Last night we went down to our local neighborhood gym to do our nightly workouts. We are pushing things hard there. We usually use the empty part of the gym(the racks). To do our sets we take up a small area and are jumping straight from exercise to exercise, alternating upper and lower body parts, and resting after the power set is over. It really gets you huffing, sweating and generally receiving confused looks from the folks around you.
We enjoy having our area to do this, although we are bummed that more people aren't training for performance. The big downfall of this area is all the folks in the middle working on useless vanity muscles are making love to themselves in the mirrors that we are standing right in front of. I kind of start to feel uncomfortable. I have seen movie stereotypes of characters that are in love with themselves, but i haven't spent too much time around an actual person that infatuated with themselves. I really want to tell them to do that alone in their own bedrooms, cause it's kind of disgusting.
I think you can have some good results in a gym, but I am sick of being surrounded by people dressed up for spring break, and looking to hook up. Give me the underground strength training. Give me bootcamps. Give me kettlebells and mirror-less hot and sweaty weight rooms. The gym has become this ridiculous meat market that is only breeding(literally) the end of our intelligence as a species.
From a business perspective the gym is perfect. Hire underpaid enthusiastic staff and get a ton of people to give you money for services 90% dont use enough to keep paying each month, then charge em a ton when they try to cancel. It's perfect. Just like mini-storage you have an incredible money making machine with little overhead.
I meet a lot of great people, but nothing compares to our park workouts, being outside, laughing and sweating with a bunch of people and a common goal. Our underground strength sessions provided us with incredible results. We throw around sandbags, kettlebells, do pull-ups on trees, odd object lifting, the whole works. Outside "underground" training gives you such a mental edge in the world too. Even though i hold a black belt and feel confident in my self defense ability I still know that I can throw a 150lb sandbag across my lawn. So when I see the muscle laden impressive looking guys i feel no threat. Cool you can bench 360. I don't know when that will come in handy in the real world. I can't think of a single sport or situation where you can be successful pushing weight while lying on your back, if you are lying on your back you already failed. No, not impressive, and I don't care what you can put out.
What can your body do as a whole. Do you have to use wraps to do exercises? You're Weak! You are always only as strong as your weakest link. Anyways, enough ranting.
I can see everyone having great benefits and results in a gym, but the equipment and atmosphere in these big box gyms is not conducive to real performance results.
Join us in the underground. Crossfit, underground strength, kettlebells, these tools and resources are changing everything. I have been following some trainers for a while now, and am excited to hear about some new guys hitting the market. Josh Hunnicut is a guy to watch out for. Be ready, his knowledge will help anyone break plateaus and achieve the results they want.
It's working for us. It will work for you.
And gym rats, well, we will welcome you into our fold, but please stop making love to yourself in the mirror, that's the kind of thing you should only do in the privacy of your own home.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Kettlebells: Hype or High Performance Tools
A couple years ago I was introduced to Kettlebells by a co-worker. He was also into every form of homeopathy so I dismissed them as a fad. I started to hear the word and decided to take another look at them. Martial Artist were jumping on this "trend" left and right. I decided to try them. I remember ordering my first bell having know idea even how to use them. The information available online was scarce, and the horror stories were in abundance. It took a lot of searching but i finally found enough information to get started. I haven't looked back since.
People around me have dismissed this as a fad for along time. I just show them my results. I lost 88 lbs using these puppies! I felt like an animal. Of the group that began to train with me, all saw phenomenal results whether or not their diets were healthy. I'm missing my bells. I started a program recently that guaranteed me it would drop 2-3 lbs of fat every week. So far i have only gained weight. I can't tell if it's all muscle, but the claims just aren't adding up and I am longing for my bells after 9 weeks of this new program.
kettlebells can be a complete fitness tool. But I still will use a rack to squat and a db's to military press. Learning proper kettlebell form is essential to avoiding problems down the line. There are a few dvd's out there to help but right now they are all so expensive it's hard to bite the bullet. Use all the free stuff you can find. I have heard of some new kettlebell dvd's coming out that should do more than teach form.
What ever your thoughts are, give them a chance. I saw better results with kettlebells than any other program i have tried. Yeah they are weird and ackward in the beginning. Keep using them, before you know it you will have a rock hard core, increased strength, and feel ready to take on the world. Warning, these are addicting. I started with 1 35lb bell (recommended for starting men) I now own 12 ranging from a 5lber(for starting kids) to a 117 lber(only advance and super strong men should attempt). They seem expensive, but now that gofit has released a set they are more available and more affordable than ever before.
Happy swinging
and remember
"Swing with your legs!!!!!"
People around me have dismissed this as a fad for along time. I just show them my results. I lost 88 lbs using these puppies! I felt like an animal. Of the group that began to train with me, all saw phenomenal results whether or not their diets were healthy. I'm missing my bells. I started a program recently that guaranteed me it would drop 2-3 lbs of fat every week. So far i have only gained weight. I can't tell if it's all muscle, but the claims just aren't adding up and I am longing for my bells after 9 weeks of this new program.
kettlebells can be a complete fitness tool. But I still will use a rack to squat and a db's to military press. Learning proper kettlebell form is essential to avoiding problems down the line. There are a few dvd's out there to help but right now they are all so expensive it's hard to bite the bullet. Use all the free stuff you can find. I have heard of some new kettlebell dvd's coming out that should do more than teach form.
What ever your thoughts are, give them a chance. I saw better results with kettlebells than any other program i have tried. Yeah they are weird and ackward in the beginning. Keep using them, before you know it you will have a rock hard core, increased strength, and feel ready to take on the world. Warning, these are addicting. I started with 1 35lb bell (recommended for starting men) I now own 12 ranging from a 5lber(for starting kids) to a 117 lber(only advance and super strong men should attempt). They seem expensive, but now that gofit has released a set they are more available and more affordable than ever before.
Happy swinging
and remember
"Swing with your legs!!!!!"
Sunday, November 11, 2007
P.L.A.N. for your future.
It's long been said, "Fail to plan and you plan to fail".
With all the buzzwords around success, the planning of actions remains consistent. We can repackage, rename, and re-examine all the steps to success. We can talk about anything from paradigms to post-modernism. We can look to all the exceptions to all the current rules. Through every "new" way of thinking this truth will always remain. Success is the result of planning. Whether it was smart planning or a plan that ushered in a smart product, with no plan you cannot succeed.
Feel free to chime in now. Tell us about how you didn't plan and everything worked out great for you. The successful people who make it look easy are brilliant. The thing is, they don't know how they know what they know, they just know. Yes, that was a mouthful.
To some the next step is so obvious that anything else would be absurd. These folks are rare, and should be listened to. Like a natural athlete, or a child prodigy, they are born with this ability. They don't realize that they are able to plan with out much time spent thinking. It would be easy if all of us were like this, unfortunately, very few are gifted in this way.
The rest of us must learn to plan or we will always fall short.
Here is my definition of planning.
Predetermined Livelihood Applied Neatly.
Predetermined: This is a plan right? Take the time to figure out your actions before the moment of response is upon you. You don't want to lose an opportunity because you were unprepared do you? Take the time to predetermine you plan of action. Seek guidance when necessary(as much as possible if you are wondering when is it necessary).
Livelihood: You must be able to actually do what you have set out to do. Secondly since you planned ahead, make it something you enjoy doing. Planning allows you to take a break from stress, and just live. A prepared person can relax in moments of action and just perform. It's good to think on your feet. It's better to plan ahead and not have to do anything by the seat of your pants.
Applied: What you have set out to do, that you know you can and will enjoy, do. Simple, Do it.
Neatly: Keep it organized, keep is simple. You should be able to explain it to a 4th grader if you have planned it out clear enough(not the particulars, but the basics).
We can continue in the dark, or we can walk with confidence knowing we are prepared.
Start immediately, Take the time and work on whatever keeps worrying you.
A proposal? A bill? A project? Plan out your actions and take the first step, you will work smarter, play harder and rest easier when you have a plan in place.
With all the buzzwords around success, the planning of actions remains consistent. We can repackage, rename, and re-examine all the steps to success. We can talk about anything from paradigms to post-modernism. We can look to all the exceptions to all the current rules. Through every "new" way of thinking this truth will always remain. Success is the result of planning. Whether it was smart planning or a plan that ushered in a smart product, with no plan you cannot succeed.
Feel free to chime in now. Tell us about how you didn't plan and everything worked out great for you. The successful people who make it look easy are brilliant. The thing is, they don't know how they know what they know, they just know. Yes, that was a mouthful.
To some the next step is so obvious that anything else would be absurd. These folks are rare, and should be listened to. Like a natural athlete, or a child prodigy, they are born with this ability. They don't realize that they are able to plan with out much time spent thinking. It would be easy if all of us were like this, unfortunately, very few are gifted in this way.
The rest of us must learn to plan or we will always fall short.
Here is my definition of planning.
Predetermined Livelihood Applied Neatly.
Predetermined: This is a plan right? Take the time to figure out your actions before the moment of response is upon you. You don't want to lose an opportunity because you were unprepared do you? Take the time to predetermine you plan of action. Seek guidance when necessary(as much as possible if you are wondering when is it necessary).
Livelihood: You must be able to actually do what you have set out to do. Secondly since you planned ahead, make it something you enjoy doing. Planning allows you to take a break from stress, and just live. A prepared person can relax in moments of action and just perform. It's good to think on your feet. It's better to plan ahead and not have to do anything by the seat of your pants.
Applied: What you have set out to do, that you know you can and will enjoy, do. Simple, Do it.
Neatly: Keep it organized, keep is simple. You should be able to explain it to a 4th grader if you have planned it out clear enough(not the particulars, but the basics).
We can continue in the dark, or we can walk with confidence knowing we are prepared.
Start immediately, Take the time and work on whatever keeps worrying you.
A proposal? A bill? A project? Plan out your actions and take the first step, you will work smarter, play harder and rest easier when you have a plan in place.
Life Lessons from Meatballs
Hey guys,
I was thinking about the movie Meatballs. You know the old movie with Bill Murray. It happens to be one of my favorites. I am probably over analyzing this situation, but I think there are some key components in the camp situation that if applied to our lives will bring great success.
1. There is a set work schedule. The structure of camp really leaves little "free" time. There camp had much more, but in general you are on the job morning til night. The schedule is set up, so figuring what to do is not necessary, only that you show up and do what is asked of you. From sleeping to eating, all is planned out.
2. The Tasks are clearly defined. What is required is made clear through training and repetition. The workers aren't required to constantly figure out how and when to do their jobs. With the set schedule and the clear requirements the workers are left with just doing what is asked. This may not seem like a fun position, but in the case of most busy work and schedule and clearly defined goal keeps us on track and productive.
3. The reward is in the doing. The work asked of the workers is fun when the brainwork is taken out of it. Because a. they are working with people they know and have fun with in an enviroment designed to build teamwork and relationships, and b. the tasks emphasize the sense of play involved.
4. Free time is limited. Since there is so little alone time what is there is valued. Through the day you are working with those you care about so at night, you are excited to be around them in a still state. And if we were to take it further the limits on the free time give structure to it as well. We have an hour to clean up from the day. This includes showering, writing letters, taking care of small business. The community is apart of the free time. Nightly campfire is structured and given a clear amount of time, and often a clear agenda. Whether it is a debriefing of the day or preparation for coming events, this down time is still productive and meaningful.(Am I telling you to give your life to you Job? No! Use your time, don't waste it.)
5. It's all about relationships. Community! What is missing in much of our country is almost dead in the workplace; Community. I have seen it come out of desperation, but rarely out of fun and promise. Individual competitiveness should not erode team unity. When workers begin to know eachother and help eachother in a healthy enviroment production will increase. Workers should regularly hear from their owners and bosses, this simple courtesy will tell them they are valuable enough to have the visions shared with. A chain of communication should be established. Newbie Joe in receiving is twice as likely to have a creative answer to problems and situations in his department than veteran Mike who is a in an office three states away.
There is so much more, and this might lead to a book, I can see it already. But these key components take so much stress out of life. Really, when we are freed up from the thinking and left to the doing, how much more productive are we?Now, there is room for creativity and change inside of the doing of the tasks, but the tasks and requirements are set.
So if I can spot anything huge that carries over, is that we need structure to succeed.I think an examination of successful people will always point out they lived on structured schedules and had clear plans for their work time and down time. Tell me what you think, am I hitting on something or is this just a bunch of hot air.
I was thinking about the movie Meatballs. You know the old movie with Bill Murray. It happens to be one of my favorites. I am probably over analyzing this situation, but I think there are some key components in the camp situation that if applied to our lives will bring great success.
1. There is a set work schedule. The structure of camp really leaves little "free" time. There camp had much more, but in general you are on the job morning til night. The schedule is set up, so figuring what to do is not necessary, only that you show up and do what is asked of you. From sleeping to eating, all is planned out.
2. The Tasks are clearly defined. What is required is made clear through training and repetition. The workers aren't required to constantly figure out how and when to do their jobs. With the set schedule and the clear requirements the workers are left with just doing what is asked. This may not seem like a fun position, but in the case of most busy work and schedule and clearly defined goal keeps us on track and productive.
3. The reward is in the doing. The work asked of the workers is fun when the brainwork is taken out of it. Because a. they are working with people they know and have fun with in an enviroment designed to build teamwork and relationships, and b. the tasks emphasize the sense of play involved.
4. Free time is limited. Since there is so little alone time what is there is valued. Through the day you are working with those you care about so at night, you are excited to be around them in a still state. And if we were to take it further the limits on the free time give structure to it as well. We have an hour to clean up from the day. This includes showering, writing letters, taking care of small business. The community is apart of the free time. Nightly campfire is structured and given a clear amount of time, and often a clear agenda. Whether it is a debriefing of the day or preparation for coming events, this down time is still productive and meaningful.(Am I telling you to give your life to you Job? No! Use your time, don't waste it.)
5. It's all about relationships. Community! What is missing in much of our country is almost dead in the workplace; Community. I have seen it come out of desperation, but rarely out of fun and promise. Individual competitiveness should not erode team unity. When workers begin to know eachother and help eachother in a healthy enviroment production will increase. Workers should regularly hear from their owners and bosses, this simple courtesy will tell them they are valuable enough to have the visions shared with. A chain of communication should be established. Newbie Joe in receiving is twice as likely to have a creative answer to problems and situations in his department than veteran Mike who is a in an office three states away.
There is so much more, and this might lead to a book, I can see it already. But these key components take so much stress out of life. Really, when we are freed up from the thinking and left to the doing, how much more productive are we?Now, there is room for creativity and change inside of the doing of the tasks, but the tasks and requirements are set.
So if I can spot anything huge that carries over, is that we need structure to succeed.I think an examination of successful people will always point out they lived on structured schedules and had clear plans for their work time and down time. Tell me what you think, am I hitting on something or is this just a bunch of hot air.
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