Arnold Classic

I want to wish all my friends and training partners headed out to the Arnold Classic luck this week. I'm so incredibly sorry I can't make it out. Kick ass and give it all for that last rep!

Who knows, we keep getting enough attention at events like this, we might just see kettlebell sport at the Olympics one day.

Fingers crossed. Have a killer time everyone.

Tip & Technique Video: Dumbbell Power Development

Pay attention to the way you move through your day today. Much of the time, if we're moving something, we're moving it pretty fast. When you pick up your bag off the ground, you're not spending as much time lifting it as slowly as possible are you? Forget it. You want to grab it and go.

The moral of the story, we use power all day every day. So let's train it.

Now MOVE!

STAND UP!

This is huge and I'm not even going to lie. The excerpts quoted below are taken directly from a WebMD article that can be found in its entirety here. They say this better than I could.
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100119/prolonged-sitting-boosts-bad-health

That being said, a new study just came out from the British Journal of Sports Medicine. It suggests "that people who sit still for prolonged periods of time -- such as desk workers or couch potatoes -- have a higher risk of disease than those who move a muscle every now and then in a non-exercise manner."

There's a new definition for sedentary lifestyle we have to consider.
"Prolonged sitting promotes a lack of whole-body muscle movement, which the Swedish-based researchers say is the more correct way to define sedentary behavior."

Even if you exercise, you may be leading a sedentary lifestyle. "... the research team proposes that sedentary behavior is instead a distinct class of behaviors, unrelated to a lack of exercise, that boost bad health. Behaviors can include habits like TV watching...A woman’s risk of metabolic syndrome, precursor to diabetes and heart disease, jumps 26% for every extra hour she sits in front of the TV." "Whole-body muscular inactivity associated with prolonged sitting has also been strongly linked to obesity and even certain types of cancer."

Dude, kick that office chair out and trade in that desk for a tall drafting table.

Workout of the Week

For the following workout, refer to the handstand pushups (hspu) I want you to use the most advanced progression of the hspu as possible. If that means it's just a messed up looking pushup, then that's great. If it's with your feet actually up in the air, more power to you. All video demos posted below the workout.

10 Rounds of 10 Reps Each

Wallball
Ball Slam
HSPU
DB High Pull (bilateral)

Mark loads and times.

Quest for a Title

Ok, well it's time. Time to step up to the big leagues. I've been cutting my teeth for about a year now in local regional girevoy sport competitions. Not having gone for an event organized by one of the major national bodies, I'm jumping in.

American Kettlebell Club is throwing the National Long Cycle Championships at the Reebok Sports Club on the Upper West Side, Saturday, March 27th. I've just submitted my rank qualification video for eligibility, so barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll be there.

I wanted to put out an invitation to anyone that hasn't experienced a kettlebell sport competition yet. Come on out and spend the day with us. Yes, I do in fact want to encourage as much of an overly enthusiastic, boisterous cheering section in "MOVE" shirts, (wink wink), but it goes beyond that. The kettlebell sport (g.s.) world, while very competitive and rather political from time to time, is also an incredibly connected and nurturing athletic world. When you walk in, I guarantee you're going to find a room full of athletes, newbies and veterans alike, that are more than happy to share what it is about this sport that inspires them so much.

Seriously, come on out. I'd love to see everyone there.

Tip & Technique Video: Develop Handstand Pushups

It's kind of the granddaddy of upper body strength in so many ways. Beginning, modified, supported, there are a ton of variations that will get you to a free standing handstand pushup. Our purpose today, at least get you to the wall.

Start practicing, you know what's coming.

Now MOVE!

Workout of the Week

4 Rounds
Subtract 10 burpees each round.
Video demos are pasted below the workout for reference. The bb high pull demo video shows the high pull combined with the burpees. This time we're separating them. In this workout the two movements are performed independently. Mark your loads and times.

40 Burpees
15 BB High Pulls
10 Hang Power Cleans
5 Hang Power Clean & Jerks

Stuck in the Middle

First off, Happy Valentine's Day lovers.

Ok, that's as warm and fuzzy as I get. Enjoy.

With the present holiday as an exception, this is my absolute 100% least favorite time of year. Any little novelty that can be found for my in winter is long worn out and the promise of springtime warmth still feels like a distant tease. Life is lived like a mole, heading to work before the sun comes up, coming back after it's down, never seeing the sun. All you want to do is sit in the apartment with your favorite tasty beverage and close your eyes until the plowed snow drifts outside disappear.

Which doesn't work for my training at all.

Late winter can be the downfall of so many training programs. With the shiny newness worn off the resolutions and Memorial Day still being so far off, it's easy to lose ground on those fitness gains we fought so hard for.

Don't give in guys. Do not give in. Remember what I said back in early January about making one better choice for yourself every day. Keep rolling with that. Make the one better choice to get yourself engaged in some kind of physical exertion today. Don't let all that sweat and those tears (I've seen you shed them) be spent for nothing! Keep Going!

Besides, how good's that going to feel when everybody else is freaking out about the 10 lbs they have to lose by beach time and the only thing you're worried about is how to shave another 10 seconds off your half mile sprint interval?

MOVE guys!

Tip & Technique Video: Hang Power Clean

This one's pretty much self explanatory. It's one of those basic, cornerstone movements you really should look at adding into your program. As far as developing posterior chain power and endurance, this really is the king of the hill.

Snow Job

Unfortunately, nothing to report today from Wednesday's group training. Mama nature decided it wasn't the night to have class, so we had to shut down early.

Come on in next week though. Wednesday, 8pm - 9pm at West River Health & Racquet. 424 West End Ave at W81st St. We'll pick right up where we left off.

Workout of the Week

Video demos posted below the workout. If you're not comfortable with the unilateral high pull, then stick with the bilateral high pull. Record your time and loads.

10 unilat high pulls per arm

50 hang squats

20 unilat high pulls per arm

40 hang squats

30 unilat high pulls per arm

30 hang squats

40 unilat high pulls per arm

20 hang squats

50 unilat high pulls per arm

10 hang squats

Good luck.

Tardy Tip & Technique

Apologies for the late post everybody. We got a little carried away at The Garden on Friday watching the Knicks kind of lose interest during the 3rd period.

Anyway, dumbbell high pull. We've looked at this in brief a little before. Taking a closer look today.

Practice practice practice. Tuesday's coming quick.

Check back

No video today kids. Check back for tomorrow when we make up for lost
time.

Wednesday Group

Oh, poor David. Poor poor David.

This guy, I have to tell you, stuck out what had to have been the toughest hour to knock on his door in a long time. And you know what? He kicked its ass. Hardcore.

Now, next time he hits this workout (see below) he's going to blow it out of the water. His times are going to drop like a rock and his reps are going to shoot through the roof. The point is he kept moving, pressing forward.

One of the big problems many of the athletes I run into have is that they're way to willing to allow themselves to hit their lactic threshold (the wall) and just stop. If you keep stopping when you hit the wall, you're never going to progress. You've got to intentionally hit that wall, dig yourself in and get set for the long slog that's going to drag you through it. By progressively pushing that envelope further and further, we grow.

David's determined to grow. He clawed through. Awesome job. I'll see everybody (and anybody that wants to come) next Wednesday, 8pm, here at West River.

The workout.

4 rounds
.25mi sprint
20 burpees
burpees decrease by 5 each rnd


Tabata (20 sec work/to sec rest) 8 times each movement before moving on to the next.

Kettlebell High (overhead) swing
Body Weight Squats
Kettlebell jerk right arm
Kettlebell jerk left arm
Body weight row

Workout of the Week

If you can pull off any of the variants (1 arm or Contra Burp) then go ahead with that. If you can't...no worries. There's enough challenge built in here in the first place. The video demos are posted below. If the quarter mile sprints are to be completed on a treadmill, set the incline to 1%.

I want to see some times and loads posted people!

6 rnds

.25mi sprint

10 OH Kettlebell Squats (5 right arm, 5 left arm)

15 Burpees (1 arm or Contra if possible)

20 Deck Squats.