Slacker

It would appear that I'm not such a good blogger. Unless once a month blogs are normal... A little bit has has happened since I last posted. I was able to go back and visit John Brookfield, the father of Battling Ropes. He was kind enough to let me play with the ropes once again. That was fun in a sick, twisted sort of way. He's a great guy. If you're ever able to check him out, you should.

May 1st was my birthday. I'm getting old. I got to hang out with Geoff Neupert. Another great guy. Smart too. I gained 10 lbs of muscle following his training protocol. That was cool.

One of the coolest things that has happened is that I figured out wearing sunglasses causes my hamstrings to shut off. Yes, I know that sounds as crazy as it looks, but for me, its true. Since I've stopped wearing shades, my hamstrings are firing and I am finally able to sprint again without pain. Also, my workouts are going very well; no pain. Sunglasses, who knew? Learning is fun.

I also bought some vibram 5 fingers. I wanted to be like all the other cool kids. They get attention. Kinda comfy though... That's about all that has happened in the last month. For now, as far as training goes, i'm playing with double kettlebells and practicing the bent press, pistols and TGU's. I've also started sprinting twice a week. I love doing that, especially when it doesn't hurt.

RKC Weekend

Is it April already? I missed half of it...

Just got back from an RKC cert in Minnesota. It was an awesome weekend. The RKC is the ORIGINAL kettlebell certification. There are now many competing kettlebell certs out there. Many of those certifications take shots at the RKC, saying their certs are better, not from Russia, or whatever... Funny thing is I've never noticed the RKC as an orginisation to ever retaliate. The Pavel and the RKC always seem to take the higher ground. I think that speaks volumes about the character within the RKC. I really don't know if I've ever met a finer group of people. All dedicated to helping and improving their fellow man. Its really a beautiful thing.

As far as educational content, the RKC is loaded. And, it's not just about kettlebells. Its about the body and how to use it. Its about strength; both physical and mental. Its about the quest for perfection and how to persue it. Because the swing is not just a swing and a press is not just a press. They are skills that are to be mastered.

Anyway, there are lots of choices out there when it comes to kettlebells. And as time goes buy, there will be even more. But wouldn't you like to learn from the best there is? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it is still just imitation. There would be not other KB certs out there if it were not for the strength and quest of perfection in Pavel's RKC.

In training news, I've been following I workout routine Geoff Neupert gave me to try. It involves lots of double kettlebell work. I even got to do the workout with Doug Nepodal over the weekend. It's a smoker. But it is making me lean and mean. Well, not so much mean... Doubles rock!!

Okeedokee

Well, in 2 weeks our training studio is open for business. We've been doing lots of painting and preparing. If you live around Fuquay-Varina (few-kway Va-reena), come by and check us out.

Over the last month I've spent a good deal of time training at a large fire department in NC. We introduced kettlebells and battling ropes to the fire fighters. 2 great tools for preparing fire fighters for the physical demands of their job. Anyway, its been a lot of fun working with those guys and showing them the ropes!

As for my own training, I've been doing well. That is to say, I haven't been in pain in a very long time and my sessions seem to be productive and effective. Which is nice... So yes, lots of Z and kettlebells. Been doing double kettlebell workouts for a while. I'm hoping it will make me extra prepared for the RKC cert coming up in April. I need to recertify!

Thats about it.

Geoff Neupert is trying to kill me!

For those of you who don't know Geoff, he is a big, strong man with a ton of knowledge and experience when it comes to training. Geoff has kind of been helping me with my own training and I've decided that he is actually trying to kill me. My sessions are short, sweet and inflicting I like the short and sweet part; it's the inflicting part that keeps getting to me. After only 10 to 15 minutes of kettlebell'n, I need a whole day (sometimes 2 days) to recover.

Ain't it cool? 10 to 15 minutes of pure effort, then a day of rest. Its that simple. Results? I'm leaner and stronger. And the best part is I get to eat more!

I wonder why so many people spend over an hour in the gym? I also wonder if those same people actually perform 10 to 15 minutes of pure effort inside that hour? Hmmm...

Kind of Busy

I haven't blogged much this month, or last month for that matter. The only excuse I have is that i've been kinda busy. Not a good excuse, but at least its true. I've been working on starting a new business with my friend Mindy. Its a training business of coarse, I really don't know much about anything else besides that.

Anyway, I've been trying to work on that for a while and things seem to be materializing. I hope to have much more to say about this soon. I do have a website for it at least, its www.OPTfitness.net.

My training has been going well lately. At least it has been fun. Doing lots of snatches and presses mixed with lots of Z. Sounds fun, right? It works!

Discipline

Many of us find it hard to start a "lifestyle habit" and maintain it. When I say "lifestyle habit" I am referring to diets, exercise programs, or anything else we are pursuing to better ours lives. It is easy to think these lifestyle habits are hard to maintain because we lack discipline. But I think discipline is something that none of us lack. We are full of it. Most of us get up and go to work everyday. Most of us take care of our children everyday. Most of us take care of several other responsibilities everyday. None of us could do any of these things if we lacked discipline.

We all have discipline. And, we all get lots of reps in cementing that discipline each week when we carry out our normal daily task. Maybe its hard for us to make lifestyle changes because we have SO many reps in doing the things we always do. Or, maybe when we think we want to make a change, it is just a thought and not really a decision. It would be hard to overcome so many reps of being ourselves when we have really only thought about making a change. To truly change and make a new lifestyle habit we have to make a decision; we have to choose to change. Then, we have to start performing lots of reps that will help us change.

Yes, it is hard losing weight. But you can do it. Yes, it is hard to quit smoking. But you can do it. Yes, it is hard to train 4 times a week. But you can do it. Change is not easy, but you can do it. You have the discipline to do anything you want to do.
Its up to you. Good news, right?

How do you move?

Or, how don't you move? If we move well, we perform well. Conversely, if we move poorly we don't perform so well. This applies to all the movements we make. Not just the ones we make when we train. But just for fun, lets look at the movements we make while we train.

If you're like me, you like numbers. Numbers give us information. Like, "I just did 50 swings." I like numbers because I can measure my progress with numbers. However, what if that "progress" I just measured was performed horribly, or at least with not-so-great form. What if I get injured because the numbers I strive so hard to reach are performed poorly. My poor movements could actually get me injured. If I'm injured, I can't perform so well. Also, I don't feel so well either.

What if, instead of focusing on numbers, I focused on quality movements? What if I stopped swinging the kettlebell while my form was still perfect? Or, I put the bell down just prior to my form diminishing? I would certainly be less likely to get injured. Also, I'm pretty sure I'd feel pretty good as well.

Now lets step away from training a bit. Good, quality movement can actually take the "brakes" off your body. It opens the door for increased strength, better range of motion, increased energy, and freedom from annoying pains (the pains caused by bad movements). Good movement can even improve your mental focus and your ATTITUDE.

So how do you move? Do you slouch when you sit or walk? Do you keep your head down when you walk? Do you squat with your feet turned out like a duck? Can you squat? Can your shoulders move in all the directions God intended them to? Do your joints ache? Or better yet, are there movements you could do when you were younger that you can no longer do? Learn to move well. Learn how to own all the movements of all the joints in your body. Learn your body, teach it to move well. Take the brakes off and perform at your best.

Sorry, for the movement rave. I'm just so excited about the body and its capabilities. We are truly wonderfully made.