Question of the week: Only the "Strong" Shall Survive???

Does the quote "Only the strong shall survive!" still apply to today's society? I mean come on, we have computers that can do just about anything. We have drone planes that can fight our battles. Should the saying be "only the smart shall survive"?

My RKC Journey Pt. 2

So here it was, October 2009. I have now been doing kettlebell workouts pretty religiously for 4 weeks and feeling good. I had read Enter the Kettlebell about 30 times, watched a ton of videos about kettlebell training on youtube, and even watched a video that one of my clients gave me from a kettlebell set they bought from Target. After all this thorough study and research I "definitely" knew my stuff. Throw in the fact that I also had been to a 1 hour seminar on kettlebell training at a trainer conference about 2 years prior and you would think I was as knowledgable on the subject as Pavel himself.

Boy did my ego get shattered after that first meeting with Sandy! Turns out, I basically knew how to do the movements but my form was pretty atrocious. "Pinch your shoulders back! Thrust from your hips! Tight glutes! Loose arms! It's not a front raise, it's a swing!" Wow...I had no idea it was this deep. And the Turkish Get Up? In ETK (Enter the Kettlebell) Pavel basically describes the TGU (Turkish Get Up) as this: "Lie on you back holding a kettlebell with a vertical straight arm...now keep the arm vertical and stand up with it.." That was it. Well, alot had changed since this book was written in 2005. A group of kettlebell experts got together and broke the movement down into 7 standardized steps. So I basically was doing what ETK said to do but I hadn't a clue about this new technique. Sandy broke down the 7 steps and demonstrated. After about 10 minutes I understood and was able to do it. It wasn't pretty but I was now doing it "RKC" style. My squats and presses were pretty good. My snatches needed work. I left that first day knowing that I would work on all this stuff and show Sandy the next time we'd meet that I've been doing my homework.

Prior to this workout, I had told him that I was thinking about becoming an RKC. He asked me what my RKC Snatch Test time was. Passing the RKC Snatch Test was a prerequisite to becoming certified. You need to pass this before they'll even consider letting you get certified. It consists of men having to snatch (taking the bell from the ground to over head in one fluid movement) a 53 lb kettlebell 100 times in under 5 minutes. I was at a loss for words because I had not even tried snatches with a 53 pounder yet. He said that the next time we meet, he would test me and see what I could do. I had some work to do. My first goal was to snatch it once. 53 pounds for me is like a loaf of bread but for some reason I had a fear of whipping this "loaf of bread" over my head. I tried it at home, was succesfull, then just started banging out some reps with it. I didn't go crazy, just some confidence building stuff. I met with Sandy 2 weeks later and he tested me. I hit 97 reps in 5 minutes. He and I were both pleasently surprized. I then realized I might actually be able to do this. I still had 6 months to train. Sandy set me up on a program to prepare me not just to pass the RKC snatch test but to get me through the whole weekend. My decision was made....I was gonna go for it!

I plopped down the money for the 3 day course (and believe me, it ain't cheap) and it was now set in stone. The date would be April 23, 2010 in St Paul, Minnesota. I had a good 6 months to train. I would meet with Sandy periodically over the next 6 months just to make sure all was going well with the training. He gave me 3 routines to follow that I would basically be able to manipulate and add variety. Day 1 focused on swings (tons of swings), Day 2 focused on presses, and Day 3 focused on squats. Days 1 and 3 started with snatch work to prepare me for the 5 minute snatch test. This template also required me to switch from using 1 kettlebell to 2 kettlebells (one in each hand) ever other workout. At first I thought I would get bored doing the same stuff for the next 6 months but I was able to mix it up enough that the challenge was always there. Sometimes instead of clean and press I would do military press. I would switch from racked squats to goblet squats. Instead of double clean and press, I would do see-saw presses. Just enough change to stick with the routine but keep it interesting. On some weeks, I would even do a fourth workout that I found on dragondoor.com called the "Deep 6" workout. This fit well in this routine because it too focused on the 6 RKC movements (swing, snatch, clean, TGU, press, squat).

All was going well. As of February, I was now able to do the RKC Snatch Test in 4 min. 30 sec. I was hitting about 500 swings a week. I was still religiously following Sandy's 3 RKC prep workouts a week plus doing 2 "maintenance" powerlifting workouts a week. I then hit my first major detour in my training. I suffered a pretty significant injury that would effect my training for a good 3 weeks. I now realized how important it was to have a "coach" help you with technique.

-to be continued

My RKC Journey Pt. 1

I did it! As many of you know, last weekend I attended the RKC certification course in St. Paul, Minnesota. I have been training like an animal for the last 7 months trying my hardest to convert my 40 year old powerlifting trained body into a lean, mobile, high rep, kettlebell expert. Well, I am not going to say that I actually succeeded in converting myself into any of these things, but I did learn alot along the way about the art of kettlebells and my body. Oh, and I did pass and became a certified RKC!!!! This blog is not meant to be an endorsement for kettlebell training in any way (well maybe a little), but simply a means to show you what this has done for me.

First thing I learned is that kettlebell training is hands down the ultimate method of training if you are looking for a single device that can help you train cardio, strength, and flexibility. Now before all the Pilates, TRX, and Crossfit people come down on me for saying this let me explain. See, you can own one kettlebell and work all this stuff (cardio, strength, and flexibility) in your living room. Not many other forms of exercise or equipment can make that claim (except the "Ab Rocker" from the infomercials).

The next thing I learned was that even though I have worked out for over 25 years (focusing mostly on heavy weight training) my conditioning needed alot of work. When I first started doing swings I would do 3 sets of 10 reps with a 35 lb. bell. I would give myself about 2 minute breaks between sets. I was huffing and puffing like I ran a 5k. Pretty sad...but I could deadlift around 565 and bench over 350 so even though my conditioning was bad I still knew I was strong. After 7 months of all out kettlebell training I could now do 20 swings a minute on the minute with a 53 lb. bell for 12 minutes straight (this gave me about 25 sec. rest between sets). This equates to 240 swings in 12 minutes. My deadlift went down very slightly and my bench remained about the same (down maybe 5%). My resting heartrate is now 52 bpm. 7 months ago it was around 68 bpm. My point...kettlebells helped me drastically improve my conditioning while losing very little, if any, strength.

I also learned that kettlebell training VASTLY improves joint mobility. The main reason I started on kettlebell training was because I thought my powerlifting days were over. In 2008 I competed in 2 push/pull meets (bench press and deadlift) 6 weeks apart. At 38 years old I had never done 2 meets this close together. I PR'd in both my lifts hitting a 452 lb bench and a 568 lb deadlift. I was feeling high as a kite. Then it hit me....my right shoulder was a wreck, my left hip felt like that of an 80 year old man, and my lower back hurt. Was this age related? Over training? Did I do permanent damage? All these questions were swirling through my head. Fact was, I felt like my powerlifting days were over. At least I ended on a positive note (hitting my best lifts ever). I started looking for other means of training. Crossfit intrigued me but it didn't fit me. Pilates...not me. I found the book titled "Enter the Kettlebell" by Pavel Tsatsouline and read the whole book in one night. It discussed the swing, the Turkish Get Up, presses. This stuff was right up my alley. I liked the rawness of it. I liked the fact that strongmen had been doing this for centuries and now MMA fighters and triathletes were doing it. You could get strong AND fit? Just what I wanted. I started the program. First thing I noticed after about 4 weeks was that my shoulder pain and hip pain dissapeared...those "goofy" turkish get ups perhaps? Most likley since this exercise forces you to move your shoulders and hips in ways not possible with other standard lifts. The joint mobility I gained from just this exercise alone seemed to "cure" my joint problems. I could also now do around 100 swings without barely breaking a sweat. My lower back felt great. It was working. I was still benching, squatting, and deadlifting 2x a week but now without pain.

I got so hooked on this kettlebell stuff that I contacted Sandy Sommer, a local RKC, and had him work with me on improving my technique. It was at this point I decided to become an RKC myself.

-To be continued

Question of the Week: Should government have a say in what we eat?

No more transfat! We need less salt! School lunches are making our potential soldiers too fat! Lately, government seems to have alot to say pertaining to what we eat. Justly so. We are one of the fattest countries in the the world. It's gotten to the point that military officials are now saying that approximately 25% of our 17-24 year olds are too fat to join the military.

Do you feel it is the government's responsibility to control what we eat?

Workouts: the final 2!- 4/16/010

Well today was my last "real" workout prior to the April 23rd RKC certification weekend. I say "real workout" because next week I may play a bit with the kettlebells but it won't really be a workout. I may do some techinique stuff but I really am gonna focus on rest. I have really beaten myself up over the last 7 months. I do feel ready. If it turns out I wasn't it won't be for a lack of trying. I honestly feel this is the hardest I have ever worked out in my life and I have become a firm beiever in the use of kettlebells as part of a fitness program. I love the hardcore "rawness" of them. And like Pavel (the kettlebell guru) says "you get the honor of building aerobic endurance without the dishonor of doing aerobics". I like that!

Here's what I did yesterday and today:

Thursday:
2 handed swings- 20 kg (44 lbs.) x50, 45, 25, 20, 20, 20 (1 min breaks/ 200 reps in all)

Friday:
RKC snatch test work- did "all out" snatches with a 24 kg (53 lb) kettlebell. Did 2 sets. Each was 2:45 minutes long. First set I got 70 reps, second set I got 60. I allowed 5 minutes rest between sets. I was SMOKED but broke my 2:45 min. PRs

Did 1 round of the following circuit using a 20 and 16 kg kettlebell:

Double Front squat x 5
Double Clean and press x 5
Double Front squat x 5
Double swing x 10
Double Front squat x 5
Turkish get up ( a 20 only) x 1 each side
Double Front squat x 5
Double snatch x 5
Double Front squat x 5

That was it. 780 swings altogther for the week. REST NEXT WEEK.

Question of the Week: Should airlines consider bodyweight?

I admit it, I overpack when I go on vacation. I never know what I am going to need or want to wear so I basically take every piece of clothing I own with me. Nothing gets me more crazed than having to weigh my luggage at the airport. It never fails; my luggage is always 2 or 3 pounds over the 50 pound limit. SO, instead of paying the extra $50 (or whatever they charge now) I end up going through the ritual of opening my luggage in front of the whole line of people and removing a few shirts and pants and putting them in my wife's luggage to "make weight". Here's my issue: the combination of my bodyweight and luggage aren't even close to the weight of the 350 pound man standing behind me in line! Why on earth should I get charged $50 for my luggage being 3 pounds over the limit when another man and his luggage outweigh me by a good 150 pounds?

Would it be fair if airlines based their ticket fees on a passenger's weight?

4/14/10 Workout

The countdown is on! Today was first of my last 3 workouts before I taper off for RKC weekend. Brutal workout today. Focus was on Military Presses (MP).

Here's what I did:

I did 4 rounds of the following circuit. First round was with my left arm using a 20 kg (44 lb). 2nd round was a 24 kg (53 lb) with my right. Then a 28 kg (62 lb) with the left, then a 32 (70 lb) with my right. I did the heavier weights with my right arm because my left elbow is still not 100% from my accident (managable, but not perfect). Allowed as little breaks between exrecises as possible. 3 min between rounds.

MP-Round 1 20x5, round 2 24x5, round 3 28x5, round 4 32x5
Swing- 20x40, 24x35, 28x30, 32x25
MP- 20x5, 24x5, 28x5, 32x5
Front squat- 20x5, 24x5, 28x5, 32x5
MP- 20x5, 24x5, 28x5, 32x5
Swing- 20x35, 24x30, 28x25, 32x20
MP- 20x5, 24x5, 28x5, 32x5
Snatch- 20x5, 24x5, 28x5, 32x5
MP- 20x5, 24x5, 28x5, 32x5

100 military presses (50 each arm) and 240 swings. 570 swings this week so far. 2 more workouts then rest time!

Workout 4/13/10

Today I did the second half of my Day 1 workout. This was a workout that focused on double kettlebell swings. I used a 16 kg (35 lb) and a 20 kg (44 lb) kettlebells. I alternated sides every time I did the swings (so on half the swing sets the 20 was in my right and half of them were done with it in my left).

Here was the routine:

Double swing x 10
Double Clean and Press x 5
Double swing x 10
Double front squat x 5
Double swing x 10
TGU (all with just a 16) x 1 each side
Double swing x 10
Double snatch x 5
Double swing x 10

I allowed as little a break in between exercises as possible (in some cases a gave myself no break and just went from one exercise to the next without putting the bells down). 3 minutes between rounds. 150 swings in all for a total of 330 this week so far.

At night I did some bench work. Here's what I did:

Foam roller bench press- 315x3, 335x3, 365x2, 380x1, 395x1, 405x miss

I am a firm believer in the need for CNS (central nervous system) work to increase strength. Basically this involves doing exercises that allow you to handle very heavy weights (usually by decreasing the range of motion). In this case, I put a standard foam roller (the kind people use to stretch their IT bands) on my chest and did the bench press. The foam decreased my range of motion thus allowing me to use heavier weight than I could for a full range of motion. It kind of tricks your body into handling more weight on the regular bench press.

Workout 4/12/10

Again, due to a crazy day, I decided to split my Day 1 workout into 2 workouts. I actually like doing this because it has allowed me to increase my volume on my swings and snatches without killing the rest of my workout. Basically, I only worked out for 17 minutes but it was a HARD 17 minutes. I will do the rest of Day 1 tommorrow.

Here's what I did:

RKC Snatch test work- 70 snatches with a 28 kg (62 lb.) kettlebell in 7 minutes (5 each arm a minute on the minute)

2 handed swings- 180 in 10 minutes

That was all. Major sweat!

"George, what's with the crazy gym attire?"

Blue camouflage shoes with "fingers". Red Chuck Taylor high tops. Skin tight "bench shirts" and one piece "squat suits". Rock and Roll concert t-shirts. Sweat bands. I admit it...I sometimes look like a crazy person when I am working out. Believe it or not, there is an absolute reason for everything I wear at the gym. No, I do not wear the shoes as just a fashion statement (although my shoes are pretty cool!)

First let me start with the shoes. For years, I lifted in nothing but high top Chuck Taylors. I've had red pairs, black pairs, blue, white, you name it. People would say to me, "why don't you get some real workout shoes...you need support." Let me explain. You simply don't need "support" when lifting weights. Most lifts don't involve lateral movement nor does lifting require "impact resistance". Some of the greatest lifters back in the early days didn't wear shoes at all when they lifted. The reason I wear Chuck Taylor's stems from my powerlifting background. Most powerlifters wear them. The reason is that Chuck Taylors are one of the few shoes on the market that have a completely flat, non-elevated heal (Vans and a few other skateboard shoes being the exception). You want a flat sole for lifting because this allows one to focus on driving with the heals when squatting, deadlifting, and kettlebell swinging. This is a much more efficient and safer way of lifting. If your heal is elevated (like in most shoes nowadays) you can't emphasize the heal drive.

Vibram Five Fingers has taken this concept to another level and came out with their "minimalist, barefoot shoes". These literally make it feel like you are working out barefooted but with a layer of protection for the soles of your feet. I primarily workout in these now but still occasionally go back to my good ole' Chucks.

"What's with the skin tight shirts that make your arms stick out like a zombie?" This is called a Bench Press Shirt. This is a shirt made to be worn during bench press competition. Yes, it does allow you to bench more weight...no doubt about it. Sounds like cheating but there is definite technique involved in wearing one and thus I need to wear it when training for a competition. And yes, they are uncomfortable as hell. Same goes for the skin tight squat suit. Both help you lift more weight and are only worn during those specific lifts (yes, I change my shirt after I bench press). I only wear this stuff about 6 weeks prior to a competition.

Kiss, Motorhead, Crack the Sky t-shirts? I've been to alot of concerts over the years. Just about every concert I go to I to buy a t-shirt. I had all these concert shirts and never wore them. What a better place to wear them than the gym. These shirts tend to be pretty well made (better be for $35 a pop!) so they are great workout shirts. I love Under Armour but I just don't get that "wicking" concept. If you sweat you sweat. How is a shirt gonna "wick" it away? I've seen people wearing wicking shirts that are drenched with sweat.

Head band? Okay, this one's good...I love my Ipod but I have always had an issue with earphones. It seems that every pair of earphones I own slips off my ears when lifting weights (especially when doing the kettlebell work). So, to remedy this, I'd wear my earphones (I have the kind that fit over top your head) then I would wear a beannie hat over top of this. Worked great but people started getting on me for wearing a wool hat inside while it was 60 degrees out. So, I started wrapping a bandana around my head. This too worked like a charm but the bandana would stink from sweat like you wouldn't believe (plus, the Willie Nelson look just wasn't working for me). I now wear a sweat band and look a tad more civilized. It works well at holding my earphones down too.


There you have it. I may look nuts when I work out but it works for me.

Ladies...I don't wanna say it, but I TOLD YOU SO!!!!

Please read the following: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/health/06real.html

It's a recent article from the NY Times discussing how women that train with "heavier" weights tend to tone up and slim down more effectively than those who do lighter weight and higher reps for fear that they will "bulk up". I've said it a million times, bulking up is related to diet not lifting heavy weights! I could give you a several examples but my wife Tammy is the best. Tammy can squat 135 for 10 reps, bang out 10 pullups, swing a 35 pound kettlebell for sets of 20, and do dumbbell presses with 40's for reps. She has also deadlifted over 200 pounds in an organized powerlifting competition. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, she's a size 2! She's been lifting like this for years and looks fantastic. Ladies, DON'T FEAR BEING STRONG! You'll only look better!

4/9/10 Workout

Felt pretty beat up today. Did exactly what I had too....listened to my body. Believe me, I'm as guilty as any powerlifter in saying that I don't always practice what I preach when it comes to training through soreness and injuries, but this time I felt I better. See, I was in a minor car accident 3 weeks ago that banged up my left elbow pretty good. 3 weeks later (and some good anti-inflammatories) and I feel MUCH better. I'm just playing it safe now that I have 2 weeks to go until RKC weekend. I went relatively heavy, but pretty low in reps (except for my snatch training). I always feel less beat up doing lower reps no matter how heavy.

Here's what I did today:


RKC snatch test work:
2 sets of continuous snatches with a 24 kg (53 lb) kettlebell for 2.5 minutes a set. Allowed 4 minutes between sets. I did 61 reps on the first set and 55 on the second set.

I did the following for 2 rounds with no more than 30 sec. between exercises. I allowed a 4 min break between rounds. All was done with one 32 kg (70 lb) kettlebell.

Goblet squat x5
2 handed swing x 10
Rack squat x 5
Clean and press x 3
Goblet squat x5
2 handed swing x 10
Rack squat x 5
Snatch x3
Goblet squat x5

No working out all weekend then I plan to hit it like a BIG DOG next week. This will be my last hard week before I taper off for my RKC weekend.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

A few years ago, I saw a segment on one of the evening news shows about a New York business man who required his employees to exercises a minimum of 3 times a week for 30 minutes. In addition to this, he required all his employees to be drug free and nicotine free (using a monthly blood test as evidence). His rational behind this was that he wanted to maximize work output. He figured that if his employees were healthier then they would work harder and call in sick less often. Obviously this caused quite a stir among his employees but he felt it was his right to require this.

What would you do if your employer made exercise a mandatory part of your job?

4/8/10 Workout

Short and sweet mini workout today. Again, I am training for the April RKC certification course therefore I am not placing a huge emphasis on the powerlifting movements right now. I've been doing just enough to not lose everything I've gained on my bench over the last 20 years. My bench is down some (maybe 5%) but considering all the kettlebell work I've been doing over the last 7 months I am okay with it.

Here's what I did today. Took about 25 minutes:

2 handed kettlebell swing: 20 kg (44 lb) x 200 reps in 10 minutes (20 a min. on the min)

Flat DB press- 100's x 10, 8, 6

Leg curls- 5 sets of 10 reps with medium weight

How much Sleep?

I am not a scientist or a doctor. Some may say I'm not even that smart. What I have learned about sleep comes from hours of sitting at boring seminars, reading journals, and from experience. Not just my own experience but from working with 100's of sleep deprived people over the last 15 years as a trainer. We live in a busy society. My clients work hard. Who has time for sleep? Eventhough I know the absolute importance of sleep, I don't get enough myself. I finsish my last appointments during the week at 10 or 10:30 pm and take my first appointment in the morning at 5:45 or 6. That means I basically sleep from 11:30-5 (that's 5.5 hours of sleep). Throw in my 1 hour nap in the afternoon (I know I'm lucky to be able to do this) and we're still talking only 6.5 hours. I strive to get more whenever possible.

First, here's what I have learned from reading and listening to real experts in the field. I know this is up for debate and that there has been a million articles released recently discussing this, but basically I have learned that your body "wants" 1 minute of sleep for every 2 minutes you are awake. That's 8 hours of sleep a night (preferably "uninterupted" sleep). Some experts say at least 6 hours. Some say everyones' needs are different. I think alot of it depends on how active you are (both workout-wise and work-wise). The more active you are, the more sleep you need. A speaker at an NSCA conference in Vegas I attended a few years back put it best. He said, "If you use the car analogy then you know that food is considered the "gas" for your motor. Using this analogy, we can consider sleep the "jump starter" for your battery (heart and brain)."

Okay, here's what I can tell you on a practical level. Those who don't get enough sleep tend to deal with alot of issues. One, they really have a hard time losing weight. There are several reasons for this. When you're tired you tend to eat more. Also, lack of sleep screws with your insulin levels which effects your metabolism. Next, people that don't sleep enough get hurt more frequently. Not exactly sure why. Here's what I think. First, your movement patterns are off. If you're working out on 3 hours of sleep, you can't focus on form or technique and thus you are more open to injury. Also, sleep is when all your recuperative processes occur. Less sleep, less recuperation. Your body can't heal as effectively.

It's easy for me to say SLEEP MORE. The fact is that sleep needs to be a priority when dealing with health. I think most of us take this too lightly. Throw in the fact that lack of sleep is also a major factor in heart disease (especially in women) and you can really see why it needs to be emphasized. As a trainer I tell people all the time about the impotance of exercise and diet. Sleep definitely should be thrown into that equation.

4/7/10 Workout

Wow was it hot today! 95 degrees here in Baltimore. I must admit, it's not easy training in the hot weather. It just makes you drag. But still no reason to skip a workout. You skip one, it makes it that much easier to skip the next. I only see 3 reasons to skip or miss a workout: 1. family or job related emergency, 2. fever, 3. Digestive "issues" (no one wants to do a heavy leg day with "stomach issues"). So, even though I dreaded working out today, I did it and felt better for it.

Here's what I did today:

All exerices were done with 2 kettlebells (1 in each hand)accept the TGU (turkish get up) where I used just 1. For all the 2 handed exercises, I used a 24 kg (53 lb) and a 28 kg (62 lb). For the TGU I used a 24 kg. I did 3 rounds with a 4 min break between rounds. I allowed no more than 30 sec. between sets.

Military press x5
2 KB swing x 10
Clean and press x 5
Front squat x 5
Miltary press x 5
TGU x 1 each side
Clean and Press x 5
2 KB swing x 10
Military press x 5

Tough, but glad to have done it!

4/6/10 Workout

I felt great from yesterday's "mini" workout (which I did outside in the nice weather!) Today I did the rest of what I wanted to do yesterday. It was actually great to split the workout up into 2 days because I had a ton more energy this way.

Here's what I did today:

All exercises were done with a 20 kg/ 44 lb. kettlebell. Exercises were all done back to back with no more than 30 sec. break in between. After each circuit I gave myself a 3 minute rest.

2 hand swing x 20
Clean and Press x 5 each arm
2 hand swing x 20
Goblet squat x 10
2 hand swing x 20
Turkish Get up x 1 on each side
2 hand swing x 20
Snatch x 5 each arm
2 hand swing x 20

Did 3 rounds of this in about 40 minutes. Good workout! 300 swings in all.

I did another mini workout at night. This took about 20 minutes. Here's what I did:

4 board bench press- 315x3, 335x3, 365x3, 385x1, 405x1, 415x1
Leg curl-5 sets of 10 reps

Leg curls???? I do these as a preventative measure. I strained my hammy maxing on the deadlift about 2 months ago so I do these more or less as a warmup and therapy.

4/5/10 workout

Due to a very busy day, I only had time to hit the raw basics today. Here's what I did:

Kettbell snatch- 28 kg (62 lbs) x 5 reps each hand for 6 minutes on the minute (50 reps)

2 hand kettlebell swing- 24 kg (53 lbs) for 170 reps in 10 minutes

That was it but man did it kick my butt!

Tommorrow, more swings mixed in with some presses, squats, and Turkish get ups.

Welcome to "Strength & Beyond" Talk

I started this blog for several reasons: to discuss various fitness training programs, to give my opinions on various fitness programs, and to share my personal workout routine. I encourage others to join me in sharing their own programs, views, and opinions as well.

Since my job is basically getting people in shape, I am always asked "What is your workout routine like?" Well, here is my chance to share exactly what I do, how much, and how often. I tend to be very regimented in my training routines. I stick to the basics. I am not one to "jump on the bandwagon" and constantly "try out" the latest and newest programs just because it's done on The Biggest Loser. Though I am open minded to new concepts, I am a firm believer in SIMPLICITY and CONSISTENCY. People I train have heard me say over and over again "you can have the worst routine in the world but if you stick with it and are consistent with it then you will still make some improvement." I've seen it a million times: the 75 year old man who walks for 45 minutes on the treadmill then does 25 "partial" pushups and 25 old fashion straight leg situps 5 days a week; the "little old lady" that rides the recumbant bike every day for 30 minutes then does 10 minutes of dumbbell curls for strength; the 80 year old man wearing his white undershirt and black dress socks with his Reeboks who comes and does the same old machines, with the same weights, for the same reps and sets every MWF at 9 am. Techniques aren't great, training styles a bit "unsophisticated" to say the least, but all look and feel great because they are CONSISTENT and have made exercise part of their lifestyle.

As most of you know, I am a huge advocate of kettlebell training and multi-joint, "closed chain" exercises (squats, deadlifts, bench press, military presses and their variations). This is what I focus on with my clients and on myself. I definitely focus more on training "movement" vs. specific muscles (although I do some specific muscle training...who doesn't want big guns?). I normally train 5 days a week for about an hour each time. These days, I get all my cardio from my kettlebell training (and a bit of rowing). Trust me, 20 minutes of KB swings will make an hour of elliptical training feel like a leisurely stroll in the park. Since I am preparing to get my RKC certification to become a certified kettlebell instructor, I am currently doing 3 days a week of kettlebell training and 2 days of barbell training.

My goal with this blog is to hopefully motivate and possibly inspire some people to workout to their max potential. We all have good and bad workout days. This is normal, BUT, CONSISTENCY is the name of the game.

I look forward to hearing from you. For now, train hard and attain your fitness goal!