Five Rings Fitness

Leading from the Front

2010-11-29T18:03:00.000-06:00

I thought I would start to keep some of my personal logs here on the blog so that you folks could see that I am indeed, a human just like you

as such

I had a great thanksgiving, there was much beer, meat, sweet potatoes, yams (not candied), squash, pecan and pumpkin pie, whipped cream, green beans (these were from our garden this year and were frozen, still wicked tasty), gravy, rolls and single malt scotch

there was tearing of phone books

then came the next 3 days of gorging on leftovers, drinking more beer and eating a lot more of the afore mentioned pies

so, now its back to the normal day to day

today's efforts and diet log is as such

this morning: 1 cup of coffee, 1 cup of yogurt with udo's oil (1 tbsp), fish oil (1 tbsp) and greens mix, mega foods men's 1 daily multi, 1 double shot of espresso with honey

hit some club work (1lb indian clubs, english style) consisting of 10 repetitions in each direction of the 5 basic movements for a total of 100 reps, and a full body training session of I-Phase Z-Health

at lunch

20 reps in each direction of all 5 movements with the 1lb clubs, 10 minutes of kalos sthenos get ups with the 16kg bell, 100 20kg snatches, 20 reps in both directions all 5 movements 1lb clubs, full body training session of I-Phase Z-Health

this was all done in 45 minutes at a very leisurely pace

Lunchtime meal

Mixed herb salad with 1 can of sardines, feta cheese, tomatoes, bragg's amino's, caesar dressing, double shot of espresso with honey

the day is young

as I said in the beginning of the post, I will try to keep a daily rundown of my work and nutrition so that you guys can see how easy it really is to stay on top and in good working order

with a focus on Precision, Progression, and Variety (as Dr Thomas has intimated, though he stipulated it as Progression, Variety and Precision) it keeps the work light and fun and the progress forward constant and measurable

these pics are for reference, to see what 30 days of my approach to fitness can do to someone

understand, I am already in decent physical condition, so your mileage may vary

but lets see what I can do in 30 days

if I can do it

so can you

Get Strong, Stay Strong

and don't let the bastards drag you down

Confused about Breathing? You won't be, after this episode of SOAP

2010-10-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

Breathing, an important and oft overlooked component of fitness and life in general
people pay lip service to the breath, saying you have to breath one way or another
behind the shield
from the belly
from the diaphragm
with the pelvic floor
hold the breath
relax the breath
mechanical
anatomical
reverse
power

confused?
you won't be after this episode of SOAP

SOAP is the acronym I have come up with to describe my philosophy on breath work

Simple
Optimal
Active
Practiced

keep it simple
really what is breathing anyway
it is a blood gas exhange that takes place in the lungs
the alveoli absorb an oxygen molecule from the gases we inhale (not all of what we breathe in is o2, FYI:Air is made up of 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen and small quantities of CO2, argon and helium) O2 moves through the alveoli to the pulmonary capillaries, then oxygenated blood moves into the pulmonary veins which return to the left side of the heart to be pumped to the tissues via red blood cells (which is why we need Iron in our diet and in many cases must supplement to get the Iron we need, most men and women especially, are deficient in Iron)
From the blood to the tissues and cells, O2 gets carried along and exchanged for Co2 (exhaled)
this is the baseline explanation of the blood gas exchange that is breathing

lets get simpler

Breathe, with every part of you that can breathe, this means full breaths, complete expansion of the ribs and stomach, all the way down to the bottom of the lungs and full relaxed exhale, forget about whether or not you need abdominal tension to brace or axial lengthening or anything else for now,
Just focus on the breath

Are you getting a full inhale and exhale on each breath?

want to alkylize the blood?
breathe
want to lower your blood pressure?
breathe
want to get stronger?
breathe
Want to .....

just Breathe....

Optimal

What is the optimal breathing pattern for you?
what are you doing?
why are you doing it?
are you under a load or not
standing, lying down, bent over, folded up like a card table?

here I may depart from some of my peers, and from the opinions of the fitness mavens and popular folks out there in iron land
groovy
this does not bother me...

the optimal breathing pattern
for YOU
not me, or the guy on the bus stop bench next to you rocking out to Jethro Tull and eating cheetos out of a baggie,

YOU
is the breathing pattern that is the most efficient for the given task
this means, that the Optimal breathing pattern is the one that gets the most oxygen into your cells, with the least amount of effort, and is still consistent with the activity you are participating in

frankly, if you can run a 100 yard dash and not breathe hard, that would be Optimal
if you can lift your 1 rep max in a deadlift and never grunt
that is Optimal

I will say that breathing with your neck and trapezius muscles, is not optimal
breathing with your mouth, not likely the most optimal methodology
holding your breath, unless you are swimming, is not optimal

So, Bracing
yep, great, go nuts,
still have to breathe, and breathing into the deepest part of your lungs will allow for more o2 to be delivered to the cells, which means more atp production, which means more muscular contraction, which means ........

Active

don't passively breathe
be active about it, draw breath in and exhale willfully
sure
its a reflex
still
practice breathing like every other thing, as a skill
(more on skill development in a later posting)
become a master of the breath and you will be aware of your body, which will lead to more fine motor and thus more gross motor skill
period
full stop

even Anatomical breathing is an active endeavor after a certain point, as you will start to want to suck air in as though it were going out of style when your hear rate goes up
(honestly, if you are in a state where you are sucking air in, you may want to rest, this is not efficient, unless you are working on distress or stress reaction management, more on that in a later post)

Practiced
that word again
yes
it means exactly what I think it means, that is why I keep using it

Practice different methods of breathing
like
a
skill
develop breathing
as
a
skill

become a master of your breath
you would be amazed at how simple other activities can become when you can manage your breath

it is the one reflexive action, the single autonomic nervous system function, that we can exercise a good amount of control over and thereby control of our physical, mental, and emotional state

5 minutes of crocodile breathing can establish the baseline for good breathing while moving
which will lead to higher quality movement
which can quickly establish new movement patterns that are more efficient
which can remove compensatory patterns built up to overcome restrictions caused by poor movement, or guarding reflexes stemming from prior injuries or trauma (even if it was 10 years ago, the residual effect can still be with you)
which can lead to......

seriously
5 minutes on your stomach, breathing into your gut and not your chest (accessory breathing, akin to doing tens of thousands of shoulder shrugs every day, sore neck and shoulders? really? you don't say....) can set the stage for some serious strength and mobility work

Breath,
Posture,
Strength,
Speed,
Stamina

the 5 Rings of Fitness

next

Posture

why the spine is the most important component of any physical endeavor

The beginning of wisdom is a definition of terms-Socrates

2010-09-02T12:42:00.000-05:00

So first let us define our terms

I will be continuing the conversation I began with my last post by first setting the stage for the conversation.

My over arching goal, is to bring health, wellness, mobility, strength and longevity to any that have contact with me. Be that in the real or virtual world.

A little history for those that do not know me or are new to my blog

I am a 20+ year martial artist, and physical culture proponent, student, and instructor

I teach the Hardstyle method of Kettlebell lifting (RKC) the Thomas method of Indian Club Swinging, and Jeet Kune Do concepts and Filipino Martial arts as passed on to me by my instructor Sifu Michael O'Melia through his Instructor Guru Dan Inosanto with a direct and unbroken line to Sigung Bruce Lee. As a physical culture, and martial art/sport/science instructor I have a very pragmatic and sometimes jaded view of function and utility.

I am not, a doctor

nutritionist

chemist

psychologist

or anything else that I have not stated that I am

Take my wee little column for what it is, my opinions and observations based on my experience

Filter what I present through your own experience, and come to your own conclusions

Test the veracity of any claims I make and if you feel like correcting me, there is a form to make comments, please use it

Lets talk first about Diet

currently, it seems there is a new version of variable fasting and modified Atkins/Ornish diet, gluten free, casein free, nothing that casts a shadow diet every 15 minutes

if they have bought you success, groovy

I will state however that my understanding of pain is this-pain is any thing that produces a noxious response in the body

since we as humans are evolutionarily wired for survival and not for performance, anything that registers as pain with the cns (central nervous system, the governing body, nothing happens without it)

that stimulus will be remembered very clearly and concisely, we may adapt to the stimulus over time, but it will always be a pain signal, we will in fact be adapting to pain

jumbled?

ever talk to someone that comes off the Atkins diet, the person who lost a buttload (literally in some cases) of weight, and when they went back to eating like a normal person they packed the weight back on in short order

their body thought they were starving, it went into a state of ketosis, consuming its own tissues to feed the daily caloric needs for survival, and when eating pattern was returned to normal, the cns told the body to pack on the pounds,

because another famine could be just around the corner and if we survived last time with what we had around our hips thighs and butt, we need more of that

survival

not performance

how bout vegans?

not enough protein, too much fat, bad skin and poor digestion, uptake of nutrients is deficient

they look like death warmed over with acne

great....

not the diet, its them, and their lack of understanding in how to get the nutrition they need to survive from the diet they have chosen....

do you have a thyroid problem is that why you are fat?

are you sure

have you had that confirmed by a doctor?

or do you really have a fork control problem?

some would make the case that what we put in is not as important as how our body uses it

eat dirt, it has calories, how long will you last?

live on ramen and pop tarts (college right?)

think your liver will love you for long?

can you in fact survive on mc food and live long and hale?

dunno, I posit that you will live better if you avoid mc anything and stick with food, not mc food

there is a clip on youtube of a 4 year old cheeseburger, is that right?

with obesity, diabetes, cancer of all types, and a host of other horrific stuff going on in our population, I have to wonder

is it us, or is it the crap that we get sold as being food?

can you honestly tell me you get 8 servings of fruits and vegetables every day?

take my challenge,

go to your cupboards or fridge, pull anything that has

high fructose corn syrup, or more than 5 ingredients and set it on one side,

then

gather all the other things in your cupboards and fridge that are considered food on the other side of your kitchen

how big are the stacks?

which one is bigger?

are you eating food or a chemical slurry that allows a hamburger to last 4 years without being eaten by pests or decomposing?

here are my dietary guidelines, the ones I follow

eat as close to the ground as possible

eat as fresh as possible

eat food that is cooked as little as possible

eat as close to home as possible (food form local farms etc)

try not to eat anything that came from a box or was wrapped in plastic

eat more vegetables and fruit than meat

drink more water than any other beverage, coffee, tea and alcohol in moderation

eat when I am hungry, stop eating when I am thirsty

leave the beverages for at least an hour after I have eaten to let my stomach do its thing, but if I need a swig of liquid to get my food down, groovy

if it comes from a package, keep the ingredients list to under 5 ingredients, less if possible

if it has a label, be wary

give this a shot for 30 days, let me know what you think

we are just talking diet so far,not exercise, sport, athletics, martial topics, or self defense

health is the best self defense

next up

breathing

2010-08-16T09:10:00.000-05:00

Over the next few months, I will be setting the stage for an upcoming project.

The project is a return to common sense methods of maintaining health, mobility, flexibility, and functional movement. Many fitness “professionals” these days, seem to be frankly, trying to keep up with the latest trends and fads.

Why?

Why not look to the methods that have lasted for hundreds, and in some cases, literally thousands of years.

In a world where the general public seems to be assuming more and more abnormal shapes, question marks, pears, apples, odd fruit indeed. People should not be compared to fruit in their physical appearance. Imagine if someone said you look like a Durian

Well?

As people grow into these abnormal shapes, they also lose important physical abilities, circulation suffers, range of motion becomes limited, walking becomes a study in bio-mechanical adaptation that would make Darwin pull his teeth out.

So, I will be presenting some of the methods that have lasted, and though they have faded from the headlines, the principles are still present and currently used, no matter how the sales guru's and marketing mavens may hide them.

We will be discussing breath, posture, strength, speed and stamina. The 5 Rings of Fitness as I present them to my clients and students. I say we as I expect that my readers and clients will participate in the conversation, adding to it when they can, questioning me at every turn and testing the veracity of every claim I make. I exhort you to not believe a damn thing I say, research it, run your findings through the filter of your own experience, then decide for yourself if the information is germane to the task that you are faced with.

We will be discussing dietary guidelines, supplementation, exercise, joint mobility, movement as a means of ameliorating the stress of daily life and physical activity, and occasionally why I think something is insane, stupid, or dangerous.

So, in the immortal words of Mike D, get ready cause this aint funny......

out for the weekend

2010-04-16T12:24:00.000-05:00

I will be attending the first Certified Indian Club Specialist clinic being held this weekend in St Paul (hosted by Dragon Door, thanks John, Dennis, Brett, and the rest of the crew)
This means that I will be getting to hang out with my mates from the RKC, and getting some first class instruction on the use of the indian club from Dr Ed Thomas ( a recognized and humble authority on the use of the club, and a really really nice guy to boot )

Last weekend I had the honor of helping Dr Thomas teach some of the participants in the MPD PAL program how to perform some simple bodyweight, medicine ball, dumb bell, kettle bell ( I got to put on that presentation, and apparently I sound like a drill seargent ;) ) and agility drills to maintain and promote health and wellness
This program came out of the correspondence that Jason Green of CES Fitness and Dr Thomas had regarding the good Dr's program in Iowa ( see http://www.ihpra.org/ for more details on that )
This was not only a great time and great opportunity, but it was a huge learning experience for me as well
getting to help out was both an honor and a privilege that I am thankful to Jason and Dr Thomas for, and I have not forgotten Jason's crew of dedicated trainers (Laura, Nate, Will Kirsten, you guys were a hit) who helped out with every aspect of the event

The MPD PAL program is a worthwhile effort and needs your support, if you can, help them out

In other news, here are a few pics from my recent appearance at the Richfield Wellness Expo
The photos were supplied by Jennifer, one of my regular students at the Veteran's Memorial Park Arts Center classes
thanks to her for the pics, to Hannah for assisting me, and to Ben and Usman for showing up to support and hang out

This was a lot of fun and some good folks seemed to get the idea pretty quickly. I am always somewhat surprised by how fast the buy in is on the kettlebell, you either realize right away that there is way more to the cannonball with a handle, or that you are perhaps not as in shape as you thought, either way, the bells are always a crowd pleaser, and the club swinging that came at the end of the hour was praised by all who hung out for it.

Coming up in May (the 22nd) I will be giving a clinic hosted by the folks at

MN Valley Martial Arts

I will be covering the basics of the Z-Health system, and how Z-Health can help you overcome movement restrictions, help to restore mobility, gain strength, become a better athlete, and get more pleasure out of your daily life through joint mobility and quality movement. The cost of the clinic is yet to be set, but it will not break the bank

DVDs and other Z-Health material will be available for purchase, so this will also be an opportunity to save a few bucks on shipping, if you would like to pre-order dvds email me by May 15th and I will have your order waiting for you at the clinic.

To get a pre view of what will be happening, show up for one of the fitness classes offered at the host academy and get warmed up before they put you through your paces for a good workout that looked like fun for all involved.

See you all next week either in class or in private

Get Strong

Stay Strong

make it easy, every time, and it will always be easy

2010-03-24T19:30:00.000-05:00

a call to action

a lot has been going on here at 5 Rings Fitness, personally and with my clientelle

bio-feedback has been the topic of many conversations and posts, and if you follow anyone on this you should be following these people

The Movement

Mike T Nelson

Adam T Glass

if you have not heard of them, then you are missing out

we are all part of a growing community of folks that realize some basic, fundamental truths

your brain and nervous system are the governing things in your body
without which, you will be a lump of goo with some calcified structures and visecera

so

use that system that governs you to your advantage, or not, up to you really

you can
use bio-feedback ( a term and method that is older than any of us ) to become better faster and never stop advancing
or
you can ignore what your body tosses up as road signs, run off the road now and then, and occasionally through blind luck and genetics, make some gains

want to get that fat off?
biofeedback
wnat to get stronger
biofeedback
want to get faster?
biofeedback

am I reaching you herbert?

try it, just try it
and tell me if you are not a little creeped out

perform a toe touch, when you feel tension "anywhere" in your body, mark that range of motion

perform a movement pattern

perform the toe touch again with the same speed and test the range of motion at which you feel tension

if it got better, the movement is good, if not, pick a different movement

pick a few movements that co-incide with your goals (strength, speed, agility, fat loss, muscle gain etc)

pick the one that tests the best

use that movement as your work for the session

there is more available on this at the sites I listed, go
investigate
test the veracity of my claims

join us
become one of a tribe of folks that are making leaps and bounds toward our personal bests everytime we put our wheels on the track

or get run over

the only thing in the middle of the road, is road kill and paint

get strong
stay strong

dont take your guns to town son.....

2010-01-17T11:04:00.000-06:00

put the pistol away after my third day last week
1/1 x 3 every 15 minutes was more than enough work
the next day the pistol tested b adly so I switched to one arm pushups at a roughly 45 degree incline for the rest of the progression
by friday 5/5 was hit and the fun was over

next week the clubs come out
not to hit any one with
to swing
Indian Clubs are a fun and functional tool that I employ on a regular basis
it seems that the trend has come around again

John DuCane at Dragondoor has put together another cert for us, The Certified Indian Club Specialist Workshop

looks like I will be attending, a chance to commiserate with my mates in the RKC, learn from Dr Thomas, and swing sticks....

what can I say
I am a simple man

since many of my students and clients have expressed interest in using the Indian Clubs, and
some of them have taken up club swinging
it seems a natural fit

at any rate

here we go!

get ready mates, 6 pairs of 1 lb clubs are enroute to my home for use in the Richfield classes and with my private clients

in other news

Someone figured out that kettlebells do indeed burn a lot of calories in a short time....
this from the Office of Captain obvious

sorry to sound snarky
if you could not figure out that moving a chunk of metal at high speeds in explosive full body motions did not burn a ton of calories, build incredible force production and strength output, and deliver mind numbing endurance

you have not been paying attention

either way
good on ACE for stepping up with some truly empircal studies of the effects of kettlebell use

if you are coming to the classes I teach, you will already recognize the 15:15 protocol of snatching/push pressing/high pulling/swinging from our bouts

if you are not in my class,
I have to ask
Why not?
where else can you get quality instruction from an RKC that incorporates the Functional Movement Screen, Z-Health, and other cutting edge exercise science to deliver the best fitness experience at the lowest cost?

answer?
no where

15$ at the door, $150 for a 12 punch card
Monday Evenings 6:30-8pm

10$ at the door, $100 for a 12 punch card
Tuesday afternoons 12:15-12:45pm

PS

I recently got the High Gear from Tony Blauer Tactical and am impressed so far with the suit

for the private Martial Arts Students I have, you know what that means
better training, more realism, deeper knowledge of the use of the self defense and sport material I have been teaching you

See you when I see you

pistol packing

2010-01-11T10:57:00.000-06:00

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

Take 2 Bells of equal weight

Place bells side by side and perform the following complex:

1 Push up

1 Renegade Row per Side

Clean both bells to the rack

1 Front Squat

1 dbl Press

Continue for 10 minutes

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

Finish with 10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

Last week was a good bit of work

Mon

12,600 lbs of pressing 5/5 every 15 minutes, 36 rounds

Tue

14,000 lbs of pressing 5/5 every 15 minutes, 40 rounds

Wed

16,800 lbs of presssing 3,2,1 l/r every 15 minutes, 40 rounds

Thur

19,600 lbs of pressing 3,2,2 l/r every 15 minutes, 40 rounds

Fri

54,000 lbs of pressing 3,3,3 l/r every 15 minutes 40 rounds + 40 rounds of mvo2 Viking Push press

all done with the 16kg bell

this week is pistols

all pistols

all week

today

1/1

tomorrow

1/1 1/1

etc

until friday which will culminate in 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 1/1 every 15 minutes

grease the groove with me

pick one thing

do it once or twice per hour

all day

its brand new, its brand new to you

2010-01-06T09:37:00.000-06:00

Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

3-5 Sets of 3-5 Reps:Body Weight "Bone Rhythm" Squats

3-5 Sets of 3-5 Reps"Bone Rhythm" Push Ups(these can be performed on any surface that allows the movement to be crisp, precise, and puts the least amount of stress on the system

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

Its a new year

again

yesterday I started my new year routine as I do every year, revisiting the basics

the first piece of the basics pie is the press

so,

Mon

strict press 16kg 5 left/5 right every 15 minutes 36 rounds

Tue

Strict Press 16kg 5 left/ right every 15 minutes 40 rounds

Wed (thats today)

Strict Press Ladder 16kg 3,2,1 left/right every 15 minutes 40 rounds

Thurs

same deal,

every morning I test my one set maximum

Mon it was 6 with the 24kg, Tue it was 16kg for 10, today it was 16kg for 12

this is one set of very precisely executed, perfect form, no tension press from below the chin to full lock out with the arm behind the ear military press with the 16kg bell

I will stay with this until next monday, when I will test with the 24kg again

get the picture?

the matrix I am following for the month of January is as follows

Max set left + max set right= A

A/2=b

B=top rung of ladder

every day, the ladder will be run from top to bottom every 15 minutes for 36-40 rounds (depending on when I arrive at my office job)

I will add reps as needed and flow up the matrix until I hit a new max set per arm and reset

this is my January

what are you doing for the first month of the new year?

from Bill, a student at the eve classes in Richfield

2009-12-21T14:33:00.000-06:00

http://kbforum.dragondoor.com/kettlebells-strength-conditioning-forum/140016-first-outside-crucible-2010-minneapolis-man-enough.html

You are here by invited to the first outdoor Crucible of 2010 on January 2nd in Minneapolis at Breck High School!

There's a tough group of folks led by RKC Kathy Crawford and her husband that does an outside Crucible every Saturday morning at 7am at Breck High School. We've been out in 12" of snow, blowing wind, rain, weather never matters, every Saturday for the last year.

Why not get off your duff after drinking and eating too much for two days and make something of yourself!

What: 100 yard Crucible of 20 Swings, Double Clean and Step Press for 6 Steps, Repeat for 100 yards. Bring two (2) Kettlebells that you can Swing, Clean, Press, and hold on to for 30 minutes or so.

When: 7am January 2nd SHARP! You're late you watch. I'd get there about 15 - 20 minutes early so you can find a spot on the end line. If there's more then one line, Mr Crawford (aka Tom Malone) will send them off.

Where: Breck High School practice football/soccer field.
123 Ottawa Avenue North, Golden Valley, MN 55422 (Google it). Right across from the parking lot.

Amenities: NONE! No bathrooms, no food, no water, no emergency services, NADA! Just you, your kettlebells, and a bunch of others.

Attire: Warm clothes, Boots, Gloves, anything to keep the bite of Winter and Wind Chill at bay.

One thing we do provide is MUSIC. Submit your songs for inclusion and we'll tee up a playlist for the event. We use a home made boombox with a 300 Watt Amp that rocks the neighborhood. Submit one song per person and we'll pick the best (yup, our choice as always).

Get the year started right and come out, grab 2 of your favorite KB, and get on the line!

The Saturday Class for the 2nd will be making an outing of this, call me or email for details

so you want to lose weight, get strong, and not bulk up..... want to lose weight, get strong, and not bulk up?

2009-12-17T08:38:00.000-06:00

follow this protocol for 6 weeks

measure your
1. Weight
2. Waist, biceps, thighs, and chest in inches or centimeters
3. Clean and press the heaviest kettlebell you can for as many repetitions as you can complete with perfect form

record that and email it to me

then

follow this plan

eat whatever you like, within reason, make it healthy but no worries on the quantities
just stop when you feel more thirsty than hungry, start each day with a cup of live culture yogurt, have a light lunch that has a salad as a main component, and start each evening meal with a large salad (mixed greens, some bitter-read mustard, collard etc, no iceberg lettuce)

Day 1

10 minutes of Turkish Get Ups with a water bottle with 1 inch of water in the bottom(when you can go through the entire motion with the bottle, you can switch to a light weight)

100 swings with a med weight kettlebell as fast as you can perform them, shoot for 2 minutes or less

Clean and press in a ladder rep/set pattern with 3 ladders (your rep set pattern will be emailed to you when you send me your info)

Day 2

10 minutes of Turkish Get Ups with a water bottle with 1 inch of water in the bottom(when you can go through the entire motion with the bottle, you can switch to a light weight)

100 swings with a med weight kettlebell as fast as you can perform them, shoot for 2 minutes or less

Day 3

10 minutes of Turkish Get Ups with a water bottle with 1 inch of water in the bottom(when you can go through the entire motion with the bottle, you can switch to a light weight)

100 swings with a med weight kettlebell as fast as you can perform them, shoot for 2 minutes or less

Viking Push Press on the 15:15 protocol with a light-med bell, shoot for 6-8 reps per set, complete as many sets as possible with perfect form

Day 4

10 minutes of Turkish Get Ups with a water bottle with 1 inch of water in the bottom(when you can go through the entire motion with the bottle, you can switch to a light weight)

100 swings with a med weight kettlebell as fast as you can perform them, shoot for 2 minutes or less

Day 5

Active Rest, do only turkish get ups with a water bottle, no weight

Day 6

Do nothing but eat well and enjoy a day of rest

Day 7 Test your Clean and Press totals again, divide the total on each arm by 2, this is your new starting ladder, you will halve each set (ie, if the total is 8, the starting number is 4, second set would be 2, last set would be 1)

Day 8 Active Rest, only turkish get ups with a bottle

Day 9, begin cycle again

complete this protocol for 6 weeks

measure all information again

better is better

2009-12-14T08:50:00.000-06:00

yes, I am making this point again

better is better

more is less

efficient movement is fast and powerful

work for that,
the effortless power

not powerful effort

selah

and now

The Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

10 Minutes of Swings 12-24kg Bell:Resting when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

you screw around too much,

stop screwing around

now with more ZZZZZZ

2009-11-23T11:37:00.000-06:00

first

The Workout of the Day

FMS Correctives

Z-Health Neural Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light bell

Bone Rythym Squats 3 sets of 3-5

Bone Rythym Lunges 3 sets of 3-5

Light Kettlebell 2 hand Swings to a comfortable stop, 3 sets

rest between sets with peg board drill in any of the compass positions

Z-Health R-phase Drills to cool down

Just finished the Z-Health I Phase Certification, so I am now a level 2 Z-Health Movement Re-education specialist

or acolyte witch doctor depending on who you talk to

thanks to Dilf Dilford and the gang for a fantastic weekend

now to go rest my sponge like gray matter

better is better

2009-11-16T10:20:00.000-06:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

Test yourselves today

One hand swings with the heaviest bell you can comfortably swing in the following pattern

15/15 12/12 10/10 8/8 5/5

time is the factor, try to get the best time you can with 5 minutes as a limit

IE set a timer for 5 minutes and try to complete the 100 swings as fast as possible

Resting when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

Finish with 10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

Better is better,

more is not better

better is better

doing anything, a lot, really badly (think of the last time you saw someone doing really crappy half assed kipping pull ups) is a great way, to teach your nervous system, how to do whatever it is, a lot, really badly

however

doing something really really well

every time

will in fact teach your nervous system how to perform the action,

yep

you got it

really really well

to quote my martial arts instructor Sifu O'Melia

"really bad martial arts done really fast,

is just really bad martial arts doen really fast"

contemplate that on the tree of woe

kiss

2009-11-12T08:01:00.000-06:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

Double Kettlebell work today-

2 Bells of equal size

Swing/Clean/Front Squat/Press at top of Squat

(or for the advanced mates, sots press from the bottom of the squat then come out of the squat with the bells in the overhead lockout position)

continue for 10 minutes

Resting when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

Perfection leans to simplicity

the above workout will test many systems in your body, and depending on the intensity and weight, could prove to be a test of your mettle as well.

Keeping it simple is the key to consistent gains

no fantastical maneuvers, no fancy lifts, no unstable surfaces

just pure, power generation, grind and ballistic pairs, and full range of motion

keep the fancy stuff to yourself

if you say this is hard, tell it to the bells

is it challenging?

yes

is it difficult?

no, and if you think it is, seek the help of a professional coach, get your technique tuned up, lower the weight, lower the intensity

you want the magic pill

here it is, the formulae is as follows

move a lot of weight, at a good clip, do this with the best mechanical movement quality you can perform, do this consistently, do this often, consume food that is whole and wholesome, get enough sleep, play, and social interaction to keep your self mentally and spiritually healthy

now get back to work

now, with kung fu grip

2009-11-10T09:43:00.000-06:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

10 Minutes of Swings 12-24kg Bell:Resting when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

A huge Gift was given to me by my Sifu this weekend at the Pekiti Tirsia Seminar (espada y daga) with Tuhon Bill McGrath

My Sifu (Guro Mike O'melia of Cornerstone Martial Arts) awarded me my Level 1 Instructor's Certificates for JKD and Filipino Martial Arts. This was a great honor for me to accept these, recognizing me as a competent practitioner and instructor of the arts I have devoted almost 20 years to, I was humbled to say the least.

This means that I may now bring this material to you, my clients, with the blessings of my instructor and Mentor. Having a legitimate lineage directly to Sigung Bruce Lee and Guro Dan Inosanto is more than an honor and privilege. And I will be happy to bring any one who wants to learn along on the journey to proficient application of the principles and methods passed on to me by Guro O'Melia.

If anyone would like personal, one on one instruction for martial arts, self defense, martial sport or science applications, just contact me and we will arrange a demonstration and discuss what opportunities we have to work together. If you are interested in group instruction, that may also be a possibility, just contact me and we will work out the details.

now

get back to work

good, so far

2009-11-06T08:13:00.000-06:00

so far today

Z-health Neural Warm up 1 (10 minutes)
FMS Correctives (10 Minutes)
Aslr/Side lying with Rotation/Trunk Rotations/Hip Bridges W/Extension and Arms overhead

2 pistols left and right (152lbs current body weight)
1 Kalos Sthenos Turkish Get Up, left and right 24kg
1 minute left, 1 minute right of Strict Press Bone Rhythm Drills
1 Strict Press left and right 28kg
1 Strict Press left and right 24kg
1 Waiters Press left and right 24kg
10x10 Bone Rhythm Split Squats (both leads)
6 Snatches left and right 24kg
7 Viking Push Press left and right 24kg

my grease the groove drill for the day will be pistols (based on rom test)
so, every 15 minutes I will perform 1 pistol on each leg until my work day is done

I will still have a "workout" later on this afternoon, likely going to be a long set of Kalos Sthenos with a light bell to work out some kinks and nail down the technique and mobility/stability

my question is

what are you doing?

email me, give me some thoughts

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

3-5 Sets of 3-5 Reps:Body Weight "Bone Rhythm" Squats

3-5 Sets of 3-5 Reps"Bone Rhythm" Push Ups(these can be performed on any surface that allows the movement to be crisp, precise, and puts the least amount of stress on the system

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

100% compliance

2009-10-30T08:18:00.000-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

3-5 Sets of 3-5 Reps:Body Weight "Bone Rhythm" Squats

3-5 Sets of 3-5 Reps"Bone Rhythm" Push Ups(these can be performed on any surface that allows the movement to be crisp, precise, and puts the least amount of stress on the system

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

recently I was listening to the Irontamer's teleconference over at Geoff Neupert's site -Kettlebellsecrets.com-

at one point Sr. RKC David Whitley aka "the Irontamer" talks about the compliance model

50% of the model is the physical
50% is nutrition and diet

so

where do you fit in the compliance model

personally, I sit around 80% most of the time

I do something physical every day, and eat really well, that is to say I eat a lot of really high quality food, almost all organic, whole, unprocessed as possible, and as I have intimated in the past, if it has a label, it is immediately suspect
that is not to say that I do not eat sweets ( I have at least one Bija Bar a day, it's got omega 3/6/9 blend of udo's in it ) and love chocolate (whatever the best stuff on sale at the co-op is) cookies (again, the best organic on sale cookies a the co-op)
but I also have a salad before almost every evening meal, a huge salad most of the time (2 qt mixing bowl huge) that is mixed greens with some bitter herbs in there (mustard, collards, etc)
I eat pizza, yes, I will cop to it, I have slices of "white" or oil only pizzas and the occaisional alfredo from the shop above my office, however
for the most part

my diet is at least 30% on target

the physical happens every day
z-health drills, kettlebells, club swinging, martial arts, body weight drills....
every day
even sunday

7 days a week

365

a day without movement is a day that I wonder if I am really alive

what is your compliance model?

get it right, then move on

2009-10-29T07:45:00.000-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies

Full Body R-Phase Session-Coordinated Speed

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

Renegade Row 5x 5/5 alternated with

Swings 5x25

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

First

be correct in the movement

then

be efficient in the movement

then

be proficient in the movement

then

move on

slow down, you move to fast, you got to make the ....

2009-10-28T08:33:00.000-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies

Full Body R-Phase Session-Coordinated Speed

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

10 minutes of Viking Warrior Conditioning with appropriate sized bell at your personal cadence on the 15:15 protocol

Pekiti Tirsia Dirty Dozens 1 min of each drill

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

yes, I am quoting Simon and Garfunkle

yes, I know the "feeling groovy" song

yes, I am a geek

now

before you decide to hit the gym to work your "ass" off or any other part of the body you are trying to lose before bikini and speedo time rolls around again

think on this

if you got into the shape you are in overnight, you can get out of it over night

however

if it took any longer to get there,

you may need more time to get back to "fighting" shape

dig

you did not get

fat

out of shape

slow

de-conditioned

etc.....

in one day

so, it will take some time to get back to the place you once called home (as far as the body and its capabilities goes anyway)

bearing this in mind,

take the time to get there in a fashion that does not involve

crash diets

insane workout regimens

thousands of dollars of new equipment

start by working on mobility

then

work on your ability to perform a skill

then

try this novel idea

do some body weight exercises to get reaquainted with physical movement beyond making it from the couch to the store for more ho-ho's, beer, and bacon

snarky?

yep

after you can move your own body through space under control, and have a decent grasp of the range of motion you are capable of, perhaps now is the time to attack the gym with a sensible, manageable routine, that will guarantee success

and stick with the plan

no shiny syndrome

no bs

just work at something for 6wks at the least, then re-evaluate and see what your needs are

Fists, sticks, bells and brains

2009-10-27T08:30:00.000-05:00

Dig

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

Kalos Sthenos Get-up 10 single reps, alternating arms each rep.

One arm swing 5x10/10

From BJJ:

Shrimp Left/Right/Backward/Forward

Hip Up and reach over to slap mat 50 times left and right

100 Wall Tackles

Resting when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

If you are noticing a difference in the workouts, here is the deal

I am a martial artist,coach and student of martial science/sport/art

some of the work I do that does not involve kettlebells, clubs, or other pure exercise and mobility is in the realm of the martial errata

thus

I will be including some bits in the workout of the day that is for those of you who have a martial hobby, and know what they are, enjoy, if you do not know what they are, no worries, you can email me, or just pretend you don't see them

where the drills call for partners, I will point it out, most however are solo type drills that you can get in most anywhere (if you don't mind some funny looks)

be sharp though

do not start swinging a machete around in an alley and expect to not be noticed

you may make some new friends, or you may get tazed

it will not be my fault

Skill, as practice

2009-10-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up
10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell
10 Minutes of any of the following with Perfect Reps in mind

Swings with a 12-24kg Bell
Pekiti Tirsia Single Stick 5 Angles of Attack with Footwork
Pekiti Tirsia Espada y Daga 1st Seguidas
Carenza with:single of double stick,
stick and dagger,
single or double dagger,
or empty hands kali drills

Resting when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present
10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight
Z-Health Cool Down

It occurred to me on the way home friday evening, that if folks were to practice the skills of any part of their daily lives, the way that I apply my skill practice to things like strength and martial science, they would soon have proficiency if not mastery of the skills.

So,
pick a drill, any drill
be it mobility, strength, relaxation, some physical movement pattern (ie a martial art technique or principle)
and practice that skill the way I grease the groove

email me and give me a list of your gtg (grease the groove) patterns and I may well join you

in fact

if I like it, I will post it here with attribution and you can be the progenitor of skill for some others (which, is a great feeling, trust me)

James@5RingsFitness.com

selah

Junkie Logic

2009-10-23T08:13:00.001-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies

Neural Warm Up 1-Coordinated Speed

10 Minutes of the following cycle as Ladders With 1-5 rungs

2 Hand Swing/Goblet Squat/Renegade Rows (Switch sides after each rep)

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

Junkie Logic

Go here

Read that article, then ask yourself if you are an addict

Last night, my wife and I were discussing this article, both of us having been followers of the "no label" diet for a while.

If it has a label, it may not be worth consideration as a food.

Simple enough

Even simpler, keep the list of ingredients on a label down to a minimum, and if you cannot pronounce it or identify it? Why bother eating it?

enjoy

If you want to get yourself some brush up or exposure to some of the best edged weapons methods available in modern times, show up this weekend (October 25th) at Cornerstone Martial Arts

Sifu Mike O'Melia will be putting on a workshop to prepare for the upcoming Stick and Dagger Seminar with Tuhon Bill McGrath which will be held Nov. 7th and 8th

It has been my great pleasure to have been Sifu O'Melia's student for the last 8 years, (caveat, I am a coach at Cornerstone, though, the business end of my life has kept me out of the gym for too long lately, sorry mates, I will be back to beat you with sticks, and be beaten in turn ;)

I have also had the rare opportunities to have trained under Tuhon McGrath and find him to be both a principled and dedicated instructor, as well as an all around Capital Fellow! (my navigation skills were overlooked)

If you get the chance to stop by and take part, please do not pass up the opportunity, the knowledge will be worth the price of admission, and the company will be top quality.

Selah

I could not say it better, so I will not

2009-10-22T08:16:00.000-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies

Full Body R-Phase Session-Coordinated Speed

10 Minutes of the following cycle with a Med-Heavy Bell

One Hand Swing/Clean and Press/Overhead Squat

Switch Sides after each Cycle

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

A Fellow RKC has recently penned an article touching on what I wrote about yesterday, I encourage you to check out Comrade Ross's article here

She nails it

enjoy the day mates, more comin

Can you sustain the pace?

2009-10-21T08:21:00.000-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up
10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell
10 Minutes of the following cycle
Halo/Slingshot/Tactical Lunges
10 reps per drill
Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present
10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight
Z-Health Cool Down

Can you sustain the pace?

One of my clients asked me recently how I gauged the pace that I worked at, or more to the point, how I knew that I was getting the most effect for the effort.

Easy, I replied, if I think I can sustain the pace that I am working at for 10 minutes of uninterrupted effort, it is a good pace.

There is a pace that you can find, at which you feel like you can work for a reasonable amount of time and still have a solid reserve of energy.

Unless you are a combat athlete, or a tactical athlete (meaning you carry a firearm for a living and deal with threat to life stress, not that you do pull ups without your thumbs for reps), the efficacy of training in a state at which you start a hormonal cascade is questionable at least, not recommended for most and possibly dangerous for the majority of the population.

Sound like heresy?
Maybe,
but maybe making grandma swing a bell for 10 minutes on her first evening is abuse as well

perhaps having someone sacrifice quality of movement to achieve the goal is cheating the client

Find a pace that you can work at, without losing the quality of the movement being performed, your postural alignment, your control of your breath, or the balance of tension and relaxation in the movement, and you will have found the best pace for every day work.

Save the emotional work for days when you are hitting vo2 snatch sessions ala the Viking Warrior Conditioning

You will not be any less manly or Valkyrie like

I would posit, that you will in fact get stronger, faster, and have more cardiovascular endurance, for having worked at an easy pace, allowing your body and systems to adapt to the stress you are imposing on it without detriment to the systems or sacrifice of quality of movement

It has worked for me, and many I know
In fact, most of the folks that I take my cues from, advocate much the same thing

work smart
expend the effort where it will give the most reward

or you can ignore what I say
do preacher curls till your biceps explode and you look like half a cover of Muscle and Fiction

go nuts

see you in 20 years,
we will see who is pushing whom in a chair

getting stronger yet?

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The greasiest ......

2009-10-20T08:15:00.000-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

Take 2 Bells of equal weight

Place bells side by side and perform the following complex:

1 Push up on the bell handles or 1 One Arm Push up per side

1 Renegade Row per Side

Clean both bells to the rack

1 Dbl Front Squat

1 Dbl Press

Continue for 10 minutes

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

Finish with 10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

The Greasiest.......

Today, I will be greasing the deadlift with a 28kg bell

this means that I will be deadlifting the 28kg kettlebell that I keep by my desk 5 times every 15 minutes for the rest of the day

Why you may ask?

In order to be really good at something, you must do it a lot.

A lot a lot, not a little here and there until you are good, but alot, every time you perform the action, what ever it may be, it must also be performed with the best mechanical ability that you can muster.

Perfect posture, perfect breathing, absolute control of every joint involved in the movement.

It is all about flight time, how many times has a pilot gotten into the cockpit before being allowed to solo?

How many hours must you log before you can take a drivers exam?

The base movement patterns must be there, as second nature, before you can begin to call yourself proficient.

And at that point, you must maintain those patterns, as close to perfect every time, or you will lose them.

Use it or lose it

Simple to intellectually understand, however some folks seem to miss it

So, today is deadlift day, with a 28kg bell

butt goes back, knees go back, butt goes back, knees go back, ......ad infinitum

5 every 15 minutes, until my day is done

and my gym boss just sounded, so...butt goes back, knees go back......

how greasy is your groove?

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2009-10-19T07:49:00.001-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up
10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell
3-5 Sets of 3-1 Ladders
Dead Hang Pull Ups and Light Military Press
Alternate between Press and Pull up on an even ratio (ie 1 pull up, 1 press)
10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight
Z-Health Cool Down

Can you dig it?

Can you perform the motion with proper posture and control, without a load?
If not, why are you trying to load it up

a while back, I had a conversation with some of my fellow instructors (some of whom were my seniors) and we were discussing the pistol or one-legged squat.

If you are unable to perform the pistol without a weight in my opinion, you should not be attempting it with a weight, forcing yourself in essence into the movement.

arguments were made that form some, anatomical considerations were necessary, and that they would just not be able to otherwise perform the movement

I still disagree, if you need a weight to force you into the position, something is bad wrong (again, this is my opinion and should not be taken as gospel)

the same however can be said for any movement, if you cannot get your arms to hit rock bottom in the bench press for example (though, why you are bench pressing is beyond me, if you are, stop reading muscle and fiction, get with a real strength instructor, and learn what it means to BE strong, not look strong) then you should likely address that mobility issue before you start loading up the bar

this, frankly, is my argument

establish good control of your breath
then-address the mobility issues and establish good postural control
then, establish proficient control of your body and all joints therein
after this, establish a good base for cardiovascular endurance
and finally, learn how to apply the strength you have to the task you wish to perform, with the most efficient use of force and effort possible

train smart, make work easy

rant over

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Are you doing it in the right place?

2009-10-16T08:21:00.001-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

VO2Max Protocol-Snatch/Swing/High Pull or Viking Push Press

use any of those movements with the appropriate sized bell

15:15 Sec Work:Rest Ratio 6-8

Work for 80 Sets, complete as many as you can with the 4 Elements of Efficiency in mind

Rest position for the -Snatch=Overhead Lock out/Swing=Rack/High Pull=Rack/Viking Push Press=Overhead Lockout

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

Are you doing "It" in the right place

When you are performing your corrective exercises, or mobility drills, are you ever trying to perform the movement in the position that you spend the most time in?

Example, if you sit at a desk as I do for many hours (I have a day job, working data entry for a legal support group, I type, alot, alot alot, like thousands of words a day alot) have you ever tried any of your mobility drills sitting at your desk?

Finger drills, wrist and hand?

Neck and Thoracic Spine mobilizations?

How bout those ankles knees and hips?

Try to perform at least one of the drills I have given you (if you have not gotten a drill from me, contact me, I will perform a movement screen either in person or via video clip, and I will get back to you with some simple mobility drills that are sure fire methods of improving your overall movement quality, reducing pain, and preventing injury) in the position you spend the most amount of time in. Whatever that position may be, seated, standing, lying on your back, upside down with a wrench in your mouth, whatever.

By mobilizing our joints in the positions we spend the most time in, we are following the "SAID" principle. The SAID principle is an an-acronym that stands for "Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand"

In short, we get really good at whatever we do the most

If we are tense all the time and in pain....

If we are happy go lucky and never have a care in the world....

If we constantly sit at a keyboard staring at a computer screen with terrible posture and loads of tension in our neck, shoulders, wrists, forearms etc.......

get the picture

try doing "it" where "it" will do you the most benefit

If you are coming to the Saturday Class, bring a notebook

New Schedule will be out soon for the Richfield Classes, there will be one R-Phase Class per week during the Afternoon, one Kettlebell Class during the afternoon, and one Kettlebell Class during the evening. Times and Dates are being worked out with the city so as soon as I know, you will know.

Remember to Get Strong, and Stay Strong

Back on your heads

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Building a better Booty

2009-10-15T08:30:00.001-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

10 Minutes of the following Complex with a 12-24kg Bell:1 Kettlebell Front Squat (booty builder numero uno!)

1 Swing

1 Clean and Press Per Side

Start over at the Front Squat

Resting when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

Last night, I asked my wife, "honey, is my ass getting big?"

yes, that was the easy answer, I used to have no ass
now it is rather prominent,

but not in the way that most folks rush to a weight loss clinic to get rid of the ass kind of way

no,
now I have a booty in the common parlance

would you like a booty that you can be proud of?

I make this query in all seriousness considering the requests I get on a regular basis

"will kettlebells jack my booty up?"
this was a serious question received at a clinic I was giving in Richfield MN, the woman wanted to know if it would get her butt in the shape she desired, to which I responded
hell yes!
you will have a booty that will make all and sundry wish they had your booty

"will kettlebells give me a nice round booty?"
again, a serious question

and the answer
"damned skippy!"

if a wee little man like myself can build his booty to the point where I have to wear my jeans a size up to accomodate the muscle I have acquired in the nethers, then yes indeed my dear, it will give you a "nice round booty"

enough about the booty

back on your heads

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Got A Rhythm?

2009-10-14T08:17:00.003-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

3-5 Sets of 3-5 Reps:Body Weight "Bone Rhythm" Squats

3-5 Sets of 3-5 Reps"Bone Rhythm" Push Ups(these can be performed on any surface that allows the movement to be crisp, precise, and puts the least amount of stress on the system

Rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

What is Bone Rhythm?

It is exactly what it sounds like. Picture any bone in your body, now think of what each end looks like. Got that image clear in your mind?

Good, now listen up cause here is the bit that makes it clear.

Imagine that both ends of that bone move at the same speed.

Let's examine the squat as an example, and use the femur as the main focus.

As you start to decend into the squat, the bottom end of the femur (where it connects to the knee) should be moving forward, and up, whilst the top of the femur (where it connects to the hip, is this clear in your minds eye?) should be moving down, and back.

If both points travel at the same speed you get very efficient movement, and likely optimal joint alignment to handle very heavy loads, whether the load be applied rapidly or slowly, if the rhythm is there, the loading will be done in a safer manner.

In the Push Up (getting the theme of the post and the WOD?)

The Humerus is the bone we want to focus on. Try to get the bottom (elbow) and top (shoulder) to travel at the same speeds.

Again, efficient movement

Why the focus on efficiency?

Would you rather have a car that can travel 100 miles on 1 teaspoon of gas?

Or a car that can travel 100 miles on 10 gallons of gas?

Right, the more efficient one is the best choice, and as a thinking, reasonable person (I make the observation that if you are searching for tips and help on how to maintain your body and wellness that you are indeed smarter than a bag of hammers and in fact, a reasonable person) you would obviously want to get the most effect for the least effort. At least, I do, I want to get the most out of the short amount of time that I can spend devoted to the maintenance of my physical self. And if perhaps, that can be coupled with a little tune up for my mental self (neurological benefit of exercise) all the better.

Am I reaching you Herbert?

the Herbert reference is from an old Star Trek Ep, Stepping into Eden

check it out on youtube, its great

Get Strong, Stay Strong

Learn to be the best

Today's Google Trends virgin maria auxiliatrix maria shriver jaycee dugard people magazine hedgehog gayla bentley chill soda tour de france bay area earthquake sons of anarchy season 2 episode 6 marge simpson playboy pictures al martino russo baltique scofflaw consulado de colombia en miami night at the roxbury pluto sun myung moon nikon d3s rick rubin sexy vegetables hells kitchen winner halo cloud google building maker john wooden schwarzenegger daughter unification church sternutation nate dogg play free games yulia tymoshenko halo cloud over moscow who won hells kitchen 2009 shibani joshi bridgewater triangle ford recall cruise control maxi sopo davies cigarettes baby animals bob dylan christmas album

How much is too much

2009-10-13T08:21:00.000-05:00

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up
10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell
10 Minutes of the Clean and Jerk Long Cycle

single bell for beginners, double bells for intermediate/advanced Gireviks

Remember to rest when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are not present

Z-Health Cool Down

Now, down to brass tacks

How much is too much?

I personally like the Z-Health 4 Elements of the Efficiency as a guide to how my session is progressing

1.Perfect Reps

every repetition of whatever movement you are practicing should be as close to perfect movement as possible, continuously perform a movement as well as you can, and the movement will be consistently perfect. Do it well, do it all the time

My Sifu says, "bad martial arts done fast is just bad martial arts done really fast"

just because you speed it up or "feel the burn" does not mean it is good for you, in fact, likely it is crap, and you can not hide crap, the smell will show no matter what

2.Dynamic Postural Alignment

Keep your posture, period

if you cannot observe good posture whilst performing a movement, you will likely find yourself injured or at least establish a terrible movement pattern

this has nothing to do with your toes in relation to your knees or anything like that

It means keep your body aligned in a manner that is most advantageous to the movement you are trying to perform

sometimes this means flat back, tall spine, neutral pelvis etc

sometimes this means arches, locked joints and a tight stomach

if you do not know what you should do for what movement, hire me, or someone like me, and we can help you out (I would be happy to help you, or refer you to a qualified and experienced coach in your area)

3.Synchronized Respiration

Breathe dammit!

breathe in, breathe out, lots and lots of breathing

4.Balance of tension and Relaxation

Use as much effort as necessary, but no more, to perform the movement you are trying to perform

do not grunt and grimace your way through a naked get up, nor should you find yourself loose and limp whilst under a 100lb bell

any questions on this can be sent to me and I will attempt to do my best to help you

selah

am I reaching you Herbert?

Heidi, kicking ass on the get up

2009-10-07T10:57:00.002-05:00

Workout of the Day

The Workouts listed here should take no more than 1 Hour to complete

Be Smart, Be Safe, Be Strong

Today's Workout of the Day

FMS Corrective Strategies and or Z-Health Warm Up

10 Minutes of Kalos Sthenos with a light Kettlebell

10 Minutes of Swings 12-24kg Bell:Resting when any of the 4 Elements of Efficiency are no longer present

10 Minutes of Hardstyle Turkish Get Ups with a bell weighing no more than 20% of your bodyweight

Z-Health Cool Down

a little shaky near the end, but this is progress for sure

give Heidi a round of applause

if you know her, you know how far she has come in a short time

some updates and more complaints

2009-09-03T13:14:00.001-05:00

updates

if you have not heard, I am running 1/2 price privates of Z-Health until Oct. 1st to get as much experience as I can before my upcoming exam for the R-Phase

I can work in person or online via webcam (yes, this is actually possible)

the classes in the park are being expanded soon as well

Starting Sept 15 there will be 2 more classes added to the Richfield area

they will be afternoon workouts twice weekly tues and thurs 12:15 -12:45 is the tentative time frame

rates will be 10$ per class

drop ins welcome but space will be limited to 10 per class so pre-registration and pre-payment will save your spot and make sure you get to take advantage of this addition

the eve classes are small but consistently producing gains for those that are making it out on thurs nights

last week Marcus nailed down the get up, from the ground up, with a water bottle on both sides, in one hour

that is no small feat and he should feel pretty good about it, I know I do

we had a new student that seemed to be hip to our jive, actually the father of a fellow RKC (makes me feel pretty proud that we can uphold the standard that way) and I hope to see him again tonight

on the complaints side

one of my private clients complained again to me, the complaint that I hear most often

"my clothes don't fit anymore"

that is the most common complaint, and it always makes me smile

Goodwill will benefit from her losses and she will have a reason to get a new wardrobe for the new body she is sculpting for herself

We are stimulating the economy, and keeping healthcare costs down, with a green workout:)

ha!

selah

--
I am ready for the zombies....no really...

as of late

2009-08-02T18:40:00.002-05:00

it makes me really happy to watch my students these days

pressing, swinging 1/2 their bodyweight, working on pull ups, snatching for 40 sets of mvo2 in the Z-fighter class, dropping 4 dress sizes, getting back the mobility that has been lost from too many hours behind a keyboard

all and sundry have lately been kicking ass and taking names

personally

I have started a new cycle of practice today

working toward the beast challenge, a one arm press, a pistol, and a pull up, with the 106lb/48kg Dragon Door Bell

daily training log will be kept here and at my personal blog www.logosnonsequitor.blogspot.com

if I can make it, I think I may well be the lightest person to ever perform the feats and that would be no small task!
wish me luck mates

Kettlebells in the park is continuing apace, every Thursday from 6:30-8pm
15$ per person, bells provided though you are encouraged to bring your own

see you all tomorrow for Swing Fit
6am Sharp
Bring a towel, a notebook and pen, and be ready to work
You have all earned the work ahead through dedicated practice

the format for tomorrow's class is as follows

5 Min. Crocodile Breathing
Dynamic Joint Mobility Warm up
10 Min Kalos Sthenos
discussion of the exercise routine for the day
Swing, swing, swing....
Dynamic Joint Mobility Cool Down
Q&A

See you there

Get Strong Stay Strong
Remember to breath

Hannah tells the world how she feels about her progress

2009-07-26T21:21:00.002-05:00

Hannah has had about 8 sessions with me here at 5 Rings Fitness

8 sessions into a 90 day program and she has already met most of her stated goals
I will let her speak for herself

Come in and see what 5 Rings Fitness can do to make your life better

Clayton discovers the importance of the grip

2009-07-26T21:16:00.002-05:00

Clayton discovers the importance of the grip in everything we do at 5 Rings
Especially the Hardstyle Get Up

thanks again to Tommy Blom and George Samuelson for the tips.

And thanks to Clayton, for being a consistent and dedicated student who pays attention, and applies what he learns.

Avni gives us a review!

2009-07-26T13:09:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Avni for giving me a review and testimonial, which I am sharing here

Avni has been with us for 8 weeks now attending classes once or twice a week. Watch the clip here to see how she feels about what she has learned and how the little taste she has gotten of the 5 rings Fitness system has given her a whole new set of tools.
I love the smell of success in the morning!

from my mate Clayton

2009-07-25T22:38:00.001-05:00

Clayton is my mate and a student as well
he has been attending my classes now for a while and seems to be enjoying himself ;)

any way

a while ago we were having a conversation regarding fish oil (he is a rep for Nordic Naturals, Wobenzyme, Boiron and a list of other good for you stuff that if you are not taking, you likely should be!) and he sent me this message which I now share with you fine folks

currently I am trying to get him to do some writing on the subject as he is an incredible resource of information and has much more of a knowledge base than I do on these subjects

form Clayton

"Some interesting things to take note of

Dietary fat intakes for pregnant and lactating women

This Word doc. explains why ALA (from food sources such as flax) is not a preferable source of the longest chain Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acid and fish is a preferred source.

once you look at these you can read more at http://www.omega-research.com/, fish oil has about 4000 clinical studies on it, the only thing with more is aspirin."

remember folks, I am not a doctor, nor a nutritionist, and I do not play one on tv or the interwebs,
this information is presented to you for your edification and informative purposes only, decide for yourself whether or not these things are something you should be using, consult a physician with any concerns, be smart, be safe, be kind

Get Strong, Stay Strong
Remember to breathe

Lately...

2009-07-21T07:08:00.000-05:00

So, on a personal note
Lately I have stepped up the work load again
I spent the time from Oct. To June working heavy on the FMS correctives and Z-health R-phase
When Viking Warrior conditioning hit the shelves I began that program, slightly modified, as a way to rebuild and gain new strength.
Yesterday I hit a pr on the dead lift (250 lbs) not a huge lift by any means, still it was a pr. I have been getting great reward from steady diet of Kalos Sthenos, strict pressing, pistols, pull ups, dead lifts, and VWC vo2 sessions, cycling them throughout a week. Now, the addition of more gtg with swings,presses, and pistols alternating with the correctives and Z should net even more gains, faster. The proof will be in the numbers.

See you all tomorrow at Get Up Get Mobile, where I will be introducing a new tweak to the tgu shared with me by Com. George Samuelson from thisfeelsgood.com and apparently stemming from conversations with Com. Tommy Blom thetechnoviking.com

Many thanks to both, that idea is an awesome connection tool for the get up

Laters mates

Get strong
Stay strong
Remember to breathe
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

been some talk in town..

2009-07-19T22:49:00.004-05:00

been a wee bit of discussion amongst the 5RA (if you are a gym member, you are a member of the 5 Rings Army, patches, shirts and hats to come soon) about indian clubs, club bells what have you

well

there you are, a clip of me swinging the club/mace bell that I put together this afternoon for less than 40$ with parts from a local hardware store

pics and description on my facebook page here

see you all in class tomorrow, we may just start swinging these lol

just kidding, the kettlebell will still be the centerpiece of the mon. morning Swing Fit Class, however, the Saturday Classes may well see a little more club action in the future
and
if there is enough interest, a clinic on how to perform some basic maneuvers with the club could well be in the offing soon

tomorrow the grease for the day will be the heels to butt body-weight squat
Join the 5RA using the link in the sidebar to follow me on twitter

laters mates

get strong, stay strong
remember to breathe

btw

2009-07-15T22:05:00.001-05:00

moved 29808 pounds, plus a few more here and there today

get to work you swabbies

--
I am ready for the zombies....no really...

from a client this afternoon

2009-07-15T21:59:00.001-05:00

I love being me, and doing what I do

from a client that I had a session with this afternoon

I just had some pain in my wrist after my first attempts at (fill in correct term here – cleaning?) with a kettle bell. I did the motions you suggested to get relief… within moments of starting, all the tension and pain I'd been feeling were completely gone. So awesome. More people need to know that it's so, so easy.

Personally, I'm not into taking over-the-counter pain relief medication for bodily pains, so these have been fantastic!

pretty cool frankly, not the pain in the wrist obviously, but that without contact, and with very little coaching, the client was able to eliminate their own pain in a few seconds rather than swallow a pill, or have to RICE the issue

not to say that Rest, Ice, Compress and Elevate is not appropriate at times
I'm just saying....

today, whilst the 5 Rings Army (the 5RA) was greasing joint mobility
I was greasing the pistol, or one legged squat
3 per side every 15 minutes 36 times at 138lbs bodywieght totals up to 29,808 pounds moved today
add a couple swings and snatches, a press or two with the 28kg and 16kg and I moved close to 30000 pounds of weight over the course of my day

tomorrow I have to teach in the park, so I will keep it light and work nothing but Z-Health drills all day to stay as sharp as possible and as mobile as I can be

to the class attendees form Get Up Get Mobile this morning
you keep making the progress you are making and you will have to fire me or start coming to the Z-fighter classes
if you do not need me, you do not need me
simple enough

soon you will be ready for the weighted get ups, and that will be some fun all by itself

on the subject of club swinging, indianclubs, dig this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPEe7uTuuho&feature=related

and this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nux8nu2Jaks&feature=PlayList&p=505F31E18F9214F9&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=88

I started out with 2 15oz teeball bats (hot pink)
the last link there is pretty cool as it only cost the guy less than 30$ for adecent looking club

I found some on ebay (antiques) for a good price

dig this guy as well

http://www.oldtimestrongman.com/indianclub_swinging.html

not only is Ed Thomas one of the better resources, but the old time strong man site is packed full of really great stuff

also check out http://www.strongergrip.com/ for some more ideas

Avni, that is mostly for you, but anyone who can benefit should

enjoy

hope to see more faces at the park tomorrow evening for the Get Strong Stay Strong Workout at Veteran's Memorial Park in Richfield

Get Strong
Stay Strong
Remember to breath

--
I am ready for the zombies....no really...

todays work

2009-07-14T22:27:00.001-05:00

today I hit my own grease the groove with 5 16kg strict presses each side every 30 minutes, the 5 Rings Army op order for the day does not exclude myself

total was 16 sets, with 1 set of 5 28kg presses each side to finish
then
to the gym
and some Hubud drilling followed up with an hour of double stick sinawale work with gunting and Illistrisimo style drills
fun!

tomorrow for the Get Up get Mobile Class

look forward to some fun
we will be working on the punch portion, thus, curl ups

bring your water bottles mates!

Get Strong
Stay Strong
Remember to breathe
James

I am ready for the zombies....no really...

Finished

2009-07-13T20:05:00.001-05:00

Finished off the day
16 sets of 28kg swings under the belt, a large greek salad from the mates at Lite Bite (skipped the chicken and dressing for more feta!) And ended strong, almost an hour of single stick sombrada flow drilling with Sifu O'Melia and 5 sets of 3 @ 160lbs of Romanian dead lifts

Off to the homestead now to see my wife, and program a new set of corrective strategies for my mate Clayton (who hit 3's on his shoulders and hips, and was symmetrical all the way across the board!!) His hard work is paying him by giving him more mobility, less fatigue and greater endurance as a mountain bike and road bike racer. Good on ya mate, the email with your new program will soon follow!

Hope to see you all on Wed. For Get Up Get Mobile

Thurs eve class in the park: rates are reduced due to logic and reason!
Now 15 per session, paid before start, FMS and 1 of my group classes per week included. Email me or check www.GetStrongStayStrong.com for further details

Get Strong Stay Strong
Remember to breathe
James
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

So far today

2009-07-13T12:06:00.000-05:00

Been greasing the groove with 10 28kg 2hand swings every 30 minutes
This morning there was weighted pull ups, + halved then quartered 1 stack of 10 cards and 1 stacks of 8 cards on each hand

Just finished 1 10min FBTS of R-phase, 10 minutes of 16kg Kalos Sthenos TGUs with all breakouts, followed up by 10 minutes of full 16kg KS TGUs switching sides after each rep, now another FBTS of R-phase and back to my desk job. Looking forward to the stepping up process of my regimen. Today was pull day, so pull ups this morning, deads later (160# today) 5 sets x 3 reps

I love this engine!!!-Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, from the crazy guy with the raccoon in the lincoln

More later

Get strong Stay Strong
Remember to breathe

James
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

So far today

2009-07-13T08:15:00.000-05:00

Swing fit was a smash success
1 Student went to all symmetrical scores on FMS!!
A testament to the effectiveness of following the progressions and doing the work necessary to effect meaningful change in a deep set motor pattern or muscular instability. Good work mate!! Your next set of correctives should sort out the next most important issue, rotary stability.

Class worked today on the following Swing Skill Practice

10 min of 1:1 work rest ratio

2 12kg-16kg bells
swinging 1st left then right then both

Breathing Ladders with 5 rungs (breath for rep after each set, 1 set is l/r both)

Rest Period is in motion-patterning the Sport Specific Movement that is most beneficial to the individual student.

Enjoy this at home for fun and better connection to your hips, shoulders and legs, lat activation, grip work, hip extension, and flexion, and breath and postural control and stability.

I started my own addition to my daily work with 3 sets of 3 reps of 12kg dead hang pull ups from the rings utilizing the giant caribiner I found at Menards and my d-ring belt from the bungee speed trainer.4 high payoff Z drills in between each set.

More to follow

Get strong, Stay Strong
Remember to breathe

James
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone, powered by CREDO Mobile.

Saturday, its a saturday....

2009-07-12T10:30:00.001-05:00

not a bad jam from the way back,
any way

The Saturday class was a good one, we covered some new stuff for some, and old hat for others

tension and breathing seem to be something that we will have to spend a bit more time on before we move on

the last few weeks have been devoted to the Hard Style, or Kalos Sthenos Turkish Get Up, and all who participated in those sessions appeared to have made incredible progress
In fact the group that spent 1 hour learning the movements, and managed to hit a full KS TGU with a water bottle balanced on their closed fists, on both sides, deeply impressed me
both by their dedicated practice of the technique, and by the effectiveness of the education I have recieved and the efficacy of the movement itself to teach through feedback, a very intricate and difficult manuevere to complete

you may not have mastered the KS TGU, but you all have learned well my young Jedi's
my hat is off to you

For the new faces, who as always are welcome, and for those that have received quality instruction from some folks that are my colleagues, compatriots, dear friends, and over all, I have a fair amount of respect for.
Welcome to the 5 Rings Fitness System of health and physical well-being, may it serve you as well as it has served myself, and my students

For the returning members
Thank you again for trusting me enough to follow my advise and at least consider what I have given you,
also
thank you for testing the veracity of my claims and doing your homework, there is no knowledge that can be gained from listening, you must research and place into perspective all new material, running it through the filter of your own experience and judgement

discrenment is the key to wisdom

knowledge without wisdom is a razor in the hands of a toddler-paraprhased from A. Einstien

For the world

A couple of notes

On the 5 rings of Fitness and why I dedicate so much time to achieving mastery of each one before trying to move to the next step.

Breath, Posture, Strength, Speed, Stamina
these are my "5 Rings"
Mayamoto Musashi had his, these are mine

Breath is beyond important, it is life, if you do not breathe, you will not live,
if you breathe badly, you will live badly
if you breathe well, you will experience life in a fuller, richer way, with less stress, and more joy

Posture, if correct, allows our skeletal system to accept loads that are amazing, perform feats of agility and athleticism that become the stuff of legend, and well, frankly, you feel better

Strength, this is relative to your needs and relative to the application, yet absolutely necesarry for the first two, and all that follow

Speed, Thelonious Monk is one of my favorite Jazz musicians, he new exactly when (timing) and what (position) to do, and at what rate
besides, who cares if you can move 1000 lbs one grain of sand at a time, seeing someone move it fast without injury (breath, strength and posture) is amazing!

Stamina, can you do that again, can you do that again, can you do that again, .......
being able to complete a task is one thing, being able to comfortably complete a task repetitively for an extended duration is a whole other animal
Sprinting 100yds and then collapsing with breaks and tears in the muscles and bones is useless, unless you are being chased by something (see amygdala)

so, lets talk about movement and how it relates to the 5 Rings of Fitness

if you move badly, your performance will always suffer

your body is stupid, it will do whatever you tell it to do

without regard for the aftermath in some cases
(there is still a set of safety mechanisms built into our neurological systems that shut things down for us when the activity becomes dangerous to the structure, this is a survival mechanism though, and kicks in only when things start to get really bad)

However
If you try to lift a car, and ignore the lack of strength you seem to have "all of a sudden"
and you continue to try to lift the car
your body will say, fine! you asked for it, you got it!
your body will try, and it will likely fail, catastrophically in some cases ( herniated discs, strained, torn, pulled muscles etc. )

Let us consider the following though
if you gradually increase the demand on the system, be it cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, skeletal etc.
your body will adapt to the increased demand by increasing its ability to meet the demand

you get stronger, faster, have more endurance etc.

this follows for the neurological system as well
if we overload our CNS (central nervous system) with information, it will shut down
come in to the Martial Arts side of our gym and I will easily demonstrate this with a stick, and you trying to sing the abc's song

if however, we gradually increase the demand on the system over a period of time that allows adaptation to the imposed demand
( SAID principle- Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand )
and we keep the threat level of the stimulus, whatever that stimulus may be,(mobility exercises, muscular control, visual, auditory, kinesthetic input etc.) as low as possible so as not to ever activate the "survival" or "fight or flight" systems in our CNS, the Amygdala

we can then teach the CNS that whatever the demand, it is not a threat, and therefore our CNS will begin the process of adapting to the stressor or stimuli by

adding new neural pathways to accommodate the demand (neuro-plasticity)
begin the process of adding volume to our tissue to accommodate the demand on our muscles and heart (muscular hypertrophy; Ventricular Hypertrophy)
increase the bone density to protect us from impact and increased load on the skeletal system (Wolff's law )
Increase the efficiency of the Respiratory System ( Sr. RKC Kenneth Jay, has imho the simplest method and frankly, the best method, detailed in Viking Warrior Conditioning )
improve the pattern and efficiency of movements to accomodate the demands

the list goes on

If on the other hand, you simply latch onto whatever seems shiny and fun, whatever the models (they are models, whoever they are, they do not likely use the products they are selling to get the bodies they have) on late night infomercials and slick ad campaigns are pimping to everyone with a bit of money burning a whole in their pockets and a desire to get it now, not later, now, without the effort and dedication that is actually required to achieve a goal

your body will adapt to that
whatever that is

so

go get a tens unit and strap yourself in, tell your self that electrocution is a better way to get your "core" in shape
go "confuse" your muscles (show me the Cerebral Cortex located in any muscle and I will give you a dollar!)
go get a coach that yells at you like the guys on tv, the ones that heartbroken mothers bring their fatherless, ne'er do well children to, the ones that are selected to make "the biggest loser" out of a handful of carefully screened participants in a program that was designed to generate advertising revenue and sell products
go join a box gym where you can keep paying your membership fees till the end of time, whether you come or not, they will not care, you can keep pushing your self to "the max" to "feel the burn" while you are stationary in a mobile dynamic world strapped into a machine that restricts your range of motion and provides zero feedback while your "trainer" checks his text messages and mumbles slogans at you
go jump on a bosu or physio ball and wobble around while you try to lift weight that you have a hard time lifting in a stable environment through ranges of motion that would make any elite athlete's joint scream for mercy

knock yourself out

I will still be the guy in a no-where gym, that no one has ever heard of, with a pile of cannonballs with handles and some other seemingly innocuous tools

and myself, and my dedicated students, will be getting stronger, faster, with greater flexiblity and range of motion, with full control of every joint in our bodies and every muscle in at our conscious disposal, and we will be smiling and laughing the whole time

I will not condescend to you or say "I told you so" when you show up on my doorstep, or at the door of someone like me, seeking to fix the damage, and take the road that leads to a successful outcome, rather than the easy path

I will however still charge you for my services

my generosity has its limits

selah

Get Strong, Stay Strong
and remember to Breathe

James

Meals, recipes, and what feeds the machine

2009-07-11T19:24:00.001-05:00

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From H. Valentine, a 90 day program client

2009-07-10T10:01:00.001-05:00

She is working through a 90 day program with me, 2 1 hr sessions a week

"Those quick lil' stretches you recommended that I do @ my desk really make a difference in how I'm feelin' (less sleepy, despite not getting enough zzz's)… Between taking my eyes of the screen for a moment and getting to move around, it's awesome. Thanks!"

come and find out what she is talking about
--
I am ready for the zombies....no really...

Last night, this morning and from now on

2009-07-10T08:30:00.001-05:00

Not a huge turnout at the park last night, but the folks that di come out had some fun and learned a little about how they move, and how to move better.

Thanks to Vicki and Mike for supporting me last night by showing up with the camera and getting some action shots, they will be forthcoming

Tis mornings Z-Fighter Training was a really great session with my newest rising star...Heidi

Heidi is an old friend (first person Muns and I met when we hit Mpls way back in 95) and we lost touch for a while

she had a life, had some kids, had some tough bits, and is now on the road to an incredible recovery. Her story will be coming to the 5ringsfitness.com site soon

so look for updates there

if you have been attending the group classes and are a regular, I will be making a few minor changes that I will discuss with you individually

the general gist is this though,

my generosity has limits, and I think I may have reached them

commitment is necessary for anything to function

that means a commitment of time, and effort

thus

change will come again

I am new to this professional game, and will make no bones about it

see you when I see you

and I hope to see you soon

Get Strong, Stay Strong

James

--
I am ready for the zombies....no really...

Today's meet at Veteran's Memorial Park

2009-07-09T06:41:00.000-05:00

James will be flying solo this evening, Spencer has obligations that must be met. However, the work will not! So, bring a towel, a lot of water, a notebook and pen, and be ready to learn, and get the work done. I promise to keep it fun and simple, yet still efficient and effective. You are encouraged to bring whatever kettlebell you currently use, I will have my FMS screening kit and will screen any that wish to benefit from that service. Tonight will be the first official "class" at this new location and I am looking forward to it being an excellent experience for all who participate. See you there.
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Join my twitter army!! Become a grease monkey....

2009-07-06T05:13:00.002-05:00

what is a grease monkey?

if you join my twitter army ( follow me @5RingsFitness )
you can get in on my daily "grease the groove"
this is the method by which you can become exceptionally skilled at a particular lift, movement pattern, or feat of strength.
For example
if the push up were the gtg (grease the groove) for the day
when the tweet goes out to the twitter army, you do 1-3 push ups
this could happen every 15 min or every hour, depending on the day and the movement/lift/strength feat for the day

proving you have done the assigned task will be easy, you will demonstrate marked improvement in that movement/lift/strength the next time you report for class.

off to 5 Rings Fitness now, to administer the kind of instruction that only I can provide to my students

enjoy the day
enjoy your world
enjoy your life

it could be the best one you have ever had....

now back on your heads

Classes in the park

2009-07-03T07:53:00.001-05:00

Some fun last night at Veteran's Memorial Park in Richfield (I was at 66th and Chicago)

The classes will continue apace out there and hopefully those who showed interest will return, get screened, get mobile, get strong, and stay strong.

Wish folks would pay less attention to the commercial version of health and square away their ability to move themselves through the world in an efficient and pain free manner, it is my mission to cure this viral disease with the tools I have accumulated. The focus on breath, posture, strength, speed, and stamina in that order, is not just a cute ad gimmick. Dedicated practice will lead to a life filled with strength and fun. Why would you not want that?
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Up a size and today's work

2009-07-02T11:28:00.000-05:00

I need to buy a new wedding band, my knuckles are larger, not swollen, the bone density and size has increased...
My hands hurt less, I do more with them, and now I have to get a new band. Thank goodness we opted for titanium eh?

Today so far
Full body z session (5 min)
20 sets of Vo2 max snatches at 6 per set on a 15:15 work rest ratio
Split a deck of cards into 2 stacks of 26, tore them each in half, split the 4 halves into 8 sets of 13 and quartered them.

Later today you can come and hang out with me at Veteran's Memorial Park in Richfield MINUTE where I will be holding the first session of an ongoing 6:30 pm kettlebell class/guided workout. Details at www.getstrongstaystrong.com

Remember to breath
Get strong
Stay strong

Now back on your heads
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Good show mates!

2009-07-01T07:30:00.001-05:00

To all who made this mornings class, I think you all get it now, why the motion is so important, and the weight is not. Excellent performance.
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Today's fun tomorrow's class, and Thursday's

2009-07-01T04:55:00.001-05:00

Dig

My personal work lately has leaned toward the "simple and sinister"

Deadlift and pullup
Press and Pistol
Pushup and Overhead Squats
Swings, Kalos Sthenos or Hardstyle Get ups,and of course snatching on the Viking Warrior Conditioning protocol

Today was a low volume day,

Neural Warm Up lvl 1
10 minutes HS TGU swithing sides after each rep
Then
On a 1:1 work ratio 10 minutes
1 minute of 1 clean and press 16kg then 1 pistol left and right
1 minute of S-phase sprint patterning
Repeated for 10 minutes

Some double stick, and double dagger work, and some jkd kick boxing entries from the lead hand response with pak sao bridging and sum choi

Tomorrow in the am class we will go over last weeks work with the TGU and cement the amazing gains you all made last wed.

Announcement-
Starting 7/2/09
That's this thur.
RKC II Spencer Bradford and I in our collaboration as "Get Strong Stay Strong" will be presenting a new class 6:30pm every thur. Till we can not be outside anymore.
The classes will take place at Veteran's Memorial Park in Richfield.
The cost will be 150$ for a 4 week session. Call or email for details. As soon as all the spots are taken registration will begin for the August cycle. Join us and enjoy a fantastic workout, a lot of learning about kettlebells, strength, and yourselves.

Now

Back on your heads
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Zombie fighters are go

2009-06-26T08:08:00.002-05:00

Dave is now Super Dave in my mind

excellent show this morning mate, hitting the numbers you hit (if you think on them you will get a high count) was a new pr for you, and beautiful progression on the new material, learning to go hollow and pack the shoulders tight will be the first step on a road to the perfect pull up.

On a personal note

new classes coming soon

Veteran's Park in Richfield will soon be the newest location to enjoy the teaching of yours truly and a special guest instructor (an old and dear friend, and the man who brought me to the kettlebell, my Sr. and mentor for the iron ball of fun) you will meet him soon enough if you come down on Thursdays at 18:30 hrs (thats 6:30 in the post meridian for you land lubbers)
Look for the 5 Rings sandwich board and a pile of iron surrounded by folks working as hard as they can to have a great time learning how to get strong, and stay strong.

The cost will be 150$ for 4 classes, paid up front, no cancellations or rescheduling. (barring catastrophic emergency)

I am also scouting a location in NE Minneapolis for a second evening class to be held at the same time (18:30hrs) and will post that location as soon as it is secured.

I just finished my own Z-Fighter conditioning for the day

20 sets of VWC with a 16kg 6 reps @ 15:15
a little warm up before I head in to work for the clamp down.

New referral policy will be up on the site soon, but I will cut you in now.

For every 100 dollars a referred client spends with me, there will be a 20$ credit toward your own education with 5 Rings Fitness.

The old program will no longer be in effect.

On a completely unrelated subject, if you would, take the time to congratulate Mrs. Neidlinger on her recent success as the featured seller on Etsy.com
she has worked very very hard over the past few years to become the accomplished artist that she is today and would appreciate your kind words. Check out her shop here.

selah

2009-06-17T23:03:00.001-05:00

Did a clinic with Erik Paulson this evening at MKG Minneapolis, amazing that I could get that level of instruction for the cost. As always it was a great time, Mr Paulson is generous, good humored and well versed in all aspects of that realm ( ring sport contact grappling, or ground and pound to submission through a grappling lens )
Gotta love it, just wish I could have made it to Duluth (MKG Duluth) and or the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy to catch his (Mr Paulson) clinics over the last week. See you all in one class or another

Back on your heads
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So far

2009-06-17T12:23:00.001-05:00

Today has been fun so far
I figured out how to update from my phone, had wonderful students this morning
And for my personal work
5 sets of 3 reps
16kg press
18lb pistols
10 minutes kalos sthenos
5 16kg windmills

Now to work
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So far

2009-06-17T12:20:00.001-05:00

nw rates and hours

2009-06-02T12:09:00.001-05:00

new rates and hours are up, and afew changes have been made to the structure of my billing and the layout of the site

new site coming soon

many new things on Ix

today and the rest

2009-03-24T08:18:00.002-05:00

dig
recent prs
32kg press left and right
36kg tgu left and right
aslr is a 3

today's efforts thus far

Z R Fbts
5 minutes of crocodile breathing
Aslr Hip Bridge with leg raise 1/1 2/2 3/3
Sidelying rotation with shoulder 1/1 2/2 3/3
Hip Bridge Leg Raise 1/1 2/2 3/3
Wall sit 9 minutes, knees flat and heels tucked all the way in

today's grease

Z R wrist hand fingers, ankle foot toes, hip bridge with leg raise

I've got to admit it's getting better, so much better all the time....

back at it mates

on a side note

the recent clinic with Mike T Nelson, Master Z Trainer and RKC was a huge hit
he met the challenge remarkably well, covering a broad range of subject matter seamlessly and fielding everyones questions with concise and germane answers
He held the attention of the group with good natured humor and proved himself to be an able instructor. We at 5 Rings Fitness are very greatful for his time, thanks Mike, hope we can do that again in the future.

recent prs

2009-02-27T05:13:00.003-06:00

recently tagged the 32kg tgu and made my RKC 2.0 snatch test numbers (7/7 at the top of the minute for 5 minutes)with room and gas to spare (will try for 8/8 next time)
still working on the bulldog press though
never satisfied
never finished
never enough

Guru Inosanto was here again, amazing as always to see that man move and teach
good stuff all around

March Comes quickly
still waiting to hear from the 5 Rings heads out there to fill the slots for a Z seminar
contact me quick or it may be just a few of us rather than 5
and that will mean more for us, less for you
and would that not be a shame?

On a side note, if you are preparing yourself for the RKC, come on in and get some
over the month of March the weekends will be devoted to the RKC and the fun that it covers in the 3 days that it runs
so
the 6 basics
the new snatch test
the finer points of the tgu
and how to save your hands from certain peril

If you can pass your snatch test, I will give you a month of Saturdays Free

see you at the gym

put your clothes back on, and grab a bell, there is work to be done

2009-02-02T04:52:00.002-06:00

to all my students
over the next week will be revisiting the basic lifts that we use at 5 Rings
or more to the point
the 6 basic lifts as taught by the RKC (Hardstyle mates, hu'ah)

so be prepared to swing, and swing, and swing....
the swing is the center
and all things are in a geosynchronous orbit around the swing

so

swings this week, and a good week it will be
personally I am chomping at the bit
have not touched a bell since Dec. unless it was to demonstrate something

also

all students are due to get screened again
so, new or not, you should see James to set up a FMS session and check your state of affairs as far as the scores go

this is also an ope call to any FMS/CK-FMS in the area (you know who you are)
come on in or I can visit, and we can swap tests

In March I am looking to have a Master Trainer from Z come in and do a session with us at 5 Rings, this would be an opportunity to see Z demonstrated and ask questions of an individual that is far better versed than I (thus, Master Trainer)

see James for details or if you are interested in attending
my understanding is, that there will be 5 spots available, I will be in one, and then there were 4..

come on down mates
life is not going to wait for you
it will indeed boogie with, or without you

come down
get strong
stay strong

remember
James will be on Vacation from 6 Feb to 22 Feb, the saturday class for the 21st is tentative (depending on interest and how James feels when he gets back from a couple weeks at sea, and a few days in the desert getting the lay of his land)

Naked is almost over

2009-01-30T05:23:00.002-06:00

almost done with the Naked Warrior Month here at 5 Rings

Personally it has been enlightening
my students seem to have appreciated the attention to tension

Feb is vacation month

from the 6th to the 22nd, I will be on a boat somewhere in the Pacific
you can still contact me by email or phone (though I am not sure what kind of reception a cruise ship gets)

Can not wait to do my thing on a cruise ship

If I can get away with it, the 16kg is coming with me, if not, it will be more Naked Warrior, just on the High Seas

on a side note

any supplement that causes an anabolic response, I think, should also cause the body to react to that supplement with inflammation

and that, is in short, bad mmmkay....

dig

feed your machine the best fuel you can get
and it will run better
period

incidentally

the Warrior Diet is working out quite nicely for me
I do not mean that any one else should try it, only that it is working well for me

as always

any queries are welcome
and look to new classes when I get back

selah

ps

check out the book "mind hacks"
good stuff there

Naked and sore

2009-01-14T05:02:00.002-06:00

had someone mention that the routine I had outlined for them was deceptive

3 Body Weight Squats
3 Push ups
3 Pull ups
30 seconds of res between each set of 3
repeat 3 times a day

that makes 9 reps a day....

all should be performed with full use of the principals of breath and tension (some of my students had a refresher of abdominal tension the other night in grappling class with the "breathing on the ball", or hockey helmet as the case may be, that is another matter though)

after doing the routine for a day, they complained they were sore
3 days later after the second attempt at the routine, they had discovered that they had fewer leaks of strength and that the routine was easier

after 2 weeks of the routine, they had higher numbers on their strict clean and press (from the 16kg to the 22kg), added about 20 pounds to their front squat, 15 to their dead lift, and 10 minutes of continuous h2h swings with the 12kg was no longer something that frightened and nauseated them....

all with body weight exercises that reinforce the principals taught by 5 Rings Fitness every day, with every class, and with every client.

Personally,
still naked for the month of January, and getting good results myself
I have sorted out a few leaks of my own, and discovered some bad motor engrams that need to be removed and replaced
however
still getting stronger
still getting faster
.....
smarter is for another arena.

Back on your heads.

Naked for the month of January

2009-01-06T22:01:00.002-06:00

Dig
all of my group class students are on notice
You are all to be naked for the month of January

That means (I changed my mind from this morning is what it means besides, you can never get enough of the basic skills) squats, push-ups, pull-ups, dips, Strength Stretching, Pistols, one armed push-ups, handstand push-ups, walkouts, wall walks (forward and backward).....
you get the picture

keep it simple and you will have no worries

Push-ups
Squats or Pistols
Pull-ups if you have access to something to do them

carry on with your swings and get ups on intermediate days (fast tens for swings, one per minute for 5 minutes with get ups)

Heavy day (every 4th) should be HEAVY, not silly though, no Monty Python weight or routines, try Breathing Ladders for your heavy day, with an accelerated two hand swing, push up, or pull up

To really nail the mechanics for the squat, ask James to show you the stick squat, a favorite means of patterning the mechanical groove for the squat, dead, and swing all in one go

see you tomorrow at 6
do not be late
do not be afraid
do be ready to get charged up for the day with

5 min. Crocodile Breathing
15 min JM (joint mobility)
Push/Pull/Squat-ladders (best rep sets)
15 min JM
5 min Wall sit
Q&A till end of class

back on your heads

new years and new revelations

2009-01-05T21:20:00.003-06:00

seems my dead is killing my grip and snatch

after the deads this morning, the tension that has been absent in my hands and arms has returned, seems to be connected with the hang of the arms in the dead

so
rather than return to what was going to be a new years power to the people routine with the dead as a base
I am going Naked Warrior for 30 days, then a retest of the snatch, in between, I will be hitting the 5 minute snatch test with varying weights from 12 to 20 kg, all less than the bell that I will have to use to complete the RKC Snatch Test Requirements. The new testing requirements are an equal reps per kilo of body weight. I am currently riding at about 147 pounds, thus 67 kilos. My goal therefore has been 70 with the 24kg, that would be 7 snatches per arm on the minute for 5 minutes, or 15 hip extensions per minute. There are people smaller than I am that are hitting much higher numbers. Any way, that is the goal, 70 reps in 5 minutes (actually the goal is 100 in 5 minutes, but that is for another post).

So, push ups, one armed push ups, body-weight squats and pistols, and the snatch test every 4th day (that is 96 hours of rest between each snatch day)

As for Class

Swings, Get ups, push ups, front squats and more of the same
ad infinitum
till I see the things I need to see in my students
then....
oh man...
then

the fun

If I can look out and know, not think or hope, but know, that the cats in front of me have it on the ball ( or bell as it were )
The fun we can have

the H2toe cycle
rope
sticks and stones (bells and clubs)
wheeeeee.....

swings
get ups
push ups
squats

get there

get here

get strong
stay strong

selah

first of the first of the first

2009-01-03T07:14:00.003-06:00

today's class will be some fun with the Turkish Get up

the layout

Crocodile Breathing
Joint Mobility Warm up
Railroad Press
Turkish Get Up
Joint Mobility Cool Down
be ready for the 9:30 am grappling class at Cornerstone mates

The Turkish Get up is possibly the best, bar none, best, exercise that participants in ring sport, combat sports, and anyone who wants a well defined midsection that will make granite feel soft and pudgy.

Full body tension, stabilization of a weight overhead, at arms length, from lying on your back to standing tall.

To see James' personal training regimen for the day go to his personal blog

logosnonsequitor

see you all at the gym
remember to bring a towel
remember to breath

ano nuevo, fur stempt

2009-01-01T22:44:00.002-06:00

Indeed
'Tis a new year.
And new things shall come.
There may be nothing new under the sun,
we however,
will likely think ourselves quite spectacular nevertheless.
And our "new" will be just that to us.

At any rate...
I promise that this year will be more of the same ....

stronger
faster
more capable
more precise
smarter

Perhaps not in any discernible order,
however the forward progression will continue.

I promise to keep giving my clients the best technology that I can find, and the most thorough and practical education in the use of that technology that I can present. I promise to take the safety and well being of my clients as a primary motivation, their progression toward their goals and aspirations as way points, and their continued forward progression and improved abilities as verification of properly applied principals, and that I am still doing my part, as long as they do theirs.I promise to never let my clients fail, never let them quit, and never give up on them, even when they are not as dedicated to their own success.
I promise to give every one of my clients the utmost with every moment that I spend with them.I promise to do this every day, with every client, every time.
Welcome to a new year with 5 Rings Fitness, and welcome to a life of strength, confidence, and freedom.

Today James practiced the R-Phase 8 wk program day 4 of wk 1
tomorrow the doors open and the new year starts to the sound of the gym boss

The morning workout at 5 Rings will be as follows

Crocodile Breathing
Joint Mobility
10 Snatches at the top of each minute with the 12kg Kettlebell x 5 minutes
Turkish Get ups
Joint Mobility
Crocodile Breathing

James' personal GTG will be:Z-Health -Wk 1 day 5 of the R-Phase 8 wk program
the ASLR Leg Lower 1 (I am not a 3, I am still only a 2 on the rotary stability and the ASLR) and a bottoms up press with the 18lb kettlebell left and right every 15 minutes from 8am to 5pm

The Day's Ten Minutes

2008-12-29T09:42:00.004-06:00

5 minutes of z health
then 5 minutes of 10 12kg snatches on each arm on the minute for a total of 100 snatches

enjoy

remember we are now switching to a dot com

5 Rings Fitness

The daily ten, today it is real short

2008-12-24T08:44:00.006-06:00

The daily ten minute workout for the distance learners, or for those who could not remember their homework. A small taste of what we do on a regular basis at 5 Rings, building strength both practical, and tactical.
I am relocating much of this to my new dot.com site 5RingsFitness.com

This blog will become a place to see the daily work, our notes, and personal stuff from the coaches
Enjoy

Class Schedule

Remember to ask about the referral program.

If life were a battle
and strength is a skill
be prepared to win......

see you all there

the daily ten minutes, now split into two 5 minutes sessions

2008-12-22T09:51:00.010-06:00

The daily ten minute workout for the distance learners, or for those who could not remember their homework. A small taste of what we do on a regular basis at 5 Rings, building strength both practical, and tactical.
I am relocating much of this to my new dot.com site 5RingsFitness.com

This blog will become a place to see the daily work, our notes, and personal stuff from the coach

Enjoy

some snatches with the 12kg

tearing 35 cards

Remember to ask about the referral program.
and remember to bring a towel
see you all there

Class schedule and rates

2008-07-24T20:26:00.037-05:00

The Class Schedule and Rates can be found at www.5ringsfitness.com

Register now for a spot in the 5 Rings Team Classes

2008-07-10T22:09:00.009-05:00

Based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Minnesota, 5 Rings is dedicated to bringing our students a college course in strength. Giving them the tools they need to live up to the highest level of personal physical development that they are willing to achieve. Here, our only goal is to make every student stronger, healthier, more able to deal with the exigencies of life, and the stresses imposed by the modern world.

Here at 5 Rings Fitness we use an eclectic blend of systems combining body weight and odd objects. Specializing in kettle bells, and incorporating rope, free weights and Indian clubs/Club-bells, to give the student the principles and skills that will help them lose weight, gain muscle and endurance, and hone the skills that will make them better at whatever sport they participate in from the field to the front room.

James is available by appointment at your location, or you can join us at our facilities 5 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, with all of the necessary tools to teach you the essentials that will enable you to continue on your own individual path to a stronger, more confident and powerful life.

As a certified kettle bell instructor and physical culture proponent, James is constantly seeking further education and inspiration. The goal is always function, with the the physical appearance as a side effect. Body composition and muscular development are no real way to measure health, ability and function are more important. Join us and we will assist you in releasing the natural athlete that is waiting within every one of us.

Regardless of your profession, age, or position in life, we are willing to help you realize the goals that will enhance your life, be it weight loss, strength training, aerobic and anaerobic endurance, flexibility, or general fitness.

There are no slogans at 5 rings, no shortcuts, no magic pills or 3 minute fixes, only the tools that will let you get the work done, as efficiently and effectively as possible.
There are no mirrors, your ability will reflect your efforts, your goals are the images that move you forward.

I offer classes Monday through Friday starting at 6am and ending at 7:15 and an evening class from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm, Saturdays class starts at 8am and ends at 9:15 at our facilities shared with Cornerstone Martial Arts on the second floor of 2303 NE Kennedy Street in NE Minneapolis.
The classes are now open to 10 individuals per class. You must register at least 8 hours prior to the start of class to secure a spot. Each class will take you through a range of material, covering breathing, posture, strength, speed and stamina. These are the base components of the 5 Rings fitness system.
Remember, since classes are by reservation only, it is important to reserve your spot as soon as possible.

Private training is available for reasonable rates. Discounts are available for packages, groups, Corporate wellness Programs, Boot Camps, and seminars.
Discounts are given for military, law enforcement, fire, and emergency services, and "service" personnel.

strength is a skill

life is a battle

the only thing you have to lose is unnecessary body mass