Back from the Kettlebell dead.

9/1/2011

This morning training at “fair Oaks” ( if you have to ask you will never understand)

Warm-up on pulley and bands, Indian Clubs

“board Bench press” 5 sets of 5 reps

Pull-ups 6 sets of 5 reps

One mile run in park.

Second session:

Trap bar dead lifts

16kg Kettlebell press.

10 min on heavy bag.

Back from vacation and summer fun. It was a great summer and did not push myself off a cliff so I spend the rest of the year healing up. I will attempt to continue the blog as I did last year with some information on training you don’t get at home.

Play a "deck of cards" for fitness

Feb14.

The “deck of cards” is an advanced WOD, which incorporates all of the exercise protocols needed in a great session; PHA, ballistic, endurance, strength, random, complex exercise. You take a simple deck of cards a pick one at a time, assign the exercise based on the card face, perform and take the remaining 51 cards. You can assign extra level of difficulty for jokers, face cards or aces. It’s going to be a long session, but it goes fast due to the random nature of the various card values so it’s hard-soft stress.

Example routine:

warmup: joint mobility for until loose. then you are ready if you start the deck with the "joker" 1000 meter rowing or running.


Hearts: Suit case Dead lift, heavy KB 40kg with shrug.


Diamonds: reverse hand pushups on Kettlebells (upper body, complex, balance )


Hearts: Pull-ups without kipping: (upper body strength)


Clubs: Kettebell thrusters (legs, upper body and ballistic movement one or Two.


Aces: GHD situp.


Face cards: 10 reps Kettlebell snatches. 5 R/L


Jokers: 1000 meters rowing.


Depending on the setup, transition, and the exercise difficulty, it can take from 35 to over and hour to go throw the entire deck. It’s always a great session even if you are training by yourself….it’s as though some is organizing your training in person.

Go to the most advanced level and use a XVest of 20-30 lbs. as you do the Deck of cards routine.

Big box gyms are loosing ground to low frills, low price models.

Feb 2nd session:

TacFit joint mobility routine for 30 min. stretch bands, and form roller.

Suspension squats, dips, body wt exercise, ab wheel, GHD and Indian clubs.
Rack Dead lifts: sets of 3-5
Tacfit Kettlebell Recruit routine for 4 sets each. (balance on roman Dead lifts suck bad)
2000 meter if rowing

The New York Times newspaper came out with an article last month on the demise of the “Big box full service gym” and health clubs who are struggling to survive. They are being over taken by low price “Planet fitness” style business model with no frails workout. Now that never concerned me as I have known this long ago that only 15% of the US population has a gym membership and much less use that membership routinely or train like I do. I have a Small box, Crossfit style gym.


Motivation is almost zilch in most gyms today and the turnover each year is about 45%(industry values) that has to be recruited at a high cost to keep the business solvent. Also impacting big box fitness industry is a recession but that is more of an excuse and not always a barrier to success. Some Harvard geek, came up with a reverse business model; you pay only when you don’t go to the gym. Loss of income becomes the motivation and not fitness.


It does not take a degree from Wharton business school( I studied there for a time) to see that as a business model, if you are a midget in the market, you don’t go head to head with Cyclops. If you are offering a overpriced service in an attempt to maintain your customer base and please everyone so they stick around, you have invested poorly. Problem is the average American that goes to a fitness facility really doesn’t appreciate the juice bars, plasma TVs sound systems and Zumba classes with all the fancy trappings of a full service gym. All the fitness customer wants is some simple machines, small assortment of free weights, a shower, easy to get to, so they can work out to their interest level independently. Also for the most part the average gym customer doesn’t want to be rubbing elbows with “roid boy” so there is no need for hardcore power lifting area for a handful of “muscle heads” or “Billy Biceps” types.


The owners of Planet fitness and other low price, no frills gyms understands the public very well and offered a basic facility with machines, weights and clean rest rooms at 10-20 dollars a month. End result is high volume memberships with ever increasing new gyms all over the country. In my area there is 5 in a 30 mile radius and two other clone style low price gyms like Planet’s model. All are doing well business wise even in a recession while the full service gyms are just making it and hoping Planet fitness never existed.


Most big box full service gyms offer personal training services from either contractors or staff trainers. This is either a no cost or profit center for the gym management, but it is slowly losing its ground especially in a recession due to the high cost and low value. The Planet fitness management has discontinued the service this year on all of their gyms as it is unlightly that if you are paying 15 dollars a month for the gym membership, you will not fork over 50-75 dollars an hour for personal training…dah!


So what keeps people in any gym coming back and staying with the program? Its community, stupid! If all your friends go there, then you will go there. If you as a independent customer of a gym and you walk in to train by yourself (some like it that way but they are the exception) there is a high probably that you will not visit the gym consistently for lack of support from friends and people who share your training. My experience is that men and women that come in groups or with associates train much more consistently then those who come in by themselves. Lastly, those members who have a mission or valid, self defined reason for training will be a continuous members regardless of gym type.


Your fitness options are many; success is having friends or partners to share your pain, a comprehensive life’s plan, and wiliness to seek out the correct training, advice to make your adventure in health successful.

Oh no, another "300" type workout!

Jan: 30th.

Tacfit warm-up, bands, pullys, squats, pull-ups.


Spartacus workout review:


One min with 15sec rests for each exercise done three rounds. Yes, its a long one so suck it up!


Romanian deadlft in rack for some much need back work. (not part of the routine)


Goblet squat, Mt. climbers, swing, T-pushups, split jump, row, side lunge, pushup-row,Lunge rotation, press. All done with various dumbbells, in 46 min.total time.


10 min. of Battling ropes.


Worked up a good sweat on this WOD as its one of the longer ones. Not a strength session but as metcom it works.

Spartan or Spartacus workouts, let the games begin .


Every since the success of the 300 workout, based on the movie of the same name, there is a new workout promoted to get you into ripped shape in moment of time. The concept is your basic circuit routine that is used in any number of fitness groups like boot camps or training concepts. This all came about when a number of actors had to remove their shirts to expose there scrawny bodies, so they hand to go to a fitness trainer to whip them into shape.


So if you wanted a part in the new Spartacus series, you would have to upgrade your body to look like a gladiator instead of a stockbroker on crack. So most of the actors who had to expose themselves, went to and celebrity personal training (training celebrities make you more talented without extra training or knowledge) who put them though an accelerated fitness series that used all the time for fast results. Since the rich and famous use the routine then everyone is obligated to make a business out of a circuit program that is not sustainable in the long term, but it all sounds impressive as hell.


I used the routine as I do with a lot of the routines on Crossfit and Kettlebell sites I find interesting. Spartacus workout as described in Men’s Health Magazine, is a 10 exercise circuit, using one or two dumbells depending on the exercise performed 3 times. When I did it I used a number of different sized dumbells depending on the exercise to add the necessary stress. Also the Gymboss timer was set of 1 minute work and 15 seconds rest. The rest was so you can set up for the next one of 10 exercises. It’s a very good WOD if you use the various weights and has some good compound exercises, but like I said before, you get too accustomed to this routine or anyone like this if you repeat this more than one a week and most likely over train. Lastly it’s a little long as I got bored on the third round and could be cut down to one or two sets and add some other type of routine elements like boxing or rowing, if you need the extra movement of reduce weight.

kettlebell countermeasures.

Jan: 17th.

Tacfit warm-up for 20 mins.
“ Linda” Kettlebell crossfit.
10.9.8.7.6…..2.3.1 reps
Barbell dead lift convectional
Kettlebell floor press with hip bridge.
Dumbell heavy dead hand clean.

Great session for start of the year; a modifited "linda" sometimes called "Three bars of death.". However, the weight will get heavier but the exercises will be modifited to provide periodization as the year progresses. the deadlift is no issue as it is my strong point, but the bench or in this case, floor press is now done with a bridge extention to activate the "core" more and make it more difficult. The dead hand cleans with the dumbells are always a treat.

Kettlebells are great countermeasures for weakness.

“Countermeasures”are a concept that is mainly used by the military as an offensive-defense method when being attacked. Sounds like a conflict in terms, but it’s really a good concept and avoids the politically incorrect word for “self defense”. Example is an air plane uses flares to deflect a rocket attack, which also has been considered for use in commercial airlines, to protect our citizens. I did not just read that shit in some U-Tube article, as I was in the military…..lucky me as I have …….countermeasures.


To me, the concept of “self defense” is one of weakness and can even invite more defenses. If you take countermeasures, as a concept to ward off attack without direct need for counter attack, its much less complicated. To me,Kettlebells becomes fitness method of chose, as a tool, has such a wide variety of possible motions, for which you can target any number of body functions to prevent imbalances or weakness. …….countermeasures.


So what is the best way for avoid physical weakness and above all, becoming a victim of what ever? Physical weakness may invite a physical attack in a criminal context or long term degrading of the usefulness of your body inviting sickness. You don’t have to look like “roid boy” to have a strong physical presence. When you are strong in health and active abilities you avoid sickness or premature aging, that is ………countermeasures.


You can lean to use a Kettlebell in a few short lessens to maintain a modest level of strength along with improving body appearance and functionality. I have viewed the performance of people both men and woman who just used a basic exercise like the “swing” and lost lots of weight and become more healthy ….countermeasures.


You don’t have to listen to all the Kettlebell program leaders (both sexes) embrace what they think is in your best interest or have a program to remake you into a fitness model. It’s all good! However, no one program out there will provide you with all the fitness needs, even though the kettlebell is a most functional tool. My suggestion is find one Kettlebell trainer who has been at for at least 5 years and take a few lessons. (Not some wet behind the ears trainer who just completed a weekend seminar) Start real slow, do the basics exercises in good form with no intent of rapid results , then experiment to find out your work capacity without injuring yourself…….countermeasures.


Kettlebell exercise can be a “smart” exercise tool as compared to most other tools and includes body weight if you just do pushups, sit-ups and pull-ups as being “dumb” or only in one plane of motion. Experience has enlightened me to use Kettlebells in all planes of motion; sagittal, frontal, and transversal (basic exercise science) when programming my exercise program. When you exercise your body in all planes of physical motion you prepare the body for almost any impact or the unknowing emergency ……….countermeasures.


What happens when we age ? Hell, that’s a topic for books, not internet articles for the ADD crowd. The aging process is a slow shutdown of the body in its simplest form and not just its appearance. To retain the ageing body, you have to do some physical maintenance(exercise) so it still functions at a respectable performance for general life and those nasty situations when the shit hits the fan. There is something about keeping Kettlebells in eye site, that avoids a situation as the years pass and you are no longer a stud or hottie but still need to live a respectable life. Kettlebells as a resistance tool is a sustainable tool if you embrace its capability and above all, as a countermeasure..........

Karate black belts for sale...no need to sweat or bleed!

Jan.8nd 2011 snowing outside so no running today


Morning: 5,000 meters rowing
TacFit joint mobility routine for 30 min. stretch bands, and form roller.
GHD situp/ab roller 5 sets each. 10 reps.
Kettlebell snatch speed warm-up 100 reps
Barbell Sumo deadlift
Kettlebell long cycle press:

Karate instructor arrested for selling bogus black belt certificates.

    That’s the headlines in my local newspaper, tells of a local Korean Karate instructor was selling his schools black belt certificates to thoes who paid , but is now in the local jail, captured on his way to Florida with his ill gotten gains or retirement fund. Now the funds can be used for lawyer fees. Talk about fast tracking his students!


    This is nothing new in the world of Karate training which now has been marginalized to an after school fitness class. All you have to do to get a black belt is pay a hefty fee each month for 2-4 years and you get a series of colored belts( more testing fees) until it turns black. Now we have 8 year old, killer black belt roaming the halls of our grade schools. Just kidding! Can you defend yourself after you are “belted”? I doubt it, no more than a similar very fit person of the same age and size not taking karate. As with college certificates, you can go on the internet, pay a fee and get the “sheepskin/cert.” to hang on your wall to impress your friends or better yet go into business so you can cash in.


    Karate over the last 40 years, since I got my black belts, has become more user friendly, so instructors who have schools can make a living at their art. Back in the 60’s when I was training, a karate instructor rarely used his art as a full time profession and trained the most serious people nor did he care if you stayed. The wanted you to obtained a high level of performance so you could actually defend yourself. The instructors were mostly idealist poor, but today, the store front karate school has to put a dollar value on all services to stay in business. Believe me, there is nothing wrong with that new business model as long as you, the consumer understands what you are getting for your money.


    My personal experience teaching Karate was limited. I was employed by a large commercial school, which was rare at the time. The head instructor made the assistant instructors “tone down” the aggression we were taught training overseas in the military. He would always say” the American public will not stand for our level of intense instruction we received to get our black belts” if you want to stay in business. He was right, as I opened my own school for a few months and went from 30 students to 2 in less than 6 weeks before closing shop and hanging up my black belt for good. It was not because I used them as human punching bags, it as the intense prep of the body to perform the movements. Your body and mind has to be as strong as possible if you want to defend yourself! A year or two of intense high quality karate workouts each day may not enable you to kick ass, but you will become a walking, talking, muscle chart.


    There are good schools teaching karate or other martial arts each day that maintain high standards and provide expert instruction. But just like any other service, check the credentials of the school and ask around especially those who have being going to the training how well they are doing. Don’t go to take up a martial just for self defense, but more to learn another culture and a fun form of fitness.

Our fatness could be caused by costly gym memberships

Jan.5nd 2011

Morning: hill running intervals. Not timed as it too cold to run flat out. RPE at about 7
TacFit joint mobility routine for 30 min. stretch bands, and form roller.
Barbell box squats: 10 sets of 2 reps
KB floor arched floor press 10 sets of 10

I was reading one of the British newspapers and they blamed part of their obesity problem on the high cost of gym membership. The fatties are being priced out of the gym and it socially unacceptable for low income people not to have the same opportunities of maintaining weight and fitness that the wealthy have. I got a new flash for them over the pond. The wealthy “fat cats” are also obese, so it’s not gym availability that a problem, It real simple; you all eat too fucking much, practice self indulgent activities and spend too much time on your fat ass!


On the other hand, we here in the colonies have very expensive health clubs as well low priced gyms, for all income levels. You walk into a 200 dollar a month upscale health spa or you can go to a 10 dollar a month gym and both have more than sufficient equipment and space to lose weight or get fitter. I have a another flash for you kids; it’s not for lack of equipment in any gym or health club that keeps you from being fit; it’s YOU, and what you put in as effort!


I must admit the old snake oil salesman’s are still in business selling you a crock of shit by telling you that if they join their club or gym, you will get fit and loose ton of fat. The fitness business chases the same, ever smaller member pool each year (big turnover in membership), to refill the membership of those who did not come back for another year of no progress. Can you blame the gym; hell no, they are just providing a place to train with a roof over your head costing you 200 to 10 dollar each month for the services. However, their sales pitch shows models or pros, who’s business is to look fit (notice I said look the part). However, and this is real life; walk into and gym or boot camp class and see how many are at desired weight and fit performance. Their success stories or the “poster boy and girls” are as rare as a gold penny. And they wonder why they don’t get people renewing each year.


The media and the government is on the obesity mission as it the fashionable thing to do. They want to blame our citizens for getting fat on every thing from fast food, income status and lack of affordable fitness programs. But rarely do the media place the problem to the family and the individual being responsible for themselves.

Not all kettlebell lifts are for every one

Jan.2nd 2011


TacFit joint mobility routine for 30 min. stretch bands, and form roller.


Short WOD 10 sets of 10 and no rest for the wicked
Kneeling KB cleans
Pullups
KB Yaw press
Elevated ring pushup
GHD situp
Ab roller

I was reviewing a new training seminar for this coming year by one of my favorite Kettlebell trainers, as part of his program he was going to demonstrate the use of multiple kettebells in one hand to both hands, using regular compound exercise called the “kettlebell stacked lifts”. I have seen this done at times during Kettlebell certs and competitions as basically a stunt lift, but not promoted to be part of a regular training program for a number of reasons. Far be coming from me to look down at someone lifting asymmetrical lifting toys, but as long as it promoted as a stunt, and not part of a general routine in your next boot camp floor exercise program. It’s part of the many Kettlebell lifts that appear to be like a war looking for solders. Fundamentally there is nothing wrong with a stacked lift; it just has to find a good place in fitness life.


Let’s start with the type of kettebell. The RKC, fat handle or clones are almost too thick of handle diameter for one Kettlebell use, let alone 2. Most ladies and men with smaller hands have this as a down side. I have tried double “stacked” Kettlebell lifts with poor results (pinched hands). Now if you use the AKC or Russian style competition Kettlebell, with a more grip friendly handle, then two kettebells can be gripped without too much problems even for small hands.


The next thing you have to ask yourself, do I have access to two or more kettlebells of the same weight so I can stack lift. Most people are lucky to have one of each (I am real lucky as I have two of each) and even some well out fitted gyms may not have a large inventory of sized Kettlebells so you can show off. My biggest concern with this kind of lifting; it’s really for very skilled weight trainers who have strong hands to hold the weights together so you can lift them without straining body trying to prevent the renegade bell from coming down on ones brain. I have lifted a lot of crazy shit like kegs, logs, stones, sand bags but it’s not the lift that presents the challenge, it’s the deceleration so you don’t hurt yourself,floor or others or showing off.


If you really want to advance your overhead pressing and want a real strong man challenge, latch on to a “Thomas Inch” fat handle dumbbell. At over 2.5” handle weighing 172lbs, clean and press that baby one time. Using one hand to lift off the ground, clean it with one hand and press over head. If you can do that, then you are not showing off you have arrived at the altar of strong men.

A new years face lift for my kettlebell training program.

Jan.1st. Happy New Year!!!


1st session: 3 mile walk/run in timed sequence. Easy pace with a 38deg early morning.


2nd session: TacFit joint mobility routine for 30 min. stretch bands, and form roller.
Body weight interval session for 25 mins.
Short WOD with dumbbells and kettlebells 3sets of 5 reps AFAP
DB-Pullover to a squat.
DB-renegade row-push up
DB lunge and hammer curl
KB heavy one arm swing.


A face lift for my Kettlebell fitness program in the year 2011;

I have a great “small box gym” in the rear of my house, so there is absolutely no reason not to train due to weather or equipment. Toys, I have them all, a there is no exercise equipment I don’t have. So the big problem is utilizing them in a program so they each don’t collect dust. Example would be the log press. It’s a great piece of equipment but I only us it once a month for fun lifts. Another apparatus is the sled, which I should use a lot more but seems to be avoided. Anyway when planning out my training for the coming year, I will integrate the various tools but substituting Barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells and sand bags for lifts and exercises which have a preferred equipment set, like squat cleans/thrusters. Squat cleans normally use a barbell, but when you can use Dumbbells makes the lift another octave higher intensity.


This coming year I intend to use more complex exercise more in line with the tactical martial arts I prefer to work with. Last year I made excellent gains in reclaiming my basic strength and better endurance using heavy kettebells and barbell powerlift movements. However, as a result my mobility and range of motion suffered somewhat, not because I don’t spend the time on mobility, but the type of general compound exercise tends to develop power in mostly one plane. For instance, I do heavy squats and deadlifts but don’t do pistols or landmine exercises. I do pull-ups, usually one type and not skinning the cat. There is a huge array of body weight exercises I don’t use instead of basic pushups and situps that can bring back that mobility. Then there is Kettlebell juggling, which I would like to try more of that I have not worked with in months. So much fun and not enough time!


Where to training is another decision I have to make each day as I have my gym and another Key club gym across town that I have used at times for decades. Beyond that I really like to train on places like the hiking trails for running, HS track next to my house, a town park, 3 miles from me with a playground to do some body wt. “street” exercise, an abandoned state hospital facility with 2 miles of low traffic roads with hills. So there it is, having a wide variety of venues to train, I can never get stale and my cost is next to nothing, except maybe gas to get there. This year I will seek out new places to add spice to my fitness program. So much fun and not enough time.

When I travel for training I have what they call a BOB “bug out bag” . that’s an old survivalist term for a pack with all the essentials to have with you, when the “big one” is dropped and you have to hit the road for better lands. My so called BOB is designed with basic small equipment for training outside my home gym or when I leave for a vacation and want to keep my program going uninterrupted.


Let’s say I go to the track for some speed work. I have my stop watch and timers for doing intervals and my training journal, water and Ice if I have problems. Then there is the “tiger stick” so I don’t have to carry my foam roller. If we go over to the town park with the playground, then I have a improvised TRX rope to put up for some of that stuff. Beyond that there is the basic, stretch bands, tape, hand reps for boxing, gloves, small Indian clubs, carabineers, camera, chemical ice bags, first aid kit, water bottles, zone bars, and the list goes on. It’s all in a back pack, always sitting by the door ,ready to go when it’s time to train. There is nothing more pitiful then seeing a client come into a gym with a 2oz bottle of water and a shit-eating grin, and they think they are ready to get fit. LOL!