Lone Star Kettlebell

Praise For One of My Clients...and Friends!

2010-09-25T11:14:00.005-05:00

Back in January, I met a young man, Richard Jones, that just finished up his college football career at Texas Tech University. He was #99 and played Defensive Tackle. He wanted me to help him get ready for the NFL Pro Day coming up in a few months.

We worked lots of things, namely his lower body mobility. We saw a ton of improvement over the course of the months, but Rich was being hampered by a recurring hamstring injury. Long story short, he killed it on Pro Day except for the 40 when he had to pull up because of another hammy-pull.

The NFL draft came and went and he had to start from scratch trying to find a new team to call home. He received a break during another tryout where a CFL team really liked what they saw.

Within a couple weeks, Rich was off to Vancouver, BC to play with the BC Lions. Well, that's the good part of the story, because the hamstring was still questionable. His hammy didn't hold up during training camp and was put on the practice squad due to the injury.

He's been waiting all season for his chance, rehabbing and training to get better at his craft. Well, the time is now! Richard will be playing tonight against the Calgary Stampede as the starting Defensive Tackle! Here's a link to his interview with the team media.

Richard's a very special guy with a lot of talent, not just in football. He's gonna make waves in whatever he does and whoever he comes into contact with.

I feel blessed to have been able to get to know him and if anything, help him a little on his journey.

Props to you Big Rich! Kick some butt tonight!

New Post and Some Updates

2010-09-19T21:38:00.004-05:00

Wow! Didn’t realize it’s been so long since I’ve posted. Got several things to update:

1^st – My little baby girl! My wife and I adopted Britten Karson Marshall who was born July 7. She is such a huge blessing and I don’t know what my life would be like without her! She just turned 2 months old is growing like a weed and changing everyday! It’s amazing to watch!

2^nd – I’m starting a new personal blog that will have posts like

the above. Personal insights on the life experience that is me. I don’t really think they’re relative to the trai

ning platform, so I’ll reserve that stuff for my personal blog. Here’s the new blog address: http://jason-marshall.blogspot.com

3^rd – I’m shutting down my Facebook page. I might write about that on my personal page, so jump on over there and see if I’ve written about it. ;-)

4^th – This blog will be a training and business promotion blog. I really want to separate those two things in my life, so I’ll write about my thoughts on training, my experiences and put anything I’m doing with my training business on here.

That’s about it! I’m almost completely done with construction on my building here at the house and I’m chomping at the bit to get back to training. Four months is too long of a break! I think I have more aches and pains when I'm not in a training routine than when I’m in one full force. Pics of the building will soon follow when we’re done!

That’s about it! Hope all you readers (if there really are any) are doing well in all your parts of the world!

~ Jason

Biggest Loser Perspective

2010-06-24T17:11:00.003-05:00

Here's an interesting take on the popular TV show, Biggest Loser.

While I appreciate the motivation the show provides its audience, that's about the only positive thing I can say about it.

As a trainer that wants to do things the right (healthy) way, the perception this show gives to the viewers about results and and what it takes to achieve them is beyond unrealistic. But that's just show-biz, I guess.

Enjoy!

KETTLEBELLS!!!

2010-06-07T08:05:00.002-05:00

Authentic Russian Kettlebells are now available in Lubbock, TX for local purchase!!!

Check out the site for prices and purchasing info.

What's the benefit of buying locally?

YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY CRAZY SHIPPING COSTS! (close to 30% of the cost)

More info will follow if you want to learn how to use them! (Hopefully you won't refer to youtube or men's health)

Crazy Things

2010-05-09T13:11:00.002-05:00

Crazy things are happening and cooking!

Next week ground will be broken in my backyard. The structure that will built on that little piece of land will be a place for a multitude of things. The main purpose is to train my clients. However, additional doors of opportunity and visions are being put on this space. I'm just excited to see what God has in store for it!

Within a few weeks, the building should be built, but I have no idea how functional it will be by that time. It all depends on my sub-contractors and how quickly I can organize the efforts.

I leave for St Paul in 10 days for my second trip to CK-FMS which I'm really stoked about! I'm sure the course has changed quite a bit since its inception. The RKC camaraderie is worth the trip alone, but I'm really pumped to learn all the new tricks up Gray Cook's and Brett Jones' sleeves. Can't wait!

Hopefully after that trip, a routine of regular training will follow (and a steady flow of clients! Fingers crossed!!!).

There's other neat stuff cooking in the pot, but it's a little premature to take it out yet and share. Just some really good opportunities and possibilities.

Good stuff! Sorry for the lack of posts. So for those who do visit, I apologize! Thanks for stopping by!

RKC Team Leader!

2010-03-10T22:50:00.002-06:00

Well, the official word is out. The Chief Instructor, Pavel,

announced promotions within the RKC ranks and I was

promoted to RKC Team Leader!

So what does this mean?

Well, here’s the description of an RKC Team Leader off

the Dragon Door site:

“The position of RKC Team Leader is by invitation only.

The RKC Team Leader has displayed consistently strong

teaching skills over a number of years and demonstrates a

very high level of physical skill in their kettlebell practice. RKC

Team Leaders teach on a limited basis at the RKC instructor

certifications.

To make rapid gains in strength, power, flexibility and athletic

performance seek out an RKC Team Leader in your area today!”

So, I’m now part of a small group within the group that will act

as instructors for future instructors. On top of that, I will be able to

continue to expand my knowledge of strength, mobility, conditioning

and understanding of the human body.

This is such a great honor and very humbling for me. You may not

grasp the magnitude of it, but it’s like picking out the top 50 coaches

in Division 1 College Football and having them teach all the current

up-and-coming coaches to get better in their practice of coaching.

So the group I’m included with is more or less STACKED!

So there’s the big announcement. I will do my best to uphold the

standards that have been set before me. And I hope to see and

work with you in the future!

Raw Unity Meet Recap

2010-02-04T15:29:00.002-06:00

Again, it’s been awhile. Not on purpose, I guess I just don’t feel like my life or training has been that exciting.

But, recently I have been blessed with a little excitement. Monday, I returned from Tampa, FL from the Raw Unity Meet. This was the 3^rd annual meeting of the event and was my first time to compete or attend.

I had been invited to be a part of the Power To The People deadlift team sometime last year by The Chief himself. I proudly accepted and looked forward to the date of the meet. I had over 6 months to prepare and had just finished a meet in which I set an American Record Deadlift in my weight class and age group (551 @ 179 bodyweight).

I had heard of the Raw Unity Meet previously because of the names that lifted there. So I was really excited to get to go…not only to just be there, but to compete as well.

Here’s the recap:

I spent around 12 weeks prepping for this meet. I knew I was only doing the deadlift, so I didn’t have to get fancy with my training.

I wanted to do the full powerlifting portion, but I bombed out of Unequipped Nationals in October and didn’t have a high enough total to qualify my entry. So I was just happy to go and pull a big deadlift.

I came into the meet much lighter than normal for the 181 lb class that I’ve been competing in. I usually weigh in the mid-190’s in training and cut down 2-3 days before weigh-in. Due to a horrible case of food poisoning on New Year’s Eve, I lost around 15 pounds and never really put the weight back on. The downside is I could’ve lost strength, the upside is I didn’t have to worry about cutting to make weight.

I ate supper the night before weigh ins around 6pm and began to fast and dehydrate at 185. By 10am the next morning I was 177. Then I began to replenish fluids and food and got back up to 185 the next morning before I lifted.

I woke up early to get some breakfast as I was scheduled to lift at 9am. The first shuttle to the meet venue left at 8am which gave me around 30-40 minutes to warm up.

Warm ups went really well and I was pleased at how I timed it up to my first attempt.

First attempt was 534. I don’t know if was nerves or what, but the weight moved slow for me. I was nervous to pick my next weight which I knew needed to be a big jump if I was going to go for 600 on my 3^rd. I chose 260kg or 573 which was an all-time PR attempt for me and the biggest weight lifted per body weight I’ve ever tried. 3.24x

Second attempt at 573 flew up and nailed the lockout no problem. I got red lighted by the head judge for an unknown reason, but I didn’t care. 2/3 Good lift.

So I go to the scorers table knowing I have 10-15 more pounds in me, but not sure if I could squeeze out a full 27 lb jump to 600. I figured I’m here now, so lets do it and put down 272.5kg or 600 lbs.

I’m not sure if my mental prep was dialed in or what, but in retrospect I feel like I approached the lift completely different than what I’m used to. I even approached the bar differently. Probably nothing anyone would’ve noticed, but if you’ve ever deadlifted heavy, you know it’s very methodical and repetitious. Every attempt needs to be the same, from the prep, to the approach to the lift.

Anyway, I guess they turned the magnets on, because the bar felt like it was glued to the floor. No lift.

After my flight was over, I was pretty sure I didn’t get last place, but wasn’t sure where I stood either. I was just flying high from the PR and trying to figure out what went wrong with the 600 attempt.

I watched Flight B which was the Heavy Weights (198 and above) and saw some amazing pulls. 728 @ 213 comes to mind.

Then the medal ceremony began and they asked all of the Light Weights to come up to the podium. The scoring was done by Wilkes Formula which is a calculation that normalizes or equalizes a lifting competition across multiple weight classes.

They announced the 3^rd place winner which is fellow RKC Ellen Stein of New York…the only female in the Deadlift Only Competition. Then they announced the weight lifted for the 2^nd place winner and it was 260kg. Wait a minute! That’s what I lifted? Then my name was called! I was shocked!

So at the end of the day, I pulled an all-time PR, a best pound-for-pound all-time deadlift for myself…AND was awarded 2^nd place for the effort!

The meet was very well run and had a crazy-strong list of competitors. A real Who’s Who of the powerlifting world. Not to mention that I got to meet Tony Conyers and Matt “Kroc” Kroczaleski.

What an awesome trip! It definitely made up for the meet I bombed out in October and kept my powerlifting fire alive!

I’m looking to take a break from the heavy stuff for a little while. I’m attending the Level II RKC cert in San Jose at the end of February as an assistant instructor. I need to get all my RKC skills dialed in and I might try my hand at The Beast Tamer Challenge if my training goes well this month.

So that’s my Raw Unity Meet recap. All in all it was a great trip, great meet and I’m looking forward to figuring how I can pick up 600 pounds off the ground.

HKC Reminder!

2010-01-14T22:03:00.003-06:00

First, I'd like to get the business out of the way.

The first Texas HKC with Jeff O'Connor, Senior RKC is closing in. There's not much time left to register, so head on over to the link if you're going to be in or near Lubbock, Texas on the 23rd of January. Here's a link to the flyer for you to download.

Now the fun stuff.

I have been training for the upcoming Raw Unity Meet in Tampa Bay, Florida on January 30. I'm entered in the Deadlift Only portion of the meet and proudly representing the RKC community on the Power To The People Deadlift Team.

Since my last meet, I've modified a few things in my training that I feel were left out in my last training cycles and I think it's been working.

This week is 3 weeks away from the meet so I'm trying to figure the best way to peak my deadlift for the meet. Monday I pulled 3 sets of 3 at 95% of my 1RM (535 lbs). I pulled off of plates so my feet were elevated...without a belt. The reps felt easy, which means something is working.

After my session today, I also tried out my double overhand grip for my pulls since I was pulling a little lighter at 80%. I usually pull with this grip until I can't hold on any more, but I've progressively been able to increase the weight before I switch to my stronger alternating grip.

Here's a video of a PR pull (470 lbs) with a double overhand grip (not to be confused with a hook grip).

Not too long ago, I struggled with 315 lbs in this grip.

I also hit a big PR with the Double Bottoms Up Press and knocked down Double 32kgs! This has been a long-time coming, but I believe this exercise and the deadlift are distant cousins and have complimented each other very well during the last 10 weeks. The BUP with a 40kg is consistent on my right and I haven't hit it with my left yet. I need a 44kg because I'm not even close on The Beast.

All in all, a great session and training is going great! I was really worried after I got food poisoning on New Year's, but I guess my body welcomed the break. Plus, I don't have to cut hardly any weight now. ;-) I'm sitting at a healthy and strong 184. I'll lift in the 181 class in Tampa.

More to come on this training cycle. I've had quite a few A-Ha moments worth mentioning, but I want to wait til after the meet to elaborate.

What I Learned At The Alamo Bowl

2010-01-03T20:12:00.004-06:00

So this year my beloved Red Raiders were invited to play in the Valero Alamo Bowl to play the Big 10 representative, Michigan State. At first glance, Texas Tech had this thing in the bag, but as we got closer to the game, other factors started to play havoc on the potential outcome.

With Michigan State's own player losses, Tech lost its 10-year veteran head coach, Mike Leach. This was a huge blow to the fan-base, coming from first-hand experience. I learned of the firing about 2 hours into my drive down to San Antonio. We plugged on anyway to root on the players, because that's what this whole thing's about anyway.

This first thing I learned, after several days of controversy, hearsay, rumors, affidavits, one-sided reporting, heated debate, and wishy-washy fans, it has finally become apparent to me that nothing is really as it seams. There's so much more to this story, but what I do know is that the general public (i.e. me), will be in the dark for about 90% of it.

The next thing I learned is not to order the Mahi-Mahi at Tony Roma's in the River Center Mall on the River Walk ever again. I'm not knocking Tony Roma's. In fact, the other 4 patrons joining me enjoyed their meals free from any harm. I, however, ended up a couple hours later, holed up in my hotel room, puking and spewing the most foulness I've ever experienced until my poor wife (along with the hotel manager) made an executive decision to send me to the emergency room via ambulance. It was New Year's Eve night of course and we were staying downtown...bonus! So getting around was nearly impossible.

So as I'm being wheeled down to the ground level, I realize what I look like: a guy who must've nearly drank himself to death. How embarrassing! I didn't even have drop, but I couldn't tell that to the mass of gawking onlookers.

Long-story short, after some blood work, a CT scan and 2 liters of fluid, I was released around 5:30am with an acute case of gastroenteritis (food poisoning). I literally spent all of New Year's Day asleep and didn't really wake up until around 2pm Saturday. I had recovered just enough to eat some soup and crackers and make it to the game to see Tech take down the Spartans!

So, if any of you players are reading this, just know that you weren't the only ones that faced adversity leading up to the game! I went through a lot to make it to the Alamo Dome on Saturday and still don't feel 100%. (I'm seriously just kidding!) I'm really very happy for the players and the coaching staff that were thrown in this situation. I hope the best possible scenario comes out of it and the verbally-committed recruits see how Red Raider Nation battles through some tough stuff, but earns its victories like champions!

Now, it's back to reality...work, training and life. Oh well, I welcome the routine!

I hope everyone has a great 2010!

Guest Post - Doctor Mark Cheng

2009-12-04T10:41:00.002-06:00

This is an extremely informative post and gives insight into why we do the things we do (good or bad). Check it out and let me know what you think.

The original post can be found here as well as the Facebook Fan Page of Doc.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

What's a Pattern?

Functional movement patterning is something I'm fascinated immensely by. And that fascination boils down to a two part question:
1. Etiology: How does dysfunction develop?
2. Treatment: How do we take dysfunctional patterns and re-educate them for optimal function again?

With screening & assessment tools such as the Functional Movement Screen & the Selective Functional Movement Assessment, we are able to identify dysfunctional movement that lies at the root of problematic movement or pain. With any variety of corrections that are available - ranging from manipulation/mobilization, to corrective exercise, to Z-Health, to yoga/martial arts - we can directly affect how the body's neuromuscular system deals with a particular motion.

Wait a minute!!!

What about joint problems?

What about muscle cramps?

What about tendinitis?

What about bone spurs?

What about compressed discs?

Yep... I hear you... and I want you to think slightly outside the box for a moment. Follow me through this line of thought, please.

All of the situations you've described above can be seen as mere symptoms. Not the true root of an underlying problem.

One of the mantras I've heard Z-Health practitioners use is "The nervous system is plastic."

No, that doesn't mean that your brachial plexus is 99% nylon. That means that you are capable of change.

Your body's muscular movement patterns, which are controlled by your nervous system, can be RE-PATTERNED by re-training your nervous system. And retraining the nervous system is often done by imposing a different level of awareness on an action.

My mentor, Gray Cook, calls that "proprioceptive awareness" when spoken about in the context of movement. But there are a growing number of studies where researchers are showing that movement training can directly impact individuals with cognitive disorders.

No $h!#... The Chinese have been saying for millenia that "The inside manifests on the outside, but the outside can change the inside."

Fortune-cookie-speak translation: If you recognize someone (or self) with psycho-social issues, no matter how minor or how major, you can positively affect that person if you can get him/her/yourself to modify your movement patterns.

NOW... back to the title of this post... What's a pattern?

A pattern is an established way of doing things that has become ingrained through practice. What oftentimes is dismissed as genetic or "inherited" is more likely a learned behavior.

Whether the pattern in question is valgus collapse under load, poor spinal posture when typing on your laptop, inappropriate scratching in public, binge eating, saying "uhhh" every few words, or being pathologically late, the reality is that all of these patterns are manifestations of a LACK OF CONTROL.

And that lack of control comes from two things: a lack of SELF-AWARENESS and a lack of understanding of CONSEQUENCES.

Let's take posture for example...

Someone may not be aware of their posture being kyphotic (slouched forward), and as a result, when they think they're standing straight, a 3rd person observer can see clearly that they're not. The nervous system, in this case, has calibrated itself to read the flexed T-spine as "neutral".

For that pattern to be broken, an intervention of sorts has to occur. Whether the person in question decides on his/her own to QUESTION and EXAMINE his/her own posture, OR a therapist intervenes to re-train the posture, the pattern needs inspection, analysis, and active modification to be re-learned. Ask anyone who's successfully changed their posture how difficult it was, and they'll almost all tell you that it took a lot of mindfulness - constantly reminding themselves to sit up straight, walk tall, etc., etc.

The same is true for speech, for movement, for any moment of any action that we are involved in. Mindfulness is the key to recalibration, the key to growth, the key to change.

Clean and Press Success!

2009-11-28T13:58:00.003-06:00

I've had several of my clients going back to basics since I've been training them. I absolutely love the Rite of Passage program from Pavel's book, Enter The Kettlebell.

This program has proven to dish out PR after PR for myself and my clients.

When Jarod (Hudd) started training with me, he had a tough time with anything overhead due to some shoulder issues. After some corrective work we got him fairly symmetrical and got to work.

Here's a short vid of the results. This was taken after Hudd's workout and after he had already pressed the Bulldog 3 times per arm. He hadn't tried anything heavier than a 32kg prior to this. He's not quite ready for the Beast, but he's close.

Not too shabby after starting out with a 24kg!

Don't forget that The Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification (HKC) is coming to Lubbock, TX!

Jeff O'Connor, Senior RKC will be the Senior Instructor which will make this event something you won't want to miss.

Check out the details HERE on the Dragon Door site to sign up.

Don't wait around though! There's a limited number of spots available and they're starting to fill up fast!

Deadlift Plan

2009-11-22T19:23:00.003-06:00

So, after a lot of thought and advice, I've come up with a template of the 1st 4 weeks (which began last week) of what my deadlift cycle will look like leading up to the Raw Unity Meet.

Each week I'll be ramping up intensity and volume for 3 weeks with a slight deload on the 4th.

Mondays will be 5/3/1 Deadlift day followed by accessory work (all pulls from on top of 35# plates).
Tuesdays will be a heavy Rite of Passage day (all cleans and presses done Bottoms Up and pull ups - weighted) followed by heavy swings.
Wednesdays will be GPP: Plate Push, Farmers Carry and Light Snatches
Thursdays will be a page out of Power To The People Pro with 5x5 Wide Stance Box Squats followed by Banded Deadlifts for 8 singles...then accessory work.
Fridays will a light ROP day...again all bottoms up followed a different swing template.
Saturday or Sunday more GPP.

I chose the Bottoms Up Press and Rite of Passage due to the crazy gains I've got from the program and the exercise in the past, but I've never combined the two. The BUP and Weighted Pull Ups transfer well to my deadlift.

The elevated pulls will help with the trouble I've had off the ground with my max attempts in the past. The sumo box squats will hopefully help the same.

Everything else was specifically chosen to build up my weak points and facilitate my readiness for the deadlift.

The second 4 week cycle will most likely look a little different with more high-percentage pulls.

Finally, I'll have a 3-week peaking cycle to get ready for the meet.

HKC Lubbock Prep Workshop

2009-11-12T20:36:00.003-06:00

If you are signed up or interested in attending the HKC here in Lubbock or any other upcoming HKC, then you'll want to be as prepared as possible.

I have had the fortune and opportunity to assist at a private HKC with Pavel Tsatsouline, giving me direct experience on the requirements for this course.

The workshop will be held at Lone Star Kettlebell:

5827 50th Street
Unit D & E
Lubbock, TX 79424

The date will be Saturday, January 9, 2010 from 9am to 12noon (or however long it takes).

Call or email me if you have any questions.

806 773-3735
jason@lonestarkettlebell.com

www.lonestarkettlebell.com

2009-11-05T07:43:00.002-06:00

Check out the new and improved Lone Star Kettlebell website!

We have a great foundation laid out and I think this is going to be a great new look for the biz.

If you have a chance to pay a visit, let me know what you think here on the comments or through my new Contact Page on the site.

We also have a page dedicated to the upcoming HKC here in Lubbock!

Space is limited on this, so if you're in the area and thinking of going, you need to get on that page and sign up!

Huge thanks to Pat Sitton, RKC for all the help on the site! Check him out if you like what you see!

P.S. I just ordered Pavel's new book, Power To The People Professional. I'm thinking this is the push I need to get over that 600 mark in the deadlift! Can't wait for it to get here!

The Only Cure Is More Kettlebell!

2009-10-30T07:38:00.003-05:00

So I get into the gym yesterday and one of my good friends and clients dropped off a belated birthday gift.

A small box of T-shirts with this graphic it on it!

If you don't get the reference, check out this Youtube link.

Will Ferrell and Christopher Walken starred in arguably one of the funniest Saturday Night Live skits.

Well, most of the people I run into and talk about kettlebells for the first time (friends included), you get all kinds of reactions. "Cowbell?" "Kettle Ball?" "Cow Ball?"

Anyway, I thought this was pretty funny.

Since I don't have very many, I'm probably going to hang on to them and give them away as prizes or incentives to clients.

So, be at your best, 'cause you'll want one of these T-shirts!

Don't forget about the upcoming HKC here at Lone Star Kettlebell! We might be giving out a couple there as well!

HKC at Lone Star Kettlebell!!!

2009-10-26T22:37:00.003-05:00

It's official and it's gonna be AWESOME!

The first Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification (HKC) in Texas!

I am honored to host this event and even more-so to have Sr RKC, Jeff O'Connor attend as the Senior Instructor.

If you've ever considered:

Using kettlebells
Becoming a student of kettlebells
Preparing for the RKC
Training clients with kettlebells

Then this is a no-brainer!

Stay tuned for more information! I'm planning on scheduling a prep-workshop for prospecting HKC's!

Hardstyle!!!

Big Things In Store For 2010!

2009-10-24T14:47:00.002-05:00

It's not officially live yet, but this will be the first of many announcements about something BIG coming up in January of 2010 at Lone Star Kettlebell!

Stay tuned and I'll be getting back on the band wagon of updating this blog more frequently.

I'll just say it may have something to do with a Redneck Ninja and possibly a Chinaman.

Again, it's not officially live, so don't hold me to it!

The Dreaded 4-Letter B-Word!

2009-10-19T11:06:00.001-05:00

That’s right, BOMB! I bombed out of my meet Saturday. Here are the details for anyone interested.

I made weight easily weighing in Friday night at 179.2. I had a good meal post-weigh in. Afterward, I ate a couple PB&J sandwiches with my Gatorade and water before bed. I was up early and ate some more PB&J with a banana. I wasn’t feeling that great as I’ve had a nasty sinus cold for a couple weeks, but that was the least of my problems in my opinion.

Since I wasn’t feeling that great, I lowered my squat opener from 441 to 424. Warmups went well. I was hitting good depth and felt strong on the ascent.

First attempt at 424 – 2 Whites, 1 Red (Side judge; depth)

Second attempt at 441 – 2 Whites, 1 Red (Head judge; not sure why the red light?)

Third attempt at 451 – 3 Reds…Rocked back on my heels on the way up and lost my balance. I also felt my left trap/lat/rib tweak on the way up.

Not a PR day and not even close to what I was expecting, but I knew that my physical condition wasn’t 100% so I was glad squats were over and I could move on to the bench with a little more confidence.

Bench warmups were a little different than what I was used to as there was only 2 benches and I really couldn’t gauge the timing of my 1st attempt to when I should hit my last warmup. Either way, my warm-ups went alright and ended with a good pause at 285. My opener was 292, so I felt confident 7 pounds were left in the tank (I was wrong).

First attempt at 292 – 3 Reds. Had to have help.
Same think on 2nd and 3rd attempts. I tried rolling out my trap on a foam roller between rounds, but I just couldn’t get the thing to relax. I just wasn’t strong off my chest and had absolutely no drive to get the lift to lockout. The head judge was holding the Press command a little long, but it’s still no excuse. An opener should be easy enough to get you on the board. I misjudged and paid the price.

So, with that my day was over. My first time to bomb out of a meet and I was extremely disappointed (still am).

Here’s where I feel I went wrong and where I can improve for the future:

· 5/3/1 is a good program to build overall strength in a lift, but it’s not built for peaking. I need to refocus my program to include an entire peaking cycle or two to incorporate more heavy attempts, partials, etc. for my CNS to be prepared.

· I probably shouldn’t have gone on my mountain bike trip the weekend before in hindsight. I though it would be a good mental and physical break, but I was getting sick right before I went and knew that would cause more problems.

· I need help at a meet. I went by myself and had to ask for help with knee wraps, etc. It’s just better to have some people helping to support you during the meet with weight selection, technique pointers, etc.

· I need to practice more bench press reps with a pause.

There’s a lot more, but those are the main points.

I was really disappointed to not get to deadlift. I honestly felt I would have had a big day with my pulls to make up for bench and squat, but never got a chance.

I’m not going to lie; I was extremely angry with myself and went through a lot of really bad emotions after bombing out of that meet. I guess that’s my competitive and perfectionist side coming out, but I quickly reined it in and I’m already looking onward to the end of January to the Raw Unity meet in Tampa, FL where I’ll compete with the Power To The People Deadlift Team. (Thank goodness it’s deadlift-team and not bench-team!) ;-)

One big positive that came out of the weekend was going up to Edmond, OK to hang out at the Whitley/O’Connor workshop hosted by Dustin Rippetoe. (A huge thanks to Jeff and Dave for figuring out my trap problem and getting that sorted out. I honestly can’t even feel it today!)

I learned a ton just in the last few hours of their Day 1 and went to eat some pizza with everyone and got up for a little more Hardstyle on Day 2 before heading home.

I want to thank everyone for their support and asking how things went even though it wasn’t my day. I also want to say a huge thank you to Phil Wylie of Bad Attitude Gym out of the DFW area for wrapping my knees at the meet and being there to support me and get advice from! Thanks MAN!

Another list of Thank You’s goes out to the following for helping me along the way the last 3 months and creating a great learning experience:

· My wife - Kara
· Chief Instructor – Pavel Tsatsouline
· Senior RKC – Jeff O’ Connor
· Team Leader – Thomas Phillips
· Jack Reape
· Phil Wylie
· Brian Schwab
· Chad Aichs
· Sean Rowden – One of my best friends and occasional lifting partner

Powerlifting is a tough and thankless sport. It’s even tougher when you attack it alone. It really does take a team of people to get one to excel. Even though I do most of my training alone, it’s great to have some pillars to lean on when I’m stuck and don’t know what to do.

Thank You!

South Boundary Trail, New Mexico

2009-10-12T16:54:00.006-05:00

So, I've been planning a mountain biking trip with some buddies to New Mexico and just got back yesterday.

I really can't describe the trail into words...well maybe one...EPIC! It was one of the most physically difficult things I've ever done. The total mileage on day 1 was 31...all through the mountain range between Angel Fire and Taos. We were surprised with about 2 inches of snow covering about half of the trail. The snow made for interesting negotiations along the bench-cut single track and techie switch backs and rock gardens.

At the top after a 1 hour, 2 mile climb!

Aspens color change...Good timing!

View looking down on Taos.

This was an amazing ride! I had some wipe-outs, but nothing serious. I would do it again in a heartbeat and will be putting this trip back on the calendar for next year!

Day 2 was a "cool-down" day as we drove about an hour north past a little town called Questa to ride a trail built around the rim of Rio Grande Gorge where the the Rio Grande and Red Rivers converge. The rim of the canyon is 800 feet above the river making for some spectacular views.

Rio Grande on the right, Red River on left.

The Motley Crew

TSC - Fall 2009

2009-09-27T21:09:00.002-05:00

I hosted my 4th Tactical Strength Challenge this weekend. David Kliewer of Yukon, OK drove the 5 hours down to Lubbock to compete which motivated me to give it a go.

I wasn't sure about competing since I just completed my 3rd wave of 5/3/1 last week. Here's how things went:

David Kliewer - Open Class - 180 lbs Bodyweight
Deadlift - 495 - Good, 515 - Miss, 515 - Miss
Pull Up - 22 reps
5 min. Snatch - 24kg - 130 reps

Jason Marshall - Elite Class - 187.5 lbs Bodyweight
Deadlift - 495 - Good, 535 - Good, 565 - Good
Pull Up w/ 10kg - 15 reps
5 min. Snatch - 32kg - 80 reps

Thanks to David for coming all the way down! He did a great job!

My last wave of 5/3/1 went really well. I hit good reps at my prescribed weights and I feel like I'm making good progress. The best part is, physically, I'm feeling extremely well. No aches, pains, soreness, even a hint of overtraining. That goes to show how setting out to follow a long-term program and actually sticking to it can give a positive training effect.

Here's my numbers from week 3 of my 3rd wave:

Double KB Press - 2-40kg - 3 reps
Deadlift - 495 - 11 reps
Bench Press - 270 - 7 reps
Squat - 400 - 10 reps

Next week is a back-off week, but I'm going to also use it as Week 1 of a 2-week mini-peaking cycle before another back-off week to prep for the meet on Oct. 17.

All I'm planning on doing is including some overloading in the lock-out position of the Squat, Bench and Deadlift...just to feel the heavy weight. That's the only problem with 5/3/1...Trying to figure out how to peak for a meet.

So, I'll perform my back-off week reps, but finish off with heavy lockouts (probably close to where I think I am with my 1 rep max). I'll see how it goes and figure out the next week from there.

Either way, I feel strong, fresh and healthy and I guess that's all I can ask for whether or not I'm hitting PR's. That's a blessing in itself.

Great Cycle!

2009-08-30T19:51:00.002-05:00

I had great results from my last 5/3/1 cycle. Here's the Cliff's notes:

Military Press: 2 40kg - 4 reps
Dead Lift - 485 - 11 reps
Bench Press - 265 - 8 reps
Squat - 390 - 11 reps

There was a definite increase in strength on all lifts. The heavier weight seems easier to handle and the grooves are more smooth.

Note: On my last squat day, last Thursday, I wrapped my knees with my Metal knee wraps instead of using my knee sleeves. I used a real loose wrap rather than tight wrap for a meet...just enough for some protection and stability. On the second rep with 390 on the bar, my left wrap flipped over my knee cap and bunched up behind my knee as I lowered myself down. I felt my quad contract harder than I've ever felt and my whole quad started to sting. Instead of racking it to re-wrap, I kept going and smoked 11 reps. Testosterone got the best of me and it turns out I strained my vastus medialis during that 2nd rep. I've been rehabbing it for the last 3 days and the bruise and swelling is almost unnoticeable which means I'm doing something right. Another positive is that this is my de-load week so I was planning to take it easy anyway.

All in all, 5/3/1 has been a great program if you can stay healthy. I find it very easy to follow and pretty easy on the body of a raw lifter. The numbers speak for themselves, but I've really surprised myself on some of these big sets.

I'm not sure what my plan is for the next cycle or so until my meet in October. I'm working the kinks out right now and have an "advisory board" working on helping me with the programming.
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On a completely different note, I came across this story with the attached video the other day and it really got me. Especially how much I take for granted sometimes. Just lifting, training, teaching, etc.

Here is the true story…

The son asked his father, ‘Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?’.

The father who, despite having a heart condition, says ‘Yes’.

They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying ‘Yes’ to his son’s request of going through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, ‘Dad, let’s join the Ironman together.’ To which, his father said ‘Yes’ too.

For those who don’t know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island.

Father and son went on to complete the race together. View this race here…

The Big Three

2009-08-06T20:27:00.002-05:00

After my cycle of 5/3/1 and a deload week, I decided to use this week as a test week for my One Rep Max on the Big Three - Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift.

Here's the results with a video:

Monday:
Squat - Hit 475 very easy. Almost scary-easy. Decided to attempt an even 500. It was a slow grind. Probably would've been red-lighted on depth and I blew the rear-end out of my shorts, but I got the weight up on my own strength and felt satisfied.

Previous Best at Power Lifting Meet - 445
After 5/3/1 w/ Kettlebells - 500

Wednesday:
Bench Press - Worked my way up easy and relaxed. I felt I could've hit 295 for reps. It just flew up. Threw 3 wheels on and 315 locked out no problem with a pause. 325, no dice. Needed a tiny bump from spotter to lock it out.

Previous Best at Power Lifting Meet - 292
After 5/3/1 w/ Kettlebells - 315

Thursday:
Dead Lift - Stayed relaxed during my warm up reps. Hit 515 on my last warm up and it felt heavy, but the rep was smooth and fast. Put 565 on and seemed like a quick lift, but strained hard to get it. This was an all time PR, even at about 20 pounds lighter than my pre-kettlebell body weight. Tried 585 and couldn't budge it off the ground.

Previous Best at Power Lifting Meet - 551
After 5/3/1 w/ Kettlebells - 565

Total increase in poundage: Squat - 55, Bench - 23, Dead Lift - 14, Total - 92 pounds. This would get me close to my goal of a 1400 pound raw total in the 181 pound weight class.

As the old saying goes, "don't fix it if it ain't broke." I think I'll keep at it with this program starting next week and see where this one will take me.

Here's a vid of the pull from today:

5/3/1 Update

2009-07-30T12:09:00.002-05:00

The last 4 weeks have been spent testing Jim Wendler’s 5/3/1 protocol. I’ve followed it to the “t” thus far.

The program sets up a set-and-rep scheme that you follow for 4 weeks at a time. You then readjust the poundages and go for another 4.

The 4th week is a de-load week, so I’ve been going light all week. Still practicing my lifts, but way light.

*Wendler’s program doesn’t call for testing actual 1-Rep Maxes, so he uses a rep-max calculation to figure out if you’re making progress. I’m not sure how accurate it is, but I plan on testing it next week with a mini-mock powerlifting meet with myself.

All my reps were based off of my competition lifts from my last powerlifting meet. I only tested my overhead press at the beginning with a barbell and then used a pair of kettlebells closest to the poundage needed for the sets.

Here’s the recap of the 3 weeks leading up to now.

Week 1 (Last set of the day is a max with 5 or more reps at the prescribed weight)
OH Press – 2-32kg – 10 reps – Predicted 1-Rep Max – 190
Dead Lift – 425 – 11 reps – P1RM – 585
Bench – 230 – 11 reps – P1RM – 315
Squat – 345 – 14 reps – P1RM – 510

Week 2 (3 or more)
OH Press – 2-36kg – 5 reps – P1RM – 190
Dead Lift – 450 – 10 reps – P1RM – 600
Bench – 245 – 10 reps – P1RM – 330
Squat – 365 – 13 reps – P1RM – 525

Week 3 (1 or more)
OH Press – 2-40kg – 3 reps – P1RM – 195
Dead Lift – 475 – 9 reps – P1RM – 620
Bench – 260 – 9 reps – P1RM – 330
Squat – 385 – 11 reps – P1RM – 530

My body weight stayed very consistent around 185 during the entire cycle. I’m real interested to see how this transfers to an actual 1RM, so it’s put-up-or-shut-up time next week.

I used primarily all KB exercises for my accessory work. Some days I didn’t do any accessory work and worked on corrective drills after my work sets. I really just played it by ear.

I threw other KB stuff on my off days with my classes for GPP and joint-mobility.

____________________________________________________________________

On another note, my Southern RKC Brother, Dustin Rippetoe, RKC II and CK-FMS, from Guthrie, OK is putting on a really amazing workshop in October. I’m planning on attending Day 2 as I have a meet scheduled in OK City the first day. He’ll have 2 of the TOP Kettlebell Instructors in the WORLD in one place, Jeff O'Connor, SrRKC and David Whitley, SrRKC.

http://www.wayofstrength.com/workshop

He’s offering a killer deal right now as well. If you sign up and get 2 other people to sign up, your registration is FREE! That means you get to spend 2 days with 2 Senior Instructors plus a bunch of other talented people for NADA! Or, you can get your 2 referrals together and split the 2 registration fees between the 3 of you. Pretty nice discount if you ask me!

Check out the details here: http://www.wayofstrength.com/workshop and get on the horn with 2 of your friends to get in on this deal!

Don Meyer of Northern State University

2009-07-22T21:30:00.004-05:00

I saw this the other night on ESPN and was thrilled when I found the entire clip on YouTube. Coach Don Meyer was the recipient of the esteemed Jimmy V award given annually at the ESPYs. Coach Meyer's story of the last 10 months of his life is unimagineable to say the least. Yet he has perservered and bested all other coaches as the winningest coach in college basketball.

Inspired doesn't come close to describing how I felt after watching this. (I've watched twice since!) ;-)

If only men/women like these were the ones we saw regularly in the media as role-models and examples to follow, rather than the trash that's so common on every TV channel and magazine cover.

I hope you enjoy!

Dead Lift Experiment

2009-07-08T14:51:00.002-05:00

After a week of corrections after Level II, I’m feeling pretty good. So I decided to start a base program to prepare me for my upcoming lifting cycle. My next planned PL meet is October 17th which puts me 15 weeks out.

I figure a short 3-4 week building phase will be appropriate.

Yesterday was dead lift day and I was excited to use some tips I got from Level II. Andrea DuCane, MRKC, Kenneth Jay, MRKC and Pavel all gave me some good pointers.

This program calls for a repetition max at a certain percentage of my 1-Rep Max. After the 1st 2 planned sets and reps, my all-out set called for 5 “or more” reps at 425.

I used Pavel’s advice using the goblet squat/front raise focusing on smooth and fluid transition while keeping correct spinal/hip alignment.

I also used the tips from Andrea and Kenneth where I focus my eyes before and during the lift. As I reached down to grab the bar, I kept my head neutral with my eyes looking at a spot down on the horizon about a foot off the floor. As soon as the bar broke from the ground I kept my head neutral, but looked up towards the ceiling.

Another tip picked up through Level II was keeping my face and neck as relaxed as possible.

I had a client watch the set and he said it was the most fluid, effortless looking lifts he’d ever seen me do. The weight looked and felt like a feather.

I ended up pulling 11 consecutive reps with a couple left in the tank. A predicted 1RM of ~580.

The techniques will definitely help as I feel fresh and ready for another day even after such a difficult set.

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On another note, I finally got my first pair of Vibram Five Fingers in yesterday! Black KSO’s and they feel awesome! I’m really looking forward to training in them!

Since the recent discovery of my weak feet and ankles, I’m hoping to have a few aspects of my training dramatically improve with these funky-looking foot-gloves.

RKC Level II…Check!

2009-07-02T13:13:00.004-05:00

What a phenomenal weekend! There’s really too much to write about, but I’ll sum it up as best I can.

Day 1 – Thursday – 6/25
I arrived early around 1:30pm (on purpose AND highly recommended!) so that I could get situated and head up to the workshop area to help out in any way I could. Luckily for me, Dennis Armstrong of Dragon Door offered all attendees a BONUS Pre-Cert workout with none other than Dave “The Iron Tamer” Whitley, SrRKC, Jeff “The Redneck Ninja” O’Connor, SrRKC and Kenneth “The Dane of Pane” Jay, MRKC.

After I performed my snatch test and helped unload bells, we headed for the field and within minutes, my brain was hurting. These guys throw so much at you! It’s just so hard to absorb it all. The workout lasted about an hour and a half, was extremely worth it, and wasn’t so bad that it compromised me for the next 3 days.

Meet and greet went great and I was introduced to a lot of new faces with familiar names and reunited with a lot of friends I’ve made over the last 2 years in the RKC family.

Day2 – Friday – 6/26
The morning started off with people taking snatch tests followed by 2 stations of Level II requirements: The Pull Up w/ a 24kg hanging on the foot and The Press w/ a KB closest to half your body weight. I had to press a 40kg which went up with no problem and the pull up seemed pretty easy (probably because of adrenaline). I knew I could perform these prior to signing up last October, so I felt prepared.

Pavel and Jeff covered some really awesome material on the Core Basics which still blows my mind at how much more there is to learn about the Swing and TGU. Jeff’s presentation on the TGU and Foot Work was really awesome and I’ve started using his Hard Style Yoga on myself and clients as soon as I got home.

The rest of the day wasn’t so pleasant. We worked Level I drills and their corrections, which seemed like a very long time. I wasn’t paying much attention to the rest of the group, but I believe there were some who were really struggling with just the Level I skills we were supposed to have nailed down. Shame on us and we got punished for it. I had my first double forearm cramp right at the end of the day due to dehydration which was interesting while trying to snatch. I’m glad it happened at the end, so it didn’t ruin too much for me. Thankfully it happened while we were performing the Vo2MAX cadence test and I had already done that prior to coming, so I knew my cadence number.

I had the great honor and fortune of getting to eat supper at the “Big Boy” table with Pavel, Dave, Jeff and Kenneth. Those guys can consume! I got some great Powerlifting pointers from Pavel and was encouraged further to participate with the Power To The People Deadlift Team this January. We talked about nutrition and other random topics…JUST Friggin’ Awesome!

Day 3 – Saturday – 6/27
A little more sore this morning. Friday was definitely a smoker, as it should’ve been for all that were unprepared, but thanks to John DuCane’s Morning Recharge, I felt great and ready to go.

Jeff, Dave, Pavel, Will Williams, SrRKC and Andrea DuCane, MRKC covered the Bent Press, Windmill, Pistol and Pull Up and I was immediately humbled by the correct ways to perform these exercises. This put a huge spotlight on my dysfunctions, which I will “own” and work on continuously.

We spent some time in lecture with Kenneth teaching the intricacies behind Viking Warrior Conditioning. He really knows his stuff and put on an excellent presentation! He unveiled a new protocol that we got to practice and it was really amazing! I’ll be using that one as well!

Day 4 – Sunday – 6/28
The morning started with a presentation by Dave on Kettlebell Group Training for Fat Loss and how to maximize your business potential. Great stuff and then we got a little tough-love application on the field. I’ve already used his Get Up – Swing progression in a class and it worked awesome!

Then Jeff presented on using Kettlebells as a one-of-a-kind tool in Youth Athletic Development. Phenomenal information with great drills and some really cool swing variations were added for power development.

Then we broke for our Skills Testing. Some had to retake their basic Pull Up or Press tests again as well as being broken up in teams to test the Level II skills. This was pretty nerve-racking. It’s not a strength thing, it’s a skills thing. The idea was, “can you perform ‘X’ number of perfect reps of ‘Y’ exercise after you’ve be thoroughly taught when I ask you to perform it?” Many couldn’t, which doesn’t make them bad instructors or weak at the skills, it was mostly mental lapses. I thankfully passed, but I was definitely sweating it! Most that failed the skills or basic tests will be put on provisional probation for 90 days to film the correct version of the test they had trouble with, send it in, and if accepted after evaluation, they get certified. I believe the attrition rate will be much lower after the 90 day period.

I equate it much like a powerlifting meet. I’ll spend 3 months on training, tweaking my program, hours in the gym, constant self-evaluation on technique, $$$ for gear and equipment, $$$ for organizational dues, $$$ for meet entry fees, $$$ on travel, and $$$ for nutrition to prepare for a meet. However, if on that meet day, I set my opener too high and miss 3 attempts, or I miss the head judge’s commands 3 times, or I have technique issues 3 times, I’m OUT. No bench attempts, no dead lift attempts…OUT. Wait ‘til next time, if there is one and go back to the drawing board and reinvest on all the above-mentioned aspects. Bottom line, it’s life. We mess up, we fall down…most of will just dust ourselves off and get back up to try again.

I’m glad the bar was set high for this cert. I couldn’t have asked for more from The Chief, Masters, Seniors and Team Leaders. The experience was second-to-none and I would do it again in a heart beat. If you’re RKC and you plan on expanding that with Level II, start NOW! THE CURRICULUM WILL NOT GET EASIER! The higher standard creates a badge of pride, honor and integrity, and I’m blessed to have had the opportunity.

Thanks to everyone for making the experience one I’ll never forget and for all the new friendships that I made over the weekend. The RKC Family is such an awesome one and I’m honored to be a part of it!

Awesome Upcoming Workshops!!!

2009-06-09T22:32:00.002-05:00

Just a quick reminder to all those who read this blog about
some incredible regional events that are coming up and maybe
in your area!

First up is a 2-day RKC workshop hosted by some of my RKC buddies,
Delaine Ross, RKC and Stephan Belan, RKC with some of the smartest,
strongest and best looking RKC’s in the world!

Attendees include:
David “The Iron Tamer” Whitley, SRKC
Kenneth “The Viking” Jay, MRKC
Sara Cheatham, SRKC
and More!

If you can, get out to Atlanta, GA on July 4-5 for a great
learning experience from the world’s top kettlebell instructors.

You won’t be disappointed!

Also, further down the calendar, on October 17-18, my
strength-brother from another mother out of Guthrie
Oklahoma, Dustin Rippetoe, RKC II, is hosting a workshop at his
new facility with the “Iron Tamer” David Whitley, SRKC
and 2-Time Oklahoma Strongest Man, Jeff O’Connor, SRKC.

Check out the link here to his workshop and make plans to
attend!

Be reminded that these folks are the best at what they do!
If you want to be a part of it, get on board and learn from
the best!

Also, here's a video of some frustration taken out on a trap bar
deadlift. I know it's only 3 days after my power lifting meet, but
I technically didn't hit any PR's so I needed to get it out of my
system.

I don't know what the conversion is from a high trap bar pull to
a legit barbell pull, but I estimate between 90-95% (585-618 lbs).

So with that said, I think I left a lot on the platform at my meet.

Power Lifting Meet Results

2009-06-06T20:00:00.004-05:00

Here's the full meet report from my meet today. I'm on the ball this time and getting it down early!

The meet went real well and I'll start around the time I started cutting weight.

At 4pm on Thursday, I was at the gym and started cutting weight. I weighed 194 on my gym scales which are notorious for being a little heavy. My home scales are a little more accurate.

By 7pm Friday night I had dropped to 178 on the official scales.

I started rehydrating, eating and got a good night sleep. I can't believe I slept so well the night before a meet! Usually nerves will keep me up and restless.

The meet started around 10am. After the rules meeting, we started warming up for squats. The warmups felt really good and I was getting great depth.

Squat
First attempt was 413. A good deep squat with lots of speed. 3 whites!

Second attempt was 446. A little slower and a little higher. 3 whites!

Third attempt was 474. Probably too big of a jump and it showed. Missed and the spotters had to help me up. 3 Reds.

Up next was bench press. Not feeling very strong with it, but the warmups were going okay.

Bench
1st - 292. Crazy long pause by the head judge for the "press" command. Didn't think I was going to get my opener! 3 Whites!

2nd - 297. Again with the long pause. Not mentally in it and got 3 Reds.

3rd - 297. Came down with the bar faster this time. Didn't hesitate and nailed it! 3 Whites!

Lastly, the dead lift. My bread and butter lift. If I was going to make up any ground, it's here. Felt very strong in warmups. The groove felt just right.

Dead Lift
1st - 524. Fast and easy. No problem. 3 Whites.

2nd - 551. Again, a quick pull. Thought this was going to be my day and hit a big PR! 3 Whites!

3rd - 573. Pretty coservative jump considering how good 551 felt. BUT, I got caught up talking with a spectator during almost the entire break between the lifting order. I didn't realize how much time had gone by and...BOOM...I was on deck to lift! Ran to the platform, put my belt on, cleaned my shoes and chalked up as they were loading my bar! In a nut shell, I wasn't mentally prepared for it. This weight would have been a meet and personal PR for me, but I blew it....talking!

Total
1294 lbs or 587.5 kg.

My squat, dead lift and total were Texas State records and my dead lift bested the current American record in my division.

The biggest accomplishment for me was the 3-times body weight dead lift. I've been working for that one for a long time even though the weight pulled wasn't a PR.

I've got some good plans for the next training cycle, but will take a short break to prepare for the Level II RKC workshop at the end of the month.

After that, I'll start making plans for NASA Unequipped Nationals in Oklahoma City in October.

All in all, a good meet. No PR's but I guess you could say they all were at my body weight. I competed in the 198 lb class my last 2 meets and this was my first at 181.

Here's a vid of the meet for those interested:

Lone Star Kettlebell

2009-05-18T21:37:00.005-05:00

Being a native Texan and having a newish business in Texas, I thought it fitting to let some of you know the meaning behind the name of my business, "Lone Star Kettlebell."

The Lone Star has always been a prominent feature upon the Texas flag. From its ties to Mexico to its independence and to its eventual statehood, the single star on the banner has proved to be a steadfast fixture in the hearts and minds of Texans, giving it the nickname, "Lone Star State."

The Lone Star itself stands for 5 characteristics, represented by each point on the star, that each Texan should strive to achieve and live by:

Courage - Moral Courage, Mental Courage, and Physical Courage
Loyalty
Righteousness and Moral Integrity
Prudence
Broadmindedness

The Lone Star also stands for, in my own mind, a certain rogue or maverick mindset (probably going back to the early pioneer days) that comes with the training territory I've embarked upon. It always seems, as RKC's or "kettlebellers" or power lifters or just plain strength enthusiasts, we are on the outer rim of the "fitness" world. Don't get me wrong though...I like it out here! I'd rather be out here, because this is where the results happen, where new ground is broken and where iron sharpens iron.

These are characteristics I strive for in the small business that I'm a part of. The last part of the name, "Kettlebell," purely represents my training philosophy. The kettlebell has arrived on my doorstep as one of the most useful training tools to ever grace the training room floor. The Hard Style philosophy of kettlebell training, championed by Pavel and the elite group within the RKC community, encompasses much of the way I teach my clients and train myself which has become a huge part of my life and an awesome part at that!

So, there's a little Texas trivia and personal business history for ya!

The New Gym!!!

2009-05-11T20:57:00.003-05:00

Alrighty, so here's some pics of the new place...Let me know what you guys think!

Homemade GHR and Reverse Hyper

2009-04-27T21:07:00.004-05:00

So I've been tinkering with a good makeshift GHR and I think I'm sticking with this idea until we can build one or buy one. It also makes for a good Reverse Hyperextension, Roman Chair Ab Machine and Back Extension.

Glute Ham Raise w/ 26lb Kettlebell

Tools Needed: 1,000 lb tire, 1 Barbell, 2 100 lb plates, 3 exercise mats, 1 velcro strap, strong hamstrings are also useful

Reverse Hyper w/ 20 lb Med Ball held by feet:

Great accessory work in conjunction with heavy dead lifts and heavy squats.

I just bought a trap bar for dead lifts and tried it out today for the first time. I pulled 610 lbs. There's not much more room on the bar for weight, but I'm going to figure out how to tap that thing out and pull it. It's a much easier groove than the barbell, so it'll be a good component for my heavy dead lift program.

Hopefully we'll be in the new warehouse this week. Just some minor details to take care of and we're there. Pics to follow!

New Gym!!!

2009-04-21T21:33:00.003-05:00

So lots has been goin' on in the world of Lone Star Kettlebell. We're moving to a new warehouse and will hopefully have everything ready for the big move by this weekend. The new space is going to double the training space we've been used to. We won't know what to do!

The existing wall, balcony, and staircase gotta come down.

No more wall, balcony or staircase!

Everything loaded for the dump. Now it's time to get this place ready for blood, sweat and tears!

Training has been going excellent. I've been hitting all the numbers I planned for my power lifting cycle and it's been challenging.

Monday I hit a first: 500 lb Dead Lift for 3 consecutive reps. The accessory work has been good too. I've rigged a makeshift GHR out of a barbell, 2-100 lb plates, some excercise mats and my huge tire. It works pretty good and I get a full extension which is what I need.

The new warehouse is going to be aweseome! The folks with CrossFit South Plains are going to continue to join me in the new space, so I'm pumped about that!

Can't wait until we get things moved and organized!

1st Day of Power Lifting Cycle

2009-04-13T20:27:00.003-05:00

Today was the first day of an 8-week training cycle. Here's how it went down:

Dead Lift - Worked up to a 5-rep work set.

80% of 555 = 445

Pulled in a sumo stance today for the first time in quite a while. I haven't tried to pull heavy in the sumo stance in probably 2 years. It felt unusually good today. The 5-rep work set went down with great form and speed. I used some knee sleeves which I'll use on my dead lift and squat days. The net effect is that my knees stay warm and knee caps stay in the right place. Felt great!

Assistance Lifts

Circuit the following - 3x5

Modified GHR - Body Weight

Heavy Double KB Swings - (2) 48kg

Single Leg Dead Lift - 185 lbs.

Abs - 3x10

Band Pushdowns - Green Band

Straight Arm Cable Pushdowns - ~ 50 lbs.

The GHR's are done with my knees on the floor and a training partner holding my ankles down. It's not the best, but it's still an extreme contraction in the hamstrings. Good enough for now. The real thing will have to wait until the budget can afford it....unless anyone out there wants to give me an early birthday present???? Hint, Hint!! Here's a pic if you need to know what they look like...

New Plan...Power Lifting!!!

2009-04-09T11:39:00.003-05:00

My web-presence has been less than stellar lately. Not really because of any particular reason other than I think I appreciate updating on all the blog fodder and forums all at once rather than a day-to-day routine.

My KB classes have been rocking since I’ve changed the format. People are getting stronger, leaner, more flexible and in better condition than they ever thought possible. Great efforts = Great results and that’s what these people are putting in and getting out.

I’m in a transition training-wise as I’m planning to enter a power lifting meet on June 6. Starting Monday, I have 8 weeks until the meet so I’ve been tinkering with my program. It’ll definitely be a juggling act with teaching, but I feel up to it for a couple months.

Here’s the current stats:

Current weight – 188 (in the morning)
Planned weight class/division – Unequipped 181

My current lifts are:
Dead Lift – 555 (pulled conventional at TSC last Saturday)
Squat – 445 (tested Monday – medium stance)
Bench – 295 (tested Tuesday)

I haven’t squatted or benched since last summer, so I’ve got some work to do. With some specificity and a little volume, I think I’ll get there.

My ultimate goals in the unequipped division are:

Squat – 550
Bench – 350
DL – 600

This is unrealistic with the amount of time I have to train, but I’m going to push as hard as I can for 8 weeks.

The template will look like this:

Monday – Dead Lift
Wednesday – Bench
Friday – Squat

Week 1 – 80% - Work up to 5 rep max (RM)
Week 2 – 90% - 3RM
Week 3 – 100% - 1-3RM
Week 4 – Deload
Week 5 – 85% - 5RM
Week 6 – 95% - 3RM
Week 7 – 105% - 1RM
Week 8 – Rest and lift on Saturday
(%’s will be based off recent 1RM’s, not goals)

My assistance lifts will consist of: 3-4 Sets of 5-8 Reps of…Make-shift GHR, Heavy Double Kettlebell Swings, Heavy Single Leg Dead Lifts, Heavy Triceps Work (Close Grip BP, Weighted Dips, etc.). I’ll throw some sled dragging and some recovery work with the classes as well.

This plan isn’t based off of anything I’ve ever tried before leading into a meet. I’m just trying to minimize the volume to a lesser frying-point with my CNS. I tend to get burned out easily with a more traditional West Side approach, so we’ll see how this works out.

I’ll try to keep these workouts updated so I’ll have a record.

Thanks goes out to Thomas Phillips, RKC Team Leader for the advice on this program. Good luck on your upcoming meet!

TSC Results

2009-04-06T20:08:00.003-05:00

Finally getting around to posting the results....sorry everyone!

Everybody did great at this TSC and I am very proud of all the competitors and I know their best was left in the gym on Saturday! Couldn't ask for better!

Here's how everyone did:

Female - Novice

Amber Bolen
Body Weight - 136
Dead Lift - 225
Pull Up - 0
KB Snatch - 117

Kara Marshall
Body Weight - 148
Dead Lift - 215
Pull Up - 0
KB Snatch - 113

Male - Novice

Anthony Furgeson
Body Weight - 240
Dead Lift - 385
Pull Up - 1
KB Snatch - 124

Male - Open

David Spriggs
Body Weight - 265
Dead Lift - 470
Pull Up - 2
KB Snatch - 109

Terrel McReynolds
Body Weight - 165
Dead Lift - 405
Pull Up - 26
KB Snatch - 110

Male - Elite

Jason Marshall
Body Weight - 193
Dead Lift - 555
Pull Up - 15
KB Snatch - 96

Tactical Strength Challenge - April 4th!!!

2009-03-26T21:38:00.002-05:00

Lone Star Kettlebell will be hosting its 3rd Tactical Strength Challenge (TSC) on April 4, 2009.

Weigh-ins will begin at 3pm with lifting to begin shortly after.

If you haven't participated in one of these, then you need to get out that Saturday and experience a little competitiveness.

There's 3 events:

Dead Lift - Maximum weight for 1 repetition (you get 3 attempts)

Pull Ups - Maximum repetitions without letting go of the bar

Kettlebell Snatch Test - Maximum repetitions for 5 minutes

There's some different rules for males vs females and they've added a Novice division this year as well.

I'll also be including a division for anyone who doesn't feel comfortable doing all 3 events or participating withing the confines of the rules. This division won't be reported for the overall results, but it's included so everyone can compete, participate and push themselves a little bit.

If your free that day, come on out and try it out or be a cheerleader!

Entry fee is free, so you've got nothing to lose.

For more info, check out http://www.tacticalstrengthchallenge.com/

Here's a vid from the last TSC I hosted:

Update On Workshop

2009-03-03T22:10:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry to have to post this so late in the game, but
I'm going to have to postpone the upcoming workshop
scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 2009.

A personal conflict with my wife's family has come up this
weekend and I will have to reschedule the workshop for a later
date.

I appreciate everyone's interest in the event and hope to
have your attendance during the next one.

Thanks again and I hope to see or hear from you soon!

Respectfully,

Jason Marshall, RKC
Lone Star Kettlebell
jason@lonestarkettlebell.com

Another Goal Bested!

2009-02-24T21:50:00.003-06:00

Checked off another goal yesterday and tried again today to make sure it wasn't a fluke.

Tear A Full Deck Of Cards In Half

54 Cards, Including 2 Jokers

They were cheap cards and the tears weren't pretty and straight, but there's two halves and I did it with my own two hands.

Now I need to perfect this skill so that it looks like I sent the deck through a paper cutter. That might deserve a video.

Anywho...pretty stoked about this one.

I started with 20 cards back in October and worked my up a little at a time.

BY THE WAY!

For those of you who are close to Lubbock, Texas...

The Jeff O'Connor, SRCK Workshop is almost here!

Get in on the action now and sign up!

It WILL be the BEST kettlebell workshop to EVER hit this area.

Sign up here NOW!

Contact me, Jason Marshall, RKC at:

806 773-3735 or

jason@lonestarkettlebell.com

40kg Bottoms Up Press and an Extra

2009-02-18T21:43:00.002-06:00

FINALLY!!! Here's the video. Man, I'm having a hard time keeping up my web-presence. I've had a bit of an obstacle thrown my way in the form of a "fire wall" at my day job.

No checking the forums.

No checking the blog.

No reading articles.

Nothing!

It sucks, but I'll make it.

Here's the vid! I'd already hit this twice earlier in the week. Now I've got to work on the left hand.

Training Goal Achieved and Supper

2009-02-09T19:50:00.003-06:00

It's the second week of February.

Where are you in terms of your goals?

I've been incrementally training the bottoms up press and have achieved one of my Strength Goals:

40kg Bottom's Up Press
Body weight was 185.

I didn't have a camera and I was by myself, but I'll try it again later this week and post a vid.

I'm training to improve my explosiveness while my body weight is down, so I'm going to see what the jumping ability is this week as well.

I tested my 40, 100m and 400m three weeks ago, so I might see where those are at right now. My times really sucked the first time around, so all I can do is go up.

Here were my times:

40 - 4.85
100m - 12.05
400m - 65.8

Uggghhh!!! The legs weren't moving like they used to, that's for sure!

On to supper. Here's a typical supper meal when I get home and cook after I chug my post-workout shake.

Spinach Salad:
Fresh Spinach
Fresh Cut Strawberries
Feta Cheese Crumbles (Not too much)
Almond Slices
Low Fat Raspberry Vinaigrette

Steamed Broccoli:
Fresh Raw Broccoli
Cooked in a Zip lock Steam Bag

Cubed New York Strip:
New York Strip - Cubed
Pan Seared in Olive Oil
Seasoned w/ Mrs. Dash

Large Glass of Water

Discount Extension!!!

2009-02-06T19:59:00.002-06:00

So I've been sick AS A DOG this week.

Because of this, I've decided to push
the deadline out for the first registration
deadline for the Jeff O'Connor, SRKC
Kettlebell Workshop.

The new deadline is:

February 13th @ 5pm.

This INCREDIBLE workshop will be priced
as folwows until the deadline.

Morning - Kettlebell Basics: $100
Afternoon - Kettlebell Application: $100
Full Day: $175 - BEST VALUE!!!

Contact me at:

806 773-3735
jason@lonestarkettlebell.com

More info can be found at:

www.lonestarkettlebell.com

I hope to be hearing from you soon!

Don't forget the new discount WILL expire
February 13 @ 5pm.

Sweet Deal I Forgot To Tell You About!!!!

2009-01-30T17:09:00.002-06:00

So I forgot to tell you about a deal I worked out for the
Jeff O'Connor, SRKC Workshop on March 7.

The first 3 people to sign up for the FULL DAY will
receive a FREE Functional Movement Screen.

You will experience the screening process popularized
by Gray Cook, MSPT, OCS, CSCS and RKC. Find
out where your imbalances and weaknesses are and
learn some corrective strategies to help balance you out.

ALSO...

The first 6 people to sign up will receive a FREE T-Shirt!!!

So get it on this early to maximize your experience!

I hope to hear from you soon!

In Strength and Health,

Jason Marshall, RKC
jason@lonestarkettlebell.com
806 773-3735
http://www.lonestarkettlebell.com/
http://jason-lonestarkettlebell.blogspot.com/

Jeff O'Connor, Senior RKC - Kettlebell Workshop!!!

2009-01-24T22:06:00.013-06:00

Clear Your Calendars!

When: Saturday, March 7, 2009

What: Jeff O’Connor, SRKC Kettlebell Workshop presented by Lone Star Kettlebell.

Location: Lubbock, TX

Contact: jason@lonestarkettlebell.com with any questions.

A Super Early Bird Discount will be offered UNTIL FEBRUARY 6, 2009 @ 5PM. So get in early while the price is right and space is available!!!

This event will be divided into two halves. However, you may attend both if you choose to do so.

The first half (9am – 1pm) will cover kettlebell basics (Swing, Get Up, Clean, Press, Squat and Snatch) with an added bonus (if time permits) for advanced kettlebell drill instruction (Windmill, Viking Push Press, Clean and Jerk, Pistol, Bent Press).

The second half (1:30pm – 5pm) will cover kettlebell applications in youth athletic development. This will be geared towards coaches and fitness professionals looking to improve their instructional skills as well as the performance and durability of their athletes.

About Mr. O’Connor:

Jeff is one of the leading experts in the country in youth athletic development and is on the cutting edge of implementing the kettlebell in his programs.

Jeff is a 4-Year Veteran of the US Navy, a 2-Time Oklahoma Strongest Man, The 2001 Winner of North America's Strongest Man in the 275lb Division (NASS), A Certified Fire Department Fitness Instructor and One of 9 Senior Russian Kettlebell Instructors in the WORLD!!! He is also a Level 1 Youth Fitness Instructor through the IYCA (International Youth Conditioning Association) and a CK-FMS (Certified Kettlebell - Funtional Movement Specialist).

Mr. O'Connor has invested his time as a career firefighter, a youth athletic development coach and a Senior RKC. His primary training focus as an instructor is on the athletic development of children and adolescents; teaching the SKILLS of strength, coordination, mobility, agility, and flexibility at the proper stages of development.

Details for this EXCLUSIVE workshop will be coming soon. Space will be limited! So be on the lookout for upcoming posts!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at jason@lonestarkettlebell.com or call 806 773-3735.

Thanks for your time and you'll be hearing from me soon!

In Strength and Health,

Jason Marshall, RKC
Lone Star Kettlebell
http://www.lonestarkettlebell.com/
jason@lonestarkettlebell.com
806 773-3735

Remember....The Super Early Bird Discount will end on February 6, 2009 @ 5pm!!!

Training Goals for 2009

2009-01-19T11:19:00.001-06:00

In no particular order....just yet. Just wanted to get them down for accountability. I'm in the middle of prioritizing these and laying down the ground work for a plan on the ones I'm tackling first.

Strength

Dead Lift 600 lbs.
Complete The Beast Challenge
Bottoms Up Press 40kg
Bend The Red Nail
COC #2 w/ Both Hands
Rip A Full Deck Of Cards In Half
Tear The Lubbock Yellow Pages In Half...The Right Way

Explosive

Box Jump 65"
Dunk A Basketball
Test and Improve - 40m, 100m, 400m Dashes

Endurance

SSST - 220 Reps
Finish USSST
80 Sets of 8 w/ 16kg - Vo2Max
1,000 Swings - 24kg Under 1 Hour
Complete 300 Challenge Under 20 Minutes

Physical

Increase Body Weight To 200+ lbs.
Drop Body Fat To Single Digits

Warrior Diet Conclusions:

2009-01-13T19:14:00.002-06:00

So I've been at it for 58 days. My body and mind are used to the Warrior Diet routine and I honestly don't crave to eat anything until late in the afternoon and early evening. Here's my findings during my experience.

Starting Weight: 196 lbs.
Today's Weight: 182 lbs.

Starting Waist Measurement: 33.5"
Today's Waist Measurement: 31"

Starting Body Fat %: 13%
Today's Body Fat %: 15%
(This data is a bit confusing to me, but here's my thoughts on it. I use a home scale with a bioelectrical impedance function to measure my body fat %, which is known to be inaccurate w/in several % points. Over the course of the diet, I noticed there wasn't much change in what the scale said in terms of body fat %, but my clothes were fitting different, specifically jeans and I could definitely tell a difference in the mirror around my waist line, specifically around my belly button, above the hips and along the obliques. My abs were becoming more defined and the "love handles" were disappearing. My thought is that due to the survival mechanism being turned on, my body may have tried to hang on to the body fat, especially the intra-abdominal fat I already had. I'm not sure on this one, but it's all I can think of because I definitely put the work in.)

In conclusion, I would recommend to anyone to try this out if it's okay with their doctor. It's worth it to feel like you're earning your supper every night.

I'm going into a different phase with different goals, so WD may not jive too well with what I want to accomplish, but I'm definitely going to keep it in my bag of tricks.

Here's an answer to a question I received from one of my clients about WD.

Question From My Client: I am reading about the warrior diet online, so has everything I have been taught, is that all wrong?

My Answer: Not wrong, just different. Everyone is unique in that they respond differently to different diet plans. The Warrior Diet worked for me. It fit with my schedule and once I got passed the hunger pangs of the first week, I actually enjoyed it. I just weighed in and my Body Fat % didn't reflect what I'm seeing in the mirror and how my clothes fit. But I feel better, my clothes are falling off of me and the abdominal fat I used to have seems to be gone.

There's so many different schools of thought on how and what to eat. WD just eliminates all of it and says, "eat like a caveman would've". They didn't have many choices and were in excellent shape. Also, the WD idea comes from ancient Roman soldiers who were required to march for 20-30 miles per day carrying half their body weight in weapons and gear. They marched all day, maybe fought an ambush or two, killed and gathered their supper and ate 1 BIG meal at night so they'd sleep well, feel rested the next day to march and fight again. These men are also considered to be some of the strongest humans, pound-for-pound, that have ever walked the earth. They only weighed 160-180 on average, so they were small men too.

My advice is to eat with a purpose. Don't live to eat, eat to live. If you have goals, your diet has to be in line with them or you're just half-ass'n it. No matter what plan you decide to do, stick with it for at least 60-90 days so you can see if it works. I just did WD for 58 days and loved the results. Hope this answered some of your questions.

P.S. Don't let me or anyone else convince you that one way of doing things or one way of thinking is better than another. Do your homework, ask questions, test it and see for yourself. It's much more rewarding that way, plus you can see if works for YOU.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

2008-12-24T12:43:00.002-06:00

This goes out to all those who read this blog...Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!! If you are traveling, I hope you are blessed with a safe trip.

I'm taking a bit of a break from the internet, so I should be back posting after the new year.

With that said, to all my RKC brethren and sistren, have a blessed holiday and new year! 2009 will promise to be full of awesome opportunities and experiences, goals to set and achieve, and PR's bested and broken. I very much look forward to it and can't wait until the next time we all meet up again!

I'll leave you all with a very good story of a high school football team that has no reason to hope, no reason to believe. They were blessed with something we all possess, but rarely give....human kindness. Enjoy!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3789373

~ Jason

Killed The Force Recon Workout Last Week!

2008-12-22T18:18:00.001-06:00

Great week of training! Strong, Light and Powerful! That's how I felt all week. I sat around 182 all week and cheated one day on Warrior Diet with a lunch on Wednesday due to a board meeting at work. This was my worst day of training. I felt nauseous after eating and felt lethargic and withdraw all during training. My body is definitely adapting to the daily fasting.

Monday - 12/15/08

Strength Circuit w/ Class:
5x3 of the following:

Front Squat - Double 40kg
Weighted Pull Up - 20kg
Dead Lift - 385lbs
Weighted Elevated Push Up - 115lbs on back

Tuesday - 12/16/08

Force Recon - Day 3

Superset:
Weighted Pull Up - 5x5 - 16kg on Foot
Clean & Press - 5x5 - Double 28kg

Front Squat - 5x5 - Double 32kg
(Rock Bottom w/ 1 second pause)

Superset:
Snatch - 5x5 - 32kg
Strict Hanging Leg Raise - 5x5

Wednesday - 12/17/08

Active Recovery:
Kettlebell Progressive Complex
Done w/ 16kg

3xL/R w/ 25 Push Ups Between Rounds
Swing, Clean, Squat, Snatch, Press, 1/2 Kneeling Press, Arm Bar Press x3, TGU

Thursday - 12/18/08

Force Recon - Day 4

Clean and Jerk - 10 Minutes
1 - Arm - 32kg for 1st 5 min., 28kg for last 5 min. (only put bell down to switch sizes.)

Fighter Sit Ups - 5x5

Superset:
100 Tactical Pull Ups (Used a Monster Mini Jump Stretch band after I hit 60)
Front Squats - Double 24kg - 10x each time I let go of the bar (took 8 sets of pull ups to complete)

Superset:
Snatch - 24kg - 5x10/10
100m Jog - 5x

The Force Recon workout Pavel wrote is the bomb! This ends week two of the brutality, but I was able to dramatically increase the weight I used from last week and decrease the amount of time the workouts took to complete.

Not sure what's going on physiologically, but I've maintained my weight all week and increased my strength and stamina without eating ANYTHING during the day (with the exception of Wed. and I felt like crap for it). No matter what, I'm digging the results!

Kevin got a new stock pile of 60 Penny Nails for some bending fun. One day I plan on trying to bend (X) number of nails for time. I've never tried it before like that, but Adam Glass is definitely inspiring enough to try it. I just need to pick a fresh day when wrists and hands aren't so sore.

Last Week In Review:

2008-12-15T23:04:00.006-06:00

Training was a little different as compared to last week. I started a Force Recon workout that was written by Pavel. This will be a staple Tuesday/Thursday workout for the fighters. The Force Recon workout looked like this.

Tuesday:
Superset:
Weighted Pull Ups - 12kg - 5x5
Clean and Press - Double 24kg - 5x5

Rock Bottom Front Squat w/ 1 second Pause - Double 24kg - 5x5

Superset:
Snatch - 32kg - 5/5x5
Strict Hanging Leg Raise - 5x5

Thursday:
Single Arm Clean and Jerk - 24kg - 10 minutes (never put the bell down)
Heavy Abs - Fighter Sit Ups - 5x5

Superset:
Pull Ups - 100 Total
Front Squats - Double 24kg - 10 Reps Every Time You Let Go Of The Bar
(This sucked! I managed the whole thing in 8 Sets - 100 Pull Ups, 80 Front Squats)

Superset:
Snatch - 24kg - 10/10x5 (100 total)
100 Yard Jog - x5

I was very fortunate to get an opportunity to meet up with a group of high school athletes and their coaches from Monterey High School here in Lubbock. There was about 60 kids, Freshman thru Juniors. They all plan on playing varsity football as Linemen or Linebackers next year. We worked on the Swing and Turkish Get Up. They did great and I think they'll really get a ton out of implementing the techniques I showed them in their program.

Afterward, I showed them a little steel bending with some 60 Penny Nails I brought. This was a lot of fun and they all wanted to take a crack at it and keep the nails I bent. Then they wanted to see me jump because I was talking to them about the benefits the Double KB Swing can have as an awesome hip developer for explosiveness. So, Coach brought out their Vertical Jump Kit and tested my hops for the first time since high school. My standing reach was 89" (7 feet, 5 inches). After a few attempts, my best jump was 123" (10 feet, 3 inches) for a standing vertical jump of 34". Not bad for a 31-year old that's 50 pounds heavier than his high school version.

Another notable PR happened Monday while doing Bottom's Up Presses. I hit the 36kg for 2 reps on the right and 1 on the left. I'm getting closer to that 40kg! Then I repped out the 32kg for 5 consecutive reps! I wish I had my video camera!...Next time!

I also hit a bending PR with a 5" piece of 1/4" Cold Rolled Steel. The equivalent of a Blue Nail, but an inch shorter. After about 6 hits, double overhand style, I got it to 90 degrees and finished it off to 1.5". This was by far my toughest bend!

Warrior Diet has been going pretty well. Adherence is about 95% during the week and about 80% on the weekends. I've trimmed down to about 182 pounds, give or take 3 pounds, from a steady 195. I definitely look more defined, mainly in the mid-section, so the abdominal fat loss has been a nice side effect. I think I'm going to keep it up until the end of the year. (I don't want to get so light I'll fly away, you know)

Look Who's Kettlebellin'

2008-12-05T16:13:00.007-06:00

I've talked to several endurance athletes since I've become a Kettlebell Instructor through RKC and they have relatively the same thing to say about kettlebells. Too much strength training. How do you get cardio out of that? I don't want to bulk up...etc. Well, here's a pic of arguably the best endurance athlete of all time with this magical ball of iron....so you tell me, is it for endurance athletes?

Training Week - 12/01/08 - 12/04/08

12/1/08 - Monday

Bottom's Up Press - 24kg

3x1,2,3,4,5

Superset w/ Barbell Bent Rows 225 - 3x1,2135 - 3x3,4,5

3x3 of the following:

Front Squat - Double 40kg

Pull Up - 20kg

Dead Lift - 275

Push Up - Elevated w/ 2-45lb Plates and 30lb Chain on neck

12/2/08 - Tuesday

Vo2 Max - 16kg - 40 sets of 8 - :15/:15

12/3/08 - Wednesday

Active Recovery

Progressive Complex - 12kg

3 Rounds both Left and Right

Swing

Swing, Snatch

Swing, Snatch, Press

Swing, Snatch, Press, Windmill

Swing, Snatch, Press, Windmill, Overhead Squat

Swing, Snatch, Press, Windmill, Overhead Squat, Half Kneeling Press

Swing, Snatch, Press, Windmill, Overhead Squat, Half Kneeling Press, Arm Bar Press x 3, TGU

25 Push Ups between each round

12/4/08 - Thursday

Barbell Front Squat

135 x 10

225 x 5

275 x 2

315 x 1

Tried box jumps again. Hit 61 inches 3 times, which is 3 of my tires stacked on each other. Mixed in Barbell Back Squats ~ 3x5 225

Worked the circuits with the late class.

No short bending this week. I still need to go to the store. I did buy some cards at the dollar store and started on card tearing 'cause I've ripped everything I had in the house with exception of 2 decks. Tearing cards is extremely tough for me. I don't know if I'm doing it wrong, but when I watch vids of other guys do it, I can't seem to mimic it with the same grips. Plus it's pretty painful. I did get a full Lubbock Yellow pages phonebook yesterday the "right" way. It's about 1.5 inches thick. I was showing the guys how to do both techniques (parlor trick and strongman) and when showing the strength version the pages just popped apart...it looked as if I'd chopped the top of the book with a machete. Pretty cool! So I finished it off, which took me a little bit. I'll keep grinding at the card tearing. I'm at 30 or so cards now and the tears are ugly....very curvy and the cards are a mess when I'm done. What's crazy is my grip is stronger than it's ever been right now and this seems to be impossible to me right now. The tortoise wins the race with this I guess.

3 Days Of GTG

2008-11-26T21:45:00.004-06:00

GTG = Grease The Groove

I know there's a technical definition for this in a training application, but for me it's just do what you want and do it light enough to not over-exert.

Monday, I worked some Bottom's Up Presses after I worked with a class. I really want to hit the 40kg (Bulldog), but it still eludes me.

Team Goblet Squat Ladders (Courtesy of Jeff O'Connor)
24kg - 3x1,2,3,4,5

Bottom's Up Press
28kg - 3x2/2
32kg - 1x1/1
36kg - 1x1 Right, Failed Left
40kg - Good Clean and held it for a bit, 1/2 Pressed and it toppled on me. Soon!!!

Pull Ups
5x3

Tuesday, I worked with my late class. Complexes were on the menu with an interesting approach to the TGU.

TGU - 24kg
Pausing at each individual section of the get up.
1:20 on the way up
1:20 on the way down

1 Left and 1 Right = Over 5 minutes for 2 TGU's! This was brutal, but my shoulders felt unreal and fresh afterwards.

Complex - 5x1,2,3
All done 1-arm and switch
Swing, Clean, Squat, Press, Snatch

Then...40 Swings, 30 Rows (15/15), 20 Squats, 10 Burpees

Wednesday, we worked for our Thanksgiving Turkey. Early class 10 Swings on the minute for 40 minutes (400 swings). 2 late classes, 15 swings on the minute for 40 minutes (600 swings). Rest period was mixture of Fast and Loose and whatever we wanted to work on...Pull Ups, Abs, etc. Great workout and it went surprisingly fast.

Bending and tearing worth mentioning: I've ripped around 10 phone books since Monday. One at work went in 6 seconds!! The thing just exploded on my first rip and felt like it just fell apart. I've gone through all of my bag of nails (except for the Reds) and the stock that I'd cut to blue nail length. I've been working 3-6 blue nails/day. Double Overhand, Double Underhand and Reverse with both hands in front. DU and Reverse are finished DO after the initial bend. Blue nails are becoming good practice, so I'm gonna have to go to the hardware store and stock up on some tougher fare. I printed out "How To Bend The Red Nail" today, and I'm looking forward to reading it. I've kinked one, but it's like pushing on a brick wall.

Last Week's Training and My Impressions of The Warrior Diet

2008-11-24T16:13:00.003-06:00

Last Sunday I made the decision to REALLY clean up my eating habits. Not just some of the time. Not just the weekdays. Not just breakfast and lunch. ALL THE TIME! So, I gravitated towards The Warrior Diet (WD) and began last Monday morning.

For those that don't know, WD is a way of life, not just a diet. It's a way to harness your innate survival skills and take control of your life. Within one week I've been able to break many of my old bad habits and get started on a nutritional plan that really works great for anyone willing to put forth the effort.

WD Positives

I LOVE being able to "feast" at night after I'm done training. Before WD, I was never really that hungry when I went home and consistently missed the ever-important post-workout meal.

I am no longer a slave to food. I now make food work for me and benefit me the way I want it to.

I am sharper during the day. Have more energy. Sleep better at night.

I want to eat "Good," "Healthy," "Nutritious" food at night during my feast. I no-longer crave the junk food at fast food joints on my way home. I want fuel and I want the best there is to offer. Not something that's only going to stay with me for a few hours.

WD Negatives

It's a little mental at first. Hunger will definitely play with your mind. Good thing the WD allows for mid-day snacks. Thank you almonds!

I flopped twice last week. Both times at work when we had company-prepared meals. I just didn't have the guts to not get a plate.

To sum up, WD seems to be an awesome way to eat and live...FOR ME! It may not be for you, but so far this is working great and I haven't felt this good about a nutrition plan in quite a while. I've been in compliance everyday (8 days now) with exception to the 2 meals at work last week (which really weren't that bad), but I still cheated. The holidays may put an even tougher dose of peer pressure on me, but I'll try to gut it out.

Training

I hit some PR's last week, mostly with bending - Refer to my previous post. I tried my snatch test on Thursday instead of hitting Vo2 Max due to time and I hit 100 reps w/ 24kg in 3:46. I don't think I've ever timed 100 reps before, but it felt good and there is some room for improvement.

I also hit an old school workout with one of my clients...All Barbell. Bench Press, Bent Rows, Dips, Straight Bar Curls, Pull Ups and Abs...of course. I was sore as a dog after this. The old hypertrophy days awakened the DOMS demons, but it was cool to do something old fashioned.

This week may be more of a lay off week to coincide with Thanksgiving. Probably GTG stuff and some more bending.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! I know I'm going to be looking forward to Thanksgiving supper! ;-)

The Blue Nail...Crushed!

2008-11-17T23:26:00.003-06:00

I tried bending Iron Mind's blue nail for the first time today. I'd been consistently crushing yellow nails and got a pair of leather wraps...Thanks Kevin! Much more comfortable compaired to the IM wraps.

Here's a vid of the workout today and pic of the damage...

Full, Un-Sick Week!

2008-11-13T21:56:00.003-06:00

Had a great week training. Hit my goals and made some significant gains. Amidst teaching classes, I feel great about the little successes as time is usually my deal-breaker when getting the workouts in that I've planned.

Monday - 11-10-08

Bottoms Up Press Ladders
2x1,2,3,4,5 w/ 24kg
Superset Each Rung w/
3 - 135lb Barbell Hang Cleans

Bending:
Green - Reverse Grip (1st try to get the groove - THANKS Adam Glass!!!)
2 - Yellow - Reverse Grip - Very Easy
1 - Yellow - Double Overhand
2 - 60D Nails - Reverse Grip

I'll try to get some vids out there of this for critiquing.

Tuesday - 11-11-08

TGU - 5 mins

Beast Goblet Squat
Bottoms Up - 5x5
Superset w/
Pull Ups - 5x5

Vo2 Max - 40 sets of 8 w/ 16kg

Wednesday - 11-12-08 - With Class

Circuit - :30/:30 - 3x
Double KB Squat Thrust
Planks
Swings
Double KB Overhead Lockout
Burpees
Sling Shots

Ab/Low Back Circuit

Thursday - 11-13-08

TGU - 5 mins

Barbell Front Squat - Worked up to:
245x3
295x1
315x1

Superset w/ Barbell Power (Muscle) Cleans
135
185
205
225

Work w/ Class:

Snatch w/ 24kg - 20/20, 15/15, 10/10, 5/5 ~ 4 mins.
Push Ups - 10x10
Swing - 40x
Squat - 30x
Swing - 20x
Squat - 10x
Pull Ups - 4x5

More Bending:
2 Yellows, Reverse Grip
1 Yellow, Double Overhand

The nail bending is really coming along. My wrists, thumbs and hands in general are sore as all get out for several hours after a session, but the pain soon goes away. I've been doing all of my bending with the canvas Iron Mind wraps that comes with a bag of nails. From what I've read, this is the most uncomfortable way to bend, but it's suited me fine this far. I'm getting some leather wraps to try that out soon. I'm ready to move up to consistently smashing blue nails, but I'm not quite there yet. I think with consistency, it'll come. Patience is the key with this stuff!

The beauty of the bending/tension work is that my overall strength continues to improve. With the V02 Max training, my stamina and staying power is still there as well. It seems to be a great mix.

Two Good Days = A Good Week For Me!

2008-11-06T22:09:00.002-06:00

I had a good two days back to back in training. My sinus/head cold subsided and I was able to actually muster the energy to do something in class instead of just coach.

Wednesday - 11-5-08

Variety Day
Circuits w/ Class :30 Work/:30 Rest = 3X
- Snatch
- Planks
- Box Jumps
- Jump Rope
- See Saw Press
- Dead Lifts

Thursday - 11-6-08

Lift Sumpin' Heavy!

Front Squat
Worked up to singles of:
245
265
275

Power Clean
135 1x5
185 2x3
205 1x3

With Class:
- Team Swings and TGU
- Team Front Squat Ladders - 2X1,2,3,4,5
- Smoker - 3X
Heavy 1-Arm Swings - 5/5 - 40kg
Snatch - 5/5 - 32kg
Heavy 1-Arm Swings - 10/10 - 40kg
Snatch - 5/5 - 32kg

BRUTAL!

Hiatus…

2008-11-04T17:59:00.004-06:00

So I've been a little less than active with my cyber-presence lately. There are many reasons for this…some legit, some not, but they would all sound like excuses to the outside world, so I'll just gut it up and move forward.

First off…WRECK EM TECH!

My alma mater, Texas Tech University, where football reigns king, is on the national charts with a huge win over #1 Texas last Saturday. If you missed it, you missed the game of the year. I couldn't be prouder…BUT, the win means nothing if they get taken down this Saturday against a very talented, determined Oklahoma State team. So stay focused, stay in your zone and beat the hell out of the Cowboys!!! For those interested in football, you don't want to miss this game. It will be a high flying shootout as both offenses have been putting up serious numbers. 7pm Central on ABC.

Secondly…The Election.

In a nutshell, I'm worried. Our society needs to think more like these guys:

"The fact remains that the overwhelming majority of people who have become wealthy have become so thanks to work they found profoundly absorbing...The long term study of people reveals that their 'luck' arose from accidental dedication they had to an area they enjoyed."

- Srully Blotnick

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."

- Thomas Jefferson

The idea of entitlement will cripple this country.

Finally...On to training:

I've been toying with a new training program to see how I like the combination. Here's what it looks like:

Monday:

Heavy Clean and Press - Ladder Style

Superset w/ Pull Ups, Barbell Rows or Barbell Hang Cleans

Tuesday:

Beast Goblet Squat 5X5

Vo2 Max Day - Started with 40 sets of 8 w/ 16kg - Will work up each week

Wednesday:

Goof Off/Variety Day

Thursday:

Heavy Pull or Press Day - Dead Lift, Squat, or Power Clean and Front Squat

Double Swings

Friday - Sunday:

Off

Intermittent bending and grip work throughout the week. I've been hitting yellow nails like they're made of rubber. But the blue nail…not so much.

This schedule works with my training, full-time job, social and marriage life(lives). I think I can get strong and conditioned at the same time with this, so I'm going to test it for awhile. Around the beginning of the year, I'll make my way into a Power lifting mode. I'd like to do another full meet next year…maybe coincide with the TSC and then train the techniques for RKC II.

RKC - Assistant Instructor

2008-10-19T17:01:00.002-05:00

This post is a bit belated, but this last week has been anything but normal. I'll try to do my best to recount the weekend and experience 'cause I'm still coming down from the "high" of it all. If you've ever been to an RKC event, you know what I mean.

Rather than give a minute-by-minute accounting, I'll just piece together things that are on my mind about the experience as I write about them.

You can not put a price tag or come close to estimating the value of being close to the best trainers in the world. If you've ever felt like you don't fit in because of the way you train, eat or live your life, the RKC just reaffirms the fact that there are others out there who "get it." Just being around other instructors and teaching aspiring instructors that feel the same way is priceless.

Dave Whitley's (Senior RKC) grip strength is really taking off. If you get a chance, have him tear something up in front of you and then you try it. It'll humble you in a hurry. He's one strong dude!

I was on Team Ron Morris (RKC - Team Leader) with another assistant instructor, Jason Wood, RKC. Our team came in and started a little rough around the edges, but the transformation that was made, the progress that we witnessed was unbelievable. Congrats and huge thanks goes out to all of Team Morris and I wish you all the best!

This post would not be complete if I didn't say a huge thank you to Pavel, our Chief Instructor, Master RKC, Brett Jones, the Senior RKC's: Dave Whitley and Jeff O'Connor, RKC Team Leader, Ron Morris and all the Assistant Instructors. I'd also like to thank and congratulate the Dragon Door staff for making the cert so seamless and memorable!

I'm becoming more aware that some of the best times of an RKC event are Sunday night after grad workouts where everyone can celebrate their accomplishments. This cert was no different with good food, drinks, conversation and entertainment, courtesy of many "Hold My Beer/Purse And Watch This" moments.

This cert was special because I was invited by Fawn Friday, RKC to check out her gym and talk shop before my plane headed out. Fawn is amazingly strong and can do stuff most of my male students can't do. It was truly an honor and a pleasure to hang out with Fawn and I would encourage those of you in the St Paul/Minneapolis area to do the same.

All in all, assisting at an RKC event can't be explained, just experienced. I would do it again in a heartbeat and hope to have the opportunity to do so in the near future.

Off To St Paul

2008-10-08T21:22:00.002-05:00

In the morning I'm off to St Paul, MN to serve as an Assistant Instructor at the coveted, RKC...THE Gold Standard in kettlebell instructor certifications. I'm totally stoked about the upcoming weekend and can't wait to soak up all it has to offer. I'm looking forward to seeing some old and new acquaintances and building new friendships. This is such an exciting experience and I hope there are many more to come in the future.

RKC, here we go!

Hard Style!

The Birthday 300

2008-10-01T22:00:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I had a birthday today and I'm off and running into my thirties....31 to be exact. I decided to give myself a little challenge and some of my students decided to follow suit. Here's my sinister Hard Style version of the 300 workout to honor my 31st year of life.

Swings - 24kg - 31 reps
Dead Lifts - 48kg - 31 reps
Push Ups - 31 reps
Box Jump - 32 inch Tire - 31 reps
Snatch Left - 16kg - 31 reps
Clean & Press Right - 20kg - 31 reps
Front Squat - 24kg - 31 reps
Snatch Right - 16kg - 31 reps
Clean & Press Left - 20kg - 31 reps
Burpees - 31 reps

Total reps = 310 in ~ 20 minutes

So it wasn't exactly 300, but that's what made it so exciting! J/K I almost threw up, but I made it through and was glad I did it. Kind of a commemorative workout to celebrate. As Spriggs said, "I hate to see what I come up with when I'm 50." ;-)

My little brother (6'3" 195), Trevor, got me the new Metallica CD and a Ghost Recon game for my PSP. I listened to the first 5 songs on the way home and I'm totally digging the new album. Sounds like they're getting back to their old roots of head bangin', fist-pumpin' beats with oodles of face-melting rifs and solos. Love it! This will be standard fare in the gym beginning immediately! Thanks (little big) Bro!

Friday, I'm off to Frisco, TX with my buddy Kevin and his family to meet up with the Blifferts and Dave Whitley to attend the Iron Tamer's famous Kettlebell Workshop. I'm really stoked about Saturday and can't wait to see how the day goes.

Next week will be a monumental one as I'm off to St Paul, MN to participate in the Level 1 RKC cert as an Assistant Instructor. This is such a huge honor and I'm very fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity. Again, this is going to be such a great experience to see how things are done at an RKC from behind the scenes and from an instructor's eyes. I'm expecting to pull more away (if it's possible) from this than I did as a fledgling RKC in training. Starting to get butterflies!

My Core Values In Bullet Points

2008-09-25T17:24:00.002-05:00

The following is a short list that I was compelled to put on paper and will hopefully help me to be more accountable in adhering to my core values. Even though these are things that I believe in, I am sometimes led astray and don't always walk the walk. They are listed in no particular order with exception to the first bullet. This was a very good exercise as I not only attempted to define who I am, but who I want to be, which might be more important because life is a process. I feel the list may eventually evolve, but it's a good starting place for now.

God First, Family Second, Career Third.
Predicate your self image with action.
Carve yourself by what you do.
Don’t be concerned with the outside influence of materialism.
Looks are temporary, actions may last forever.
Help others when you CAN.
Eliminate negative thoughts and trash the words, “Can’t and Won’t.”
Don’t enslave yourself with excuses.
Don’t be an excuse.
See yourself without limitations.
Make confidence a forethought in everything you do.
Harbor confidence with quiet humbleness.
Be unpredictably strong.
Be content to learn for the rest of your days
Never settle.
Assume nothing.
Enjoy life.
Appreciate everything.
Take opportunities when you get them. They may never come back.
Embrace youth.
Respect the elderly.
If you believe in something, always stand your ground.
Be nice.
Agree to disagree.
Never quit.

Firing On All Cylinders

2008-09-23T21:09:00.006-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days where everything clicked? Everything just felt right? All the planets and moons were in alignment? Your engine was firing on all cylinders? I had one of those days today. I had an excellent, restful night of sleep last night. I woke up refreshed and had a small, but healthy breakfast meal. I was very productive at work (day job) all day and snacked on healthy little meals all day until training. I taught a newbie (great job Emily!) before my late class and was feeling even better. I decided to lower the hammer on the 6:30 class tonight. They're mainly my advanced guys and we experimented with a different warm up and I introduced them to an RKC Grad Workout. I participated with them during the warm up after teaching the progressions and I couldn't believe how prepared I felt for the workout. The main course of the workout was tough and challenging, but not too stressful. A little stretch routine at the end completed an extremely fulfilling session. I ate well right after training and chilled out in front of the tube for an hour or so. Off to bed to see if I can't duplicate this tomorrow!!!

Here's my workout today including warm ups:

Z Health - Neural Warm Up Level 1

Planks - Various Positions - :30 Each - 4x

Demo for newbie - About an hour of core exercises...all very light.

Warm Up w/ Advanced Class - Various Partner Active Straight Leg Raise Exercises

Continued Warm Up Circuit - 3x

Single Leg Dead Lift - 40kg - 3/3

Turkish Get Up - 24kg - 1/1

Strength Circuit - 5x

Front Squat - 28kg - 3

Row - 28kg - 3/3

Finisher - RKC Grad Workout - 20 Sets

Walking See Saw Press - Double 24kg - :20

2-Hand Swings - 24kg - :20

BTW: The guys did awesome in this one! It was extremely demanding and I'm sure they're looking forward to the next one!

TSC Results - 9-13-08

2008-09-14T15:29:00.003-05:00

The TSC was a success this weekend. There were 4 competitors including myself. 2 of the guys drove all the way from Edmond, OK (5 hours) to compete. Here's how everyone did:

Andy Tschetler - 22
Body Weight - 187
Open Division
Best Dead Lift - 425
Pull Up - 23
Snatch Test - 136

David Spriggs - 22
Body Weight - 278
Open Division
Best Dead Lift - 445 (PR)
Pull Up - 1
Snatch Test - 94 (PR)

David Kliewer - 23
Body Weight - 189
Open Division
Best Dead Lift - 545 (PR)
Pull Up - 21
Snatch Test - 122

Jason Marshall - 30
Body Weight - 189
Open Division
Best Dead Lift - 550 (PR in Conventional Stance)
Pull Up - 20 (PR)
Snatch Test - 123 (PR)

Here's a video compilation of the event. I'll eventually have a video of each competitor's lifts posted individually. Youtube can be a bit slow on the upload.

My thoughts on the challenge:
I chose to pull all my dead lift attempts in the conventional stance. My natural stance is sumo and I definitely feel I have more leverage in sumo with my body type (My Sumo PR is 565). So conventional is out of my comfort zone, but I'm getting better at it. The attempt at 550 was the slowest pull I've ever done (10 seconds I think). I pulled a callus during that attempt which set my hands up for a day of brutality.

The pull ups were much better this time around. Last TSC I did the pull ups on my fat bar pull up bar on my power rack. My buddy, Kevin Hays, constructed a pull up apparatus that'll hold 5 people. We can now hang rings, heavy bags and ropes. Plus the pull up bar is of a normal diameter. I again pulled another callus on my pull ups. Next up was the snatch.

I knew this was going to be a killer. I hadn't practiced snatches at all for the TSC. Even after slathering my hand and the KB handle with chalk, the skin on my hands peeled back like the rind on an orange. At the end of the day the callus pull and blister tally was up to six. I was sort of happy with my results (PR in this test), but I was disappointed in my conditioning. I'll be working on this very soon...can you say Vo2 Max?

All in all, it was a good day. I really enjoyed hanging out with the guys that participated. They all did very well and everyone hit PR's which makes the event worth it. Mr. Kliewer is a helluva puller and I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him in the future. Mr. Tschetler has amazing muscular endurance and blew me away with his snatch and pull up numbers. Mr. Spriggs made huge strides from the last TSC (PR in all 3). He's only going to get better and stronger! I'll definitely be up for the next one in the spring and hope to see everyone back and some new faces.

Day Before TSC

2008-09-12T22:08:00.002-05:00

I did some corrective and warm up work today as well as played around with the Jump Stretch Bands a little. Had a good day with the classes. The routine was as hard as it's ever been and couldn't have been more simple.

Warm Up
Z Health NWL1
2 mins of Various Planks
2 mins of Suit Case Farmer Carry

Circuit the following for 10X
Swings - 15x
TGU - 1/1
Burpees - 5x
Planks - 10 sec

I had the fighters used an old trick from an article Pavel wrote for Rock Climbers to strengthen grip....Soapy Swings. We soaped up the hands and KB handles and rotated 2-Hand, 1-Hand and H2H for the circuit. I also had them to the Burpees and Planks with a Jump Stretch Band wrapped around their neck and under their feet. A couple other guys did the Accelerated Eccentric Swings for the whole circuit.

This was a great workout for any level of class and was scalable and tailored to the diverse client base I train. You've got the Program Minimum with a couple Body Weight exercises and "Presto", you've got an efficient yet difficult workout for an entire group of people.

Tomorrow morning I'm hosting my second International Tactical Strength Challenge. I'm looking forward to it and I'm especially interested in the results and who will come out to compete. Good luck to all who are participating!

Vo2 Max and Staying Fresh

2008-09-11T18:24:00.003-05:00

After last Thursday's base line test for the Vo2 Max snatch protocol, I tried it out as a workout accompanied by my corrective strategies. I hit 40 sets :15/:15 @ 8 reps per set w/ the 16kg. This was a nice cardio booster, but the high humidity that day and my hands fought with the kettlebell handle and I landed 3 nice-size blood blisters under my calluses (2 Right, 1 Left). Very little pain involved, but a nuisance none the less. Without much practice in the snatch the last month or so, I have neglected my hand care and suffered the consequences.

Friday, Sept. 5, 2008

Corrective Work

ASLR
Wall Sit w/ OH Press
Brettzel
Arm Bar
Corrective Get Up
Planks
Farmers Suit Case Carry

Vo2 Max Snatch - :15/:15 - 16kg
40 sets - 20 minutes
8 reps/set
Switched hands each set.

Monday, Sept. 8, 2008

Corrective Work
Same as Friday

Following Circuit 4 Times - Done w/ 24kg
SLDL - 5/5
25 Swings
2 Point Renegade Row - 5/5
25 Swings
Push Up on KB Handles - 5
25 Swings

Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008

Corrective Work
Z Health NWL1 - Twice during the day

Various Pull Ups and Snatches Between Classes

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008

Corrective Work
Z Health NWL1 - Twice during the day

Also various Pull Ups, Snatches and Few Bottoms Up Presses between classes

The classes did:

- TGU - 5 mins.
Then Circuit the following
- :30 work, :30 rest - 3X
- Box Jump or Step Ups
- Planks
- Jump Rope
- Med Ball Slams
- KB Dead Lift
- Halos or Accelerated Eccentric Swings

I'll take Thursday and Friday off before the TSC and see how it goes. I really haven't trained that specifically for the TSC this time around, so I'm interested to see how I'll do. I haven't decided whether I'll compete in the Open or Elite division. I think I'll play it by ear and decide the morning of. I honestly haven't tried to snatch a bell heavier than 24kg in months. Even then I've only snatched the 16kg for my Vo2 Max stuff.

I implemented and coached the Accelerated Eccentric Swing yesterday and everyone loved it. (Okay, maybe some have love/hate relationship with it) Thanks to Pavel for bringing it back to my attention! You can use a bell 1/4 to 1/2 the size you normally use and it'll smoke you even worse than the heavy bell. I'd for some reason forgotten about this little gem and haven't taught this version in a while. Now it'll become a staple for my more experienced KB'ers.

A Great Link And Feelin' Good!

2008-09-04T20:55:00.005-05:00

First off I'd like to share a link to a song that was forwarded to me via email today: Before You Go This was written and dedicated as a small token of appreciation for the aging veteran population that have fought and died in this country's greatest wars. Please go to the link and forward it to those you know. Think of what our lives would be like if these heroes had not selflessly given of themselves to preserve our way of life. Everyone of us is or has been touched and influenced by the military in some way, whether it be a grandparent or parent, wife or husband, sister or brother, aunt or uncle, cousin or friend. Thanks to all of you for what you have done and what you continue to do!!!

===================================================

I've been feeling really good the last few days. Sleeping well. Eating well. Training well. By falling asleep on my back, I've drastically reduced the amount of pain I was experiencing in my shoulders. I've also taken the last few weeks to back off any heavy over head work other than isometrics or BUP (which have all been light). The new sleeping habits combined with a mindful work ethic has really paid good dividends.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Corrective Work

Elevated Conventional Dead Lift - Standing on 45# Plates
225 - 5x5

Grip Work
COC - Trainer, #1, #2
Ripped a 2" Phone Book
Bent a Yellow Nail - Double Overhand

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Corrective Work

The Following Circuit For 20 Minutes (Total Reps for the whole workout in parentheses):
Pull Up - 12kg on foot - x3 (24)
Push Up - x5 (40)
Dead Lift - 245lbs. - x3 (24)
KB Front Squat - Double 20kg - x5 (40)
Renegade Row - Double 20kg - x3/3 (24/24)
Tire Sledge Hammer Slams - 20lb Sledge - x5/5 (40/40)

Hit 8 Rounds Right At The 20 Minute Mark.

Vo2 Max Base Line Test - 16kg
Minute 1 - 8
Minute 2 - 12
Minute 3 - 15
Minute 4 - 20
Minute 5 - 30 (30/4 = 7.5)
Round up to 8 reps for future Vo2 Max Sets.

This felt really nice on the shoulders. The perfect load with the perfect range of motion for the perfect amount of time!

Then...goofed around with some hurdle jumps and broad jumps. I hit 9 feet exactly (108 inches or 274 cm) on the broad jump. I don't know if that's good, but it's fun to do!

Ripped A Workout And Some Crazy Stuff

2008-09-02T21:18:00.003-05:00

I totally ripped off of Brett Jones today. I read his blog and his workout on Sept 1 set off that tuning fork inside and I decided to pass on the glory of simplicity training. A couple tweaks here and there, but a very nice workout. Thanks Brett!

Last two training days...

Friday, August 29, 2008

Worked Out with the BJJ guys both days.

Corrective Work:
Wall Sit w/ OH Press
Rolling
ASLR
Corrective Get Up
Planks
Suitcase Carry

SLDL 3x10/10

Superset:
H2H Swings 10x20 - 24kg
Sledge Hammer Tire Slams 10x5/5 - 10lb Sledge

Superset:
Guard Press in 3 Bridge Positions 3x10/10 - Double 24kg
Armadillo Sit Ups 3x5

Monday, September 2, 2008

Corrective Work

Brett Jones' RKC Prep Workout

All Done 2X
2 arm Swing x 20 - 48kg
Get-up x 5/5 - 24kg
One arm Swing x 10/10 - 32kg
MP x 6/6 (Changed this to Cleans 6/6) - 32kg
Alternating Swing x 20 - 32kg
Clean and Front Squat x 6/6 - Double 32kg
2 arm Swing x 20 - 48kg
Snatch x 10/10 (Changed this to Cleans 10/10) - 32kg
Alternating Swing x 20 - 32kg

The weights are what I used, not necessarily all classes, and it smoked my butt!

Then....some crazy stuff ensued after classes while I was teaching a little plyo circuit to my little brother (basketball player). I got on the hurdles he was jumping which are just some PVC pipes about 18 inches tall and started doing some L-sits into hand stands (probably 5). Then I went to my power rack and tried the Human Flag - maybe 2 seconds. I've got a client that can do this at will (former gymnast). And then I tried out the new rings for my first Muscle Ups. I got 3 and tried the Iron Cross - totally crapped out on this. I have a new and complete appreciation and admiration for gymnasts. Holy crap!

New Challenges and New Roads Ahead!

2008-08-28T21:57:00.002-05:00

Seems like things are in overdrive! Training is full speed ahead personally and client-wise. TSC is coming up in a couple weeks then Whitley's workshop a few weeks later in Frisco. One week later, the October RKC in the role of an Assistant Instructor this time, 1 year anniversary of my RKC. (I'm totally humbled and privelged to be on that roster!) Then it's road gear and full throttle for the RKC II next June in St Paul. The requirements are stiffer and the curriculum appears to be better than ever. Once again, a three day knowledge tempest to spend weeks, if not months, digesting post-attendance.

At the same time the circus-like juggling act of work, training, teaching and life will continue to challenge and perplex me which forces maturation and growth like no other. I look forward to the coming months and hope to absorb and apply everything ahead!

Simple training...

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2008

Corrective work:
Farmers Carries
Lots and Lots of Planks
Lots and Lots of Technique Demo

Thursday, Aug 28, 2008

Goof-off day
Worked a pair of 12kg KB's for about 40 minutes. I have no idea how many reps of everything I did, but I switched doubles and singles at will. I just did what ever came to mind. Alone in my thoughts.

Two Arm Swings
H2H Swings
Double Swings
Single Hand Juggling
Double KB Juggling
Bottoms Up Press
Bottoms Up See Saw Press
Bottoms Up Stacked KB Press
Iron Cross
Snatches
Double Snatches
Double Alternating Snatches
COC Grippers: Trainer, #1 and #2

This was a nice mindless workout. Nothing more, nothing less.

New PR!

2008-08-26T19:46:00.002-05:00

PR'd my Conventional Dead Lift Today! Details below...

Last week was a good training week as I'm still working in my FMS corrective strategies. I've been teaching classes virtually everyday, so I'm getting a lot of residual work while I'm demonstrating technique that I sometimes oversee as actual training. I'm trying to be more mindful of this "work" so I can stay fresh for my "real" training sessions.

I've had a little shoulder flare up recently which I'm convinced is due to my funky sleeping positions. I usually sleep on my belly without a pillow, face turned to the side and my arms are overhead in a "goal-post" position. If I'm not in that position, I'm on my side with my shoulder turned in towards my chest with my arm straight in front of me and my head resting on my down shoulder. I'm not sure how to change this, but maybe a mattress change would help? Not sure.

Off to training…

Corrective Strategies Everyday:
ASLR
Corrective Get Up w/ OH Walks
Wall Sit w/ OH Press
T-Spine Rotation
Windshield Wiper
Brettzel

Thursday - Aug. 21

Dead Lift - Conventional Stance
245 - 8x3 - Double Overhand Thumbless Grip

Single Arm Dead Cleans - 4 Rounds - Went right up the ladder for each set.
24kg - 3/3
36kg - 3/3
48kg - 3/3

Superset w/ BW Pull Ups
5 Each Round

Friday - Aug. 22

KB Dead Lift
48kg 5x5

Suit Case Farmer Carry
36kg 5/5 - 30sec each

Tuesday - Aug. 26

Weighed - 189 lbs.
Dead Lift - Conventional Stance
Worked up to a heavy single
245 1x3
335 1x2
425 1x2
475 1x1
515 1x1
535 1x1 - PR in Conventional Stance!!!! The pull was slow and really made it hard to keep the upper back tight and shoulders sunk, but I locked it out none the less.

Suit Case Farmer Carry
36kg - 3/3 - 30sec each

Double KB Work - Done as a complex

Dead Clean
Front Squat (Reset each clean before front squat)
Renegade Row
Push Up
Dead Lift

2 - 24kg 1x3
2 - 28kg 1x3
2 - 32kg 3x3

Warm Down:
Bottom's Up Tall Kneeling Press
12kg - 2 x 5/5

Half Kneeling Press
12kg - 2 x 5/5

Assistance and Prehab

2008-08-18T21:17:00.002-05:00

Worked a little Dead Lift assistance and Prehab today. Corrective Strategies seem to be working their magic while I'm shifting gears to training for the TSC for a few weeks.

Warm Up:
TGU w/ OH Walks and T-Spine/C-Spine Clearing
Half Kneeling Press

Superset:
Double KB Front Squat
2 - 16kg 5
2 - 24kg 5
2 - 32kg 3x5

Romanian Dead Lift - Off Box
135 5x8

Double KB Swings
3 Rounds starting with the heavy bells and consecutively working my way down to the lighter bells on the top of the minute w/ a minute rest
2 - 32kg x 5
2 - 40kg x 5
2 - 48kg x 5

This got my heart rate up pretty good. The larger bells are hard for a guy like me with short legs, but the dynamics of the hip extension is unreal.

Warm Down w/ Late Class

All w/ 16kg
More TGUs w/ OH Walks and Spinal Rotation - 2 x L/R
(Held each segment for a one second pause)
Kneeling OH Press - 5x5 L/R
Single Leg Dead Lift - 3x15 L/R

CK-FMS Week 1 Results…And A Little Dead Lift Workout

2008-08-17T12:06:00.002-05:00

The CK-FMS has really opened my eyes. (Not that I wasn't concerned about certain things that my clients were showing me before in their performance.) I just didn't know exactly what to do about it. With the new tools of the CK-FMS, I have a clear road map to follow with each individual.

To explain further, I have a client who scored a 16 on the initial screen (which is pretty good…2 points above average). When he came back the day after we screened we worked on the assessment versions of the TGU and the Single Leg DL. After a few reps each with and without resistance I noticed a big ankle mobility issue which didn't really bare its fangs on the FMS. We went straight into a series of corrective strategies and tried the Single Leg DL again. The client went from dead lifting off of an 8" box to a full range SL DL with no asymmetries...immediately! I would also assume the bridge portion of the TGU is going to improve as well.

So there's a real world example of how quickly the system can work.

Now a little dead lifting. I haven't had a "real" workout since Monday, Aug. 4, about two weeks ago. All the residual I'm getting from teaching has been nice though as well as the deloading break.

This workout was to see where I was on the dead lift. This showed me my baseline since I haven't pulled since the April Tactical Strength Challenge. After watching the video, I notice some rounding in the upper back, but that usually happens when I go above 90% of 1RMax. I felt unusually good afterward, even now, two days later.

After DL I supersetted weighted pull ups w/ single leg dead lifts and concentrated on tension and form. This got me more worked up than the dead lift workout. Here's the workout broken down.

Warm Up
ASLR
Wall Sit w/ OH Press
Corrective TGU w/ OH Walk and C-Spine/T-Spine Clearing

Dead Lift
Worked up to 425 Sumo & Conventional
475
515
545 - Failed
425 or 82.5% - 3X3 - Last Rep w/ 10 second iso-hold

I worked conventional just because I felt more comfortable there. I've been slowly transitioning to conventional and I'm surprised how awkward sumo feels now.

Superset
Weighted Pull Up w/ 10kg
10, 5, 5

Single Leg Dead Lift
24kg - 3x10 L/R

Grip
COC Trainer
3x10 L/R

CK-FMS…So Many WTH's And AHA's To Mention!

2008-08-12T17:16:00.001-05:00

This was undoubtedly the most well-spent time and money I've ever doled out on my training career. The CK-FMS or Certified Kettlebell - Functional Movement Specialist workshop was above and beyond what I was expecting (which was pretty high before I went). The combined knowledge, breadth and presentation quality of Brett Jones, MRKC and Gray Cook, RKC was outstanding!

There is really too much to put into words about the weekend, but I will sum up a few of the main takeaways that really hit home for me.

In America, we have traditionally neglected basic movement patterns, thus reinforcing poor movement (i.e. exercise) on top of a dysfunctional body. Why are we training ourselves and others through pain and immobility? Because that's just what we do! We don't know any better! Well, the CK-FMS has provided the tools to reprogram basic movement function, eliminate the bugs in our motor program and correct the nasty asymmetries we tend to compensate for that WILL lead to future injur(ies).

If we step back in time between our birth to 18 months of life, we see all the basic motor movement patterns displayed in perfect and beautiful harmony. From raising the head for the first time, to rolling over, to crawling, squatting, dead lifting and walking….it's all there! And all this with a giant noggin atop a miniature body with almost no musculature. Kind of miraculous when you think about it.

The Functional Movement Screen is such a good compliment to the RKC system as it's a no-frills, objective, quantifiable test that lights up a person's mobility and stability strengths and weaknesses. The approach of using kettlebells to correct asymmetries and poor movement patterns is an amazing concept which was immediately applicable in myself and my clients as soon as I got home.

I'm still in process of digesting the weekend, but one of the coolest things about this event and the RKC certification I went to in Oct. 07 is the community of people who are drawn to this way of life and school of thought. The camaraderie and relationships built during the process are worth the price of admission alone. I met so many people in the kettlebell community who I consider mentors and inspirations…RKC's, RKC II's, Senior RKC's, Master RKC's and the man himself, Pavel. I've only read about many of these people, visited their websites and blogs, seen their videos and purchased their products and now we're all in the same boat….coming together to learn and collaborate how to be better at what we do. It was truly an awesome experience and I will remember this weekend for the rest of my life!

Interesting Smoker And A Reminder

2008-07-29T22:53:00.005-05:00

After the workout today I tried out a short smoker that I read about in an old article by Rob Lawrence. I was really surprised at the difficulty in keeping to the breathing patterns during the ladders.

The protocol calls for:

Snatch 1/1 - Then 1 Deep Breath (Inhale/Exhale)...The longer the breath, the better.
Snatch 2/2 - 2 Deep Breaths
And so on up to 5/5.

We did 3 ladders of this matching breaths to snatch reps. I actually looked forward to picking up the kettlebell the longer this went on. Definitely worth trying out!

Here's a couple of videos (one I've posted on here before), but they're a good reminder of our many blessings and the power of the human spirit.

***Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the stop button on the music player so you can hear the audio on the videos.

No Excuses!

This one was on an old post by Yoana Snideman, RKC-TL. Truly Inspirational!

We all have so much to be thankful for!

Got Results?

2008-07-22T07:09:00.004-05:00

Last Friday, the Crossfit guys who train at the warehouse were fooling around with the tires to see who could jump on top of them...not a standing vertical, but with a few steps. I couldn't resist as I hadn't tried a box jump in a long time (can't remember the last time really). As I was hitting every height, I was amazed at the explosiveness that I was experiencing. It really seemed effortless. So I brought the camera up on Monday and tried it again (hoping I could at least duplicate Friday's attempts). The video speaks for itself, but I'm not sure those who see it will really appreciate the fact that I'm not a jumper, basketball player or train for this sort of thing. My SPP and GPP work goes directly to Kettlebells. In fact, I've been training in mini-cycles with several max-effort days per week in an attempt to increase my absolute strength for about the last six months. Dynamics and explosiveness were the last things I thought about or concentrated on. All I know is that there has been a nice "side effect" from the heavy kettlebell training and the swing and snatch sessions. This is a "side effect" I can take directly into a sport application. I wish I would've tested this at the beginning of the year to see what the difference would be...I know it would be pretty significant, but this is all I have to go on. Bottom line....Kettlebells = Results. I'm lighter, more muscular, have less body fat, more flexible, have greater range of motion (especially shoulders), have more stamina, "feel" stronger and more explosive. This is my testament to the RKC and the Hard Style form of kettlebell training.

A Rant...

2008-07-18T23:02:00.003-05:00

It appears that society has turned a blind eye (albeit the constant barrage of publicity that's thrown out there by the media) to the crisis we're experiencing in America. Obesity is the fastest growing disease and the second leading preventable cause of death in our country, second only to tobacco use. I'm not sure if it's a societal epidemic we're dealing with, but it seems people don't want to realize that you have to live with your body for the rest of your life. With advancements in medicine, plastic surgery and the "smoke and mirrors" effects of makeup, hairdos and fashion, we don't have to take good care of ourselves because you can look as good your wallet will let you. Sounds like I'm talking to a kindergartner, but seriously! Look around! Every facet of our lives displays the effects of poor lifestyle choices….most of those choices of which are put up on a pedestal as great escapes from worry and stress; eating out, smoking, drinking, drugs and the list goes on. Obesity affects our coworkers, families, friends, teammates, congregations; really just about every group we're related to or around. So why have we turned a blind eye to it? Is it because we're afraid to hurt some one's feelings? Is it because we like to ignore our problems? Are we afraid of looking good and feeling good? Does the temporary gratification from the previously mentioned vices give us so much pleasure as to sacrifice chronological and quality years from our lives? Granted, I'm not the poster child. So who am I to judge? Do I slip up? Yes. Am I human? Yes. But I refuse to allow myself to fall off a cliff into a sea of bad habits. I realize my one shot at life is within the confines of the body that God gave me. Why not take care of it as best as I can? We pay crazy amounts on insurance for every possession we own including our lives. Why not try to drop some of the bad lifestyle choices, pick up a few good ones and invest in the greatest asset we were blessed with at our consummation…life.

Percentage of the US population classified as obese according to the CDC, as of April 17, 2007.

31.0-34.0%

28.0-30.9%

25.0-27.9%

22.0-24.9%

19.0-21.9%

Random Lifts Video

2008-07-14T22:42:00.004-05:00

I found some clips in my video vault that I decided to put together. Just some random lifts on a few "off" days. Even though I rarely (almost never) implement this stuff in my training, it's fun to do every now and again when goofing around and blowing off steam. This is where barbells, dumbbells, machines, cardio equipment, etc., just gets demolished by the kettlebell.....because of it's diverse versatility!

Back to Training

2008-07-01T21:39:00.004-05:00

After a week and a half hiatus, I'm back into the swing of things. I started back yesterday like I hadn't missed a beat. I was worried the break would cause more of a delayed start, but I actually felt stronger than before the vacation. We went to the Baltimore/D.C. area and Northern Virginia to visit family and attend my cousin David's wedding. The trip was great, but very hot and humid.

The last month or so, I've concentrated on more basic movements. I'll continue on with the theme for the next few weeks with an emphasis on building more strength.

Yesterday's work:

6/30/08

C&P

24kg - 5/5

32kg - 2x3/3

40kg - 2x2/2

48kg - 3x1 Right (These felt unusually easy and were very clean. Form was as strict as a 24kg)

48kg - 3x1 Left (I failed on the first 2...iso work....managed to get the 3rd fairly strict with a little bit of a push press) The left will just have to catch up, I guess.

40kg - 2x2/2

Pistol Squat - Partials w/ 20" box

16kg - 5/5

24kg - 3/3

32kg - 2/2

40kg - 2/2

48kg - 2/2

Pistol Squat - Full Reps

16kg - 3/3

24kg - 1/1

32kg - 1/1

40kg - Right - 1, Left - Fail (my left is still lagging, but has a 1,000% improvement since the 1st of the year)

40kg - Right - 1

25lb Plate - 3x3/3

Assorted 1-Arm Swings and Snatches for time.

7/1/08

Warm Up w/ Double C&P and Front Squat to get the blood flowing.

Weighted Pull Ups

12kg - 2x5

28kg - 2x1

32kg - 3x1

12kg - 2x5

Superset w/ Lawnmower Rows w/ Double 32kg.

Healthy Lubbock Day

2008-06-18T21:03:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday on 6/14/08, I attended Healthy Lubbock Day as a vendor. The event supports and promotes health and fitness-related businesses and organizations within the area...so I set out to share my love for Kettlebells with the Lubbock masses. The day went great and we had a lot of interest in what we're doing at Lone Star Kettlebell. The responses we had from those who were first-timers with the kettlebell was pretty amazing. I enjoyed meeting all of those who took the time to come out to the event and stop by our booth. I hope to see you soon!

The Booth - Complete w/ 23ft Balloon!

Kevin, Eric & Trev

The Stage Demo & Presentation

Client Doting

2008-06-10T17:16:00.001-05:00

I would like to take a few moments and reflect on the reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing. I'm talking about the training, the long hours, the constant challenge of task completion and most importantly, trying to better the lives of the people who have entrusted me to do so through kettlebell training. I have found that it's not always about the tangible results. I've learned that we are all facing battles on a daily basis with our work lives, family lives and social lives. It's how we handle ourselves in these times that make us who we are. Do we back down when things get tough? Do we pass the buck to someone or something else? Or, do we choose to fight through even though there's a little pain involved? I believe the lessons learned through physical training can permeate to the rest of our lives, if we give it enough of a chance to sink in.

In the brief time that I've spent as a trainer, I've seen some drastic and impressive transformations…whether it be physically, mentally or spiritually. The point is, through kettlebell and strength training, the clients I've been so fortunate to train have shown me a lot about perseverance and true strength. "I can't" has evolved into "I'll try" and eventually to "I can" with true belief in their hearts when they say it. Limits and barriers have been broken and surpassed. The realm of possibilities has grown to a point where they can't see the edge.

This is the reward I've been so fortunate to be blessed with. So I would like to send out an open "Thank You" to the students of strength that have shown me these things and given me the opportunity to do something I truly love. Thanks!

~ JM

P.S. On a side note, I would like to mention some very impressive displays over the past week or so. We now have 5 who have swung the 24kg KB 300+ in 10 minutes, 3 of which are approaching the 400 mark. Some of the ladies are man-handling the 16kg while doing their Clean and Press ladders as well as one-arm Snatches. 3 ladies have swung the 48kg (Beast) 10+ times. 3 guys are clean and pressing the 40kg for ladders with 2 guys using the 32kg. 1 guy has hit 25 strict body-weight tactical pull ups. (I believe Pavel said that qualified you as a man amongst men.) 3 guys have also bent the Iron Mind yellow nail and are working towards the infamous red nail with 1 guy closing the Captains of Crush No.2 with No.3 on the way.

Needless to say I'm very impressed with the level of improvement in everyone who has made the time to attend classes and put such a relentless effort into learning and doing things right. In my opinion everyone still has tons of potential to take it even further…so I challenge each of you to push yourselves and each other to reach and surpass your goals with the mindful dedication you've displayed thus far.

Double 48kg Front Squat

2008-06-03T22:27:00.002-05:00

Lots of weak areas, but Kevin and I got this one under our belts.

Short Week

2008-05-31T11:23:00.001-05:00

This week was a short one. I took Monday off for Memorial Day to get some yard work and other things done around the house. Lots of cook outs and good times on a 3-day weekend!

Week 2 of the Mini Cycle
Tuesday 5-27
Floor Press
Worked up to 270 - 6x2

Close Grip Flat Bench w/ Chains
5x5

Cable Triceps Extension
3x8

4 Rounds of the following w/ Double 24kg KBs:
Swings - 5
Cleans - 5
Snatches - 5

Thursday 5-29
Pin Pulls from 3rd Pin (Below knee ~ 2-3 inches)
Worked up to 515 - 5x2
1st 4 sets were conventional stance and 5th set was sumo.

Box Squat w/ KB's attached to chains
5x5

Played around w/ Banded-Chain box squats w/ KB's attached to chains. This was a lot of fun and the effect is pretty cool!

Weighted Pull Ups w/ Chains
3x5

Single Leg/Single Hand Dead Lift w/ 48kg KB
3x5 L/R - opposite hand holding KB from Dead Lift leg
These were awesome! Lots of focus/tension!

That was it! Short week and kept it basic. Probably need some conditioning work and planned on some VO2 Snatches, but they'll have to wait.

Starting A New Training Cycle

2008-05-23T22:38:00.003-05:00

Well, the deload week went well a couple weeks ago. I needed the rest, even though I goofed around during some classes doing "parlor tricks"....Mindless Fun!!

This week began a 4-week training cycle. The template is similar to the last cycle with a Westside-ETK-RKC hybrid approach...if there is such a thing (there is now!).

Monday - 5/19/08
Things were kept light today. Nothing much to speak of really.

Tuesday - 5/19/08
Floor Press
Worked up to a max and hit 325 (5 lbs shy of a PR, I think)
4x3 @ 265

Stretch-Reflex Barbell Bench Press
3x10 @ 205

Circuit the following for 3x10-15
Ab Pulldowns
Incline Rear Dumbbell Raises
Dumbbell Tricep Roller Extensions
Seated KB Military Press

Thursday - 5/21/08
Pin Pulls - 3rd Pin or about 3 inches below knee.
Pulled conventional this time (just felt stronger there)
SLOWLY worked up and pulled 605! PR with that weight in that stance!

Safety Squat Bar Good Mornings (probably won't do GM's again w/ the SSB - tough on the cervical spine)

Circuit the following - 3x8-15
Medicine Ball Supermans
Barbell Bent Rows
Banded Hamstring Curls

Friday - 5/22/08
Messed around today. Got a bag of nails from Iron Mind and worked up to the Yellow nail (took me about 10 minutes to close it, but I finally got it there!) Kevin, Vice Grip, Hays closed the Blue Nail on his first day and his first try. Look out Red Nail!!! Kevin's gonna get ya soon!

Push Pressed the 48kg for a few reps on each side and held the negative as long as I could.

Pistol Work - worked the 20kg a few reps on the right side. Managed 90% of a full rep on my left! That's the deepest I've been in a pistol with my bum-noodle-leg!

Swing Smoker w/ Class at the end.
The following = 1 Round all non-stop. Short or no rest between rounds. Complete as fast as possible.
Light KB = 24kg - Swings 5L/5R/10 2-Hand
Heavier KB = 32kg - Swings 5L/5R/10 2-Hand
I did 5 Rounds, but we had a couple over-achievers (Chris and Keith) who pulled off 10 rounds! Great job everyone!

Palm Clean and Waiter Press

2008-05-17T21:27:00.004-05:00

This is Keith. Strong...Old...Dude! Really, he's not that old, but I'd definitely love to be in half as good of shape as he is when I'm that age. Great job Keith!

Blog Update

2008-05-09T15:49:00.002-05:00

My Training:
Semi-Sporadic-Controlled-Chaos
Honestly, I've been following a fairly detailed plan with an emphasis on improving the "3 Big Lifts": Bench Press, Squat, Dead Lift….All Un-Equipped. This plan proved to work very well as it's based off of Westside principals (which I've used in the past). I will de-load next week and begin a new 4-week cycle the following week. I think my two max-effort exercises will be Floor Press and Pin Pulls from Below the Knee on the next cycle. Overall, I feel good, my nutrition is coming together and the mix of KB work with max effort power lifting training seems to be a nice pair! Now that the weather is nice, I will incorporate some outdoor training more, i.e.: Tire Flipping, Hill Running, Sled Dragging, etc., on my KB days. Here's a recap of the last two weeks' training.

Week of 4/28 – 5/2:
Monday 4/28
Worked with class and did a light workout with the 24kg. C&P 3x1,2,3,4,5; Superset w/ BW Pull Ups. Finished off with Double 28kg Swings = 100.

Tuesday 4/29
3rd week of 4 in this training cycle with 3-board press. I hit 90% = 315, 4x2. I didn’t have the greatest of days….a little weak and slow.
4x8-10 of the following
Close Grip Pull Down
Front Raise w/ 45# Plate
DB Rear Raise on Incline

Thursday 5/1
3rd week of 4 with Barbell Box Squat – Box has been set at parallel or a little below (Definitely “White-Light-Depth”). My stance with these are wide (inside edge of the rack) with a little turn-out angle on the toes.
90% = 420, 4x2….Felt better today. The weight felt light and I moved it pretty quick.
3x10 of the following
Barbell Good Morning
RDL on Box

Friday 5/2
Felt a little frisky today and played around with The Beast. These are the days I look forward to…just foolin’ around and hittin' some PR’s!
The Beast = 48kg or 106 lb
10 Snatches – Right
Clean and Press – Right, 3 failed attempts Left
TGU – Right

Week of 5/5 - 5/9:
Monday 5/5
Light Clean and Press again…I’m loving this for if for just prehab, restoration and recovery!
24kg 3x2,2,3,4,5; Superset w/ BW Pull Up
2 Rounds of the Following w/ Double 24kg
5 Swings, 5 Cleans, 5 Squats - :30 Rest
Then Lead Boots – 2 Rounds
Squat Jump - :30
Speed Squat - :30
Pause Squat - :30
Squat and Hold - :30
Rest – 1:00

Tuesday 5/6
Max Day!!!
4/4 in this cycle, so let’s see what improvements were made:
3 Board Press: 225x1, 275x1, 315x1, 335x1, 350x1 (felt very fast!), 365x1 (struggle), 365x1 (Better!)
20 pound improvement in 4 weeks or 5.8%....I’m happy with that!
Close Grip Bench w/ Chains – 225 4x5
4x10 of the following
BW Dips
DB Rear Raise on Incline

Wednesday 5/7
Shouldn’t have done anything today, but I worked in a couple rounds with one of the classes.
KB Complex w/ Double 20kg 1x4,5; 2x1,2,3
Complex = Swing, Clean, Thruster, Renegade Row, Push Up

Thursday 5/8
Max Day….Again!!!
Let’s see how the training cycle affected my box squat:
Barbell Box Squat – Box set at Parallel – Wide Stance
Warm Up, then: 225x1, 315x1, 365x1, 405x1 (add belt), 455x1, 475x1, 500x0, 500x1
35 pound improvement or 7.5% increase….I can handle that plus I hit 500 for the first time in over a year. I lost my balance on the first attempt. Second was as strong as I’ve ever moved that weight before. The tension work I've learned from training with the kettlebell is definitely paying off.
4x10 of the following
Straight Arm Cable Pull Downs
RDL off Box
Jump Rope – 100x

Then I decided to do some singles of some Muscle Cleans; 205x1,1,1,1,1

Getting back to lifting heavy barbell lifts has been a nice change. The training is coming together. I don't feel overdone and the KB work is always a welcome filler.

New Video - Messin' With The Beast

2008-05-03T15:42:00.003-05:00

Messin' With The Beast

I tried snatching this thing earlier this week on Monday and managed 6 reps before my grip slipped. I knew I had more in me so I waited 'til Friday to try again. Except for the first and last couple, the reps flowed nicely. I didn't try my left so I don't even know what the status is there. The TGU was tough and the C&P seemed easier than in the past when I've tried. I tried my left right after and got it 3/4's of the way...No Lift. Fun day overall. I like moving heavy stuff around!

4/21/08 - 4/25/08

2008-04-27T17:51:00.002-05:00

This was a good week. Everyone in class broke some PR's and pushed which was really great to see.

Class Workouts
Monday
Farmer Carry
Clean and Press Ladders - 3x1,2,3
Superset w/ Pull Ups
Fast Tens: 5 Rounds w/ Double KB
5 Swings
5 Cleans
5 Squats

Tuesday
Same as Monday

Wednesday
Bottoms Up Press
Windmills
Circuit the following 5x
2 TGU - L
2 Overhead Squat - L
2 Windmill - L
10 2 Hand Swings
2 TGU - R
2 Overhead Squat - R
2 Windmill - R
10 2 Hand Swings

Friday
Class Choice - 20 mins - :30 Work/:30 Rest
Class Choice - 10 mins Swings or 5 Snatch

My Workouts
Monday
Worked w/ Class
Used 40kg on C & P Ladders and 2 28kg on Fast Tens

Tuesday
3 Board Press - worked up to 345, then 295 for 3x3
Close Grip
Face Pulls
Rear Raise off Incline

Thursday
Box Squat - worked up to 395 3x3
Good Mornings

Friday
Tabata Snatches

The Week of 4/14/08

2008-04-20T21:30:00.002-05:00

I think I'm going to change my blogging frequency purely for time reasons. Here's last week broken down.

Classes
Monday:
Double Overhead KB Walks
Clean & Press Ladders 2x1-5
w/ Pull Ups
Fast Tens Swings or Lead Boots

Tuesday:
Same as Monday

Wednesday:
Circuits for Time

Thursday/Friday:
Farmer Carry/Rack Carry
Pick Your Poison
Swing Ladders w/ a Twist

My Workouts
Monday:
Worked w/ one of the classes
C&P Ladders w/ 32kg
Fast Tens Swings w/ 2 28kg
Lead Boots

Tuesday:
Bench Day
Worked Up to 305
Close Grip
JM Press
Lat Pull
Low Row

Thursday:
Box Squat Day
Worked Up to 465
Good Mornings
Front Squats

Friday:
Tabata KB Snatch
Messed around w/ some Barbell Cleans, Snatches and Light Dead Lift Variations

Saturday:
Windmills
Bottoms up Press
Dips
Jump Rope
Pull Ups
Swings
Push Ups

The Weight Training Dogma...Hardcore or Hard Work?

2008-04-14T11:32:00.005-05:00

I was reading an article last week titled, The Muffin Top Manifesto, by Susan Finley, an RKC out of South Carolina. The article was about the constant battle Americans are constantly fighting with fat loss. (By the way, Obesity is the 2nd leading preventable cause of death in America, just behind smoking) She made a comment that got me thinking that "Hard Work" could be an interchangeable term with the unfavorable term "Hardcore," (in the context of training) and I started thinking how this related to me and my training. Here ya go...

The Weight Training Dogma…Hardcore or Hard Work?

When I finished my undergrad I began lifting at a local commercial gym. Even though I was never very strong or powerful, I’ve had a label placed on me as the guy who did the hardcore workouts or was too hardcore to talk to. The more time and effort I put into the gym, my lifts became stronger and heavier. My workouts became more structured and pragmatic. I started putting a lot of mental energy into my quest for strength. Is this what hardcore is? I believe all I did was unconsciously implement a lifelong value system that I happened to learn while growing up on a cotton farm…Hard Work. Farming is extremely hard work. The time, money and energy invested in a crop is at times difficult to fathom, and all for a result and reward that can be wiped away by the next dark cloud in the sky. Training, much like farming, can yield results that will be stolen from you in an instant. But instead of being visited by a hail storm, you’re visited by an injury that keeps you from your goals for weeks or even months.

I really enjoyed what I was doing while training, achieving results that I could see and feel, and pushing towards the genetic potential that God blessed me with. But why have I seen such a constant barrage of negativity towards the way I train by average people? Do they truly understand how much I’ve invested in this activity society dubs “working out?” I don’t feel that I’m hardcore at all. I work hard. I use kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells, medicine balls, giant tires, sleds, sledge hammers, pipes, over sized rubber bands, my own body weight and anything else I can get my hands on to achieve my goals. Sometimes the goal is specific, sometimes not, but the underlying goal of pushing my physical and mental abilities will always stay constant.

Many of us take for granted the simple physical abilities that we are blessed with. Even if you think weight training is “hardcore,” step back and think how you are using your abilities and how hard you work to push yourself to reach your potential. It’s honestly just a matter of a cognizant decision to make yourself the best you can be with what God gave you. Take the first step, and just get up and do something….anything. Studies have shown it takes six weeks to form a habit. Let us make working hard on our bodies a “habit” that we keep for the rest of our lives!

New Videos

2008-04-12T17:00:00.002-05:00

Here's a couple of new vids I put together from yesterday. I was just playing around and hadn't tried the pistol in awhile so I decided to attempt the "Taming" protocol for the Bulldog or 40kg KB. I was also intrigued by something I read about doing Double KB Turkish Get Ups, so I gave those a shot as well. I stopped at the 24kgs.

Taming The Bulldog

Double KB Turkish Get Up

Amped Friday and Saturday

2008-04-12T16:51:00.004-05:00

Friday

We had an intense set of classes Friday. Lots of stuff going on...

TGU - Light, Medium, Heavy - L/R - 2x

Windmill - 5/5

Pick Your Poison - :30/:30 - 16 min.

Smoker

5 Swings - L/R

5 Cleans - L/R

5 Snatches - L/R

Rest

10 Swings - L/R

10 Cleans - L/R

10 Snatches - L/R

Rest

5 Swings - L/R

5 Cleans - L/R

5 Snatches - L/R

Abs

Planks, KB Side Bends, Hanging Knee Raise

Grip

Plate Pinch, Wrist Rollers, Towell-Wrapped Barbell Holds

Saturday

Two of my best friends, B and Rowden came out to learn the ways of the kettlebell. I was glad they could stop and both have a lot of potential!

Found A Post-It Note

2008-04-11T16:04:00.002-05:00

I found I post-it note tucked away in my planner that I meant to post a while back. I stumbled across a free link to powerliftingwatch.com which tracks all power lifters regardless of federation so I checked it out. Lo and behold they had just posted the 2007 rankings and I made the list three times. Here's how I ranked last year against other lifters in the 198lb Raw category.

2007 - 198 Raw - All Federations

Squat - 48th
Dead Lift - 29th
Total - 39th

I just thought that was cool I even made a list of any kind. Glad I found the post-it!

Wednesday Night

2008-04-10T19:39:00.002-05:00

We worked a new move tonight (purely to show the move off) which proved to be very difficult, even for me.

Sots Press
Inro and Practice
(Justin rocked this and is unusually flexible in his spine and hips. Way to go!)

Circuits :30/:30 - 3x
Jump Rope
Renegade Row
KB Thrusters
Side to Side Hot Potato
Single Leg Dead Lift
Med Ball Slams

Ab Circuit - 3x10
KB Side Bends - L/R
Planks
Lying Leg Lifts

Great Start To The Week

2008-04-07T21:41:00.002-05:00

I received my "fat bar" chin up bar for my rack last Friday and I'm excited to finally add some pull ups to the program.

Overhead KB Walks - :30/:30 L/R - 2x

Clean and Press Ladders
Superset with Pull Ups (Band Assisted w/ Green Band)
2x1,2,3,4,5

"Lead Boots"
Taken from Philip Davis, RKC and Dave Whitley, Senior RKC
2 Rounds
Jump Squats - :30
Speed Squats - :30
Pause Squats - :30
Hold Squats - :30
Rest - 1 Minute

Video from TSC

2008-04-06T13:04:00.003-05:00

Here's the video from Saturday's TSC...

Tactical Strength Challenge - 4/5/08

2008-04-05T17:37:00.004-05:00

Saturday I hosted my first TSC at the gym. David Spriggs, Kevin Hays, Keith Stratton and myself all participated. We also had a few spectators come out and they left excited enough to work towards the next TSC I'll host.

Here's how everyone fared:

Jason Marshall - Open Division
Body Weight - 188
Best Dead Lift - 515
Pull Up - 18
KB Snatch - 116

Keith Stratton - Open Division
Body Weight - 166
Best Dead Lift - 315
Pull Up - 16
KB Snatch - 82

Kevin Hays - Open Division
Body Weight - 259
Best Dead Lift - 440
Pull Up - 0
KB Snatch - 85

David Spriggs - Open Division
Body Weight - 282
Best Dead Lift - 365
Pull Up - 0
KB Snatch - 80

Everyone did a great job and I think we posted some great "first timer" results. The results should be posted soon on the Tactical Strength Challenge website to see how we compared against the rest of the field. Great job and thanks to everyone who came out!

Friday Training

2008-04-05T17:32:00.002-05:00

We had a great training session Friday night. Everyone pushed themselves to the limit and I was proud of everyone's accomplishments.

TGU - 5 min. - Alt. L/R

Pick Your Poison - :30 Work/:30 Rest - 16 min.

Swing Ladders: - 10 min.

Kara and Amber hit 200 with the 16kg, Keith obliterated his old record with 256/24kg, David jumped up a weight and hit 200 with 28kg, Chris hit 242/24kg (nice PR) and Eric nailed 225/24kg. Lots of record breaking as we don't aim for swing records every week. Great job!!

Good Article

2008-04-02T21:58:00.003-05:00

I forgot to post this in the last post, but this is a good article for you all to check out. It's by Brett Jones who is a very accomplished kettlebell instructor and personal trainer.

Here's the link:
"Can You Adjust Your 'Volume'?"

Good Day!

2008-04-02T21:15:00.003-05:00

I had a good today. I got some good sleep last night, felt rejuvinated and had some good things happen today. I got a banner that I had made for the gym and Kevin and I put it up and decided to play around with the tires and kettlebells to make the sign look even more cool.

Hudd came out to learn the last bit of the introductory stuff and he's doing great. For the other class we did the following:

Kettlebell Snatch

5 Sets, 5 R, 5 L

Circuits - 3 Rounds - :30 Work, :30 Rest

Tire Jumps

Double KB Cleans

Med Ball Slams

Swings

Push Ups

Side to Side Hot Potato

Ab/Forearm Circuit

Floor Wipers

Weighted Side Bends

Wrist Rollers

Pinch Grip

One Week Repeat...

2008-03-31T20:48:00.003-05:00

Repeated the workout from last Monday, but changed up the rep scheme to see which was harder.

Started off with some:

One Handed Farmer Carry
:50 Work / :10 Rest - Timed with the GYMBOSS
L, R, L, R

KB Complex - Done with double KB's - 3 Ladders, 3 Rungs each
Swing
Clean
Squat
Press
Renegade Row
Push Up
Instead of doing a round of each before the next rung of the ladder, the exercises were repeated per the rung. For example, on the 2nd rung, 2 swings were done, then 2 cleans, 2 squats and so on. This was IMO, more difficult than last week. I used the same weights and it felt like more work for some reason, eventhough the volume stayed the same.

Fast Tens Swings - Double KB's or Heavy Single
5, 10, 15, 5, 10, 15, 5, 10, 15, 10 = 100 total swings

Some people did an ab circuit at the end, but I was toast. I used double 28kg KB's for the complexes and swings, busted my shorts open and gave myself an Indian rug burn on the inside of my forearms from the swings. Abs will have to wait.

Overall, a great night and everyone huffed and puffed, but did well to hang with a very tough workout!

Friday...

2008-03-29T11:30:00.002-05:00

Slow day at the gym. Many of the clients were out of town, so I had a chance to work one-on-one with a few clients which was welcomed and needed. I enjoyed the classes and turned back the clock on my training and hit some ETK work.

Clean and Press Ladders - Superset with Seated Lat Pulls
C&P w/ 32kg - 2 Ladders, 1,2,3,4,5
Lat Pulls w/ 4 Plates - 2 Ladders, 1,2,3,4,5

Shrugs w/ 48kg - 3x15

Simplicity

2008-03-26T21:45:00.003-05:00

Since we did KB complexes Monday and Tuesday I decided to keep things simple tonight. Eventhough we kept the workout to 3 moves, it was definitely a great smoker.

TGU - 5 mins. (Alt L/R)

20 mins. of the following using the GYMBOSS
:15 - Two Hand KB Swing
:15 - Active Rest
:15 - Pushup (Varied hand positions)
:15 - Active Rest

Ab Circuit (for last two classes)
Russian Twists
V-Sit Situps
Side-to-side Hot Potato
Med Ball Slams

I worked in with the last class and used the 20kg on the TGU's and managed an average of 8-9 swings with the 32kg per work set and 10 pushups per work set for around 170 swings and 200 pushups. It was a great smoker and I loved its simplicity!

Rocky Start Today...

2008-03-25T21:37:00.004-05:00

I had a hard time getting in the groove with dead lift work. I pulled sumo stance from Pin 1 and couldn't seem to get it together. I think yesterday's workout got the best of me.

Sumo Dead Lift - Pin 1

45 - 10

135 - 5

245 - 3

335 - 1

425 - 1

475 - 1

515 - 1 (Hold for 10 Count)

565 - 1 (fail)

Random Grip Work

Wrist Rollers

Pinch Grip

Wrist Curls

Hand Grips

Lat Pulls

Wasn't the greatest of nights for myself, but we had some standouts in my mind with the Jiu Jitsu class. Here's a vid to see what they did.

Also, I'd like to wish the best of luck and safe travels to David, Ty, Chris and Brent as they head to L.A. for the Pan Jiu Jitsu Championships to compete against the best of the best in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Good Luck Fellas!!!