Long Break

I did not realize that I was lax in posting anything on the blog, until some of my victims let me hear it. It has been a really busy few weeks as we have had holidays, illnesses and lots of training. I also focus a lot on Amazing Athletes during the day and this is my side business still.

Our classes are growing at Eclipse Rockwall and there is a great core group. We have been working off of Geoff Neupert's Kettlebell Burn the last few weeks. It is a great program. The group has given it a thumbs up! One bought new pants and lost inches before she wore them a week later. It is a great program that actually works.

I have been following a more RTK path still. I do not quite have the T-Spine mobility for Clean and Jerks yet so I have been working on snatches, with C&J practice.  I decided to try the RKC Snatch Test  the other day and made it, but want to not feel that I was hit by a truck the next time.

Jaqui has been working the VWC and hit 80 sets the other night. She is a machine and will be headed to the HKC in September! Here are some Jaqui clips. She is the epitome of Hardstyle and needs to be an RKC.

Thankful for great Founding Fathers

Just in case the weekend is busy... Take a second and review what transpired on July 4th, 1776. A large group of great men signed their name to a document like no other the world has ever see, before or after. We are the product of one of the greatest risks that the world has ever seen. Everyone signing the Declaration assumed that their life was on the line. Thank you to brillant, brave men that put it all on the line for us to celebrate by grilling and being with family.

Also, ask yourself if we are being served by the same caliber of people now. Liberal, Conservative or other, do the people you follow hold a candle to those that created our way of life? I see very few that measure up and hope that we as a nation can find our path again.

There should never be an apology for doing the right thing. I served my Country and love it deeply. It needs to have some better leadership on all sides.

Primal/Paleo

I have really started getting into the primal way of life. The Primal Blueprint is really a life changing book. It puts the reasons for avoiding carbs in a way that anyone can understand. 10 Rules to follow to make changes that last a lifetime. One of those rules is "Don't Be Stupid." That right there is uncommon Common Sense. A rule that covers all bases, do not blindly follow, research and do not just follow the crowd are covered in that statment. It also covers the statement "Hey, watch this..."

The more I read, the more I feel that this is the right path for me. It is the right path for my daughter for sure as she is allergic to all grains and corn. Those are edible substances that are not necessarily good for you. There are so many more allergies to food theses days, you have to wonder what occurred to make them so prevalent. I believe it is the increase in crap that is in our food. We have become the Carb Nation. If you take a look at just about everything we eat there is some over processed grain or corn product in it. According to the Primal Blueprint, we have not adapted to grains and the processing that we are exposed to in this time period. The last few thousand years are a blink in evolution/adaption. It is even a shorter span of time since we started chemical processing of food items. High Fructose Corn Syrup has really only been used extensively since the 70's. It is amazing at how exponentially rampant  Diabetes has become since then. In Police work that is called a "clue."

I believe in Primal/Paleo as an eating lifestyle. I have been on it for a while and find that it works for me. I urge all my clients, family and friends to at least investigate it as a way to be healthier. I am not an affiliate or get anything from any paleo business. I just think that it is the way to be. I have actually dropped 10lbs on a high fat diet. I am currently around 170  with my waist back down to 30inches. I have also increased my strength in the same period. this is all as I head towards my middle 40's. If it helps me, what can it do for our younger generation. Think of what would happen to their health if they went on a better nutrition path today. The problem is that you have to lose the view that you are invincible. You have to realize that you are mortal and need to do a better job of  fighting the ageing process. I feel that while you cannot beat it, you can sure keep it at bay for a long time.

There are some people working on a "Paleo Approved" label. It is a neat idea, but if they can convince more people, it might not be needed. The site has some really good research links about the benefits of Primal/Paleo.

What happened?

I made a committment to post something every day, not sure what happened, other then Father's Day Weekend. I had my baby with me that weekend!

I have had a lot to digest after attending the HKC and an RKC prep class a couple of weekends ago. Once again, the evolution of the RKC continues. There are so many tools to teach and correct with, it is truly a great system. No matter what your tastes or your ills, there is something for you.

If you want one of the greatest training opportunities around then the Summit of Strength is the place to be! Other then attending an RKC, probably not even there, this is the best chance to work with such a large group of Master RKC's. There are still a few slots left, but they are going fast.

We have had some really good classes at Eclipse Fitness Rockwall over the last few weeks! We had a good size group out training last Saturday. It was a hard week, before a little back off and practice. There were some people pretty tired afterwards. This week is being spent on corrections as well as new skill development. That will give us tools for the next 4 week progression as we work towards military press and santching!

10 Tips to get in the best shape of your life

1. Buy A Kettlebell
2. Find an HKC/RKC to train under
3. Learn The RKC 6
4. Practice the RKC 6
5. Practice the RKC 6 (yes it is there twice)
6. Attend an HKC
7. Teach
8. Attend RKC
9. Teach
10. Keep Learning

If you follow this path, you will be in the best shape of your life! It is not easy, but it is simple.

HKC

I just left from Summit Kettlebells and being an assistant at the Ft. Worth HKC class. It was a great day of helping people learn how to use the kettlebell. I never cease to be amazed about the camaraderie that is part of the RKC Community. Dustin Rippetoe and Jon Engum freely gave me pointers on fixing my issues and how to be a better instructor. They are both incredible teachers. Dustin also fits in with our Zombie fighting group.

18 potential candidates attended the HKC. There were 18 new HKCs!One of them was my student, Samuel Stuard. I have been working with Samuel for a while, both in small group and our regular classes. he actually signed up for the HKC about two weeks ago, but had been thinking about it for a while. I have been working his tail off with swings, get ups and squats. He told me this last week he was tired of those exercises... I think that he realized today why we worked so much on those three exercises. He passed the HKC without difficulty. I am pretty proud of him. He worked hard and looked great.

I take every opportunity that I can to continue refining my own skills. I took as many notes or more than the attendees. I have let two years elapse since attending the RKC and the skills are perishable. I know what I am doing, but want perfection in them. After being with Dustin, John and the Spains, how much more I have to learn. Just being an RKC does not mean that you know everything. It is the starting point for a life time of study. since I am shooting for 120, I have a lot of time to fill with knowledge. I will be attending an RKC Skills prep class that Jon Engum is hosting tomorrow at Summit Kettlebells in Ft. Worth. It starts at 12pm. It is a great opportunity to work on RKC skills with a Sr RKC. Call Summit Kettlebells in Ft. Worth or contact Jon ASAP.

There are still a couple of spots left for the Summit of Strength! This is an incredible opportunity to train with 4  Master RKC's.  If you miss this, you will kick yourself in the butt for years to come!

Crap in the name of entertainment

I walked into the training facility and found a sign on the door. The sign advised that there was TV show in the spirit of the Biggest Loser being filmed inside. This show was looking for trainers earlier in the year and it was actually posted on the RKC Only Forum.I actually sent in my info just to see what would happen. I never heard back, guess that was a sign...

I am glad that I did not hear back from them after all. It is scary what those shows actually do to make the weight melt off in the alloted time frame. When I arrived the young lady was locked in the bathroom refusing to come out. Why? Maybe because a trainer put a severely de-conditioned young female through an hour long legs program. I do not put my own but through an hour straight of lifting kettlebells or other weights, let alone a brand new out of shape client. I was appalled at what was happening with the poor kid. they finally talked her out of the locker room to resume training. The last I saw she was on the treadmill looking worn out.

It is because of shows like this and trainers that care more for stardom, that trainers as a whole get bad raps.  This show is for people who want to lose a lot of wait before getting out of High School. I actually left information for the person that if she did quit, I would train her for free. There is plenty of time to drop lots of weight between now and next June, without being on a time frame to entertain the masses.