Skill of Strength

The Secret to Success!!

2011-11-30T20:51:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

It's been awhile since I have posted. Things have been very crazy but I can assure you that good things are happening at Skill of Strength. While I was on my little hiatus I have had lots of time to think about success and what it means to me. So here goes, these are my secrets to success!!

1. Listen more, talk less
2. Look someone in the eyes when speaking to them
3. Drink more water
4. Eat more vegetables
5. Listen to music that moves you
6. Learn everyday
7. Pay attention, 1+1 doesn't always equal 2
8. Forgive quickly
9. Don't hold grudges
10. Try to make the best decision every opportunity you have
11. Teach as much as possible
12. Find a mentor
13. Move every day
14. Learn from your mistakes
15. Learn how to breath properly
16. Assess then re-assess
17. Be patient
18. Even if you don't want to go somewhere, just show up
19. Don't idolize money
20. Treat the ones you love with respect
21. Shut off your phone
22. Fast for one day
23. Open doors for strangers
24. Pray more
25. Have the faith of a child

LCCJ update

2011-08-11T13:34:00.000-04:00

Just finished Day 8 of my program

Double 24k bells

5 ladders of 2,4,6 rep scheme

19:18

I beat my last session by a minute!!

Stay tuned for a 1 month update!!

Long cycle clean and jerk update!

2011-08-09T11:34:00.000-04:00

This program is amazing. I am feeling stronger every workout and my back feels better than ever. I still cannot believe how hungry I get after these workout!! I will have a one month blog post coming up soon with before and after pics as well.

Day 5

5 ladders of 2, 4, 6 rep scheme with double 24k bells

24 min flat

Day 6

5 ladders of 2, 4, 6 rep scheme with double 24k bells

22:46

Day 7

5 ladders of 2,4, 6 rep scheme with double 24k bells

20:20

Each time is faster, I am hoping to complete 5 ladders under 19 min then progress to the next step from the program in Return of the Kettlebell!!

Here is a quick video from Day 6!!

Enjoy and please ask if you have any questions!!

Anyone can swing a kettlebell

2011-08-04T06:30:00.003-04:00

I hear it all the time. Kettlebell swings are easy. If you think that Kettlebell swings are so easy then you should....

1. Maintain the box-squat alignment during swings or when picking up or setting down the kettlebell

2. Not shrug or move the shoulders forward

3. Maintain vertical shins at the bottom of the swing

4. Keep the kettlebell above the knees at the bottom of the swing

5. Extend the knee without forward movement

6. Keep the heels down and tracking the toes at all times

7. Keep the foot turnout less than 45 degrees

8. Extend the hips and knees fully at the top of the swing. Your body should form a straight line

9. form an extension of the straight and loose arm(s) at the top of the swing

10. Use the biomechanical breathing match

11. Not overgrip the bell to avoid fatique

12. Tighten glutes and stomach at the top of the swing

13. Keep your eyes on the horizon

14. Allow the hips to drive the bell while the arms(s) guide it

15. Enjoy the float at the top of the swing

I am sure that you do all of these because anyone can swing a kettlebell ;)

Days 3 and 4 of the new program

2011-08-01T14:59:00.000-04:00

This is NOT easy but it gets better each time I train. I can't believe how hungry I get on the days I train. I will keep everyone updated on my progress.

Day 3 Long cycle clean and jerk

4 ladders with double 24k bells, 2, 4, 6 rep scheme
time 18:01

Day 4 Long cycle clean and jerk

4 ladders with double 24k bells, 2, 4, 6 rep scheme
time 17:31

This will be a long process but well worth it!!

Days 2 and 3 of the new program

2011-07-27T09:15:00.000-04:00

Things are going well with the long cycle clean and jerk program from Return of the kettlebell.
Every time I train this movement learn a bit more about my body as well as the movement.

Day 2

3 Ladders of 2, 4, 6 reps
Time 15:30

Day 3

4 Ladders of 2, 4, 6 rep scheme.
Time 20:05.

Slow and steady

A little experiment :)

2011-07-21T13:14:00.000-04:00

I am all about trying new things. I passed RKC II a couple weeks back and now it's time to get back on the horse.

For the next month I will be training the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk ( LCCJ) progressions from Return of the Kettlebell. I am going to train 3 days a week. Each session will look the same with slightly added volume each session.

Day 1 7/21

Arms bars 3x3

LCCJ 3 ladders of 2, 4, 6

Time of workout 18:11

Today was slow on purpose, I wanted to nail the technique and not rush at all. Once I get back into a groove I will push it a bit.

I added a light jog as a flush after.

Stay tuned, after a month I will post before and after pics :)

Thoracic extension and the overhead position

2011-07-21T09:33:00.000-04:00

Here is a video follow up to my T-spine mobility post. This is the order of the exercises on the video

Crocodile breath
- 2-5 minutes to reset breathing

Foam Roller- 15 -20 rolls in each position

- T- spine will elbows together
- Segmental extension over foam roller then onto tennis ball
- Pecs with shoulder corkscrew
- Lats with stretch added

Trigger points to hit with tennis ball- hit all the movements listed below

-traps
-1st rib
-teres major/minor
-rhomboids
-scapula border
-pecs

Movements to perform on each trigger point with tennis ball- do these until ROM improves. Hit both sides too !

- extension/flexion
- cross-body reach
- scapular presses...like wall slides
- D2 pattern ( this was not on the video, reach to opposite pocket with thumbs down, on the way back go overhead with thumbs up
- scapular retraction/protraction

Extension drills

-Extension on the pull-up bar, focus on spine moving into extension and not just squeezing the shoulder blades
-hanging drills in various positions on pull-up bar
-anterior/posterior glides...use fingers to guide the movement, don't move the fingers to the chest.
- PNF stretch on swiss ball- makes sure you breath properly on these and relax into the stretch. Make sure you focus on the spine moving and not just the shoulders.
- Jerk catch position on the pull-up bar- get into the catch position, push into the bar and push your head "through the window." Keep breathing properly as you open up.

Patterning drills

TGU
overhead walks
clean and jerk
overhead dowel press from different squat depths.
Overhead press

T spine mobility and the RKC core lifts...what does this mean?

2011-07-12T08:55:00.001-04:00

So recently I have noticed that people throw around the phrase " T-spine mobility" alot. It's getting used almost as much as "functional" and "core"

At RKC II this weekend I noticed that several candidates knew that they needed better " T-spine mobility" but were doing the wrong drills to address specific needs in certain lifts.

Before I vomit on this thread, some general info should be addressed:

Improper breathing will lead to decreased thoracic mobility in general. Learn to breath diaphragmatically. i.e crocodile breath.

Soft tissue plays a large role is T-spine rotation. Working on trigger points and breathing combined will help tremendously.

Thoracic rotation
Normal rotation is roughly 30 to 35 degrees
The largest amount of rotation is in T6-T7 ( middle of chest area, this area tends to adjust easiest by a chiro )

Drills to perform to restore normal rotation

Side lying rib pulls
quadruped reach throughs
bretzel 1 and 2
many more but hit these 1st along with breath/soft tissue

These are necessary for:

TGU- mainly in the high bridge/ windshield wiper portion of the TGU
windmill
bent press.

Thoracic extension
20-30 degrees is normal
People with kyphosis will have a tough time achieving full extension. People with desk jobs may have a tougher time achieving full extension as well.

Drills to restore t-spine extension

Extension drills with foam roller or done segmentally with tennis balls, etc
prying extension drills with breath in the post position of the TGU ( naked )
anterior/posterior glides
several drills from return of the kettlebell
There are many more but hit these to start

These are necessary for:

Overhead press
any of the overhead positions of the TGU
clean and jerk
push press
viking push press

Now, I am not saying that bretzels won't help a clean and jerk or that extension drills done for the windmill are not beneficial. Often times, you need both and many times you need the right tool for the job.

An example is the windmill. Let's say you have full extension available in the T-spine but poor rotation. This means you cannot hinge and rotate properly, rotation may occur in the Lumbar spine and thats generally not good. This is a bad windmill.

Own both rotation and extension of the T-spine, you will lift more and be injured less. That's good right?

Thoughts?

This is dedication!

2011-07-04T18:40:00.000-04:00

I just saw this on ESPN.

I sat on my couch with a lump in my throat.

This guy amazes me, plain and simple. This hits home for tons of reasons.

Heroes are people who step up to the plate and do whats right even is no one is watching.

The men and women of our US military all have stories like this. Thank you on this July 4th for serving our country. You have stepped up to the plate so we don't have to. You are all heroes.

So if you read this, do me a favor:

Stop complaining about traffic, you are blessed to have a car.

Eat all of your food, some people have none.

Hug your husband, wife, kids or dear friends.

Oh, and yes, this is a training blog...here you go.

Dig a big deeper, train a bit harder, stretch longer, drink more water, go to bed early. Eat your vegetables

Our new son!!!!

2011-06-06T07:53:00.000-04:00

My wife and were blessed with a new baby boy on saturday night.

Connor James Perry
Born on June 4th at 11:11 pm
6lbs, 9 ounces.

Both mom and Connor are great!

He has a KB on order and already has his first pair of chuck taylors!!

Deadlifting 101

2011-06-02T07:33:00.005-04:00

Most people are aware of the benefits of performing the deadlift. If you are not deadlifting then you should be in some way shape or form.

So what does a good deadlift look like? Search "deadlift" on youtube....once you sift through the 17,900 results, left me know if you still have any idea how to perform the lift correctly. My guess is that you might be a bit confused by all of the varied information out there.

Today I will cover 3 types of deadlifts. I'm not talking about sumo, traditional, reverse canadian, or the wicked haaad Boston deadlift. Instead I will talk about 3 different spine positions.

1. The Neutral Spine Deadlift

If I had it my way everyone would practice with this technique. If you cannot perform the deadlift this way, please see a good coach or PT so they can clear up any movement issues before you attempt the lift.

A side note:

Everyone's spine is different so it may look slightly different in the deadlift. I am not going to get into joint angles etc., but every athlete is unique and has his/her own body type. Athlete #1 could be 5' 2" / 200 lbs and have their neutral spine. Athlete #2 could be 6' 4"/ 165 lbs and have their neutral spine. These athletes will look very different and its up to the strength coach to decide whether or not they are in a safe position. IMHO, as long as their spine has normal curvature in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine they are headed in the right direction.

Snapshot of the deadlift with a neutral spine:

Key points to keep in mind when performing this deadlift:

Presence of lordotic, thoracic and cervical curvatures
Tight grip
Posterior chain tight and hamstrings "loaded"
Lats tight, connecting the arms to the body
Core braced as if someone is going to punch you
"Neutral spine" should be present at the lockout

2. The Neutral lumbar/Flexed Thoracic Deadlift

**NOTE: This technique should be utilized only under the guidance of a good coach or professional. This takes a high level of skill and is very demanding on the body.

As the name implies, the athlete pulls with a neutral lumbar spine and a flexed thoracic spine. This deadlift is seen more in powerlifting, strongman competitions, or when athletes are attempting a heavier pull.

At first glance, you may see spinal flexion and judge the technique as being unsafe. What you don't realize is that the lumbar spine is not in a compromised position and the t-spine is flexed. These athletes practice this way and it becomes a technique in itself.

For some, this allows greater leverage which results in a shorter distance the bar has to travel. It's all about poundage lifted in competition; the more you lift, the better you do and the higher you place.

Snapshot of the deadlift with a neutral lumbar/
flexed thoracic spine:

I don't practice this technique nor do I teach it. I am not saying that it's wrong, it's just different. I don't pull 600-800 lbs from the floor so I have no business telling powerlifters how they should lift.

I do, however, train tons of field and court athletes. These athletes strive to be powerful, strong, mobile, fast, agile and most importantly, healthy. I will not compromise my athletes safety just because they want to have a big deadlift. The first rule as a strength coach is "DO NO HARM."

And last but least....

3. The Flexion Deadlift

Lumbar flexion is what we're seeing here. This is not good. There is nothing smart about lifting this way.

If you do choose to lift this way, be prepared for a lower back injury. It may not happen right away, it may take months or years but sooner or later, it will happen and you will not be happy at all. You will most likely herniate a disc or two. Trust me, this sucks. I herniated 2 discs about 5 years ago and the injury still haunts me from time to time.

Snapshot of the deadlift with lumbar flexion:

Don't believe me?

Here is some research from Lower back disorders by Dr. Stuart McGill. If you haven't heard of him, he's a pretty big deal. He happens to know a thing or two about the spine.

The information below is taken from Dr. McGill's book Lower Back Disorders. Basically this is a chart showing how the muscles of the trunk fire in a flexed lumbar spine vs. a neutral spine. This is measured in newtons (a force measurement unit).

What does this information illustrate? In short, it says that the majority of the muscles in the trunk 'shut off' when pulling in lumbar flexion, while the ligaments take the majority of the load. I don't have the letters MD after my name, but I am pretty sure that this is not good. Any exercises that load the ligaments more than core musculature can't be good.

Still not convinced?? McGill also conducted a study measuring the shear load of the lumbar spine when pulling in lumbar flexion vs. a neutral lumbar spine.

Here are the numbers:

Flexed Lumbar Spine - 1900N of shear load
Neutral Lumbar Spine - 200N of shear load

Regardless of whether this is measured in newtons, pounds or poods (inside kettlebell joke), the load on the lumbar spine is 9x greater when pulling in flexion!

Pulling in Flexion= herniated discs

Herniated disc= pain in the butt...no really, you can get referred pain in your butt.

Can you pull in flexion?
Yup.

Will you get hurt?
Eventually. It may be this week, next month or 10 years from now, but there is a really good chance you will get injured.

Summary
Deadlifts are great when done correctly. Take time to gain the mobility needed and develop the movement patterns to master the neutral spine deadlift. Don't rush - quality trumps quantity.

Always remember the golden rule of coaching...DO NO HARM!

"Easy Strength" 40 Day Program Review

2011-05-19T08:46:00.000-04:00

I am finally done. I completed 40 consecutive training sessions and finished the "Easy Strength" program written by Pavel Tsatsouline and popularized by Dan John.

How it works

Pick 5 movements:

A large posterior chain movement - I chose the pistol to prep for RKC II
Upper body push - I chose the single-arm kettlebell press to prep for RKC II
Upper body pull - I chose pull-ups, again to prep for RKC II
A simple full-body explosive move - I did about 90% kettlebell snatches and 10% kettlebell swings
An "anterior chain" move (abdominal exercise) - I did mainly, ab-wheel roll outs, body-saws, and plank variations

Why I Did It

I am training for my RKC Level II which I’ll be attending in July. I had heard great things about the Easy Strength program and knew I needed to come up with a training program that would not only get me strong, but would also hold me accountable.

I chose these specific exercises for one main reason and one other (somewhat silly) reason.

First, I have to pass all of the strength tests at RKC II which include:

1/2 bodyweight single arm kettlebell press (for me 40k or 88lbs)
Bodyweight or weighted pistol (whatever weight you choose)
View my video about bodyweight pistols vs. weighted pistols.
Tactical pull-up (a pull-up with a 24K kettlebell hanging from your foot (Note: You must pull to the throat and no thumbs allowed on the grip!)
Retest the RKC snatch test (100 reps with the 24K kettlebell in under 5 minutes)

As you can see becoming an RKC II is not easy and there is some serious preparation involved.

The second reason I chose to complete this program is that I am a meathead. I will be attempting the beast tamer challenge which includes a pistol, press and pull-up with the Beast (48K or 106lbs kettlebell). It's no easy task but I figured I would set the bar high. If my goal was 2 cartwheels in a row I would be there already. :)

Simple, but not easy

This plan was simple, but not easy. Remember, simple and easy rarely fit together. It’s like lamb and tunafish (Big Daddy anyone?).

There were so many days where I wanted to hit some splits squats, dumbbell chest press, run some hill sprints or maybe just complete a chest and tri day (skooz me...I'm huge). But no, it was all press, pistol, pull-up, snatches and core all the time. I have to admit, it felt a lot like Groundhog Day but this program gets you pretty damn strong.

Sticking to the program

Sticking to it was the hardest part of this program. There were some days that I felt great and wanted to go heavy and other days I didn't want to train at all. The key was to be consistent and just do it (Nike paid me for this).

After the first week, I thought I was ready to press the 40K again...oh wait I really just wanted to try it because I am impatient. I was clearly not ready, but the 40K humbled me pretty quickly. I hated the fact that I had to wait until about 30 sessions in to start hitting my goals consistently.

Before the program I could press the 40K, but it was only on very good days (and possibly after consuming some pre-workout drinks). Now, I can even press the 40K on what I would consider a very bad day. On a good day I can press it for 4 reps on my left and right.

This is progress and here’s why: I can't rely on good days when it’s time to test at RKC II. If I have a bad day, I need to know that I will be ok and still hit my 40K press. This is like insurance to me.

The Lifts

Press

Pressing every session can get tedious whether it’s too much work, lack of sleep or just not knowing when to go heavy or when to back off. Trying to find a 2x5 rep scheme that I could do consistently was the toughest challenge for me.

I knew I needed to develop a baseline I could use as a guide for when to go heavy or when to back off. After about 2 weeks I realized that pressing the 32K for 2x5 with my left and right was a great indicator of how I felt that day, as well as a good indicator of how the previous few sessions went.

At the beginning of the journey I went too heavy too soon and found that I had a tough time recovering from previous workouts. As I started to find a happy medium I truly realized (as I have before) that less is more and strength is built with consistency, rather than intensity. I have a new found love for the Press and feel as if this program gave me the opportunity to improve my technique while making huge strength gains.

My advice on the press is to use more days as set up days and not maximal effort days. Most guys want to lift heavy all the time, but you’ll soon realize after starting this program that it is not the way to get to your goal or the proper way to build authentic strength.

Here are some quick before and after numbers for the press. I’m pretty happy with the results.

Starting Numbers:

32K for 5 R/L (This felt very heavy)
36K for 2 R/L (Again, felt very heavy)
40K for 1R only

Ending Numbers:

32K for 15 R/13L (Both PR’s)

36K for 5 R/L

40K for 4R/3L

44K for 1R/1L

Pistol

This was the toughest exercise in the program for me. There is no such thing as an easy pistol. Even on my “light” days, it was a very high tension lift.

As you know if you’ve read my blog before, I previously herniated 2 discs (L4-L5, L5-S1) so I always brace super tight when I pistol. These don’t bother my back, but I am always very cautious when I perform them. At the beginning of the program I again went too heavy too early here and noticed a bit of achiness in my knees, which I have never experienced in my life. I backed off on the weight, foam rolled, and stretched a lot more and this went away pretty quickly.

It was tough to get motivated to pistol 4 days a week so there were a few weeks I only ended up working out 2 or 3 times. As a result, the program took a bit longer than I would have expected.

I finally found my pistol groove which allowed me to be much more consistent with my weight choices and the way my body felt overall. I made some pretty big gains in this lift, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t choose this lift again as part of a 40 day program.

Starting Numbers:

20K 5R/5L

24K 4R/4L
40K 1R only

Ending Numbers:
32K 5R/5L
44K 1R/1L

More on my thoughts about including the pistol as part of this program.

Pull ups

This was the easiest part of the program for me because I have always been good at pull ups. I hit a 52K pull up before this journey so it certainly wasn’t a weak point for me.

What I learned most with this exercise was when to back off and when to go heavy. I decided not to push the envelope on pull ups since I know I’ll be ready for this lift for my RKC II. I did, however, hit some PR’s on this program. They weren’t for a maximal one rep pull, but rather for rep ranges from 4-6.

Some PR’s hit on the program:
32K x5
28K x6
44K x1 (consistently nailed whenever I tried)

Snatches

As mentioned above, I mainly chose snatches to prepare for my training for RKC II. I didn’t have a problem passing the snatch test before (when I became an RKC), so passing is not a huge concern for me. My main goals with snatches during this program were to polish my technique and become as efficient as possible when I move the bell.

I chose to do swings instead of snatches on a few days where I was tired so that I could continue to reinforce a hip hinge without getting sloppy on my snatch form.

Side Note: I would highly recommend swinging and snatching 3-4 days a week if you are preparing for the RKC (or RKC II).

Since the goals for this exercise were more technique oriented, I wasn’t trying to set any type of PR. Conditioning isn’t an issue for me so I focused more on the strength portion of snatching.

Anterior Chain Exercise(s)

I chose the best “bang for your buck” exercises. Ab rollouts, body saws and hanging leg raises were the 3 big core exercises I used. I chose to alternate between these 3 rather than just choosing 1, simply to change it up a bit.

By the end of each session I was so tired that I didn’t want to spend a long duration of time on core work because I already worked my core with bracing techniques in the previous exercises.

Again, I wasn’t trying to set any records with these exercises, just wanted to keep my core strong and stable.

Pros and cons of this Program

Pros

Held me accountable
Helped me to truly understand each of these movements
Helped me become a better teacher as I got to understand the movements better
Developed a better ability to listen to my body
Reinforced the need for foam rolling and addressing any asymmetries
Didn’t have to think about what to do for a workout every day
Included a nice mix of long and short workouts
Easy to see progress week-to-week

Best Thing about the program: It worked. I got really damn strong (for me). I feel very comfortable going into RKC II.

Cons

Doing the same lifts every training session felt tedious/boring on some days
It can be easy to over train these movement patterns
When I overdid it in other areas of my life (playing soccer, yard work, etc.) it drastically affected my workouts
Missed other exercises and the freedom to create workouts on the fly
Tough to find a training partner
Pistols in every session seemed to be too much for my body

Summary

This program works. The results speak for themselves. I made a ton of progress on all of my lifts and I’m happy that I went through it.

This program is great for someone who truly wants to make strength gains in specific exercises/lifts. This program is great for someone who is thinking about training for a power lifting meet, an athlete who wants to work on their weak lifts or someone like me who is preparing for the RKC II.

This is not a program for someone who gets bored easily. This is not a program for someone who seeks general fitness and this is not a program for someone that quits easily. This is not a program for an athlete who is competing in their primary sport and wants to lift in-season.

If you want to get strong and you can stick to a plan, do this workout. Just remember, it’s simple, but it’s not easy.

I hope this review was helpful. If you have any questions, please ask.

AND WE ARE DONE...last session of the 40 day program

2011-04-30T17:34:00.002-04:00

Today was my last day of the 40 day program. I totally fluffed it. I am glad I am done but it was a great experience.

Press

2x5 all 28k

Pistol

2x5 bodyweight

Pull-up

3x5 BW

Snatches- 100 with the 12k...didn't even sweat :)

Stay tuned for the wrap up and my thoughts on the program

Day 39 of the 40 day program

2011-04-29T17:06:00.003-04:00

All 6x1- heavy days and fridays don't mix too well...plus the BBC late night didn't help either ;)

I will also add that I slept on the couch last night. I am not in the doghouse with my wife but I was tossing and turning all night and didn't want to wake her. The soon to be momma needs her rest.

I still trained today but I felt gross...oh well not bad numbers for an off day

Press- all L and R

28k

32k

36k

40k

44k

Pistol- didn't feel strong but oh well...all L and R btw

20k

28k

32k

36k

40k

4ok

Pull-up- didn't feel strong either, I have hit a 52k pull-up before but I am not feeling it today

28k

32k

36k

40k

44k

Swings for today, no snatches...I am pooped...fridays stink

3x30 with the 28k- 2 handed

3x30 with the 24k alternate swings

rolling patterns- nice and easy for today

1 session left :)

I am looking forward to taking a few days off and starting fresh again

Day 38 of the 40 day program

2011-04-28T14:01:00.003-04:00

Today felt ok, I think kicking around with my MLS guys zapped my energy today...oh well

Press

24k x5

32k x5

36k x3

40k x2

Pistol

16k x5

24k x3

28k x3

32k x2

Pull-up

20k x5

24k x5

28k x3

32k x3

snatches- 10 minutes with the 14k, super light today..probably hit 215 or so

valslide body-saw

Day 37 and another great session

2011-04-26T11:32:00.002-04:00

2 Great sessions in a row...This can't last ;)

I prepped differently today. I started working on my double overhead kettlebell squat. This is very tough and will take a month or 2 to nail. I figure that if I can nail the double overhead KB squat, my overall mobility will be ok for level II in July. I think I am there already but it never hurts to over prepare.

Press

24k x5

32k x5

Pull-up

24k x5

28k x6

Pistol

BW x5 L and R

16k x5 L and R

24k x5 L and R

Snatches...2 sets of 50 with the 16k, each set took about 1:30 or so

Day off tomorrow....pheeew

Day 36 and RKC II is on my mind

2011-04-25T12:53:00.005-04:00

Day 36 is done and I am feeling pretty good. This Easy Strength program is a good experiment to get me ahead of the game for RKC II in July. My amazing wife and I are expecting a little boy due on June 3rd so I am trying to put as many good reps in the bank as possible before he comes. When this guy is born I will have to do my best in preparing to be a good Dad as well as get prepared for level II. I am not sure how I will do but I know that I won't give up...I don't have a choice

Everything feels good...but... I am dealing with stupid little nagging issues from all the landscaping I am doing to get the yard ready for spring. I will make it.....my wife is holding a baby in her belly and I complain about raking :) Whats wrong with this picture??

I am a wuss, I know this, but complaining makes me feel better sometimes

Day 36

Press

20k x5

32k x5

36k x3

40k x4 R hand and x3 L hand *** PR on both

Pistol- all both legs

5 BW

20k x3

28k x 2

36k x 2

40k x1

Pull-up

3 BW

24k x2

36k x 2

40k x2

Snatches

50 with the 24k in 2:15

Ab roll-out 2x10

When I am feeling tired in my training I go to Rifs Blog and read the quote at the top. This hits me every time.

"And in those simple beautiful movements I remembered what was really important in training; that consistency trumps intensity; all the time. That intensity is born from consistency. That one cannot force it, one has to lay in wait for it, patiently, instinctively, calmly and be ready to grab it when Grace lays it down in front of you."

Days 34 and 35 of the 40 day program

2011-04-21T17:24:00.002-04:00

Day 34

Press

20k x5 L and R

24k x5 L and R

32k x5 L and R

32k x10 on L and R ***PR

Pistol

16k x5 L and R

20k x5 L and R

24k x5 L and R

Pull-up

16k x5

20k x5

24k x5

Snatches 10 min of 30/30 with the 24k

Day 35

Press

20k x5 L and R

24k x5 L and R

32k x5 L and R

36k x5 L and R

Pistol

16k x5 L and R

20k x5 L and R

24k x5 L and R

32k x5 L and R

10 bodyweight L and R

Pull-up

4x5 all with 24k

Snatches- 100 reps with the 20k 4:17

Feeling good :)

Bodyweight Pistol vs. Weighted Pistol

2011-04-19T20:29:00.003-04:00

IMO, pistols are the best leg strengthening exercise known to man. If you can pistol, your legs are pretty strong.

The pistol takes time to master. Most dive in too early but they soon realize that they need to lay down a good foundation before they attempt the pistol.

I recommend mastering the airborne lunge first then progressing to the pistol. Here is a quick video on how to do the airborne lunge.

I hope that video helped with a good progression for the pistol. The airborne lunge will smoke you.

Bodyweight Pistol

The bodyweight pistol requires much more mobility than the weighted pistol. You need to utilize almost all available ankle dorsiflexion with this variation. You weight yourself in the middle of the foot and not just your heel.You will also have a torso position that is more forward and "over" your legs. There is generally more lumbar and thoracic flexion.

Weighted Pistol

The weighted pistol is easier for a few reasons. One, you have a counter-balance. This allows you to sit back earlier and shift the weight towards your heel. Two, you can get away with less than adequate ankle mobility because of this counter balance. The knee does not have to glide forward as much because you can sit back. The last key difference is the torso position. The weighted pistols allows the spine to be taller throughout the movement as well.

Here is a quick video on the differences

Days 32, 33 and a little setback

2011-04-17T12:18:00.002-04:00

The 40 day program is almost finished. The lifts aren't bad but sometimes it's tough to get motivated to do the same lifts in every training session. I am almost there but I had a setback this week. I have been doing tons on work in the yard getting it ready for spring. I was edging my beds for a few hrs and my back got cranky. If you add that on top on some stone work it does a number on my back. It stunk, I was crooked for a bout 3 days and could not stand up straight until thursday night. After plenty of rest, foam rolling, mobility and light work I was able to get back into a groove. I only got 2 sessions in this week due to my back but I will be done in about 10 days or so....sweet.

Weird, I can pistol the 44k and it doesn't hurt but edging plant beds in my yard smoked me. Kinda funny.

Anyways, here are days 32 and 33

Day 32

Press

20k x5

24k x5

28k x5

32k x5

Pull-up

5 bodyweight

2x5 with the 20k

Pistol

2x5 bodyweight

snatches 100 straight with the 16k

Akro wheel roll outs

Day 33

Press

20k x5

24k x5

28k x5

32k x5

36k x3

40k x2

44k x1

Pull-up

20k x5

36k x 3

40k x3

Pistol

16k x5

20k x3

32k x2

Snatches 30/30 for 10 min with the 20k

Overall I am pretty happy with my numbers after the setback. I didn't push the pistols this week but next week I will go heavy.

I have hit a 44k pistol, press and pull-up on this program with the goal being a 48k pistol, press and pull-up. I have learned a ton through this journey.

Stay tuned for the final results and video

Days 29, 30 and 31 of the 40 day program

2011-04-10T09:41:00.003-04:00

Day 29

Press

20k x5

24k x5

28k x5

32k x5

32kx5

Pull-up

BW X5

20k x5

Pistol

2x5 BW- really slow

Snatches

100 with the 14k...easy

ab wheel 2x5

Day 30

Press

32k x5 x2

Pull-up

2x5 with the 24k

Pistol 2x5 with the 20k

Snatches 50 straight with the 24k

Body saw for core

Day 31

Press

24k x5

28k x5

32k x5

Pull-up

BW x5

20k x5

2ok x6

Pistol

16k x5

20kx5

100 snatches with the 20k

Hanging Leg raise

Almost there :)

Today was AWESOME!!

2011-04-04T18:15:00.003-04:00

Today was a good day :) My wife and I just came from our 32 week ultrasound. The little guy is due June 3rd. We got a sneak peek of him today in a 3D ultrasound. He is about 4lbs at this point and things seem to be going great.

Apparently he doesn't like to get his picture taken :)

Days 27 and 28 of the 40 day workout

2011-04-03T17:51:00.002-04:00

Day 27

Press

20k x5

24k x5

32kx5

Pull-up 2x5 with the 16k

Pistol 2x5 with the 16k

Snatches

3 minutes straight with the 24k...63 reps

Day 28

Press

24k x5

28k x5

32k x5

36k x5

32k x5

Pull-up

2ok x4

24k x4

28k x4

32k x4

Pistol

16k x4 L and R

24k x3 L and R

32k x 2 L and R

44k x1 R side *** new PR

40k x1 L side *** new PR

swings 10 min of 30/30 with the 28k

Day 26 of the 40 day program

2011-03-29T09:07:00.002-04:00

13 workouts left!!

I am excited to be almost finished with the journey. It has taught me so much about listening to my body. I am learning when to take it easy and go hard with my big 3 lifts. I have found the weight and volume that my body likes and to me that's important.

Prep- TGU variations, BP practice, 2x10 deadlift and 2x10 back squat with 135 again. This gets my body ready for battle.

Press

24k x5, 28k x5 and 32k x5

Pull-up- all 16k

3x4

Pistol

12k x3 L and R, 16k x3 L and R and 28k x3 L and R

Snatches-20 minutes of 40/20 with the 16k. I would guess that the total snatches performed were 180 or so.

Roll-outs with the akro wheel

Day 25 of the 40 day program and some thoughts about goal setting

2011-03-27T19:34:00.002-04:00

Today I had to change it up a bit. I was feeling as if these workouts were getting tedious. I have committed to the 40 day plan but sometimes it's tough to do the same lifts every day.

Sticking to a plan is essential to reach your goals but sometimes you need to trick yourself into finishing the task at hand. My prep was very different today so I figured that I would post what I did differently:

Prep:

Ankle mobility

kneeling hip flexor stretch

30 hip hinge

lunge with kb overhead a'la TGU style

2x10 135 back squat

2x10 135 deadlift

I have no trouble at all getting my joints mobile and moving well but sometimes I need to just get a good sweat in to really get my body feeling good. Joint mobility is good and it works but a good sweat feels great. I wish I had a sauna....I will check with the wife on this and see how it goes :)

All my lifts were sets of 10 today

Press 2x10 with the 24k...shoulders felt great

Pull-up 2x10 BW

Pistol 1x10 - L and R with the 12k

snatches 100 reps with the 20k....4:40 was my time

planks

Day 24 of the 40 day program

2011-03-26T15:00:00.002-04:00

Felt OK today....I have been dealing with a small stomach bug do my training didn't go amazing.

All 6x 1 rep scheme

Press-28k, 32k, 36k, 40k, 40k, 40k all L and R

Pull-up- 32k, 32k, 32k, 32k, 36k, 36k

Pistol- 16k, 16k, 20k, 20k, 24k, 28k

Snatches- 80 straight with the 16k

Core- ab roll outs 1x15

My ah-ha moment

2011-03-23T20:45:00.003-04:00

I am in the process of learning the level II skills and I had a ah-ha moment the other day and I figured that I would share.

About a month ago I was lucky to spend some time with Brett Jones and he taught me the basics of the windmill and bent press. I had a basic understanding of these lifts before but I wanted to learn and understand the finer points before diving in. I have had low back injuries in the past and the bent press seemed a bit overwhelming.

The first thing that I noticed was the foot position in both the BP and windmill. The 45 degree toe out helped guide me in the right direction to achieving what I call the "lateral hip hinge" This was not lateral flexion at all but a safe/correct way to move while learning the BP and windmill.

Once I began practicing I noticed a few things:

1. Asymmetries in my t-spine jumped out like ninja at a wedding

2. Hip asymmetries were apparent in my " lateral hip hinge " especially external rotators

3. The BP, windmill and bottom portion of the TGU "after windshield wiper" all had this " lateral hip hinge" pattern that I need to practice.

Just attempting these new movements allowed me to find imbalances that I didn't realize were issues and I am grateful that these newly learned skills are teaching me so much about movement. It's pretty cool when you can learn a new exercise and learn something hands on about your own movement patterns and how to address them.

I started working on my T-spine, mainly from the TGU position mentioned. Instead of having bottom hand ( no bell ) near my knee I moved it forward almost towards my front foot and opened up my t-spine with a light bell, diaphragmatic breathing and light rocking into the " lateral hinge"

This has worked wonders and it feels sooo good

I am practicing both sides quite a bit and I have had amazing success opening up my t-spine and hips while learning the pattern for level II.

Another crazy thing that happened way what this did to my DS score. I am normally 2 and sometimes a 3 when I work at it. Yesterday I had to demo a DS for a screen and I dropped down better than ever. I have never felt so in the DS so I was pumped. My client didn't care but I was happy ..I was a damn proud 3 on that day

For those of you learning level II skills I hope this helps, I am moving better than ever and my low back hasn't felt this good in a year or so.

Day 23 of the 40 day workout

2011-03-23T16:08:00.002-04:00

All 2x5 rep scheme

Press 32k...L/R

***side note- my 2x5 32k press is slowly becoming my marker for how I feel that day. If the 32k presses feel really easy then I know my body nervous system is not shot and that I did not overdo it on the previous workout

Pull-up- 16k, 20k

Pistol- 10k, 10k

Swings- I did swings today instead of snatches, I feel as if I need to really practice my swings before I improve on my snatches.

Ab wheel- 10 roll-outs

Day 22 of the 40 day program

2011-03-20T17:29:00.002-04:00

All 2x5 rep scheme

Press 28k x5....36kx5 L and R...these are PR's for me

Pull-up 2x5 bodyweight super slow, roughly 7 seconds for the eccentric/concentric part of the pull-up

Pistols- 5 BW L and R and 5 L and R with the 10k...takin it easy today

Snatches 7 minutes of 30/30 with the 20k

Plank and reach.... 2 sets of 1 minute

days 20 and 21 of the 40 day program

2011-03-19T08:55:00.002-04:00

Half way through!!!

I have hit a couple press PR's thus far so I am pretty pumped. I am still adjusting to the high volume of pistols per week. Some days my back gets a bit sore so I am always cautious about that.

Pull-ups are pretty easy, I am pretty sure I can hit a 48k pull-up on any given day which is nice. If I had to guess I am at a 40k pistol at this point, on my next day of singles I will see.

Some PR's so far

44k press L and R

40k for 2 L and R

Day 20 all 2x5

Press 32k, 32k

Pull-up- 20k, 20

Pistol 16k, 16k

Snatches 6 min of 30/30 with the 16k

ab roll outs

Day 21- 5, 3, 2 rep scheme....my favorite :)

Press 32k x5....36k x3....40k x2

Pull-up 20k x5....32k x3....40k x2

Pistol 16k x5, 3 and 2 were body weight pistols...I need to start doing more of these. They require better mobility are easier on my joints

Things are going well and I feel like I am back in my groove. The beast is mine ;)

The Importance of a Mentor

2011-03-16T14:49:00.004-04:00

Patient, passionate, kind, encouraging, caring, non-judgemental, loving, nurturing, a good listener, accountable, professional, sense of humor, honest, humble, always willing to learn.

To me, these are just some of the traits of the mentors in my life. I am grateful to have met these people. They have always listened patiently when I have a question. They gave me the right answer even if it wasn't what I wanted to hear. They shared their knowledge gracefully understanding fully that I just wanted to learn.

There are many types of mentors, some are spiritual, some are career oriented and others share the same interests and passion.

There are some people in my life that are my mentors and they have no clue. They are just willing to teach, listen and learn. It's an amazing gift.

If you don't have a mentor I would encourage you to link up with someone who is willing to share their time with you. You don't have to ask " Will you mentor me" it will just start to happen once the relationship is developed.

I also encourage you to be a mentor. You may be one and not even know it. Mentorship is often started by a friendly hello or the asking or answering of a simple question.

The idea of mentorship is a gift and a blessing. Regardless of what side you are on, these relationships will help build you to be the person or coach that you strive to be.

Take the time, listen more, talk less and take the time to "just show up" even when you don't want to. I promise you it will be worth the time invested.

Days 18 and 19 of the 40 day program

2011-03-16T14:39:00.003-04:00

Day 18

All 2x5 rep scheme

Press 32k

pull-up 16k, 20k

Pistol- assisted w/TRX...very cranky back

30/30 10 minutes of swings with the 28k

1x10 ab roll outs

Day 19

5, 3,2 rep scheme

Press- 32k x5 L and R, 36k x3 L and R, 40k x2 with R and 2x1 with L

Pull-up- 20k x5, 28k x3 and 32k x2

Pistol- 16k x5 L/R...24k x3 L/R...28k x2 L/R

snatches 3 min straight with the 24k, 64 reps

Core- valslide bodysaw

Days 16 and 17 of the 40 day program

2011-03-12T17:44:00.004-05:00

Both days are a 2x5 rep scheme. My body is feeling pretty good now. The soccer tournament I played in last saturday was a terrible idea. My numbers are where they should be once again :)

Day 16

Press- 32k, L and R

Pull-up- 20k and 24k

Pistol- 16k and 20k L and R

Hanging Leg raise 1x15

snatches 4 min with the 20k, 81 reps

Day 17

Press 32k, L and R

Pull-up 20k and 20k

Pistol 20k, 20k L and R

Snatches 9 min of 40/20 with the 14k

Ab roll-outs 1x10

Day 15 of the 40 day program

2011-03-08T12:31:00.001-05:00

All 2x5

Press, 28k

Pull-up, 16k

Pistol- 8k

Snatches- 16k for 10 minutes 30/30

Ab wheel.

Felt terrible again today, soccer was a bad choice...I am not smaaaaaaat

Pattern practice for strength gains

2011-03-07T08:50:00.005-05:00

There has been lots of talk about the Dan John/Pavel 40 day training program lately and quite a few people are having a tough time understanding how you can perform the same movements every day. I understand that this method may be tough in large groups or with high school athletes but the principles behind it are amazingly simple.

Here I will outline a easy template on how to practice a movement every day without feeling like that's all you are doing.

I will focus on 4 patterns so you can get the idea. They are:

Hip Hinge

Squat

upper body push

upper body pull

Yes, there are many more but I want to make this clear as mud. There will be 3 components that are practiced in this program and they are:

Movement Preparation or MP- you will practice the patterns as part on your warm-up once asymmetries and imbalances are addressed.

Deliberate Pattern Practice or DPP- you will focus on 1 or 2 patterns with a relatively low weight for 1 to 2 sets done at the beginning of your workout but after the prep.

Core Lift or CL- this is one of the lifts that you have a primary focus on. If you are focusing on deadlifts and pull-ups that day then these are your Core lifts

Here is how you can lay this out in a 4 day strength training program. I will use a MP, DPP and CL every day and practice one of these patterns via of those. I will address a squat, hip hinge, upper body push and upper body pull on each of these.

You can add much more volume to these as they are examples and not full workouts

Day 1

MP-pushups, 2 sets of 10-15 reps- upper body push

DPP- 2x10 goblet squats-squat

CL #1 Deadlift- covers the hip hinge

Cl #2 bent rows- upper body pull

Day 2

MP-naked hip hinge- this is a patterning drill with no weight. I normally have my athletes tap their butts on the wall- hinges

DPP- 2X10 DB rows- upper body pull

CL #1 front squat- squat

CL #2 Bench press- upper body push

Day 3

MP- Body weight squats- squats

DPP 2x10 light DB press- upper body push

CL#1 Pull-up- upper body pull

CL #2 RDL- hip hinge

Day 4

MP- 2x15 band rows- upper body pull

DPP- 2x25 kettlebell swings- hip hinge

CL#1 Back squat- squat

CL #2 Incline bench press- upper body push

There are hundreds of variations on this but I hope you get the idea. I would rather have my athletes own 4-8 exercises in 12 weeks instead of stinking at 16 in 12 weeks.

My point is that you are giving the athlete a basic skill set and understanding of how to move properly instead of confusing them and their CNS. If I am teaching someone how to build a shed I am going to start with a hammer, screwdriver, saw and a wrench. I would not give them a hilti gun, dremel tool, chainsaw and power drill and expect them how to use it.

Teaching proper movement is a gift. This gift can keep you moving better, feeling better and performing better. It can also keep you from injuring yourself.

Movement is a process and proper steps must be taken to move well and to move often.

Days 13 and 14 of the 40 day program and a minor setback

2011-03-06T18:48:00.002-05:00

Day 13 3/3

5-3-2 rep scheme

Press 24k, 28, 32k

Pull-up 16k, 24k, 24k

Pistol- 12k, 16k, 16k

6 minutes straight with the 16k

ab roll outs 2x5

felt good

Day 14 3/4

2x5 rep scheme

My back was a bit cranky so I skipped snatches and did swings. I also substituted pistols for airborne lunges

Press 32k

airborne lunge- 2x5

pull-up 12k

1 handed swings 30/30 for 5 min with the 20k

hardstyle plank 2x:45

The things we do :)

Yesterday I went to my old college and played in a futsal tournament. The best part was hanging out with my two good friends Tommy and Jamo. We didn't win this year but had fun.

We played 5 games on a hardwood basketball court. This is always a bad idea. We regret it after the tourney and we suffer the ride home. We are all sore as hell for a few days. Today my back is not happy and I needed a day off. I am hoping to get a solid training day in tomorrow.

Yes I am an idiot, when I train smart and do the right things I always feel good. When I drive 2.5 hrs, play 5 soccer games and drive another 2.5 hrs back home, I feel like rubbish. I wonder why.

10 week conditional protocol for elite soccer players/athletes

2011-03-02T11:40:00.007-05:00

***PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WAS USED FOR PRO SOCCER PLAYERS, IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THIS PROTOCOL PLEASE DON'T BE AN IDIOT

In the past 7 years I have trained several pro soccer players. There has been much trial and error along this journey that is for sure. Hundreds on hours in the trenches helped me develop this program. I don't have fancy VO2 masks, access to doctors or labs but I do have 7 years on the floor getting my athletes pretty damn fit. Everyone of my players was top 3 on their pro teams in their fitness tests so I will let that speak for itself.

Simple yet effective

This program is simple, progressive and it works. Will you bust your butt? Yup. Will you be tired? Yup. Will you be one of the fittest on the field? Yup...if you finish this.

The program consists of 2 exercises, sled pushes and interval work. You will train sled pushes 2 days a weeks and run intervals 2 days a week. Follow this for 10 weeks and see how you do :)

**you will most likely need 50 yds of space for this

Sled Pushes- run these all out, my athletes started with 100 lbs loaded

Intervals- when I say that you will run a 45/15 interval, here is what I mean:

45 seconds is a light jog, a nice easy pace

15 seconds is when you are getting chased by a rabid pitbull...you are flying

The first number in the interval refers to the "easy" part of the interval and the second number is the "go like hell" number

Week 1

Day 1 and 3 Interval 45/15 for 5 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled- 5 second push, rest for 20 seconds and repeat for 5 reps

Week 2

Day 1 and 3 interval 45/15 for 6 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled- 5 second push, rest for 20 and repeat for 6 reps

Week 3

Day 1 and 3 interval 45/15 for 7 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled- 5 second push, rest for 20 repeat for 7 reps

Week 4

Day 1 and 3 interval 45/15 for 8 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled- 5 second push, rest for 20 and repeat 8 reps

***Add 15lbs lbs to sled after week 4..your choice

Week 5

Day 1 and 3 interval 40/20 for 5 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled- 7 second push, rest for 20 and repeat for 5

Week 6

Day 1 and 3 interval- 40/20 for 6 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled- 7 second push, rest for 20 and repeat for 6 reps

Week 7

Day 1 and 3 interval 40/20 for 7 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled- 7 second push, rest for 20 and repeat for 7 reps

Week 8

Day 1 and 3 interval 40/20 for 8 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled- 7 second push, rest for 20 and repeat for 8 reps

Week 9

Day 1 and 3 interval 35/25 for 6 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled - 9 second push rest for 20 repeat for 5

Week 10

Day 1 and 3 interval 35/25 for 8 minutes

Day 2 and 4 sled- 9 second push, rest for 20 repeat for 6

Enjoy

Day 12 of the 40 day program

2011-02-28T12:10:00.002-05:00

Just finished day 12. The rep scheme was 1x10 on everything:

Presses- 28k on L and R..these felt really light

Pull-up- 1x10 with the 8k...these weren't too bad but I made sure that I hit my chest on every rep. had noticed that I was not hitting my throat like I used to. When I practice pulling to the chest, pulling to the throat is easy :)

Pistol- 8k on L and R...again these are not fun...10 pistols straight is miserable.

Snatches- 6 minutes 15:15...very easy. I hit 8 reps per 15 seconds

Hanging leg raise 2x5...nice and slow

Days 10 and 11 of the 40 day workout

2011-02-27T16:40:00.007-05:00

I did day 10 of my 40 day journey on friday. The rep scheme was 5-3-2

Day 10

Press- 32k,32k,32k

Pull-up- 20k, 32k, 32k

Pistol- 12k, 16k,16k

Snatches were 6 minutes straight with the 16k, I counted 121 for reps

Ab wheel roll outs

Day 11

6x1 on everything

Press:

36k L/R,

40k, L/R,

44k L/R,

44k R and 40k L,

4ok, L/R

Pull-up:

32k, 36k, 40k , 40k, 40k, 40

Pistol: all L/R

20k, 24k, 28k, 32k, 20k, 20k

snatches 4 minutes straight with the 14k, I did roughly 93 snatches

I hit 2 PR's today, I was able to press the 44kg bell with both hands.

I had a video up but I noticed that my right heel came off the ground which would not count as a clean rep. I will repost a video later.

Day 9 of the 40 day program and pistols being part of the program

2011-02-24T16:31:00.003-05:00

2x5 Rep scheme on everything

Press- 32k, 32k

Pull-up, 20k, 20k

Pistol, 8k, 8k

Snatches 40/20 for 5 minutes with the 24k

ab wheel roll outs 2x5

Pistols and the 40 day program

I am planning on attempting the beast tamer challenge in July so I added pistols into my 40 day program. Doing pistols up to 5 days a week is very tiring. It's the only lift that I feel as if I need more days off. I have been varying the weight and going very light on my higher rep days. Here's my point, a bodyweight pistol is still pretty tough. Its not as easy as a BW pull-up, thats for sure. I am going to stick it out but it has been the thorn in my side since I started this program. I really have to keep up with my soft tissue and mobility work or I will never feel good on the lift.

I herniated my L5/S1 and L4/L5 discs about 5 years ago and they still get cranky every once in awhile. Pistols can be tough on the back sometimes and I feel as if I need to create tons of tension to keep my back safe but it leaves me exhausted. I guess this will be a great learning experience and I am hoping I will be a better coach having gone through this.

Day 8 of the 40 day program

2011-02-21T12:08:00.002-05:00

Felt good today, I took 3 days off and it was worth it. My body hasn't felt this good in awhile

All 1x10 rep scheme for today:

Press- 28k x10 L/R...felt light

Pull-up 12k x10, felt good

Pistol 12k x10 L/R....I don't care what anyone says about high reps pistols, they are miserable.

Snatches- 9 minutes of 15:15 with the 20k. I averaged about 8 reps per 15 seconds.

These felt very light

So far so good

Day 7 of the 40 day program

2011-02-17T17:32:00.004-05:00

All singles for today, this is a good test a week in

Press- 32k, 36k, 40k, 40k, 40k, 32k...all L and R

Pistol- 16k, 20k, 24k, 28k, 24k, 20k..all L and R *** PR on my L press, never hit the 40k :)

Pull-up- 28k, 32k, 36k, 40k, 44k, 44k

Snatches

5 minutes straight with the 20k...100 reps total

Hanging leg raise- 2x20

felt good on the strength work...gassed on the snatches

Shout out from Dan John!!

2011-02-16T21:45:00.002-05:00

A few weeks back Dan had asked for a quick description on how to do the kettlebell swing. This was on the RKC only forum. I had a few minutes so I wrote something up quick. I didn't think much of it until my buddy texted me today and said that Dan had mentioned my name is the article. Dan is an amazing coach and to get mentioned in one of his articles is pretty cool.

Thought I would share :)

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_metabolic_swing

Day 6 of the 40 day workout

2011-02-15T14:58:00.003-05:00

Felt like rubbish today, a bit tired so I went a lighter.

All 2x5 rep scheme

Press 28k, 28k..only lift that felt ok

Pull-up 16k, 16k

Pistol, 12k, 12k

Snatches- 7 minutes straight with the 12k

Body saw for core

Day off tomorrow and heavy singles for thursday :)

Day 5 of the 40 day workout and Saco HKC

2011-02-14T14:57:00.003-05:00

Today went ok, presses felt good and snatches felt amazing. I cleaned up a small timing issue on my snatches and it really helped.

2x5 rep scheme on all

Press- 32k, 32k

Pull-up - 20k, 24k

Pistol- 16k, 16k

Snatches 15:15 for 8 minutes. I averaged roughly 9 snatches per 15 seconds.

Saco HKC

I had the pleasure of assisting Master RKC at the Saco Maine HKC. Jeff Falcoswki RKC also assisted, both are great guys :)

We had a good group up there. A few needed some work but it went well overall.

A few tips for future HKC and RKC candidates:

1. clean up any shoulder mobility issues, master the lockout and all of your lifts will be better

2. practice and spend at least 1 hour with a good RKC before the HKC. It may be the difference between pass and fail.

3. Get the FMS, fix the issues and train smart :)

Thanks again to Brett and Jeff, we had a great weekend.

Day 4 of the 40 day workout

2011-02-13T17:43:00.002-05:00

Felt crappy at the beginning, once I got warm it felt better.

I spent the weekend at the Saco, ME HKC cert with master RKC Brett Jones, he helped me with a slight timing issue on my swings/ballistics. He also gave me some good rooting advice. That guy should teach kettlebells for a living...he's pretty smart :)

All 2x5 rep scheme

press 32k, 32k

pull-up 20k,20k

pistol 16k,16k

snatches...all with 14k...7 minutes total

2 min of 15:15...this was too easy. After 2 min I did 5 minutes straight with no problems.

My feet were burning during the pistols and snatches...I guess I was rooting ok :)

Day 3 of the 40 day workout

2011-02-09T10:02:00.002-05:00

Felt good today..glad I am off tomorrow

5-3-2 rep scheme on press, pull-up and pistol

press- 32k x5, 32k x3, 32k x2

pull-up 16k x5, 20k x4, 28k x2

pistol 12k x5, 16k x3, 20k x2

snatches 4 min straight with the 16k bell, I got 90 snatches total

Core- hanging leg raise 5, 3, 2

GTG baby

Day 2 of the 40 day workout

2011-02-08T09:00:00.003-05:00

Press 2x5...28k, 32k felt ok but not great

pull-up 2x5...16k, 20k both felt easy

pistol 2x5...8k, still re-finding the groove but I nailed the 8k ;)

snatches 15:15 3 min with the 28k...back is a bit little cranky...shouldn't have played soccer for 30 mins yesterday :(

ab wheel 2x5 kneeling roll outs

Day 2 is in the books, 38 left

My 40 day workout Day 1

2011-02-07T09:45:00.005-05:00

Goals:

48k pistol, press and pull up...THE BEAST IS MINE

4 min RKC snatch test.

This is to hold me accountable.. :)

Day 1

Press

2x5...28k,28k

Pull-up

2x5...16k,16k

Pistol

2x5...8k...8k

Snatches

3 min of 40/20 with the 28k

2x5 kneeling ab roll outs

I think of Coach Rifs quote at the top of his blog when I train:

I hope I have the patience to understand what Grace looks like

MBSC winter seminar REVIEW...Dan John and Mike Boyle

2011-02-07T07:14:00.006-05:00

This past saturday I attended the MBSC winter seminar. I was pretty fired up to attend this year, mainly because Dan John was speaking. I have seen Mike speak as well but since I live and New England and Mike speaks quite a bit around here, it was a treat to hear Dan's lecture.

I arrived at 8am on the dot, I walked into a facility filled with MBSC trainers and guest strength coaches littering the facility. It seemed as if everyone in attendance knew someone else which was nice to see. I ran into a few old friends so it was great to re-connect with them.

The first 4 hours I observed Mike's trainers working with clients, I didn't realize that this was part of the day but oh well, they did a great job of getting tons of people to watch what they do. It was a showcase of their skills good or bad. I got pretty bored watching them train mainly because I wanted to start training people as well and I was getting antsy.

The morning seemed to drag by so I did what any strength coach would do in this scenario, I loaded up on 3 or 4 cups of coffee and ate a free bagel with peanut butter. After this, I was still fired up so I started chatted with a few people. Good times.

Now for the meat and potatoes of the day, the lecturers. Dan spoke first and Mike second. I will focus on each speaker in two different parts of this blog

DAN JOHN

I said hello to Dan early, he recognized my name from some previous emails we had exchanged. He treated me like an equal...this is clearly not true but I appreciated it. My first impression of Dan in person was his genuine smile and his firm handshake. He's like that uncle that is always happy to see you. When Dan said "it's great to meet you" I think he meant it. Or, he's an incredible actor. We chatted about the RKC and I was able to pick his brain about RKC II which I will be attending in July.

I won't go over his whole lecture, I will only address what hit me like a ton of bricks.

KEEP THE GOAL, THE GOAL!!!

I have read his book almost twice through, if you haven't read" Never Let Go", go buy it. It might be the greatest bathroom book ever too

Goal setting is huge for any client bit sometimes we need to remember what the goal is with our clients. If fat loss is our goal, then teaching barbell snatches and split jerks to a 50 yr old woman may not be the best route.

Keeping a food journal, a clean diet and teaching the basics will take care of the fat loss when done correctly. After hearing this, I found the secret to fat loss:

Sleep, kettlebell swings, healthy eating and joint mobility. Don't believe me, just ask RKC Tracy Reifkind.

Dan also spoke about the role of hypertrophy in athletes mainly football players. It was a simple message but super clear. Here is my best synopsis.

1. From the ages of puberty to early 20's hypertrophy training is a great way to build armor or muscle on an athlete. This is the time to build a solid foundation of strength and healthy movement patterns in young athletes. He noted that keeping mobility is key during this time. You never hear a coach saying...That kid is too strong and mobile:)

2. From the ages of 22+, the focus is staying healthy and mobile, skill development is essential and you need to develop the habits that will keep you playing for the next 10 years.

3. The last part is the role of hypertrophy training in the older population. He basically stated that building muscle is key with older clients. The role of armor changes at this point, it's role now to to protect joints and enable older clients to survive a fall down the stairs or a slip on ice. Building muscle is not geared for performance at this point, it's for longevity and survival.

On a final note, I wish I could spend a week with Dan. He's has too much knowledge to share in 90 minutes. You can tell that he gets into a groove and he could keep going all day. This was a teaser for me but thats ok, I still learned a ton.

I look forward to seeing Dan at RKC II in July, he gave me some ideas on his 40 day workout which I will be starting today. That will be in another post

MIKE BOYLE

Mike is Mike, he's a Boston guy. He says it like it is and that how he is. Mike know's his stuff, some think he's a fluffy strength coach, he's a smart strength coach. He doesn't take risks with his athletes and consistently turns out healthy, injury free athletes. To me, this is how its done.

Mike spoke about "The case for single leg training" This was pretty much about the benefits of single leg training, the how and the why. He also spent part of the lectured defending his " no squatting" theory which has been a huge topic on all of the strength forums.

He did some basic anatomy on s-leg training, some ideas and protocols and then defended the reasons why he didn't squat his athletes. Here is my quick synopsis

1. He stated that a large amount of athletes that were squatting also suffered from low back pain. The weak link is the low back in lots of cases. He switched to s-leg training and a large portion of his athletes back pain went away. Seems smart to me, they can't play well if they are hurt.

2. Another thing to note was how many athletes are under his guidance. When you train tons of athletes you need to need to keep them safe, correcting split squats is easier than correcting back and front squats. More people get hurt from back and front squats than split squats..he is right.

3. If an athlete gets hurt during a specific exercise, don't make them do it again. Do something different. He is right on this big time, we all know the benefits of deadlifts and squats but if you hurt yourself doing either of these then maybe its time to switch. This is easier said than done, but it's a very bright and clear way to think and teach.

I will say that I still squat some athletes, some are made to squat and others are not. It's up to the strength coach to decide. Don't try to fit a square into a round hole.

These guys get it, they teach very differently but the message of both of the was the same. I have heard this a million time before but the first goal of a strength coach is to:

DO NO HARM

Are you hurting your clients???

Friggin Dumb Strength Coaches

2011-01-29T18:14:00.004-05:00

If you aren't familiar with the story about the 12+ University of Iowa football players who suffered from severe over training, here is the link:

http://thegazette.com/2011/01/25/ui-release-12-football-players-in-hospital-with-undisclosed-illness/

These Strength Coaches are completely irresponsible, lazy, thick-headed, meat- headed morons. They put their athletes at risk and could have literally killed them. They should all be fired and never be allowed to train athletes again.

These athletes have all suffered from rhabdomyolysis, this condition is the breakdown of muscle fibers resulting in the release of muscle fiber contents (myoglobin) into the bloodstream. Some of these are harmful to the kidney and frequently result in kidney damage.

This is not the first time this has been made public, rookie crossfitters have suffered from this due to overtraining and way too much volume prescribed in the workout. I am not ripping on crossfit, I am just saying that their workouts have been known to bring on this condition in athletes that are clearly not ready to train at that level.

Anyways, this story makes me sick. These lazy coaches cannot write a program of their own so they irresponsibly rip-off a crossfit workout, put their athletes through it and now look what happens, they are all in the hospital. Come one guys, get a clue. You almost killed these kids. They were clearly not ready for that volume, most likely had awful technique and you made them do it. To me, this is a form of hazing and you should be forced to do the same workout as they did.

This workout was dumb and a clear rip-off of crossfit. If you are a strength coach and you are looking to crossfit for workouts do me a quick favor, quit your job and go work at a crossfit gym where people are there for a good ass kicking. You have no business teaching and coaching young athletes.

Oh, If you want some more dumb workouts, here are some from a previous post of mine:

10 dumb/hard workouts

1. 45 minutes of jumping jacks

2. 1 mile 200lb sled push for time

3. Deadlift your bodyweight in reps with no rest. Here is an example.

You weigh 175lbs, you must deadlift 175lbs for the 175 reps with no rest

4. 1/4 mile farmers walk with 125lb dumbells, if you drop the weight you must do 25 burpees as a penalty. Burpees are done every time the weight is put down.

5. Step into the ring with a pro MMA fighter, if you lose you must run a full marathon.

6. Unrack all the dumbells in your gym, load them into your car, Push the car for a 1/4 mile then load the dumbells back into the gym. Repeat twice

7. 20 weighted vest triple clap push-ups. If you fail you must perform an opposing limb bear crawl for 1/2 a mile. Remember, you have to use opposing limbs. I.E...only your right leg and left arm can touch the ground, or vice versa.

8. Perform the Tabata protocol with a 300 lb sled while hungover. If you are not hungover, drink a gallon of milk before the workout.

9. Perform 100 push-ups, then 99, 98, 97....all the way down to 0. Once finished do the same with pull-ups.

10. Swim a mile with your right arm only, but you can only swim the mile in a clockwise fashion.

Disclaimer: If you try these you are a moron

Want to know my training method?

2011-01-20T08:58:00.007-05:00

I rip of all of these people:

Gray Cook

Brett Jones

Dan John

Dr. Cobb

Mike Boyle

Dave Whitley

BJ Baker

Eric Cressey

Dr. Stuart McGill

Pavel Tsatsouline

Marty Gallagher

Paul Chek

Florence Peterson Kendall

Mike Robertson

and about 100 more :)

If you don't recognize these names, get reading and start ripping them off. Also, if you read this post and use my suggestions, you just ripped me off.

Thank you

500 FMS screens in 10 hours :)

2010-12-13T22:27:00.002-05:00

I recently screened roughly 500 youth soccer players, I got some great info. The ages were:

u-13 boys and girls

u-14 boys and girls

u-15 boys and girls

u-16 boys and girls

u-17 boys and girls

These were all high level players affiliated with the ODP program in MA.

We recorded previous injury history, as well as any type of growth related injuries, ie osgood, severs, etc..

Each group had 35-50 kids in it.

Some interesting findings off the top of my head, these are in no specific order:

-tons on concussions, every team had a minimum of 3 players

-a fair amount of separated shoulders and ac joint issues

-lots of anterior compartment syndromes and lumbar stress fractures which to me means OVERTRAINING

In every group there were at least 3 kids with osgood schlatters or severs disease.

In younger girls ( pre-pubescent ) the hurdle step showed lumbar hyper extension present during the step and poor hip stability on the opposing leg. The scores seemed to improve with older girls.

The DS scores were higher in pre- pubescent male players. Several players that were more mature scored poorly and we had many 0's given due to lower back pain in the DS, not good IMO

The HS showed similiar movement patterns in all soccer players, externally rotated femurs, poor ankle mobility. Better stability was present in older more mature athletes and younger athletes scored worse. Also, I think I had maybe 5 scores of 3/3 the whole day.

ASLR was very up and down as far as scoring went. It was weird, this seemed the most inconsistent as far as scoring goes. I couldn't see a pattern as well with this but once I dig deeper I may see patterns

RS- maybe 4 3/3's all day, lots of 2/2's. The ability to move opposing limbs while stabilizing the spine was poor in general

Same goes for Inline lunge, lots of 2/2's but not many 3/3. The scored were higher in pre-pubescent kids while lower in older athletes. Once these kids hit puberty, there movement goes to crap, plain and simple.

TSPU scores were obviously lower in younger athletes. A surprising number of mature male athletes cannot connect the core with the upper body...not good

SM was better in pre-pubescent kids overall, the males scored lower once matured and their wasn't much of a drop-off in females.

The highest score of the day was 19

Very interesting :)

Foam rolling for the lower body

2010-11-23T08:09:00.003-05:00

Here is a quick video I put together demonstrating some foam rolling techniques for the lower body.

Enjoy!

If it's important, do it every day.

2010-11-18T16:34:00.003-05:00

I have a man crush on Dan John, yup I admit it. I have yet to find a strength coach who simplifies complex things so well. He always say " If it's important, do it every day." This holds true to so many things, here are some thoughts:

Training

1. Drink plenty of water.

2. Eat more protein.

3. Learn something new about YOUR body.

4. Sleep.

5. Stretch-it feels good. I don't care about the studies on static stretching, it feels good so I do it.

6. Foam roll- again, some say it works and others don't. It works for me so I will roll with that.

7. Hip band work- yup, these prep drills look like something out of a Jane Fonda video. I don't care, my hips and back always feel better after.

8. Stretch my hip flexors- man I can't get enough of this. We sit all day in a flexed position. Do yourself a favor, stretch those puppies out.

9. Side- lying-Tspine rotations- aka rib pulls...these always feel great. Sometimes I get a few cracks too. Who needs a chiro?

10. Turkish get ups- do I have to explain

http://skillofstrength.blogspot.com/2010/08/veggies-and-get-ups.html

Life

1. Tell your loved ones you love them.

2. Learn from someone younger and less experienced than you.

3. Open doors for people.

4. Teach at least once a day.

5. Give more than you get.

6. Buy a cup of coffee for someone in the military. They give it all so we don't have to. Spend a few bucks and say thanks

7. Say "Your welcome" and "Thank you"

8. Leave a good tip for a waiter/waitress during the holidays. If they do a good job, spread the cheer

9. Listen more, talk less.

10. Be patient.-Good things come to those who wait. If you don't get it when you want it, you weren't ready for it.

11. Breathe- never underestimate the power of breathing.

The Hardest Workout EVER!!

2010-11-09T08:35:00.003-05:00

I always here people say " Man, that was the toughest workout ever." Hard workouts are easy to formulate, and here is the secret.

Stupidity+Tons of Reps+ limited recovery+poor choice of weight+ highly technical lifts performed while fatigued = a dumb/hard workout

One more thing, a high powered stimulant always helps

So if you want a hard workout, here you go. Oh, and by the way these are very dumb workouts and if you try them you may be a bit soft upstairs.

10 dumb/hard workouts

1. 45 minutes of jumping jacks

2. 1 mile 200lb sled push