Archives for June 2013

The Usual Suspects

June 26, 2013 By Thomas Phillips Leave a Comment

When I sat with my colleague, good friend and level 4 Z-health trainer / RKC Steve Pucciarelli to create a viable kid’s program to compliment the UTC (www.TheUltimateTransformationChallenge.com), we agreed that kids should be able to identify simple ways to improve performance. We narrowed a long list to ‘5 usual suspects.’ Having successfully completed that task, we agreed that the information should be presented to EVERYONE, not just kids.

This article demonstrates how proper use of kettlebells can address the FIRST ‘usual suspect;’ however, I will be presenting this material in a ½ day seminar along with RKC / Z- health expert Steve Pucciarelli and RKC Team Leader Matt Maher. In fact, on July 14th we will address ALL 5 ‘usual suspects.’

Suspect #1: The “Chest / Reverse breather”

How to address the “chest breather” with kettlebells:

Practice diaphragm breathing

1) Perform a set of 10 dead swings. Count each rep out loud at the top of the swing with conviction. This will assure you have some air in your lungs at the bottom and letting it release up top. Many people mistakenly breathe in at the top of the swing instead of “spitting the air out.” Therefore, think about “spitting the air out” at the top of EACH swing along with the rep number you are currently performing.

2) In between the next set of 10 dead swings, lay on your belly with your elbows under your chest and think about breathing into the floor with your belly. Allow your belly to naturally push into the floor as you visualize sending your breath deep past your belly button and toward your groin. Do this for a minute, then perform another set of 10 dead swings.

3) In between the next set of 10 dead swings lay on your back and allow the back of your head to touch the floor while keeping the neck NEUTRAL. (Note: If your chin is up then you may need a thin pad to put behind your head). Once in place, think about keeping the back of your neck long. Block one nostril with your finger and put the other hand on top of your belly. Finally, breathe deeply into the belly (as described in #2) while maintaining that long neck and neutral cervical spine. Do this for one minute, and then perform another set of 10 dead swings.

4) Once you become comfortable with the 2 breathing techniques described above, try continuing both of those strategies while closing your eyes and consciously attempting to slow your breathing / heart rate. This should result in relaxation of residual tension in your muscles. Do this for one minute, and then perform another set of 10 dead swings.

Practice Hard style breathing

5) Rack a pair of kettlebells and get ready for front squats. Breathe into the diaphragm while standing with the bells racked. Think about making the belly big, then hold your breath and drop into your front squat. Initiate the ascent with a loud and abrupt “up” from the belly. You will only be letting about 10% of your air out when you initiate this sound.

If the sound is initiated incorrectly (from the throat) you will not feel as strong and “connected” on your ascent; however, if the sound is initiated correctly (from the diaphragm) you will hear a better quality of sound and feel a better quality of connection as you ascend.

Understand the difference between the “qualities of sound” in this way:

From the throat think “Bob Dylan” (INCORRECT)

From the diaphragm think “Pavarotti” (CORRECT)

Check out high-level powerlifters or strong men as they squat or deadlift heavy weights. Notice the big breath in, the intensity on their faces and their ability to grind through a heavy rep without panicking. This is an example of mastery of this technique. Take a look at powerlifting legend Ed Coan:

Now, try a heavy set of kettlebell front squats. Perform 5 sets of 5 reps focusing on these principles. At the top of each rep, take another breath and perform the next repetition.

Practice breathing behind the shield.

6) Hold 2 heavy, heavy kettlebells in each hand in front of you while standing with your feet spread slightly wider than usual. Try to create as much tension as possible in your body by doing the following:

a)   Lock your knees and tighten your quads
b)   Squeeze your glutes as hard as possible
c)   Grip the bells with your hands as tight as possible
d)   Tighten your triceps
e)   Tighten your lats
f)   Keep holding… tighter… tighter… tighter!!!

7) You will notice that if you breathe too deeply and hold your breath as described earlier in the front squat, you will not be able to sustain this amount of intra-abdominal pressure very long. Therefore, a different approach is required.

8) Try this: Get into a front plank position (like a push-up but on your elbows), then close your eyes and imagine someone is about to kick you rapidly in the stomach 10 times in a row. This should force you to do each of the following:

1)   Tuck your pelvis
2)   Brace your abdominals
3)   Breathe more shallow

This should also STOP you from doing each of the following:

1)   Sagging your belly
2)   Relaxing your mid-section
3)   Putting your lower-back into extension

From this position, try to create as much tension as possible by focusing on squeezing your glutes as hard as you can. This will help maintain a tucked pelvis and braced abdominals while also giving the opportunity to breathe shallow into the belly.

Here is an example of me utilizing these principles in a plank:

Here is an example of me utilizing these principles in a push-up:

This ability to comfortably breathe shallow “behind” braced abdominals is what we mean by “breathing behind the shield.”

Use this technique for exercises that require isometric holds. Gymnasts must use this technique on the rings, the parallel bars, etc; however, notice how RELAXED their faces are as they utilize this breathing strategy. This is an example of mastery of this technique. However, you can also use this technique during sub-maximal lifting where the goal is to lift a relatively heavy weight for as many reps as you can over a period of time. Here is an example of me lifting 265 lbs for 30 reps in less than 90 seconds at 165 lbs bodyweight. After my AAU meet, I elected to try the “feats of strength competition” in Las Vegas last summer. This was the result using the principles of “breathing behind the shield”:

Practice anatomic breathing:

Suppose the goal is to do as many reps as possible over a longer period of time (perhaps 30 seconds or as long as 5 minutes or more).

Take a light to moderate kettlbell and put it in the rack. Use your legs to help you push press the weight as fast as possible while maintaining good form. For me, a 16 kg bell for 30 reps in 30 seconds does the trick. Take a look:

For this technique I’m using my body as a “spring” and “catching” the bell with my WHOLE BODY. As the bell descends and hits my body I breathe out to “absorb” the force of the bell, then, immediately redirect the bell upward as I breathe in again. You can see this type of speed would be impossible if I were to use Hard-Style, / High Tension / Intra-Abdominal breathing described earlier in the front squat. Instead, I breathe out while moving WITH the force by absorbing this force into the WHOLE BODY, then I “take it somewhere else…” in the example of the push press I absorb and redirect the bell straight back up into the air.

As you can see, breath mastery is critical to performance. Practice the appropriate techniques depending on the task at hand; however, there is NEVER a reason to be a “chest breather.”

To register for the ½ day seminar on July 14th, contact Master RKC Thomas Phillips at fitforlifemarlboro@yahoo.com sign-ups are limited because this seminar is part of a larger seminar series.

***

About Thomas Phillips, Master RKC: Being a good student, teacher and athlete has always been a priority. This is why I choose to remain the student and the teacher in all aspects of life. Other than being a teacher of math and philosophy for the past 13 years, I am also a writer, gym owner, as well as a proud father and husband. I continue to challenge myself physically by competing in… Read more here.

www.fflmarlboro.com
www.TheUltimateTransformationChallenge.com
www.TotalAchievementProgram.com

It’s All About the “C” Word

June 19, 2013 By Angelo Gala Leave a Comment

Have you ever looked at a professional athlete in total amazement as they gracefully move through the air in a gravity-defying move to score a game winning goal?

Scratched your head in total confusion wondering how that weightlifter in your box just dropped under a barbell to catch a snatch with 225 pounds when you are struggling to secure the bar overhead with just 135 pounds?

How about those bikini and figure models strutting around showing off their beautifully sculpted 6-pack of abs?

Its all too easy to sit back and cop out an excuse that these individuals are just gifted. To say that they are “freaks of nature,” or accuse them of having way more time available to train. The truth is that we all are capable of amazing ourselves with personal accomplishment. Maybe our window of opportunity to become a pro ball player has closed a little earlier than we would have hoped, but don’t throw in the towel just yet. You still have plenty of time to achieve great things.

What builds great athletes happens behind closed doors when no one is watching. Everyone struggles when they have goals that scare the sh*t out of them. The secret to success is persistence through the tough times and consistently working to move forward no matter the resistance that is faced.

It is too easy to watch any athlete on a National or International stage and overlook the work it took to get there. Of course I have to acknowledge that many athletes do possess a genetic predisposition to be great at what they do. Some endurance athletes are blessed with an astronomical lung capacity (think Lance Armstrong), perfectly shaped musculo-skeletal system for their given activity (Michael Phelp’s wing span and hand size) or even fiber typing within the muscle itself that can predispose someone to naturally be more explosive (Pyrros Dimas). Please don’t let this discourage you in your journey to crush personal records in training whether you compete or are simply a fitness enthusiast.

It’s funny how many things come in 3’s. A sneeze frequently is followed by a second and third subsequent blast out of the nose. Tibetan Buddhism prayer verse is typically repeated in three’s. Traffic lights in the United States have 3 signals. Traditional nutrition tells us to eat a protein and two sources of vegetables (that’s a combination of 3) and we all know that it takes at least three months of effort to make noticeable change to the body. So what does this tell us? We need to be patient and persistent to accumulate enough volume to make the desired change we seek.

Lets break this down specifically to fitness. Say you have a weight-loss goal. It takes three weeks to make a habit stick. So in the course of those initial three weeks you may focus on making small changes. Initially frequency and timing of food may be the top concern. Once you have adjusted to eating regularly you may begin to add in more fresh produce. Before you know it, those initial three weeks have ended and you are starting to get frustrated with a lack of results or even an increase in total body weight. Don’t worry because we still have plenty of room for improvement. Now that we know you are proactively battling the blood-sugar regulation game we can pull out all grains and starchy foods. Sorry man, that means no more bread, rice or pasta and white potatoes. All of a sudden, BOOM! Some of that extra padding begins to melt away.

When it comes to resistance training and even flexibility (shout out to my fellow Yogis out there!) we need to see the same persistence and consistency. Strength training should be performed on 3 or MORE days a week if you would like to make gains. Now if you are like me, over 30 and slowly losing peak hormone levels, then a greater priority on frequency should be observed otherwise you may find yourself treading water at best. In the yoga community we have a saying that goes something along he lines of “stretch once a week to feel better, stretch twice a week to maintain your current flexibility, stretch 3 times a week to make a change.”

Now general rules of physiology apply to flexibility just as much as they do to strength. In a given strength session, a minimum of three sets of a given exercise are needed to provide enough stimulus to improve strength or promote hypertrophy.

Accumulated volume towards the improvement of muscle length and specific flexibility should be noted as well. If you are working on improving your backbend in a bridge posture, just hitting your maximal global spinal extension for one uncomfortable hold or repetition isn’t going to cut it.

First you should prep your body by opening your hip flexors, thoracic spine and throw in a shoulder stretch or two. Now that your body is ready to bend, try setting up your bridge for a solid 5 slow breaths or thirty seconds, lower to a resting position for a few breaths and repeat the exact same posture for at least two more sets. It’s never enough to just go through the motions one time and expect great change. Don’t forget that to improve your bridge it should be performed with the same care on two other training days that same week!

In regards to all aspects of the body we need to understand that it takes consistent and repeated practice to make change. For some enthusiasts the change may come as fast as a few days or weeks and for others it may take months or even years. As long as we keep chipping away at our goals by taking small bites at a time, success is as sure to come, as the seasons are sure to change. I challenge you to stay present and be mindful during your journey as you very well may learn something new about yourself along the way.

***About Angelo Gala, RKC Team Leader: Angelo Gala has been a fitness professional in the Boston area for greater than 11 years. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NCSA, has studied the Pranavayu system of yoga under David Magone and he is a Dharma friend at the Sakya Center of Buddhist Studies in Cambridge, MA where he completed a 1 year intensive study of Mangalam Yantra Yoga Under the guidance of Lama Migmar Tseten.

He considers himself an all-around fitness nerd and endurance junkie who refuses to fall under the category of a one-trick pony. Gala continually works to better himself and inspire others by leading a lifestyle conducive to physical, emotional, and spiritual development. He believes that no one should focus too much time and energy on a single dimension of fitness. The body craves all different types of movement that is not limited to just running, jumping, swimming, biking or lifting things up and putting them down again and again. He teaches clients to train with intention progressively, intelligently and with as many different modalities as the heart desires. Do this and the body and mind will be forever grateful.

My Best Friend …

June 11, 2013 By Phil Ross Leave a Comment

Are you a fitness enthusiast that takes their running shoes on trips, only to feel uncomfortable road running in unfamiliar areas? Are you tired of endlessly waiting for cardio equipment to free up at your gym, only to feel like a hamster running on a wheel? Do you love to run outdoors, yet shy away from putting on five layers of under-armor and sweats on in order to brave the sub arctic temperatures?

Well, let me introduce you to my “Best Friend,” the jump rope. You can take it anywhere, you do not need much space, it does not matter what the weather is like outside, you do not need expensive equipment ($2.00 to $20.00 for a rope, my favorite costs $8.00) and you can vary the routines and movements to keep it interesting. My Grandfather was a boxing trainer in Paterson, NJ back in the 30’s, 40’s and into the 50’s. He instructed me on how to jump rope as a teenager as a means to improve my foot speed and endurance for wrestling and football. I then began to realize the incredible benefits of jumping rope.

If you jump rope at a good pace for 5 minutes, it’s equivalent to running a mile! The coordination of your hands and feet moving in rhythm with each other is essential for a fighter. All of my martial arts classes begin with 3 to 5 minutes of jumping rope. In addition to the coordination development, jumping rope is an incredible means to warm up the body.

Even if you are a beginner and you miss on your jump, keep moving your feet. To learn how to jump, here are a couple of tips:

1) Play some music that you like with a good beat. You should put together a playlist for at least the same amount of time that you want to jump for. Use your favorite, upbeat songs & make a mix. Or, for those with obsessive, manic personalities, repeat the same song as an extended version. This also helps you jump rope longer. You basically fool your self into NOT thinking that you are jumping that long.

2) To initially get your timing, watch as the rope hits the ground. That’s when you time your jump. It may take a few weeks to get your timing, but keep working, it will eventually happen.

3) If you are still having issues, try putting the rope in one hand and jump up and down while rotating your wrist. This will help you to find your timing.

4) Remember the less movement of your arms, the better. Your wrists are the primary focus of the rotation. Try also to keep them in the same spot, approximately chest level. This does not hold true when you are doing more advanced movements, like crossing the rope or double jumps.

5) You do not have to jump very high. You only need to jump high enough to allow the thin rope to pass under your feet. Get your rhythm and all else will fall into place.

If you’d like to workout the rest of your body, try performing push-ups and abdominal exercises in a rotation with jumping rope. You can start with 100 jumps, 20 push – ups and 30 abdominals. Start with 3 rotations and then increase to 5. You may also execute additional push – ups or abdominals. What a great way to start the day!

Victory Favors the Prepared!

– Phil

P.S. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach me at www.philross.com.

About Master RKC Phil Ross: Master RKC, 8^th Degree Black Belt, Specialist in Bodyweight Strength, PCC and CK-FMS Certified. His name is synonymous with Martial Arts and Fitness. He is known as the area’s Kettlebell King and has successfully competed on the National Level in… Read more here.

Melt Fat Like Raw Meat on a Hot Grill with These 7 Time-Crunched Kettlebell Workouts

June 5, 2013 By Pat Flynn 11 Comments

Workout #1: The Chewie

The scene of this tale is set in my very own home, approximately three days ago, and is the particular account of how I tested the workout which you will find down below on my willfully obedient St. Bernard puppy.

I would have used a human subject, but I didn’t have one handy. I’ve run out, you see.

And so one does what one can. The subject—name: Chewie Patrick Flynn, age: 2.5 months—has a gentle face, a loose jaw, and a congenital proclivity to slobber. He sports a dirty brown coat with a white underbelly. His face hides behind a black mask, causing him to look like a bandit. But then he has these delightful little freckles scattered about his nose. It looks inconsistent. Either way his background checks out. He’s clean. Just don’t ask him to whistle. He can’t. But then again neither can a catfish. Anyways, he lives his life largely in leisure. This is to say he knows more about napping than the fellow who invented it.

“Chewie, come.”

“My dear Sir and Kinsman, could you not plainly see that I am in the middle of something enormously important. What is it that you would seek of me?”

“Good boy!!!”

“Make it quick, jester, I must return to my muttons.”

“Ok Chewie, I just need you to do something for me real quick. It’s just a short little workout I came up with, won’t take long, just a few minutes.”

“I must say the quality of discourse between us has taken a steep plunge as of late. Let us have done with this frivolous talk—advance your proposition at once.”

“Ok here’s what I got. I call it a time-crunched workout. You know, for those times when you just don’t have any time, and need to get in something real quick. It’s mostly made up of kettlebell complexes. Nothing you don’t know. Super for blasting fat, building muscle, and all that, which means it’s got something of the demoniacal in it—WINK WINK! But it’ll be fun, promise!”

“As you wish. But first, be a respectable fellow and deliver me that stuffed giraffe right there, if you please—you can’t possibly expect me to entertain just one bully bone all day, now can you.”

Chewie gave it a few squeaks then whirled it up into the air, like a pancake, where it did a few somersaults. He then began clobbering it about the head, stomping his paws with all the malicious intent of a homicidal maniac. How adorable!

“Ah, that’s better. Now on to business. Please continue.”

“Ok, so the first complex is all double cleans and front squats, but it’s done in a kind of odd sequence. It goes eight double cleans, five front squats, five double cleans, three front squats, three double cleans, two front squats, two double cleans, and one front squat. And I want you to run three rounds of it. Think you got that?”

“Father, please, I can call out a Fibonacci sequence quicker than a terrier can smell out a mole.”

*Complex details:

8 x double clean
5 x double front squat
5 x double clean
3 x double front squat
3 x double clean
2 x double front squat
2 x double clean
1x double front squat

Recommended weight: Males and Females: 2 x 20kg or 2 x 24kg kettlebells

“Ok, Chewie, so, how was it? How do you feel?”

“I must say my contentment is quite complete. I’m so happy I could maim you.”

I stepped back, just out the way of his reach.

“Ok, well, we’re halfway done, next up is the Holy Fiver, you might remember this one from Racked and Loaded, my free eBook containing 101 of my personal favorite kettlebell complexes for blasting fat and building muscle.”

“Never read it.”

“Oh, well, no matter. It’s just five reps of the following exercises: double swing, double snatch, double clean and press, and front squat. Simple enough, right? And again, I want you to run three rounds of it, if you wouldn’t mind.”

*Complex details:

5 x double swing
5 x double snatch
5 x double clean and press
5 x front squat

Recommended Weight: 2 x 20-24kg for males, 2 x 12-16kg for females

“So…?”

“To give a fair account, I will say that in the first round my life-force traveled in straight channels—that is, it followed a smooth and advantageous course. The task was not a burden, and I was not in need of a breather. But on the second I freely admit that I was assailed at all angles. The rapid and repeated contractions of the striated muscles grew to be very nearly unbearable, as if someone had driven railway spikes into my thighs. Hence, the panting. On the third set I am fairly certain that I met God. Please put that down in your notes.”

“Got it. Anything else?”

“Yes, just one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m pooping.”

6 More Time-Crunched Kettlebell Complex Workouts

I’m done writing, for now.

If you have any questions, drop them in the comments, email me at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength.com, Tweet at me, or come say hi on Facebook. Whichever you’d like.

Workout #2: Swing Mountain

Perform 2-3 rounds of the following complex:
2 x two hand swing
1 x goblet squat
4 x two hand swing
2 x goblet squat
6 x two hand swing
3 x goblet squat
8 x two hand swing
4 x goblet squat
10 x two hand swing
5 x goblet squat

Recommend weight: 24kg kettlebell for males, 16kg kettlebell for females

Workout #3: Fresh Off The Yacht

Perform 5 rounds of the following complex :
5 x one arm swing
5 x one arm clean
5 x one arm snatch
5 x one arm jerk
5 x reverse lunge

Workout #4: The Hellion

Perform 1-2 rounds of the following complex:
2 x two hand swing
2 x one one arm swing
2 x squat to press (aka thruster)
Add two reps to each movement the next time through. Continue adding two reps with each cycle until you reach ten. Then go back down in the same fashion.

Recommend weight: 16-24kg for males, 8-16kg for females

Workout #5: The Viking Warrior

Perform 15 minutes of the following snatch interval sequence:
15 seconds x one arm snatch (right arm)
15 seconds rest
15 seconds x one arm snatch (left arm)
15 seconds rest

Workout #6: The Good Samaritan

Perform 3-5 rounds of the following complex
5 x double military press
30 seconds x overhead hold
5 x double front squat
30 seconds x rack hold

Workout #7: The Great Destroyer

Had to.

Perform 1-3 rounds of the following complex:
10 x double swing
10 x double snatch
10 x double clean and press
10 x front squat
10 x push up

Recommend weight: 16-20kg for males, 8-12kg for females

***

About Pat Flynn: Pat Flynn is a certified Russian Kettlebell Challenge instructor, fitness philosopher, and 7th degree blackbelt in hanging out. Pat is the founder of ChroniclesOfStrength.com and chief contributor to the Chronicles of Strength Inner Circle where he shares his best ideas on how to chop fat and multiply muscle through kettlebell complex training. Pat also offers online coaching. It’s expensive, and certainly not for those who are fragile by nature. Email Pat at PatFlynn@ChroniclesOfStrength.com with the subject line of “online coaching” to learn more.