Random Summer Thoughts....

Every now and then I feel the urge to write ideas down that are in my head and share them publically. One of the hardest things to do in life is successfully share ideas and communicate them in a fun, fresh and  impactful way. Writing is to the mind like great movement and exercise is to the body. Concentrated mental effort is really required to write well and I doubt that I am in doing the art of writing any justice but I share anyway.  My travel schedule the last year has been incerdibly busy and unfortunately my blogging and writing has come to a screehing halt. Time to start blogging more frequently and finish writing my book on Sprinting called PRIMAL SPEED! I try to share things that hopefully will impact and help you in a positive way on your health and fitness journey!

Here are 10 Random Thoughts......

1.  Flossing your Teeth -

Recently I shared on facebook the importance of flossing your teeth and the dozens of health benefits one recieves from keep their gums and teeth in pristine condition. Many years ago I didn't floss and I developed early onset gum disease.  Thanks to the encouragement of some family members and my Dentist, I made it a goal to floss my teeth and 10 + years later my gum disease is gone and my health is greatly improved.  Gum disease has been known to cause Heart disease!

    2.  Nerve Glides can decrease pain and immediately increase function

I have suffered from lower back pain since I was 12 years old. Multiple MRI's over the last 9 years have shown I have massive degenerative changes in three of my lumbar discs. On top of that is three bulging discs due to the loss of disc heigth and foraminal stenosis at the L4/L5 level on my right side. Needless to say the majority of this year has been a PAINFUL year as I couldn't tie my shoe on my right side for 6 months. It was until Zachariah Salazar ( a Z Health Master Trainer) taught me some NERVE GLIDES and immediately I was able to touch my toes again and tie my shoe on my right side, something I wasn't able to do the entire year. To say I was HAPPY about my change in function was an understatement.  If you are suffering from Spinal Stenosis or Foraminal Stenosis I highly recommend you contact Zachariah Salazar. He changed my life!

3. Study and look into Neuroplasticity

Many of you who read  my blog probably have already heard of Neuroplasticity, a new growing field that studies the brain (and the CNS) and its'  ability to change itself. As a movement coach and Strength coach I feel that we who teach movement perhaps will play the most pivotal role in getting students to achieve what others would deem impossible.  I high recommend that you read the following book called The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, M.D.

 

 



4. Take a Primal Move Certification or Workshop

Primal Move is the creation of Master RKC Peter Lakatos. It is a system where the goal is to create better movement. Primal Move is based on primal and primitive movement patterns that we did as children.  It is also tied in with the Functional  Movement Screen Principels by Gray Cook and Lee Burton. I recently took a two day certification course in Seattle and it was one one of the most fun and profound movement courses I have ever taken in my life. One of the cool things that happened to me was that I was able to pull off a HUMAN FLAG on both sides, something I was never able to do prior to Primal Move. To say I am happy with the chagnes happening in my body is an understatement.

I am also honored to be teaming up with Primal Move and teaching the first ever Primal Move Sprinting Certificaion in Europe this month. It is called Primal Move Velocity and it is the running based section of Primal Move. Click the following link to find a Primal Move workshop close to you:

Primal Move      /     Primal Move Workshop in North America






5. Study Speed Expert Lee Taft -

I have been studying Lee Taft's Ground Breaking II DVD's and I  must say they are outstanding. Lee teaches the following topics in six seperate DVD's:

• How to Warm Up and Stretch
• Deceleration / Acceleration
• Cutting
• Jump Training
• Olympic Lifting
• and more.....

Lee is an amazing teacher and he has introduced concepts to me that I have already started teaching from day one and they work very well. As a 100 meter sprinter I have never really studies in detail the importance of multi-directional training and cutting. Linear speed is very important but let us not forget that being able to cut and change directions is what really makes you athletic and reflexively strong and powerful. I highy recommend any products by Lee Taft.




6. Morals are Caught, not Taught

I am seriously switching gears here but as a parent of two kids I can honestly say that kids pick up everything that you do. That is a rather scary fact because they pick up the bad with the good. Therefore if you are a parent you must model great habits and behavior in all areas of life because your kids are sponges and they will do what you do. What I have found very cool is that both my kids love to exercise and challenge themselves because they see mommy and daddy doing it all the time. I love to read and it is amazing to see my kids want to read as well. Telling your kids to do something that you currently do not do or are unwilling to do is likely going to end in failure. Less talking and more doing is the best method.

7.  Practice Get Ups!!!

I have been going lots of GET UPS!! Lots of them. I have even put on about  7 to 8 pounds of muscle doing them the last couple of months. I changed gears for the first time in my life because normally I only do 1 to 2 reps per set. Now I am doing sets of 5 reps per arm and the increase in my fitness and muscle strength has been profound. I only recommend these higher rep sets if you have great technique because things can go south in a hurry if you are not dialed in.  But the increase in time under tension will tax your muscular system in a major way!!!

8. Take a Primal Speed Sprinting Workshop

I predict that sprinting will be the next BOOM in the fitness industry and my twin brother Keats Snideman and I are going to spear head the movement. Sprinting is the one activity that still remains on the "I wish I could do that" list. Most people have never had good coaching on how to sprint and do not know where to begin. Our joint venture company is called Primal Speed with the goal of teaching people to tap into their athleticism is safe and fun way. Sprinting is not only for olympic athletes or professional athletes, sprinting is for everyone. We are removing the confusion and complexity and teaching the masses how to sprint for health and increased performance in life!

We are teaching a PRIMAL SPEED SPRINTING workshop on Sunday September 30, 2012 in Tempe, AZ at Reality Based Fitness.

9. When learning how to perform PISTOLS, Keep the BIG TOE DOWN!!





10. Take an HKC workshop.

Highly recommend you take the Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification. It is a one day course where we teach in depth the SWING, GET UP and GOBLET SQUAT! I travel quite a bit to teach these courses and it is alwasy amazing to see how people improve and learn to love the amazing RKC/HKC principles because they are so effective!!! Here is a list of some HKC's I will be teachin in the coming 7 to 8 months:   HKC CERTS

Have a great week everyone! Train with purpose and kick ass!!!