Lansdale 12 in the next day or so. It was a great weekend and everyone had a lot of phone. I know that I learned a lot of good stuff that I will be working on over the next few months.

I have had a busy week and will get some photos up as well as a really inspirational story this week. We will be putting our own videos up on the blog in the near future, possible some this week. All it takes is more time in the day to get it all done.

Group Training

I ran my first group class in a year this last weekend. It went pretty well. We had 5 people at the park for swing day. I have decided to break it down and add skills as we go. I think that will give us a chance to really set the skill that we are working on. In what turned out to be good timing, a 5k run for took place around the park trail and we had 500+ people run by and see us. We had a few people that were walking at the park stop and ask us about kettlebells. Hopefully this will be something that will grow. The next session will be October 11th at 8 am at Fox Chase Park. We will be at a seminar this next weekend.

I am really working on swings these days. swings will fix what ails you! I have also been working a lot of joint mobility. I really learned what areas needed some love. I am probably doing 30 minutes a day of joint work for myself. I also incorporate it into my children's classes.

The workout tonight was pretty intense. I am really working on the hike pass and exploding from the bottom. I did 12 sets of swings 10 left and 10 right. My active rest time was 30 seconds. I really started feeling it around set 9. I am shooting for 20 sets and will then switch to a heavier bell.

I am also working to fix my military press form with some Grease the Groove. I am doing a rep or two throughout the day. I am only working on my form and not weight. I have also been working on Naked MP's and just working out the pathway and lat activation.

Only a few more days until Camp Lansdale. If you are in the East Texas area, this is well worth attending. some real world self defense from an incredible group of instructors, Joe Lansdale, Brandon Jones, Billy Jack Worsham, Coy Harry and Eugene Frizzell. If you like Arnis, Eugene is incredible. He is a great teacher with a wealth of knowledge.

Camp Lansdale 12

Here is a great training opportunity!!!!!!!!!

CAMP LANSDALE 12 is just around the corner, and we are gearing up for what will be one of the best ones yet. CAMP LANSDALE is geared to practical self-defense. Not sport. Not full-contact combat. But a jam-packed weekend of realistic self-defense.

This years Camp will spotlight Shen Chuan and its formidable Self Defense aspects. Each instructor will bring to the table their unique flavor and application of Shen Chuan, from Professor Lansdale, Grandmaster and Founder of Shen Chuan to this year's Headlining Guest, SHIHAN PAUL BRITT of Britt's Self-Defense Systems in Rockwall, Texas.Returning special guests will include GURU MIKE CASTO of the Sikal System, our close and personal friend who spent time with us to cross-train and become an instructor in our system.

Also returning As a Headlining Guest this year, SIFU BRANDON JONES is a 26 year veteran of the Seven Star Praying Mantis System and has owned and operated Tyler Kung Fu & Fitness for the last twelve years.
Returning Special Guests will also include SIFU MICHAEL BILLINGS of American Kenpo Karate. Those of you who have been to our Camps in the past will know Sifu Billings and his outstanding abilities.
Rounding out the instruction will be slots instructed by Professors' Eugene Frizzell, Coy Harry and Billy Jack Worsham and Senseis' Adam Coats and Larry "Doc" Laurich in the mix.A Tentative schedule can be viewed here.
WHEN: First full weekend in October (Friday October 3rd thru Sunday October 5th)
HOW MUCH: $75.00 for all three days if you preregister/prepay online, or $100.00 at the door.
WHERE: This years camp will take place at Lansdale's Self-Defense Systems dojo at 2820 South East Stalling Drive in Nacogdoches, Texas. Our phone number is 936.569.1426 / Fax number is 936.569.2511 and email is sensei6@joerlansdale.com.
WHO CAN ATTEND: Anyone fifteen years or older with signed permission from Parent or Guardian if under eighteen.
HOTELS: For a map of area hotel / motels in Nacogdoches, go to this page: Hotel Map
Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce "lodgings" page (hotel phone numbers)
Tentative Schedule
Friday Night:
6:00-7:00pm: Guru Mike Casto
7:00-8:00pm: Senior Instructor, Sensei Adam Coats.
8:00-9:00pm: Sensei Larry "Doc" Laurich.
Saturday:
9:00-10:30am: Sifu Brandon Jones.
10:30-NOON: Grandmaster Joe Lansdale.
NOON-1:00pm: LUNCH
1:00-2:30pm: Shihan Paul Britt.
2:30-3:30pm: Grandmaster Joe Lansdale.
3:30-4:30pm: Sifu Brandon Jones.
4:30-5:30pm: Sifu Michael Billings.
7:00pm: Dinner/Plans are being made so that we can all have dinner together. More information to be revealed closer to camp.
Sunday:
9:00-10:00am: Shihan Paul Britt.
10:00-11:00am: Grandmaster Joe Lansdale.
11:00-12:00am: Professor Billy Jack Worsham.
NOON-1:00pm: LUNCH.
1:00-2:00pm: Sifu Brandon Jones.
2:00-3:00pm: Soke Dai Coy Harry.
3:00-4:00pm: Professor Eugene Frizzell.
Final Words and Photo's

Group Workout

We are going to have a group workout tomorrow morning at 8am in Rockwall. We will be at Foxchase Park. It is mainly the core training group at this time, but anyone can show up. We are not charging anything as I am trying to cement some of the material that I received this weekend. If you are interested, email me asap.

It has been a pretty good week training wise. There has been a change in the getup and I am trying to perfect it. No worries about it as it might change again soon. That is what is so great about RKC and Hardstyle. It is constantly evolving and improving. But, it does not change just to change. It changes because of the research of Pavel and others. the changes always follow the core principles of RKC. Those principles are sound and they are effective.

My training this week has followed the Right of Passage. I have been performing swings and get ups. I deviated some and hit 10 sets of 10 each arm with a 30 second rest between sets. I really fine tuned my swings at the RKC and love how they feel.

The Get Up has helped me fix some lockout issues. I have lost a lot of flexibility and developed the habit of not locking my elbows. What I like about the new Get up Progression has really helped that problem. I performed 5 minutes of Get Ups. After my swings, I worked on a ladder of Clean and Press to help reconnect my lat to my press. It makes such a difference when you do it correctly and there is no leakage.

Home From the RKC

What a great weekend I had at the RKC. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with a lot of great people. I was an assistant for Team Neupert this go round. Geoff is a Sr. RKC and knows his stuff. He is an incredible Instructor. He is so squared away with kettlebells that he is worth the time and effort to train with if you can. He helped me make a lot of corrections on my presses and getups, which suffered from bad training habits.

We started out Thursday by taking our snatch test and skills test. I came in light, not drinking a lot of water helped, and only had to hit 56 snatches. I knocked those out fairly quickly. I ran into some form issues for my press and Get-Ups. Some of it was bad habits other parts were lack of flexibility. I eventually got those skills rehabbed and passed my skills test.

I have become a firm believer in FMS and Z-Health. Zachariah Salazar helped immensely with adding some flexibility to my shoulders and hips. He is almost a miracle worker. I spent five minutes working with him and ended up with 4 more inches of flexibility. Z-Health rocks for sure. I am ordering the R-phase manual and DVD to learn a lot more. I would also love to attend the CK-FMS to learn the screenings and corrections. I see a real need to be able to help those of us that are beat down or have movement issues.

It was really great to be on the other side of the fence at the RKC. It is so intense that when you are attending as a victim, you miss some important information. It is inevitable. The RKC is not a show up and earn your certification. It is a balls to the wall, intense weekend of physical and mental exercise. As it was explained to me again, "The RKC is a school of strength." I fully understand that now. The amount of information that you receive is mind-boggling. Pavel is truly a visionary. Some would call him a heretic, but I have drank the kool-aid!

As I have said before, I have been incredibly lucky in that I have never had any issue with my hands and kettlebells. I have used Corn Huskers during the day and a greasier lotion at night. This weekend Darlene McCaffrey, RKC and I learned learned how to tape hands really well. We spent all of our breaks taping and re-taping hands. The volume of kettlebell work that you do at the RKC takes a toll on hands. I saw a lot of chalk being used and I think that it had a lot to do with the blisters. It is an abrasive and doing swings just digs it in.

That is probably enough for tonight. I have some training to do.

Last Night's Training:

1 hand swings10 x 10 l/r with the 24kg. Trying to implement some info from the weekend. what a difference it makes. In the words of Rif, "Swings fix everything!"

Final Prep

I am coming down to the wire for the RKC. I am as ready as I am going to be after being injured. Tonight was a snatch night. I did 5 sets of 10 left and right with only 30 seconds rest between sets. I feel pretty good and I am ready for the snatch test on Thursday. I will workout tomorrow and maybe Tuesday just to keep in the flow.

Last night, I went to do 5 minutes of Get-Ups. I started pretty strong and went for quite a while. My goal was five minutes. After I realized that there were at least three different songs and lots of commercials on the radio, I realized my Gymboss had quit working. Oh well, as near as I could figure, I did about 10 minutes of Get-Ups. I was using the 24kg and got into a good rhythm. I was a little tired today, but not bad at all.

I am going to set up a few workshops sometime in mid-October and early November. I will have more info coming after this next week.

Not to make any light of Hurricane Ike. I have a lot of family and friends in Houston and Nacogdoches. Both area were hit hard. My parents are in Nacogdoches and running a generator to have some power. Hopefully everyone will continue to work together to get things up and running pretty quickly.

It takes all kinds...

Rethinking Ballistics

I have been doing a lot of reading lately on swings, snatches and get-ups. I have also been doing a lot of each in preparation for the RKC next week. I have forgotten what a great program can be developed based on a ballistic, Swings for ETK, snatches for fun and the Get-up for full body beating.

As I prepare for the RKC I have been performing a lot of snatches. Last night's workout was 5 x 10 l/r with the 24kg. I took 1 minute between sets and performed active recovery. I was tired at the end, but energized. I have noticed a change in my body composition in about 2 weeks after following 3 x 3's for a month. I feel better for the most part and have seen some extra "stuff" melt away.

I am glad to be doing more ballistics and lots of high reps. I am getting to the point in my life where I can't/don't want to keep up the big weights like a 20 year old. I realize that I don't have to. I think that with age and experience, we learn to cheat a little better. In rereading the RKC manual, I see that there is so much study that says that we do not have to push for inhuman levels to live a good, healthy long life. Look at Jack Lalanne and Pavel's dad. Both are older than the norm in the fitness world, but still going strong.

Probably enough for now. Time to go put up stuff in preparation for Ike.

Tazer Crazy!

RKC Snatch Test

I have lost two weeks due to my injury and I can really tell. I did the RKC Snatch Test tonight. I have to hit 64 snatches to pass. I made it, but the last two were ugly. I feel pretty good about the numbers since I have not attempted the snatch test since the last RKC in 2006. There is nothing like a little pressure to make the world go round.

This is a really busy month for me. We have started a lot of new schools already and I have been performing a lot of Demos. I love doing demo's but they are usually 2-3 hours of straight running, jumping and throwing. I will be slowing down the week before the RKC so that should help me hit my numbers.

I have had to pretty much back off of my workout plan to attempt the Beast Challenge. I was pretty close to hitting the exercises and if I feel froggy, I still might "jump." My workouts are consisting of swings or snatches one day and Get-ups the next with one day off afterwards. I hit 5 mins with the 32kg the other day. Tomorrow is my get up day and I will be going for sets of 10 snatches with the 32kg on my next snatch day.

Not a kettlebell video, but real talent and passion. I think they are incredible.

Running Out of Time

I was able to get in and be looked at for my injury. The good news was that it was not a hernia, but a bad strain on the psoas and/or oblique. the bad news is that I am still hurting and 2 weeks out from the RKC. I hit the Kettlebells tonight in an attempt to be close to my numbers. I did about 100 swings and 25 pullups all with the 53. I am a little tender, but will grit through the snatch test, because I have to. Since there is no hernia, I should be pretty well recovered by the RKC. I hate being injured. I guess it might be time to realize that I am not 25 years old now. That is something that I hate to face. Nah, I can still run with the young'uns. hahaha

Great tutorial on how to perform a renegade row.

I keep saying that I need to buy and iPhone

I love Mythbusters

I love the show Mythbusters. They are pretty squared away. They did a pretty neat job with the second picture.

I have not touched the kettlebell since Wednesday. I am trying to see how badly I messed myself up. I am hoping it is an oblique strain/pull versus something worse like a hernia still. I had to cancel some personal training this AM in an attempt to rest. I am going to start swings and snatches tomorrow or Monday. I have to be able to pass the snatch test, so that will be my focus. If it is something worse than an oblique, it will have to wait until the second week of October due to training commitments.

RKC in September

Well, I have been training for the Beast Challenge at the September RKC. Things were going really well for me to actually be able to do it. The program That I have been following was great. i was doing reps with the Bulldog in all Beast Exercises. Wednesday night was not a good night for me. I was really tired from a busy week at work and my form slipped in the Military Press. I initially thought that i had a hernia, but now think that I strained/pulled my right oblique. There is a definite knot on my side. It is a weak spot that I have aggravated in the past. In fact I injured it training for my first RKC.

I do not think that it well affect me for snatches and lighter weights at the RKC. I am thinking that there is no need for me to be pushing massive weights anymore. I will try to keep up the ability to press the 88 so that I can attend the RKCII in June, but i do not think that I will be doing the Beast.

More stuff from Scientific Wrestling

Olympics fatigue

It has been a long and tiring two weeks due to my staying up late and watching the Olympics every night. It seems that all of the really good stuff goes until midnight. It will be nice to get some good sleep top help recovery and mood! It has been a rough week for training. i was distracted doing Clean and presses on my medium day and strained my neck and trap. It knocked me off course for a couple of days. I came back last night and hit the 88 for my clean and press last night. I also received word that I would be able to attend the RKC as an Assistant. I am excited about that and eager to head off for the weekend of fun and torture.



I decided to see where I was on snatches tonight. I am a little off from where I need to be. I still have three weeks or so to get them up to the 60's. I should be able to get them up there and still work towards the Beast Challenge. If I am close at the RKC I will probably go for it and hope the adrenalin pushes me over.

Here is Jason C Brown showing how to do a Turkish Get Up.

Is age an issue?

You always hear that the if you are not 25 years old, you will not ever be on top of your game. I think some people have forgot to tell a few people that news. Randy Couture, Dara Torres, Brett Favre and even that great Texas Legend Nolan Ryan have been incredible into their 40's. I bring that up because I have hit my 40's and I am not letting that hamper me from being at the top of my game.

The age does make things harder at times. I cannot train as intensely or ignorantly as I did back in the day. My body does not recuperate as well any more. Sometimes I think that it because I trained like moron when I was younger and damaged myself. The scar tissue and repetitive injuries mount up over the years. I am grateful to have found Pavel and Kettlebells when I did. It was better late than never for me. While I can't go back and fix all of the problems that I created, I can move forward and mitigate the resulting weaknesses.

As we age, we gain knowledge and experience that lead us down a better path. I think back to all the crazy stuff that I used to do, poor form and technique with massive weights that did more harm than good. The staying out late and still training like a mad man without proper nutrition or rest.

I have learned proper techniques through kettlebells, better nutrition, better recuperation strategies and most important moderation of the insanity. That does not mean I do not train heavy and hard, I still do. I just try to train so that I am ready to use that strength and skill against the younger guys at anytime.

Just Plain Funny

I came across this before my workout. It is hilarious.

Just got back from the garage on another hot night. I am still working on a rotation of Heavy, medium and light for the press, pullup and pistol. It was a pretty good nigth, but had a little trouble with the pistol. It is by far my weakest exercise. I have hit the 32kg on it since starting this program, but it is a long way from the 106lb kettlebell.

While I am doing this program for a specific reason, I really feel better on a higher rep program. I just do not feel like I am working as much as I need to even doing a 6 day program with three days of tabata in the mix. That is not to mention running sports classes with the kids all day. I guess we will see how it works when I finally press and pistol the Beast.

Family Fun

It has been a pretty busy week around here. I returned from the Amazing Athletes Conference as Franchisee of the Year. I was pretty excited as we have had the business for one year and it has been really fun and exciting. We went with a franchise as it made more sense for us. I am a really good coach, but needed a good model/plan to steer me the right direction. I highly recommend Amazing Athletes as a business if you are looking to do something rewarding with children. Janee and Glen Henderson are squared away with what kids really need. They have developed an incredible Child Development Program. If you contact them, just let them know where you heard about them.

We had a great workout last night. It was family time around the old tire. I had the two 8 year olds wanting to workout with me, so off we went. We beat the tire last night, me with the sledge, the kids with arnis. I was on the 20/10 split and they took turns on my 10 second rests. They both said that they had a great time and I know that I did. It is really great to be able to spend time with family in non-traditional activities that encourage fitness. This is especially important after reading that in the near future all Americans are expected to be overweight. The time to fix that is now, by involving the children. It is something that we focus on at home and with Amazing Athletes. I really believe that we need to focus on the fitness and health of children if we want to make a difference in the future. I take every opportunity to involve the kids in physical activities. Even if we are headed to get ice cream, which we did last night, there has to be an exchange. I told them that we needed to take scooters or their bikes to make the trip. It is not far from the house and they enjoyed the trip and felt great about the reward.

We continued the training this morning with kettlebells and pullups. I am working on a Beast Challenge plan in anticipation of the RKC where I hope to be an assistant instructor. I had the neighbor and our boy in the garage with me. They were doing pullups and trying to pick up a kettlebell from the floor. We worked on proper form for a deadlifts and they did a really nice job for a couple of reps before it was off on scooters to see the world.

All they need to have is a positive model to emulate and it will sink in.

Lost a week of writing and Cool Knockout

I have posted people doing "cheese whiz" knockouts where they were not even touching the person. This clip is a realistic use of pressure points and light force knockouts that can be transferred to a self defense use. They do work, as I have been knocked out numerous times with them. Some people will say that you expect it and it becomes reality. The science behind it is that you are striking the body in ways that it is not geared to defend itself, while sending the force to the hypothalamus. The body is prepared to take blows from the front, sides and somewhat from behind if the strike is picked up. It is harder to defend from the oblique angles like a 45 degree angle. When striking from those angles, the force seems to have a clear path to the center of the brain, allowing the computer to experience a short shut down. In combat, all you need is a micro second to prevail or lose. While I do not depend on the knockout, I do shoot for fractions of a second that will add up and give me time to achieve a position of dominance.

I do not know what happened, but none of my posts for the last week ever made it to the blog. I was really busy and on the run, so I messed up somewhere. I am currently working on a Beast Challenge program that focuses on Military Press, Pistol and Pullup. I am working on a heavy, medium and light day for each exercise on a three day cycle. the other days are set as variety. I did tabata sledge hammer one day, three hours of martial arts the next and will be hitting heavy snatches on my next variety day.

More stuff you don't need

I came across this knife recently. One more gizmo that does not make that much since. It is a knife that holds a compressed gas cartridge that you trigger after it is in the body. There are so many things wrong with the idea that I do not know where to begin.

To start off with it looks bad to the legal system. A regular knife was not enough? You had to get one that would destroy organs etc? That shows a little more than the desire for self-defense. It is also more complicated to use than the everyday blade. Edged weapons are simple and easy tools. if you touch something with the sharp part it cuts. With this tool you are having to push buttons in the middle of an attack. It also has to be thicker than a regular blade and it appeared to be difficult to puncture the watermelon. Basically, not something I would waste any money on.

It has been tagged as a "scary" knife on the internet. I do not think that it is something you would have to worry about coming across any on the street.

Scientific Wrestling

I can't say enough about Jake Shannon and Scientific Wrestling. Jake has done more for Catch Wrestling than anyone else. Jake is the real deal when it comes to this form of combative sport. he knows the history as well as the techniques. I have been a member of his site for several years and I am finally getting to a point where I will be making some trips out to the OC to train with them. If you are interested in some neat stuff, get on board. He is putting together tournaments and has opened a training facility. Good stuff. This is a clip from a tournament.

Good Week

It has been a pretty good training week for the most part. We had a broken finger in the group, but that is the worst injury in a while. The nice thing is that it is something that we can work around as it is the tip. The nice thing is that the same person has moved up a level and is working on a new set of skills that allows us to work around the injury.

My hand is finally healing up pretty well. I performed double swings this week instead of Snatches. I wanted to work on the hip snap power developed by doubles. I am hoping it might help for my next workout phase, which will be a real run at the 106 for the Beast Challenge. I know I can do the pullup, but everything else is in the air. My press and my pistol still need work. I have a pretty good workout template that Jeff Neupert Sr. RKC posted recently on Dragondoor.

I am looking at holding a Kettlebell workshop in the near future. I am looking towards the end of August or first week or so in September. I would like to get out of the 104 temps we are seeing now. It will be a standard level 1 workshop with some kettlebell for combatives after the main portion. That is unless I get a bunch of people that want combatives training.

Neo Tribe Kali and Guro Jeff are a pretty neat find that I made this past week or so. I have not trained with this group yet but came across some clips of their material on the internet. I really like what Guro Jeff has put together in teaching kerambit skills. If you watch what he does, he really knows what he is doing. They have a link to the clips on their site. I recommend checking them out. I will be ordering their DVDs pretty soon and will see about hooking up for some training in the future. I would love to do it sooner than later, but it is a busy time for me with Camp Lansdale, RKC and Amazing Athletes.

Fight of the Week

When Bears Fight Bears - Watch more free videos

Links in a chain

Over the years, you would think that I would learn that everything is connected in some way. This is especially true in exercise and training. If one thing changes or a link is weak, than it tends to mess up the rest of the chain. I hurt my ankle a few years ago and two years later I was still nursing a bum knee. I hurt my shoulder in the military and it took me four years to be able to even think about lifting again. Why? Because I never quit training when I should. Instead of taking a short break, I usually continue to train as hard as ever.

This time it is not a serious injury. I ripped a callous off about two weeks ago and have continued to train. I have been taping my hand, along with liquid bandage, to be able to work out. The first injury changed my grip and put the stress of ballistics on a different part of my hand. There goes another blister/callous ripped off doing snatches. It it right in the center of my palm. I made the mistake of putting liquid bandage on it right after it happened. It hurt more doing that then working out with the injury. I let out a few dirty words after that. I did modify my workout after doing it. I did swings for my last set of ballistics.

I am looking at a late August or early September in the Dallas/Rockwall area. If interested let me know, I have not set it up yet but would like an idea of participation or what people would like to work on.

WOD
Joint Mobility
Snatch 3 x 10 l/r 1 x 10 swing
Pullups 4 x 5 w/kb
Windmills 4 x 5
Squats 4 x 5
Floor press 4 x 5

Relax into stretch.

Ross always has great stuff. This is a great addition to your training. Right now, it would kill my hand though.

Long week

It has been a long, hot week. the temps have hit 99-100 a lot this week and it makes training lots of fun. It makes the workout harder because the heat saps you. it makes things harder to hold onto and it is just a beat down at times.

A friend of mine is starting a martial arts training group and he mentioned the Spartan style training that I enjoy. I am not sure that I enjoy it as much as I used to when I was a lot younger. I am not a sissy yet, but getting out of the hot garage into the cool A/C does not sound half bad.

I really like training in the garage or outside. I try to train in as close to "normal" conditions as possible. Normal means those that I would be facing in a real world event, encounter or whatever. I think that is what separates kettlebell, tire, sandbags and the like user from a regular gym rat. we are using some tools that require us to be outside, I can't keep an 800lb tire in the house, ( I asked). We train in the environment that we will have to utilize our skills in as, such as Law Enforcement, Combatives, fire fighting etc.

There have been so many studies that show the more realistic your training, the more it will serve you in times of trouble. Spartan Training does not have to mean the "300" Workout. It should mean real world training in a real world environment. That is where the Spartans excelled. Their training was as close to combat as possible at the time. Everything they did was to further their skills and abilities when they needed them.

Workouts this week.
I did not increase my sets this week. I felt a little rundown and was nursing my hand still.

2 hand swing
snatch 3 x 10 l/r
Pullups w/weight 3 x 5
Windmill 3 x 5
Squat 3 x 5
Floor Press 3 x 5.

I did this both days this week, with my third workout on Saturday.

RKC

I owe quite a bit to Pavel and the RKC. It really changed the course of my life for the better. Finding out about kettlebells changed my workouts and my training philosophies. Before the Kettlebell, I was all about the mass and weight that I could push. I did not look at the whole picture, the flexibility, the ability to use that strength, the injuries. Pavel opened my eyes to the way of real world strength and showed me a different path. Since then, I have taken the ball and ran with it. Attending the RKC made me realize that just as in my workouts, there was no need to follow a path that was not working for me in my job. I was working in a place where incompetence was rewarded and everyone was scared to speak the truth. Attending the RKC showed me that there were other paths to follow. Since attending the RKC, I left full-time Law Enforcement and stepped off into the fitness world. I realized that I had a passion to teach and help others. In that regard I found that teaching kids fitness and sports was a very rewarding job. I absolutely love what I do now. It is great to watch kids make great strides in their fitness and their sports skills. I follow the tenet that strength is a skill also and must be practices. Today I had about 20 kids doing deep RKC Squats and real pushups. They loved it.

Yesterday's workout - Hand still raw

Swings 3 x 10 l/r
Pullups with 24kg 3 x 5
Windmill 3 x 5
Double Squats 3 x 5
Double Floor Press 3 x 5

Hand was sore so I did not snatch.

Diesel Crew

Some strong people.

Ouch

Well after 3 years of kettlebell training without tearing up my hands, I tore a callus off tonight. It was about 97 during my workout so I used chalk. I probably won't do that again. It changed my entire swing and rotation. The good thing was it was on my last set of snatches. I did not even do any damage at the RKC weekend. I guess there is a first time for everything. Overall it was a good workout. I spent a little more time on joint mobility tonight. it is time that I started doing that every day again. I always feel better if I start the morning off with it.

I am headed to the RKC to recert. I am looking forward to it. It is a great weekend and I always learn something earth shattering. The RKC changed the course of my life the first time. It put me on the new path away from full time law enforcement and into the fitness world. What a great change. I have more energy and time for my family.

WOD

Swing 1 x 10
Snatch 3 x 10 l/r w 32kg
PU 3 x 5 w/24kg
WM 3 x 3 w/32kg
Double squat 3 x 5 w/32
double Floor Press 3 x 5 w/32kg

This is just cool! It is David Whitley RKC





This is a great DVD. that is available at Scientific Wrestling

Long weekend

Holiday weekends are always hit or miss, at least during the summer, for training. I went to Nacogdoches and was able to train with Joe Lansdale and the rest of the crew. What a great night, as it turned out to be a black belt clinic. It was four of the highest ranked people in Shen Chuan and me. What an opportunity! It is always a humbling experience to go back to the main school. i work away and try to improve my skills just to find out how far I still have to go on my journey. Joe Lansdale is an incredible martial artist and teacher. The things that he has learned and is able to pass on is immense. His understanding of how the body reacts coupled with his knowledge of pressure points, balance and general whoop as stuff is by far the most impressive that I have come across. It is well worth a trip to Nacogdoches to see what he has to offer. He has been brought in for seminars across the country so there is always a chance to see him. I feel bad for our training group this week as I have some new things to work on.

I ended up being pretty over trained last week. It was a long week for Amazing Athletes and I also hit my workouts. I took the weekend off to recuperate. I feel pretty good this week. In an effort to be ready for the RKC recert, I started snatching again. I figure if I can hit my numbers with the 32kg It will be an easy weekend in some respects. It was almost 100 today and the training wore me out.

Joint Mobility
Snatch 3 x 10 l/r w/32kg
Pullups 3 x 5 w/24
Windmill 3 x 3 with 32
Double Squats 3 x 5 w/32's
Double Floor Press w/32kgs

Relax into stretch.

Here is a clip of Mark Shultz in an interview. He has the right attitude. One of the greatest wrestlers of all time.

Sandbag Training by Josh Henkin

Josh Henkin is one of the better trainers out there. he has a lot of great ideas and comes up with great workouts and exercise tools. I have yet to come across anything that he teaches that does not work or that I do not like. Josh is a big proponent of sand bag training. He has designed a bag that is far better than anything else out there. Josh's bag is set up to allow the largest amount of variety possible. I do not have one yet, but I have played with one but it will be my next purchase. Watch the video and see what is possible with a little bit of sand and some sweat.

Training and some inspiration

It has been a busy weekend. I started out Friday running three schools then training for an hour or so in the evening with a friend. We had some family in for the weekend, so I waited till Sunday to do my workout. I did not record Thursdays workout, but I figured out some interesting things. I found that when doing keg press there was a difference in reps depending on which leg I used to boost the keg up. With my left leg I was not able to set the keg in the right position at the start and I was only hitting 2 or 3 reps. When using my right I his all 5 reps. Tonight, I made an extra effort to explode on the left side and made 5 reps. It is not sceientific, but something to think about.

I was in a discussion on Dragondoor about training for Law Enforcement. I used to be of the belief that bigger was always better in fighting and Officer Presence. Over the years, I learned that this was not always true. Being big is great, I worked with someone that was 6'4 and almost 300lbs and he never had to fight anyone. But if you are not naturally big already, you almost fight your own body the bigger you get. I was over 200lbs at 5'7. i was leg pressing over 1000 lbs for reps and using big weights for everything. The problem was that I was always tired and sore. I was also really stiff. That was also a lot of weight to carry trying to chase people or go any length of time in a combative situation.

Then I found the kettlebell and RKC. What a difference it has made. I found exercises that work with natural movements and lots of carry over to everyday life. There is something about that cannonball with a handle that fit my personality and path perfectly. It opened my eyes to the world of exercise with a real world use. Kettlebells are a path to followto reach your highest capacity.

WOD
Joint Mobility - need to expand
Halos 2 x 10 l/r
Swings 4 x 10 l/r
Pullups 4 x 5
Keg press 3 x 5 1 x4
pistols with KB 4 x 3
Janda 4 x 5
tire flips about 150 feet.

RIS
on Thursday I did keg squats and used the slosh pipe instead of tire flips.

I have posted about Dustin Carter before. This is from his last tournament. He is truly an inspiration.

Training

Training has been pretty good lately. I have been making some decent progress and feeling pretty good. I have not posted like I want to based on someone trying to use everything on her in a negative way, but that is life. There has been a lot going on in my business life, which is good. I have decided it is time to invest in a video camera and start putting clips of our training on here. It is one way to show that we walk the walk and not just run our pieholes.

This is yesterdays training. I did not get done until almost 11pm and was did not feel like getting on the computer.

Joint Mobility

Halo's 3 x 10 l/r

Swings 4 x 10 l/r
Pullups 4 x 5
Keg press 4 sets 1 x 3, 2 x 5 , 1 x 1 I overfilled the keg for this week and it is at 100lbs. so i missed some reps
Pistols 4 x 3
Jandas 4 x 5
Tire flips

Relax into Stretch. Overall it was a good workout. I knew the keg was heavier than I meant for it to be.

Great Video of how Kettlebells fit Combatives

I came across this video on Kettlebell Athletics. This is a great example of what I preach to my training group. Kettlebells and Combatives go together like peanut butter and jelly. There are so many areas that they improve skills and abilities.

WOD

Joint Mobility

Halos

Swings 3 x 10 l/r

Pullups 3 x 5

Keg Press 3 x 5

Keg squat 3 x 5

Janda 3 x 5

Tire flips

Back to training

I have not stopped training, but have gotten away from what I like to do and what works for me. With my main teaching, I am always running and jumping with kids. I can teach upwards of 5-8 classes a day. That comes out to a lot of interval and plyometric exercise. I found that I was not getting a lot of any decent results from Tabatas based on that. To top it off, I know have a keg and a tire to play with.

I am going back to my five pillars program with the addition of an endurance set at the end. I really think that this is what my body needs versus a lot of high rep endurance.

I am adding more weight to the keg every week as I feel more comfortable with it. It is pretty interesting to push the keg overhead as the water shifts. The tire flips across the yard really smoked me and I already want a heavier one.

WOD

Joint mobility

swings 5 x 10 l,r w/32kg
Pullups 3 x 5
keg press 3 x 5 1/2full
pistols 3 x 3 w/16kg
janda 3 x 5
tire flip across back yard

Here is a little Dog Brother's action. I am a little old to be participating, but can still appreciate it. We have started up a little arnis training again with my good friend Darren Dailey taking the lead.

Long Time Between Posts

It has been a long time since I last posted anything on the blog. It is funny how time flies by when you are busy. It has been a whirlwind of activity on a lot of fronts. I thought that when I left Law Enforcement there would be a lot more free time for martial arts and physical training. I learned to be successful, I have to spend a lot of time in building my main business, Amazing Athletes. It has kept me from also getting back into Policing as a reserve. I have picked up a few new training tools and have been using them. My latest purchase was a keg that I have been filling with water. I hope to eventually have it full and use it for reps.

The Combatives training has gone really well. All of the people in the group have moved up in ranks and abilities. Everyone has really improved greatly.

Today's workout

Joint Mobility
Tabata
swings 20 sec on/10 sec off for 8 cycles w/32kg
keg clean and press 3 x 5
keg bear hug squats 3 x 5

Relax Into Stretch

Pretty good workout. Felt pretty strong.

Well worth watching the entire clip

Watching this video, I see all of the Joint Mobility Drills from Pavel, Maxwell and Sonnen in action. This was the coolest movement video I have ever seen.

Pretty Neat

Not to often that you get good tape of something like this. I have heard of it happening, but never saw it for real.

It seemed like a good idea at the time!

I decided to have a variety day instead of my planned workout. I have been hitting the 106 for two weeks and doing a lot of martial arts and was a little tired.

I thought it would be cool to do some hand to hand work this weekend. I figured since I have been using the 106, the 88 would be a light workout.

The first exercise was kettlebell flip swings. The first couple left some large craters in the ground. I did start to get the hang of it. the next exercise was the hand to hand clean. The initial snap was pretty good, but catching the 88 in my open palm was a little struggle to say the least. I was able to hit three sets of three that looked reasonably clean. Once again, the holes got deeper in my yard during the "learning phase." I did three sets of figure 8's for 10 reps. I then hit the clean and Military press for singles. I performed 7 sets of singles for both left and right.

It was nice to change up the workout for a day. I still feel that I got a pretty good workout on. I though that there would be more carry over from the floor press to the military press, but I am pretty much in the same place as I was before.

I like short intense workouts

I really need to get a tire. I think that will be a great addition to my equipment list.

WOD

2 hand Swings 2 x 10 w/106

1 hand swings 4 x 10 w/106

explosive cleans 4 x 3 w/106

floor press 4 x 5 w/88

pistols 4 x 3 w/35

Jandas 4 x 5

The pistols have improved greatly. I think that it is due to having a counter weight. I hope to get three days of 4 sets this week.

Saturday Fun

This video has circulated for years. I think that I first saw it in the Police Academy a long time ago. It is is a pretty good visual for being better to be luck than good. The bad guy could have been really dangerous and come out with a weapon. that is something that you have to think about when intervening in the defense of others. The blow is so telegraphed, that a bad guy that was not out of his mind with anger and whatever the drug of the day is, might have been caught with it. But it is always good to see what a brachial stun does when it is applied.

I saw a pathetic breaking demonstration recently in Lufkin. The "show" was pointless and the people missed about half their breaks. I do not get into breaking as it does not fit with the fluidity of Shen Chuan striking. I guess if this had been the show, it might not have been as bad.

The Beast

Well, I decided to use the Beast for a change. It is a massive step up from the 88's. I started out somewhat slow with 3 sets of everything. I did not use the 106 for everything, as i was not able to yet. It is a different feeling. It was incredible hard to hold onto for swings. I do not like using a hook grip as I like to work my regular grab movement so my forearms were blasted. I will keep hitting it and adding sets and reps as I go.

2 hand swings 2 x 10 w/106
1 hand swings 3 x 10 l/r w/106
explosive cleans(from the ground) 3 x 3 w/106
floor press 3 x 3 w/88
pistols 3 x 3 w/35
jandas 3 x 5

I worked Relax into Stretch afterwards, but can feel the beating.

New Batman trailer

'The Dark Knight' Trailer

Here is the newest trailer for the next Batman. Batman was my favorite superhero from the early days, (4 and 5). After watching this clip, I can see how it might have caused some nightmares for Heath Ledger.

This last week was an off week/active rest period for me. I pretty much ate badly and worked out very little. Tomorrow starts the new 6 week training period. I am going to continue going heavy and start using the 106 for swings at least. i am going to start hitting cleans with it as well.

I think that I will be on a 5 day plan for workouts, starting at 3 sets and working to 5.

Suprise

Never underestimate the unseen strike. The upper cut is a great tool as it requires good hip movement to execute. It is also often not seen by the opponent as it comes from below, contouring the body.

Family Fun

There is nothing like getting the entire family on the exercise kick. I think that it is great that even the little boy wants to get into the fun. I think that one of the reasons that I really like training this way now is that it is pretty fun. There are so many things that you can do to add variety in your training. Heck, with ths style of training almost every rep is different.

There is such a great carryover from training like this versus standard "Gym" workouts. I really fell that I am able to deliver more power on demand than I was benching 400lbs. I also really feel better now than I did at 35 when I was pushing massive weights. Part of it is the fact that I am not pushing a weight in a strict plane. There is involvement of my entire muscle system. For my purposes, there is a ten fold benefit of kettlebell swings over bench press and curls any day. I am not working in isolation, but as one unit.