Is your Training Sustainable? The Importance of Sustainability

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night or the early morning with a great idea? Or some thoughts on a particular subject have been on you mind for a while and you feel compelled to share them with everyone. That's what happened to me this morning. Upon waking up it was all so clear, all so obvious. As life starts to slip by and as we get older the concept of sustainability in your life and in your training becomes critically important.  As an athlete it is so tempting to want to cut corners and not put in the necessary work to build a solid foundation for a lifetime of training and strength. Very FEW athletes will truly put in the base conditioning and skill work to get very good at their sporting movements. That is why most athletes do not have long careers or end up injured or on the sidelines.

So ask yourself the following questions:

1) How long do you want to be active? For days, weeks, months, years or a lifetime?

2) How long do you want your movement quality to be good?

3) Do you have any aspirations to compete in a sport over the age of 40?

4) Do you have a system in place that allows you to monitor your orthopedic and movement health?

5) Do you want to live on pain killers and steroids throughout your retirement?

When it comes to training longevity the first person that comes to mind is Jack LaLane. He knew a thing or two about sustainability and staying super strong and fit throughout a lifetime. The concepts he taught were principles based and just as accurate for our current generation as they were for his.

Clarence Bass is another person who has lived by the principle of "sustainable progression." He has been able to stay at the top of his game over a lifetime and is still training with some very respectable loads in his seventies. If you read his books the concept of sustainable progression runs strong as one of the main themes. Just looking at Clarence in his seventies is obvious proof that getting older doesn't have to take you out of sports or training.

As a lifelong athlete I have been a complete "bonehead" at times and just flat out stupid by ignoring warning signals that my body was giving me. I have learned the hard way through various injuries, some of which are with me forever as fun little companions or amigos. The bottom line is that we as athletes cause most of our problems and most of our injuries could have been avoided (especially the non-contact injuries).  So I offer the following tips and suggestions to those who desire to sustain their training for as long as possible!!!

1) Be ULTRA clear on your goals and why they are important to you!

Our training and sporting goals may change as we get older and this okay. It is fine to change goals and directions because we will pick up other interests and ambitions. When I became a parent my life changed instantly and for the first time in my life I started to think of the long term ramifications of my training and what effect that could have on my health and family! Now it was not only about me, it was about being healthy enough and functional enough to raise my kids, play with my kids and be a great role model for them on what effective and intelligent training can do in your life. My goal of feeling like a super hero and being incredibly strong and fast has not changed. However, the methods in which I will attain those qualities has!!!

If your current training goals do not support the long term vision you have for you and your family I would advise you to re-design your training program to support that vision.

2) QUALITY over QUANTITY

This is something that I have written about for years and it is still one of the most essential principles when it comes to training and to life goals.  When I speak of quality training I am referring to big compound movements performed with great technique and with the proper intention. Perhaps nothing more than moving well and moving with the right intention will have as profound an effect on your training results.  If we look at Clarence Bass and his training protocols, technique and QUALITY has always been his priority.

Very few people have the physiques or genetics to tolerate the high mileage running of marathons. The challenge with most distance sports such as marathons and triathalons is that they are not sustainable. You can only smash your joints for you so long before your joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles get so pissed off they stop working.  That is why my twin brother Keats Snideman and I highly recommend learning to sprint for health and better athleticism. That is why we started our own sprinting company created to coach intelligent sprinting for all types of people. Our book on the subject is coming later this year called PRIMAL SPEED. Sprinting once per week is something you can sustain over a lifetime and benefits to your health are plentiful:

• More Muscle Mass
• Stronger joints, ligaments, tendons and connective tissue
• Increased levels of Testosterone and Growth Hormone (the fountain of youth hormones)
• Less Body Fat
• More usable strength and power for life and sports

3) Have some Assessment Protocol in place to evaluate orthopedic, movement and neurological health.

It has been said that the person who tries to coach themselves is a FOOL. Even doctors need doctors. It is impossible to effectively be your own coach in every aspect of  your life. We all need help as well as the expertise of others. We all need coaching. We all need an objective "EYE." We all need encouragement and a voice outside of our own head to talk some sense to us!! Most people will easily lie to themselves and convince themselves that they are better than they are!!

This is why I love the FMS and the SFMA protocols because they serve as an objective platform to measure and grade movement. If you have not heard of the Functional Movement Screen, check out their website as well as Gray Cook's site (Gray is the founder and creator of the FMS). We all need this. You may not use the FMS but I encourage you to have some system in place to check your movement quality. Also, probably a very good idea to wear your seat belt, wear helmets when necessary, get blood work done yearly, floss and brush your teeth daily, tell your spouse and kids you love them every day, and help old ladies cross the street ;-)

4) We must strive for BALANCE!!!!! Tension vs. Relaxation

As strength athletes we tend to become addicted to the "TENSION" side of things. I remember when I got bit by the dead lifting bug several years ago and I ended up pulling 415 pounds and a body weight of about 160.  My challenge came when I kept going heavier and failed to back off and focus on recovery, flexibility and mobility.  Dead lifting is a great movement that I recommend all people master, However, like any motor quality, it can be over done. Focus too much on tension and you will get injured. Consequently, if you focus too much on flexibility and extreme yoga without focus on strength and you too will get injured. 

The Key word is BALANCE!!! We need both Tension and Relaxation. Whatever your deficit is, I recommend that you at least address it in some capacity in your training. It sounds rather simplistic and the truth is; you are right!!! Strive to incorporate the missing piece from your training. Think long term and where you want to be in the next 20, 30 or 50 years!!!

5) Focus on PARASYMPATHETIC ACTIVITY

Modern day life and stress has causes huge increases is stress related diseases and mental issues.  Too much training and not enough recovery coupled with "modern life stress" causes us to be too sympathetic dominant in our Central nervous system.  This is the fight or flight part of our CNS and leads to health issues.  I recommend that strength athletes look into following:

• Tai Chi or Qi gong - some of the best parasympathetic activities in the world
• SLEEP!!! Yes, get sleep and it must HIGH QUALITY SLEEP
• Daily Prayer and meditation - Holy men and wise have been doing this for thousands of years!
• Focus on Diaphragmatic Breathing - either in your stretching, meditation or yoga practice
• Less consumption of simple sugars, refined food and caffeine
• Primal Move - movement system by Master RKC Peter Lakatos

6) Keep STRENGTH the emphasis

this sounds like I am now contradicting myself but rest assured I am not!  Strength training (getting stronger  by lifting weights) as we age has not only performance benefits but huge health benefits. Maintaining enough muscle mass is essential for keeping our body fat levels low and our anabolic hormones high. Being strong also makes up for a whole host of deficiencies!

This is from the RKC MANUAL:

1. Strength is the master quality.

RKC is 100% behind Prof. Leonid Matveyev’s categorical statement: “Strength is the

foundation for development of the rest of physical qualities.”

Until one becomes “entry level strong”, e.g. a half-bodyweight one-arm kettlebell press,

a double bodyweight back squat for men, etc., no priority other than strength can be

justified for a healthy athlete. Master RKC Mark Reifkind has nailed it: “Strong fixes

almost everything.”

7) Focus on Restorative Movements and Correctives!!!!



Again, I look to FMS, RKC style principles, Indian Clubs and the things mentioned above.

Hope this helps. We all need to take a long term approach to our training and our life. We don't know how many days we have left on this earth, but in case we have a quite a few days left, let's make sure our quality of movement and quality of life is worth living!!!

Thoughts and comments are always welcome!!!

The Importance of Teaching.....

It has been said that if you teach something once, you learn twice. I have always been fascinating with teaching. Maybe it's because both my parents were college professors and therefore it's something that I naturally modeled from them. I learned many great things from my parents growing up but one of them that heavily and POSITIVELY influenced me was the importance of LEARNING and the importance of SHARING what we learn!!!  Other than learning, there is nothing that gets me as passionate and juiced up as TEACHING. I truly feel alive when I teach. Perhaps some of you reading this blogpost right now will relate with me and can understand what I am talking about it. Regardless of your field of expertise and knowledge, I can think of nothing more special and important for the advacement of the human race that TEACHING and teaching done well!!!

Why a blogpost about teaching? Well for one, all the knowledge that we have is because someone either wrote it in a book, taught it in a course or seminar, or personally showed it to us! We are ultimately where we are in our lives because of the teaching we have been exposed to or not been exposed to!!!

As a strength coach, I have made it one of my life's purposes to teach and empower as many people as possible to be better in movement, athletics and in life!!!  If at the end of my life people say that I was an enthusiastic teacher and was able to influence people to do greater things, than that is how I define success. More importantly, if my children say I was able to influence them and guide them with wisdom, humor, focus and a passion for learning and teaching then that will be a successful life!!! I can only pray to God that He will continue to guide me and fill me with wisdom to be able to humbly teach and share with others what I have been so fortunate to learn from the shoudlers of giants!!!

Are you a coach or aspiring coach?

The following are my top reason why you need to get out there and teach what you are learning:

1) Sharing knowledge gives you a better understanding of the material.

That's correct!!! When you teach something you learn the material better yourself and therefore futher your understanding even more!!! Teaching in a very direct way causes you to put things together in  your mind that you would have never put together just keeping it to yourself!!!

2) Teach things you are passionate about!!!

There is perhaps nothing as boring and lame then to watch someone teach a subject that they either know little about or have zero passion for! Do everyone a favor and find what you are genuinely passionate about!!  Remember the boring baked out teacher in High School or College that put you to sleep? B-O-R-I-N-G!!!!  Get excited when you teach and put some passion behind your words!!

3) Use your hands and alter the tone of your voice!!

I feel that teachers that vary the tone of their voice to accent worthwhile points in their teaching is important. It has been said that the majority of what we learn is not through words but more through body language and tone. I am not saying you have to be like Tony Robbins and jump up and down to get peopel excited but move your body, especially if you are teaching in a large group setting.

4) Make eye contact with people!!

I think when you look at people in the eye it has a very powerful impact on the person. Be genuine in your eye contact and don't just SPOOK people out by being too intense. Smile with your eyes....try it!!! Check out this great post on the looking people in the eye over at the Art of Manliness website.

5) Prepare yourself!! STUDY, READ, ATTEND WORKSHOPS AND LEARN!!!

The best teachers that I know are the ones that are always learning, always revising and always discussing ideas with others!!!  When I think of great coaches and teachers they are always the ones that study, read, attend workshops, converse with others in and out of their fields and genuinely love to learn!! Think of how lucky we are in the RKC community to have Pavel, a man who never stops learning and never stops asking questions!! Master RKC Dan John is another coach who has forgotten more information on strength training than most of us will ever know!!! Brett Jones and Gray Cook, other passionate learners and studiers!!!

The bottom line is that in order to teach you have to fill your mind with great ideas and that only comes from reading and interacting with others who know more than you. This may be the single most important aspect of becomming a great teacher. It doesn't guarantee you will be a great teacher but it definitely gives you a lot of ammunition to build some credible systems, programs and information to teach to others!

6) Hang out with people that are smarter than you!!

Simple really! Attend seminars!! Ask questions!! Go out to eat with these people!!! Befriend them and genuinley support their efforts to help you and help others!!!

So that's it folks!! Get out there and TEACH, TEACH, TEACH!!!!!!

Sandbag Training......are you serious???

Yes, very serious!!! Sandbag training is EFFECTIVE! But not as effective as the movement science behind it. Without a doubt, the modern pioneer of effective Sandbag training is Strength coach Josh Henkin. Nobody has done more to advance this obscure tool than Josh and when Josh speaks, I listen.

The following is a testimonial I have for Josh and his Sandbag Certification.

I have had the honor and privilege of knowing Josh Henkin for the last 14 years. Josh and I met in Arizona at a gym in the 90’s and it was clear to see at that time that Josh was determined to teach and train people with the best strength and conditioning methods available. I credit Josh for exposing me to  Kettlebells and of course Sandbags. Personally and professionally I owe a lot to Josh because I know of very few people in the fitness industry who continue to grow, learn, share, teach, coach, encourage and empower people like he does. I can count on one hand the number of people who are as educated and experienced as Josh. He has literally taken every certification out there and continues to learn from the brightest and the best. What he has done to contribute to the evolution of strength methods is powerful and his development of his LIFT certification program is the pinnacle of his career in my opinion.

I had the privilege of taking Josh’s Sandbag L.I.F.T certification earlier this year in Los Angeles and to say I was impressed is an understatement. This two day course was packed with hands on training, practical programming and direct Q and A with Josh throughout the entire weekend. Let me highlight why I think this course should be taken by any serious student of strength and conditioning.

1)      This course is QUALITY BASED with movement excellence as the goal.  Improvements in total body integration along with enhanced body awareness are the first things I noticed after day one. Josh has an amazing ability to dissect movement down to its most basic and fundamental patterns and then immediately and harmoniously teach you how to integrate all of the body. He then seamlessly progresses into more COMPLEX PATTERNS.

2)      It’s not about lifting HEAVIER all the time. Josh explained how easy it is to fall into this trap. Just get stronger and all your problems will be solved. NOT TRUE! Josh made it very clear why just putting more weight on the bar will not necessarily make you a better athlete.  It may make you stronger at that one lift but it won’t guarantee you better athletic success. The body must simultaneously get better at various patterns of movement along with improvements in coordination, power production, agility and MOBILITY!

3)      The importance of training in all planes of motion, ESPECIALLY in ROTATION!  Training in all three dimensions simultaneously is essential and is easy achieved with Sandbags.  But don’t be fooled. It’s not the typical rotational nonsense we see in the functional training movement.  Josh’s rotational progressions are the real deal and should and must be taken seriously. I was HUMBLED when I couldn’t successfully complete even some of the basic sandbag rotational movements.

4)      The PROGRESSIONS are safe, fun and more importantly effective. Josh takes all body positions, grip possibilities,  foot stances and gives you clear instruction on how  and why to progress. I was almost overwhelmed with the depth of detail that Josh goes into covering the different body positions alone.

5)      His new Sandbags are so fun to use with all of the new grips possibilities. The new bags are much more durable than any sandbag I have ever used. The POTENTIAL and infinite amount of drills, exercises and patterns is really, REALLY COOL! 

6)      This is a HANDS ON COURSE!! BIG TIME!! There is no sitting around and only discussing theory. You get your hands on these SANDBAGS from the first 10 minutes of the course.  What I love about his course is that Josh always emphasized POSTURE and BODY POSITIONS over muscles. Huge emphasis on proper DIAPHRAGMATIC FUNCTION AND BREATH! The emphasis on MASTERY is what makes Josh an AMAZING COACH. The certification was full of excellent coaches with lots of experience. We were all humbled with even the slightest change of body position or foot position.  The CREATIVITY that Josh has infused into his LIFT system is incredible. Honestly, I am JEALOUS that I didn’t think of some of these possibilities on my own.

7)      Josh emphasizes what is going on INSIDE your body (the intention you have while performing the movements) rather than focusing solely on the EXTERNAL.  This is MINDFUL practice, purposeful practice!!!! Of course you feel like you are working but that is a bi-product of focusing on the proper intentions.

8)      The section on Assessment was very cool.  What I liked about it was that Josh taught you how to assess various movements and muscle activation patterns such as PRONE HIP EXTENSION and then taught us how to find the correct Sandbag movement to improve our glute function and hip mobility. Every single person improved their Hip function immediately with the Sandbag movements, specifically the BEAR HUG SQUAT.

9)      Josh taught us how to successfully combine the TRX and the Kettlebell with Sandbags. As a Senior RKC Kettlebell Instructor in the RKC system, I can confidently say that the SANDBAG methods Josh has come up with are an excellent compliment to the RKC Kettlebell methods and system.

10)   The PRORGRAM DESIGN  section was worth the price of admission alone. On day two we had to demonstrate to Josh our knowledge of the sandbag exercises by designing a program for a very specific type of athlete. This was fun yet challenging because it forced us to really think through the essentials of intelligent programing and implementation.

11)   Another BONUS was that Josh gave every student a copy of his HIGH OCTANE Sandbag DVD covering many of the essential and foundational sandbag movements.

Overall I couldn’t have been happier with the LIFT certification. It opened my eyes to a new tool which I now love and to programming progressions which are pure genius!  I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you take the LIFT certification and continue to grow, evolve and improve your health, body function and intelligence. Congratulations Josh, this course is the GOLD STANDARD in Sandbag Training.

Hardstyle goes to South America!!!!

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Very excited to have taught along side of Yoana Teran the first ever Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification in South America. Last weekend on November 26, 2011 (and also my Birthday), we taught an HKC in Caracas, Venezuela.  I am still so excited and jazzed from the experience. All of the students were eager to learn, professional, focused and enthusiastic. There will be great things to come out of  Venezuela and I forsee an explosion of Hardstyle Kettlebell methods all over Venezuela and the rest of Central and South America. 

In fact let's go ahead and include the great country of MEXICO in that line up as well. We will be heading to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in March of 2012 to teach the first ever HKC in Mexico!! Exicting times for Dragon Door, the RKC School of Strength and Revolution Fitness!! We have much to be thankful for!!

We want to thank our host HKC Monica Sancio for helping us bring this incredible HKC certificaiton to Venezuela. We also want to thank our sponsors Gatorade as well as HKC Eduardo Gonzalez for all of his help and support during the weekend.  More pics and Venezuela updates to come!!!!

Are you Kettlebell Juggling?

Just got back from Fort Collins, Colorado where I taught an HKC certification. RKC Aaron Pierson was the host and was a excellent host to say the least. We had a rather small group but what was really cool was that many of the top RKC Colorado Instructors came up to watch and assist. Josh Hillis, Valerie Hedlund, Gus Petersen, Shari Wagner, Jim Perry and Heather Hubbard. It's always great to get talented RKC's together because ideas organically come to life and we all learn off each other! Really enjoyed my time in Colorado (although I am glad to be back in San Diego.....I don't like being cold and I love the ocean).

Now onto Juggling. The day after the HKC Aaron Pierson and I had the opportunity to drive to Denver and spend two hours training with RKC Gus Petersen and his lovely wife Karen. Gus is the creator of the K.A.T (Kettlebell Athletic Training System.)  The K.A.T. system is an all-Amerian system of kettlebell juggling moves that's as physically demaning and mentally engaging as your chosen sport, athletic endeavor, or outdoor adventure.  I have alway been curious about kettlebell juggling but have never had any serious coaching. To say I was impressed with Gus and his juggling is an understatement. It was some of the most challening and fun training I have ever done. The amount of hand eye coordination, FOCUS and quickness that is needed is off the charts!!!  Neurologically I felt alive.

Gus took us through his foundational juggling movements and coached us through a step-by step progression that allowed to start juggling right off the start. Gus's coaching is so effective yet so simple. He got me to do things that I thought I would never be able to do.  I was so impressed with what Gus can do and the creative mind that he has, I will be hosting a joint workshop with Gus sometime in the near future. Details to come!

Here is a video compilation I put together of our session with Gus! Truly is amazing what is possible with kettlebell juggling. The MINDFULLNESS it requires is more than you could imagine!

How many of you are doing kettlebell juggling? Thoughts and comments are welcome.

Sprinting......why you should be doing it

Last Saturday I was forunate enought to give a brief lecture at the Hardstyle Ventura Workshop on the importance of SPRINTING and the many positive benefits of including this primal movement into your regimen!  It was amazing to see 50 plus people performing sprint technique drills and focusing on the basics. Just like we teach at the RKC, anybody can pick up a kettlebell and swing it; but not everyone can properly perform the KETTLEBELL SWING.  It is no different with sprint technique; everyone can attempt to run fast, but not everyone can run well.What I want to share with you today are some of the main principles I taught the group.

"You run on the ground - you sprint over it." - Perry Duncan

Why Sprint?

• Being able to move fast could save your life (and someone else as well)
• It keeps you functioning a very high level throughout life
• Better communication and activation of fast twitch fibers
• Can build MUSCLE and encourage FAT LOSS
• Makes you LOOK better - which is why the majority of people train anyway

• Positive hormonal reaction - Growth Hormone and Testosterone
• Anabolic Stimulus
• The most practical way to demonstrate ballistic HIP EXTENSION
• The ultimate in power training with just your bodyweight
• Some of the highest power outputs have been found in sprinting
• Very dynamic form of strength training / mobility training
• PALEO PEOPLE would say that sprinting was needed for evolutionary reason to catch prey or escape predators
• The ability to sprint at high intensity is a very good sign of orthopedic and neuro-endocrine health

Like any movement worth doing, the secret is learning CORRECT technique.  Although explaining proper technque in detail is far beyond the scope of this blog post, here are some essentials that you must know about proper sprint technique.

PROPER SPRINT POSITION

1. Head is held high and is the beginning of running tall
2. The torso erect
3. The hand of the driving arm comes up to the level of the face
4. The shoulders are relaxed
5. The hips are high enough above the ground to allow the driving leg to extend fully to the ground
6. The ankle of the recoevery leg clears the knee of the driving leg - MOST IMPORTANT****
7. The ankle fully extends at the end of the leg drive

Next post I will show the drills that I taught in learning proper sprint mechanics.

Question to all of you: are you currenty sprinting, why or why not?

Your thoughts and comments are always welcome!

Ginastica Natural Workshop with Senior RKC Peter Lakatos

Ginastica Natural Workshop

Taught by Senior RKC Pater Lakatos


When:  Thursday November 17, 2011  7pm - 9pm

Where: Revolution Fitness, La Jolla, CA

Host: Franz Snideman Senior RKC / Yoana Teran Casabianca  RKC Team Leader

Price:  $69 (when purchased before October 31)

* price will go up to $99 on November 1

We are very excited to be hosting Senior RKC Peter Lakatos from Hungary. Peter will be teaching a two hour workshop on Ginastic Natural. What is Ginastic Natural?

Ginastica Natural was developed by Alvaro Romana, from Brazil. Peter has spent extensive time training with Alvaro and has become a gifted teacher and practioner in this method of movement.

Here are some of the principles and benefits you will learn of at this Ginastica Natural workshop:

• based on Natural Movements of Primitive Man
• based on activities performed in nature or in any natural environment
• exercises can be practiced outside or inside
• Ginastica Natural is based on Jiu-Jitsu ground movements
• basic gymnastic bodyweight movements
• dynamic stretching and breathing techniques
• combines strength, flexibility, power, coordination and agility
• through dynamic breathing techniques the practioner will greatly improve mental and motor control

This is a hand on workshop and you will be learning the details and fundamentals of this incredible movement system. Peter has spent years studying this system. Through his years of training and experience Peter has also come up with some rather extraordinary methods for using these primitive movements for athletic enhancement as well as for corrective measures.

Who should take this course?

• Any RKC or HKC that is wanting to learn how to move better and with more fluidity and grace
• Any type of strength coach or trainer who wants to learn how to personally move their bodies better and help their clients do the same
• Any type of athlete who is not currently satisfied with mobility and flexibility
• Anybody who wants to look, move and feel better

If you have questions, e-mail me : franz@revolutionlajolla.com

;

10 Random Thoughts

Every now and then I like to blog about random cool things that I feel are worth sharing and our making a difference in my life and in my clients life. For those of you that know me, you probably notice that I don't blog too much. If you don't know me, hopefully you'll find some information on my blog that will prompt you to make some positive changes in your health and fitness journey. Let's dive right into the topics....

1) Recovery weeks -  The older I get and more wear and tear I have on my body the more benefit I get from taking de-loading weeks. These are weeks where my volume is cut way back (sets and reps) and the intensity is cut way back as well (load). I think it is a HUGE mistake to continue to push the envelope. There is nothing wrong with getting stronger, however, eventually you have to pay the piper some time. Learn to back off every couple of weeks and listen to the warning signs your body is giving you. Constant aches and pains, lethargy, poor sleep and mood swings could mean you are pushing the training a bit too hard. The goal of training is get stronger and healthier not weaker and sicker. Most workouts should feel "Good" and you should leave feeling fresh and energized., not trashed and sick!

2) Program Minimum under times of Stress - When life gets stressful (and we will all  cycle in and out of stressful periods of life as long as we are alive) we need to find training methods which allow us to continue to train without smashing our immune systems into the ground. Pavel's Program Mimimum of GET UPS and SWINGS is just what the doctor ordered.  It could be as simple as this:

Monday - 15 Minutes of Get Ups ( sets of 3 per arm) + 20 swings (two hands on KB).
Tuesday - Walk, get outside for some fresh air
Wed - 15 Minutes of Get Ups (heavy singles) + 10 swings (heavy KB-two handed)
Thursday - Stretching - breathing - mobility work...should not feel like a workout
Friday - 15 minutes of Get Up Ladders (1 each side, 2 each side, 3 each side). Finish with 2 sets of easy swings (25 reps per set)

That is a sustainable training program for a couple of weeks during times of high stress and/or limited time. Constantly focus on the QUALITY of movements and try to get through the first week without feeling exhausted or worn out).

3) Get some SLEEP - this doesn't sound too sexy or important but trust me, it is. It seems rather obvious and simplistic but I think lack of sleep causes a lot of auto-immune issues such a fibro-myalgia and other similar types of disorders. Try to get to bed before 10:30pm (and earlier than that if possible) and watch how much better your joints and muscles feel in the morning. Possibly look into getting a ZEO sleep device to monitor your sleeping patterns.

4. Fish Oil - take your Omega 3's.  - Do I really need to even be talking about this? The truth is yes...I still meet people all the time who are not taking fish oil and eat little fish such as wild caught salmon. Read what Robb Wolf author of the Paleo Solution has to say about Fish Oil here.

5. Look into Fascia work -  Yes, that means rolfing, anatomy trains type of soft tissue work. I personally think the the connective tissue/fascia is still a huge key in getting people well and getting people to move pain free. Yeah I know, it's all about the nervous system, but you sure as hell can't wiggle your pinkey toe and expect your fascial trains to open up (at least it hasn't worked for me).  Check out Anatomy Trains by Thomas Myers. The challenge I see with fascia work is that it takes a very skilled practitioner with lots of experience and great touch to soften up and bring health to your fascia. I for one have a lot of practice to do in order to master this fascial work.

6. Get into NATURE more often - Again, this sounds so simple and easy but how many of us consistently get out into nature (ocean, beach, mountain, rivers, streams, hiking, deserts) and re-connect to a more simpler natural way of living. I for one feel the negative effects of excessive work loads and too much connection to technological devices...damn cell phone and computer! I don't want to live with out a cell phone or computer but I certainly feel the negative effects on my physiology and mental state from constantly checking text messaged and being addicted to checking my e-mail. Get out into nature as often as possible....better yet..do some MovNat training!!!

Check out MovNat and what Erwan Le Corre and Clifton Harksi are going. I highly recommend their workshops.

7. Two workshops I want to take: 

a) I want to take the Indian Club Workshop with Brett Jones and Dragon Door. Ever since I started using Indian Clubs last year, I fell in love with them. Talk about mindful movement......Indian Club Training is mindful movement to the max.

b) MovNat Certification - with Erwan Le Corre and Clifton Harksi
- I has the honor and privilege of taking a one day MovNat workshop with both Erwan and Clifton in the summer of 2011 and was beyond impressed. As soon as the certification is up and running I plan on becoming certified in their method. I see it as a great compliment to the RKC system.

8) I love COLDTONE Ice Cream....that's right.. I love it ! It may kill me sooner or later or cut my life span but it certainly brings a lot of joy and happiness to me and my family.  I specifically like the Cake Batter Ice Cream with Reeses Peanut Butter Cup, Cookie Dough and chocolate syrup mixed in! Ironically I am usually leaner the day after I eat this! ahhhh...genetics!!!

9) EVERNOTE - love this App for making my life more organized and for sharing ideas with others. This has been huge fore me because it automatically sinks all of my notes and projects with any computer I have and my cell phone. If you struggle with organization (like I do), get this: www.evernote.com

10) HKC is an incredible workshop - The more I teach these HKC one day certifications, the more excited I am about the incredible depth that is invovled in the big three movements: Swing, Get Up and Goblet Squat. The secret in learning about anything is to teach it! The more you teach, the more you learn. So if you want to learn about more about the Swing, Get Up and Squat, teach it to as many people as you can. You will learn more from teaching than anything else.

Here are the next couple of HKC workshops I will be teaching:

Fort Collins, Colorado HKC November 12, 2011
Caracas, Venezuela HKC November 26, 2011
Houston, Texas HKC December 10, 2011
Modesto, CA HKC January 21, 2011

And there we have it! My 10 random (but important) thoughts for the day!

Your thoughts and comments are always welcome!!

My MovNat Experience on Venice Beach!!!

On August 7th, 2011 I had the privilege of taking my first ever MovNat workshop in Venice, California with founder Erwan Le Corre and one of his top instructors Clifton Harski. I have been following Erwan and his MovNat principles since I first discovered the MovNat webpage a couple of years ago. Clifton and I also have done some RKC style kettlebell work together in the past and he was also the first person to expose me to what a MovNat style training session even is. As a full time RKC Kettlebell Teacher and Kettlebell Studio owner, I have not been this excited about a new style of training in a long time.  The MovNat experience for me was life changing and further made me appreciate movement in some rather profound ways.

Below are some of the Key Principles and Methods that  I learned from this workshop.

1. Moving well has more to do with intention, awareness and relaxation than I had previously thought. Erwan did an amazing job on emphasizing the importance of always being aware of gravity and where in your body you are "FEELING" the effects of gravity. For example, when standing upright the obvious place where we feel gravity is in the feet. When crawling on your hands and knees, you feel gravity's effect on your hands and on your knees. When hanging from a pull up bar with your elbows and forearms pressing down on the bar, that is where you feel gravity.  Moving well in nature or whatever environment you find yourself in an "INTERNAL" job. It is mindfullness taken to the extreme.  Rather than focusing on muscles or external things, your focus in constantly switching from contact point to contact point!
2. Where you CONNECT TO THE EARTH is where you should focus. This is a natural extension of the first point I made.  Balance is maintained and efficiency in movement is enhanced when you focus on your contact point!!! The second you take your mind off of your contact point (or multiple contact points) is when you lose balance, go into excess tension and overwork.  This concept has roots in the work of Moshe Feldenkrais and again emphasizes the INTERNAL workings of thought, attention and focus rather than only be concerned with the external environment and conditions. I would argue that unless one is INTERNALLY focused one cannot be truly aware of the external conditions that are present in a meaningful and reliable way. 
3. Adaptability is the GOAL!!Your ability to adapt to whatever environment you are in is the difference maker in moving well, training intelligently and SURVIVAL. Being able to immediately adapt from climbing a tree, to jumping from rock to rock and then diving into a river and swimming to safety is key.   How does one achieve this ability to harmoniously blend and weave together multiple bio-motor abilities such as Strength / Power / Endurance / Agility / Coordination / Mobility / Speed and Problem Solving? The answer is in exposing yourself to many different environments and performing many different type of movement challenges such as:

• Climbing 
• Jumping
• Carrying Objects
• Sprinting / Running
• Crawling 
• Swimming
• Balance challenges
• Diving into Water
• Lifting objects from the ground
• Dragging Objects
• Throwing Objects
• and many more .....

The myriad of movement challenges are endless and one only has to get creative and imaginative to improve.

4. Studying and watching animals in Nature is very eye opening into the concept of efficiency. Gorillas and Monkeys do not struggle in moving on land or from tree to tree. In fact, they make it look easy and graceful.  Humans on the other hand need to learn this graceful movement and thank God it is something that can be practiced and learned. Erwan made several funny jokes about how tense we were all getting trying to get ourselves up on top of the pull up bars and how trying harder actually worked against us.

5. RELAXATION and TENSION are co-dependent, but relaxation is what allows us to sustain graceful,SAFE and powerful movement. Not that tension doesn't have its' place, but usually excess tension prevents us from enduring movement challenges in potentially dangerous environments. 

This is where I see a great marriage between the RKC School of Strength Principles and the MovNat principles. At the RKC we teach and stand by the following five principles.

1st) View of Training as PRACTICE, not "WORKING OUT."

2nd) Yin/Yang focus on relaxation and tension

3rd) Use of Speed Endurance training for development of power, different types of endurance and promoting fat loss.

4th) "Safety is viewed as a part of, not the opposite of, performance."

5th) Reverse Engineering of what the strongest and most coordinated people do naturally

I especially want to highlight the 4th principle. Erwan did a wonderful job of teaching us about risk tolerance and just flat out stupidity and danger. It is safe and wise to challenge yourself in the beginning with environments that have little potential danger and risk. As you masters some of the basic challenges, your risk tolerance goes up as does your confidence to move into more difficult situations and environments. However, some risks are just not worth it because there is always a higher tree, a higher ledge or more dangerous obstacle to surmount in which the benefits are just not there (if you fall.....you may not make it). I thought this concept of risk tolerance and reward was outstanding and one that needed to be addressed. All in all I know that people will be better suited and fit to handle difficult and potentially dangerous environments when one focuses on less dangerous challenges in the beginning. Because Erwan and Clifton emphasize the focus on movement PRINCIPLES, the environment is secondary to learning to move well. 

So, as we teach in the RKC and as MovNat teaches, SAFETY is viewed as PART OF, not the OPPOSITE OF, PERFORMANCE.

I also want to highlight the first RKC principle, a VIEW OF TRAINING as PRACTICE and not WORKING OUT. Erwan was very clear that there must be an element of PLAY and enjoyment in our MovNat sessions. Rather than just mindlessly focusing on sets and reps, focus on very specific motor skills and qualities that you want and need to improve.  Also, be free and open to exploring the possibilities of movements. Again, the focus in INTERNAL and not so much external. 

On a personal level, I found that by the end of the day I was more ALIVE (though exhausted), more FOCUSED and more AWARE of my body in a very new yet FRESH way. Movement was FUN and I had developed a new confidence in my body and it's potential to PERFORM and MOVE better.  Not only do I plan on continuing my MovNat PRACTICE but I plan on educating others how the RKC principles (and that includes the Functional Movement Screen Principles) and MovNat principles are really expressing similar truths about the human body and what we are capable of doing. 

Very excited to see where this goes and am very excited to get certified as a MovNat Coach as soon as soon as the certification is up and running. Thanks for reading!

10 Things I Learned at the San Diego RKC last Weekend

Last Weekend marked my 8th year assisting or teaching at RKC certifications. This was my first as a Senior RKC as I must say it was perhaps my most fun and memorable RKC event to date.  The teaching, the students and my other RKC peers made it an incredible weekend. Those of  you that have taken the RKC understand what I am talking about. We truly do have an amazing community and a very unique group of committed and capable individuals that collectively make up a very lively and effective system that we all know as the RKC school of strength.

Dan John, one of the most gifted teachers I have ever met, gave a great talk on Saturday afternoon titled "WHAT IS THE RKC." Dan encouraged all RKC candidates  to write down the top 10 things they had learned that were profoundly important to them.  For that reason I am writing this blogpost in honor of Dan. What a great idea and what an essential habit to form after all workshops. The following are the top 10 things that I learned over the RKC weekend.

1) "Be a PERMANENT BEGINNER."  That's right, remain a permanent beginner as you start your kettlebell journey. Dan talked about how he considered himself a beginner with kettlebells because that way you are striving to get better each and every day. Their is no destination where you finally arrive at kettlebell mastery. Always stay humble in your learning and always seek out those better than you.

2) INTEGRITY is being the same person at all times. It is being consistent in behavior and conduct regardless of the group of people you are around. It is living a principled centered life and sticking to your values and morals at all times.  Pavel and Dan have this quality which makes this RKC community so much more special.

3) SWIM the kettelbell down in the snatch. This one is from Pavel. I have never heard that one before. Literally think of doing a front crawl and pull the SWIM the kettlebell down and back between the legs. That means your arm and torso come closer together. This was an A-ha moment for me!

4) Fail with integrity! This is from Master RKC David Whitley.It's ok to fail but fail with integrity. That means you give it your very best effort and commit to the lift. However, the outcome, regardless of what it is, doesn't matter. Do your best and have the right attitude and that is enough.

5) Connect with people at their level! This is one that I realized during the weekend. Try and meet people and see things through their perspective. Sometimes we try to conform others into what we think they should be. Meet people where they are at and respect their own personal process and journey. We are all different and thank God for that.

6) Focus on the INTERNAL. This is not necessarily anything new but it did get driven home after Pavel kept talking about the internal nature and focus of the RKC movements. We teach intention, position, posture, breath, and where to channel the force. This is fundamentally an internal focus, much like an eastern martial art.

7) BE PREPARED!!! Do your  homework before the RKC!!! People get really NERVOUS and RKC certifications!! Help them to channel that nervous energy into better performance and skill work. This is where the art of coaching comes in. Talk with your team, keep them focused but help them feel confident in their preparation and skill work. As we know, the best antidote to fear and nervous energy is preparation. Take the RKC seriously, prepare and show up ready to go!!!

8) Humbleness and Humility!! This should be obvious but often people have the opposite qualities. Those students that lack humility never pass the RKC!! Is talking back to an instructor about how you are right and we are wrong in not a smart idea!!!

9) The RKC community is SPECIAL and people sense the awesomeness of this community!!! Embrace this community, give back to it, and it will give back to you!!!

10) The DEADLIFT posture and position is KING!!! Never forget that SWINGS and GET UPS really do work if you focus on mastery!!! Watching people improve over a 3 day weekend is amazing and something I never tired of watching!!!

There it is!!!  If you are an RKC reading this, let me ask you, what did you learn????

Traffic Light Principle and How It Effects Your Training

Just finished watching Dan John's Intervention DVD and I must say that any serious strength coach or fitness enthusiast will highly benefit from Dan's Knowledge. There is nobody in the fitness industry that is able to weave together cutting edge training principles with philosophy, theology and practice life experience like Dan John.  Dan is absolutely one of my favorite presenters in any field. He makes you bring up the bigger issues of life and has a way of speaking straight to your CORE VALUES which in turn makes you question your thinking, training and future. In watching the 3 part DVD sets Dan reminded me of a principle that I originally learned at the CK-FMS back in 2008. The concept is the TRAFFIC LIGHT principle and it is a very clear and simple method of assessing your training readiness.

Imagine you are driving and you pass through a green light at the traffic light. This green light represents forward movement, momentum and speed. There is nothing hindering you or telling you to slow down. When you transfer this to training, a GREEN LIGHT represents a period in your life when things are going smoothly and progress is easy to attain. Let's look at some green light attributes:

• Sleep is plentiful and restful
• Nutrition is more than adequate and you are fueling your body to grow muscle and repair
• General Health is excellent / Immune system function is high
• External Stress such as toxic relationships, a bad job, being broke is out of the equation
• Your Social life is good and your have meaningful relationships with friends, family, etc..
• Mental outlook on life is Positive. MOTIVATION is High! Expectations for the future are Optimistic.
• Perhaps the fact that you have Medical Insurance gives you peace of mind

Now let's use the same analogy of the traffic light and now imagine you are driving and the traffic light TURNS YELLOW. Immediately you are put in more of a threat mode as you now know that danger could be in front of  you if you do not make a quick decision. Yellow lights signify CAUTION. It doesn't mean that  anything negative has happened but it is giving you a signal that you need to SLOW DOWN!!! In regard to training a YELLOW LIGHT would mean:

• Your body is giving you some signals that training volume and intensity may need to be altered and possibly reduced
• Pain and discomfort in your body may be increased during this time
• Life stress such as increased family and work demands are making it more challenging to recover from intense training
• Nutritional habits may have taken a turn toward not fueling your body adequately or toward eating the poor food choices on a consistent basis
• Sleep quality is down. Getting adequate rest seems rather difficult during this time
• Mental and emotional health is still good but you can tell that you are not as mentally sharp or emotionally stable as you would like to be
• Pregnancy is usually a Yellow light situation for the mother and for the father

The RED LIGHT represents true challenge in your life and represents  lack of forward movement and progress. There are times in all of our lives when we enter these RED LIGHT periods where because of serious challenges our training needs to be altered in a major way. Here are some potential RED LIGHT attributes and potential situations:

• You have recently had a major injury that requires bed rest or surgery
• You have lost a job or perhaps your job has been transferred to a different part of the country and you need to pack up  your stuff and move your family half way across the united states
• Major health set back (heart attack, disease, you need a serious operation)
• Perhaps you are getting Divorced or there has been a death in the family
• You are under an incredible amount of mental, emotional and physical stress

All of these RED LIGHT situations are major players in the sense that they will not only modify your training but they will modify your entire life. We all go through YELLOW AND RED LIGHT situations in our lives and therefore are forced to tackle them head on.  Having been through many red light situations in my life I can tell you that whether you like it or not, training will be put on the back burner for periods of time.  However, that does not mean that you have to STOP training. What it does mean is that you have to be brutally honest with yourself and what you are able to successfully recover from. If you are in a red light situation, it may not be the time to run those 2 marathons you were planning on running or climb mount Everest. Sometimes just doing the basics and bare minimum are enough.

Another very important piece of advice Dan gives is to look at your training or the training log of  your client/athlete and do the opposite. If they are mainly doing  Bench Presses, Pull Ups and Power Cleans, have them work on Loaded Carries, Squatting variations and Hinging patterns, The fact that you are training patterns will alone often get people stronger and more importantly healthier. After all, there is a difference between HEALTH and FITNESS.

Health is having your organs working well, oxygen coming in and out of your body and generally being safe in the manner in which you live your life. FITNESS is the ability to perform a task. Ideally we should have the HEALTH side of things nailed down first if we truly want to be able to sustain our FITNESS.

more to come........love Dan John and his wisdom!!!!

Your Thoughts? Comments?