Pura Vida Kettlebells

Another 40 kg TGU and a workout 5/29/11

2011-05-30T10:14:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I did it again. Turns out this might be an improving skill and not just a fluke! Another TGU with the Bulldog I like to call George.

On this day, I warmed up with Super Joints, Jumped rope for 5 minutes, did 3 sets of Overhead Squats and Pump Stretches and then settled into another set of Turkish Get Ups with an 88 pound Kettlebell.

How did it go this time? Well I filmed it, as you can see. This was stronger than the last one for a couple reasons. First, I didn't rest between sides. Last time I rested about a minute. Next time I will do the same. It's important to note that next time I will also pay closer attention to the decent on left side as the final portion was rushed. In retrospect, I think my mind got in the way. Meaning I realized what I was doing! It's important to own each movement of the Get Up.

Next time I will also drive more from the heal in the beginning. I feel like I have a solid grip and handle on the bell so I will devote a little more attention to the drive and get my arms more at a 45 degree angle in the beginning of the movement. This will help with control. I rolled up instead of drove up.

So I got a few things to work on, but am still quite proud of this achievement. I am looking forward to fully owning the Bulldog TGU.

The rest of the session included some Goblet squats, Windmills, Club Swings and 1 descending ladder of 24kg Snatches. 14/12/10/8/6.

Training Session from Friday 5/27

2011-05-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

A successful session with a little minimal variety!

After a brief warm up, I launched into Double 24's. Squat+Press+Pull Up. 20 minutes on the Gymboss. 4 Ladders up to 3 reps. Next time, I'll shoot for all 5 ladders. I've reduced the time by 10 minutes as I am looking to bump intensity and density.

Finished with Bulldog Swings and Push Ups. For the pushups, I use Elite Rings and lowered them close to the ground then put my feet on a step. This was also in an attempt to increase density and intensity. 15 minutes. I kept the Swings at sets of 12 and for the push ups, worked to almost failure each time. Some times I'd go slow, others at a higher pace. It was a good 15 minutes.

How To Perform A Turkish Get With A Very Heavy Kettlebell

2011-05-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Wednesday 5/25/11 marked the first time this Girevik successfully handled a Turkish Get Up with The Bulldog, a 40 kg (88 pound) Kettlebell. Mine is affectionately named George.

Oh, I have tried in the past, mind you but the last time I attempted this it seemed as if it left the actual bone in my forearm sore. I quickly felt like I did not have enough static strength or control to manage this burden. This was about a year or so ago and the image of my ulna and radius snapping in half under the weight enabled me to "shelve" the Bulldog TGU for a while.

So... What's happened since?

How To TGU with a Bulldog

The answer is the same as any good "I need directions" joke. Excuse me, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?

PRACTICE!

Step #1: Swings, Swings, and more Swings. Get as comfortable with this weight as humanly possible. Until one fully owns the Swing with a given weight any other KB drill should just stay on the shelf.

Step #2: The last several months have involved TGU practice with a 24kg bell 2 to 3 times a week. This practice was textbook Kalos Sthenos. From "Kettlebells From The Ground Up," I would spend the early portion of my workout practicing each progression of the TGU and doing Goblet Squats as an active rest.

Step #3: TGU "as if." Lift the 24 as if its 40 and see what that does.

Step #4: Every once in a while, when you're feeling good sub in a 32 for the 24 when doing your Get Up practice.

Step #5: GTG With COC. (Translation: Grease the Groove with Captains of Crush Trainer) You gotta be able to grip the snot and a few other excretions out of the horn to full command this heavy burden. This step 5 was something of a bonus WTH effect for me. I realized yesterday at work that working this gripper periodically through out the day has more than likely not only improved grip strength but over all strength as my "irradiation" skills improved too.

FINAL THOUGHT: Mind you, this was not a "perfect" TGU. It was a bit wobbly, the high hip bridge was more of a mid-range hip bridge and backing through the last few steps was a bit rushed. That being said, I elevated an 88 pound Kettlebell over head from a lying position, stood up and got back down under complete control because I can do a perfect TGU with a lighter weight and have treated that lighter weight with the utmost respect. So the WTH effect is in... effect!

This also required total concentration and certain muscles that don't normally fire, fired and fired hard.

The actual workout for that day looked like this:

Jump Rope 5 minutes (this skill is also improving)
Overhead Squats and Pumps 3 sets of 5
1+1 TGU with George
16kg Windmills 1+1 x 3 alternated with Club Swings movements 1-3
Snatches 5 minutes on the Gymboss 24 kg bell. Descending ladder 16/14/12 = 84 reps

So now what?

Well this is part of the progression of the press for me. One of my goals this year is to press George. I will continue to practice and perfect the TGU with the Bulldog. I am also incorporating Bulldog Cleans into another part of my workout so I am progressing towards a glorious press and on Wednesday, I felt closer than ever!

Training Journal for May 23

2011-05-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Monday 5/23 marks the day I re-introduce The Bulldog into RKC Drills other than Swings.

Super Joints to warm up
Practice Bulldog Cleans and Low Box Pistols 5 minutes on the Gymboss and 3 singles
32kg MP + Pull Ups + Box Pistols. Ladders up to 3. 20 minutes on the Gymboss. 3 complete ladders plus 1.
Swings and Push Ups 15 minutes sets of 12 and 8 respectively, got 8 rounds.

This session was one of those sessions where I truly finished stronger!

Personal Trainers: How To Get More Clients

2011-05-22T15:43:00.000-07:00

Personal Trainers: How To Get More Clients

Here's another good one and might be challenging for some! With many a year of professional selling under my belt, it's high time I start contributing to my other passion.

Last Weeks Practice Training In Detail + Major Catch Up

2011-05-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

Training for the last couple weeks has been sporadic at best. With that in mind, sometimes the extended rest periods allow for greater recovery.

Weds 5/4/11

Jumped rope for 5 minutes
O/H Squats + Pumps 3 x 5
Goblet Squats + TGU's 3 x 5
Club Swings + Windmills 3x 15/1+1

Snatch 10+10 x 5 at :50 work / :60 rest

Saturday 5/7/11

Warm Up with SuperJoints
Dbl Sqt + Press + Ring Pull Up 30 minutes 34 reps/rounds in ladder fassion
Push Ups and Bulldog Swings 15 minutes of 6/12 got 6 rounds

Monday 5/9/11

same warm up and prep work as 5/4
Snatch with same protocol but 7 rounds.

Wednesday 5/11/11

SuperJoints to warm up
Jumped rope for 5 minutes
1 Arm MP @ 32kg + Pullups + F2GSqts 30 minutes 72 reps, 2304 kgs pressed!
Bulldog Swings + Pushups 12/6 7 rounds in 15 minutes.

Tuesday 5/17/11

same warm up as 5/9
Snatch change of pace...
18 minutes on the clock and go... 176 reps. Did a descending ladders 12/10/8/6/4 the headed back up...

Thursday 5/19/11

same drills just a little EDT to keep it interesting...
Dbl 24 Squat+Press+Pull Up 20 minutes 25 reps
Push Ups and Swings (40kg) 6/12 15 minutes 6 rounds

Saturday 5/21/11

same warm up and prep work
18 minutes on the clock again sideways ladders (???)
rounds:
1. 14+14 (right/left)
2. 14+14
3. 12+12
4. 12+12
5. 10+10
6. 8+8
7. 6+6
8. 6+6

Total: 164
next time will stick to the plan of 2 descending ladders starting at 14/12/10/8/6 and repeat. get that in 18 minutes and start over with 17 on the clock...

Back at ya Monday!

Official Chris Hemsworth Thor Workout

2011-05-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

Official Chris Hemsworth Thor workout

Guess who used a Kettlebell or two to get ripped?

God Like Conditioning: How To Workout Like Thor's Chris Hemsworth

Sunday Morning Snatchfest Followed By Monday Night Kettlebell Smackdown

2011-05-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning was May First. 5 months into the new year. WOW. Climbing the ladder to 200 in 10 is proving to be some work. 100 in 5 is one thing. Double that is something entirely different all together.

Sunday: Warm Up with Qi Gong Recharge
              O/H Squats with 35# bar and Pump Stretch 3 x 5
              Goblet Squats @ 16kg and TGUs with 24kg KBs 3 x5/1+1
              Club Swings 15+15 with Movements 1-3 plus Windmills @ 16kg KB 1+1
              Snatch @ 24kg KB 10+10 x 8 :50work/:60 rest

Still a little windy but not nearly as bad as the dust bowl that was Saturday morning. Wednesday I will hit this 10+10x10 mark.

Monday: Warm Up with Super Joints
                32kg MP+Pull Ups+F2G* Squats 30 minutes of as many ladders as possible
                (1-5 rep on the MPs and Pull Ups & 2-10 on Squats). Worked up to 2 ladders up to 5/10
                and 1 ladder up to 2 before timer went off.
                Push Ups(6)+Pull Overs(6)+Bulldog Swings(12) Timer at 15 minutes. 6 rounds.

Finished Stronger. Will work for 3 ladders up to 5 in 30 minutes and then expand the clock to add volume on the first trio and shoot for 7 on the second trio.

*Feet Together Squats

Introducing Rich Man's Gym...

2011-05-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Rich Man's Gym. I've mentioned it briefly, but now here's the real deal, follow the link here:

Introducing Rich Man's Gym - Not To Be Confused With A Poor Man's Gym

This is the article I've posted on Hub Pages detailing where the work gets done, the blood, the sweat and the tears all pour, and the spirit soars!

Please check it out good people and share your thoughts and feelings.

Training Journal for 4/30 Rich Man's Gym Gets Blown Away

2011-05-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

OK, so Rich Man's Gym is open when it's hot and when it's cold. If it rains, there's a big ass tree to keep me and my Kettlebells 85% - 95% relatively dry. When it's night time, there are street lamps and the lights of the park to light my way. Basically, Rich Man's Gym is very similar to the Postal Service in the fact that weather will not prevent training... until it gets windy. Either way, there will be no shooting.

Here in lies the down side of out door training during a wind advisory. Rich Man's Gym get's dusty as hell. Plus all kinds of pollen and crap gets stirred up. Last time I trained in the wind, I had to finish early because my chest and lungs started to feel like they did pre-2002 and remind me of nights spent drinkin' and smokin' too much. The good news there is I learned how to stop smoking without killing anyone and haven't smoked since '02.

However, a heavy snatch workout should not leave you coughing and feeling like you just smoked a pack and half of Camels in one night. Slightly exaggerated to emphasize a point. Bottom line, when I hit Balboa park on Saturday morning, there was a haze of dust and pollen hanging in the air that just said, "Well, Dave, perhaps you'll fair better just going back home and trying that workout you saw last week on T-Nation."

Or at least one drill... so here's how Saturday went down. Was supposed to Snatch but instead...

Triceps Push Ups with Feet Elevated On A Swissball like so:

That is not me by the way...

I did 6 reps of that alternated with 6 Feet Together Squats (FTGS) working to get as low as possible and still stay on my heals.

20 minutes of that followed up by another 15 minutes of Hanging Leg Raises (6) and Home Made Single Leg Donkey Calf Raises on the stairs (6+6)

In a few minutes, I'm going to go try this Snatch workout again...

Training Journal for 4/23, 4/25 and 4/27

2011-04-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

Every other day is the plan right now and I am alternating workouts between my quest for 200 snatches in 10 minutes and pressing the Bulldog and doing a Pistol. Last week I felt like I had peaked in terms of training and decided to back off a bit, so...

4/23: Warm Up Super Joints
          32 kg KB 1-Arm MP(3+3)/Pull Ups(3)+F2G Squats(6) in a circuit for 20 minutes EDT Style
Ring Push Ups(6) and Bulldog Swings (12) 15 minutes EDT style
HLR with Pumps 2 x 5

4/25: Warm Up Jump Rope* 5 minutes
          O/H Squats (35# Bar) + Pumps 3 x 5
          Goblet Squats (16kg KB) + TGU's (24kg KB) 3 x 5/1+1
          Club Swings (Practice Movements 1-5) + Windmills (16kg KBl) 1+1
          Snatches 24kg KB 10+10 :50 work/:60 rest 7 rounds

4/27: Warm Up Super Joints
         Double Bell (24) Squat and Press/Pull Ups 20 minutes EDT Style
         Walking Lunge (25 yards) + Ring Push Ups (6) + Sprint (25 yards)** 15 minutes

Notes:

*This whole "jump rope" thing really isn't 5 minutes of me jumping rope. It's actually 5 minutes of my uncoordinated ass trying not to fall on my face intermingled with a few brief minutes of some movement pattern that vaguely resembles effective jump roping...

** This was a improvised smoker and worked out quite nicely. Walking lunge for 25 yards up to my low hanging rings, bang out 6 push ups and then run back the 25 yards, take a real quick breather, like 10-15 seconds and repeat. Worked out quite nicely.

Rich Man's Gym is evolving and growing so watch out!

Training Journal for Monday 4/18 posted on 4/23

2011-04-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Monday night was one of those sessions where I realized that it's time to back off. Warmed up nice. Jumped rope for 5 minutes, a little Super Joint action and then got into the Wall Squats, the Pumps, the Goblet Squats, the TGU's, and the Windmills. Swung the Clubs some and then as I hit the half way point in the scheduled Snatch workout, I realized I was completely gassed... and way to soon.

"Push yourself, but don't be stupid."
-David Whitley, Master RKC

You just can't argue with that wisdom.... so it's Saturday 4/23. Five days later. Feeling refreshed and invigorated. Off to Rich Man's Gym!

Training Journal for 4/16

2011-04-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

As posted on Facebook: "Gloriously Smoked..."

After a nice Warm Up of Qi Gong Recharge and Super Joints we fired up the Bob Marley in the boom box and got down to it.

Double Clean, Squat, Press with Pull ups. 3 ladders of 1,2,34,5. Totaling 45 reps with two 24kg Kettlebells. Volume is (in pounds now) 106 x 45 = 4770 pounds squatted and pressed. That was some some good work there.

Finished with a little EDT of Bulldog Swings and Ring Push Up. 12 Swings, 8 push ups, 8 rounds in 15 minutes. More good work.

Hub called "Rich Man's Gym" in the making, so keep an eye out...

Training Journal for 4/13 and 4/14

2011-04-16T12:02:00.000-07:00

Was scheduled to Snatch on Wednesday but decided to go get reamed by my tax guy instead. Didn't quite enjoy that pain. And speaking of not enjoying pain, Thursday was exceptionally windy here in the San Fernando Valley so there was too much crap in the air to train outside. What did I do? Well the wind didn't really kick up until my workout was off and rolling. Around my 6th set of 10+10 Snatches I noticed a dusty horizon and felt a scratch in my throat and chest. So I pulled rank on myself and closed up shop 2 sets too soon. My target that night was 10 rounds of :50 work and :60 rest. I stopped short for the safety of it. It just doesn't make since to be breathing in all that dust and pollen stirring around. Better to call it quits and come back to fight another day.

That being said, as much as I love "Rich Man's Gym" there's something to be said for indoor training and a controlled environment.

Training Journal 4/11/11

2011-04-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

The Rich Man's Gym

Some may call it a poor man's gym but I would beg to differ. May I present The Rich Man's Gym!

Tonight's training took a turn for the better as I hit a target. 3 ladders up to 5 reps in the 1-Arm-Kettlebell Military Press with a 32 kg 'Bell. When you do the math out that's 45 reps per side, 90 total and 2,880kgs lifted (72 pounds x 90 reps is 6480 for those not with the whole metric thing)

In addition I followed each rung up with a pull up ladder and matched that with Feet Together Squats. The only difference on that is I doubled the volume for the squats. I'm practicing lowering myself slowly and pausing at the bottom. The Feet Together Squat is also a great exercise for people in the jock strap business because it's a perfect example of "make sure your hammer and sickles are in the right spot before trying to bounce your ass off your calves." Otherwise it was a great workout!

So volume is up. Ya-Whoo! Next time I'll see if I can get 4 rounds.

Normally I'd wrap things up with some Bulldog Swings and some kind of ring push up or pull over, but instead (and on a whim) I thought, lets do walking lunges and push ups. Looked good on paper, but my legs were already smoked from the Feet Together Squats so I definitely earned my meat and veggies tonight.

The music was The Young Dubliners. Always a treat and inspiration. Get's my Celtic blood-a-pumpin.

Training Journal for 4/9/11

2011-04-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

Today's workout was bitter sweet as April succumbs to Jack Frost's desire to stick around a little longer. Chilly wind and blinding sun makes peeking out from the clouds makes for muscle confusion of a different sort. And all hail the Indian Club as my shoulders continue to loosen up and increase in their range of motion!

Warmed up with some Chi Dancing or "Shaking" from Chinese Shamanic Tiger QiGong. Believe it or not, but 5 minutes of carefree jumping and bouncing can go a long long way.

Today's music of choice featured the whimsical soundtrack to O' Brother Where Art Thou. So how's this for you? I don't know about you, but there's something entertaining and enjoyable about listening to fairly eclectic music in a fairly busy park on a boom box from the '90s while doing Shaking Practice, Wall Squats, Pumps, Kettlebell Goblet Squats, Turkish Get Ups, Windmills and swinging Indian Clubs. I don't know, maybe I just like the total "back in the day" immersion, maybe I'm an attention whore, maybe I'm John DuCane's worst PR nightmare, I don't know. But what I do know is that it works for me and that's really all that matters!

Finished off with Snatches. 24 kg. 50 seconds of work (10 reps per hand) followed by 60 seconds of rest. Got 8 rounds. Probably could have hit the full 10 but decided to err on the side of caution and leave a little in the tank. Finish stronger not weaker. Next time this workout comes around, I'll hit all 10 rounds and then reduce the rest to 50 seconds. Even Steven. From there the real work begins as I begin to work longer than I rest. 200 reps in 10 minutes look out! This "bell" tolls for you!

Training Journal for 4/7/11

2011-04-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

This was the scene last evening...

Elite Rings + Large Pine Branch
1 pair of 24 kg Kettlebells
1 Bulldog (88 lb Kettlebell)
1 Old School early 90's boom box
Lunasa and The Matrix Soundtrack

Here's the work:

5 minutes of Jumping Jacks, Burpees and Pumps to warm up
Double 24 Clean/Squat/Press + Ring Pull Ups 2 ladders of 1,2,3,4,5 and then 1 ladder of 1,2,3
Bulldog Swings and Ring Push Ups 15 minutes got 8 rounds of 12+12

For an April evening it was rather chilly and windy which quite frankly sucks. However, the suck factor was acutely over ridden by the man factor of using a big old pine tree as a base to hang your rings to do pull ups and push ups from. Toss in the Celtic music first, add wood to the fire via The Matrix Soundtrack and you got a pretty damn fine workout if I do say so myself. Shoulders feel strong. Looking forward to tomorrow's Snatch workout... will try to get a photo of my "Richest Man in the Worlds Gym" soon.

Training Journal 4/6/11

2011-04-06T22:52:00.000-07:00

After taking an extra day off, stress relief came in the form of...

Super Joints to warm up.

Wall Squats and Pumps 3 x 5
Club Swings movements 1 and 2 practice, practice, practice...

Snatch Work. 14 rounds of 30 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest. I wanted to experiment with that work/rest cadence as I work towards 200 in 10 minutes. Next time out I'm shooting for 50 seconds work and 1 minute off. 10 rounds. Should be able to get all 10 sets which is 18.33 minutes. In another week or two, I'm going to re-test my 10 minute base line.

Finished with Hanging and Bretzels. All's good.

Training Journal for 4/3/11

2011-04-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

So after a nice warm up of Super Joints, I dialed into my routine...

32kg Military Press, Pull Ups and F2G Squats with a Hamstring Stretch at the end. Ladders of 1 for 1 on the MPs and Pull Ups and double the reps on F2Gs. F2G, by the way, stands for Feet Together. Since I'm working towards a pistol I took my que from Danny Clark's article on Dragon Door and subbed Box Squat Pistols for Feet Together Squats. I want 5 ladders up to 10 with a pause at the bottom before returning to Box Pistols.

So here's how it looked.:

32kg MP 1+1 / Pull Up 1 / F2G Sq 2 / Toe Touch (from Relax into Stretch)
32kg MP 2+2 / Pull Up 2 / F2G Sq 4 / Toe Touch
32kg MP 3+3 / Pull Up 3 / F2G Sq 3 / Toe Touch

Worked up to two ladders of 5 and then 1 ladder of 3. Next time we'll hit 3 ladders of 5.

Finished with 15 minutes of alternating 12 Bulldogs Swings and 6 Ring Pullovers. Got 9 rounds of that. Next time I think I'm going to sub in Walking Lunges and Push Ups for 15 minutes in an EDT style and see what that does for my leg strength. I'll welcome comments on that. I think it'll be a nice addition to the Dbl 24 Front Squats I'm doing on my other strength day.

Looking forward to Tuesday night snatch fest! Que Bevis and Butthead comments now...

Training Journal 4/1/11

2011-04-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

I didn't do squat...

April fool!

Super Joints to warm up
Wall Squats and Pumps 3 x 5
16 kg Goblet Squats and 24kg TGUs 3 x 5/1+1
Club Swings and 16 kg Windmills 3 x 10+10/1+1

24 kg Snatches 10+10 x 10 :50 work/1:20 rest

Notes: Very important to loosen up the hips and back after working at the office for 8 hours. Sitting can tighten you up. Next time we Snatch we'll see about :50 work and 1:10 rest and shoot for 8 to 10 rounds.

Training Journal 3/30/11

2011-03-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

OK, let's see if we can create a habit here with this journal thing...

Warm Up:

Jumping Jacks 100, Pumps 3 x 5, Hip Flexor Stretches

Practice/Training:

24 kg Dbl Clean, Squat & Press with Pull Ups 3 ladders of 1,2,3,4
12 Bulldog Swings/ 6 Triceps Extensions on the Rings 8 rounds in 15 minutes

Overall, good things happened here. Rings hanging from a thick pine branch for pull ups and triceps extensions is always a manly feeling....

Focused on pulling deep into the squat, getting tight before the press and holding at the top of the pull up. Bulldog swings felt great and triceps are pumped.

Back for more soon.

Training Journal - March 28, 2011

2011-03-29T20:23:00.000-07:00

Why is it so hard for me to transfer my training journal to the blog? I write down and track all my workouts and really want to record it online but way more often than not, I literally forget to do it after I train. This is my journey to 200 snatches in 10 minutes, the pistol and an 88 pound Kettlebell press.

Then I say to myself, if this is your biggest problem here, you're doing OK. You're worried about transferring your hand written training log to cyberspace. At least you're working out! At least you're recording and tracking your progress. At least you have a game plan. You're doing better then probably 75% of the people out there. Don't be so hard on your self!

Well, let's take a look at some of the "reasons" I have for not putting my training journal on-line...

I don't have time
I'm afraid I'll forget to bring my hard copy back to the car
It's too much effort

Any of this crap sound familiar? And while we're at it, I am going to be too hard on myself. This isn't a comparison/contrast of me verses the rest of the world, this is about me following through.

So what's the main difference here. I said, "I really want to record it online." That's it, "really want" is the problem on two levels.

Wanting leads to more wanting. You can want something all you want but it doesn't mean you'll do anything about it.
When you leave the zone of want, you move into action.

Time is ALWAYS a bullshit excuse. Pardon my French. I won't get into now but just know it is.

So without further to do...

3/28/11

Superjoints to warm up
Wall Squats and Pumps - 3 sets of 5
Goblet Squats @ 16 with TGU's @ 24 - 3 sets of 5
Club Swings Movements 1 and 2 alternating with 1+1 Windmills
24 kg Snatches 10+10 x 8 - 50 seconds of work/1:20 of rest

Next time will get 10 rounds and then reduce the rest to 1:10...

Be back with more Wednesday night.

Ode to the Kettlebell

2011-03-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

Give me an open park with dewy grass
On an abnormally brisk March evening

Give me a rising moon and
The glare of the streetlamps on the wet road

Give me a tall thick pine tree
With sturdy branches to hang my rings

Give me pull ups and dips
To test my strength

Give me Giryas and Poods
To Swing and Press long into the night

Some may call this the poor man's gym
But tonight I tell you,
As I catch my breath
I am the richest man alive!

Goblet Squats: How To and How Come

2011-03-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

Goblet Squats 101 by Dan John

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/goblet_squats_101

From the Goblet Squat master himself, Dan John guides us though the ins and outs of the Goblet Squat and how you can plug it into almost any body type, size and fitness level.

Dan John is a great writer. Simple, funny, specific and true. Enjoy! I know I did!

Coffe Drinkers Take Note

2011-02-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

The Pura Vida Company is now featuring Cafe Brit Coffee direct from Costa Rica and straight to your taste buds. If you've never had coffee in Costa Rica, the next best thing is to have coffee from Costa Rica. Try some today!

http://www.thepuravidacompany.com/COFFEE.php

Sales Skills For Personal Trainers

2011-01-12T09:46:00.000-08:00

If you're a personal trainer you're also a full time salesperson. How are your selling skills? Need to sharpen the saw a bit?

http://hubpages.com/hub/Sales-Skills-For-Personal-Trainers

Here's an article that will do just that!

Let me know what you think. I'd be interested in hearing your opinion.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Sales-Skills-For-Personal-Trainers

The Best Exercise and Workout Music: Mixes and Playlists for your Fitness Routines

2011-01-08T09:23:00.000-08:00

Over on Hub Pages (again) you'll find my most recent exercise, fitness and training rambling called (as the title puts it) "The Best Exercise and Workout Music: Mixes and Playlists for your Fitness Routines "

I know there will be some differences of opinion as to the selections but for me that's ok because hopefully this will spur a grand discussion as to what the best training music is and what genera of music goes best with what type of training.

Feel free to take a look at the Hub and chime in over there!

CLICK HERE: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Best-Exercise-and-Workout-Music-Mixes-and-Playlists-for-your-Fitness-Routines

Pura Vida Kettlebells Hubs Abound!

2010-12-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Also been writing on Hub Pages. Here are my last 4. On Hub Pages, I cover a wide range of topics including Kettlebell Training, but also touch on Sales and Selling (if you run your own business, this might be of interest to you) and I also am promoting my book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone with a series of Hubs about smoking or not smoking. There is, as always a article or two (or 3 or 40) dedicated to the spiritual side of things. Not necessarily religious, just an expansion of the warrior spirit and more often than not it's connection to strength training. All in all, interesting reading can be had by all.

        more »
        HubPages

Now if you've ever though about writing for yourself and are considering an additional venue to express your thoughts, ideas and market yourself a little, Hub Pages is a great place to do that.

Pipes and Cogs

2010-12-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

Saw this video called Pipes and Cogs on Facebook courtesy of Ken Froese, RKC II. Needless to say I am jealous of these young men as this to me is how a gym should look and function. Finding a spot like this in Los Angeles would probably indicate the Second Coming. Bally's, L.A. Fitness, 24 Hour, Crunch, Equinox... forget about it. Give me a retired bomb shelter, some welding equipment and a few Kettlebells and I'm a happy man. Old School strength, passion and grit. This video is beautiful.

What's Your Excuse?

2010-12-12T07:18:00.000-08:00

Inspiration and humility all in 6 minutes and 10 seconds! A buddy from High School posted this video on Facebook last night. As it turned out, I too went to High School with this gentleman. What was most moving for me was that when I was in High School, somehow, this concept of "do it anyway" or "push your limits" and "blast through your alleged limitations..." Somehow, I just didn't get it. At least not like I do now. Perhaps I wasn't ready for that wisdom. This video showed up today to remind me that any limit I put on myself is just that. A limit of my own design and making and certainly not an excuse. I'm going to go do some snatches now.

Today's Training

2010-12-10T13:51:00.000-08:00

Training up date:

After warming up...

Spent 20 minutes practicing Pistols and Stacked Presses with two 16kg's plus reinforcing the form by immediately pressing the 32kg after the stacked 16's.

Finished with 2 descending ladders of Bulldog Swings 15/12/10/8/6 in just under 10 minutes. That's 200 reps or 17600 pounds lifted in a ten minute period.

Gloriously smoked...

Pull Ups: How To and How Come

2010-11-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

Pullups: How to and How Come

Another article for Hub pages! Actually this turned out to be my 100 Hub. I've been writing on Hubpages just over a year now and to hit 100 feels pretty good.

So for this article, I take a look at the ins and outs of the pull up and a few progressions on how to get there if a pull up is currently beyond your reach.

Let me know what you think, click the link!

Pullups: How to and How Come

101 Kettlebell Workouts: Intervals and Tabata

2010-11-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

more »

HubPages

Over on Hub Pages I just published a Hub looking at High Intensity Interval Training and the Tabata Protocol and how that plugs into Kettlebell Training. With it will be a video from YouTube of my most recent Tabata Workout using the Kettlebell Snatch.
Feel free to take a look and a gander: http://hubpages.com/hub/101-Kettlebell-Workouts-Intervals-and-Tabata

Let me know what you think!

40 Days

2010-11-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

Doesn't seem like a long time does it? Trust me, it's not.

Here's what I'm working on.

Recently I got a CD called Mantra: A Practice for Power, Peace & Prosperity. In it is a challenge to practice Mantra for 40 days. Mantra is energy. It is vibrational sound energy that can be used to stimulate growth, awakening, healing, abundance, peace, and transformation among many other blessings.

This 2 disc set talks about what the Mantra is and what it is not. What I enjoyed most about it was that there is no Dogma, no preaching, no "rules". There is a constant encouragement to find what works for you and an invitation to practice in a way that best meets your needs and helps you with whatever it is your working on in your current situation. From there, Niurka and Larisa Stow guide you through several options on how to practice Mantra.

So, why 40 days? Well, here you will find yourself listening to two women talk about a practice that is considered by most a Hindu or Buddhist practice and when it comes time for the 40 day challenge, they mention Jesus. That's the level of tolerance and wisdom behind this CD. It's all good. They've taken "religion" out of the equation and instead aligned themselves with finding a way to connect with Source. Source can be so many things for so many people.

Now, I accept the challenge and since there are no "rules" here's the plan. I don't have any beads (yet) and the most sacred space I have that I can be in twice daily unfortunately is my car. The real job has me in the car twice a day for at least 15 minutes both ways. I have examined and isolated what I want to focus on in my Mantra. In a nutshell, I want to clear a path for myself and get out of my own way while attracting more abundance, prosperity and freedom in my life. This sounds like a job for Ganesha. Which brings me, an Irish Catholic Registered Republican, to another miracle hidden within this CD on Mantra and a sidebar.

There is one true Source, one true God, but many paths to God. God speaks to us in many ways. Your challenge is to be open enough to listen and hear. What if the Hindu gods/deities are really just reflections of our own conscientiousness? Hmmm... just be with that for a moment. If you're a Christian or like me, a Catholic this is important to realize. This isn't about worshiping an Elephant or a woman with four arms. It is about getting in touch with ourselves and our own divinity Remember, God mad man in His image. Look how different and unique man is! Yet, somehow genetically, we are all so similar. We are all part of his divine creation and it is the uniqueness of all religions that affords each citizen of this planet the opportunity to experience the divine.

The plan will be to listen to and sing/chant along with the Ganesh Mantra from Larisa Stow's CD Reaching In. I will do this once on the way to work and once on the way home from work. On my days off I'll do it on my way to training (exercise) and after training.

40 days. There we go again. Jesus was in the desert for 40 days. Noah had rain for 40 days. Moses? 40 days on Mt. Sinai. The whole tribe was in the desert for 40 years. 40 is a significant number. It is where habits are formed and clearly 40 is associated with transformation, enlightenment and discovery. So 40 days it is.

And with that in mind and considering that this is a blog dedicated to Inner Strength through the development of the body I will also lay out for you my 40 day exercise plan as well.

Physically the last 5-6 months have been a strain on my body with Periodontal surgery in July my system has been rocked. I've been up to a lot of Qi Gong Recharge and Super Joints. Kettlebell training has been sporadic. Last week I had a cold, this week I'm ready to return to regular activity. That cold felt like my body releasing the last bit of negativity from the surgery and it's now time to once again play full out as Niurka puts it.

Workouts 1 & 3

SuperJoints to warm up
Goblet Squats 16kg bell and Pumps 3 sets of 5
Practice Movements 1-5 with Indian Clubs while alternating 1+1 TGU with 32 kg KB
12 minutes of Snatches with 24kg bell (workout 1 go for it, workout 3 medium intensity or plug in Tabata protocal)

Workout 2 (EDT)

SuperJoints to warm up

20 minutes of alternating:
Clean and Squat 24kg 5+5
Pullups 5

15 minutes of:
Ring Push Ups 10
Chest Expander 10

Hanging Leg Raises 5 sets of 12

Workout 4 (EDT)

SuperJoints to warm up

20 minutes of alternating:
Clean and Press 32kg 3-5+3-5
Box Pistols 3-5+3-5

15 minutes of:
Bulldog Swings Man Maker style

Hanging Leg Raises 5 sets of 12

I'll train 4 to 5 days a week. I'll monitor fatigue, eat right and often and practice my Mantra twice daily. 40 days. This adventure will set forth Sunday 11/7/10. Sunday really is the first day of the week as far as I'm concerned. I don't know if I'll be able to check in with this blog everyday, but I'll make it a point to continue journaling the experience as I go through it. You are all welcome to tag along! In my last posting, I put forward this challenge. If you'd like to read the last post for an idea as to how this all started, CLICK HERE.

The Tao of The Kettlebell - Verse 12

2010-11-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

The five colors blind the eye.

The five tones deafen the ear.

The five flavors dull the taste.

The chase and the hunt craze people's minds.

Wasting energy to obtain rare objects

only impedes one's growth.

The master observes the world

but trusts his inner vision.

He allows things to come and go.

He prefers what is in to what is without.
-Lao-Tzu

I haven't visited with the Tao since June. Lot's of things have happened for me and now seems like the best time to continue on in my journey to understand the Tao a little better while understanding myself though it. With a little bit of luck and inspiration hopefully you too will find a pearl or two of wisdom for your own life as the Tao speaks to us all.

This twelfth verse of the Tao challenges us to go inside ourselves to find the answers to our questions.

"Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them."

-Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars

To put too much weight on the physical senses can impair judgment. Deep down, under the voice of the ego lies the inner voice of conscience.

"Always let your conscience be your guide."

-Jiminy Cricket

How often people enter the fitness craze and ignore the inner wisdom for the promise of a quick fix. How often do we find ourselves looking for the magic machine or wonder pill that will transform our bodies into that of a Greek statue with little or no effort.

The effect of a good diet and exercise program goes far beyond the consequence of how you look naked. In a recent blog post by Eric J Moss, he discusses the difference between training for yourself and training for the mirror image. Which is more rewarding ultimately? He called the blog, "Survival of the Sexiest/Fittest". In it there's a great analogy about busting hump for 6 months to look good for your ex at a reunion only to find they didn't show. HA! Instead, Eric suggests to train for you. Eric trains for the love of training and his appearance, as mentioned, is a consequence of the training but certainly not the prime motivation behind his training.

For the love of the game. Would Tiger Woods golf for free? Would Kobe still play ball if he grew up in Timbuktu? Would Dhani Jones play Football for free? I'd argue yes. Because their income is a consequence of their love for the game. So it must be for you, the fitness enthusiast.

The chase and the hunt craze people's mind. Wasting energy to obtain rare objects only impedes one's growth.

This can apply to so much, but we're talking strength, conditioning and health here so let's stay on that. The Bowflex is the worlds most expensive coat hanger. The Ab Roller is the thing you trip over when you come home after a night of drinking. The Shake Weight got turned on by mistake an shook it self under the bed one day while you were at work until the battery died and now you can't find it. Your 8 Minute Ab video tape collects dust because you haven't have a VCR for how long?

The master observes the world but trusts his inner vision.

Yes, as Eric put it, we are social beings and unfortunately the opinions of others have meaning. But keep in mind, If you're in a room in front of 100 people, you'll have 101 opinions of you. Which one is most important? The challenge is to release the ego and realize that you are not your reputation or what others think of you. You may not even be what you think of you based on what you think.

You are a divine being having a human experience and as that, train for the love of training. If you don't love training, you're on the wrong type of training. Find something physical that you love to do and do it often and let the mirror, scale and the look on your ex's face be a consequence of your effort and not the motivation. Eric and I have a deep love and passion for Russian Kettlebells. What's yours?

Allow things to come and go... look within... and what is without will not be an issue anymore.

Challenge for you!

40 days. Cover the full size mirror, toss the scale, find a physical activity you love and for 40 days journal your experience with said activity. Call it a training log. Eat well. Listen to your conscience and look within. See what happens in 40 days. You'll be different and for the better.

Are you up to the challenge?

In my next post I will reveal my plan for my 40 days... and also talk about why 40 days. Stay tuned!

Last Night's Smoker

2010-10-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

Well somehow I got roped into participating in wifey's Thai Pad class at her Krav Maga studio in Sherman Oaks.

The class consisted of Thai Pads (of course) plus bodyweight exercises, stretching and some Kettlebells thrown in at the end for good measure.

We started with jumping rope. I haven't jumped rope since Rocky III! Needles to say I tried in vein to look cool but spent more time getting my feet tied up then actually jumping rope.

From there we moved into shadow boxing which did nothing but leave me in a complete state of self consciousness considering I've never shadow boxed (in public) in my life. There was one cool move we did though here which was: shadow box, shadow box, shadow box, drop and sprawl, hop back up with a right knee. That one was fun. Like a martial burpee!

Then we did some bodyweight exercises and stretching. Push Ups, Squats, Sit Ups, Downward Dogs, etc. The pace was fairly high and the sweat really started in.

When the Thai Pads came out there was a lot of punching and kicking. Not a martial artist, I did my best to kick high and punch well. Mrs Bradley coached me and encouraged me to keep going and the Instructor was patient with my first timer ass. Multiple combinations of punching and kicking, push ups and sit ups. Trading off with my partner (in more ways than one) I had a blast training with Mrs Bradley.

The main part of the workout and what I think is the main reason for the cesspool of lactic acid in my calves and hams was this combination of punches and kicks that worked like Ladders almost.

1 right jab, 1 left side kick
2 right jabs, 1 left side kick
3 right jabs, 1 left side kick
4 right jabs, 1 left side kick... all the way up to 10 and then switch sides!

Then Push Ups on your knuckles with the gloves on and then this flipped over to:

1 right kick, 1 left jab
2 right kicks, 1 left jab
3 right kicks, 1 left jab
4 right kicks, 1 left jab... back to 10 again, switch sides and try not to fall over.

After a quick breather and swig of water the Kettlebells came out. We did about 1 minute of each of the following:

-Still Legged Dead Lifts
-Sumo Squats
-Right Arm Cleans
-Right Arm Clean and Press
-Right Arm Press
-Left Arm Cleans
-Left Arm Clean and Press
-Left Arm Press
-Crush Curl
-Crush Curl+Press+French Press

Cooled down with more stretching and Yoga-esc poses and wrapped it up. All in all the class was about an hour and 10 minutes, thoroughly invigorating and a nice change up for this Hard Style Kettlebell fanatic. All in all a good time was had by all. I enjoyed the challange and was happy to have kept up and not completely embarrased my dear wife!

101 Kettlebell Workouts Goes Stacking

2010-10-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

101 Kettlebell Workouts goes Stacking

Working through David Whitley's ebook 101 Kettlebell Workouts and journaling the experience on HubPages.

This morning I posted the Stacking workout. The Article is up on Hub Pages now if you'd like to read it and you can see the video of the workout right here!

No Equipment Required

2010-10-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is a little article I wrote for HubPages. No need to let time, money or equipment get in the way of a good workout!

Let me know what you think!

No Equipment Required

There's an accompanying video too...

Top 10 Reasons Why Swinging Like This Is A Good Idea

2010-10-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

10. You lost your P90X DVDs.

9. You just received a years worth of free Chiropractic adjustments.

8. You've used up all your vacation time at work and need a week off.

7. You think wearing a back brace to the gym like those guys at Home Depot looks cool.

6. You 're one of those people who likes to say one thing and do another, just for effect.

5. You need to drop 5 pounds in a week.

4. You've always wanted the L.A. Times to slam you.

3. You've always wanted the L.A. Times to get your name wrong.

2. You promised your spouse you'd spend the weekend in bed and are looking to get out of it on a technicality...

1. Number one is up to you! Put you're number one reason in the comment section here and the winner will get a free set of Kettlebell Stickers. I'll pick and announce a winner on Monday night (the 18th).

The Rest of the Story...

2010-10-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

Russian Fatigue Cycling from Beyond Bodybuilding by Pavel Tsatsouline is a training program designed to keep things simple while creating enough variety for you and your body to not get bored and stagnant.

In Power to the People, Pavel taught us about the traditional, simple and highly effective power lifting cycle. Train often, add a little weight each time, when you reach your max, take a couple days off, reduce the weight and start climbing again. Kind of like a self-imposed Sisyphus style of training.

What Russian Fatigue Cycling basically looks like is this. You take a group of exercises with the same sets and reps and then arrange them in a comfortable line up that targets the whole body. That will be Workout A. Workout B will be exactly the same as Workout A except you will change the order of the exercises.

This style of training will have you training a lift once early in Workout A, but then training the same lift later in Workout B. Essentially cycling your fatigue. For example if your Workout A starts with pull ups and you can bang out 4 sets of 8 pull ups when your fresh, can you still knock out 4 sets of 8 after doing 5 other taxing lifts?

Training and planning your training can be confusing. When you change things up, you're sore as hell the next day because your body has been introduced to a new stimulus. But does that mean new gains? Not necessarily. Programs sold on T.V. endorse "muscle confusion" as the end all be all of training. When you look at Wikipedia's description of P90X, it has this to say:

"P90X's advertising emphasizes "muscle confusion", a method of cross-training and periodization achieved through switching the order of exercises and incorporating new and varied movements. Muscle confusion prevents the body from adapting to exercises over time, resulting in continual improvement without plateaus."

Is the last sentence as confusing to you as it is to me? If the body can't adapt, how can it improve? Beyond Bodybuilding puts it like this:

"Scientists who study complex systems - the human body is one of them - know that in order to thrive, these systems must teeter 'on the edge of chaos'... If the training schedule is totally erratic... you get very sore but you are not building much muscle and even less strength."

Think about it, the last time you helped someone move, did you get ripped or just sore? A buncg of lactic acid pooling in your arms and legs does not necessarily mean you're getting buff, ripped or stronger.

Fatigue cycling will give you the best of both worlds. Structure that allows the body to actually adapt to the stimulus you're giving it and enough variety to keep it guessing.

So what happens when you plug Kettlebells into the mix? That's exactly what we're going to find out...

I have an affinity for the past. I have always been drawn to the Old Timey Physical Culture type stuff. So why wouldn't I exercise in a similar fashion?

The warm up I use is either Qi Gong Recharge or Super Joints. From there we get into training.

Workout A

Pull Ups 4 x RM
Renegade Rows with 24kg 4 x 5
1 Arm Clean & Press with 32kg 4 x 5/5
1 Arm Clean & Squat with 24 kg 4 x 5/5
Push Ups between 24's 4 x 10
Iron Cross with 16kgs 4 x 5
Chest Expander 4 x 10
Hanging Leg Raises 4 x 12

Workout B

Push Ups 4 x 10
Iron Cross with 16kgs 4 x 5
Chest Expander 4 x 10
1 Arm Clean & Squat with 24kg 4 x 5/5
Pull Ups 4 x RM
Renegade Rows with 24kg 4 x 5
1 Arm Clean & Press with 32kg 4 x 5/5
Hanging Leg Raises 4 x 12

I've also thrown in a conditioning/active recovery session to be done in between workouts A and B.

Workout A1

Goblet Squats and Pumps 3 x 5 in a circuit
Club Swinging Practice Movements 1 - 5 alternating each movement with 1/1 TGU's with a 24kg
Snatches 12 minutes EDT style
Stretch out

Workout B1

Same as Workout A1 only I'm doing Swings with George the Bulldog instead of snatches

I'll do Workout A, take a day off, then A1. Workout B, rest a day, B1. Then repeat. This is how I've been spending the last part of September and how October looks.

As I am still working on writing one Hub (on Hub pages) for all if David Whitley's 101 KB Workouts, I will be plugging Stacking and Tabata into the conditioning parts and some of this will pop up on YouTube shortly as well.

I'll keep y'all posted!

So what's been going on lately...

2010-10-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well there was periodontal surgery in July. That was fun. August was recovery. September found my immune system still trying to reset. I started back to training, even slowly at first.

1 Workout would look like this:

1 Arm Bulldog Swings 1 x 3/3
1 Arm Clean & Press @ 32kg 1 x 3/3
1 Arm Bottoms Up Press @ 24kg 1 3/3
Pull Ups & Dips Superset 1 x 5
1 Arm Front Squats @ 24kg 1 x 3/3
Finish with 12 minutes of Snatches sets of 5/5

Workout 2 would repeat the above except sub in 12 minutes of Bulldog Swings instead of Snatches. I worked up to sets of 5, then 2 sets of 5 with a goal of 5 x 5. On each Swing/Snatch workout, I'd try to add a rep or set just; improve slightly each time.

All the while my immune system was/is trying to reset after the surgery. Amazing how the oral surgery wreaked havoc on my body systemically. I started getting canker sores, sore throats, nasal drip, allergy attacks that seemed stronger than just the normal hey fever that would pop up this time of year. My system was rocked. Even on such a light (for me) routine, I quickly became over trained. I felt sluggish, depressed and like I was coming down with something. Just blah!

So... I backed off. Way off. AGAIN! Not happy about it, but not interested in getting hurt or sick either, I down shifted to Qi Gong Recharge, Super Joints, and Club Practice when I felt like it. Once or twice a week, tops!

On 9/26, I thought, OK. What have you wanted to do KB but haven't tried yet, workout wise? I need to regain my strength and strength endurance while not slipping back into an over trained condition.

Beyond Bodybuilding Has a section Pavel titled Russian Fatigue Cycling and I've wanted to plug KB's into that for a long time.

In my next blog here, I'll tell you how I did it, where I'm at now and what my next move will be... so stay tuned, kiddies!

Top 5 Sales Books

2010-10-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

Over on HubPaegs is a Hub I wrote about good reading for sales and sales professionals. If you're a trainer, believe you me, you're selling something. Are you selling skills as good as your swing and get up?

These 5 books will help with that: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Top-5-Sales-Books

Let me know what you think!

Back in the Saddle part 2

2010-08-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning at the park, I warmed up for about 15 minutes with some light dumbbell and Clubbell practice and then got into the workout...

Pull Ups: 4 sets of 5. First set; overhand grip, second set; over under, third set; under over, fourth set; under under.
24kg 1 Arm KB Rows 3 sets of 5
Ring Rows 3 sets of 5
16kg Crush Curls 3 sets of 5
24 kg Snatch: 12 minutes, as many comfortable sets of 5 and 5.

I wound up with 8 sets (80 reps) on the Snatch. Considering a month and a half without Snatching and that I didn't push myself too hard, I felt pretty good about this outcome. I really tried to focus on the form and technique aspect of it before I go back into "smoke yourself" mode.

Monday night after work we'll work legs and swings and then see about getting back into the Rite of Passage...

Back in the saddle...

2010-08-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well after a month in a half of intermittent Program Minimum, Clubbell practice, Qi Gong, Super Joints and recovery from Periodontal Surgery, I had my first heavy KB workout in a long time. Took it easy but felt great. Here's what was done:

32kg 1 Arm Clean and Press: 3 sets of 3/3
16kg Double Clean/Press and Iron Cross: 3 sets of 3
Chest Expander: 3 sets of 10
SWAT Dips in the Rings: 3 sets of 5
Push Ups in the Rings: 3 sets of 5

Finished with some leg raises and cobra stretch.

It was great to put the 32 up again. Felt heavy but not intimidating. Looking forward to getting back to ladders in a couple weeks.

Tomorrow will be "back" in action with Pull Ups, Rows and Snatches...

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse 11

2010-06-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

Thirty spokes converge upon a single hub;

it is on the hole in the center that

the use of the cart hinges.

Shape clay into a vessel;

it is the space within that makes it useful.

Carve fine doors and windows,

but the room is useful in its emptiness.

The usefulness of what is

depends on what it is not.

There is much strength in this verse. I promise. We all tend to come from places of isolation. Even in the womb we were alone. When we are sad or feel weak we tend to want to be left alone. You can also look up to the sky on a clear night and feel very alone. Even when you're right next to someone. Space is vast. Yet so is the table. When you look at a solid object through a microscope, you will eventually realize that it is made up of mostly empty space. Yet, when you look at space, it would be if it weren't for the galaxies, stars, planets, moons, comets, and asteroids that populate space. Could there be a table without the atoms and molecules that make up the table? Could you do a pull up with just you biceps?

If the center of a wheel doesn't fit, the cart can't roll. If the cart can't roll, where can you go? But what about the middle? The center of the wheel. The Gap. The space between. Without that "empty" space, there is no wheel.

In Wayne Dyer's The Power of Intention, he begins his chapter on Connecting to Intention by quoting Thomas Troward. "The law of floatation was not discovered by contemplating the sinking of things, but by contemplating the floating of things which float naturally, and then intelligently asking why they do so." If your vessel is too heavy, if it has holes, if its shape is not deep enough, it will sink. You will not get yourself or your goods very far down the stream if the boat don't float.

A beautiful home that is empty. The space is there to be filled. Filled with people, laughter and love. Without the void, the space, there is no house to fill with love.

And so it is with our practice of strength. The space between. The top of the Snatch, Press, or Get Up. Any drill really. At it's halfway point; the moments when a Kettlebell is weightless. Without these parts, the Snatch doesn't exist. And what muscles are involved? Can you really isolate your bicep when you curl a weight? What happens when you ask you lats for help with a press? Separate parts are weak. When you work your body as a whole, you are stronger.

For those in the field of strength and conditioning, this is simply stating the obvious. For those new to strength and conditioning or those who have read too many bodybuilding magazines, this idea of working the body as a whole might seem either new or primitive. First off, there is nothing wrong with primitive training. Secondly, the body, as most things, like the cart, works better as a unit.

So what about this gap? The void? They say the music lies in the space between the notes. Let's go back to the Kettlebell Snatch because that is Kettlebell music if you ask me. There's these moments where the bell is weightless as it rises to the surface. It is there that you punch up and through to complete the movement. Then there you stand. Tall and proud, Kettlebell straight overhead, paused. From here it's a gentle toss over and through, back to a swing, hike, Snatch again. And so it goes. On and on and in those moments of weightless iron and repetition, can you find yourself in the Gap?

The Space Between. This is where you can commune with spirit. Many religions practice mantra to silence and focus the mind. For me, the Snatch is like a mantra. I take all my pains, prayers, intentions and pour them into my workout. There with in enjoying the pain and pushing through mental and physical barriers I have been able to transcend the physical. My training is more ritual to me then just mere exercise. My training is as much a spiritual practice as it is a physical one. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that. And it is in this way of communing with spirit that we will truly experience our self as in this universe and as being a part of it instead of isolated from it.

This Weeks Training

2010-06-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning was my Medium Day.

After warming up with a little Super Joints and the ETK warm up of Wall Squats, Halos and Pumps, I got into my Clean and Press Ladders. 5 Ladders of 1,2,3 with the 32 kg bell I humbly call Ivan. In between rungs I practiced Pistols. Going as low as I could while maintaining some semblance of control. Finished with Bulldog Swings. Dice rolls for time; rolled a 7; did 7 minutes of 7 Swings. Got 7 sets. Lucky me!

Monday was Variety.

Practiced with the Clubbells. Qi Gong Recharge to get going and worked on Movements 1,2 and 3 from Club Swinging Essentials.

Wednesday was Heavy.

Warmed up with Super Joints. Then practiced some Overhead Squats with a 35 lb. bar, stretched out the Hips, and got in a few TGU's with a 16kg bell.

Then it was on to Clean and Press ladders. 5 x 1,2,3,4. For the Pistol practice, I wanted to work on the eccentric portion. Since I was down at old Muscle Beach, I worked on stepping up onto a waist high balance beam while eliminating as much momentum as possible from the movement. I matched reps with the press. Felt good. I'm now officially chasing the 5 x 1,2,3,4,5 or 150 reps.

Finished with Bulldog Swings. Sets of 7. Wanted 12 sets in 12 minutes. Got it.

Friday was back to Light.

Goblet Squats and the RKC Arm Bar, TGU, Windmill combo to get things going. Used a 16kg for that.

Light day is Clean and Press Ladders and a 3 Tier Box Squat Pistol. 3 Ladders of 1,2,3 with 32kg. Then it was on to Snatches with the 24kg. 14/14, 12/12. 10/10, 8/8, 6/6. Took 9 minutes.

In Conclusion

A great week in training. I isolated some leakage in my press, felt stronger in my Pistol practice and my Swings and Snatches are doing fine. Want to work on increasing the volume with the Bulldog and get the Snatch numbers up. Shoulders are a little sore but the Club Swinging and TGU's are a Godsend. I plan to back off just a bit before starting my run at the 150 reps. I have no desire in hurting myself and going backwards. Better to pull back to go forward. Will spend the next week working my Old Timey Physical Culture Routines, Kalos Sthenos, Pistols, and Club Swinging Essentials. I may press on Tuesday or Wednesday but only if I feel completely up for it.

ETK "Easy" Day - 6/10/10

2010-06-12T18:51:00.000-07:00

The call this the easy day or the light workout. For me it's about grinding out a near perfect rep each and every time. The higher the volume the more one tends to sacrifice form and slip into muscling it just a little bit. Fatigue sets in, form slips a bit. To press perfectly each and every time is the goal. Then again, to press 40kgs perfectly is also the goal. On higher volume days with the 32 the ladders will climb. 5 ladders of 1,2,3,4 is the current target. Then it'll be 5 x 1,2,3,4,5 or 150 total reps. So when there's an easy day or light day, my task is to not only perform a perfect rep but an ultra super duper extra perfect rep. Hell, they're called "grinds" for a reason. Slow the "f" down and grind. Flare the lat, pull the shoulder down, push yourself away from the bell, squeeze the glutes, brace the abs, pull the kneecaps up, spread the floor with your feet, tssssssstt! That's a press. Do that everytime...

Clean and Press Ladders @ 32kg 5 x 1,2 = 15 x 2 = 30 reps x's 32 = 960kg's pressed

Then Pistol practice... after every rung, I did the, "just go as low as you can under complete control until you loose control, fall on your ass, roll back, pop up, grab a pole and try to not fall back on your ass again while maintaining the static tension and stretch your hamstrings" pistol.

I'm getting deeper before the falling part. I can almost sit down on one leg and it seems that I'm using the pole less for the static holds, so not bad. Not great either but I'm not letting this one go.

On to the "light" Snatch session. I followed the David Whitley "push yourself but don't be stupid" philosophy and since today was strictly a day to work on ultra super duper extra perfect form, I decided that each Snatch should be as clean and as crisp as the first one. No iffy Snatches. Set the timer for 15 minutes and in EDT fashion got as many perfect sets of 6+6 as I could. Meaning I didn't allow myself to rush the rep or the set. Each rep was it's own rep. Stay in the moment of that rep. Everything clean and solid. Crisp. Such a great adjective for the Snatch.

Ended up with 10 x 6+6 24kg Snatches = 120 reps or 2880 kg Snatched. Felt good. Real good. Looking forward to 200 in 10. I can taste it. I can taste this 1/2 bodyweight press. I can taste the Pistol. Clearly, I'm hungry...

Tuesday Heavy Day and a Visit from God...

2010-06-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

After working with two clients, it was my turn.

Superjoints to get the ball rolling
TGU's 2/2 @ 16kg, 2/2 @ 24kg, 2/2 @ 32
32 kg Clean and Press 4 ladders of 1,2,3,4
Bulldog Swings 1 x 26, 1 x 24
Pump Stretches, Hanging Leg Raises

Today God stopped by to let me know I am on the right path. He was, however, disguised as a 72 year old former Russian soldier. He said his name was William, but that didn't fool me.

William looked at my 32 kg like he just saw a pet from childhood. He was walking 2 little lap dogs through the park. He was short and stout. His accent clearly Russian.

"That is 2 pood," he said.
"Yes it is," I replied amazed.

William then went on to talk about trianing with Girya's in the Army and as well as the weightlifting. He said guys like us were called "Culturists." He talked about, "large American man of strength... what was his name? He came to Moscow. I saw him do demonstration. Very strong. Anderson, I think..."

"Paul Anderson?" I asked.

"Yes, yes. You've heard of him.?"

"I have. He was a very famous guy."

When we shook hands, his hands we rugged, warn tough, and warm. His grip still strong as ever. It was such a pleasure to meet this older Girevik and to see his eyes light up as he went back to a time long, long ago.

So, what did I mean by comparing this guy to God? I have had too many coincidences in my life to believe in accidents. When two people converge like this it is not by accident. William showed up today as God's way of letting me know I'm on the right path.

Easy Like Sunday Morning... on a Thursday

2010-06-04T20:18:00.000-07:00

Whenever you have an opportunity to quote Lionel Ritchie... take it!

Thursday started with a warm up of Joint Mobility then light Clean & Press ladders of 1,2 for 4 rounds using the 32. In between ladders I practiced the Pistol. Lowering myself as low as possible under as much control as posible and to my suprise I got pretty low under much more control than I've had in the past. Once I got down to bottom, I'd stretch the extended leg and practiced genetating as much static tension as possible trying to stand back up. A few close calls with getting out of the hole, but we're still quite far from the cigar. Clean & Press felt pretty solid.

Snatch session after was 12 sets of 6/6 with no time limit. Just looking for 144 solid reps. Next week I'll see how fast I can get those 12 sets of 6/6... Each set felt strong and tight.

Cooled off with some mild stretching and hanging. All in all good training was had by all.

Tuesday Heavy

2010-06-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

Tuesday at the park, Rite of Passage heavy day.

Warmed up with Pavel Tsatsouline's Super Joints and the warm up drills from Enter the Kettlebell. I also tossed in a few Overhead Squats, Turkish Get Ups and some Goblet Squats for good measure. It looked like this:

Face-the-Wall Squats: 3 sets of 5
Overhead Squats: 3 sets of 5
Goblet Squats: 3 sets of 5
Halos: 3 sets of 5
Pump Stretches: 3 sets of 5
TGU's 3 left/3right 16kg bell

Now for the work:

32kg Clean and Press 3 Ladders of 1,2,3,4 alternated with box pistols.

Press Volume looks like this 3 x 10 total reps per side which ads up to 60 reps or 1920 kg's pressed. In pounds that's about 4233 lbs pressed.

Anybody else having a Rainman moment or is it just me?

The Clean and Press is coming along well. Today I put my focus on pushing myself away from the Kettlebell and exploding out of the clean.

So it looks like I may have found the only acceptable use for a High Step in the RKC community. I will accept any and all insults and teasing, but know this; for Box Pistols, they're great! Here's how I put it to use: I laid out each rung of the step, the lowest being two rungs. For the first rung of the ladders, I'd do 1 Clean and Press left and 1 right then head over to the high step for a very low Box Pistol; 1 left, 1 right. For the second rung, I did 2 Clean and Presses left and 2 right then set the step at three rungs for 2 Box Pistols left and right. 3 Clean and Presses left and right and 3 Box Pistols at 4 rungs. Then I'd finish up with 4 Clean and Presses left and right and 4 Box Pistols left and right. As the volume increased, the height of the box increased so I could stay 100% focused on tension and lowering myself under control and not worry about too much fatigue.

Wrapping it all up with Swings. The dice roll came back Snake Eyes so I did a Power to the People tribute. 1 set of Bulldog Swings to near failure. 24 reps. Caught my breath and did 22. Took another breather and on a whim knocked out 20 more for good measure.

I cooled down with some Hanging Leg Raises, Stretched out a bit and am looking forward to tomorrow's Active Recovery which will involve some Club Swinging Practice.

Sunday Morning Training

2010-05-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

Warmed up with the Super Joints. This is such a great way to get started and loosen up. Especially when the real job has you riding a desk most of the time.

ROP Medium Day.

Clean and Press Ladders 3 ladders of 1,2,3 @ 32kg with Pistol Practice in between.
Two Hand Swings with Bulldog. Dice rolls for time. Rolled a 9. Did :20 seconds of work and :40 seconds of rest for 9 rounds. Averaged 14 reps in those :20 seconds.

If I'm doing the math right, Sunday's volume looked like this:

(1+2+3)2 x 3 = 36 x 32 = 1152kg pressed (2540lbs)
14 x 9 = 126 reps x 40kg = 5040 kg swung (11113.2lbs)

Cool down: Hanging Leg Raises 5x5 and Cobra Stretches. Arm Bar when I got home with 24 # bell.

Highlights: Mrs Bradley joined me and shadowed me on the ladders and the Swings. She used a 24# bell for the Clean and Press and did her Swings with the 35#er. My lady did some good work.

Felt the second round of Pistol practice was the best attempts of the 3 rounds. I had more control in the decent which for me is important. I know once I pass parallel, I start to get anxious about falling backward. I think next time around I will try to go even lower and ride the anxiety all the way down. Once I get to a certain point, I loose either strength, flexibility or both and then fall back. I want to get that "fall back" part lower and consistent.

Tuesday (Heavy day) I will shoot for 3 x 1,2,3,4 on the Clean & Press plus Box Pistols and then see what fate brings for the Bulldog.

Thursday Night Training

2010-05-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

So Thursday night after working at the "real" job, I headed to the park to enjoy the receding daylight and get in my easy ladders and snatches.

Warm up was the classic warm up from Enter the Kettlebell.

The work was 3 ladders of 1,2 on the Clean and Press with the 32kg bell and in between ladders, I used a pole to lower myself into a rock bottom pistol and performed static holds for as long as it seemed "comfortable." Just trying to stick the bottom with strength, flexibility and balance. Slightly better than last time. I felt a bit more flexible and my balance is improving. Don't get me wrong, if I'd have let go of the pole, I'd have been on my ass faster than you could say "on your ass." It's just that I didn't have to hold on so hard so I'm calling that an improvement. After the holds, I would do a Pump/Cobra stretch and then return to the Clean and Press.

Interesting how sore you can get from a static hold. Meaning had some good DOMF the next morning. Mostly felt in in the hips and deep in the hams and glutes. This wasn't the normal lactic acid cesspool you get after a high volume day of Romanian Deadlifts, this was a deep soreness, like muscles are working now that don't really get out much.

Snatches. Goal was 120 in 10 minutes or less with the 24. Got that. Wouldn't say it was easy. I had about 15 seconds left when I stopped. I was simply doing sets of 5 and 5. I split it up into rounds. First round was 3 sets; 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, stop, 5/5, 5/5, stop, 5/5 stop, 5/5, 5/5, 5/5, stop, 5/5, 5/5, stop, and 5/5.

Slow and steady wins the race. My glutes wore out and the last set was all heart. It seems as if the conditioning is there, but it's been a while since I worked with the 24 on high volume snatching so my body is coming back to it a little reluctantly. Which is fine. 200 in 10 will fall by the end of the year if not sooner.

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse 10

2010-05-28T18:22:00.000-07:00

Carrying body and soul

and embracing the one,

can you avoid separation?

Can you let your body become

as supple as a newborn child's?

In the opening and shutting of heaven's gate,

can you play the feminine part?

Can you love your people

and govern your domain

without self-importance?

Giving birth and nourishing;

having, yet not possessing;

working, yet not taking credit;

leading without controlling or dominating.

One who heed this power

brings the Tao to this very earth.

This is the primal virtue.

In Wayne Dyer's Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, he refers to this verse of the Tao as "Living Oneness." Dr. Dyer also goes on to introduce this verse by reminding us of the paradoxical nature of the Tao. Body and Spirit, Yen and Yang. Same only different. "We are connected to the power of the eternal Tao, while simultaneously being in a mortal physique." That is how the verse starts off. Lao-Tzu tells us:

Carrying body and soul and embracing the one, can you avoid separation?

We have this body, this vessel that is mortal, that carries an eternal piece. A piece of the Tao or God or the Universe. Many are not fully aware of the other side. By that I mean the spiritual aspect of their body. If you exercise, train with weights, Kettlebells specifically, and Hardstyle to be even more specific, then you understand the moments of euphoria when you hit a PR. But wasn't it more about the journey? Aren't you stronger for it and I don't mean just the body.

Whether you like it or not there's a whole other side. The white to the black and it is eternal. Eventually you will connect with it. The question is, will you do it now or later? By connecting to and maintaining that connection, you can harness the strength to lift yourself out of the deepest and darkest of holes.

Can you let your body become as supple as a newborn child's?

My neighbor's kid plops into a rock bottom squat in a way that makes me very jealous. To see the ease and grace of it. Children have so much to teach us. They are still brilliantly connected to that beautiful source of all life.

Tension. It helps generate force. Tension is the beginning of strength. But what about the opposite? The Yang? There must be time to relax. To shake out the tension. Release it and regain the suppleness of the child. And through that practice, can we also reconnect to the childlike joy and peace that exists when Santa Claus is coming to town?

The RKC (Russian Kettlebell Challenge) system in also known as Hardstyle. Meaning the practice of Hardstyle Kettlebell training has one basic thread throughout the practice and that is compression. Hardstyle Kettlebell training will teach you how to create strength and force through the focus of energy and generation of tension. There's nothing "supple" about Hardstyle Kettlebell Training.

Or is there? What is the Yang to the Yin of tension? The Tao says "supple." The RKC says relaxation. In the RKC there are "grinds" and there are "ballistics." When you grind out a repetition, there is lots of tension and when you're working your ballistics, like swings and snatches, you get to waver between tension and relaxation.

Ever evolving and creating balance in that, the RKC has now incorporated circular strength into their system. A way to decompress and study another form of strength with Indian Club swinging. The main reason I'm bringing this up is that in the resent F.M.S. Publication, Club Swinging Essentials, you'll read a note from the U.S. Army Manual of Physical Training circa 1914. Re: Club Swinging, it says:

"The effect of these exercises, when performed with light clubs, is chiefly a neural one, hence they are primary factors in the development of grace, coordination and rhythm. As they tend to supple the muscles and articulations of the shoulders and to the upper and fore arms and wrist, they are indicated in case where there is a tendency toward what is ordinarily known as muscle bound."

Notice the word supple? Another method of creating supple is in Qi Gong. More specifically, John DuCane's Recharge. Either way, it's about balance. And speaking of balance,

In the opening and shutting of heaven's gate, can you play the feminine part?

Think of the feminine. Women tend to be more supple then men. The woman is the creator of life. The creative spirit is uniquely feminine. Can one in their strength be strong enough to allow the creative to flow into them and then out to share heaven with the world? By helping others regain that suppleness of children coupled with the firmness and tension of adulthood we can reconnect to that which we grew out of. Can we grow back into suppleness? Tension is one of the tool. One must understand both to be the master.

We can now start to see the challenge Lao-Tzu is putting forth.

Can you love your people and govern your domain without self-importance?

Whether you're an RKC, a coach, an educator, or none of the above, you are still a teacher. You teach others by your example. How you carry yourself. Your actions. Your deeds. You teach others how you want to be treated. Make it all about you and that is all you will have. Make it all about them and you will know love.

Giving birth and nourishing; having, yet not possessing; working, yet not taking credit; leading without controlling or dominating.

Living outside of ego in all you do. This is the challenge Lao-Tzu is giving. Can you be strong enough to have and own your physical strengths and weaknesses and yet not strive to posses it. Will you give credit to where credit is due? Would you be where you are if it weren't for someone? Can you teach others with humility and grace? Do you carry your strength with modesty. Teach with tough love and respect? Strive for constant improvement? This is the way of the RKC.

One who heed this power brings the Tao to this very earth. This is the primal virtue.

This is the way of heaven. A primal virtue. Primal, to me means something that comes from deep down. A part of our very fabric of being. And virtue has always stood for something good that may require some work. Patience is a virtue, they say. Patience requires a decision and some effort. So to have a virtue, moral excellence, as Webster puts it, that reaches deep down into the fabric of your being, that is something worth training for.

How can you apply this into your training?

Kettlebell Stickers and Wounded Warriors

2010-05-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

The Pura Vida Company is proud to announce that now through Monday, 100% of all sales from Kettlebell Stickers will be donated to the Wounded Warriors project! After Monday 5/31, 1$ will be donated!

http://shop.thepuravidacompany.com/Kettlebell-Stickers_c2.htm

Check em out and get your sticker today!

Being Memorial Day, it's important to recognize the sacrifice that our troops past and present make daily and have made to keep our country safe and out of harms way.

The Wounded Warriors Project is a non profit group dedicated to honor and empower our wounded warriors.

This is a group that needs to be recognized, thanked and equally empowered as their cause is nobel.

I'd like to help this group if even in a small way which is why I'll be donating 100% of the proceeds this weekend and 1$ per sale there after!

If you train with Kettlebells and are proud of this country and would like to thank that men and women who make it possible and keep us safe, having a Kettlebell bumper sticker is a nice way to say thanks.

Tuesday/Wednesday - Heavy Day and Active Recovery

2010-05-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

ETK ROP Heavy Day

My heavy day was... well, heavy. Clean and Press with the 32. I did 5 ladders of 1,2,3. That's 30 per side, 60 total. 1920kg lifted. Phew!

Followed that up with 1 near max set of Swings with the Bulldog. Got 22 good reps. Anymore would have been sloppy. Took a rest and knocked out 20 reps and then 18. Called myself sufficiently smoked and went to stretch out.

Active Recovery

I love a nice day of Active Recovery. Headed down to the beach off of Topanga Canyon and PCH. Just below the Getty Villa, there a few nice spots. I ran through John DuCane's Recharge and then Practiced Movement's 1 and 2 from Club Swinging Essentials. From there I headed down to the old Muscle Beach. Played on the rings for a while. Overall, all was right with the world!

Sunday in the Park with George and Lenny

2010-05-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning's strength practice consisted of warming up with Super Joints and standard warm up from Enter the Kettlebell.

The workout consisted of alternating ladders with Clean and Press and Pistols. Five ladders of 1,2. The reason I'm calling this Sunday in the Park with Lenny and George is because, if you've read Grapes of Wrath, I feel like George on the Clean & Press and Lenny on the Pistol.

I finished the workout (or rather the workout finished me, however you want to look at it) with Bulldog Swings. Dice rolls to determine the rounds and did :20 seconds of work with :40 seconds of rest. Dice came back with a six, so it was six rounds set on the ol' Gymboss Timer.

On the press, I still need to work on keeping my shoulder packed down while pressing. It also wouldn't hurt if I had just a tad more control on the decent. The Clean feels solid and controlled but the bell tends to move or shift on my wrist as I start the press, so it's important to really stick the clean. Take a moment to re-pressurize and generate a little extra force before pressing on. Even if for just a split second.

Pistols... OK George! Diie-Uh... YUP! I'm like Sport Goofy over there. But! Maintaining tension and pulling myself deeper will be the focus. Here's the basic plan. Light day's I'm getting into the bottom position for some static holds. Heavy days, I'm doing Box Pistols and Medium days we're doing what I like to call "Lenny" Pistols or the best I can manage at current skill level. And that's the thing. The Pistol really is a skill. You, I, one must get VERY familiar with spacial awareness, trust in current strength, practice the techniques I have, not yield to gravity, be in balance and most importantly, believe that it will happen. This if foreshadowing to a much larger blog... I will continue on. You'd think I'd have a copy of Naked Warrior on my night stand next to my bed, but I put in the bathroom where I will see it often and pay closer attention to it.

Swings. Bulldog. Heavy. Punishing. Work. My right foot likes to creep out clockwise, so I need to stay in constant vigil there and I'd like to finish each Swing just a little tighter.

Heavy day coming on Tuesday. Clubs tomorrow, video coming soon...

Thursday Morning Practice

2010-05-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

So off to the park on a beautiful Thursday morning.

Warm Up: Super Joints, Goblet Squats, Halos, Sling Shots and Pumps.

As planned, I practiced the Clean and Press with the 32kg. Light day so just 5 singles and then in between lowered myself into the rock bottom pistol (with help from a tree) and just stayed there looking for balance and stability. Didn't find much of it, but I'm understanding the importance of just being down there.

Next time I will continue working on staying in the bottom position with less and less help from the tree...

Snatch workout had a goal of 12 sets of 5/5 in 12 minutes with the 24kg and I hit that with 59 seconds to spare. It's a tad humbling easing yourself back into heavy snatching, but also exciting as I climb the ladder to 200 in 10 minutes.

In about 15 minutes, I'm going to go hit the Medium day...

Tuesday Heavy

2010-05-20T09:10:00.000-07:00

Tuesday's my heavy day. I don't have to report to my "real job" on Tuesdays, so I can train all day if I like. Ironically here in sunny California on a Tuesday morning in Encino, it got cold, cloudy, misty, then rainy. Fortunately, for me, I had the cover of some very large trees to get me through my Clean and Press/Box Pistols ladders.

So what's an Irish bloke to do when the weather starts acting like the land of my forefathers? First, we take cover under the large trees. Normally used to block out the sun and a favorite spot among weekend birthday party revelers, these large oak and pine with intermingled branches keep a small patch of Balboa park relatively dry. We then fire up the old boom box with a little Lunasa and get to work.

After warming up with Super Joints and the warm up from Enter the Kettlebell, out comes the 32kg bell and I settle in to 4 ladders of 1,2,3. Clean and Press left, then right. Box Pistol left, then right. For the Box Pistols, I'm down to tier 3 on the High Step. However, for this workout, I left the box in the car and just practiced going as low as I can. I have determined that my hams are too tight and won't allow for a full rock bottom pistol yet. Also, I need to get comfortable with being in the bottom position of the pistol. With that in mind, I think I'll make an adjustment here. On Light Days, I'll focus on static holds and practice being in the bottom position. Medium days will be pistols with no box, just going as low as I can without falling on my ass. Heavy days will be the box pistol. Needless to say, Pavel's Naked Warrior is always close a hand. My current "day job" really doesn't allow for full blown GTG so instead, I've committed to always stand up with one leg.

The pressing is coming along fine, no major issues, just working on a smooth groove, keeping the shoulder down, lats flared and lots of tension.

My 12 Minute Man Maker turned into a 4 Minute Getterdun as the rain began to seep through the trees and the wind kicked up. So it was me and the Bulldog for 4,8,12,16, 20, and called it like a rained out baseball game, as a wet horn on an 88 pound Kettlebell is really just asking for something to go horribly wrong.

The press the Bulldog/pistol quest will continue...

Saturday Morning ETK

2010-05-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning was a good solid session for me.

Warmed up with Super Joints and 5/5 TGU's.

From there I worked the C&P, 4 ladders of 1,2 with the 32kg and alternated Box Pistols. In the C&P, I focused on three specific things. The first was bracing at the end of the Clean. The second was to press from lats and the third was creating max tension with the non-pressing side. Clearly when elevating 32kg's overhead, the pressing side will have more than enough tension, but how much more power can you generate when you direct some attention over to the non-pressing side and equal the amount of tension you're creating?

Still struggling with the Box Pistol. The box is getting pretty low, so that's the good news. The bad news is it feels like you're back to square one, relearning everything from this new depth. Worked hard on gripping the ground and leaning forward. Hitting bottom is the main issue right now. It is my suspicion that my hamstrings might be a little too tight, so I'm going to work on stretching them out see what that does. Also, I will see about getting tighter and staying tighter all the way down. I think I'm loosing some tension the closer I get to bottom. Tuesday will be my heavy day, so I'm gonna leave my box in the car and just practice pistols as low as I can go. Will update on my findings.

Bulldog Swings finished up the workout, with dice rolls at the 9. Decided on :20 work, :40 rest. Set the gymboss timer and got to work. I was averaging between 12 and 13 reps per set. Swings felt good and solid. Hands are sore though. 88 pounds trying to fly away can be a bit tough on the grip, but I'm happy about seeing any WTH effect on my Bottoms Up Press.

Finished up with some hanging leg raises (5x5) and a few drills from Relax Into Stretch.

Monday night will be some Clubbell Practice...

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse Nine

2010-05-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

To keep on filling

is not as good as stopping.

Overfilled, the cupped hands drip,

better to stop pouring.

Sharpen a blade too much

and its edge will soon be lost.

Fill your house with jade and gold

and it brings insecurity.

Puff yourself with honor and pride

and no one can save you from a fall.

Retire when the work is done;

this is the way of heaven.

Lao-Tzu

As I began to type this, I was instantly reminded of two other pieces of wisdom. The first piece of wisdom is one that I'm mentioned over and over in the writings I've worked on over on HubPages which is a quote from David Whitley's eBook, 101 Kettlebell Workouts.

"Push yourself, but don't be stupid."

The RKC Code of Conduct is the second piece of wisdom that I was reminded of after reading this ninth verse of the Tao.

This verse, along with the simple wisdom of Mr. Whitley and the RKC Code of Conduct teaches and encourages humility. In my study of the Tao, I have used Wayne Dyer's book, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life as my chief text for the Tao. His interpretations are always insightful and even in the very title, there in lies the challenge of humility to "change our thoughts." How often are our thoughts considered to be set in stone, as a principle? The reality for us is that it may take great humility to recognize when a specific thought might not be the best way to look at something. Another great quote from Dr. Dyer is, "When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

As we merge the wisdom of the Tao with the quest for strength, what can Lao-Tzu teach us about humility and how can humility help us get stronger? Both in body and spirit...

To keep on filling is not as good as stopping.

This is Lao-Tzu's way of saying, "push yourself, but don't be stupid." As you train for strength, you will soon learn and understand your body better. You will find yourself connected to and more in tune with many aspects of your body. Situational awareness is a key result of strength training and Kettlebell training more specifically. But so is the relationship between you and your body. There will many cues from your body as to when to stop a session or a set. Your task is to know when you have a barrier to blow through and when it's really time to stop. You will soon recognize when it's the little voice in head that's trying so desperately to keep you in homeostasis, to the other voice that rings from your past, this is the one that reflects your self worth and ego...

(yeah, I grew up with a head shrinker for a father, so what? I learned a lot and you're still reading, so just enjoy this little pop-psych for a moment and see if you don't get something out it)

See, right there was an example of the little voice manifesting itself right here in this blog. Nice, huh? So when you're shooting for a goal or PR and there's all these things saying stop, know when to stop and know when keep going. There is no better way to say it than "push yourself, but don't be stupid." It takes great humility to live to fight another day.

Overfilled, the cupped hands drip, better to stop pouring.

This is direct contrast to the "leave it all in the ring" view. This is the difference. A professional boxer or weightlifter trains to peak in the ring or on the mat. Powerlifters train for longevity. Pavel Tsatsouline's book, Power to the People teaches us about cycling and progressive overload and also advocates not training to failure every time. That it is better to stop pouring and only overfill our cup once in a while.

Sharpen a blade too much and its edge will soon be lost.

This continues on to remind us not to over train our body. That rest is an equal portion of the strong body equation. We grow and develop while at rest, not while at work. Work is to practice, train and apply. Rest is where we process, repair, restore and rebuild. The Seventh principle in Steven Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is "Sharpen the Saw." Ironically, he talks about continual improvement, but this is not without giving the body, mind and spirit the time it needs to grow.

Now we will move deeper into the aspect of ego and self image...

Fill your house with jade and gold and it brings insecurity.

The fitness industry is filled with jade and gold. The ego. Your self image. How you look and what you are worth should be separate. You are a piece of God made flesh. You do not need a 6-pack to be of value and worth. You do not need to bench press your way to cut glass with your pecs in order to be attractive and wanted. What happens when you can't bench? If your sense of worth is locked into the image you see in the mirror you will be in a constant state of fear that the image will fade. And when the image does fade, who will you be?

Instead train for strength. Not so you can say, "look how much I can lift," but instead, what can you gain from the journey? What can you learn from cultivating your strength, your will, your spirit? What can you accomplish in the world when you take that strength outside the gym?

Puff yourself with honor and pride and no one can save you from a fall.

Use your lats! You see guys in the gym who walk with puffed lats to look stronger or bigger. In the animal kingdom you see countless examples of animals who puff and pump themselves up to look larger, stronger, tougher. If that's all you got, what's going to happen when you really need that strength you've been feigning. Like all mirages, it will fade and pass. Pavel's book Beyond Bodybuilding has the "Strong As You Look Series." This is an important aspect of training for strength verses training for looks. The image that you put forth, like all aspects of yourself, should be congruent with your inner self. Be as strong as you look and you will look as strong as you are. Allow your appearance to be a residual effect, not the main goal. Balloons loose their air over time but a rock is a rock regardless of its size and weight... think about it.

Retire when the work is done; this is the way of heaven.

More for the sake of more is a waste of resources. It is not in line with the Tao. The quest for more because one believes that more of something is the way to happiness or success is the ego running rampant. Instead, work hard in the moment and find your strength, joy, and happiness from what you are doing rather than looking to what this may bring. And keep in mind, as I've said before, there is no way to strength or happiness, instead, strength and happiness is the way.

I'll end this with some wisdom from Carlos Castaneda.

"...A hunter uses his world sparingly and with tenderness, regardless of whether the world might be things, or plants, or animal or people or power. A hunter deals intimately with his world... he's not squeezing his world out of shape. He taps is lightly, stays for as long as he needs to, and then swiftly moves away hardly leaving a mark."

Thurday and Friday Training

2010-05-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

Thursday's training was the Light Day from the R.O.P. in Enter The Kettlebell and Friday I practiced with the Clubs.

Thursday looked like this:
Warm Up with Super Joints, ETK warm up, TGU's 5/5 with 16kg
32kg Clean and Press: 4 singles.
Box Pistols: 4 singles.
24kg Snatches: 12 sets of 5/5
Cool Down with Relax into Stretch

Felt good and solid. Have not snatched with the 24 for any real volume lately so that was a nice little smoker at the end. Didn't push too hard, really focused on form and power. Did it in 13:35. I did not work for time, but I did time my work. Did a set, took whatever time I needed to feel ready to do another. Next time around I'll compress that to under 12 minutes and then add reps.

Friday morning revolved around me old timey physical culture routine. So the Indian Clubs came out. And I got the new book and DVD from Grey Cook, Brett Jones and Dr. Ed Thomas. Very excited about spending some quality time with the Clubs. Friday I practiced and worked on the progressions from Dr. Thomas' original DVD. Next week, I'll delve more into the new book and DVD.

Saturday (today) I'll be working through the Medium Day from R.O.P. and will report back on that tonight or tomorrow morning.

Tuesday ETK ROP Resumes

2010-05-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

The conquer the Bulldog quest continues with...

Heavy Day/Benchmark for Right Of Passage from Enter the Kettlebell.

Warmed up with Super Joints, Goblet Squats, Halos and Pump Stretches plus 5+5 TGU's with the 16kg.

32 kg Clean and Press Ladders. 3 ladders of 1,2,3 with Box Pistols of the same.
Finished with 12 minutes of Bulldog Swing Ladders. 4,8,12,16 x's 2 then 4,8 totaling 92 Swings in 12 minutes.

Light Day on Thursday will be 4 C&P singles with 4 Box Pistols and Snatches on the dice roll...

You Are Powerful Beyond Measure!

2010-05-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

Saw this today, gave me the chills. Very good words in here. Enjoy All!

Note to Self...

2010-05-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

"Everyone is a prisoner of his own experience. No one can eliminate prejudices--just recognize them."

-Edward R. Murrow

Anytime you start off a sentence with, "I don't mean to sound..." or, "you can take this anyway you want, but..." you're better off at that point just stopping and keeping your opinion to yourself.

But why spoil such a great opportunity to step in it and learn a valuable lesson about your jaded bitter self?

After seven plus years of working in an industry where a fair amount of the people you encounter just assume you're trying to screw them and then tell you one thing but do another strictly to secure them selves a better situation regardless of the effort you've already put forth and without giving you the last opportunity... you tend to form some opinions.

Being in sales is also being in the people business. It is also part psychologist. To be successful, it is important to understand how people make decisions, when and why. Why is it that one person can walk into a store, pick an item and buy it without a second thought? Whereas another person will walk in(same item), see it, want it, and then go to 5 or 6 other stores to compare prices, shop online, call a few places and invest 3 to 4 weeks (sometimes months) before they can feel as comfortable as the first guy did when he purchased right away?

Neither one is wrong and neither one is right. It is simply the process of the individual. What is consistent is that a person will not buy until the item in question is worth more than the money in their pocket.

That is where nature and nurture come into play. It as also where one gets to walk a fine line between stereotyping a group, race, or culture with understanding the reality of how a group or culture views money (for the most part). Now, if you're going to be engaging in business with a person from a said group or culture, wouldn't the knowledge of how that group/culture buys, shops, and makes a decision be valuable? Or is that taboo?

What about when the two cultural views on money and value clash? What happens when one's view of being frugal conflicts with an other's view of service and selling? For example, in the world of sales, it is customary to shop around and it is almost expected. Any sales professional worth his salt understands that a majority of his clients and buyers are going to look around before making a final decision. For sales people reading this, this does not mean you don't go for the close on the first meeting. It means that if you don't close, odds are pretty good, they're going to look around especially if you talked about price. There is, in this, an unspoken rule of ethics that has arisen and a few opinions which can create a circular mess.

How does a buyer know they have a good deal? Should the buyer be obligated to give the originating salesperson the last shot at the deal? Is it OK to buy strictly on price alone? Should the value of the service rendered to deliver and implement the product play a role in the presumed value and consequently price of the product in question? Is it possible that some will wind up spending more (gas, labor, maintenance, and the most valuable of all commodities time) in their quest for a better deal? What if that better deal means sitting in traffic all day, renegotiating, settling for a different color, type or model, not getting exactly what you want, etc? For some it's worth it. I hear it and experience it almost everyday.

Through out all of this, one thing remains the same, a person will not buy until the product or service is worth more to them than the money in their pocket.

So where am I going with this? What's the point of this expose into decision making and cultural buying habits?

I made an inappropriate comment. It was said in frustration. I knew it was inappropriate as I was saying it and knew for sure after I said it. Strangely, I don't even know if the person who I said it too even recognized it as inappropriate. So if the audience didn't see it, it didn't happen, right? Wrong. I know. I said it. I shouldn't have and it was wrong of me to allow myself to go there. That's not the kind of person I am or want to be.

I will not repeat what was said or go into the details of the actual offensive statement. I'd rather let your own inner prejudices fill that in.

I broke a personal cardinal principle from my own life. That principle is to stay here, in the now. I allowed and used past experiences to make a judgment on something in the present. This isn't necessarily wrong, but it certainly can limit possibilities. When you slip out of the now and regress to an explanation based on an individuals culture or race, it is ~~you~~ (me) making myself feel better for not having built enough value in my product to make it worth more than the money in said individual's pocket.

Some people/cultures have some behaviors that are fairly consistent. When I was a waiter, there were certain groups that consistently did not tip well. As a salesperson, there are some groups that will typically try to buy your product for below your cost. This is just information. It is not however a constant nor is it a reason to jump to any conclusions about how the individual in front of me is going to act or behave.

Staying in the now means staying fresh and approaching each situation from a position of service. It means honoring what you've learned in the past, yet remaining open to the possibility of now.

Rising above what I would view as an instinctual response is part of the challenge and mystery of being human. From early on you learn and form opinions and judgments. Mostly to protect yourself. From as simple and as obvious as touching a hot stove, to getting cheated on by a lover, or loaning money to someone. When you get burned, you tend to think differently the next time the situation arises.

Another wonderful aspect of humanity is the ability to recognize when you're wrong and learn from your mistakes. Within and between the stimulus, lies the ability to respond. And when you recognize it, you can change it and respond differently than you did the last time.

Me? I blew it. Insensitive, inappropriate, unacceptable. I made an assumption. And we all know what happens when you assume. In this case, the only ass was me. I am grateful for having recognized it and would like to sincerely apologize to the parties involved. I am truly sorry.

Looks like I have more work to do. Hopefully to those of you reading this slice of humble pie you will gain something from this and we as the human race can get a little closer to accepting our differences while embracing our similarities.

Monday Night's Training

2010-05-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

Last night I worked on:

Double Kettlebell Military Press: 24kg, 5 sets of 5 on the minute.
Double Kettlebell Iron Cross: 16kg, 4 sets of 3 every 2 minutes.
Superset of Ring Push Ups with Chest Expander 5 sets of 10. 30 seconds between.
Snatches 16kg, 5 sets of 20.
Finished off with a little Clubbell Practice based on Ed Thomas DVD.

Good session overall. Shoulders feeling strong.

Will continue on intertwining Stacking workouts from 101 KB Workouts and preparing my Hub for Stacking.

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse 8

2010-05-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

The supreme good is like water,

which nourishes all things without trying to.

It flows to low places loathed by all men.

Therefore, it is like the Tao.

Live in accordance with the nature of things.

In dwelling, be close to the land.

In meditation, go deep in the heart.

In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.

Stand by your word.

Govern with equity.

Be timely in choosing the right moment.

One who lives in accordance with nature

does not go against the way of things.

He moves in harmony with the present moment,

always knowing the truth of just what to do.

Lao-Tzu

Isn't it interesting that right before it's time to write about the 8th Verse of the Tao Te Ching, I stumble on the quote I had mentioned from my last blog?

The supreme good [insert higher power of your choosing] is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to.

Wayne Dyer's book Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life, based on the Tao titles this verse, "Living in the Flow." Dr. Dyer also reminds us that our bodies are 75 percent water and our brain is 85 percent water. "The rest," he goes on to say, "is simply muscled water."

That's great! Muscled water! What does water do?

It flows to low places loathed by all men. Therefor it is like the Tao.

Think of the God realized beings who got low in order to go high. Jesus, as one example, associated with all kinds of "low" men. In modern times there are countless examples of this. If God is like water and we are mostly water then we too are a tiny piece of God. That also means that we are stronger and more powerful then we, more often than not, give ourselves credit for. I will be the first to admit to this.

Live in accordance with the nature of things. In dwelling, be close to the land. In meditation, go deep in the heart. In dealing with others, be gentle and kind. Stand by your word. Govern with equity.

Be timely in choosing the right moment.

Here Lao-Tzu guides us in a direction that will take you down a path of peaceful living. Where life will flow. There is no need to try to force things to happen, when you abide by the Tao and live in accordance with the nature of things, everything will fall into place.

This verse also reminds me of another quote about water and living in the flow...

"Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

-Bruce Lee

Strength. What is it? What makes it? One of the key components of strength is tension. You'll read about this in Pavel Tsatsouline's Power to the People. So why are we talking about water? Water is anything but tense? Well there in lies the rub. Water can change shape and structure to adapt to the moment. Evaporate, freeze or flow, water has the flexibility to adjust to the demands of the environment. Do you?

When training for strength, be like water. Know when to tense up like ice and when to flow like a stream. Know when to rise like the tide and crash like a wave. What barriers are in your way that need eroding? With time and by living in accordance with the nature of things, you too can overflow.

One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of things. He moves in harmony with the present moment, always knowing the truth of just what to do.

The key to this verse is here. He moves in harmony with the present moment... The present moment. Be here, in the now. When you allow yourself to exist outside of the now, you are not in the flow. Rather your ego is rowing your boat. Great strength lies in the ability to stay in the present moment. From the power lifter to the gymnast to the Girevik, the ability to stay with the movement as it happens and have a laser focus on where you are and what you are doing is a key element to pressing through. Look at 3 typical drills. A deadlift, an Iron Cross and a heavy near maximal Kettlebell press. If you're thinking about what you need to pick up from the market while attempting one of the drills, you're probably not going to hit it. Rather it's going to hit you and probably on the head in the case of the press. But also look at how fast these near maximal efforts almost command and engage your body in the now. It's nearly impossible to think about anything else but the task at hand and the more you can dial into that focus during your lift, the stronger you become.

The real question now is: How can you take this focus and harmony with the present moment into daily living and be as strong spiritually as you are physically...

Training Updates and a teaser...

2010-04-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

After finishing GVT, I've spent the last two weeks working TGU's and Swings. Program Minimum all the way. Last week, I got started on "Stacking" from David Whitley, Master RKC's ebook, 101 Kettlebell Workouts. If you don't have this book, you need to. I've started going through it workout by workout and have posted my experiences with them on Hub Pages. I'll be posting the Stacking Hub next week sometime and announcing a little challenge/contest to go with it, so stay tuned!

How Does God Talk To You And A Word Or Two On Strength

2010-04-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

A quote for Strength of all types taken off the wall in my father's office:

"When flowing water... meets with obstacles on it's path, a blockage in it's journey, it pauses.

It increases in volume and strength, filling up in front of the obstacle and eventually spilling past it...

Do not turn and run, for there is nowhere worthwhile for you to go.

Do not attempt to push ahead into the danger...

emulate the example of the water:

Pause and build up your strength until the obstacle no longer represents a blockage."

(Taken From:
To Build the Life You Want, Create the Work You Love)

Now, I haven't read this book (yet). Clearly, as of last Wednesday afternoon, it is on my list. I'm just starting Journey to Ixtlan by Carlos Castaneda and well... this will be next. Interesting how this quote should appear before me and how rare it is I'm in my father's office.

But that bodes the question: How does God talk to you? The days of burning bushes, I think, are over. My assumption is God is more subtle. The thing is, are you listening? Are you open?

Keep in mind, God doesn't have to be the Old Guy with the beard that kind of looks like Mel Brooks. Who God is and what he/she looks like is up to you. We're not going to worry about how God looks nor should we try to define God. But once we commit to the existence of a higher power with conscience intelligencer, clearly there's a potential for communication here... are you listening?

So, here I am in my father's office working with him on publishing my up-in-coming book, How To Stop Smoking Without Killing Anyone, and I look on his wall and see this amazing quote.

From everything I've learned as a practitioner of strength, from how to execute a proper deadlift, to how to press a Kettlebell, this quote is like a Zen Master's instruction of strength.

Now, how can you incorporate this into daily life? Strength of will and determination. What habit's are you trying to develop and what habits are you trying to kick? What obstacles are you using? What are you allowing to block your progress?

This is the time to pause. It doesn't have to be a long pause. Just long enough to recognize the gap that lies between stimulus and response.

The Kettlebell Clean and Press is a great drill to learn the pause. Swing the bell back and launch it forward as you would in a normal swing. But instead of an arc out, you pull up and "tame" the arc. The Kettlebell lands home resting on your forearm and shoulder, the rest of your body braced for impact, tight, rigid and rooted to the ground. Energy bounces from the ground to explode out as you press the bell skyward. That is the moment before the press where in the rest of your life you get to choose to press on or crumble under the weight.

In the physical realm, the Kettlebell will act as your obstacle. Whatever it may be. For me it has been addiction, grief, and low self esteem, to name a few. Learning how to press on when it seems too heavy is something worth training for, wouldn't you agree?

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse 7

2010-04-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

Heaven is eternal - the earth endures

Why do heaven and earth last forever?

They do not live for themselves only.

This is the secret of their durability.

For this reason, the sage puts himself last

and so ends up ahead.

He stays a witness to life,

so he endures.

Serve the needs of others,

and all your own needs will be fulfilled.

Through selfless action, fulfillment is attained.

-Lao Tzu

For me, being in the business of sales and now in the beginning of transitioning into a full time Kettlebell Instructor, this Seventh Verse of the Tao Te Ching is a very important verse.

This Verse will have many applications which we are going to look at.

The main theme I get from this verse is Lao-Tzu is challenging us to work for a cause greater than ourselves. He is also calling us to service. To be of service of our fellow man.

Allow me to touch on the art and science of sales for a second and see if you can relate this to your own life. If you go into a sales situation with no regard for the needs of your client and no real love for your product, you are setting yourself up for ultimate failure. You have to believe that what you're selling is the answer to what your client has been looking for. You need to show them the value of your product and how it meets their needs.

If it's all about you getting a deal, closing someone, and taking their money, you're not serving them. You're serving yourself. There's a big difference between these two phrases:

1.  I want to sell "X" and make a ton of money doing it.

2. I want to make a ton of money and so I'm going to sell "X".

When you go into sales with the attitude of how can I serve, all kinds of wonderful things will happen. Namely, you'll sleep better at night and customers will recognize your sincerity and passion and choose you. Many times they'll even pay more. But the key is you have to be genuinely committed to being of service. If you're only in it for the money, you may do OK for a while, but there's no longevity there.

Heaven is eternal - the earth endures, Why do heaven and earth last forever? They do not live for themselves only. This is the secret of their durability.

For this reason, the sage puts himself last and so ends up ahead.

This verse also reminds me of another popular man of wisdom and some words he left us for consideration.

"So the last will be first, and the first will be last." -Jesus of Nazareth

Jesus is great example in putting others first and working for a cause greater than himself. You can look into modern times to see others who followed this Verse and prospered. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, The Dali Lama, etc. There are countless examples through out history that show the enormous levels of strength that are required to change a nation or counter balance the negative energy of the world with pure love.

So let's tie this into strength training now. What does it take to Deadlift 3 times your bodyweight? What does it take to Snatch a 24kg Kettlebell 200 times in 10 minutes? What do you need to have to press half your bodyweight? What does it take to teach someone strength?

More than raw strength, that's for sure. And you better be training for something greater than what looks back at you in the mirror. Body image is a consequence. It should not be the main goal. Strength training and Kettlebells have enabled me to overcome a lot and helped me through some very rough times in my life. I only hope that I can pass on what I've learned and the wisdom I've gained to others and that they can find their own strength to overcome any obstacles they find in their way.

There will be a difference between the overweight father with high cholesterol who let himself go and is now trying to slim down to make sure he's around to see his daughter off to the Prom in 15 years and the guy at the gym who pulls his muscle shirt up to check his ABS in the mirror. Who has more heart? Who is stronger?

Another question would be, and the answer will require great strength in itself, is; What do I need to release in order to develop great strength?   The answer will hover around and most likely be your Ego. The Ego will only slow down your progress. The release of Ego's hold over your identity can open up a whole new world for you. In a previous blog, I mentioned you have to first be weak before you can be strong. Identifying and correcting your weakness (physical and spiritual) requires humility and great strength. When you start to train for something greater than yourself, just like in sales, you will see wonderful things start to happen.

He stays a witness to life, so he endures.

Be on the lookout because the next step to strength is faith.

Serve the needs of others, and all your own needs will be fulfilled. Through selfless action, fulfillment is attained.

When you set out to be of service, when you are genuine in your desire to be of service, when you focus on serving a cause greater then your own ego, you will find that you will not have to worry about money, food and shelter. It will arrive right on time if you are pure in your intentions. This is something you must believe with your whole heart. This is also concept that will instantly fire up your Ego. Even as I write this I can hear my ego in the back of my head fighting and arguing with me in this concept. This is why faith is such an important next step and why cultivating faith will lead you to greater strength. When I watch movies about warriors I always admire the courage it takes to press on and fight despite the fact that death is so close. That is the faith of the warrior. Fighting for a cause greater then them. Look at Maximus in Gladiator or Leonidis in 300. Heck, look at Rocky. I suppose that is why The Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman has been such an influence for me in recent years. Dan showed me how to bring the Warrior spirit to my daily life. It is something I am still working on, but I am further ahead now than when I started.

Faith and strength come from the heart. When my Ego fire's up or that little voice that's always trying to keep you in homeostasis starts trash talking one of the great elements of humanity presents itself. Choose to follow your heart. Find ways to genuinely be of service to others and find yourself living a very wealthy life that is quite rich. It may not always be a big bank account but you will be fulfilled!

The Love/Hate Relationship I Have With My Driver's Licence Photo

2010-04-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Every time I look at this photo, I have to ask myself, "who in the hell is that?" Because it certainly isn't me! At least, not anymore. Sure he's smiling, but is he happy? The man in the picture is a man who has lost control. Control of his feelings, control of his attitude and control of his drinking. Lost in a fog of emotional stew and suppressed grief, simmering, bubbling to the surface.

This picture was taken on October 26, 2006. I showed up at the DMV either hung over or still drunk. I can't quite recall. What I know for sure is I definitely had somewhere between a few and a lot of drinks the night before.

On 2/19/07, I "popped." At least that's what I like to call it. I came home from work after missing a sales bonus, poured a shot of Jack, which was really a double, slammed it back, followed it up with another for good measure and started cooking dinner. All in an effort to forget the fact that I missed that bonus by a lost deal that was only a couple bucks away on payment. Wondering to myself while I cooked if my sales manager purposefully kinked the deal to avoid paying the extra bonus. After sitting down in front of the TV with my wife, I looked down at the dinner I prepared, took two bites and felt my stomach drop. My heart sank, my eyes clouded over, my breath went out and my hands got icy cold. I wasn't sure what was happening to me. I went to the bathroom and proceeded to vomit for about 15 minutes and then went to bed to sleep it off. Not too sure at that time what I was sleeping off. Two shots at that time was a warm up. Must have been food poisoning I thought.

For about 9 months or so prior to this event, I didn't go to bed sober. More often than not, on a day off, I'd be drunk by 3 pm. Some nights, I'd pick up a little airplane bottle (or 2) on the way home from work and knock 'em back before going inside to have my evening cocktail. My wife thinking it was my "one" drink of the night. After she'd go to bed, I'd sneak another... and another.

I didn't have to work on the 20th and the 21st. I spent those days feeling weird and unsure of myself. I felt nervous and terribly insecure. I was scared of everything. My wedding Anniversary is on the 21st. I told my wife I had food poisoning to keep her at bay while I figured out what was really wrong with me. Truth be told, a good part of me felt like I was dying or about to have a heart attack at any second. I spent most of that week in terror. Now, I don't mean terror like a horror movie, I mean terror like hanging from a breaking branch off a 1000 foot cliff. Not too sure how you got there, not sure what's going to go first, the branch or your grip and too scared to try to climb back to safety because one false move and you fall... It was like a bad dream.

That Thursday I tried to go to work. 3 days without a drink. Actually I went to work and barely made it. I got through that day somehow, but most of it was a blur. I was confused, nervous and completely unsure of what was happening to me. There was this heavy feeling in my chest, my diaphragm was so tight and my eyes were heavy. I was afraid to go to sleep for fear of not waking up.

Friday, I made it to the sales meeting in the morning and then went home. I made love to my wife. I mention this because I was so afraid that I was going to die at any second and I felt this urge to try to leave something of me behind and hopefully she'll get pregnant and a piece of me will go on. Later that morning I told her the following, "Honey, I think I've lost control of my drinking and want to stay stopped. I'm terribly scared right now and don't know what's happening to me, I'm afraid I'm going to die like Doug did." I called in sick at work explaining I was still sick from the food poisoning. Afterwards, I called my dad (who's a Marriage Family Therapist) and then tried to set an appointment to see a Doctor to address all my concerns. I then spent the rest of the day weeping. My father told me all of my feelings sounded like grief. Lots of unresolved grief. I thought, "Ohhh... Kay?"

So I continued to call in sick for a few days, hardly ate, and tried to sort out my grief.

The "grief" started in 1994 when I lost a very dear friend, Jeff Hadley. Shortly there after, in 1997, my Grandfather passed. I lost my mom in 1998. Later that year, my Mom's sister, my Aunt Pat died. My Nana passed away in 2002. In April of 2006, another very dear friend, Doug, passed away as a result of acute alcoholism. Too much to handle. I've never been one to morn. It doesn't make since to me intellectually. I believe their spirit lives on and these lost love ones watch over me. I believe this with all my heart and mind and in many instances have tangible proof that they interact with us, when you're open to and receiving of their energy. So what's there to be so upset about?

The reality was, it hurt. It hurt terribly to be without them. Like a little boy, I desperately wanted my mommy. I missed her so much and didn't know how to express it. Cancer is a cruel disease. My mother died valiantly and bravely. She also suffered. It's not easy to watch someone you love go through that.

I missed Doug. Doug was so dear to me. A lost soul he was. Could I have done more? Could I have saved him? In reality, no. But still... His body eventually gave out. Too much for him to handle. Too much for me too.

I, like so many before me, found comfort for my sadness by self medicating my pain. Good ol' fashioned whiskey. At what point I lost control is beyond me, but I think it was shortly after Doug died. Tie this all in with the stress of daily life as a commission based sales person and wham. Drinking problem.

After a week and a half of "drying" out, I met with a psychiatrist. Earlier that week, I met with a psychologist. It helped to air it all out and start getting in touch with my grief, but what about this intense anxiety? Holy crap! I was in a constant state of fear. I didn't know what to do with myself. After much consulting with my father and my wife, we decided to go see someone who could prescribe medication. I had seen a regular MD who gave me some Xanax to help with the anxiety. I really didn't want to replace one bad habit with another. I quit smoking cold turkey, why should getting off the sauce be any different? That being said, the anxiety attacks had worn out their welcome.

The psychiatrist told my Dad and I that it looked like I'd been struggling with depression for a long time and if I was really committed to getting sober and moving through this overwhelming grief and anxiety that a little help is nothing to be ashamed of. "Do you ask for a "spot" at the gym?" My Dad asked. What's the difference?

My second week of sobriety started with 10mg of Lexapro a day. An antidepressant. I had a real hard time accepting this part, but needed the relief. If you got a headache, you take an aspirin. For my broken heart, I took Jack Daniels. A lot of Jack Daniels. Now I would be substituting the Jack with the Lexapro under medical supervision and investing quality time in strengthening my body and my spirit.

My world slowly started to comeback. I came out of the fog I was in. You know that confused feeling you get when you're half asleep and half awake and can't quite tell if you're dreaming or not? What if the dream you're unsure you're in is a nightmare? That's how I felt in those first two weeks of sobriety. The Lexapro spotted me enough (cleared my head) to allow the work that needed to be done, to get done. I felt like I was on a tightrope. The Lexapro was that long stick those guys hold on to.

The anxiety would come and go and I would ride the anxiety like a wave. Recognizing and acknowledging it's presence, identifying what might be causing it and then finding a way to carry on. Before I'd either bear down on it or drink. Neither of those options turned out to be very effective.

I spent a lot of time reading the works of 4 people. Wayne Dyer, Dan Millman, Richard Bandler, and Neale Donald Walsch. Thanks to these authors, I learned how to handle the anxiety and depression and found tools to deal with it when it happens. I became empowered.

My true rocks in this process of getting back up were my wife and my father. I am sure that I would not have come out of that funk had I not been blessed with the loving support of my Dad and the love and devotion of my beautiful wife. I tried to share with some of my friends what was going on for me, but it just never arrived. Meaning, we had disconnected somewhere and I felt like they just wouldn't get it. I think they felt abandoned by me and wouldn't understand my current position, which I was too weak to justify anyway. They were always trying to fix me and guide me in their direction, and clearly, they were already on their own journeys. My journey needed to be without them. We had drifted apart. My cousin, Jacob was a tremendous support. He may not know it, but being able to call randomly and just yap or yoke, really helped me keep perspective.

The other major piece of saving grace was my blossoming love affair with the Russian Kettlebell. Being able to stare down my fear of death and a random heart attack with Swings and Snatches was a Godsend. Also, the concept of picking myself up after this fall from grace lent itself well to the Turkish Get Up...

In February of 2009, exactly 2 years after I "popped" I took and completed, the Russian Kettlebell Challenge. Three days of strenuous Kettlebell training and learning. It was my way of finally purging all the pain I thought I had to hold on to. It was also my way of showing myself that I have the strength; mentally, physically and most important spiritually, to endure and complete that weekend. I spent 9 months preparing for this weekend. I worked, trained and grew my way into a better, stronger, healthier man. I was Certified in June 09 by Mark Cheng and honored with the title, RKC. I doubt he knows how much that means to me, not only as a Kettlebell enthusiast, but as a man.

So here I am on the 11th of March. It's a Thursday night and I look at myself in the mirror at work. Who is that? I ask. What a journey I went on! Do I regret it? Hell no! It has made me who I am now. And I love who I am now. More so than at any other time in my life. This is a picture of a man content with himself. As always, I could have more money, I could have a nicer apartment, I could have a pricier car, better suits, and all that but, who I am and what I've learned about strength, inside and out, is projected in this humble grin and peaceful eyes.

So now sometime in March of '07 it dawns on me that I never received my driver's license. So I call the DMV. They tell me to come in. I fill out a form and they tell me they'll send me another. I confirm my address, get a extension to carry with me and wait. Three months later and no license. I call again. It's like Groundhog Day.

In the 11 months it takes to finally get my license, I completely changed my diet to a low carb, low sugar, high protein diet. I attacked Kettlebell training with a vengeance and I go from 205 pounds to 175.

When my license finally arrived, I looked at it and thought, "who in the f*&%# is that?" I had no idea how much I had changed until I saw that picture. Not just physically, mind you. I saw how much I changed. The good news, is that it reminds me of who I was. Who I allowed myself to become. Who I don't need to be. And who I will never be again. It's impossible to go back there now... Is it? Could I slip? Possible? Yes. I could fall back, but I doubt it. You see I love this driver's license picture, yet hate it. I never want to be that guy again.

I weened myself off the Lexapro slowly but surely and have been off that since somewhere in mid 2009. I forget. That's how easy that transition was. For the first time in a very long time I feel whole and complete. I know exactly where I am and where I'm going. My faith and relationships are stronger than ever. I am stronger than ever.

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse Six

2010-03-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

The spirit that never dies

is called the mysterious feminine.

Although she becomes the whole universe,

her immaculate purity is never lost.

Although she assumes countless forms,

her true identity remains intact.

The gateway to the mysterious female

is called the root of creation.

Listen to her voice,

hear it echo through creation.

Without fail, she reveals her presence.

Without fail, she brings us to our own perfection.

Although it is invisible, it endures;

it will never end.

-Lao-Tzu

Strength. The production of strength. Produce. To produce. To create.

Strength: 1. the quality or state of being strong; bodily or muscular power; vigor. 2. mental power, force, vigor. 3. moral power, firmness, or courage.

Produce: 1. to bring into existence; to give rise to; cause. 2. to bring into existence by intellectual or creative ability.

OK. Now that we got that cleared up! Strength is a creative act. It is an art and a science. Like most things, strength lends itself well to the Yin and Yang. Positive and Negative. Male and Female. Black and White. Strong and Weak. Opposites that are symbiotic. You can't have one without the other.

This verse is about creation. In our case, we are searching the Tao for insights into our training of strength. What can Lao-Tzu teach us about tapping into the creative energy of the Tao to further enhance our practice of strength?

Why feminine? Because mother is the most creative. A mother brings life. A mother nurtures.

The spirit that never dies is called the mysterious feminine.

This mysterious feminine spirit that never dies is the foundation of force production. The production of force is a creative act. When you combine that with the science that develops the skill of strength, you have a one, two punch.

In Pavel Tsatsouline's book, Power to the People: Russian Strength Training Secrets for Every American, Pavel teaches that Tension = Force. "Force and tension are essentially the same thing. That is why neurological, or 'bulk free', strength training can be summed up as acquiring the skill to generate more tension."

In Pavel's book, The Naked Warrior, he says, "The skill of tension generation is the most important variable in getting stronger-it is much more important than the building of muscle mass."

Although she becomes the whole universe, her immaculate purity is never lost.

Strength as a skill... Imagine an individual pressing a heavy Kettlebell overhead in a slow and controlled movement. Imagine one executing a perfect Deadlift. There is purity in that and for the lifter in the moment of pressing or pulling, there is a silence. The mind quites as it enters this Zen like state of focused tension and strength. In these moments, the lifter, whether they know it or not, is connected to the spirit of creation. In this instance, we're referring to the feminine nature of the Tao and the Tao itself. However, this connection can lend itself well to God, Buddha, Krishna, Allah or any higher power of your choosing. Case in point:

Although she assumes countless forms, her true identity remains intact.

This creative act of Tension to produce Force and then using the moment to connect with sprint is also a calling to see if you can carry that connection into other aspects of daily life.

The gateway to the mysterious female is called the root of creation.

For some reading this, it may pull at your ego strings a little bit as it does challenge how we look at and see the Higher Power. I contend that God is neither male nor female, but both. The Bible states, "Let us make man in our image." The "us" part usually refers back to God as a King and also lends itself well to the Holy Trinity. But what is the image of God? God made man and woman. Both are aspects of the image of God. Thus God created a whole person capable of experiencing body and soul and being a divine expression of the wondrous mystery that is God. This verse will perhaps offer us a chance to see God in a different light and connect with God on a different level.

The gateway for us is in the silence of the mind. That is where the creation starts and where strength of body, mind and spirit will begin to flourish.

Listen to her voice, hear it echo through creation. Without fail, she reveals her presence. Without fail, she brings us to our own perfection. Although it is invisible, it endures; it will never end.

In Wayne Dyer's Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life, he talks about creativity this way:

"Being creative means trusting your inner calling, ignoring criticism or judgment, and releasing resistance to your natural talents. Read the 6th Verse paying particular attention to these words: 'Without fail, she revels her presence. Without fail, she brings us to our own perfection.' Then choose to let go of the doubt and fear you've harbored within you regarding your capacity to harmonize with the creative power - a power that's not only greater than your individual life, but is life itself."

Next time you find yourself under a heavy weight, be it a Kettlebell, Barbell, or life issue, use the combined strength of yourself with the Higher Power to press on. Take advantage of the silent mind and feel the connection. For me, I have a little prayer/saying when I press a heavy weight overhead, I say, "OK, I'll press and You pull." It always feels a little lighter when I do that. The weight is always at it's heaviest when I try to do it by myself.

I love the smell of Kettlebells in the morning...

2010-03-29T15:16:00.000-07:00

7am. Sunrise today was at 6:43. The sun had been up for 18 minutes and I was enjoying the pain in the morning air with Hindu Squats and Double Kettlebell Snatch. 10 sets of 10 reps each with 1:30 to rest. Warmed up with Super Joints and got down to it.

In my last post re: this workout, I was concerned that I didn't own this set up. I felt the form wasn't there due to early fatigue. Since then, it seems I have adapted well and increased my conditioning enough to say it's time to drop :15 seconds and see how that goes. I was ready to go early, each set. Owned it!

Mucic of choice was New England Contra Music: Farewell to the Hollow: New England Tradition.

I forgot how beautiful a Spring morning can be. And how nice to know it's 8 am and you're already smoked! The day just got started off with a bang! Pura Vida!

Sometimes it really is just all in your head...

2010-03-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

Warm Up: Super Joints and Pumps from ETK

Session: Double 24 KB Front Squats with Renegade Rows. 10 x 5 with 2:30 rest period. Down 30 seconds from last time.

Finish: Hanging Leg Raises 5 x 5

Music of choice: The Young Dubliners

Thoughts: When the brain is ready to quit, know that you got at least another 3 to 4 sets in the bank. Don't take that crap the brain dishes out. Just got one more. One more set, one more rep. One rep at a time. Keep at it until all the work is done. You know what needs to get done. You know what you are capable of. If you're brain decides to fight you through the last 3 sets, well then that's just the brain's problem and has nothing to do with me finishing this work.

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse Five

2010-03-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Heaven and Earth are impartial;

they see the 10,000 things as straw dogs.

The sage is not sentimental;

he treats all his people as straw dogs.

The sage is like Heaven and Earth:

To him none are especially dear,

nor is there anyone he disfavors.

He gives and gives, without condition,

offering his treasures to everyone.

Between Heaven and Earth

is a space like a bellows;

empty and inexhaustible,

the more it is used, the more it produces.

Hold on to the center.

Man was made to sit quietly and find

the truth within.

-Lao-Tzu

This is a challenging verse, wouldn't you agree? And although it may prove difficult to weave Kettlebell training and the practice of physical strength into this verse, I'm sure you can already tell that what Lao-Tzu is suggesting and asking of us will require an enormous amount of strength.

Let's identify a few items to fully understand the context.

The 10,000 things refers to all the observable things in the world, the physical side of things.

In modern day speech, a straw dog is something of a scapegoat. In Asian tradition the straw dog is a ceremonial prop. Something to use for the showing of reverence but discarded after the ritual.

A "bellows" is according to Wikipedia, a device for delivering pressurized air in a controlled quantity to a controlled location. It's that do-hickey that looks like an accordion which is used to fan a fire! Remember that one for later.

The book I'm using to read the Tao and get some help and inspiration in interpreting the meaning is Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life by Dr. Wayne Dyer. The subtitle is called, "Living the Wisdom of the Tao." In this book, Dr Dyer challenges us to look at the Tao as a guide to living daily connected to spirit. For me, this book is as much a strength training book as Power to the People and Enter the Kettlebell. With out developing a strong spirit, a strong body will never manifest. You must train each one equally.

This particular verse of the Tao challenges us to look at the world through the eyes of God. Eyes where there is only love and no one is excluded from that love. To see the world where everyone is equal and the same. No one is more special than the next. The other challenge is, can we give of ourselves equally to everyone regardless of who walks through the door? I see this as a very prevalent trait in the RKC community. People always willing to help, share thoughts, ideas and through this spirit of community and giving, the RKC has and is changing lives.

This impartial aspect of the Tao can lend itself to the practice of strength. Like the straw dog, your training should be venerated and focused. Intense and given 110%. After though, discard it. It's over now. Continue moving forward. Whether you hit your goal or failed miserably is of no matter. Did you train with all your heart?

Recently on the DragonDoor forum I read a post where a person was struggling with a lift and reaching his goal. He felt as if he was going backwards. There was discussion of over training and proposals of new more effective programs. Hitting your goals is important. It's an essential piece of the development puzzle. But what happens if you don't? You must remain impartial so as not to be defined by your goal. If I can just dead lift "X" then I'm strong. What if you don't? What if you couldn't dead lift. When we allow our accomplishments to define us, we are not living in harmony with spirit or the Tao.

When we have earned wisdom, share it without condition. Offering your treasures to everyone. This doesn't mean work for free. This means that everyone willing to listen and learn should be privy to the wisdom. Tangible things like money are abundant and inexhaustible. There is plenty for everyone. The idea that one needs to get as much of the pie as possible is short sighted. You can always make another pie.

Your strength comes from inside you. It resonates deep in your center and in the core of your being. Uh-Oh, I'm using exercise terms here. Your core. The center of your being and doing. Look at the breath. Look at power breathing and tension. That all comes from the center. The core. Like the bellows, you bring in air and force it out with tension and pressure to create force/strength. The air that goes in is infinite and inexhaustible. Abundance abounds.

Look with in yourself to find your strength. If you are strong inside, your body will respond in kind. True strength can be found in reserving judgment and extending kindness in the unlikeliness of places. The last line of Verse 5 pretty much sums it up for me.

"Man was made to sit quietly and find the truth within."

Phew... I welcome your comments and discussion.

And then there's that...

2010-03-26T10:12:00.000-07:00

Gloomy morning. June Gloom in March. Getting my head in the game was challenging but worth it.

Warm Up: Super Joints, Hardstyle Locks, Halos, Pumps, Shoulder Bridges.

Training:

Box Pistols & Bottoms Up Presses with 24kg Bell. Alternated.

For the Box Pistols I used a High Step 5 tier box dropped down to 3 tiers. I'm feeling more and more comfortable with this tier and can see myself dropping another tier soon. 10 attempts, all pretty solid.

With the Bottoms Up press, my left hand is still weaker but catching up quick. Lat shelf is dialing in, stability from the abs and glutes plugged into the rooted legs is coming along quite nicely. 10 attempts and pressed out 8 times up and back to the rack. Missed it only twice.

Spent 20 minutes on these two drills and then moved on to...

Ladders alternating Negative Free Pistols & Bottoms Up Press with 16kg Bell.

Added a tier to the box, got a lighter bell and did 5 ladders of 1,2,3 in 20 minutes. That was refrreshing and quite rewarding when form and technique with a little added conditioning allow you to squeeze in a whole extra ladder in the same time it took you to do only 4 the week prior.

Music of choice: David Arkenstone's Atlantis. This CD is great for slow grinds and exotic lifts. The music is reminiscent of times long ago when there were Greek and Roman warriors sailing the Aegean sea and heading off to bring Helen home or conquer Egypt. This is music of myth and legend that lends itself well to feats of strength.

All in all it was a very good session.

Am I taming the Bulldog or Is the Bulldog Taming Me?

2010-03-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

It was a late Tuesday morning. Last week's Bulldog session got 6 sets of 3/3 Bulldog Cleans and 9 sets of 12 Swings. My goal for the Bulldog Session this week was 10 sets of 3/3 Cleans and 10 sets of 12 Swings. Results? Close, but no cigar, however better than last week, so I can't complain.

Warm Up: Super Joints and the warm up from Enter the Kettlebell.

The Workout: Bulldog Cleans 5 x 3/3 then 1 Arm Swings 5 x 3/3
2 Hand Swings 10 x 12

I would Clean, rest a minute, then Swing. After 5 sets of Cleans, my form wasn't all there. In the Clean, I felt the hip snap was loosing it's snap and I was feeling like I was going to start to attempt to muscle 88 pounds of round iron. So I down shifted to 1 Arm Swings to focus on the hip snap. Generating that weightless feeling with the bell and making the "zip it up like a jacket" part seem easy when it floats into place.

This is where Yoda and Jedi philosophy apply to Kettlebells...

“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship.”

The application of Force and using the Force, as well as the Tension to tame this 88 pound nemesis.

The Cool Down: Came from Relax into Stretch plus I did some stretches for the back from Beyond Bodybuilding.

The good news is I got the full 10 sets. Next time around, I'll shoot for 6-7 sets of Cleans and 3-4 1 Arm Swings and I think I'll hold the volume on the 2 Hand Swings until I can hit 10 sets of 3/3 Cleans...

Monday Night at the Park

2010-03-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

Monday nights training consisted of:

Warming up with Super Joints, plus Wall Squats, Halos and Pumps from Enter the Kettlebell.

The workout consisted of 10 superset of 10 Hindu Squats immediately followed by 10 Double Kettlebell Snatches using 16kg bells.

The cool down came from Relax into Stretch plus some Hanging Leg Raises.

The music was supplied by Scott Joplin again. It triggers the Sandow in me...

The last time this workout came around, I set the Gymboss timer for 1 minute of work (30 seconds per exercise) and 1:30 rest. I set a goal to do 1 minute of work and 1:15 of rest. After considering it further, I felt like I didn't fully own this time frame. I want to finish the 10th set and know that each snatch and squat was executed perfectly. That I owned the workout. When I looked back at last Sunday morning, I felt like I didn't fully own it. Last weeks session quickly evolved into a mind game of maintaining good form and pushing through the building fatigue. So I decided to keep the time from the same.

So how did I feel this time? Better than last time, but not where I want it to be. The last couple set were the real work. I'm more confident with this workout than the last one. I think I'm going to repeat this time frame once more for good measure.

One thing for sure I'll tell you about this workout, it is a slam dunk full body workout. This morning, my legs are toast, the shoulders are a bit fried and the glutes and dear abbies are making me aware of their presence. If you ever have (or have had) a go at this workout, leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Friday Morning Sunshine and German Volume Training for an Irish Girevik

2010-03-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

Friday morning started off with a bang. Last time I did this workout I found myself invoking the Dropkick Murphy's to get the job done. I also committed to this workout, to keep the rest times between 2:30 and 3:00 minutes.

For those of you just tuning in, I've been writing on HubPages for about 6 months and most of my material there has been about a personal challenge to myself. That challenge is to go through all 101 workouts from David Whitley's ebook, 101 Kettlebell Workouts. He offers a free copy when you subscribe to his newsletter over at irontamerdavidwhitley.com. The work I put up on HubPages is mostly article style where as here, I can simply "blog." Currently, I'm working through the German Volume Training section of the ebook. Stacking is waiting in the wings with a menacing grin...

So, where was I? Yes, Friday morning. Sunshine. German workout. Irish Girevik. Got it...

The warm up is joint mobility drills from Pavel Tsatsouline's DVD, Super Joints. It works for me because it looses me up and helps me prepare my mind for the task at hand. I also did a couple Turkish Get Ups to get the blood flowing.

The workout itself consisted of Double Kettlebell Front Squats alternated with Renegade Rows with no rest between the drills. I did 10 sets of 5 reps. I set the stop watch for 3:00 minutes. After a set, I'd walk around or jump in place a bit, maybe some lite jogging, shake out the tension and when there was :30 seconds left on the clock, I'd reset so at 3:00 even, I'm back to work.

The focus for the Squat was on four things. Pull, Pry, Drive, and Lock. I'm actively pulling myself down. I'm prying my hips apart and knees out so I can squat between my feet (thank you Dan John). At the bottom, I drive with the heels and at the top we lock, ala Hardstyle.

I think Pavel puts it best when he says "strength is a skill" and to "practice strength, don't workout." Sure, we call it a workout, but my goal is to finish stronger.

At the RKC in February 09, Mark Reifkind was talking about his yoga practice and how it related to Kettlebell training. He quoted Bikram Choudhury at stated that, "the pose does not begin until you want to get out if it." I guess for me, that means my workout started after the 6th set. If you'll recall, last week it was the 6th set and beyond that the workout started because I needed to fire up my Irish blood with a little Celtic Punk to close the deal. So this week I started working after the 6th set and with a reduction in rest time. So there we have the small, gradual, finish stronger, improvement that I was looking for.

The best part about this Superset of Suffering is that every muscle gets hit and worked. In addition as the rest time compresses itself, it become one hell of a conditioning session as well. Well executed Kettlebell training is a true triple threat in the fitness world. Strength, Conditioning and Fat Loss in one session. Next time around, I'll see if I can go 2:30 for the rest period.

I finish off with some stretching and hanging leg raises. Normally I work on Friday's but my wife and I had a day off together which resulted in a football sized Fajita Buritto from Abuelita's Mexican Restaurant in Topanga Canyon and a nap on the beach. Perfect post workout meal and a Pura Vida afternoon!

The Tao of The Kettlebell - Verse 4

2010-03-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

The Tao is empty
but inexaustible,
bottomless,
the ancestor of all.

Within it, the sharp edges become smooth;
the twisted knots loosen;
the sun is softened by a cloud;
the dust settles into place.

It is hidden but always present.
I do not know who gave birth to it.
It seems to be the common ancestor of all, the father of all things.

-Lao-Tzu

In Wayne Dyer's book, Change your Thoughts, Change Your Life, he calls this Fourth Verse of the Tao Te Ching, "Living Infinitely." One of the things I love and admire about Wayne Dyer's writing and teaching is how simple and accessible he makes God. Which is really the tone of this Verse. This Verse has God written all over it. "The ancestor of all", "hidden but always present", "twisted knots loosen." Whatever an individual's belief in a higher power are, is not the issue here. The issue is the acknowledgment that, whether it's God, Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Buddha, Krishna, or The Force, there is a higher power and ultimately, that higher power, has a consciousness far beyond our limited capacity as humans to grasp it. At least fully. And this has to do with strength how?

Let's dig into the Verse a little and see what we can find...

The Tao is empty but inexaustible, bottomless, the ancestor of us all.

Approach your strength training as such. Empty can also mean open. Leave your ego out of the practice of strength and be open to new ideas and techniques. Be inexaustible and bottomless in your quest for knowledge of strength. And in your practice as well. If the Tao is bottomless, then there is no end in sight. It is inexaustible, meaning the fire of the Tao will never go out. The ancestor (creator) of us all, then there is an abundance of everything and all is possible.

Can you connect or reconnect to this source of everything? The Bible tells us that God made man is His image. When you look at science, we are all made up of tiny atoms, protons, neutrons, electrons, hydrogen, water, and so on and so forth. All being held together by what? Gravity? Yes, but isn't it all just some happy accident? I doubt it. Regardless, there is a powerful energy out there. And we are a part of that energy. We can choose to connect to it in this life or wait until our own candle extinguishes, but mark my words, we all will be rejoined with this energy sooner or later. You, I, we are a part of and a piece of God. God made flesh.

The challenge now becomes allowing yourself to tap into and get to know the infinite side of yourself. When you become aware of this side, thoughts of "I can't" or "it's too heavy" suddenly don't apply anymore. "Ifs" become "whens" and "shortage and lack" ironically become lacking in your life and thoughts. Whether your training to complete the Right of Passage from Enter the Kettlebell, tackle all the protocols from Viking Warrior Conditioning, or achieve a Four Hour Workweek, having this connection with your infinite self will do nothing but bring your dreams and goals clearly into sight.

Within it, the sharp edges become smooth; the twisted knots loosen; the sun is softened by a cloud; the dust settles into place.

Within it (the Tao) sharp edges become smooth. When you allow the energy to flow into you and are connected to the infinite side of yourself, your strength too will flow smoothly. With this connection, the knots, the things that have tied you down in the past, held you back will loosen. The things that burn you, will be extinguished. The dust settling into place is permission to turn your dreams into goals, perform at your absolute best and then let it all go, allowing that which already exists to arrive right on time.

It is hidden but always present. I do not know who gave birth to it. It seems to be the common ancestor of all, the father of things.

God is a mystery. Trying to fully understand God is like trying to fully understand gravity. God, like gravity, just is. There are a lot of theories about it, but no one proof or solution. One thing that is common and definite is that they both keep us together.

The question I have for myself and for you now is: Can the cultivation of strength, through the physical body, be a gateway - like meditation - to connect with your infinite self and the infinite source, our common ancestor, the father of things?

I know my answer. What's yours?

Tuesday Evening at the Park

2010-03-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

Enjoying Daylight Savings Time and the pain all on a warm Tuesday evening. Soccer players to the left of me and baseball to the right, I fired up a Chieftan's CD in the old boom box for a 20 minute session of Box Pistols and Bottoms Up Presses.

After a warm up that consisted of Joint Mobility, Turkish Get Ups and some Club Swings and Swipes, I got right into it.

There we 10 attempts per side of each drill and as a practice session, this went quite well. I felt I had more power in the ascent during the Pistol. Getting down is OK, coming back up is hard. This time I didn't have to rock back so much to get momentum to come back up, nor did I have to spot myself with the opposing leg. I definitely felt more powerful and more in control. I'm staying tighter longer and really driving with the heals.

The Bottoms Up Press came along nicely. Again, I have left this area of the park looking like it got shelled like a WWI battlefield, but of the 10 attempts, I felt 6 were very solid and could almost pass as a real live 24kg Bottoms Up Press. 2 were "iffy" and 2 just flat out sucked. Bottom line is I'm looking for 10 solid singles. Am I there yet? Almost.

After 20 minutes of grinding heavy and Irish Harp, we switched gears a bit. Added a tier to the box (High Step) and switched to a 16kg Kettlebell for ladders. 4 Ladders of 1,2,3. Negative free Pistols and more BUP's. Set the timer for 20 minutes. Next time, I'll see if I can hit 5 Ladders of 1,2,3 in 20.

This session reinforced the rooting I talked about last time as well as reminded me to keep the other Lat tight when Bottoms Up Pressing. Tension on both sides. For pure strength I always try to review two books when ever I need a reminder. Power to the People and The Naked Warrior both by Pavel Tsatsouline. Both books are loaded with tips, tools and techniques that can show immediate improvements in any strength practice. But for me, these two books have come in real handy and keeps me getting better technique in both drills. Pavel says it quite clearly, "Strength is a skill" and "practice, don't workout."

Pretty much sums up my Tuesday evening. That and a lovely dinner of BBQ Chicken and Coleslaw for me and the Mrs. at our favorite BBQ place... Good eats and Pura Vida!

Tonight's Strength Practice

2010-03-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

Daylight savings time begins with a trip to Balboa Park after work. The sun beginning to set, The Young Dubliner's on the boom box, the Bulldog staring menacingly at me, waiting for me to make a move. Ultimately the questing arises, am I taming the Bulldog or is the Bulldog taming me? I think it's really just a half full/half empty thing...

Each session begins with Joint Mobility. A little Qi dancing from Tiger QiGong today was tossed in for good measure to allow the strength to flow. Between that and the Celtic Rock, the energy and testosterone level was high.

Bulldog Cleans 6 x 3/3
Bulldog Swings 9 x 12

So? Who's taming who? Chicken or Egg? Today's goal was 10 sets of each. I didn't complete the goal. Bulldog 1, Dave 0. I did however do sets of 3 Cleans verses last weeks 2. Bulldog 1, Dave 1. I stopped early because I felt like the form was slipping and I was beginning to muscle 88 pounds of iron. Finish stronger and live to fight another day. Bulldog 2, Dave 2 (that's a point for wisdom). Upped the swings to sets of 12 from sets of 10 last week. That's puts us at a tie. Next week I'll do the 10 sets of both 3/3 with the Cleans and 12 with the Swings. Ultimate Goal, 10 sets of 5/5 with the Clean and 10 sets of 15 swings.

As with most untamed dogs, love and disciple is the key. Train hard, train smart, and train well.

Today I felt confident in my hip snap with both the Clean and the Swing. I also felt nicely rooted in the Swing. Adding an extra rep to the Clean was challenging. Which is why I stopped at 6 sets. This is practice. If I wanted to "workout", I'd have gone to the gym and hit the Elliptical or something like that...

I will continue on next week and work on improving the hip snap and firing the glutes with avengeance. Also, as the volume increases with the Clean, guiding the bell into place and taming the arc all take on a whole new meaning. An 88 pound Kettlebell is not a toy but a tool to develop the body, mind and spirit. Mark my words, it will rise above me. Rise like the Great Pumpkin on Halloween. Slowly with determination and an air of grace.

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse Three

2010-03-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

Putting a value on status

will create contentiousness.

If you overvalue possessions,

people begin to steal.

By not displaying what is desirable, you will

cause the peoples hearts to remain undisturbed.

The sage governs

by emptying minds and hearts,

by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.

Practice not doing...

When action is pure and selfless,

everything settles into its own perfect place.

What can the Third Verse of the Tao teach us about strength? Lao-Tzo is imparting ancient wisdom about Ego and leadership. The Ego is something of a mystery to most people and has been to me for many years. As you start to unravel the mystery, you realize that who you think you are, very well might not actually be who you really are.

Putting a value on status will create contentiousness. If you overvalue possessions, people begin to steal.

What's most important to you? The pressing of weight? The Rite of Passage from Enter the Kettlebell? 200 Snatches in 10 minutes? My current goal is to press half my body weight. That's a priority. What is not a priority is to be able to say, "I can press half my bodyweight with one arm!" The priority for me is the cultivation of strength. It takes a strong mind and a strong body to achieve that. It does not have to be about getting more for the sake of more.

And what about your current level of strength? Where is it at now? Are you stronger now than you ever were? What has transpired to get you to where you are now? Be grateful of the past for it has helped shape who you are today. Even the negative stuff. How you respond it far more important then what happened.

What you have or what you can do is not, nor does it define, who you are. If you define yourself by your possessions or your accomplishments, what will you do when you loose them? Some of the strongest people I know, most likely cannot press half their bodyweight or crank out 200 Snatches in 10 minutes. My father, for example, is a man of great strength. He worked long hours to support his family. My mother battled cancer with the heart of a warrior. One of her many lessons taught to me through her passing was strength is something that you are and it comes from a well too deep to comprehend in this world. Gandhi? Very strong. Mother Teresa? Another powerhouse of love and light. My Nana? Mightier then them all. Strength is a part of who you are long before it manifests itself in the physical body.

By not displaying what is desirable, you will cause the peoples hearts to remain undisturbed.

Once again; clearly, Lao-Tzu was an RKC. Carry your strength with modesty. Teach by example. There is no need to impress. Instead, be impressive. Allow your strength to flow through you and exemplify itself in your thoughts and feeling before it becomes part behavior and actions.

Pavel Tsatsouline has said, "When we say strength, we mean Kettlebell. When we say Kettlebell, we mean strength. In the same way, Wayne Dyer has said, "There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way." So stop me if you've heard this one before, but... "There is no way to strength, strength is the way."

The sage governs by emptying minds and hearts, by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones.

It seems that Lao-Tzu is teaching us about leadership. Not necessarily leadership in terms of political figures, but in terms of personal leadership and how we as people teach others just by our interactions with them. One individual can effect many. By living free of the demands of the ego and adopting an attitude of service and gratitude, we can change hearts and minds. A scientific look at this can be found in Power Verses Force by David Hawkins. Hawkins looks at the effect of individual's energy patterns and how the more positive they are, the more they counterbalance the negative energy the exists.

When you incorporate this into the practice of strength, what happens? You become strength. Since strength is the way, you bring an attitude of service and gratitude to your practice of strength. Consequently, you wind up bringing strength itself instead of the expectation of strength. Instead your ego pushing you to do more for the sake of more, you allow more to happen naturally and insinc with the natural rhythm of life. Strength is cultivated and grows. Like the great oak, you can not make it grow faster. The same is true of strength. Know that it is already there and allow it to rise to the surface.

Practice not doing... When action is pure and selfless, everything settles into its own perfect place.

This in itself will take practice and strength. For now, Pura Vida!

Breezy Sunday Morning... Doing it Old School!

2010-03-14T23:24:00.000-07:00

This was the set up for Sunday morning. What I like to call doin' it old school. It's an adaptation of a dumbbell routine I read in a Sandow book. I'm going to do a whole blog and video on this routine later, so keep an eye out...

A little light dumbbell work, some club swinging and casting, push ups, sit ups, a turn with the chest expander, squats and a little core work. The purpose of this routine is to promote movement, circulation and to prepare the body for what is to come, which today was Hindu Squats and Double Snatches.

The Gymboss timer came out to play today as well as Scott Joplin's Greatest Hits.

1 minute of work, 1:30 seconds of rest.

10 Hindu Squat and 10 Double Snatches (16kg Kettlebells) in 1 minute and a minute and a half of rest. 10 rounds.

Finished with Hanging Leg Raises, and Relax into Stretch a bit and headed off to work.

The warm up was, as it always is, fun and a great way to get going. The workout itself quickly evolved into a challenge. By the 6th set the inner debate was me walking a fine line between getting the work done and getting the work done right. Most of this was mental. Push aside the building fatigue, recognize it is there, but now it's time to dial in, dig in, and own it. Each Snatch crisp and clean. Each Hindu Squat fluid and smooth. Fast and loose in the break time, Hardstyle in the work time.

Next time this workout comes around, I'm going to try resting 1:15 and see how that goes. Volume will stay the same. This is a workout for explosive strength, training the difference between squatting and hinging, and strength conditioning. Very good work... Pura Vida!

GVT on a late Friday morning...

2010-03-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

Warm Up: Super Joints and 2+2 TGU's with 24 kg Kettlebell

Work done: Double 24 kg Kettlebell Front Squats and Renegade Rows 10 sets of 5.

Rest Taken: 3:00 - 3:30 minutes between sets. Total work time about 45 minutes.

Cool Down: Bretzles, Hanging Leg Raises, Relax into Stretch.

Plan for the next time: Same numbers, less rest. Will try 2:30 - 3:00 rest time between sets.

Thoughts: Well, I posted the following on Facebook today:

"I'd like to take a moment to personally thank The Dropkick Murphy's for their assistance in today's Kettlebell Workout. If I hadn't have dropkicked Bob Marley out of the CD player around the 6th set and dropped these fellows in, I don't know if I'd have been able to finish the whole 10 sets. Celtic Punk and Kettlebells Front Squats with Renegade Rows goes good like Corned Beef and Cabbage..."

So basically, I got the beatdown. That being said, I'm not as sore as I expected. I also felt really well dialed into my form and the technique felt pretty solid. As I mentioned, I will start reducing the rest. The volume is right where I want it, anything over 5 reps on either one of these drills seems... I don't know; excessive? I'd rather compress the rest to promote a little strength based conditioning and endurance, rather then push the volume to a point where I could have an easy opportunity to allow volume to compromise form.

Because that's really what we're after here, right? Good and propper movement. Building stength on a solid base and foundation. Confidence in the skill which translates into confidence in ourselves. Strength that filters into all the other aspects of daily life. That's the key principle to Pura Vida Kettlebells anyway.

Today's workout felt good. Really good.

Monday Afternoon Strength Practice 3/9/10

2010-03-10T08:23:00.000-08:00

Box Squat Pistols and Bottoms Up Presses...

...Was on the menu for Monday afternoon's strength training. I have a 5 Tier High Step that I use for the Box Pistols. The plan is straight out of Pavel's Naked Warrior. I'm practicing singles down to the box, and then coming back up. When I can get 10 really clean singles, I'm pulling off a tier and starting over. So far I've removed 2 tiers.

Alternating in with the Box Pistols is the Bottoms Up Press using a 24 kg Kettlebell. Also the goal is 10 really clean singles.

Warmed up with Super Joints and 16kg Arm Bar/TGU combo. 3 per side.

I set the stopwatch to count down 20 minutes and got to work. In that 20 minutes, I made 8 attempts (16 total when you count left and right). My left side seems weaker than my right so I'm starting with the left. Box Pistol Left, Box Pistol Right. BUP Left, BUP Right. Resting as long as I need. So, yeah, 8 attempts. I say attempts because that's really what happened there.

I've just recently gone down a tier on the box I'm using and this is my second real practice session with BUP's for the 24. Leaning more forward in the Pistol is helping. Warming up and stretching the hamstrings before training helped. And of course more tension. Getting down is OK. The real struggle is getting back up.

For the BUP, it's a clean followed by, am I rooted enough to press? If yes, please continue, if no, re-clean and try again. Needless to say, being well rooted suddenly has more significance to the performance. Both for the Pistol and the Press.

So after 20 minutes of making 2 real nice heal impressions in the grass and leaving part of the park looking like a unwrapped golf ball, I reset for another 15 minutes of practice.

I added a tier to the box for Negative Free Pistols and got a 16kg for BUPs. Negative Free Pistols means that you do your Pistols with a really positive attitude... And you go down on two legs, then back up on one. The order of business was 20 minutes of ladders up to 3.

Did 3 Ladders of 1,2,3 in 15 minutes. Stretched and hung on a high bar, did some hip and ham stretching and called it a day.

What did I take home from this session? Rooting became the theme. It became evident after the first 20 minute session when I started pushing the ground away from me. Not in the Pistol however, in the Press. As I became and felt more connected with the ground, I suddenly felt more sturdy and stable. Go figure. So, plug that into the Neg. Free Pistol as well and instant strength. Amazing. What's interesting is when things you do in other lifts (Front Squat, Deadlift, etc.) start worming their way organically into other skills. So next time around, I will incorporate that more into the heavier session and see how it goes.

GVT Strangth and Power Training - 3/8/10

2010-03-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

Last nights training:

Bulldog Cleans 10 sets of 2/2

alterneted with

Bulldog Swings 10 sets of 10

Resting as long as it takes to feel that I will accomplish the task at hand as perfectly as possible.

You know, there's a big difference between Cleaning 24kg's of round iron and Cleaning 40kg's of Big Ol' Round Iron... there shouldn't be, but for now there is. Owning the Bulldog requires patience and perseverance. Most people with proper training and some practice should be able to Clean their Snatch weight bell with relative proficiency. It requires the strength and power of the Swing with the finesse of the Snatch. I am currently developing the power to have the finesse...

Swings. Hard Swings. Hardstyle Hard Swings. Heavy Hardstyle Hard Swings. My time to man handle the Bulldog.

Music of choice to boil my Irish blood to wreak havoc on my Russian adversary:

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse 2

2010-03-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty,

only because there is ugliness.

All can know good as good only because there is evil.

Being and nonbeing produce eachother.

The difficult is born in the easy.

Long is defined by short, the high by the low.

Before and after go along with eachother.

So the sage lives openly with apparent duality

and paradoxical unity.

The sage can act without effort

and teach without words.

Nurturing things without possessing them,

he works, but not for rewards;

he competes, but not for results.

When the work is done, it is forgotten.

That is why it lasts forever.

-Lao-Tzu

The Second verse of the Tao, by Lao-Tzu. Much like the fortune from a cookie or the horoscope from the newspaper, can we find the relevance to ourselves? Is there something we can gain from this verse that can help guide us along on our quest for strength?

This verse touches on duality and paradoxical thinking. That you can't have one with out the other. Notice though that it starts with "Under Heaven." Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty, only because there is ugliness. Under heaven means here on Earth. Up above, in the world of spirit, all is one. There are no opposites. God knows nothing of ugly. To him, it is all beautiful.

For us under heaven, we cannot define one with out the other. How can we know light without dark? To know strength we must first understand weakness. This goes for the body and the spirit. Where are you weak? For the Girevik, how is your Swing? Where are your weaknesses? Do you have leakage? Now the next question comes about; do you have the inner strength to push aside your ego and embrace your weakness in order to cultivate it into strength.

Being and nonbeing produce eachother. The difficult is born in the easy. Long is defined by short, the high by the low. Before and after go along with eachother.

We are strong and weak at once. How else would we know the joy of 200 snatches in 10 minutes without first failing beautifully. How can we truly appreciate pressing half our bodyweight without the bell resting in the rack position and simply laughing at us? It is our weakness, that makes us strong. It is the identification with, then integration of weakness that allows to become strong and stronger.

So the sage lives openly with apparent duality and paradoxical unity.

As a practitioner of strength, can one live with their weakness? Can one, as an instructor or teacher teach without judgment? Can the sage, see the dichotomy of weakness and strength allowing them to flow and then fuse the weakness into strength. Recently, I saw a quote from Goethe that defines a good teacher and shows the merging of what this verse is about:

"If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that."

There is no judgment here. This is allowing what already exists to blossom. And so it goes with strength. We already have the strength we need. With the faith of a mustard seed, I can move mountains, right? In Pavel Tsatsouline's Power to the People, Pavel talks of mother's deadlifting a car to save their child? The strength is already there. Allow it to flow from you, grow out of you, blossom upwards.

The sage can act without effort and teach without words.

All this line tells me is that Lao-Tzu was probably an RKC.

Nurturing things without possessing them, he works, but not for rewards; he competes, but not for results.

This line touches on something that I see as incredibly beautiful. It is also an amazing opportunity and challenge to do what Wayne Dyer calls, detaching from the outcome. Working but not for reward? Does that imply working for free? No, it means you do your absolute best every step of the way, regardless of the outcome. The outcome is irrelevant because you are in this moment and in this moment, the outcome isn't here yet. If your goal is to press you're half your bodyweight, is your focus on perfectly pressing the bell you can press now or is your mind wandering away from the task at hand? What moment are you in? Be here in this moment and just press. Just be. The reward and the results will arrive right on time if you only just focus on doing what needs to be done now, which, for example, if you're doing the Right of Passage from Enter the Kettlebell, is 5 ladders of 5 rungs with your current weight.

When the work is done, it is forgotten. That is why it lasts forever.

For today, because that is all there is, practice your strength with a knowing and understanding of your weakness. Weakness is what gives you your strength and without it, you'll never know how far you've come. Focus on being as strong as you can be in this moment. Whether you succeed or fail is of no consequence as long as your effort and your passion was full at 100% in that moment. Learn from the past, learn from your weakness, but choose not to allow it to dictate your next move. The future stronger you, with the help of your previous weaker self will merge to guide you in your quest.

After your training, take what is needed to improve and release the rest. Failure is nothing more than an opportunity to improve.

As Lance Armstrong puts it, "Live Strong."

German Volume Training Continues with...

2010-03-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

Hindu Squats and Double Snatch. This morning took care of 10 sets of 8. No rest between drills except for the time it took to move to the bells for the Snatch. I set the 16's down and marched back about 10 yards. Did the Hindu's and then jogged over to the bells for the Double Snatch. Then I'd give myself 1 minute to breathe a little before getting back at it. I think next week I'll have no problem hitting the 10 sets of 10. From there, I'll start compressing the rest. Perhaps, the gymboss timer will emerge soon. What nice about this is you get to train for explosive strength, getting in your conditioning, while getting in a real nice whole body workout.

I don't mean to toot my own horn but this workout wasn't very hard. Granted it wasn't easy either. It felt good to be able to dial into form and function and nail each rep with precision and not have to worry about too much fatigue. So in that respect, it feels good to be at this level of conditioning.

Where I'm lacking and what I worked on is the Hindu Squat propper. My balance ond coordination is improving and I am getting into the grove of pulling my self back and down, weight on the heals, then on the balls of the feet and up on the toes. My breathing was in sinc and it felt fluid.

Switching to a Double Kettlebell Snatch is challenging in the fact that now there's a hip hinge and not a squat. It's like flipping a switch in your mind and a good test of your ability to adjust your movement patterns. Reciently I saw a video of someone throwing the bells back into the hike position of the Double Snatch instead of racking and and then back swing before snatching again. I remembered doing Double Snatches at my RKC and Pavel told me to rack before Snatch, so I'm going with that. Tossing them overfist and creating that kind of arc looks like an appointment with a chiropractor waititng to happen. Besides, slowly guiding them to the rack position after an explosive movement is Hardstyle at it's finest. I am lacking a little flexability in my left shoulder, so I will be working on that during the week. Looks like some Arm Bars and TGU's for a warm up are in order.

Come Monday evening I'll play around with the Bulldog some. Cleans and Swings. Lots of rest if necessary. Then Tuesday I'm working on Pistols and Bottoms Up Press.

The way I'm working the GVT now is 2 sessions of moderate weight and higher volume (10 sets of 5 - 10 reps) and then 2 sessions of heavy drills low reps (10 sets of 1-3). Size and Strength woven together. Soon I will start to reduce rest periods to keep the conditioning in check. More to come...

German Volume Traininng with KB's 3/5/10

2010-03-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a GVT day. After warming up with a little joint mobility, I did 10 sets of 4 with 2 minutes rest. The exercises in question was a superset of Double Front Squats and Renegade Rows with a pair of 24kg Kettlebells. Last week I did 10 x 3 and next week I'll shoot for 10 x 5, but with a 3:30 rest and then I'll start compressing the rest times.

This combo of pain came to me in a lucid dream disguised as an interview between Geoff Neupert and the Iron Tamer David Whitley. The suggestion was to superset Kettlebell Front Squats with Renegade Rows. This interview was months ago, but I stored it in the recesses of my mind for later use. I also wrote it down because things tend to get lost in the dark recesses of my mind.

Yesterday the focus was on the Squat (as always). For me the Kettlebell Front Squat is one of the best "ab" exercises you can do. Couple that with the Renegade Row and you got a complete full body workout.

For me the Squat has 3 major parts. Pull, Pry, and Drive. You want to actively pull yourself down into the squat. Then pry the knees out so you can, as Dan John puts it, squat between your feet. From there, drive up from your heals and finish with the Hardstyle Lock. The core needs tension at all times during this drill. That was the focus and it felt pretty solid yesterday. Sometimes I'm not all that confident in my squat, but at Pura Vida Kettlebells, we will show the building of true strength of the body will lead to strength of the heart. Perfect practice make perfect and builds self-confidence.

The Renegade Row worked as a great compliment to the Squat. Continuing with the strong core theme, maintaining a straight spine and tight midsection are the two prime factors of this drill. From there it's about generating enough whole body tension to be a tripod long enough to lift one bell and set it down. The real benefit in the exercise is in switching sides. This is good for getting to know the body and how it moves and also how to move your own body. Who would have thought that a drill called a row could have such tremendous benefit for shoulder stability? Keeping the ball in it's socket, the lats tight, glutes and abs tight.

After that, I went and did some hanging leg raises, stretched out a bit; hip flexor, cobra, Brettzels and went on with my day all the while cursing and praising David Whitley for this evil suggestion...

The Tao of the Kettlebell - Verse 1

2010-03-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

"The Tao that can be told

is not the eternal Tao.

The name that can be named

is not the eternal name.

The Tao is both named and nameless.

As nameless it is the origin of all things;

as named it is the Mother of 10,000 things.

Ever desireless, one can see the mystery;

ever desiring; one only sees the manifestations.

And the mystery itself is the doorway

to all understanding."

Lao-Tzu

The Tao Te Ching is an ancient Chinese classic text. Written approximately 5,000 years before Christ by a man name Lao-Tzu. I don't speak Chinese, so I'm going to have to trust in what I have found so far on-line as to the translation, but let's take a look at the words in the title.

Tao means simply "way"

Te can mean "virtue." Te can also mean "character" or "inner strength."

Ching basically means book.

Since a part of Pura Vida Kettlebells is going to be about exploring the development of inner strength through the training of the physical body, what wisdom can Lao-Tzu share with us as we journey down this path or way?

Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life, a book by Wayne Dyer attempts to show the wisdom of the Tao and how you can apply it to modern daily life. What if there was wisdom specific enough to strength training that is, in some way, hidden deep with in the verse? What does Lao-Tzu have to teach us about strength?

Let's look at the first verse of the Tao, for now and see what we find.

"The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao."

Or, the way that can be told is not the eternal way.

"The name that can be named is not the eternal name."

Similar to man's search for happiness and God, there is no "way" to happiness. There is no "way" to God. Happiness and God are the way. In the same respect, there is no "way" to strength, strength is the way.

"The Tao is both named and nameless."

Perhaps strength is not as it was? Perhaps strength needs to be looked at from a new perspective and paradigm? Having a name and not having a name doesn't make sense. It's a double-negative or paradox. What it reminds me of is the Yin-Yang. Black AND white flowing together. The strength of the body flowing together with the strength of the spirit to create one whole being.

How often do we see people who claim to be strong of spirit yet weak in the body. And how often do we see people strong in the body yet weak in the spirit? Somewhere these individuals got lost along the way. At the very least, they are not whole.

"As nameless it is the origin of all things; as named it is the Mother of 10,000 things."

Here we start to see the blending of physical and spiritual. There is a continuation of this paradoxical thinking. Now it is time to open up to the things we don't always understand. Time to allow the great Spirit to flow into our lives and finally trust that there is purpose behind every event. If there is no way to strength because strength is the way, how do you label that? You don't. When you merge it into the physical world it births only 10,000 things. A limit. ALL things verses 10,000 things. Sooner or later, the physical will join with the spiritual. You can do it now and begin to connect with that side of who you are or you can wait until you die and do it then. But why limit yourself? What can you gain by merging with spirit in this life, now?

"Ever desireless, one can see the mystery; ever desiring; one only sees the manifestations."

This reminds me of another spiritual teacher of mine, Obi-Wan Kenobi. He said, "Let go your conscious self, and act on instinct... You're eyes can deceive you, don't trust them... Stretch out with your feelings..." The point? Yes, the point. There is a huge difference between doing something and trying to do something. Take a look at a giant Redwood tree. Do you think that tree tried to get that big? How about a daisy? Did the daisy try to grow and blossom? Now look at the Kettlebell Snatch. What is the difference between trying to snatch a Kettlebell and just snatching a Kettlebell? Might be hard to describe, but you know it when it happens. When you have no desire to snatch it, your hips pop at the right level of force, your arm gently guides the bell upwards and you punch through, like the daisy, effortless, because like Nike, you just did it. As an RKC, I can teach the snatch, but it will be up to my student, to know the snatch.

At some point you will have to let go and trust in your ability and strength to get the movement. It is when you are not trying or thinking about it that it happens. When you are open to and receptive to all that is around you. When you know it so well it becomes you and you become it.

"And the mystery itself is the doorway to all understanding."

What mystery is he talking about? The mystery of the Kettlebell Snatch of course! What? This verse is about flow and allow. It's about having the strength to not hold on but instead let go. It is about opening yourself up and connecting to some force greater than yourself and letting that force work through you. When you're two thirds trough a workout session and you want to quit, do you have the strength to push through, like the daisy? When the weight seems to heavy and it's not rising any higher, do you have the strength to root yourself like the Redwood, stand tall and rigid and press upwards? Would you allow the Great Spirit to spot you? To reach down from heaven and pull while you push? Can you feel the difference between trying and doing?

So in your strength training, practice letting go. Practice being strong. There is no try in strength. You are either strong or you are not. A strong body will flow into a strong spirit if you allow it do so. Enjoy the mysteries of growth and strength. Walk through the door.

Pura Vida!

Welcome!

2010-02-27T19:23:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are! This is the beginning of Pura Vida Kettlebells. This blog will be dedicated to strength training. However, let us not limit ourselves by assuming we are only talking about being strong on the outside.

In Costa Rica, the term "Pura Vida" means pure life. Ticos and Ticas (people from Costa Rica) use this phrase as a greeting or an exclamation. It is the "Lechaim" of Costa Rica. To life! Pure Life! When I first heard it, it became a challenge. Akin to a quest. It was asking me a question. For me living Pura Vida mean developing a strong body, mind and spirit. It's about being grateful for the gifts I've received and will receive. Pura Vida means honoring this planet and honoring the body. Both gifts given to us to fully experience this life. The question was muddied, jumbled. I knew I was being put to task by an unseen force. Eventually, I came to the basic understanding that what is being asked of me is:

How connected are you to your body and how well rooted are you to this planet you live on? Can you use the physical to aid in your transition back to the spiritual?

When we are born, we are still deeply rooted to the spiritual plane. As we age we tend loose sight of the great beyond and our inner connection with Spirit. Many use the name God. Others Yaweh, Jahovah, Alah, and some Buddah or Krishna. To me, it's the same spirit.

Over the years, elements like nicotine, alcohol, and other fun but destructive chemicals clouded and broke my connection to spirit. I allowed that to happen and now in this stage of my life, I strive towards reconnecting to Spirit. Sooner or later we will all reconnect with Spirit. Isn't it better to do that now?

As I went through the initial process of cleaning out my spiritual closet, I found that by strengthening my body and pushing myself at the gym I was able to allow that mindset of strength and will to bleed into my spiritual life. As time went by I saw that my spiritual life was starting to run into my physical training as well. I was able to let a little faith in to allow my strength to flow.

For strength, I train mostly with Russian Kettlebells. By challenging and pushing the limits of our body we can develop our inner strength and character. Inner strength can be forged from the outside in.

The Russian Kettlebell is the main tool I have chosen. I have found to be the most effective at not only developing physical strength but forging the heart and passion of a warrior. And a peaceful warrior at that. In Dan Millman's book Way of the Peaceful Warrior, the wise and peaceful warrior named Socrates tells Dan, "Your business is not to 'get somewhere' - it is to be here." Kettlebell training will not only get you stronger physically, but will also help you to learn to be here.

This blog will be dedicated to training for Pura Vida. Training for strength of body, mind and spirit. For bridging the gap between this world and the next. For connecting to or reconnecting to the Great Spirit (what ever you want to call it) I would like this to become a forum for people to come to exchange ideas and stories about how physical training has helped them to reconnect with spirit. Here we will explore, learn, grow, connect and become stonger humans...

Welcome and Pura Vida!