It is two days before the New Year. The New Year is always a time for retrospect on what has been accomplished. I have hit some of my goals, but not all of them. I missed some due to a lack of focus, I missed some due to lack of planning. It happens. I lost focus by not writing my goals down and reviewing them regularly as I should have done throughout the year.
I have two major goals with Kettlebells this year. I will be attending RKCII and CK-FMS. While I do not teach kettlebells as my main form of income, I am teaching some now and will do more in the coming year. I began this journey by attending the RKC for my own personal knowledge and learned that I love to teach. As I have written before, Pavel and the RKC put me on a new path in my professional and personal life. I love kettlebells and I love sharing the knowledge that I have earned through hard work. I am contemplating a stand alone martial arts and kettlebell gym starting in 2011. I have to hit my next goals to start that project.
I have some major goals with Amazing Athletes that I plan on achieving. I will be in at least 70 schools by this time next year with a student base of 1000 children. I will continue to grow the business in a moral and ethical manner. I want the kids to have the best instruction possible and will continuously work on improving my skills and abilities.
I have some other goals that fall under stuff that is personal for me and the family. It seems that everybody puts every aspect of their lives out there for the world to see. Not me!
I will be putting some video up starting next week. It will be a mix of kettlebells and martial arts. I am also opening some training slots after the first of the year. I am working on a schedule now. I will also be doing some online kettlebell training after next week.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Goals
The group class has grown a little with a few new additions. It is nice to have a good group to train with on a consistant basis.
The last two classes have been focused on the Snatch. We have worked on it quite a bit in the past and it was past time to review it. It started out pretty well. Since it has been a while, I expected to find some minor issues to clean up. For the most part they were only minor problems.
There are some issues that are there only because they differ from the Hardstyle training that I use. There are so many videos on the net, that you can learn almost any style with out leaving the house. The problem is that without one on one instruction, you do not get the subtleties that are required for proper execution. Bad habits develop quickly with improper training. I know this from personal experience, see my RKC trip in 2008. I developed some bad habits that almost kept me from making it through my cert.
The whole point of this is that you need to decide what you want to accomplish and why. Do you want Hardstyle or GS? Press the Beast or SSST of 300? You work from that point to reach your goal. You are at A, you want to get to C, you must do B. A+B=C. Is that simplistic? Heck yes! I am not talking about the depths of knowledge that Pavel, et al. I am talking about setting your goals and getting on the way.
It is that time of year when people set their goals for the next year. Do some people follow through? A few might, the majority do not. I believe that a major reason for failing to reach their goals is the failure to put them down and make them concrete.
Decide what your goals are and write them down. Lots of people write their goals down, so what happens? The goals are written down once and then put those goals away never to see the light of day again. You have to put specific goals down and rewrite them constantly. I have failed to follow that path over the last 6 months and have seen a difference. I have not accomplished what I really wanted to do. I did not have it in my short term memory as well as my long term. It was not written down, so not thought about.
I like to write down my goals on almost a daily basis and at least once a week. I write what I want to achieve as if I have already achieved it. "I pressed the Beast." I do not stop with just writing the goal, I also write the steps that I took to get there. I not only have the "C" of the equation, I also have the "A + B" written down to get there.
It seems really simple and it is. It is just not easy, but hard is good. If it was easy, why do it? You learn more and accomplish more when there is a struggle to reach the end.
Hardstyle is good!
The last two classes have been focused on the Snatch. We have worked on it quite a bit in the past and it was past time to review it. It started out pretty well. Since it has been a while, I expected to find some minor issues to clean up. For the most part they were only minor problems.
There are some issues that are there only because they differ from the Hardstyle training that I use. There are so many videos on the net, that you can learn almost any style with out leaving the house. The problem is that without one on one instruction, you do not get the subtleties that are required for proper execution. Bad habits develop quickly with improper training. I know this from personal experience, see my RKC trip in 2008. I developed some bad habits that almost kept me from making it through my cert.
The whole point of this is that you need to decide what you want to accomplish and why. Do you want Hardstyle or GS? Press the Beast or SSST of 300? You work from that point to reach your goal. You are at A, you want to get to C, you must do B. A+B=C. Is that simplistic? Heck yes! I am not talking about the depths of knowledge that Pavel, et al. I am talking about setting your goals and getting on the way.
It is that time of year when people set their goals for the next year. Do some people follow through? A few might, the majority do not. I believe that a major reason for failing to reach their goals is the failure to put them down and make them concrete.
Decide what your goals are and write them down. Lots of people write their goals down, so what happens? The goals are written down once and then put those goals away never to see the light of day again. You have to put specific goals down and rewrite them constantly. I have failed to follow that path over the last 6 months and have seen a difference. I have not accomplished what I really wanted to do. I did not have it in my short term memory as well as my long term. It was not written down, so not thought about.
I like to write down my goals on almost a daily basis and at least once a week. I write what I want to achieve as if I have already achieved it. "I pressed the Beast." I do not stop with just writing the goal, I also write the steps that I took to get there. I not only have the "C" of the equation, I also have the "A + B" written down to get there.
It seems really simple and it is. It is just not easy, but hard is good. If it was easy, why do it? You learn more and accomplish more when there is a struggle to reach the end.
Hardstyle is good!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Basics
This is Tracy Reifkind showing how swings are supposed to be done. They are rock solid. I hope that my swings are this nice one day. I was an assistant at the RKC with her last year and she is really knowledgeable. Tracy is what the RKC is about. She has the Hard Style Swing down.
It is pretty nice that a lot of RKC's are posting about the Program Minimum. Swings and Get Ups are the meat of the RKC. While the snatch has been called the Tsar of Lifts, they really are not what makes the kettlebell work magic.
Swings are a base exercise that set the stage for everything that follows. They teach the proper hip position, power generation and movement for every other movement. The snatch begins with the hip dip and drive that the swing does. Guess what the clean and squat need to work correctly? Hmmm, maybe the swing? It follows that everything we do stems from the swing.
I have gone back to the program minimum for the time being. I have a 12 week plan that is set out already, making it easy to follow. I am doing this to really set the foundation for a better training regimen. I have been banged up with lots of nagging injuries. I have been working swings and TGU's for about 3 weeks now. I have had a lot of improvement in range of motion and some relief of nagging pain. My lower back was stiff and I have added a greater range of motion.
I have also worked through each point of the TGU. I have learned that I have lots of leakage from a loss of focus and inability to tense certain areas. I have really been tensing the glutes on the hip bridge with great results. I am a lot more solid in all positions. I was somewhat wobbly before using more tension in the TGU. There is a lot of work still to do.
We had a camera breakdown last week. I hope to have a new one this week or next. We will be posting kettlebell and martial arts clips as soon as we can.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Not me, But I promised some video!
At least she is doing a decent workout!
We are actually hoping to do some filming tonight. If we do, we will get it up later.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
meandering
Sometimes blogs don't have to really be about anything. Sometimes they have to be about specifics. I think it really is based on what is going on with the blogger on that day. Today might be one of those really meandering ones. There is so much going on these days that no matter where you turn, there is always something that has to be taken care of, a fire to be put out. That is the nature of life in these times I guess. There seems to be so much to see and do, they all seem to be "have to" most of the time. I look at the changes that I have made in my life over the last two years. I left a "secure" job as a Patrol Sgt for a local Police Department to start my own business. I made the choice to be there for my family.
Leave it to me to do that as we entered a massive recession. It has really worked out well in spite of the economy. The business model is great and we have great coaches to help me. We have continued to grow rapidly and flourished. Is it scary at time? Heck yes! I would not change it for the world. We were chosen as Amazing Athletes Franchise of the Year for the last 2 years. It seems we are doing something right. I also do not regret the ability to be there for my family whenever they need me.
I still see areas where we can make changes to ease some of the craziness. We have been watching less T.V. and doing a lot of family activities. We had a Violetea party last week. There was a large group of young ladies and their Moms at the house. It was great! The girls loved it. The two boys had a great time also! We have had lots of reading time together as well as board games. Sometimes just slowing down is the best thing to do.
Having said that, I will be opening up some training slots after Christmas. I will have some time during the day in Plano and evenings in Rockwall. If you are interested email me.
I restarted sets of 20 this week. I am working on program minimum. It is about fixing the basics and moving from there. The Get Ups were rough as I am attempting to hit perfection on each and every movement. I noticed my foot was coming up tonight. I used some tips from Dragon Door to work on that problem. There is lots of great advice on the forums. I never stop learning or trying to improve.
We should have some video up later this week.
Leave it to me to do that as we entered a massive recession. It has really worked out well in spite of the economy. The business model is great and we have great coaches to help me. We have continued to grow rapidly and flourished. Is it scary at time? Heck yes! I would not change it for the world. We were chosen as Amazing Athletes Franchise of the Year for the last 2 years. It seems we are doing something right. I also do not regret the ability to be there for my family whenever they need me.
I still see areas where we can make changes to ease some of the craziness. We have been watching less T.V. and doing a lot of family activities. We had a Violetea party last week. There was a large group of young ladies and their Moms at the house. It was great! The girls loved it. The two boys had a great time also! We have had lots of reading time together as well as board games. Sometimes just slowing down is the best thing to do.
Having said that, I will be opening up some training slots after Christmas. I will have some time during the day in Plano and evenings in Rockwall. If you are interested email me.
I restarted sets of 20 this week. I am working on program minimum. It is about fixing the basics and moving from there. The Get Ups were rough as I am attempting to hit perfection on each and every movement. I noticed my foot was coming up tonight. I used some tips from Dragon Door to work on that problem. There is lots of great advice on the forums. I never stop learning or trying to improve.
We should have some video up later this week.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Kids at Play
It was a semi rough week for training. We had some illness (Strep)at the house that spread to my parents, so training was pushed to the side on Thursday and Friday. This morning was just recovery for everyone. What does that do for my current program? It just puts me a week behind. In the big scheme it is not that big of a deal. I will actually restart where I was last week, sets of 20 instead of 30 or even 40 on swings.
I have found missed workouts are just part of life. I would probably have a real setback if I did not train with children everyday. I have learned so much about training from the kids over the last two years. Children just like to move and play. While structure is needed, sometimes letting them chose what to do makes a world of difference. Children move and function naturally. they do not worry about "correct" movements as defined by trainers at the gym. It is great to watch them run and play with pure joy, it translates into the function that we as adults strive for. I believe that we become so burdened and bound up by training at the fancy gyms that it hampers us. There are all kinds of studies out there that touch on this. I will research some and write up an entry later.
I was on the sidewalk of the correct road at least before I found Pavel and the RKC. I trained heavy with heavy weights and lower reps. I trained compound movements for the majority of my workouts. I stayed away from machines as much as I could. It just did not feel right to use all of the cables and chairs that were at the gym. To sit down and exercise seemed to go against what we are trying to accomplish. There are some exercises were you are seated that make sense to achieve certain goals, seated Kettlebell military presses, but a complete workout seated? Maybe not the best way to do it.
I had a lot more injuries on the sidewalk. I was not using the correct methods to lift. My bench sucked for shoulder safety. I pushed with my shoulders by my ears. It was no wonder I was always hurt. I used crappy form in squats and my knees hurt all of the time. I had so much knee and shoulder pain that surgery was a real possibility on both areas.
What does this have to do with kids at play and their training? Kids are not injured all of the time by their exercise/play. Yes, they fall of the monkey bars, bang heads and fall, but how often are they injured by the exercise? It is something I am researching, but in my training of children, I have observed very few sports type injuries. Those injuries tend to occur when children begin to play organized sports and they are pushed hard to excel. Adults always seem to have nagging little injuries. Maybe we need to remember how we played as kids...
One thing I am seeing more of is video games affecting our kids lives. Children seem to be losing some of the real activity that they need in their lives. I was teaching tennis the other week and had several children that they already knew how to play. Where did they learn? They learned on Wii. It would be funny, but I have had them say it about numerous sports, baseball, football and especially bowling! These same children are the ones that seem to be in the worst shape physically and in some cases emotionally. Exercise and mental well being go hand in hand. The ability to catch and throw does equate with an increased ability to excel in school.
Somewhat of a random, meandering post, but hopefully gives a reason to think about training and also what are kids are doing.
I have found missed workouts are just part of life. I would probably have a real setback if I did not train with children everyday. I have learned so much about training from the kids over the last two years. Children just like to move and play. While structure is needed, sometimes letting them chose what to do makes a world of difference. Children move and function naturally. they do not worry about "correct" movements as defined by trainers at the gym. It is great to watch them run and play with pure joy, it translates into the function that we as adults strive for. I believe that we become so burdened and bound up by training at the fancy gyms that it hampers us. There are all kinds of studies out there that touch on this. I will research some and write up an entry later.
I was on the sidewalk of the correct road at least before I found Pavel and the RKC. I trained heavy with heavy weights and lower reps. I trained compound movements for the majority of my workouts. I stayed away from machines as much as I could. It just did not feel right to use all of the cables and chairs that were at the gym. To sit down and exercise seemed to go against what we are trying to accomplish. There are some exercises were you are seated that make sense to achieve certain goals, seated Kettlebell military presses, but a complete workout seated? Maybe not the best way to do it.
I had a lot more injuries on the sidewalk. I was not using the correct methods to lift. My bench sucked for shoulder safety. I pushed with my shoulders by my ears. It was no wonder I was always hurt. I used crappy form in squats and my knees hurt all of the time. I had so much knee and shoulder pain that surgery was a real possibility on both areas.
What does this have to do with kids at play and their training? Kids are not injured all of the time by their exercise/play. Yes, they fall of the monkey bars, bang heads and fall, but how often are they injured by the exercise? It is something I am researching, but in my training of children, I have observed very few sports type injuries. Those injuries tend to occur when children begin to play organized sports and they are pushed hard to excel. Adults always seem to have nagging little injuries. Maybe we need to remember how we played as kids...
One thing I am seeing more of is video games affecting our kids lives. Children seem to be losing some of the real activity that they need in their lives. I was teaching tennis the other week and had several children that they already knew how to play. Where did they learn? They learned on Wii. It would be funny, but I have had them say it about numerous sports, baseball, football and especially bowling! These same children are the ones that seem to be in the worst shape physically and in some cases emotionally. Exercise and mental well being go hand in hand. The ability to catch and throw does equate with an increased ability to excel in school.
Somewhat of a random, meandering post, but hopefully gives a reason to think about training and also what are kids are doing.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Square one for eating habits
It is the Sunday after Thanksgiving and the gluttony is almost over! I ate like a pig for about four days, but saying that, I did try to be a little more moderate than I have in the past. It worked out pretty well for the most part. I think I only gained 100 pounds or so. I think the weekend opened my eyes to my lack of a good eating plan. I try to eat fairly moderate meals the majority of the time. It does not always work, but nothing works all of the time.
I have looked at the Warrior Diet in the past and tried it for a week. It was not an enjoyable experience for me as I felt sick as a dog the entire time. This article by mc at Begin to Dig is the best look at that system I have seen. I found it as I was reviewing the Warrior Diet to try it again. His Blog is incredible for all of his writings! It showed me why it is not a good choice for me. So along with going back to the drawing board for my training, it is time to fix my eating also.
I really need to go back to eating clean, fresh and organic foods. The entire house ate this way for a long time with great results. It takes a concerted effort to do so as we have lots of activities and seem to be on the road a lot. We have a fund raiser at Chili's tomorrow. that should be fun to figure out how to eat well.That might mean eating food brought from the house during the day and stopping at Sprouts or Herbmart on the way home from the day to cook at the house.
I did train over the Holiday in Tulsa. I did 8 sets of 20 swings and active movement on 1 day and 5 minutes of Get Ups on another day. I also did lots of Joint Mobility, Wall Squats and Pumps to keep the damage to a minimum.
I have looked at the Warrior Diet in the past and tried it for a week. It was not an enjoyable experience for me as I felt sick as a dog the entire time. This article by mc at Begin to Dig is the best look at that system I have seen. I found it as I was reviewing the Warrior Diet to try it again. His Blog is incredible for all of his writings! It showed me why it is not a good choice for me. So along with going back to the drawing board for my training, it is time to fix my eating also.
I really need to go back to eating clean, fresh and organic foods. The entire house ate this way for a long time with great results. It takes a concerted effort to do so as we have lots of activities and seem to be on the road a lot. We have a fund raiser at Chili's tomorrow. that should be fun to figure out how to eat well.That might mean eating food brought from the house during the day and stopping at Sprouts or Herbmart on the way home from the day to cook at the house.
I did train over the Holiday in Tulsa. I did 8 sets of 20 swings and active movement on 1 day and 5 minutes of Get Ups on another day. I also did lots of Joint Mobility, Wall Squats and Pumps to keep the damage to a minimum.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Into the breach once again...
In looking back at all of my training I notice one thing, when I follow a slower path I do much better. I always suffer illness and injury when I go all out from the get go. I have a habit of running full speed at all times and not taking the proper time to work up to it. I even had an argument about taking time to reach the goals of the VWC. His take was you had to hit 50 sets from day one, mine was taking the time to work up to it. Kenneth Jay laid out a steady work schedule that built you up to the 80 x 8 over some time. Never heard from the other guy, now considered an "Expert." but so be it.
The point being, I have decided to step back and complete the program minimum. I have never gone through the entire plan, partly due to be ADD I think. I have set down and written up my plan of attack. I have a path to follow and that makes it a little easier to follow through with. As I tell the Amazing Athletes Coaches, if it is written down, it will get done. I have modified it for my daily activity level by making my active recovery less intense. I am starting out with the 24kg due to my hip flexor injury. I will move to heavier weights when it says to on the plan.
Tonight was pretty good. I started out with Joint Mobility including Halos, Wall Squats and Pumps. I then hit 8 sets of 20 swings with 1 minute of active movement. My hip flexor was a little tight, but not painful. It is a start.
I do plan on Kettlebell training over Thanksgiving. We are taking a break from the Combatives this week. There is no class on Saturday this week.
Here is a great clip from Scientific Wrestling.
The point being, I have decided to step back and complete the program minimum. I have never gone through the entire plan, partly due to be ADD I think. I have set down and written up my plan of attack. I have a path to follow and that makes it a little easier to follow through with. As I tell the Amazing Athletes Coaches, if it is written down, it will get done. I have modified it for my daily activity level by making my active recovery less intense. I am starting out with the 24kg due to my hip flexor injury. I will move to heavier weights when it says to on the plan.
Tonight was pretty good. I started out with Joint Mobility including Halos, Wall Squats and Pumps. I then hit 8 sets of 20 swings with 1 minute of active movement. My hip flexor was a little tight, but not painful. It is a start.
I do plan on Kettlebell training over Thanksgiving. We are taking a break from the Combatives this week. There is no class on Saturday this week.
Here is a great clip from Scientific Wrestling.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Kettlebells And Martial Arts
This is a Dragon Door Clip, but it says what I believe. I have found very few things that go as well with martial arts and combatives as kettlebells. The movements, techniques and patterns mirror what you need for the fight.
I will be putting up videos after Thanksgiving with examples of how Shen Chuan and Kettlebells fit together like Peanut Butter and Jelly.
I have the opportunity to hit two Certs in 2010. I will be at RKCII and CK-FMS. I wish I had attended them earlier, but better late then never. To be ready, I will be setting my training up in a pretty firm block and will document everything starting in January.
We had a great group class this morning.
Swings
10 Swings, 20 Swings x 3 sets
10 Swings x 4 sets
Get ups
1 x 5 Naked
2 x 1 l,r,
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Dang
I started the new program and was pretty excited for the first couple of workouts. I really enjoyed pushing some heavy weights. I think part of the problem is that get so excited and over do it. That coupled with turning 42 last week probably caused me to push harder then I needed to. I have screwed up my hip flexor a little bit. It was not that big of a deal until last night's workout when I was doing heavy squats and double swings. I cannot sit down right now and expect to get up and walk. today was so bad that I was forced to my knees after sitting at my desk and trying to walk.
I am trying to rehab a little with foam roller and massage stick work coupled with high doses of Advil. It is amazing how a little roller work goes a long way. I am also avoiding sitting for long periods. I am typing this standing up with good result.
What is good about all of this? I did get Return Of the Kettlebell book and DVD last night. I figure that I have a couple weeks of being careful and backing off to really study the new material. I am looking forward to getting back on track.
The group class was pretty good this morning. We worked on cleans as practice today before getting into the actual session. The workout today consisted of swings and Get Ups. The swings were set as rung, 10, 15, 20 for 2 ladders. Get Ups were started as "practice" with no weight at first. We really tried hitting perfect points to get the forms right. Tiny weights were added to put a load on the exercise.
Everybody looked pretty good at the end of the day.
I am trying to rehab a little with foam roller and massage stick work coupled with high doses of Advil. It is amazing how a little roller work goes a long way. I am also avoiding sitting for long periods. I am typing this standing up with good result.
What is good about all of this? I did get Return Of the Kettlebell book and DVD last night. I figure that I have a couple weeks of being careful and backing off to really study the new material. I am looking forward to getting back on track.
The group class was pretty good this morning. We worked on cleans as practice today before getting into the actual session. The workout today consisted of swings and Get Ups. The swings were set as rung, 10, 15, 20 for 2 ladders. Get Ups were started as "practice" with no weight at first. We really tried hitting perfect points to get the forms right. Tiny weights were added to put a load on the exercise.
Everybody looked pretty good at the end of the day.
Monday, November 9, 2009
New Program
I have been using the Swing and Get up as my two main exercises for quite a long time and have decided to work with a new program for a few weeks. I will be working off a Mahler program for explosiveness and strength. This is partly to just do something different and partly because I am pretty thin, or so I have been told.
The new program is from Mike Mahler's Aggressive Strength Solutions. I figure that I can follow this for about 4 weeks or so before the next change. I have also ordered Pavel's newest, Return of The Kettlebell. I look forward to following that program for a while. It should correspond well with the RKC II certification. I will be headed to it next summer! I hope to attend CK-FMS after that. I had to think pretty hard about which to attend first. I have more time to train and save if I do it this way.
this is the first two days of what I am working on. I am looking at building explosive strength. I am not using heavy kettlebells for this. I am using 53's for this part and will use some heavier for Thursday and Friday.
Workout on Monday
Quick Clean and Press
8 x 3
Hang Snatch
6 x 3 left and right
Renegade Row
2 x 5
Tuesday
Explosive Lunge
8 x 3
Double swing
6 x 3
Get Up
2 x 3
The new program is from Mike Mahler's Aggressive Strength Solutions. I figure that I can follow this for about 4 weeks or so before the next change. I have also ordered Pavel's newest, Return of The Kettlebell. I look forward to following that program for a while. It should correspond well with the RKC II certification. I will be headed to it next summer! I hope to attend CK-FMS after that. I had to think pretty hard about which to attend first. I have more time to train and save if I do it this way.
this is the first two days of what I am working on. I am looking at building explosive strength. I am not using heavy kettlebells for this. I am using 53's for this part and will use some heavier for Thursday and Friday.
Workout on Monday
Quick Clean and Press
8 x 3
Hang Snatch
6 x 3 left and right
Renegade Row
2 x 5
Tuesday
Explosive Lunge
8 x 3
Double swing
6 x 3
Get Up
2 x 3
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Where does time go?
This is my second attempt at this particular entry. The last entry that was posted was in August. I have had to sit back and evaluate a lot of different things in my business and my training. i refocused on the business and have been driving forward to increase my schools and my students. August through September are always super busy and I had to let some things hang on the sidelines for a little while. The blog was one of them.
I do not teach kettlebells or martial arts as a main business at this time. I continue to run a class and teach individually here and there, but Amazing Athletes is my main focus. I always make openings when I can for training people and will continue to do so. I enjoy teaching and helping others whenever I can.
My own training has been in flux also. I have played with lots of reps and sets and few reps and sets over the last few months. I find that I need to stay around the 5 x 5 program. It allows me to continue to train and improve around my business. I have days that i will run with children for up to 6 hours in a day. That much training takes a toll and pushes me towards burnout and over training really quickly, especially if I am working on Viking Warrior Conditioning and 80 sets of 8. I also like using heavy weights.
I have decided to really work on hitting the blog at least once or twice a week. I am expanding the range of topics from kettlebells and martial arts to includes children's health, politics etc. I guess we will see how it goes.
y workout over the last two weeks or so has been swings and Get Ups. It is hard to beat the basics. It is a four day a week program. Swings are 10 x 10 left and right hand on one day and 5 minutes of get ups on the other day.
The group workout was a tabata based program for 15 rounds. we hit swings, body weight squats, pushups and clean and press. While it was not a strict tabata due to the grinds, it was pretty intense. I worked along with everyone and was tired. I really enjoyed it as the group increases the energy level.
I do not teach kettlebells or martial arts as a main business at this time. I continue to run a class and teach individually here and there, but Amazing Athletes is my main focus. I always make openings when I can for training people and will continue to do so. I enjoy teaching and helping others whenever I can.
My own training has been in flux also. I have played with lots of reps and sets and few reps and sets over the last few months. I find that I need to stay around the 5 x 5 program. It allows me to continue to train and improve around my business. I have days that i will run with children for up to 6 hours in a day. That much training takes a toll and pushes me towards burnout and over training really quickly, especially if I am working on Viking Warrior Conditioning and 80 sets of 8. I also like using heavy weights.
I have decided to really work on hitting the blog at least once or twice a week. I am expanding the range of topics from kettlebells and martial arts to includes children's health, politics etc. I guess we will see how it goes.
y workout over the last two weeks or so has been swings and Get Ups. It is hard to beat the basics. It is a four day a week program. Swings are 10 x 10 left and right hand on one day and 5 minutes of get ups on the other day.
The group workout was a tabata based program for 15 rounds. we hit swings, body weight squats, pushups and clean and press. While it was not a strict tabata due to the grinds, it was pretty intense. I worked along with everyone and was tired. I really enjoyed it as the group increases the energy level.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Not just exercising our bodies
I have stayed away from lots of touchy subjects on this blog. Part of it was based on the fact that I was going to use it as a vehicle for my kettlebell and martial arts business. The fact is that I do those two things for the pure joy of it. I teach because I have a passion for helping others reach their full abilities. I exercise because I want to be alive as long as possible to be a thorn in the sides of family, friends, etc. I will continue to train people, put up stupid videos, and run my pie hole. I have decided to broaden my pie hole running to lots of things, including standing up for what I believe in.
We need to open up our eyes and minds. I believe that we need to use our voices in the ways that the Founding Fathers expected us to. They created an incredible document that ranks right up there with the Bible in importance to the world and this Country. Major Garrett is a voice of reason and truth in this clip.
We need to open up our eyes and minds. I believe that we need to use our voices in the ways that the Founding Fathers expected us to. They created an incredible document that ranks right up there with the Bible in importance to the world and this Country. Major Garrett is a voice of reason and truth in this clip.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Class Opportunity part 2
I was recently reading discussions on Dragon Door and lo and behold a discussion on other Kettlebell certifications was listed! The link is http://kbforum.dragondoor.com/kettlebells-strength-conditioning-forum/136803-crossfit.html.
Once again, there are a lot of other certifications out there, but one stands head and shoulders above the other and that is Pavel and the RKC!
I will be teaching a six week kettlebell program starting September 1st. The class will be in Rockwall. The weather is usually great and the class will be outdoors. We will be focusing on an Enter The Kettlebell based training module. This is a great chance to learn the correct way to use the kettlebell. There is a discount until August 15th so early registration is best. I will be limiting the class to 10 people. It will be Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm and Saturday mornings at 8am.
Once again, there are a lot of other certifications out there, but one stands head and shoulders above the other and that is Pavel and the RKC!
I will be teaching a six week kettlebell program starting September 1st. The class will be in Rockwall. The weather is usually great and the class will be outdoors. We will be focusing on an Enter The Kettlebell based training module. This is a great chance to learn the correct way to use the kettlebell. There is a discount until August 15th so early registration is best. I will be limiting the class to 10 people. It will be Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6pm and Saturday mornings at 8am.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Class Opportunity
It is pretty interesting how many people are teaching kettlebells lately. I was recently told about a new local program in my area. I was even given a flyer for the class. It is being held at a location that I had an earlier opportunity to teach at. I have had numerous offers and chances to teach kettlebells in my area. I have always resisted teaching because of Amazing Athletes and my desire to spend time with my family.
I love kettlebells and the RKC. Kettlebells and Pavel helped me transform my body and my way of life. I teach kettlebells to a only few people because they have the same passion as I do. That does not mean that I have not worked with others, I have worked with people that were determined to teach kettlebells without the proper training. I did not want anyone to be hurt. They were going to teach anyway, so at least I was hoping to help people downstream.
What does this have to do with this post? I really was struck by the tag line of the flyer, "It is not about perfection. It's about progress." I think that is the wrong way to look at it. Progress occurs as you strive for perfection. That is the beauty of the RKC. It is a school of strength were perfection is part and parcel of the methods and tools. The RKC is one of the few training programs were you can fail. If you fail you do not receive your certification, pretty plain and simple The RKC is also 3 days of hard work and learning. The RKC is not some easy, "gimme" certification. That is why I believe in it. It is earned through hard work and a drive for perfection. Why do something if you are not striving for perfection. You are training to be the best you can, not just making a small improvement. If you are not striving perfection, what is your measuring stick? The search for perfection is a way to determine long range plans and goals. That search is what drives and keeps you motivated and on track for your journey.
Once again, what does this have to do with this post? I am going to start a regular class/series on September 1st, in Rockwall. I am going to start with a 6 week program on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Preregistration fee is 150.00 for individuals and 225.00 for two. The early registration price is good until August 15th after that the price will go up to $200 and $275.00 Please contact me for information at brittstrainingsystems@gmail.com. I will be putting up online registration in the next couple of days.
Contact me if you have any questions or want to preregister.
I love kettlebells and the RKC. Kettlebells and Pavel helped me transform my body and my way of life. I teach kettlebells to a only few people because they have the same passion as I do. That does not mean that I have not worked with others, I have worked with people that were determined to teach kettlebells without the proper training. I did not want anyone to be hurt. They were going to teach anyway, so at least I was hoping to help people downstream.
What does this have to do with this post? I really was struck by the tag line of the flyer, "It is not about perfection. It's about progress." I think that is the wrong way to look at it. Progress occurs as you strive for perfection. That is the beauty of the RKC. It is a school of strength were perfection is part and parcel of the methods and tools. The RKC is one of the few training programs were you can fail. If you fail you do not receive your certification, pretty plain and simple The RKC is also 3 days of hard work and learning. The RKC is not some easy, "gimme" certification. That is why I believe in it. It is earned through hard work and a drive for perfection. Why do something if you are not striving for perfection. You are training to be the best you can, not just making a small improvement. If you are not striving perfection, what is your measuring stick? The search for perfection is a way to determine long range plans and goals. That search is what drives and keeps you motivated and on track for your journey.
Once again, what does this have to do with this post? I am going to start a regular class/series on September 1st, in Rockwall. I am going to start with a 6 week program on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Preregistration fee is 150.00 for individuals and 225.00 for two. The early registration price is good until August 15th after that the price will go up to $200 and $275.00 Please contact me for information at brittstrainingsystems@gmail.com. I will be putting up online registration in the next couple of days.
Contact me if you have any questions or want to preregister.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Worth working towards
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The goal of fitness is to have a healthy, long life. It is to be able to move and function as well as possible for as long as possible. I always say that I am not going to go quietly, but fight tooth and nail to avoid going any earlier then I have to. This lady shows what can be achieved.
That is why I was outside working out as the thermometer finally started to dip below 100. It took until about 9pm to finally drop to a point where I felt half way decent. I was still so tired afterwards that I was dragging and ended up stubbing my toe. The hazards of training barefoot and tired. It was a great session anyway. I thought that I was in good shape after Viking Warrior Conditioning, but have realized that the Program Minimum is an awesome tool in the kit.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Back to Basics 2
I have been back at Enter the Kettlebell for the second week. I actually can tell a difference already. It might be from the change in programs or it could be that the basics work. Even though I am an RKC, I can stand to work at the skills and techniques that I teach. There is nothing like crappy instructor form to ruin a good class and get someone hurt.
I really like having a Flip camera to evaluate my technique. I have the swings and squats down pretty well. It is almost machine like when I am working them. My get ups and presses are crap, plain and simple. I continue to have issues with shoulder tightness and a lack of flexibility. I have made some improvements, but there are still a few issues. It gives me something to work on for the next year till I attend the CK-FMS. I have made quite a large improvement in my Get Up form since the last workout. I was not holding the KB vertical and was able to see this on video. I also had my elbow bent. This workout was recorded and my shoulders were down, the KB was much closer to vertical until I went into the hip heist position. I think that after a few more videotaped workouts it should be a much better exercise.
I finished off the evening with RKC Armbars to work a little harder on shoulder mobility. I think that coupled with Joint Mobility drills will go far in fixing my lack of shoulder mobility. I have also picked up Secrets of the Shoulder and will implement a lot of that into my practice.
I really like having a Flip camera to evaluate my technique. I have the swings and squats down pretty well. It is almost machine like when I am working them. My get ups and presses are crap, plain and simple. I continue to have issues with shoulder tightness and a lack of flexibility. I have made some improvements, but there are still a few issues. It gives me something to work on for the next year till I attend the CK-FMS. I have made quite a large improvement in my Get Up form since the last workout. I was not holding the KB vertical and was able to see this on video. I also had my elbow bent. This workout was recorded and my shoulders were down, the KB was much closer to vertical until I went into the hip heist position. I think that after a few more videotaped workouts it should be a much better exercise.
I finished off the evening with RKC Armbars to work a little harder on shoulder mobility. I think that coupled with Joint Mobility drills will go far in fixing my lack of shoulder mobility. I have also picked up Secrets of the Shoulder and will implement a lot of that into my practice.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Back to the Basics
I have pushed my training pretty hard over the last few months. I have had some nagging little pains and issues lately that are the result of over training(again). I even suffered a spasm in my lower back this weekend, something that has not happened in 2 years. It is pretty easy to over train with all of the teaching I have been doing over the last year. I decided to time off as of last Wednesday and evaluate where I need to go next in my personal training.
It has been long time since I set down and looked at what exercises really set the stage for great returns on training. I spent the last few days really going back over all of the massive amounts of material that I have acquired over the years of KB training and it was clear what I needed to do. Damn that Evil Russian! It came down to going back to the basics, Enter The Kettlebell! Once again, Pavel's genius shines through the darkness to lead the way.
What I have found once again is the power of swings and Get-Ups. The swing is a great foundation for rehabbing and correcting those ills we suffer as members of modern society. The core and posterior chain tends to suffer from our sitting around all day in meetings, drives and entertainment choices. It would not be that big of a deal if we knew how to just get moving. What does the swing do? It requires you to utilize those areas that are atrophying due to lack of use. It adds strength to the core, reducing back pain and rebuilding flexibility. Oh yeah, it burns lots of fat off the body as a perk!
The Get Up as taught by Gray Cook and Bret Jones is an assessment, rehab and strength building gem! The Get Up strengthens every muscle in the body. It builds flexibility, stability and allows you to develop mobility through proper body mechanics. It is almost magical in what it can do. It places a heavy load on the entire body with a reduced risk of injury. It is a basic move that every person performs everyday! The week or so that I worked Get Ups prior to taking time off went a long way toward fixing some shoulder and arm issues that I have been experiencing.
I am looking at a 12 week cycle of the ETK Program minimum. I started it tonight with swings. I began with 3 x 10 sets of Wall Squats, Halos and Pumps. I figured if I was going back to the basics, why not go all the way. I hit 4 sets of 20 swings coupled with 1 minute of movement, i.e. burpees, mountain climbers, side straddle hop for 12 minutes of training. Relax into Stretch finished it off for tonight. Tomorrow will be Get-Ups. Lets see how this goes.
I
It has been long time since I set down and looked at what exercises really set the stage for great returns on training. I spent the last few days really going back over all of the massive amounts of material that I have acquired over the years of KB training and it was clear what I needed to do. Damn that Evil Russian! It came down to going back to the basics, Enter The Kettlebell! Once again, Pavel's genius shines through the darkness to lead the way.
What I have found once again is the power of swings and Get-Ups. The swing is a great foundation for rehabbing and correcting those ills we suffer as members of modern society. The core and posterior chain tends to suffer from our sitting around all day in meetings, drives and entertainment choices. It would not be that big of a deal if we knew how to just get moving. What does the swing do? It requires you to utilize those areas that are atrophying due to lack of use. It adds strength to the core, reducing back pain and rebuilding flexibility. Oh yeah, it burns lots of fat off the body as a perk!
The Get Up as taught by Gray Cook and Bret Jones is an assessment, rehab and strength building gem! The Get Up strengthens every muscle in the body. It builds flexibility, stability and allows you to develop mobility through proper body mechanics. It is almost magical in what it can do. It places a heavy load on the entire body with a reduced risk of injury. It is a basic move that every person performs everyday! The week or so that I worked Get Ups prior to taking time off went a long way toward fixing some shoulder and arm issues that I have been experiencing.
I am looking at a 12 week cycle of the ETK Program minimum. I started it tonight with swings. I began with 3 x 10 sets of Wall Squats, Halos and Pumps. I figured if I was going back to the basics, why not go all the way. I hit 4 sets of 20 swings coupled with 1 minute of movement, i.e. burpees, mountain climbers, side straddle hop for 12 minutes of training. Relax into Stretch finished it off for tonight. Tomorrow will be Get-Ups. Lets see how this goes.
I
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Playing Hit and Miss
It has been a crazy few weeks of training. I have been fairly consistent, but in no way as consistent as I would like. I injured my shoulder and right arm doing heavy pullups with the 88. It set me back a few weeks on my goals as the injury kept me from being able to turn my wrist. I was able to work on VO2 Max and Get ups. In some ways the injury helped me. i was forced to evaluate my techniques and really focus on my Get Up form. I noticed that it actually helped my shoulder. It did that through the mobility and flexibility inherent in Hard Style. The T-Spine mobility that is stressed in Kalos Thenos created a distinct release of my upper neck and shoulder. There was an immediate lessening of the pain and dysfunction that I had been experiencing. This coupled with Joint Mobility and some Z Health has made this heal much faster then I thought.
I have decided to open up some training time again. I have had quite a few people ask me to start training people again. I have some lunch time and afternoons open if interested. I am also doing some online training if that works better. Please email me at brittstrainingsystems@gmail.com if interested. I am still running group classes on Saturdays and we are going to start a 6 week program on the 11th. we have room to add more people.
I have decided to open up some training time again. I have had quite a few people ask me to start training people again. I have some lunch time and afternoons open if interested. I am also doing some online training if that works better. Please email me at brittstrainingsystems@gmail.com if interested. I am still running group classes on Saturdays and we are going to start a 6 week program on the 11th. we have room to add more people.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Once again, I have failed to blog. Bad Paul!
I came across this clip this morning and thought it was pretty cool.
The workouts have not been as good as they have been. I have a nagging injury in my forearm that causes me to not be able to rotate my hand well. I am able to hit VO2 Max and Get-Ups and have been really working on those two exercises. I have also been a wuss and have been training indoors the last couple of weeks. I hate being a wimp, but it has been warm in the garage!
The workouts have not been as good as they have been. I have a nagging injury in my forearm that causes me to not be able to rotate my hand well. I am able to hit VO2 Max and Get-Ups and have been really working on those two exercises. I have also been a wuss and have been training indoors the last couple of weeks. I hate being a wimp, but it has been warm in the garage!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
I have been looking back at my posts and I realize that it has been pretty sporadic lately. If that was not enough of a clue, my best buddy told me I have been crappy at posting. No excuses other than I am trying to explode my main business, which is happening. I love training adults, but helping out kids is really fun. What a great thing it is to help kids develop great fundamentals and healthy habits. That being said, there should not be any kids reading this stuff.
I picked up a mew camera the other day and started playing with it. I can now see what I was doing wrong at the RKC. I am not fully locking out my right elbow. I am working on that through the use of video. I wish that I had started this earlier, it would have prevented a bad habit from developing. I have come to see that video taping can help with how I do and how I teach techniques.
I will be putting video up now more consistently and of a greater variety. I have been asked to put up the group workouts also and may videotape the exercises. The Shen Chuan has been going really well. We have been hitting our groundwork phase and everyone is progressing well. I would love to get out to Salt Lake City to train with Jake Shannon really put some catch wrestling into the mix. We already do quite a bit as Joe Lansdale's father was a carnival wrestler back in the day. Joe hurts you with his stuff!
I have started showing more of my edged weapon stuff in class. i am honing it up in the hopes of teaching a class in the DFW area at a local knife makers place. I hope to meet up with him soon, now that I have some time during the day. I am picking up one of his blades in the near future.
I have gone back to Viking Warrior Conditioning and really love it. I think that it is the way to train. I do not see any cardio program giving you the same benefits, especially in as short a time period. I have dropped down to the 16kg and really want to own the program. It has gone better this time around as I have more rest lately. I am coupling it with a 3 x 3 program of basics - Military Press, Squats and Pullups.
This weeks group training was:
3 x 3 clean and press
3 x 3 squat
3 x 3 row
3 x 3 windmill
I had everyone use a heavier weight then normal. There were several people that were shocked by the weights they were able to handle. I had two people really own the next weight up! Go Jaqui!
Awesome Submission
MMA Submission Of The Year - Watch more Funny Videos
I picked up a mew camera the other day and started playing with it. I can now see what I was doing wrong at the RKC. I am not fully locking out my right elbow. I am working on that through the use of video. I wish that I had started this earlier, it would have prevented a bad habit from developing. I have come to see that video taping can help with how I do and how I teach techniques.
I will be putting video up now more consistently and of a greater variety. I have been asked to put up the group workouts also and may videotape the exercises. The Shen Chuan has been going really well. We have been hitting our groundwork phase and everyone is progressing well. I would love to get out to Salt Lake City to train with Jake Shannon really put some catch wrestling into the mix. We already do quite a bit as Joe Lansdale's father was a carnival wrestler back in the day. Joe hurts you with his stuff!
I have started showing more of my edged weapon stuff in class. i am honing it up in the hopes of teaching a class in the DFW area at a local knife makers place. I hope to meet up with him soon, now that I have some time during the day. I am picking up one of his blades in the near future.
I have gone back to Viking Warrior Conditioning and really love it. I think that it is the way to train. I do not see any cardio program giving you the same benefits, especially in as short a time period. I have dropped down to the 16kg and really want to own the program. It has gone better this time around as I have more rest lately. I am coupling it with a 3 x 3 program of basics - Military Press, Squats and Pullups.
This weeks group training was:
3 x 3 clean and press
3 x 3 squat
3 x 3 row
3 x 3 windmill
I had everyone use a heavier weight then normal. There were several people that were shocked by the weights they were able to handle. I had two people really own the next weight up! Go Jaqui!
Awesome Submission
MMA Submission Of The Year - Watch more Funny Videos
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Don't do this at home!
Sometimes you have to wonder how people have become certified as trainers. I would love to know the reasoning that went along with this exercise. At some point they had to think, "Hey, this would be cool!"
I have never seen anything so out in left field. The potential for injury and a lack of common sense is astounding. I really can't say enough...
Training has been going pretty well lately. I have started a 5 x 5 program for a 6-8 week period. I love Kenneth Jay's Viking Warrior Conditioning, but had to take a break. I was burned out from just training 6 hours or more a day. It is a nice change and gives me a chance to work on double kettlebell drills for a while.
I have stopped taking on new clients lately. I have been really busy with my main focus, Amazing Athletes. I am not planning on having any workshops until maybe July or August.We have had some great opportunities to reach young kids with the message of fitness and we are trying to make the best of it. There is such a large percentage of overweight kids, that anything that reaches them is a positive.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
reaching for the dream...
I try to keep things positive on this blog. I also live my life that way. I always try to reach higher and achieve what I want to achieve. It is really cool to find examples of people breaking from their shell to work at achieving their dreams. This lady is positive and has great talent, she just needed an outlet. I wish I could sing...
Susan Boyle Stuns Crowd with Epic Singing - Watch more Funny Videos
Susan Boyle Stuns Crowd with Epic Singing - Watch more Funny Videos
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Overtraining
I tend to walk a fine line between sane training and over training. I run and teach so many kids classes during the day that I am always somewhat tired. I often find that the best way to teach kids is to model the skill, behavior or action that they need to do. It can take a toll on the body after a little while. I also changed the sequence of my training. I was doing VO2 Max on day 1 with strength day on the 2nd. I flip flopped the days and have been doing lots of Get Ups on day 1 and VO2 max on Day 2. It seems to wear me down a little faster. I know I have been doing upwards of 25 minutes of Get Ups. That is way to many Get Ups. I start out without weight and move to kettlebells without a break.
I went out tonight to practice VO2 Max and after 10 sets, I could not get into the rhythm. I decided to cut it short this week and just recover and start next week with a more intelligent plan of action. I am putting VO2 Max on Day 1 and a lot fewer Get Ups. I really love Get Ups, but will be using more weight and probably hitting 3-5 reps a set.
This is a case of rather be lucky then good. Capoeira actually worked!
EMBED-Insane Capoeira Knockout - Watch more free videos
I went out tonight to practice VO2 Max and after 10 sets, I could not get into the rhythm. I decided to cut it short this week and just recover and start next week with a more intelligent plan of action. I am putting VO2 Max on Day 1 and a lot fewer Get Ups. I really love Get Ups, but will be using more weight and probably hitting 3-5 reps a set.
This is a case of rather be lucky then good. Capoeira actually worked!
EMBED-Insane Capoeira Knockout - Watch more free videos
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Get Up
We have been working the get up a bunch. I feel that it is one of the best exercises that you can do. I really like what the RKC has done with it in conjunction with Gray Cook and Brett Jones MRKC. This is a clip from Dr. Mark Cheng's group in LA. It shows a pretty good Get Up.
I also like using other martial artists doing kettlebells as they are a great tool for improving skills and techniques. It is amazing how many of the movements that fighters make have a corresponding pattern in kettlebells.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Great Takedown
Here is a great lesson on the ankle pick. It is a move that works really well in the real world as well as the mat. They do a great job of demonstrating and explaining it!
I have stepped back a little on my workouts. I have been working the Get Up and moved back to the 16kg in the VO2 Max. I highly recommend Dragon Doors two newest titles, Kalos Sthenos and Viking warrior Conditioning. I feel that they will change the way we look at training. I am on board and will post more on it later this week.
I have stepped back a little on my workouts. I have been working the Get Up and moved back to the 16kg in the VO2 Max. I highly recommend Dragon Doors two newest titles, Kalos Sthenos and Viking warrior Conditioning. I feel that they will change the way we look at training. I am on board and will post more on it later this week.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Awesome Knives
I was at a knife store yesterday, Cutlery Collection, at Willow Bend in Plano. They have a really nice collection of knives of all types. I was lucky enough to meet Brad Duncan at the store. Brad makes some awesome knives and has been featured in American Handgunner and Tactical Knives. I read the original article in Tactical Knives and always kept an eye out for Duncan Knives at gun shows and knife stores. Cutlery Collection had a great selection and I had made two trips in to try and see them, but they were busy each time. The third trip in, I asked to see a Duncan and was told the man was there also. Brad is a great guy and his work is beautiful. His attention to detail is readily apparent. The blades roll out smoothly and lock in really tight. the handle fit your hand well, even the larger handles are well shaped. I have small hands and they still handled well.
He had several large blades and recently built some some more normal size blades as recession busters. If you are in the market for great blades, he is the man to buy from. I pretty much sent messages to all of my students and others that I have trained or train with that Duncan Knives were the tool of choice. I love my karambit, but will be carrying a Duncan in the near future. they are well built and well worth the price. Like I tell my guys, "Don't carry cheap crap you won't bet your life on."
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Workouts Lately
I realized that I had not been keeping track of my workouts lately. I recently started to use the 24kg for the VO2 max program and reaalized that I lost track of how many sets I was supposed to do. I am moving pretty slowly as the 24kg makes a big difference over the 16kg, both in effort and hand destruction. i am not in a hurry as I set the goal of 80 sets of 8 as my year end goal. My six month goal, June, is 40 sets of 8 with the 24kg.
My strength days are going pretty well lately. I am following a light, medium, heavy program. I have decided to add sets until I probably get 6 sets of 3. Tomorrow is a heavy day and I will be pushing, pulling and squating the 40kg. I realized that I was failing to stay tense on my squats and fixed that issue. It had made a difference, the squats just pop now! Pavel is right again!
This guy's form is so bad, the kick was well deserved.
Worst Nutshot Timing Ever - Watch more Funny Videos
My strength days are going pretty well lately. I am following a light, medium, heavy program. I have decided to add sets until I probably get 6 sets of 3. Tomorrow is a heavy day and I will be pushing, pulling and squating the 40kg. I realized that I was failing to stay tense on my squats and fixed that issue. It had made a difference, the squats just pop now! Pavel is right again!
This guy's form is so bad, the kick was well deserved.
Worst Nutshot Timing Ever - Watch more Funny Videos
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
It has been a busy couple of weeks. I have been working on Amazing Athletes almost exclusively. I was also sick for about 2 weeks and did not really do any training of my own. I continued to train the group and individuals and those have gone really well. The last two weeks have been spent working on VO2 Max with the groups. I really love this protocol and it is a fun program. We are taking it slow in the group and we are slowly headed towards 40 sets. In my own training, I hit 30 sets with the 24kg this week. It has been a big step up from the 16kg, not only in physical exertion, but my hands have taken a beating. It is all good now and seems to have built up enough callousing to protect them. I will not head off on my chalk tangent, but I do not use it and that helps a lot.
Now that we know how to get the videos online, we will be adding some more soon. The last week or so we have worked on chair techniques. I think that we will put some of those up on the blog. It is a good idea to look at self-defense from every position you might be in if you are assaulted.
Here is a great DVD from Scientific Wrestling. They are the best source for Catch Wrestling and painful submissions! Jake Shannon is an incredible source of info. I recommend that everybody that likes grappling sign up for Scientific Wrestling. I have this DVD and it is a great training tool.
Now that we know how to get the videos online, we will be adding some more soon. The last week or so we have worked on chair techniques. I think that we will put some of those up on the blog. It is a good idea to look at self-defense from every position you might be in if you are assaulted.
Here is a great DVD from Scientific Wrestling. They are the best source for Catch Wrestling and painful submissions! Jake Shannon is an incredible source of info. I recommend that everybody that likes grappling sign up for Scientific Wrestling. I have this DVD and it is a great training tool.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Balance Disruption
This is from a friend's upcoming DVD. Mike Casto is a fellow Shen Chuan person as well as Sikal guy. If you have a chance to train with him, Jump on it!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Kids need fitness too!
Study finds preschoolers not active enough
By Shari Roan Tribune Newspapers
February 8, 2009
Preschool-age children seem to be always on the go. Or maybe not. A study of 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds in preschool has found that these children are anything but physically active, even during playtime outdoors.The research should unsettle parents and health professionals. An estimated 60 percent of the nation's 3- to 5-year-olds who are not in kindergarten are enrolled in center-based preschools, and previous studies show more than one-quarter of children age 3 to 5 are already at risk of becoming overweight. Climbing ladders, steering toy cars and riding tricycles would seem to be perfect preschool activity. But the study, of 539 children in 24 preschools, found that 89 percent of the children's day was characterized as sedentary. Even when the children played outside, 56 percent of the activity was sedentary, 27 percent was light physical activity and only 17 percent was moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.The teachers rarely encouraged the children to be more active, said the lead author of the study, Russell Pate of the University of South Carolina. In another paper by Pate that is awaiting publication, he found that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was observed in the children during only 3 percent of the day — not including nap time.
Preschool-age children should get 120 minutes per day of physical activity, according to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.
By Shari Roan Tribune Newspapers
February 8, 2009
Preschool-age children seem to be always on the go. Or maybe not. A study of 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds in preschool has found that these children are anything but physically active, even during playtime outdoors.The research should unsettle parents and health professionals. An estimated 60 percent of the nation's 3- to 5-year-olds who are not in kindergarten are enrolled in center-based preschools, and previous studies show more than one-quarter of children age 3 to 5 are already at risk of becoming overweight. Climbing ladders, steering toy cars and riding tricycles would seem to be perfect preschool activity. But the study, of 539 children in 24 preschools, found that 89 percent of the children's day was characterized as sedentary. Even when the children played outside, 56 percent of the activity was sedentary, 27 percent was light physical activity and only 17 percent was moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.The teachers rarely encouraged the children to be more active, said the lead author of the study, Russell Pate of the University of South Carolina. In another paper by Pate that is awaiting publication, he found that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was observed in the children during only 3 percent of the day — not including nap time.
Preschool-age children should get 120 minutes per day of physical activity, according to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Better Late Then Never
The group workout went really well this last Saturday. It was the first workout in two weeks due to me not feeling well the weekend before. I ended up taking a week off to recover and started back last week myself. The group workout was 1 minute work, 1 minute rest.
Swing
Squat
Tactical Lunge
Military press alternating sides
Swings
Slingshot
Swings
Squats
Military press
We finished off with 2 minutes of snatches just for fun!
My workouts were OK last week. I decided to hit VO2 Max again using the 24kg. I am on a 6 rep pace for now. Last week was 20 sets. I hit strength with light press, double squat and pullups and medium weight on my next strength day only doing 3 sets of 3 reps.
Tonight I hit 30 sets of 6 reps and will hit my heavy strength day with the 40kg's.
Swing
Squat
Tactical Lunge
Military press alternating sides
Swings
Slingshot
Swings
Squats
Military press
We finished off with 2 minutes of snatches just for fun!
My workouts were OK last week. I decided to hit VO2 Max again using the 24kg. I am on a 6 rep pace for now. Last week was 20 sets. I hit strength with light press, double squat and pullups and medium weight on my next strength day only doing 3 sets of 3 reps.
Tonight I hit 30 sets of 6 reps and will hit my heavy strength day with the 40kg's.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Corn, Corn and More Corn
Fast Food: Just Another Name for Corn
By Brandon Keim November 10, 2008 7:17:01 PMCategories: Food and Drink
From WIRED Science
That the $100-billion fast food industry rests on a foundation of corn has been known more through inference and observation than hard scientific fact — until now.
Chemical analysis from restaurants across the United States shows that nearly every cow or chicken used in fast food is raised on a diet of corn, prompting fresh criticism of the government's role in subsidizing poor eating habits.
"People had talked about what they observed or found out about, as individual journalists or individual consumers," said University of Hawaii geobiologist and study co-author A. Hope Jahren. But anecdotes do not add up to scientific proof, she said. "We got national data on how this food is being produced. It's very objective."
Corn is central to agriculture in the United States, where it is grown in greater volumes and receives more government subsidies than any other crop. Between 1995 and 2006 corn growers received $56 billion in federal subsidies, and the annual figure may soon hit $10 billion.
But in recent years, environmentalists have branded corn as an icon of unsustainable agriculture. It requires large amounts of fertilizer and pesticides, both of which require large amounts of fossil fuel to manufacture.
Most of the resulting corn is fed to livestock who didn't evolve to subsist entirely on corn. In cattle, eating corn increases flatulence emissions of methane — a potent greenhouse gas — and creates an intestinal environment rich in e. coli, a common cause of food poisoning. That necessitates mixing cow feed with antibiotics, in turn producing antibiotic-resistant disease strains.
Many of those livestock end up in high-calorie, low-nutrition franchised fast foods, which have been repeatedly linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Fast food's biggest selling point is its low price — and that, say industry critics, is largely possible because of corn's ubiquitous cheapness.
"We're seeing that corn is the number-one reason that fast food is so cheap and available," said Meredith Niles, a food policy analyst at the Center for Food Safety who was not involved in the study. "U.S. programs are subsidizing obesity in this country."
Jahren's team analyzed hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and french fries from multiple McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's restaurants in six U.S. cities. In both types of meat at every location, a telltale configuration of nitrogen and carbon traces showed that the animals had eaten corn-heavy diets; in the case of beef, 150 out of 162 samples came from animals that ate nothing but corn. Fries were prepared in corn-based oil.
The results weren't surprising, said New York University food studies expert Marion Nestle, but underscored the fact that "most people aren't aware of the extent to which corn ingredients permeate the food supply."
Nutrition aside, Jahren urged consumers to consider the implications of what they eat. "When you give a nickel to fast food, invariably it goes right back to the corn industry," she said.
For Niles, the results are a political challenge.
"We have a new President taking his place in the White House. It's a great opportunity to rearrange agricultural policy and to think about obesity," she said. "This study shows that it comes down in a lot of ways to one product."
By Brandon Keim November 10, 2008 7:17:01 PMCategories: Food and Drink
From WIRED Science
That the $100-billion fast food industry rests on a foundation of corn has been known more through inference and observation than hard scientific fact — until now.
Chemical analysis from restaurants across the United States shows that nearly every cow or chicken used in fast food is raised on a diet of corn, prompting fresh criticism of the government's role in subsidizing poor eating habits.
"People had talked about what they observed or found out about, as individual journalists or individual consumers," said University of Hawaii geobiologist and study co-author A. Hope Jahren. But anecdotes do not add up to scientific proof, she said. "We got national data on how this food is being produced. It's very objective."
Corn is central to agriculture in the United States, where it is grown in greater volumes and receives more government subsidies than any other crop. Between 1995 and 2006 corn growers received $56 billion in federal subsidies, and the annual figure may soon hit $10 billion.
But in recent years, environmentalists have branded corn as an icon of unsustainable agriculture. It requires large amounts of fertilizer and pesticides, both of which require large amounts of fossil fuel to manufacture.
Most of the resulting corn is fed to livestock who didn't evolve to subsist entirely on corn. In cattle, eating corn increases flatulence emissions of methane — a potent greenhouse gas — and creates an intestinal environment rich in e. coli, a common cause of food poisoning. That necessitates mixing cow feed with antibiotics, in turn producing antibiotic-resistant disease strains.
Many of those livestock end up in high-calorie, low-nutrition franchised fast foods, which have been repeatedly linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Fast food's biggest selling point is its low price — and that, say industry critics, is largely possible because of corn's ubiquitous cheapness.
"We're seeing that corn is the number-one reason that fast food is so cheap and available," said Meredith Niles, a food policy analyst at the Center for Food Safety who was not involved in the study. "U.S. programs are subsidizing obesity in this country."
Jahren's team analyzed hamburgers, chicken sandwiches and french fries from multiple McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's restaurants in six U.S. cities. In both types of meat at every location, a telltale configuration of nitrogen and carbon traces showed that the animals had eaten corn-heavy diets; in the case of beef, 150 out of 162 samples came from animals that ate nothing but corn. Fries were prepared in corn-based oil.
The results weren't surprising, said New York University food studies expert Marion Nestle, but underscored the fact that "most people aren't aware of the extent to which corn ingredients permeate the food supply."
Nutrition aside, Jahren urged consumers to consider the implications of what they eat. "When you give a nickel to fast food, invariably it goes right back to the corn industry," she said.
For Niles, the results are a political challenge.
"We have a new President taking his place in the White House. It's a great opportunity to rearrange agricultural policy and to think about obesity," she said. "This study shows that it comes down in a lot of ways to one product."
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Great Workout
Here is the workout of the week. Follow this and you will be in the best shape of your life!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Fake stuff revealed
If you look at each attempt, the boards are sinking because of weight. It was just a matter of time to full break through based on that.
Mind Break Is A Fake - Watch more free videos
Mind Break Is A Fake - Watch more free videos
Sunday, February 1, 2009
General musings
I have been finding how how much kettlebells and martial arts, Hard Style and RKC in general are truly a "peanut butter and jelly and a baseball bat" mixing. In our training we are constantly referring to a corresponding kb movement. Take downs are often referenced as the hip snap from swings, throws are the hip movement from the windmill. I often show traps and locks as they fit with cleans. I think rather than write it, we will put some of our video up next week.
We had a pretty good group workout this week. We started out with Joint Mobility and then started the fun. I decided to teach one legged deadlift after two sets of swings for warmup. We worked very low reps as this was practice, not the workout. It was then time for the workout. We hit 20/10 for 8 rounds. It was pretty intense for the majority of the class. Once we were done with that it was cool down/practice. We worked on refining those skills we have learned in the pass. The only new variation that was added was the explosive clean from the ground. The kettlebell is placed behind you on the ground and you have to really generate some power to move it. Overall it was a pretty productive training session.
I saved my training for late night. I am old and don't seem to have a need to be out late on a Saturday night. I have been working a 5 x 5 style program, but hit a light, moderate, heavy plan. Last night's workout was:
Swing
squat
windmill
row
clean and press
I used the 88's last night and feel it today. Overall I felt pretty strong and will follow this workout for the next 2 weeks or so.
Just when I start feeling froggy... Adam is damn strong! He posted this after I was done for the day.
We had a pretty good group workout this week. We started out with Joint Mobility and then started the fun. I decided to teach one legged deadlift after two sets of swings for warmup. We worked very low reps as this was practice, not the workout. It was then time for the workout. We hit 20/10 for 8 rounds. It was pretty intense for the majority of the class. Once we were done with that it was cool down/practice. We worked on refining those skills we have learned in the pass. The only new variation that was added was the explosive clean from the ground. The kettlebell is placed behind you on the ground and you have to really generate some power to move it. Overall it was a pretty productive training session.
I saved my training for late night. I am old and don't seem to have a need to be out late on a Saturday night. I have been working a 5 x 5 style program, but hit a light, moderate, heavy plan. Last night's workout was:
Swing
squat
windmill
row
clean and press
I used the 88's last night and feel it today. Overall I felt pretty strong and will follow this workout for the next 2 weeks or so.
Just when I start feeling froggy... Adam is damn strong! He posted this after I was done for the day.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
More Bad Stuff about Corn Syrup
I have been against Corn Syrup and the overuse of corn in general for a long time. Here is more good news! I am happy that Stevia has been approved for use, but real sugar is not as bad as this stuff. I highly encourage everyone to watch King Corn. It makes you think about what is in the food.
From Foxnews
Reuters
Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
WASHINGTON — Many common foods made using commercial high fructose corn syrup contain mercury, researchers reported on Tuesday, while another study suggested the corn syrup itself is contaminated.
Food processors and the corn syrup industry group attacked the findings as flawed and outdated, but the researchers said it was important for people to know about any potential sources of the toxic metal in their food.
In one study, published in the journal Environmental Health, former Food and Drug Administration scientist Renee Dufault and colleagues tested 20 samples of high fructose corn syrup and found detectable mercury in nine of the 20 samples.
Dufault said in a statement that she told the FDA about her findings but the agency did not follow up.
Dr. David Wallinga, a food safety researcher and activist at the nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, said he followed up on the report to find mercury in actual food.
"When I learned of that work, I said that is interesting but we don't just go out and eat a spoonful of high fructose corn syrup," Wallinga said in a telephone interview.
"We went and looked at supermarket samples where high fructose corn syrup was the first or second ingredient on the label," he said. These 55 different foods included barbecue sauce, jam, yogurt and chocolate syrup. "We found about one out of three had mercury above the detection limit," Wallinga said. The Corn Refiners Association challenged the findings. "This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," the group said in a statement.
Wallinga and colleagues said they believed the mercury got into the food during manufacture, at plants that use mercury-grade caustic soda produced in industrial chlorine plants, although his team was unable to show this.
"Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two reagents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years," Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, said in a statement.
Wallinga said the studies were based on samples taken in 2005, the most recent available.
Many studies have shown that fish can be high in mercury. Wallinga said consumers should know about other potential sources so they can limit how much they eat. "The best mercury exposure is no exposure at all," he said.
"Even at low levels methylmercury can harm the developing brain. The last thing we should intentionally do is add to it," Wallinga added.
He said his team did not test foods that did not contain corn syrup to see if they were also high in mercury.
From Foxnews
Reuters
Study Finds High-Fructose Corn Syrup Contains Mercury
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
WASHINGTON — Many common foods made using commercial high fructose corn syrup contain mercury, researchers reported on Tuesday, while another study suggested the corn syrup itself is contaminated.
Food processors and the corn syrup industry group attacked the findings as flawed and outdated, but the researchers said it was important for people to know about any potential sources of the toxic metal in their food.
In one study, published in the journal Environmental Health, former Food and Drug Administration scientist Renee Dufault and colleagues tested 20 samples of high fructose corn syrup and found detectable mercury in nine of the 20 samples.
Dufault said in a statement that she told the FDA about her findings but the agency did not follow up.
Dr. David Wallinga, a food safety researcher and activist at the nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, said he followed up on the report to find mercury in actual food.
"When I learned of that work, I said that is interesting but we don't just go out and eat a spoonful of high fructose corn syrup," Wallinga said in a telephone interview.
"We went and looked at supermarket samples where high fructose corn syrup was the first or second ingredient on the label," he said. These 55 different foods included barbecue sauce, jam, yogurt and chocolate syrup. "We found about one out of three had mercury above the detection limit," Wallinga said. The Corn Refiners Association challenged the findings. "This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance," the group said in a statement.
Wallinga and colleagues said they believed the mercury got into the food during manufacture, at plants that use mercury-grade caustic soda produced in industrial chlorine plants, although his team was unable to show this.
"Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two reagents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years," Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, said in a statement.
Wallinga said the studies were based on samples taken in 2005, the most recent available.
Many studies have shown that fish can be high in mercury. Wallinga said consumers should know about other potential sources so they can limit how much they eat. "The best mercury exposure is no exposure at all," he said.
"Even at low levels methylmercury can harm the developing brain. The last thing we should intentionally do is add to it," Wallinga added.
He said his team did not test foods that did not contain corn syrup to see if they were also high in mercury.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Weather and Workouts
It has been an interesting week. I pretty much got so busy last week that I did not workout at all. I ran about 6 classes a day of Amazing Athletes and then ended up sick at the end of the week. I ran the group workout and started 5 sets of the workout. It went pretty well. There was a lot of huffing and puffing and people acted tired. The next workout will be a practice session and we will add some Resilient tools.
I hit the garage tonight for about 1 minute to train. I wimped out since the heater was out of fuel and moved the KB's into the house. I decided to change up the program for the next few weeks and hit a 5 pillar plan. I hit 3 sets of each exercise using the 32's:
hand to hand swing x 10
double squats x 5
windmills x 3
rows x 5
clean and press x 3
I felt pretty strong tonight even after running all of my classes today. I have decided to stay around 3 reps for my military press. i can easily hit 5, but that is my week area. I figure to keep the reps low and power through to more weight. I have found that the more classes I run, the less sets and reps I can get away with. It is all about finding the happy median of effective training versus over training.
I hit the garage tonight for about 1 minute to train. I wimped out since the heater was out of fuel and moved the KB's into the house. I decided to change up the program for the next few weeks and hit a 5 pillar plan. I hit 3 sets of each exercise using the 32's:
hand to hand swing x 10
double squats x 5
windmills x 3
rows x 5
clean and press x 3
I felt pretty strong tonight even after running all of my classes today. I have decided to stay around 3 reps for my military press. i can easily hit 5, but that is my week area. I figure to keep the reps low and power through to more weight. I have found that the more classes I run, the less sets and reps I can get away with. It is all about finding the happy median of effective training versus over training.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Impressive Pull up strength
These guys have been around for a long time. This is a great example of strength and control. It is an obvious example of Pavel's teachings that strength is a skill that must be practiced.
I have not worked out this week and my sleep and diet have been off. I have been a little under the weather. I look at the past week as a down week and will hit it hard next week.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
great Kettlebell Gym in Frisco
I was recently able to stop by B.J. Bliffert's gym, Full Throttle Athletics, in Frisco. It is a great place train and B.J. and Kori have the credentials to teach kettlebells. They have the place that I would love to have. It is spacious and well equipped with kettlebells, tires, pullup bars and other tools of torture. B.J. is squared away and really knows his stuff. If you live anywhere near Frisco, you would do yourself a favor and get in touch with him. here is clip from one of their programs:
We had the group workout this morning. We ran the same program, but added 1 set to the mix. I worked out afterward and changed mine usual program up as I did not want to spend a lot of time in the garage this morning. I did 5 sets of 3 reps of Renegade Manmaker. I should have taped it and probably will this week. It is a renegade row to double clean to double military press. I used the 32kgs this morning as it was my medium day. I might be able to get doubles with the 40kg, might see next week.
I hit the VO2 Max last night and hit 40 sets of 8. I will move up the sets next week.
We had the group workout this morning. We ran the same program, but added 1 set to the mix. I worked out afterward and changed mine usual program up as I did not want to spend a lot of time in the garage this morning. I did 5 sets of 3 reps of Renegade Manmaker. I should have taped it and probably will this week. It is a renegade row to double clean to double military press. I used the 32kgs this morning as it was my medium day. I might be able to get doubles with the 40kg, might see next week.
I hit the VO2 Max last night and hit 40 sets of 8. I will move up the sets next week.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Was a wimp tonight
I figured that I would start out with a really important point... Don't buy cheap crap! If you are going to train, get the good stuff or build it right. I have a lot of homemade equipment, but I made sure that it was built to be safe. This bar looks like wood, a definite no go.
I wussed out tonight and skipped the workout. I will still get all of them in for the week, but felt like calling it a night a little early. The temperature made the call a little easier... I think that people get so caught up in schedules and important things that have to be done, that they get burned out that much faster, so it does not hurt to listen to your body.
In the old days, Pre-Pavel, I ran full tilt at all times. Cycling, isn't that what Lance Armstrong does? I do not push as hard all of the time now. I have learned to relax and take a day off when needed. It seems to always lead to better results and a happier life down the road. I am in this for the long haul anyway so there is no real hurry.
There was an older bodybuilder, Pax Beale, that bragged about never missing a workout. How much of life passed him by while he was at the gym. He actually worked out at the World Gym that I trained at in San Fransisco in the late 80's. I was there a lot being in the Army, young and driven to be big, but he was always there no matter what time of day. Looking back now, I feel kind of sorry for him. There is more to life than training. Heck it is like being stuck in a rut or a "goofy loop". You train all of the time to have a healthy life, but it goes to waste because you have to train and it goes on and on.
A little meandering tonight, but have a life outside of the gym, dojo or garage. Train and move on to living a real life. I can say that now, but you could have hit me in the head with a 2 x 4 that said "Relax" on it and I would not have known what you were talking about or cared to have listened.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Life gets in the way of writing
I have been really busy and have not had a lot of time to put anything down the last week or so. I would rather hang out with the kids and family than write something on the blog. It is late and everyone is asleep now so there is no guilt.
Workouts have been really good the last week. I am really suprised as I have had the crud going around. I do not feel bad, just can't breath really well. Last week I hit 40 sets of 8 for my VO2 Max. The next day I hit 5 x1 clean and press, 3 x 3 for pullups w/ 32kg and 3 x5 for squats w/40kg. Last night was VO2 Max and I hit 40 sets of 8 again. I guess it is time to push towards 50 sets now. I hit 3x3 for clean and press, pullups and squats tonight with the 24 kg. It was a light night and I did not want to push it to hard.
The group workout was pretty fun this weekend. I introduced the 5 pillars. The pillars are 5 exercises to hit ballistics, legs, core, press and pulls. The goal is to hit 5 sets of 5 for the grinds and 5 sets of 10 for the ballistics. we are currently on 3 sets. This was my main workout philosophy for a long time. I think that it is effective for all around fitness and strength. I really liked it for Law Enforcement as it is well rounded. We will be working this platform for a little while in an attempt to build some lean muscle mass to increase metabolism.
The workout was:
Swings 3 x 10
Squats 3 x 5
Windmill 3 x 2
Clean and Press 3 x 5
Row 3 x5
We alternated exercises i.e. swings then squats, with a 1 minute break between sets and exercises.
Workouts have been really good the last week. I am really suprised as I have had the crud going around. I do not feel bad, just can't breath really well. Last week I hit 40 sets of 8 for my VO2 Max. The next day I hit 5 x1 clean and press, 3 x 3 for pullups w/ 32kg and 3 x5 for squats w/40kg. Last night was VO2 Max and I hit 40 sets of 8 again. I guess it is time to push towards 50 sets now. I hit 3x3 for clean and press, pullups and squats tonight with the 24 kg. It was a light night and I did not want to push it to hard.
The group workout was pretty fun this weekend. I introduced the 5 pillars. The pillars are 5 exercises to hit ballistics, legs, core, press and pulls. The goal is to hit 5 sets of 5 for the grinds and 5 sets of 10 for the ballistics. we are currently on 3 sets. This was my main workout philosophy for a long time. I think that it is effective for all around fitness and strength. I really liked it for Law Enforcement as it is well rounded. We will be working this platform for a little while in an attempt to build some lean muscle mass to increase metabolism.
The workout was:
Swings 3 x 10
Squats 3 x 5
Windmill 3 x 2
Clean and Press 3 x 5
Row 3 x5
We alternated exercises i.e. swings then squats, with a 1 minute break between sets and exercises.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Good Times
Fitness does not have to be so hard or complicated. I was talking to someone recently that appeared to be in okay shape. That was before I heard about their workouts. Two hours a day training at least 5 days a week This is the time they spend at the gym. they were not getting their money's worth in my opinion. I would expect to look like Arnold with that type of time expenditure.
How many sets do you think you would need for shoulders? I might do 5 total, but this person was doing 20 sets. They got the workout from a muscle magazine which explains the results I guess. the person could not press a 32kg kettlebell for 1 rep. Guess they were worn out. They did one body part per day with up to 30 sets per body part. That is not to mention that they did not know anything about periodization. they went full tilt until injured and forced to rest. I could not convince them of the great results from less exercises and sets. They looked at me like I was crazy when told about my strength days of 3 sets of 3-5 or even singles. When they are old and beat up, maybe they will drink the kool-aid and follow sane workouts.
Tonight's workout was a light day.
Clean and Press 3 x 5 l/r with 24kg
double front squat 3 x 5 w/ 24's
pullups 3 x 3 w/24kg
janda 3 x 5
I rested about a minute between sets. I finished with relax into stretch.
How many sets do you think you would need for shoulders? I might do 5 total, but this person was doing 20 sets. They got the workout from a muscle magazine which explains the results I guess. the person could not press a 32kg kettlebell for 1 rep. Guess they were worn out. They did one body part per day with up to 30 sets per body part. That is not to mention that they did not know anything about periodization. they went full tilt until injured and forced to rest. I could not convince them of the great results from less exercises and sets. They looked at me like I was crazy when told about my strength days of 3 sets of 3-5 or even singles. When they are old and beat up, maybe they will drink the kool-aid and follow sane workouts.
Tonight's workout was a light day.
Clean and Press 3 x 5 l/r with 24kg
double front squat 3 x 5 w/ 24's
pullups 3 x 3 w/24kg
janda 3 x 5
I rested about a minute between sets. I finished with relax into stretch.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Finally!
I think I have figured out how to post videos now. i will be adding more in the future(Thursday)
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year!!!
New Year's Day is always a big day at my house. It is the fresh start on the year as well as my Wedding Anniversary. My wife and I have been married for 5 years today. I am so glad to have her in my life. She is a great person and my best friend. She puts up with a lot of a stuff. She never bats an eye with the new creation from slosh pipe to gada. She also lets me workout on New Year's Day. I like to always try and have a good workout on the 1st, it sets the tone for the year. Today was a VO2 Max day. I hit 30 sets of 8 and 10 sets of 7. I backed off because I felt my form was slipping a little bit and wanted to reset it. It was a great day, about 74 degrees and sunny. The VO2 Max is a great workout and I am going to play with it a lot this year.
The kettlebell in the picture was powder coated by a friend of mine. I love it! it is a nice change from black. It is not as slick as a Russian Red, but it glides well in my hand. I am probably going to have a 24kg and a 32kg coated also. I just have to decide what color next.
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