Steve Maxwell Strength and Conditioning Blog

A New Year and a New, Improved Version of Yourself

12/07/2011

When new, non-athlete clients tell me their fitness goals, what comes up most is 'I want to get back in shape' or 'I want to lose weight'

While worthy goals, they are also somewhat hollow victories and another example of confusing symbols with meaning. Because the objective of their training is still a certain look. In fact, when pressed for specifics, it becomes clear what the client wants is to look and feel better than they do now. On a deeper level, what they want is to embody beauty.

Laboring at the gym for the sole purpose of getting buff or svelte has never much motivated me, nor has it been a cornerstone of my training philosophy. This is because of my long involvement with combat sports, wherein you must put up or shut-up and results aren't based on biceps size and there is no merit in the look if it can't be backed up.

Thus from my beginnings in physical training, I honed in on "purposeful exercise", ie exercise performed to specifically improve results in the action arena. To me, the objective of a proper fitness program (and working out in general) is to build good health and help the body regain movement lost from childhood.

This is interesting because those movements and exercises which improve performance (eg jumping higher, running faster, knocking dudes out) have a profoundly positive effect on aesthetics. The "look" of genuine power has little to do with the bloated bodybuilding physiques of these modern times, in which it appears a female has strapped on a comic book padded muscle suit and struts around acting "cocky". This is a cheap charade of true masculine essence and extends to the photoshopped covers of bodybuilding "lite" and so-called fitness magazines: you can't �shop abs and reproduce the same core results of inner discipline and virtue.

photoshop your head here...

So what does a real man look like?

Let's go as far back as we know to the symbols used in antiquity to represent the idealized male aesthetic.

The Greek statues depicting the heroes have been the standard of idealized masculine aesthetics for 2000 years.

So...

How do you acquire these masculine attributes for yourself?

Confused Olympian

I'll give you a hint: don't work from the outside in, otherwise you could just visit a plastic surgeon for a face and body made to order... and we're all familiar with the inferior results of that method.

And don't depend on the typical modern journals or publications for your best training information. Or modern advice in general. Anything published post-1960 is likely tainted with drugs, photo-shop or computer-enhancements.

Use movement-based exercises, not isolation movements

I prefer whole-body moves eg deadlifts, kettlebell swings, pull-ups. These functional movements have higher transferability to performance.

(Not so fast! I'm NOT saying there's NO place for isolation movements--there is. Especially in regard to rehabilitation or very specific muscular imbalances...but that's another blog.)

Your exercise selection should also include strength-to-weight ratio aka body weight exercises. There is no logic in being able to hoist or push a heavy load when you can't even manipulate your own body with intelligence.

I've seen many heavy squatters unable to perform a single body weight pistol. They had the strength to do a pistol, sure, but because of imbalances and immobility issues they couldn't use their leg in a most natural way imaginable.

Disclosure: I've met guys capable of both heavy squats and body weight pistols, primarily I've met them in my workshops, which leads me to believe they are fans of my work, but this is a rare phenomenon and I can count the examples on one hand.

Coach's mind trick: I can read your mind and I already know your next question:

Steve, just how functional is a pistol anyway?

This past summer I climbed the Preikstolen in Norway. It was one vast boulder field. Walking up was effectively a series of sequential pistols, while coming back down was even more so.

In any combat sport, you had better be able to survive your heel being forced to your haunch. Being tackled on the football field and the leg forced back in one extreme or another--you'll quickly understand why the full-range mobility and strength augmented by the pistol is highly beneficial.

And guess what: pistols generate a beautiful set of legs--but this is a byproduct of their functionality.

I've found that the more technical the lift or exercise, the less transferability it has to sports performance in general.

Checklist for exercises:

Whole body
Functional
low-skill
Infrequent

Infrequent? Working out too often is a common offense among trainees. In the zeal and enthusiasm of conversion--and the belief that more is better--trainees will overwork themselves. The problem with this is that the true benefit of exercise comes in quietly--on little cat feet--with the rest between episodes. Which is why I advocate no more than three resistance-training sessions per week (the standard for the last 100 years for drug-free athletes).

If you are simultaneously engaged with other strenuous sports and activities, twice or even once per week strength training will provide superior results to more frequent training. Further, some sports, like grappling, martial arts and rock climbing are in themselves a form of resistance training. In these instances, supplemental resistance training must be added judiciously.

Another precept to my philosophy: to create balance, work those muscles you don't use as well as the muscles you do use. Sometimes, it's even better to emphasize those muscles unused in your primary sport, in order to prevent imbalances. Many sports activities encourage significant muscular and postural imbalances. Look at the kyphotic spinal curve and forward heads among competitive cyclists, competition kettlebell lifters and...desk jockeys. These habituated postures can be mitigated with specific compensatory movements.

For all-around health and well-being, you must work the different energy systems of the body, not just those you favor

For example, strength training for long-distance runners not only improves their performance but their health parameters.

By the same token, endurance training for strength athletes enhances both performance and health, most significantly, body composition.

These factors combined is the genesis of a human body capable of doing stuff in an intelligent way. With this type of functionality comes the look of the classic physique: a body that not only looks good but performs well. A trained eye easily discerns the difference between mirror muscles and the able-bodied man.

As a holiday gift, I've put together for you a workable program using the above principles.

Element: Strength-to-Weight Ratio

1) Alternating Chin-up and Dip sets for 10 minutes

*if you aren't strong enough for chins and dips, sub BW Rows and Push-Ups

These 2 exercises provide plenty of stimulation to every muscle in the upper body.

These exercises exemplify virtue: honest, simple pulling and pushing the bodyweight and pure function. You can neither cheat nor pretend.

Once upon a time, I obtained a severe foot injury in BJJ and for a time was unable to tolerate the slightest amount of weight on the ankle and foot. Thus I was limited to a steady diet of chin-ups and dips--back and forth and back and forth again--sometimes up to 20 minutes!

These were the only two exercises I did for four weeks while the foot and ankle slowly healed. At the end of this time, I went to a seminar and ran into some people who hadn't seen me in a long while They were stunned with my appearance and interrogated me about what secret exercises I'd been doing. So stunned, in fact, I was commanded to remove my shirt in the middle of a business meeting. A little bro-rotic, perhaps, but my exhibitionist nature complied.

Talk about simplicity! Two exercises and I also rode an AirDyne bike with a brace on the foot.

Behind the physical attributes resulting from this program you discover the discipline and virtue of the mind that refuses to quit and stop training even faced with significant disability. Do you see where I'm going with this?

You don't have to be a male model or genetically gifted. You do need to work with what your own raw materials and refine, refine, refine.

Element: Absolute Strength and Power-to-Weight Ratio

2) Tri-set of Sumo Deadlift, Alternating KB Swing and Box Jumps (for height)

DL: whatever you can lift for 5-8 reps

Alternating KB Swing: 3-5 rounds of heavy weight/low reps with 20-30 second intervals on the KB Swings;

Box Jump: 5 - 6 at a minimum height of knee-high

Do the above exercises back-to--back, then rest for 60-seconds and that is one round.

Do 3 - 5 rounds, depending on your energy.

Right now: Bend over and pick something up. A rock, a sandbag or even another human. You don't go about these lifts like a barbell deadlift. No, you bend down with a wide stance and the arms between the legs to grasp whatever you've decided to pick up. This is the honest way to pick up heavy stuff.

An important attribute of physical fitness is the ability to jump and the KB Swing and Box Jump is a great and fun way to groove in and practice this all-important movement. The explosive, fast-twitch are easily lost without reinforcement and often given up by the aging athlete. Hey, use them or lose them and I don't want to lose mine. They can come in real handy for keeping your feet dry for one and fast-running woods streams.

I like to think of kettlebell swings as a variation on explosive jumps and I'll do everything from heavy load/short-duration to lightweight/long-duration swing sets.

There's no finer movement for the entirety of the posterior chain. Few whole-body movements hit the hamstrings like the KB Swing. See? I like to tell people why to do things, not just to do them.

Round three.

Element: Spinal Stability

The primary function of the abdominal muscles is...spinal stability. Strength and mobility in this area is the key to having a pain-free back.

I like to use static holds. Static strength is crucial in martial arts especially, where there are many opportunities to grab and hold static positions. If you analyze popular sports, you will find the same static strength employed. One of the finest whole-body exercises for this kind of static strength development is...the Rolling Plank.

*Important: this plank series is performed on fully extended arms NOT the elbows

3) Rolling Plank

Assume the upper Push-Up/Plank position and hold for 15-seconds
Smoothly flow into a left-side Plank position
Then, Rear-Plank, not commonly used in plank sequences
Then Right-Side Plank

The goal is to complete 5-minutes total of this flowing sequence, alternating directions each round or every other workout so you don't develop a groove to the favored side.

The Rear Plank in particular strenuously works the lower back and hamstrings and shoulder stability.

I prefer strengthening the mid-section through such whole-body movements.

Last round, we work a different energy system altogether, which is the aerobic system. Many people neglect this system altogether because they despise running and its associations. I also hate running on treadmills, which is arguably not running at all.

There are ways to harness and develop this system without running at all or even stressing the joints...but that is another blog!

I like to finish up with the aerobic system and the following makes a nice finisher for this routine. Running is a natural human movement, a part of humanness, since our evolution depended upon it.

Certainly, in ancient times if men couldn't run they were sorely handicapped.

You don't need to run much to keep the running skill sharpened; even an all-out run of can be plenty at the end of an intense enough workout. I like to do a 10-minute run at the end of my own workouts. For a run of these short durations to offer benefit however, it MUST be an all-out event: you must run as fast and as hard as you can.

For the next month, I challenge you. At the end of your workout, no matter what workout you do, run as hard and as fast as you can for 10 minutes. Caveat: you must inhale only through the nose and exhale only through the mouth--no mouth breathing!

Each workout, attempt to best your previous distance, if only by a car length or so. I think you will be amazed at how effective, short, high-intensity runs like this can be.

Note: This above is merely a sample routine; there are myriad variations on how to hit the whole body.

But there is still something something more: why do some athletes have a functional-yet-ugly appearance and others have beauty?

The answer lies in the minds of both the seer and the seen.

To create something truly beautiful, you must begin by stripping the mind of ugliness. For example, the ugly desire to get something for nothing (or more accurately, at the cost of something or someone else) which may take form in the desire to win a match at any cost or some other variation of what is called �cheating�. You can win the match by any means, or like plastic surgery, you can get the tape measure reading and proportions you imagine you want...but something will be off.

You can't display ugliness and call it beauty...while also fooling everyone.

You can certainly fool enough people to make a lot of money, but who cares?

The desire to make money in this way is in itself ugly.

This something-for-nothing/win-at-all-cost mentality is ubiquitous in society. It's in the gyms. But it can't be done, no matter what the social people will tell you: beauty and ugliness can't co-exist side-by-side. One or the other must exit, must disappear. Ill-gotten physical attributes are easily discernible to the more-sensitive out there but this fakeness has become so prevalent and the virtuous versions so rare, that people have en masse forgotten the recognizable signs of what's real and begun accepting the false in its stead.

People have become so inured to the artifice, and the genuine so rare, there is a mass forgetting.

My theme, in case it's become too hidden, is that in order to personify the natural and classic physique, you must not only train like a natural, all-around athlete but also train the mind in the classical way of truth, virtue and...beauty.

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The Curious Case of Girya Sport

08/22/2011

Photo: Daniel Ray Gutierrez

Long ago, I recognized the kettlebell as a phenomenal training tool. Like me, they are simple but incredibly versatile, and I've since used kettlebells to successfully train not only myself but a wide variety of world-class and would-be athletes. It's true that I enjoy kettlebell training, but it's important that people understand what kettlebells can--and cannot--do.

I'll start by tracing a history of kettlebells in the U.S.
Kettlebells were used by the mighty men of old and many photos still exist from the early 20th century. Up until the introduction of the plate-loading barbell, traditional barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells (which were referred to as "ring weights") were fixed weights. The plate-loading barbell revolutionized training, as incremental weight increases could be made, and the old, fixed-weight kettlebells fell into disfavor and obscurity.

Note: While kettlebells became virtually extinct in the U.S., they remained in use in Russia.

The Saxon Brothers

Now when it comes to exercise, North Americans appreciate novelty and change of all sorts and throughout my career, I've seen the fads come and go. I've witnessed the vibration belt machines; stationary bikes; the running revolution; the explosion of exercise machinery; the acceptance of strength training for athletes; the birth of powerlifting; aerobic dance; step aerobics; power yoga and the reintroduction of the kettlebell. Now it's Zumba :-)

My point is, these things come in waves and each system promises amazing physical results. The financially motivated promoters write inflated copy so that whatever the merit of product in question, it can never deliver on the hype surrounding it. This is because in order to get the most people to buy something, you've got to over-sell it. It's also true that people seem to want to be "sold" on something...and expect it. I have fallen prey to it many times; liking novelty, I'm not immune to hype--but it's important to understand the mechanism.

This is my story of the kettlebell
At the time, the training routine I was on wasn't fulfilling my needs and I was looking for something different. I chanced upon an article on kettlebells in Milo magazine and became intrigued. I couldn't find a kettlebell anywhere so I commissioned one of my students, a genius at metal work, to fashion me a set of stainless steel bells, based on my description over the telephone. The day he delivered them, in the back of a pick-up truck outside of my gym, I was like a little kid in my excitement. A year later I met Pavel and John DuCane at The Arnold and we discussed the potential for a kettlebell certification. In the meantime, I kept experimenting and training with my homemade kettlebells, coming up with different functional exercises and novel uses...and this was the inception of the RKC.

While Pavel showed me many kettlebell techniques and filled in the gaps of what I'd been learning about kettlebells, I showed him an equal number of movements and concepts from my perspective, which was based on the breadth of my own training and extensive library of vintage and antique training books. It was a great time of creativity but I later felt discomfort when the marketing took precedence. The ludicrous claims, and faked biographies all in an effort to sell more kettlebells and engage more people (and their wallets). There was a conflict: I loved the limelight cast upon me; I enjoyed the crowds of appreciative seekers...but there was something underlying it all that began to trouble me, especially as I gained mastery of the kettlebell and became keenly aware of its strengths and lacks. They're good, but hey, they aren't that good! I'd maintained great physical condition before ever discovering kettlebells and I wouldn't lose an iota of it if they were to disappear from Earth tomorrow. What I see in my travels (and all over the Internet) are people using kettlebells like a do-it-all Leatherman tool when other tools are more appropriate to the task. For example, by judiciously incorporating certain body weight exercises, one can fill in the gaps in a kettlebell protocol...and this was the inception of Maxwell S&C.

A Primer in Kettlebell Bunkum
In case you didn't know, there's no vertical pulling with kettlebells. Kettlebells all but exclusively emphasize overhead pressing, which creates a huge imbalance in the upper-shoulder girdle and increased potential for overuse injuries. Anyone who understands anything about human motion knows movement of one kind must be balanced with its opposite. Yet in order to sell more kettlebells, this inconvenient fact is disregarded. One unfortunate example: my own DVD workout, 300 Kettlebell Challenge. It was my intention to include a max set of pull-ups before commencing the rest of the (kettlebell) workout but he producer vetoed this, since he wanted a "kettlebell-only" workout. For what? Certainly not in the best interest of the customer's fitness, but for the "image" of kettlebells as an everything-in-one training tool. I regret that I compromised on this point and I wouldn't do it today.

Another fantastical claim made by the kettlebell promotors is that kettlebells somehow evaporate body fat without dietary attentions. But this one is too easy: you only have to glimpse the many fat kettlebell personalities out there to know it can't be true. Body leanness for most of us requires attention to diet. The notion that kettlebells provide an adequate metabolic boost to achieve leanness from fatness is simply a lie.

Back to movement, there's no adequate horizontal pushing motion using kettlebells, which leaves the chest muscles neglected. There's the KB floor press, but I call shenanigans as it was invented solely to promote kettlebells and make claims for their versatility. It's a grossly inadequate movement for the job; there are many better ways to engage the chest musculature. Push-ups and dips, anyone? This is the paradigm of using the kettlebell like a Leatherman tool, i.e. pounding a nail with a screwdriver, i.e., you can do it, but it's dumb.

For the popular masses I refer to as the disenfranchised exercisers -- people who see fitness as a way of improving themselves--the RKC et al provided a sense of identity and belonging. People (including me) believed the advertising--that something could be a silver bullet..and a small, gullible part of me still wishes it had been true.

The kettlebell movement quickly turned cultish. A cultist trains outside of conventional mores under the direction of a charismatic leader--but I'm not knocking unconventionality! I'm as big a kook as they come. The problem I saw--and see--is that the unknowing person may accept the tenets and precepts of the group and if this is exploited for personal profit, it can grow into something ugly.

Someone pointed out to me that as kettlebell training grows more sectarian, in order to maintain status, participants must accordingly perform key exercises at a set level...and this was the inception of girya sport (GS) as the standard in kettlebell fitness.

GS has always been around as an obscure activity (not even popular in Russia, not even listed in Wikipedia) but only recently has it been touted as a worthwhile pursuit for generalists.

Here's the thing: GS is a competitive sport wherein lifting kettlebells is an end unto itself, that is, lifting for lifting's sake. I've always used kettlebells as an implement to indirectly improve my performance (or a client's performance) in an independent sport, (or if there is no sport, as a way to improve levels of general fitness.)

Let it be on the record I have no grievance with the sport of kettlebell lifting...if that is indeed your dream. My problem is with the preponderance of claims that the only "correct" way to lift a kettlebell is according to GS protocol. In this case, GS is BS. The idea that practicing sport kettlebell lifts will improve non-GS-related physical activities goes against the principles of specifity of exercise and ye, physics itself. Practicing a chosen activity will not improve you for another activity, e.g., cycling won't improve your running, nor running improve your swimming...etc. Increases in muscular strength and endurance will support any sport activity, yet GS is by no means the best activity to make general strength and conditioning gains. There is a lot of rubbish talk about GS and the phenomenal work capacity of its athletes--and there is no doubt these guys and girls excel in the genre--but they've developed specificity to optimize their actions in kettlebell-specific movements. That is, they can heft the kettlebell up for more reps than another competitor--but how does this activity transfer to general fitness? Sub-optimally.

In any competitive sports endeavor, when skill is of an equal nature, the stronger, more conditioned player will always prevail. Often, brute strength can in fact overcome a higher skill level. And the best way to build brute strength is with non-specific exercises. As competition time approaches, these general exercises are effectively combined to address different energy systems. You see, it's not that you need different exercises, but you need to address different systems...and each sports activity has its own specialized protocol based on energy systems. Thus the exercises with which I'd train an MMA fighter are quite different from those I'd assign a rugby player. This is something GS doesn't address; it works only one energy system...and this is the inception of the following sentence: The idea promoted by GS enthusiasts, that performing GS lifts will improve everyone across-the-board, is ludicrous.

I get thisclose to naming names
Here's a good example: I am friendly with a kettlebell personality who is absolutely smitten with GS training and protocols. He loves training with kettlebells and has attained a respectable level of performance. He adheres to the concept that GS training improves work capacity and thus his ability to do anything else. Well, first, he's overly fat/borderline obese in spite of lifting kettlebells for many years. So there's that. Second, I asked him if his running times are improving and his answer is telling: I never run and so it hasn't improved.

And this is my point: if GS activities are everything they're said to be, then he should be getting faster -- but he isn't! Which revisits the principle that you'll only make gains in what you train, i.e., if your goal is to be good at running, then you've got to run, son.

Another case in point: a well-known GS champion who is genuinely a phenomenon at kettlebell-related activities. The f*cking guy is amazing and I hold utmost respect for his skills. Yet he claims there's only one "proper" way to perform the swing and it comes down to his way or the highway. I agree that to achieve greatness at the sport of kettlebell lifting, this statement is correct. But I avow this guy knows nothing of training athletes outside his own chosen sport and anyone using his techniques outside this sport would in fact achieve only mediocre results. Interestingly, the Russian mystique in regard to sport has without judgment been accepted in the west and Russian training methods are uncritically acknowledged as superior. Yet the last time I checked, the U.S. and China were leading the world's medal count in the Olympics and no one's yammering about Chinese training methods. Maybe it's the next big thing? Maybe I need to visit China...

My point is that no single culture or country has a lock on effective training; each country (like each athlete) excels at what they're interested in.

Here's the finisher
While GS may be a commendable sport, it must be recognized as a distinct sport.

The way a kettlebell is used in training for this sport is to improve performance in this sport. This means certain skills are honed in training, one of which is endurance utilizing a specific energy system.

As for there existing a single correct way to lift a kettlebell, you may notice that many GS champions use completely different styles from each other, as far as grips, body postures, etc. With one common thread: every lifter is conditioned to exert as little energy as possible. And the techniques used to attain this level of efficiency are not the best way to train for other sports and activities.

v silu i zdorov'e!

Steve

In Other News:

A Recent and Brief Interview with Extreme Fitness Brighton
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Just dropped is a 3-DVD set of my seminar with Jim "Smitty" Smith:

Advanced Strength & Mobility for Athletes
Click here to order your set!

This is an entire seminar captured on video. I am very proud of the information shared in this seminar and if you want to experience a seminal event without getting on a plane to Iceland, this is your gift to yourself.

Topics covered:

     Joint Mobility
     Key Body Weight Exercises
     Kettlebell Swing Variations
     Squat
     Deadlift
     Bench Press

Click here to get a sneak peek at Steve's Advanced Strength & Mobility for Athletes set!

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Maxwell Mobility Seminar

15-16 October New York City
Kettlebell Training Certification, Level 1

12 & 13 November Dover New Hampshire
Body Weight Training Certification, Level 1 & Level 2

19-20 November Ottawa Canada
Kettlebell Training Certification, Level 1

9-10 December Nashville, TN
(in progress)

Are You Willing to Pay the Price?

07/13/2011

What Do You See When You Look in the Mirror?

I get emails from people all over the world asking for advice. Most of these letters are very flattering and appeal to my ego. Often, the letter writer seeks free advice, although they would never phrase it as such. Free information, I give in plenitude via my website, videos and social networks.

These letters follow a common theme:

Steve, I've been a big fan for a long time...I'm in my 30's/40's/50's and I wish to look/be like you...someday.

This is inevitably followed up with either a "quick question" or a request "to pick your brain".

Yet the questions are never quick! And the gold within these brain cells isn't to be mined for nuthin'--we're not talking about cotton, here!

I won't lie: occasionally I respond to queries and even release a gold nugget to a lucky seeker--occasionally I do. But other times, I explain that coaching advice is what I do for a living and a fair exchange is expected for my services. Anything otherwise is unfair to my clients who pay monthly subscription fees. Some people find this shocking--because they are unwilling to pay the price. These people had no idea there was a price--because they don't truly value what it is I offer.

In the fitness market, knowledge is true wealth, and some people are reluctant to exchange paper currency for the wealth. This is unfortunate, because in a gym, money is pretty worthless. Just as money is worthless to a desert island castaway, where real wealth equates to water, a coconut tree, fishing line, and a pretty girl.Someone lacking endless hours to to experiment and make mistakes can trade money for gym know-how.

While there's plenty of free advice out there, you must have the time to sift through it and the ability to discern nonsense from truth, since most of what's in circulation is either delusional claims or deceit the latter often linked to the liar's financial gain, and mostly found in the fitness magazine and supplement arenas.

As for the magazines, even the seemingly most straightforward training advice is suspect: do you really think the current MMA champ is publishing the details of his training program? Or the top fitness model? Well, they don't.

But let's move on and discuss those people who, in one way or another, have a source of good advice--solid advice--advice that is both meaningful and practical. Over the course of my career. I've dispensed much advice of this kind to clients--both in person and online. Mind you, I don't claim infallibility; I've known error and delusion, but ignorance is all part of the human experience. And this is another valuable aspect of what I offer--the wisdom of errors committed and obstacles overcome.

And so I continue honing my methods--an alchemy of physical culture--in identifying that which is essential and always true.

But still, even when given true and solid advice, synthesized from what I've done in the past and my current outlook, people respond with, "But I can't do that," or "That's too hard," or "I don't have the time."

They may not know it, but what they're saying is that they are unwilling to make the exchange--to pay the price. And this price isn't even paid to me, but to themselves, to their own integrity.

Take, for example, fitness exemplar Jack La Lanne. Jack was universally admired and well into advanced age people marveled at abilities. Yet upon learning Jack's Spartan routines, people were dismissive, because they weren't anywhere near willing to do what Jack did. They would rather think he was a freak of some sort, or privy to secret training information. Jack never claimed there was anything secret or special about his abilities, other than his own willingness to invest the time and interest. It's a case of values: if you value fitness, it will consume your attention and a big wedge of the pie chart of your life. Which brings us to the sticky question: What does a pie chart of your actual life look like?

Jack spans his pie chart

People ask me:

Steve! What is your diet? What do you eat?
or
I'd like to have a lifestyle like yours, complete with a lean, muscular body and world travel--how do I get started presenting seminars?
or
I'd love to be as fit as you. when I'm your age...or even now...

I can tell you what I've done in the past and what I do now attain and maintain this thing that I have, yet it's the rare person who understands the trade-off. The price again, they aren't willing to pay it.

This word, "price", like money itself, is only a symbol; and it's important not to confuse the symbol--a price tag or paper currency--with its meaning, which is value and resources, i.e., genuine wealth.

In this case, the asking price is a modicum of physical discipline, effort, time, dedication, desire, application and the capacity for honest self-assessment, as well as a receptivity, joy and elation in the experience of the physical body. And this is all inherent in a fit and attractive body.

Often, when on the receiving end of even the most simple suggestions, people have already made up their mind that they simply cannot do this thing. And it's true; they can't. It's a paradox: They can...and yet they can't. But it's important to understand that the mind is the limiting factor, nothing more and nothing less.

Like the man stepping into the arena to face off his foe: if he believes in that moment that he can't overcome...he surely cannot. Despite physical prowess, the mind controls the outcome.

What people don't understand is that they're already paying a price. Every time you're unable to pass up dessert, you're paying a price. Every time you stay in bed and skip your morning workout or walk, another price. Every time you stay awake too late watching television or web surfing, knowing there's meaningful activity awaiting the next morning--you are paying a price. Every time you're out in a social milieu and conform to pressure to drink and get silly with the crowd, you're paying a price. Every time you opt to interrupt your workout to answer the mobile phone or because the kids are fussing, a price is being paid. Every time you follow the secret routine or diet of a champion athlete, a price. Every time you purchase and pursue the delusion of magical supplements or gadgets, another price.

And be sure this price is steeper than any I have ever commanded--and to a dark trader!

The truth is this: you receive everyday what it is you've purchased with these payments. Perhaps you've even purchased yourself lots of money, but bundled with it came poor health, corroded joints, and a overall lack of freedom. It's all in my mailbox.

Fitness--sound mind in a sound body--is ultimately the result of a mental state. Inconceivably simple. So simple, so attainable, in fact, that some people ironically feel ashamed and undeserving of it. They instead rationalize that it must be difficult and thus more satisfying to their ego that they suffer a long and hard path to acquire it. But fitness is more like a child or a primitive; it is that unselfconscious.

So, what faces you in the mirror each morning? Do you see vibrancy, manifesting as clear eyes and a fit form? Or do you perceive instead something incongruent with your self image and professed values, manifesting as flaccidity, a bleary, weary mien and overall sloppiness?

Does your appearance delight or disgust you? Do you see virtue and valor...or something else?

But Steve! It's the inner truth of myself that's important!

This is correct--and every expression, inner and outer, is a reflection of the truth you hold dearest. This is why a beautiful youths end up broken down, middle-aged wrecks. And these are the people who write me wishing to reclaim their youthful experience of simplicity, happiness and beauty.

Unfortunately, in most cases they have long since traded their birthright of natural wealth and vigor for the trappings of family and material accumulation...and it shows. They're shocked that they are expected to make the trade again--this time in reverse. Yet this is the price.

No, you needn't take your Audi back to the dealer, or your baby back to the hospital or cabbage patch. But to get what you long for, you must exchange your system of values from accumulation to liberation. You must take care of the horse that carries the rider--and a horse prefers not to carry a heavy load. Do you want to ride wild across the plains like a Mongol warrior-- swords waving in either hand--or do you prefer to hitch up a covered wagon full of housewares, plodding along with a dream of a bigger, better homestead?

The Mongol man's responsibility was war and hunting--finance and real estate was women's work

Although fitness is physical, there is a profound link with non-physical states of bliss--and this, my friends is what I offer to share with anyone willing to come up to the trading post.

in Kraft und Gesundheit!

Steve

In Other News...

Check out my latest series of video download workouts. Mix and match or why not try them all? Click here.

Nostalgic for the vintage DVD series? These classic titles are still relevant and available, coming at you from my ex-wife's garage in Philadelphia!

Kettlebell Abs, Back & Core
Joint Mobility Recharge
Strength & Conditioning for Grapplers
Partner Exercises for Grapplers
Price: $40 + s/h Click here to make an inquiry.

Come train with me!

23 July London UK
Breathing to Maximize Performance

24 July London UK
Advanced Mobility Conditioning

http://www.youtube.com/v/rEAYTSkqcLs?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

1 August - 15 September
Maxwell University Summer Session in Oslo Norway
Join me for 6 weeks of seminars and Scandi-shenanigans!

Masterclass
8/5/2011 18:00 - 21:00 @ Oslo

Workshop Kettlebells
8/6/2011 10:00 - 15:00 @ Oslo

Workshop Body Weight
8/7/2011 10:00 - 15:00 @ Oslo

Strength & Conditioning for Fighters and Martial Artists
8/20/2011 09:00 - 16:00 @ Oslo

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Self Defence
8/21/2011 10:00 - 15:30 @ Oslo Kettlebell Gym

Maxwell Body Weight Trainer Level One Certification
8/27/2011 09:30 - 28. august 2011 15:30 @ Oslo Kettlebell Gym

Maxwell Kettlebell Trainer Level One Certification
9/3/2011 09:00 - 4. september 2011 17:00 @ Oslo Kettlebell Gym

13 August Bergen Norway
Outdoor Nature Training Seminar

Back in the US:

14 October New York NY
Strength & Mobility Seminar

15-16 October New York NY
Level One Kettlebell Certification

23-24 & 29-30 October Brisbane Australia
Kettlebell, Bodyweight & Joint Mobility Certifications

12-13 November Dover NH
Level One & Level 2 Bodyweight Certification

19-20 Novemer Ottawa Canada
Level One Kettlebell Certification

The Barbell Back Squat: Putting the "Dis" in Dysfunctional

03/08/2011

The barbell squat. Traditionally worshipped as the holiest of holies, while others reject it as second only to Satan himself. Now factor in a current national trend towards so-called "functional training", wherein the barbell squat (and deadlift) are deemed sine qua non and what I'm saying, friend-o, is this: The barbell squat is a controversial exercise.

Over the years, I've had my own love/hate relationship with the barbell squat. At it's apex completing a set of 21 breathing squats with 320 lbs. I also broke the 500 lb. barrier as a college wrestler. So before I go into the problems of basing a program around barbell squats (and why the squat may not be as "functional" as most people think) I'd like to point out the benefits of barbell squatting, that is, what squats are good for.

Barbell squats are fantastic for increasing muscular size and weight gains. If I had a skinny kid looking to gain 20 lbs., I would immediately put him on a 20-rep squat routine. That's it. I use them for one thing and one thing only: putting on rapid mass.

In the past, I would have also put a football players or track and field athletes on barbell squats, but now I know too many other ways to build up leg power without compromising mobility.

Here's the heretical statement: I question the "function" of placing a heavily loaded barbell across the upper spinal vertebrae.

Placing a loaded bar upon the upper traps and shoulders creates a tremendous shearing force on the spine, as well as vertical compression of the spinal column. The body is constantly resisting the impulse to pitch forward--to correct itself--and this is what creates the shearing force. It's not good.

This same shearing force upon the spine in turn encourages partial range of motion--because you can't go deep into the squat without compromising the back.

People talk about knee safety in squats, but the real issue isn't the knees at all, it's the spine. There are a handful of elite Olympic weightlifters who can do full-range, butt-to-the-floor squats but they are the rare exceptions.

http://www.youtube.com/v/NrBRVV46iq8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

Your average trainee hasn't the mobility of the spine nor hips to safely perform full-range barbell squats. Thus trainees are instructed to go to parallel with the thighs and no deeper--but this type of squatting doesn't address the bottom range of the strength curve, the range that is so important in so many sports, specifically BJJ and MMA.

http://www.youtube.com/v/y1M2xE-jY_o?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

Combat sports in particular place a premium on full-range knee strength, especially the position with the heel of the foot near the glute. Other sports (off the top of my head) which prioritize this range are: gymnastics, rock climbing, dance, ice skating amd stand-up martial arts. But I tell you this: building strength in this particular range will enhance any sport wherein knee injuries are common. And conventional barbell squats can't possibly strengthen this vital range of motion.

Further, barbell squats are extremely metabolically demanding--especially if medium-to-high reps are performed. This is a negative when already training for a demanding sport or martial art. If you are forced to take prolonged recovery from what is supposed to be supplementary training, then your sports training isn't being optimized.

It always comes back to what it is you want to do...and be good at. You can achieve mediocrity in many activities, or specialize and (hopefully) attain mastery in one. Martial arts, like BJJ and MMA, are high-skill sports. While it's true that strength is a critical aspect, it's not the most critical aspect, as skill beats strength in these particular sports all the time.

Safe alternatives to barbell squatting that strengthen the full range of motion include:

Kettlebell and barbell front squat
Goblet squat
Lunges
Cossack squat
Squatting on the toes
Bulgarian split squat
Step-ups
Hammer Strength leg press

You want the ultimate in hip and thigh strengthening, refer to my previous blog on the pistol.

In Strength and Health!

Steve

http://www.youtube.com/v/1vsqPwKYhwc?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

http://www.youtube.com/v/-H71ZFkV9ac?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

http://www.youtube.com/v/GIYZvLifGKg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

http://www.youtube.com/v/vjOoYVX_tSg?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

http://www.youtube.com/v/tEYYMZpL-nw?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0

Upcoming events:

19 March in Las Vegas NV

Strength Seminar (w/ Mike Mahler)

Click here for more information

9 April in Horseheads NY

Strength Seminar (w/ Jim Smith)

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16/17 April in Pleasantville NY

Level 1 Kettlebell Instructor Certification

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23 April in Chagrin Falls, OH

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Seminar with Steve Maxwell

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7 May in Portland OR

Body Weight Trainer Certification

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11 - 21 June in Reykjavik, Iceland

Steve Maxwell's Summer of Certifications:

Body Weight Trainer, Level 1 & 2
Kettlebell Instructor, Level 1 & 2
Joint Mobility, Level 1 & 2
Mixed Modalities Seminar
Outdoor Training (w/ Dominik Feischl & Karl Humer)

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24 -30 June in Ayia Napa, Cyprus

Summer Camp: Conditioning for Girevoy Sport

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8/9 July in Thomasroith, Austria

Outdoor Seminar/Naturtraining (w/ Dominik Feischl)

Contact Dominik Feischl for more information

So You're an RKC...

02/07/2011

photo: HP Skolsegg

So you're an RKC...now what?

Are you an RKC wondering what you could possibly learn at my Level 1 KB Certification?

If you are a recently certified RKC, know this: the RKC course is a shadow of what it used to be. How do I know this? Because I get endless RKCs in my seminars with horrible form and technique.

While you, as an RKC, would be repeating some of the RKC material during our weekend training together (it is unavoidable since much of their material came from yours truly) I have since refined many of the kettlebell techniques I teach.

Additionally, because this is an instructor-level course, I spend a lot of time teaching the instructor candidates HOW TO TEACH OTHERS and how to troubleshoot the most common problems associated with teaching kettlebells to regular folks (that is, your would-be clients.)

You will also acquire a lot of useful theory on workout construction and design and the "business" of presenting group KB classes to the public. I also model several class formats for you. Because the real money in kettlebell training is in leading group classes. You will be using the same skills in one-on-one personal training BUT you can quadruple the money made hour-for-hour with group classes.

The fact is I have more actual classroom teaching time than all of the Sr. RKCs combined; Pavel never taught a group class in his life. Take advantage of this accrued wisdom if only to avoid making the same mistakes I did!

Look, what I want to say is this: It's NOT about how many snatches you can do or jumping pistols YOU can do and in fact, as an instructor, YOUR performance is of no consequence. It's what you can get your STUDENTS to accomplish that is the point. That's what a good teacher does.

I continue to offer something of real value without the hype. It doesn't sell like hype--no one is getting rich at Maxwell S&C--but I can live with myself and I sleep well at night. I've created my own system, based on fitness and sports needs and not about kettlebell lifting as an end unto itself.

While you, RKC, may not need this weekend cert, judging by the number of other RKCs who have attended my certifications and declared it well worth theirs, I suggest you give it a go.

In Strength & Health,

Steve

...I've met with a lot of KB guys and gals and went through my fair share of workshops, books, DVD, etc. I've been using Kettlebells for about 6 years consistently and this was by far the BEST seminar/cert I've ever been to. So simple, so effective, so practical. I knew it was going to be good but great job man...this was a fantastic inspiration...It was great finally meeting you in person and you were exactly as everyone had described. I will recommend this cert to everyone I come across as the premiere KB workshop around. I have not been advertising XXX, XXXX or any of them because I feel that their flaws are way too many. I always felt it could do it could be done better and now going through yours I see there is some good in the world! Thanks again...Looking forward to future meetings with you!

Marcus Martinez

mbodystrength.com

Upcoming Events

Saturday 19 March 2011

1-Day Seminar w/ Mike Mahler

Body Weight, Kettlebells, Joint Mobility & Hormones

Las Vegas NV

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Saturday 9 April 2011

1-Day Seminar w/ Jim Smith

Advanced Strength & Mobility for Athletes

Elmira NY

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Saturday & Sunday 16/17 April 2011

Steve Maxwell Kettlebell Certification

Maxwell Level 1 Kettlebell Certification

Pleasantville NY

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Saturday 23 April 2011

Steve Maxwell Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Seminar

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Seminar

Chagrin Falls OH

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11-21 June 2011

European Certifications 2011

Reykjavik Iceland

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How to Become a Pistolero

11/13/2010

The term Pistolero was used in the days of the American Old West to describe a formidable gun-fighting man. Pistolero implied someone able to take care of himself, bringing forth in others an emotional melange of awe, fear and respect. Pistolero connoted someone living outside the law, somewhat wild and unorthodox.

And so in the exercise world, where orthodox philosophy holds the squat as king of strength and muscle-building movements--and for good reason! The squat and (arguably) the deadlift are two of the greatest anabolic, mass-gaining exercises ever, blah, blah, blah...BUT... if the squat is king of all bodybuilding exercises, the pistol is emperor of athletic assistance movements.

Why do I assert this? Because while the squat will produce massive gains in muscular size and weight, not everyone wishes to increase these parameters. In other writings, I’ve talked about how as a kid, in my teen years, back in my high school wrestling days, I went from 154 lbs. to 205 lbs. on the old 20-rep heavy breathing squat routine. I’ve also have used at various times,heavy weight/low rep barbell squats; heavy kettlebell front squats, Bulgarian split squats, hack squats, sissy squats, Hindu squats, deck squats and various and sundry lunges, with and without loads. All of these heavy leg and hip exercises can produce worthwhile results but, in my opinion,noneof them come close to the free-standing pistol.

So what is it about the pistol that, in my opinion, elevates it above these other moves? Let me first state that pistols arenotfor everyone. If you are skinny, with weak underpinnings--if your upper body has sued the lower body for support--then you should stick with the tried and true, the classic barbell squat and heavy kettlebell front squats. But for me, the pistol has vast appeal for the following reasons.

I’m no longer interested in gaining weight or increasing body tissue, including muscular mass, especially in the lower body. My legs are prone to growing disproportionately in relation to the upper body and don’t need the stimulation. Heavy barbell squats tend to build out the adductor muscles, creating large and chafing thighs.

Barbell squats also, by their very nature, create tremendous tension and tightness in the hips, causing inflexibility and immobility in the hips. It can’t be helped, since to lift big weights, you must create tension; tension is strength, but this tension doesn’t serve everyone well. I can’t tell you how many times former power lifters have come to me to learn jiu jitsu and submission wrestling and, after discovering how horribly tight and immobile they are, they all say the same thing: I wish I would never have lifted and done yoga instead. Every single time, the barbell beasts are shocked to discover how useless their strength is when it’s housed in a tight, immobile body. They’d get tooled by guys half their weight. You can imagine how discouraged they’d feel. Again: it’s not about how strong you are, it’s how well you can move with that strength.

Barbell squats create tremendous shearing force on the spine. There is also a lot of pressure on the neck and vertebral column.

For people with inflexible ankles who have difficulty properly tracking the knees, heavy barbell squats can wreck the knees. In all fairness, this is true of any squat exercise, including pistols, the stakes are simply higher with barbell squats because of the huge weights involved.

Read this closely: I am NOT maligning barbell squats. I would put a skinny, undeveloped kid on them tomorrow--ask certain of my clients! But even the king has his shortcomings, just ask the wives of Henry Vlll!

So, who are pistols for?

1. Athletes who want increased leg strength--without accompanying over-development of adductor muscles.

2. People with imbalances of right and left sides--and there are many of them out there.

3. People desiring to increase their athleticism and mobility. For example, in the barbell squat, virtually no one can go into a deep, full squat safely. In my experience, full ROM is impossible for 95% of people out there. This is why it’s commonly stressed to go only to the parallel position. But in many sports, the bottom position of the squat--the first inch or two--where the ass is literally almost to the floor, is the crucial range of motion requiring strength. And I don’t know any other exercise--other than the pistol--that gets at the hips and thighs in that very position. As a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, I find myself needing that full-range hip strength practically on a daily basis. Rock climbers are another group of athletes that come to mind, as they reach up high with the leg to secure a toehold.

I once had a martial arts instructor say to me, “just how strong exactly do your legs need to be?” This was in reference to my kicks being rather weak and ineffectual because of my stubborn adherence (at the time) to heavy squats. What those squats gave me in strength was compensated in a lack of speed, mobility and power. Granted, these qualities could be developed through the practice of those skills themselves, but he was still right: there is a point where increased muscle mass and/or absolute strength ceases to provide improvement and instead you get diminishing returns.

For most athletes, I’ve found there is tremendous benefit to working single leg movements and emphasizing them in training. It’s been my experience that many people favor one leg over the other and bilateral (single limb) training prevents hip girdle, lower back and lower body imbalances. If a right-left imbalance exists, legs in particular can raise havoc in the entire structure. To help you avoid such an unfortunate event, I’ll to take you through a step-by-step process to develop the pistol below. I have seen many people, even with a huge barbell squat and enormous leg development, unable to perform a single pistol. Because of the athleticism and dependence on mobility and base, many people simply don’t have what it takes to do a free-standing pistol. I’d also like to point out that free-standing body weight pistols require a much higher level of mobility and skill than holding a weight, which provides a counter-balance to the movement.

Development ##1

Working the Feet and Calves

Most people are too inflexible in the ankles, feet and calves. These are some of the most neglected areas of the body. The ankles, feet and calves play a significant role in maintaining the balance and stability needed in executing the pistol squat. Demonstrated below are two fabulous stretches for the feet and ankles.

Click View the video

A good auxiliary exercise is the standing, single-leg calf raise--with or without added load. Also tibial dorsiflexion, which is specific for the lower leg.

Click View the video

Development ##2

Close stance squatting

The next step in becoming a bona fidePistolerois mastering close-stance, full ROM squats. Some people refer to these as Chinese squats. The wily Chinee know a thing or two about productive exercise! The yogis also use this as a preparation movement for the garland pose.

The close-stance squat is effective in itself as a hip-mobilizer. It’s surprising how many otherwise seemingly athletic people are unable to do it without falling backwards.

Stand with a yoga block between the knees

Feet straight ahead and parallel like railroad tracks; you may hold the arms out front for balance

Pull yourself down to the floor, using the arms held out to counter-balance

If you can’t do a full squat without falling over, your hip immobility is significantly compromised

Click View the video

A primary cause of limited hip mobility is excessive fat storage in region of your gut. In fact, almostallimmobility and inflexibility can be blamed on body fatness. The reason for this is that the physical existence of the fat cells interfere with the joint’s range of movement. Like a tumor, the fat pocket displaces body tissues and disrupts functionally, literally getting in the way.

The fact is this: decreasing body fat will instantly improve all parameters of movement. So, knowing this, do what you have to do, and when you can perform several sets of squats--of 20 reps each--you will be ready to begin the next drill, a one-legged balance.

Development ##3

Single leg balance

1. Slowly lower yourself down into the Chinese squat as described above

2. At the bottom, shift the weight to one leg and slowly slide out the other leg, then straighten it--you may keep the heel of the extending leg in contact with the floor for balance

3. Maintain this position, balancing for 10-15 seconds

4. Switch back--again slowly--and do the other leg

5. Rest

6. Repeat until the total of static balancing time on each leg equals one minute.

Once you’ve achieved the single-leg balance (Marichyasana) on the floor, the next milestone is lifting the leg up from the floor, then holding it statically in space. Preparation for this feat includes a seated hamstring stretch. I strongly recommend the yoga posture called “head-to-knee pose” or janu shirshasana.

When you can successfully squat on one leg while holding the other leg in space for 30-seconds, you are ready to proceed with the full-range pistol squat. At this point, the biggest obstacle for most people attempting the pistol is the bottom third range; it’s never the top range, so I’ve effectively reverse-engineered the pistol to overcome the most difficult stage first. It is this bottom-range stage which induces the greatest fear in trainees and thus, once mastered, likewise builds tremendous confidence. Most everyone approaches the pistol from the top position, which I see as a mistake because people will lower their bodies only so far, stopping short from fear of injury, or simply falling over backwards, also due to fear. By working first from the bottom, you’ll build the most important range of the pistol and by holding a timed static contraction at the bottom, you’ll build the requisite strength.

To clarify the above, in the bottom part of the pistol, you’re not simply holding, or even balancing, but isometrically pushing as hard as possible. This is a form of embedded static contraction training used in gymnastics. You may only be able to hold this position for as few as 5-6 seconds--but that’s OK. Take a 30-second break. Conveniently, by alternating from one leg to the other, you create a built-in break. Continue practicing this move until the static holding time on each leg accrues to one minute.

The next progression is starting at the top position of the pistol and using the hands for light assistance, with the aid of a nearby pole, Jungle Gym strap, door knob or cable machine to aid balance as you perform the movement.

1. From the top position, lower yourself down slowly, incrementally pausing and stopping your descent in stages for a brutal descent of 30-seconds, until you arrive at the bottom position, where you contract--hard--and maintain this contraction for 10-seconds.

2. Sliding the extended leg back into the Chinese squat position, now stand up on both legs

3. Repeat the above 3-5 times per leg, alternating legs each rep. Each rep should take 30-seconds.

If you aren’t strong enough to lower yourself over 30-seconds, it’s OK. Keep working toward the full 30-second descent, you will get stronger. Just be sure to always lower yourself into the final bottom position.

Continue assisting yourself with the hands--ideally just the index fingers--just enough to maintain the balance needed to perform the movement. You may at first feel weak, but you will rapidly gain strength--on this you have my word. This Maxwell method of achieving the pistol squat is frankly superior to sitting clients on a chair or bench and having them rise up again. This chair method develops a false sense of confidence, merely strengthening the top of the movement, which is already strongest range.

Development ##4

Pistolero!

By the time you can complete a 30-second negative, with pauses, you should find yourself already able to perform free-standing pistols. If not, continue practicing the negatives but from the bottom use the hands to slightly aid you in hoisting yourself back up. This is called an assisted pistol.

The pistol squat is a tremendous athletic movement requiring a holistic balance between strength, mobility and flexibility. It is fantastic for athletes looking to maximize leg strength with minimal bulk, though you could attain hypertrophy, if desired, via higher reps. Because it is a body weight exercise, it is a perfect measure of lower-body strength-to-weight ratio, which means the pistol movement is greatly affected by body composition. Like pull-ups, chin-ups, dips and one-arm push-ups, you are greatly rewarded with increased efficiency when excess body fat is trimmed, and conversely greatly penalized by body fat gains. I consider the pistol the sina qua non of lower body exercises, arguably the only lower body movement you’ll ever need.

Postscript: BTW don’t think the Russians invented the pistol. As I sit here I’m looking at a book of yoga postures and it’s listed within as a variation on the pose Marichyasana.

In Strength & Health!

Steve

Of Interest:

BJJWorkouts.com Interviews

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

The inimitable SMSC canvas patch is here--wear it with pride!

email for details (model: Scott Burr)

Upcoming Events

Saturday 20 November 2010

1-day Body Weight & KB Seminar

Hillsboro OR

Saturday & Sunday 19/20 February 2011

2-day Level 1 KB Certification

Hillsboro OR

Saturday 19 March 2011

1-Day Seminar w/ Mike Mahler

Body Weight, Kettlebells, Joint Mobility & Hormones

Las Vegas NV

11-21 June 2011

Blowing the Roof Off Iceland Tour

Reykjavik Iceland

Circuit Training

8/18/2010

One of my ongoing themes, a constant in my workout life, is circuit training. Of the varied types of circuit training, all have one thing in common: the objective of increasing work capacity. Circuit training involves taking a group of exercises and performing them one after the other with limited-to-no rest.

This type of training is extremely demanding! Not only does it bring into play a fair amount of muscular strength and endurance but it creates tremendous systemic fatigue, which some people have termed metabolic conditioning or met-con, for short.

Because of the tremendous fatigue involved, lighter weights must be usually be employed--and it’s never a good idea to use highly technical movements, i.e. Olympic lifts.

Circuit training is fantastic for team building and camaraderie and is the most efficient way to train a large group at one time. Because of the lighter weights involved, people mistakenly assume circuit training doesn’t build strength per se, but even strength coaches have been surprised, on experimenting the first time with circuit training, that their athletes do, in fact get stronger.

Circuit training is not new, it was developed in the 1940’s by one Dr. Arthur Steinhaus, when he dubbed it Peripheral Heart Action(PHA). I first read about this as a kid, back in the 1960’s reading Bob Hoffman’s Strength & Health magazine, and Perry Rader’s IronMan. During this time there was a contemporary Mr. America, Bob Gajda, who built his world-class (obviously!) physique using the PHA system. Fascinating stuff! The guy not only looked unbelievable--he was also strong and fit. Bob Gajda ignored popular pump-oriented training focusing instead on training which shunted blood from one body area to another. This is done by partnering exercises working at one extremity with other exercises working the opposite end of the body, i.e. calf raises paired with bicep curls. Some refer to this type of workout as the anti-pump.

Another one of my favorite authors from the 1960’s, John McCallum, was also an advocate of the PHA system, writing about it in one of the all-time greatest fitness columns EVER, The Keys to Progress. McCallum especially advocated PHA training for us, err...ahem...older guys.

One reason for this preference is because with a lighter load, there’s less risk of injury. BUT...do not interpret that lighter loading means easier! While the joints and connective tissues are less stressed, the cardiovascular and systemic fatigue is pronounced. In other words, you get an incredible systemic ass-kicking. PHA is also ideal for guys who don’t care for standard cardio training for whatever time or boredom factors.

As Bob Gajda proved, one can develop enviable muscular hypertrophy from this type of program. Further (if coupled with a reasonable diet) one can maintain low levels of body fat. Coupled with a reducing diet, one can smoke the fat right off the ol’ corpus delicti.

So you see, circuit training offers many benefits:

Strength
Muscular endurance
Cardiovascular conditioning
Respiratory conditioning (you’ll be huffing like a fire engine)
Increased work capacity
Increased pain tolerance
Nullifies the need for an extra cardio program

For a coach with a large group of athletes to and limited time for strength training, circuit training is an extremely efficient way to spend that available time--certainly better than with power lifting and bodybuilding-style routines. Much of this, of course depends on the type of athlete you are working with, but certainly my experience, which is with mainly combat sports, MMA and merely training for life, this is a fantastic protocol.

I’ll share with you some my own history, starting back in the 1960s, with my wrestling coach, Bill Woods. Coach Woods was a hard-ass, showing little mercy to us punks. Looking back now, I see he was far ahead of his time and using vanguard techniques, putting us through every kind of circuit imaginable, some utilizing body weight alone. Later, I was involved in the Arthur Jones and Ellington Darden HIIT circuits. I was also strongly influenced by Kim Woods, former strength coach to the Cincinnati Bengals and father of John Wood. Then there was Dr. Ken Leistner, one of my favorite strength coach, authors and healers. All these guys used to advertise some brutal HIIT circuits.

I’ve trained on-and-off with circuits throughout my entire wrestling career, Hammer Strength and Brazilian jiu-jitsu days. I’ve performed circuits with body weight; Nautilus and Hammer Strength machines; barbells; dumbbells; kettlebells; sandbags; Bulgarian bags; my girlfriend’s body; my kids’ bodies; weighted vests; rocks; logs; chains; slosh pipes; sledge hammers; clubs and maces; gymnastic equipment--did I forget anything? Often, I’ll combine many items on the list.

On a side note, I find it interesting that much of the research on training on unstable surfaces never really panned out into real-world strength gains BUT that training with unstable, unwieldy objects on stable surfaces has proven time and again to improve real world strength in the arena of sports performance. How do I know this? As a 16 year old kid working for Zigler’s furniture moving company and Hall’s furniture store in downtown Carlisle PA! During my summer jobs I’d grab a Barcalounger and do overhead presses. I’d grab full sofas, put them on end and shoulder them and bearhug the console TV’s. For you young fellas, TVs at that time weren’t flat; they were bigger than chests of drawers and every bit as heavy, made out of heavy wood, old school oak--weighed a freakin ton, man--but I digress.

These days, I like lifting unwieldy objects in circuit fashion, with full-body exercises, challenging myself from head to toe.

Here are my current favorite ways to use circuits for health, fitness and hard fun.

First off, the five-to-six station circuits, hitting the whole body, primarily with whole body moves. These are done sequentially, with little to no rest between stations, for one minute each. After a recovery of one half the circuit time, the circuit may be repeated 5-6 times, i.e., a 5-minute circuit = 2-1/2 min rest. This is an excellent way for BJJ players and wrestlers to train. The time/rest sequence is easily manipulated to mirror the stresses and energy systems required by the particular sport. For example, if I’m training a BJJ black belt, I’d make the circuit 10 minutes, and MMA fighter, the rest period would be 60-seconds. Intensity and exercise selection is easily regulated, altered or changed as well.

Click View the video

The second type of circuit I like are called metabolic pairings. With metabolic pairings, two exercises, either complementary or opposite--depending on the effect I’m trying for--are paired. For example, a rope climb can be paired with a dive bomber push-up. These are complementary in that they work opposing upper body muscle groups so while one group works, its opposite gets a respite. Another example is KB Swings coupled with goblet squats; in the hierarchy of movement classification, both are level changes, one involving posterior chain and the other, anterior chain, respectively. They make a fantastic metabolic pairing as both are metabolically taxing systemically, though opposite muscle groups are used.

Click View the video

Another form of metabolic pairings are pairing exercises of a similar nature, with one being more difficult, and one slightly easier. The first demands pure strength, the second, power and explosivity, e.g., a set of heavy front squats, immediately followed by explosive box, bench or vertical jumps. Or utilize a whole body move, like a double kettlebell snatch, followed by a sickening set of 6-count burpees.

Click View the video

A third type of circuit training I enjoy is the prolonged string circuit. These are especially fun because a wide variety of exercises can be strung together like a choo-choo train, with ever more wondrous possibilities as each exercise links to the next. Here, I’ll string together as many as twenty or more exercises, going through each a single time, one after the other. While the metabolic stress is high, the muscular stress is reduced, since you go through the stations only once, or perhaps twice. I recommend keeping these circuits to 40 minutes or less. Generally I organize these routines like this:

1. Upper body push
2. Upper body pull
3. Lower body
4. Core 5. Rotation

Always taking care to work the back as much as the abdomen.

A fourth type of circuit I enjoy is what I call a cardio super-circuit. In this circuit a strength exercise is inserted between bouts of cardio exercise. The choices of cardio can include anything that produces an elevated heart rate and breathless response, e.g., my personal favorite, rope skipping, which is closely followed by kettlebell swings and bouts of running. That’s for the non-gym guys. Gym bunnies might also use the machines at their club, e.g., treadmill, stairclimber, rower, VersaClimber or the only machine I’ve ever endorsed: the Schwinn Airdyne (also beloved by Clarence Bass, another influence).

The way this works, you do anywhere from 30-seconds to 3 minutes of cardio, followed by 60-90 seconds of a strength exercise. I first encountered this training protocol from a former LA Rams football player. This guy had switched to Brazilian jiu-jitsu and was an endurance fiend. This guy would get on the mat and just. never. get. tired. but go and go and go, wearing out one opponent after another.

Another version of this type of circuit is what the old timers coined road work, wherein you go out for a run, alternating two minutes of running with one minute of strength exercise, continuing until the allotted goal time is up.

The fifth and final circuit style is a pure cardio circuit unto itself. This is good for those of you who have low attention spans and find prolonged bouts of running and biking insufferable. It’s been determined that as little as five minutes of cardiovascular exercise offers some benefits, BUT it must be of an intense nature in order to drive the heart rate. Moving at a slow pace does little to promote cardio fitness, though it can be a beneficial calorie burner.

Pick three to six of your favorite cardio activities and perform for five to ten minutes each in a single giant circuit. One of my favorite non-gym cardio circuits is:

10-minutes rope skip (40-sec on/20-sec off x 10)
KB Swing (40-sec on/20-sec off x 10)
10-minutes steady state run
10-minutes heavy bag work (2-min on/60-sec off x 5)
10-minutes KB Long Cycle/Clean & Jerk (changing hands as needed)
10-minutes steady state run

If you live near a large body of water, like a backyard pool, you can include a 10-minute swim. A rowing ergometer or Schwinn Airdyne are also excellent options. I have even walked up and down stairwells in high-rise hotels as part of this ever-adaptable circuit.

Most people have poorly developed endurance capacity in the upper body, so I always include this type of activity. Examples of upper body aerobic endurance exercises, besides rowing and swimming, are wood chopping, sledge hammer, Kettlebell snatch, long cycle, or jerks (I prefer single side as doubles are too systemically demanding in this case) and the little nown dumbbell vertical lift, championed by Dragan Radovik, which involves alternately curling and pressing a pair of dumbbells. This is a fantastic upper body endurance and cardio exercise. Radovik had an extremely muscled and chiseled physique and single-handedly out-lifted tag teams in challenges with 35 lb. dumbbells. This was his primary lift.

Like me, I think you’ll find circuit training extremely rewarding. Certainly it’s demanding. At my age, I no longer care to lift extremely heavy weights and I enjoy training with a wide variety of exercises and equipment. Further, I’m easily bored and circuit training is never staid. I enjoy excellent health and attribute much of this to my focus on circuit training, starting way back in those halcyon days at Carlisle High.

In other news, I’ve had a beef of cardio exercise in the past, even writing an anti-aerobics article, because of my disgust with what I saw around me at the time. Aerobic exercise performed without a commensurate amount of strength training is definitely a step in the wrong direction. Extremely prolonged endurance training certainly has a catabolic effect on the body. Frequently, endurance athletes overtrain and beat their bodies into a twisted mess. Observe any group of marathoners or triathletes, even elite ones, and you’ll see a horrific parade of postural abnormalities and imbalances, not to mention the tightest bodies imaginable. My advice to anyone attracted to endurance sports: weight train twice a week with heavy weights; do joint mobility on a daily basis and attend a proper yoga class three times a week. If you don’t like aerobic endurance sports, do as I do: circuit training!

In Strength & Health!

Steve

In other news: It’s time for the fall seminars and certifications!

28 August: Kettlebell and Joint Mobility Seminar, Portland OR

2/3 October: Kettlebell Level 1, Edmond OK

10 October: Body Weight and Joint Mobility Seminar, Seattle WA

16/17 October: Kettlebell Level 1, Philadelphia PA 16/17 October

Ring in the era of iSteve!

If you haven’t yet seen (or purchased) the new joint mobility video downloads, check them out here! More videos coming soon!

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

4/27/2010

Who the heck is that guy???

From an early age, I was consumed with physical training. Growing up in rural Carlisle, Pennsylvania, there wasn''t much else for boys to do other than entertaining ourselves with our own inner resources. Televisions then were enormous boxes with small black-and-white screens and receiving four channels on any given day was a miracle--God''s honest truth!--and video games didn''t appear until I was already in college. Summer days off from school, I''d get up early, scarf down breakfast, then pack a sackful of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and run out the door to play in the nearby woods and fields...and my beloved Conodoguinet Creek.

It''s funny: those idyllic days I spent building tree forts and makeshift rafts--interspersed with ongoing and various war and combat games--are not so different from my days now. Our war games were epic. The frenetic rock volleys with the kids from the other side of the creek threatened serious maimings--and trouble from the gown-ups back at home--but somehow no long-term harm was done. Imagining ourselves the mighty 300 Spartans facing down the Persian horde, the rocks raining from the skies, clanging against our garbage can lid shields and, if the extent of airborne missives didn''t quite blot out the heavens, well, you still get the idea.

Another terrific and favored pastime was sacking and destroying the other kids'' tree forts. Excitement would build as the neighborhood word-of-mouth alarm went off, local warriors hastening to their home forts--and usually too late! What a melee it was. Later, after a period of ritual lamentations--and cursing--came bustling plans and the ant-like cooperative activities of rebuilding. Other times were less cooperative, and the neighborhood gangs met face-to-face, to throwdown at the showdown. Still, this was an innocent time before settling arguments with guns became more commonplace. In those days we stepped out mano a mano, fighting with fisticuffs and rough, country-style wrestling until one or the other combatants cried out, "give!"

Carlisle was farmland everywhere, there were no basketball courts, and the major sporting events were tackle football, smear-the-queer (aka kill-the-guy-with-the-ball) and nominally-organized wars with dirt-clods--which more gently impacted the body than rocks. The dirt clod wars evolved later into BB gun battles and for protection we wore thick sweatshirts and safety goggles filched from shop class--these were the roots of modern-day paintball. Our protean activities made up an authentic country-boy Olympics wherein the daredevil sprinting event consisted of teasing the local farmer''s bull--and hauling ass for your life! There were also friendly wrestling matches, which persisted until someone submitted. It was here I learned how painfully effective the thumb-gouge-to-the-eye works to effect a quick-release; I remember precisely the first time someone did this to me--in second grade--Jesus, it hurt so bad, I couldn''t see for a week!

Local boxing matches were yet another event. My dad, a former Navy lightweight boxing champ, had an ancient pair of horsehair-filled leather gloves, which were so busted up the horsehair leaked out where the leather was stripping off. We beat the tar out of each other with those gloves, with painful bonus abrasions from the rough horse hairs.

My brother and I formed the core of one of the various neighborhood gangs--with the kids we were hanging around with--but the ultimate gang, and the terror of our neighborhood--were the Creek Road Boys. Slightly older than the rest of us, they were a tight-knit group of brothers and cousins who could put the beat down on the rest of us. To face these particular toughs, I judged myself woefully unprepared.

During our backyard boxing matches, when I''d get hit hard, I''d get so angry I''d instinctively rip off my gloves and rush my opponent. My dad noticed my proclivity to clinching and taking an opponent to the ground and literally forced me to go out for junior high school wrestling (which I took to like a bobcat to the mother-in-law''s chicken coop.) This was just after being introduced (by my dad again) to my first barbell set. Fortuitously, the York Barbell Company--in those days, the mecca of Olympic lifting--was just down the road from Carlisle and thus I cut my teeth on the classic York barbell and dumbbell courses. From the York system it was one short step to Perry Rader and his fabulous Iron Man magazine. In this pre-steroid era (or at least the very beginning of it) the original Iron Man contained a wealth of fantastic old school information--nothing like the bloated, steroid rag of today which bears the same name.

Once the wrestling bug hit me, my interest was 100% focused on functional training and becoming the best wrestler I could be. Still, I did a brief bodybuilding sojourn during my senior year--still following the old-school principles--and went from 156 to 205 lbs. in about three and a half months on a 20-rep barbell breathing squats program. I was squatting 320 lbs. for 20 reps--deep, below-parallel squats--and handling 245 lbs. in the stiff-legged deadlift for 15 reps. I was a poor bench presser and never fared well with that move, but I was able to do a strict military press with my body weight of 205 lbs.

My freshman year in college (at Westchester State as a physical education major) things were run like a military camp with strict dress codes, hair rules and uniforms. Powerlifting was all the rage, exciting and new, and the guys all used the power lifts to supplement their sports training. I adapted a power/bodybuilding routine based on the power lifts and was training heavy and hard for the upcoming wrestling season. In high school, I''d wrestled at the 155, and sometimes 165 lb. classes, but now I found myself a bulky power lifter, trying out for the freshman squad as a heavyweight! I had a rude wake-up call when I realized that my height of 5''8" put me at a severe disadvantage in the heavyweight class, where most of the guys would be over 6'', with tremendous reach and leverage. My second wake-up call came with the the ample running requirement that made up part of the P.E. curriculum. This was the birth of Cooper''s aerobic program, and I was huffing and puffing hauling myself around out there on the cross-country course during the men''s conditioning classes. It was at this point I decided being big, bulky and incredibly strong wasn''t serving me. I remember one class, going up the run we called Cardiac Hill, with my instructor, who was about 60-years old--and he ran us into the ground. I was floored that this old codger could kick our butts like that! I was utterly disillusioned and realized there were many more athletic attributes I wished to manifest other than the ability to lift heavy stuff. I steadily dropped weight and changed my strength training to a circuit style. It was at this time I was introduced to High Intensity Training (HIT) and the Arthur Jones Nautilus machines.

Think or say what you will about Nautilus (and machines in general) I can tell you those old Nautilus circuits were some of the most brutal workouts I''ve yet undergone and for me, it ushered in a whole new training philosophy of metabolic conditioning. The concept was simple: a person can do a large amount of moderate-to-easy exercise, but can only do a small amount of really hard exercise. The Nautilus philosophy embraced brief, hard workouts as optimal for increasing all-around strength and endurance. When heavy strength exercise was combined with little-to-no rest, you had a very hard training style that taxed you systemically and muscularly all at once. The idea was that a small amount of hard, intense exercise was more beneficial than a larger volume of easier. Perfect for an intense sport such as wrestling. I thrived on the Nautilus system and shed every bit of body fat, assisted by a strict low-calorie diet. My senior year, my wrestling coach talked me into dropping down to the 158 lb. class and it was a real stretch. Many people I''d gone to school with no longer recognized me, as I''d shrunk so much in size. This was at the height of the Bruce Lee phenomenon and the lean and wiry, shredded look was current.

I stayed with Nautlius for many years, even after I graduated college, applying it to other modalities, including body weight and barbell training and Hammer Strength. I practiced the ultimate high intensity protocol, known as Super-Slow, for several years. I was in fact among the first group to be certified in the Super-Slow system. After college, I continued wrestling on and off, but it was difficult traveling to the venues. I attempted to fill the void with other sports, like running, occasionally racing 10ks or half-marathons; kickboxing; biathlons, mountain bike racing; karate; kung fu and my own boot-camp-style group exercise circuits I dubbed Rambo aerobics.   My version of Rambo aerobics was influenced by the old Wide World of Sports/Survival of the Fittest and American Gladiator television shows. Survival of the Fittest pitted outdoor athletes in a series of events such as climbing, trail-running and a ropes/obstacle course. American Gladiator was really cool--very similar to the current show--with contestants vying against the gladiators in a host of athletic contests designed to measure all-around physical ability. I actually had people in a Center City Philadelphia upper-storey gym rappelling out the windows and scaling chain link fences over at the local tennis court, as well as partner carries up four flights of stairs, ha. Every time they came to class, the program was a little bit different, again, much like I do today. I''d pull barbells into the aerobics room and set up circuits, all set to eighties disco and interspersed with eighties-style high-impact aerobics dance moves. This was way before Body Pump. I was the original Cross-Fitter!

Truly, there is nothing new under the sun. My fascination with ancient physical culture led to researching Greek (and Roman) records of highly productive training methods--every bit as effective today. These are the simple, classic fundamentals of training.

I began to feel a letdown in my training with the Hammer Strength and Nautilus circuits. It was also about this time (1989) I encountered the Gracie brothers and their synthesized training system. I''d also read some interesting books, in particular Brooks Kubik''s Dinosaur Training. Power yoga was the current trend making the rounds and influencing the fitness world. While I''d made good strength gains, the machine-based training circuits left a lot of holes that the new-found Brazilian jiu jitsu quickly exposed. I was somewhat stiff and inflexible and lacking stamina in certain situations. Well, you can''t do everything; you must choose what''s important to you, and I wanted to maximize my jiu-jitsu potential. I began to explore other training systems, especially how grapplers had been training through the centuries. I learned about the great body weight systems of the Hindu wrestlers, renowned for their strength and stamina. I discovered the Russian kettlebell, a sina qua non tool for strength, endurance and cardio. I was an iconoclast in Philadelphia, studying all I could find on yoga asana to discern its roots in conditioning and adapting what I found to my jiu-jitsu game. I also learned of another form of flexibility, called mobility, primarily utilized and categorized by the Eastern Bloc. I also explored club swinging. I''d learned the basic Indian club moves as a college freshman in the P.E. program, but I''d never experienced the heavy club swinging that remains a staple of Middle Eastern wrestlers for millennia. And let''s not forget the Bulgarian training bag, which has assisted the Bulgarian wrestlers in dominating international wrestling lo, these many years! Interestingly, there are depictions of Greek athletes swinging similar shaped sand-filled bags and bladders. Being involved in a jacketed wrestling style (wearing the gi) I''ve also researched what the Japanese judoka have been doing the past few centuries. You might say I traveled back to the future, returning to my former, pre-Nautilus mode of training, combining it with elements of what I''d assimilated from my research and insights of my own.

All of these elements I''ve combined in my training systems for the ageless athlete. I''ve been told I have a rare ability to meld seemingly disparate conditioning elements; I don''t consider myself a man of many talents, but this is one I fully acknowledge. Like the late, great Bruce Lee, I take what is useful and discard what is not. All those who participate in my seminars are given the opportunity to assimilate what they can from my 46 years of training experience and insight. I lead all my own seminars and personally certify each well-merited candidate. I''m gratified my work is recognized as some of the best in the business and this is who I am and what I''m about. Thank you for letting me share my reminiscences and the story of myself, in the hope that you can better understand where I''ve come from and what inspires and motivates me to do and be my best.
I look forward to seeing you soon at an upcoming seminar or certification.

In Strength & Health,

Steve

Of Interest:

* Last week''s Kettlebell Level 1 Teacher Trainer certification at Philadelphia''s Maxercise gym was a success! It was great to be back in town and see friends and family.
Thanks to Alma, John and Maggie for all their support.

* Feeling a lack of confidence in your Body Weight exercise skills? Please, consider joining me in New Orleans 8 May for a 1-Day Teacher Trainer certification. I''ll show you how the logical progressions to these movements--and how to teach them to others. Click here for details and registration page.

* 22 May brings a 2-day Level 1 Kettlebell certification in Wichita KS. Come see the glorious gym of North High and meet their high-minded coach--our host--Joe Belden!
Joe turns out some impressive young athletes and I''m honored to be invited back for another visit. Click here for the follow-through.

* 9-14 June I''m back in Reykjavik, Iceland, fighting out of Mjolnir with a veritable groaning board of offerings: Kettlebells Level 1 & 2, Body Weight & the premier of my dedicated Joint Mobility seminar. By popular demand, you guys, this one is worth the price of the airfare. Consider visiting Nature''s youngest and most precious terrain, where the Divine Mother''s love bubbles and overflows like...hot lava.

Think about it: Iceland + economy + value-added Steve Maxwell is a price you can''t refuse and an experience you''ll never regret--or forget! Come join me, I love to meet--and help in person--the people who write me and appreciate the work I do. And this work is for you guys, don''t have any doubts. I''m not here to get rich off you guys, but consider myself a one-man service industry.

Defining Your Own Sense of Freedom

2/11/2010

William Wallace Monument, Scotland

One of my all-time favorite movies is Braveheart. In case you're unfamiliar with the story, it's about the Scottish hero, William Wallace, who fought for freedom from the English. While I won't vouch for the historical accuracy of the movie, it is a dramatic, entertaining tale of great physical prowess and the warrior way. In one of the final scenes, as our hero is tortured (including disembowelment and emasculation) in defiance he shouts out freedom!!

The theme in the movie that's always resonated with me is the hero's continued quest for freedom from tyranny and oppression. In my own life, I've always rubbed wrong with authority and the status quo. Consequently, I've shunned the typical life path by becoming a full-time RV-er, which allows me a great deal of liberty in that I can pick up and go where--and when--ever I wish. Like a nomadic Mongol, except I don't travel with a horde! A downside to this (or upside, depending on your point of view) is that I'm unable to carry a lot of stuff but the few items I do keep with me are top-quality and highly functional. My personal quest for freedom includes first-class workouts independent of gyms and health clubs. As most of you probably know by now, I love training outdoors in beautiful, natural settings; I find this utterly soul-soothing.

One of my favorite exercises is the pull-up. I consider the pull-up a foundational movement for several reasons:

The ability to pull your own weight is a direct measure of your strength-to-weight ratio.
A high strength-to-weight ratio provides major advantage in many sports, particularly in grappling.

Hanging by the hands is one of the finest grip strengtheners I know, with direct applications to grasping and holding in BJJ and wrestling.
In other news, studies have shown a high correlation between grip strength and longevity. No matter what you do in life, strong hands and fingers are an asset--and hanging from a horizontal bar is one of the best ways to get them!

Hanging from the pull-up position is great for spinal alignment.
The weight of the lower body pulling down upon the spine creates traction. Even when I've suffered from debilitating low-back injuries, I was still able to hang from a bar and do pull-ups. The simple act of hanging, on its own, is very therapeutic.

The ability to pull your body up is highly applicable to all types of climbing and scaling activities, such as surmounting walls or pulling yourself over barriers.
If you're physically weak, it's very difficult to overcome a wall, scale a cliff, or climb through a high bedroom window--all skills I've had to employ through the years!

The pull-up is a de facto body composition machine in that you are greatly rewarded (with high reps) for fat loss efforts and equally penalized (with decreased reps) for body fat gains.
The pull-up does not lie! For certain, if your numbers decrease, you can bet you've gained some fat, lost some muscle--or both. I'll say it again: You never see fat boys doing pull-ups and people doing lots of pull-ups are never fat!

So our objective is clear: freedom to do our pull-up workouts outdoors--and preferably in nature. But where to find a decent pull up bar? Most gyms don't even have decent pull-up bars! Playgrounds are a good--though unreliable--source of pulling devices. Some playgrounds have actual pull up bars or monkey bars that afford a pulling workout. In California, I found plenty of pull up bars on playgrounds and in schoolyards but in many other states, a good outdoor pull-up bar is harder to sight than the elusive Sasquatch. I've used my trusty Lifeline Jungle Gym and even--in a pinch--tree limbs for a variety of pulling movements. But what I've needed is a dependable straight-bar for pull-ups and chin-ups...enter the center-pull, pull-up system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOmHdIZIcow

The center-pull system isn't new. Torque Athletic introduced one a few years ago, but the design was flawed. Not only was it heavy and awkward, it was difficult to hang. Their version also featured a rotating thick-bar on the handle which made gripping a real challenge. This was touted as an advantage in that if you could master pulling yourself up on this rolling bar, it would improve your regular pull-ups. I didn't find that to be true. In fact, the weak point in pull-ups, for most people, is the grip and by making the grip more difficult, you've further limited your limiting factor, thus lowering your pull-up efficiency. But all that aside--what do I mean by a center-pull, pull-up bar anyway?

A center-pull, pull-up bar is hung by a rope or cable, from the middle of the bar, so that it teeter-totters back and forth. This action forces you to pull evenly with your both right and left sides. With a typical straight pull-up bar, likewise a barbell, you can compensate for a one-sided weakness, often without even knowing it. Enter my new center-pull system by way of that mad, mad genius of the Carolinas, C.Ray! C.Ray, a phenomenal martial artist and exercise nut, has been coming up with some amazing inventions out in the garage.

Rather than making the grip more difficult or treacherous, this bar diameter is absolutely perfect for good palm purchase and the bumpy, powder coat finish is sticky enough to provide adequate friction for the palms--even in the rain!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeRVksASGMg

This center-pull is much, more than just another pretty pull-up bar!

For one, it has straps--similar to the Jungle Gym--which clip onto metal carabiners, allowing you to do center-suspension dips. If you think it's hard to find an outdoor pull-up bar, try finding a decent set of dip bars! The dip exercise is the perfect foil to the pull-up and many old-time great physical culturists considered it one of the finest exercises for all-around upper body development. Certainly, gymasts are visible proof of the effectiveness of the pull-up/dip combination, as these movements form the mainstay of a gymnast's exercise program.

This new center-pull system is a complete upper body gym. With it, you can perform:

Chin-Ups
Suspended Push-Ups
Body Weight Rows
Ab Roll-Outs
Pec Flyes
and even Leg Curls--with the uniquely designed foot loops

Pretty much any exercise you can do on rings, you can do with this, plus much, much more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yromnm3RY94

One of the best features is the ease in hanging. Really, all you need is a tree limb or swing set and your workout is a go. C.Ray designed a self-locking mechanism on the bar--a little peg--which is puro ingenioso! No complicated knots required. I find it much easier to hang up than even my Jungle Gym--and even easier to take down again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS6fGxypRvg

In touting this new system, you must understand something: I could have any system. All the time, people send me things to test and try. Further, there's little out there I haven't already tried. In fact, when I first received this thing, because of my negative experience with the Torque unit, I was somewhat skeptical. Uncharacteristically, I left it laying there, in the box, for months. I'd had it shipped to Maxercise but never bothered to test it out since at the time I had ready access to good pull-up bars. Reluctantly, when I left Philly, I took it with me and noticed how easily it packed up with my other gear. This was exactly what I'd been looking for but it wasn't until I arrived in San Diego that I began to put it to good use. Though there were plenty pull-up bars around Mission Bay, where I was staying, getting to them involved running or biking a few miles. The RV park had plenty of trees and most of the time I preferred to stay near my little home-on-wheels, putting myself through a good, old-fashioned butt kick without commuting. It was at this time I came to truly appreciate to qualities of my center-pull system...and even fell in love with it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AJj13ucTDc

Now don't get me wrong! While this system isn't as difficult to master as the Torque bar, it's still much harder than standard pull-ups and dips. Don't expect to get the same numbers you would get on a normal, straight bar. What my system does best is allow you to perform some of the most productive upper body exercises anytime, any place, anywhere--as long as there's still a tree growing. You might wonder how this center-pull system compares to the TRX and the answer is this system is superior. The TRX doesn't permit the most productive upper-body exercises (at least effectively) namely, pull-ups, chin-ups and dips. Because the TRX strap attaches to an anchor strap, it's very difficult to hang it high enough to effectively perform these three moves. Additionally, the TRX straps aren't spaced wide enough to effectively utilize the wider grip necessary for vertical pulling and dips.

The split Jungle Gym does allow for various pulls and dips, since it can be spaced wide enough. Hanging it high enough isn't a problem, as it hangs easily...BUT getting it back down from that high spot is another thing, because you've got to climb UP to get it back down. With this center-pull system, all of these problems are eliminated.

(At this point in my diatribe, I asked my assistant, "should I give them a workout?" and she said, "yes" so here it is. What follows is an effective strength-endurance workout to build your pull-up numbers and give you the conditioning required to excel in all variety of sports--and this will work whether or not you use a center-pull bar.)

Current Pull-Up Numbers Workout Reps

1 - 5 50

6 - 10 75

11 - 15 100

16 - 20 150

1. Do a max set of pull-ups. Rest 60-seconds.
2. Continue at the number you left off and do another max set.
3. Don't stop until you hit your workout target number.
4. Do this every other day for one month.
5. Take 4 days off and start again.

So, if you're ever up in the area of the Olympic peninsula and you see a guy suspended from a strange bar hang from a tree limb, no, you're not witnessing William Wallace's latter-day disembowelment, it's the Coach out there doing what he does best!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7VEojWGjG4

Of interest:

Upcoming events:

28 Feb BW + JM in Seattle WA

6 Mar KB cert in Wichita KS

13 Mar BW cert in Portland OR

19-21 Mar BW cert + JM/KB in Motola Sweden

17-18 April KB cert in Philadelphia PA

25 April BJJ seminar in Cleveland OH

1 May BW cert in Long Island NY

I hope to see you there!

In Strength & Health,

Steve

Coach's Ten-Point Guide to a Bloat-Free Thanksgiving Holiday!

11/23/2009

The dreaded (or blessed, depending on your point of view) holidays descend upon us! This is a stressful time for some of my readers, especially those of you motivated by feelings of social obligation (and its lifelong companion, guilt) than by feelings of genuine joy, much less, "thanksgiving".

It''s become cliche the way people corrupt themselves during these social festivities. In truth, I''d say people would be better off forsaking the fuss and bother and going their own ways, but that''s not going to happen for most of you, so let''s satisfy ourselves with damage control.



This... ...or this

it''s your choice!

First, let''s look at the holidays and ask what it is about these few weeks that can utterly undermine an entire year''s accrued fitness results.

Sadly, it''s not unusual for a citizen of the US to gain 10 pounds over the winter holidays, after abandoning their fitness routines. The reasons why?

The days are shorter and there is less light

People tend to resist working out in the dark and are driven indoors and into more sedentary activity

Lack of light can contribute to depression, in some people more than others. When people are depressed, they often do less and eat more

Cold weather further curtails many activities with the same consequences

It''s pro-football season and many guys sit around for hours during the weekends watching their favorite teams vie for the playoffs (Coach raises hand)

In fact, overall TV viewing generally increases, which is especially heinous when coupled with frequent runs to the refrigerator for snacks

Despair not! I''ve put together an effective ten-point program.

1. Get in a brisk walk everyday of at least 30 minutes
If you can go longer, so much the better. Pair it with deep breathing exercises to really stimulate the system. An easy start is inhaling on a count of four and exhaling on a count of eight.

2. Eat at regular intervals--no matter what those intervals may be
Don''t fall into the trap of a starve/stuff "diet". While it''s good to familiarize yourself with genuine hunger, go too far and you could make the error of sharpening your appetite to the point of bingeing.

3. A great way to ease into a winter meal is to first enjoy a small bowl of soup
Starting off with a warm, nutritious soup can provide a sense of satisfaction early into the meal so the body isn''t grasping for something more.

4. The Coach''s favorite: a pre-emptive strike on calories!
This means a hard, pre-meal, calorie-depleting workout. A vigorous workout positions you for optimal nutrient partitioning, meaning your chances of gaining fat from any calorically-dense foods you eat is greatly decreased. Think of it as earning the meal.

5. For the most part, desert the holiday dessert overload--unless you enjoy the role of couch guy lying there, belt undone and his pants unzipped!
I don''t mean to be an old poop, if there''s a ritual dessert you love and crave year-round, better to enjoy a reasonable portion in season, rather than going the smug and austere route, but budget yourself and go in rationally. While it''s not the time of year to eat solely from the radish and celery plate, still take it easy!

I myself have always hankered for pecan pie, also pumpkin. During my householder years, I''d usually enjoy a slice of each for the morning after''s breakfast rather than adding it on top of the previous evening''s mountain of turkey and gravy.

6. At the end of the big meal, when everyone else is having dessert, have a coffee
This provides you a sweet but sharp taste, stimulating digestion and reducing any post-prandial bloat. The dessert buffet can be the toughest course to resist; there''s it''s the final assault of tenacious relatives trying to fatten and soften your resolve--and your waistline--no matter how many polite demurrals you offer them in treaty.

7. First fill up on plenty of turkey and vegetables
Then, when you''ve hit your quota, start considering the sweet and starchy options. Often, after satisfying the body''s taste for protein and the bitter taste of greens, you''ll find yourself with less room than you may have previously thought.

8. During the ensuing TV marathon, haul yourself off the couch every single advertisement and get in some joint mobility--or even just a stroll around the room
It''s amazing how getting vertical and walking around a few minutes can not only burn a few calories but improve your energy and outlook. An NFL game contains innumerable advertisements, providing you ample opportunity to rouse yourself from the threatening stupor. Choose a single mobility movement at a time and perform up to 100 repetitions. If there''s enough time remaining during the commercial break start in on a second movement. Work on areas that feel especially tight and/or congested.

9. One of the best ways to rid yourself of a bloated gut is getting up directly after a big meal and walking
Try it yourself, for even 10 minutes, it''s amazing.

10. Limit the alcohol
Stay yourself at one or two drinks. Realize that while moderate alcohol intake won''t harm you, coupled with heavy meals, it''s a recipe for fatty goodness. There''s a subtle pleasure to be found in self-restraint that is typically overlooked on these occasions.

Now for the nuclear meltdown! Coming to a sub-division near you (or your least favored relatives!)

Here''s one of my favorite pre-feast challenges!

This workout is ideal, since many of you travel to lands where gyms become a distant memory of your other, temporarily stalled, life. You won''t need anything more than your jump rope and Lifeline Jungle Gym. If you like, swap out Pull-Ups for the Body Weight Rows and Jumping Jacks for Rope Skipping.

What makes this workout a super stealth annihilator is a devious combination of aerobic and anaerobic systems work.

Are you ready?

1) Rope Skip x 200
w/ Lifeline Heavy Speed Rope

2) 6-Count Burpee x 20
Full-range squats & Push-Ups, please!

3) Body Weight Row x 10
on Lifeline Jungle Gym

4) Full Sit-Up x 20
*feet NOT anchored

If you can''t do a Sit-Up, roll a towel and place under the low back to adjust the leverage slightly

5) Body Weight Deck Squat x 10
Be sure to get in the shoulder stand before lowering into Plow

6) Run for 5 minutes
Since you might be in a strange neighborhood, use the "out & back" method: running out 2-1/2 minutes before heading back the same way whence you came.

Repeat the circuit 6 times! And let me know how it goes!

Six rounds of the above will get the metabolic furnace stoked and the muscles primed for an ample refeed.

This workout also makes a great detox the day after.

And remember: if you don''t share people''s values, you needn''t concern yourself with their criticisms--or even their approval.

In Strength & Health!
Steve

P.S. If you like what you''ve read and are looking for some assistance in achieving your fitness goals, consider my online training services. I''ve got an opening for the appropriate candidate.

Coming in 2010:

Wichita KS 6-7 March

Motola Sweden 19-21 March

I hope to see you there!

It's All About the Shoes!

10/23/2009

In my quest to continually improve and evolve (both personally and in performance) I've been known to boldly enter new terrains--sometimes going where no coach has gone before!

When it comes to exercise options and explorations, I'm not above checking out new fads and gizmos --I even admit to being a gear junky--yet at the same time I'll pare things down and simplify. Do I contradict myself? Very well, I contradict myself...I am vast, I contain multitudes!*

For the last year, I've explored barefoot running and became thoroughly convinced after reading assorted magazine articles, then Christopher McDougall's book, Born to Run and Danny Dreyer's book, Chi Running.

My decades of observing people running and "working out" for not only the wrong reasons, but in the most absurd ways, left me critical of aerobic exercise. What I saw passing as healthy exercise was anything but and, in many cases, was the source of more harm than benefit. Yet over the last year I began to see running in a new light: more as a skill than exercise. McDougall makes a compelling argument that running is hard wired into our DNA and that we, as a species, owe our very survival to our inherent running abilities. Instead of using running to fulfill some external desire--say fat loss, cardiac health or beating an arbitrary time--I discovered a simple joy in the experience of running in and of itself. Running barefoot has added to that by teaching me to use an economy of fluid, effortless, and efficient movement I'd never experienced since childhood.

My first exposure to the potential of minimalist footwear came from a client training at the gym where I worked, a fit man in his sixties, claimed to run five miles, every other day, in a pair of hard rubber flip-flops. He replaced his flip-flops every two to three weeks. I couldn't imagine such a feat not resulting in all manner of dire consequences, was astounded, and figured him for totally insane. He used to come into the gym in Philly in the coldest weather, bare feet in those flip flops. He told me he simply hated shoes and had been doing this all his life. I'll never forget the guy, he was quite a character.

First, let me explain the difference between barefoot training and barefoot running: I'd long ago been introduced to the concept and practice of minimalist footwear for resistance training and kettlebells and how wearing stiff-soled shoes assist the feet in transmitting more stimulus to the brain which in turn results in recruiting more muscle fibers, which in turn allows you to lift more weight or perform more explosively in exercises like the KB Snatch or heavy deadlifts. Wearing thick soled, heavily padded shoes creates dumb feet, a sort of neural amnesia. The brain doesn't know where the feet are in space or relationship to the ground surface.

If you want proof, look at what the top Olympic weightlifters wear: wooden-soled shoes.

As a jiu-jitsu player, I'd been running about barefoot on the mats for years. You might say I was fairly used to going shoeless. Still, it's one thing to skip rope or swing kettlebells barefoot on the padded mats, and quite another to run about in the asphalt jungle and rocky roads out there.

After reading about various indigenous people in Kenya and parts of Mexico running long distances barefoot, I was intrigued. The point that these runners were injury-free, while north Americans running in space-age shoes have a high incidence of injury made the temptation irresistible. Statistically, in the US, running is one of the highest injury-producing sports, despite the ubiquitous and highly-engineered footwear available. There are shockingly, no supported research that these shoes prevent injury in any way. The current trend is to accuse the shoes as the source of these injuries.

My interest piqued. No one is a bigger shoe wh*re than myself, so what was I gonna do? I've always been known for flashy sneaks and shoe-coordinated apparel. At one point, I was maintaining a habit of 35 pair of shoes and still always out on the street, looking for the next hit.

When I moved into my camper van, possibly the most painful aspect of the transition was culling through my shoes, deciding who would come and who was left behind, as I couldn't bring them all. In fact, being forced to weed through my vast possessions was a cathartic experience and led me to rediscovering my inherent simplicity. I became hyper-aware of just how much sh!t I'd collected over the years and how "owning" stuff, was in fact a lie, everything is ultimately on temporary loan, and is not any source of happiness or fulfillment. If anything, all the accumulation was the source of my anxiety!

So, in this way I was forced to make choices about my new and minimal approach to footwear and somehow adapted to the somewhat charming idea of not needing any at all. I remember how impressed I was in a conversation with a well-known barefoot advocate who told me how nice it was not packing shoes for his frequent business trips anymore. I thought: Amen to that! Because there's nothing worse than forcing a zipper shut over protruding Nikes!

Let me recount the steps I took in weaning myself from footwear to the point that I can (should I wish) run unshod even on concrete--which I don't necessarily recommend...

The first thing I did was switch to minimalist shoes with virtually no cushioning and a thin, flexible sole. Nike Free shoes usually fit this description and I worked my way down from the 5's to the 3.5's.

I also studied the POSE and Chi Running methods, which are easily researched.

Highly cushioned shoes encourage heel striking, which is how most people--including myself--have been taught to run. You can't however, heel strike when running barefoot (or in unsupported footwear. In fact, heel striking was non-existent prior to the development of the modern running shoe. The bare feet will always push off the forefoot, like a giant spring. Jumping rope is a developmental exercise which strengthens the feet, ankles and calves and makes running easier, thus my next step was skipping a lot of rope with the least padding I could tolerate, in order to desensitize my feet. I also began experimenting with running on softer surfaces; at the time I had easy access to some of southern California's beautiful beaches so I'd get in a weekly session--or two--of longer runs interspersed with sprints on the firm sand near the shoreline.

Next, I tried the Vibram Five Finger shoe, which separates the toes. Vibrams feature a contoured sole which protects the plantar surface while permitting the natural gripping action and micro-motions of the foot.

I confess I had much trouble bridging the gap from Nike to Vibram. My feet were still too sensitive and I still preferred a shoe. I ordered a pair of FeelMax shoes from Finland, which has no support whatsoever and what seems to be the thinnest sole possible. They fit like a booty or sock, and so lack the secure fit of the Vibram, which can be treacherous on awkward footings, due to the foot slipping about inside the shoe. I frequently wear them for body rolling and training on flat ground, since they are reminiscent of wrestling or Sambo shoes.

After switching between grass, beach, and sidewalk, I finally made my first 5km on the concrete (in my Vibrams) just days before attending a MovNat course, where a whole new barefoot indoctrination would commence. The first day involved a desensitization exercise involving a coarse and sharp gravel road which left limping about on my my traumatized feet. Yet despite the superficial discomfort, I'd suffered no injury and truly my balance and spacial proprioception were noticably improved. In the following days, in the (somewhat) natural setting of a public campground, Erwan LeCorre had us entirely shoeless, running and jumping rock-to-rock, log-to-log and picnic table-to-ground. When jumping for accuracy, I felt like I could stick the landing like a little tree frog. Just try jumping from one uneven rock to another (or walking along narrow and slippery deteriorating logs) in running shoes! Before the gravel road initiation/hazing, my feet were still resistant to wearing Vibrams--I found the toe separation especially disagreeable--but on the second day of the MovNat course (when we were permitted to re-don our shoes, if we so wished) those Vibrams felt like pillows, further indication that what we identify as pain is a matter of subjectivity and can vary as the body is given perspective and context.

The final day of the course brought the coup de grace: a 2-1/2 hour ramble through the local woods--including crawling on all fours, climbing rocks, scaling trees, balancing and jumping upon logs, a strenuous rope climb and swamp wade--we made our final run along a macadam road. Disappointed by my lack of speed and the extreme fatigue in my legs (we'd been told to do this exercise in a fasted state) I sensed my my form degrading. When fatigued, the human body (and mind) inevitably resorts to the habitual. Obviously, I hadn't assimilated the program as much as I'd hoped and imagined.

Since returning to balmy San Diego, I gone for a few beach runs, which always feel effortless, and on a recent trip to Oslo, I ran through a lakeside forest in my Vibrams, traversing ruts, rocks and roots without issue. I think I finally have this barefoot thing down: it's all about the shoes.

Although Erwan and Chris McDougall both run barefoot on concrete, I'm still unconvinced such a practice confers any worthwhile benefit.

My girlfriend, an awesome runner who runs me into the ground, has run and trained barefoot most of her life. She started running barefoot as a child, when her brother told her about Zola Budd (who always wore shoes running on roads) and she easily took to wearing Vibrams, but only wears them when the terrain appears injurious to bare feet, which she prefers. She's run on concrete, but in general avoids it since there are more pleasing surfaces readily available. It's not that there's any problem with running on concrete, should the ability and desire exist, but neither can I discern a compelling reason to do so...

Humans, after all, universally invented shoes...for a reason. An interesting insight: A well-known barefooter, who was forced to drop out of a fifty-mile, hard-terrain, trail race at mile 35 due to cumulative foot trauma, confided that the source of trouble lay in the heat-absorbing, black-colored Vibrams he'd been provided for the event and, in retrospect, he'd have surely finished the event had he opted for commercial trail-running shoes. That being said, humans have survived and flourished without needing over engineered running shoes or chunky hiking boots while traversing rough terrain over the eons.

Something that I have observed amongst the barefoot enthusiasts I've encountered is that the number one (exhaustively!) discussed topic is always the current favored "barefoot" ...shoe. Here I am, newly converted and divested of my former sneaker collection only to discover so-called barefoot training holds so much shopping potential.

At least the bare foot shoes are easier to pack!

I'm in San Diego for the next few months, coaching Diego Sanchez for his upcoming UFC title fight 12 December. I'm really enjoying this gig--check out some of the training videos on my youtube page. I'll soon be starting a conditioning class at the University of Jiu-Jitsu, open to the public, as well, so if you're in the area, definitely come on down and see what new (and time-tested) money moves I've got in store and, as always, check out my new shoes!

In Strength & Health,
Steve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acjVUmBoBSc

* Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

Coach's New Toy: The KettleBack

9/9/2009
The ol' Coach loves new toys like a dog likes a new bone. Although my underlying workout philosophy is simple, straightforward, and minimalistic, I tend to be a gear-head and love trying out new stuff. There's nothing like a new pair of shorts, footwear, or other doodad to get me fired up and ready to go. Somehow, over the years I've managed to keep my enthusiasm high and I continue to experience real joy in the physical life and pushing myself.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Bk-tHzt68bQ&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0

Every once in a while, a new idea comes along that is so refreshing and interesting--yet utterly simple--that you wonder, Duh, why didn't I ever think of that?

Such is the case with the KettleBack by MBody Strength. I've been around a long time, boys and girls, and I'm fairly well known in the subculture, so people seek me out to endorse their products and systems. I have a wide readership and I can get the word out, but one thing must be understood: I never endorse products I neither currently use nor haven't ever used, or put through some stern tests.

I discern a product's worthiness using a three step process:

     1) Testing it out on myself and putting myself through the paces

     2) Next, the product rolls downhill: I chase my teen protege and strap it on her for a test drive... the difficulty here is that she can outrun me, so time and again I must resort to subterfuge...

     3) If the product in question passes the above two tests, I'll test it out on actual clients

With the above methods, you can be sure that whatever I'm currently ballyhooing actually functions as it's supposed to. I don't care to be known as a guy selling sh!t to make money.

Yes, I need to make money to operate in the world... I must keep my little home on wheels fueled with diesel... but I refuse to make stupid money promoting anything I don't have my whole heart in. My time and money are my best investments and I assume the same of my readers.

It is imperative to me that my readers can trust my word thus when I say something is good, so it must be.

Back to the KettleBack! A deceptively simple, innovative idea. Basically a backpack for your kettlebell.

You may wonder: ...is Coach nuts?

You might be saying (like the Coach): ...but in my hallway closet I'm already sitting on a half-dozen backpacks into which I can throw a kettlebell...

or maybe:

Hey, I can always just run down to REI and get something...

Another logical reaction might be: Why in hell would I want to put my kettlebell in a backpack????

Well, hold on there! Don't click me off just yet!

Let's start with the second question first. As you know, I'm very fond of training outdoors and ofttimes I have to park a fair haul away from the desired playground equipment, generally a pull-up bar or other horizontal bar. I can't tell you what a pain in the butt it is to lug all the equipment, in my hands - in one trip - usually across a field or wooded path. The KettleBack not only allows me to comfortably carry a kettlebell, but also a towel, jump rope, my trusty Lifeline Jungle Gym, two bottles of water, a heart rate monitor, Gym Boss, yoga mat and my beloved push-up board, all in a convenient, adjustable, extremely well-fitting and rugged bag. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to include body weight exercises along with my KB routine - wanted to go heavy and only wished I'd had a weighted vest to make the push-ups, chins and BW Rows more productive. I've managed cockamamie methods of tying my KB to my body with old jiu-jitsu belts and such - once I hung a kettlebell around my neck with a shoelace and damn near strangled myself. I didn't anticipate the shoelace cutting across the carotids in quite the way it did...

The KettleBack solves all those problems, because even if you can hang a KB around your waist, explain to me how that helps you with Rows and Push-Ups? And yes, no one likes a well-fitted weight vest as much as the ol' Coach but sometimes a weighted vest is inconvenient. To my very pleasant surprise, when tested out, the KettleBack superbly loaded all my favorite BW exercises. I tucked away a competition-size kettlebell inside and was able to do Dips, Chins, Push-Ups and Rows with great ease (well, if not exactly ease, make that full range of motion.) The narrow shoulder strap profile allows my arms to move in all directions without impediment. The straps are adjustable and hold the KettleBack tight to the body. The well-padded straps are comfortable: no chafing, rubbing or cutting in whatsoever. It's a dream for performing some of my favorite leg exercises, including Hindu Squats, Cossack Squats, Dragon Twists and Walking Lunges. All in all, I put it through its paces and couldn't be more pleased.

Which brings me to the next question - why NOT just go down to REI and get something similar for yourself at half the price - because these babies ain't cheap! I'll make a little confession: I'm a backpack freak. I love backpacks and sport bags and my friends can tell you how often I give away perfectly good bags just so I can get something new. I'm more or less intimately acquainted with about every pack REI and Eastern Sport have ever made. My young teen ward and I detest the ubiquitous shit-box roller bags you see in every airport. We strap our gear to our bodies so we can bound through terminals with all four limbs totally mobilized. Further, we enjoy traversing stairs in lieu of escalators as part of our ongoing philosophy of finding ways to work our bodies more all throughout the livelong day. Because we fly all over presenting seminars, you'd better believe we've scrutinized our packing systems for breaches and performance flaws. My friend, Marcus Martinez (inventor of the KettleBack and other marvels) has the same mindset when it comes to gear. He tried multiple combinations and bags before finally settling upon this design. Feel free to experiment yourself or feel free to buy the bag that's been field tested--and passed with flying colors.

Now even though I got mine for free, I guarantee that if Marcus told me to give it back, I'd buy it off him - that's how much I like it. And if swears if I'd seen one in a magazine, I wouldn't sleep until I had one--and then I would sleep with it!

I'm not put off by prices when something is good. I don't own much these days, but the few things I own are high-quality. I've found it's true that you get what you pay for - or at least you get the equivalent of the mindset you hold when making your choices. In short: I know a lot of people who cheap out on the wrong things and end up dissatisfied.

The only downside I can discern regarding the KettleBack vs. a weight vest is that with the KettleBack you can't lay down on your back, otherwise, there's virtually nothing I can't do. For avid hikers, backpackers and military men, it's an excellent tool for weighted hikes and walking. You can make your own version of a forced road march anytime you like! The bag is infinitely adjustable: it fit me and my young teen (on separate occasions) like a glove. Then, I adjusted it to fit three-time World Champion jiu-jitsu player heavyweight Xande Ribeiro. I hung it on him for a training session in preparation for his upcoming MMA fight in Japan this September and you are witness to the grueling circuit I put him through. In fact, I've never seen fatigue like this in training. Enjoy Xande's struggles because - believe me - that's the only way I'll ever beat the guy! What you're not seeing: his unyielding payback in my grappling lesson a little later...

http://www.youtube.com/v/7E0mm5koRzk&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0

http://www.youtube.com/v/-FupdSBTd0g&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0

So, now you have a quick and easy way to transport your kettlebell to and from the gym, when you fly, or, even an easy way to take your kettlebell to the park on your bike. I'm very pleased with Marcus' creation and I'm carrying this product in my online store. Buy it off my website - not his!

In Strength & Health,

Steve

Of interest:

My seminar season opens with a bang Saturday 12 September in Nashua NH at Kevin Buckley's new and wonderful facility, Dynamic Strength & Conditioning. Come join us! Kevin is a bonafide badass and one of the (very) few people to complete the Power Wheel 100-yard Challenge - first forward then backward - nonstop.

Saturday's KB event is a three-hour seminar introducing some of my latest kettlebell innovations for MMA conditioning and Sunday is a Body Weight Trainers certification. It's not enough just to know a bunch of body weight exercises - you gotta have the progressions and you gotta to know how to teach to the unitiated and deconditioned. I, Coach Maxwell, commit to showing you how to do just that, so you can add some cool - and original - variety into your clients' workouts, even if they're currently unable to perform a single Push-Up or Pull-Up. Trainers and teachers all over the US, including the education department of Wichita North HS, have found this seminar to be worth every penny spent. In fact, the Wichita school board is bringing me back for a follow-up seminar in March 2010. Brr! Better New England in the late summer! Why wait!

After Nashua, my Icelandic events are sold out and then it's off to Oslo and back to Philly for the semi-annual MaxBell's certs, including the all-new MaxBells Level 2 Body Weight Trainer certification Thursday 8 October.

Finally, my lovely wahine and I will be "wintering", heh, with our good friends in Tahiti, where you'll find me - if you try - until the next spring thaw!

Behind Closed Fire Doors

8/5/2009

August is upon us and many of you have late summer vacation plans. Well, there's no reason in the world to abandon your routine and lose your hard-won fitness gains. Your Coach and his lovely assistant travel the world in their mission to share the scripture of St. Maxercise. Circumstances find us in remote areas and/or hotels with nary even a cursed elliptical. In truth, hotel gyms irritate me. Composed of mostly cardio crap with sundry dumbbells and some sort of ill-maintained cable machine. Never an honest pull-up bar or dip stand to be found. That's why I never leave home without my trusty Lifeline Jungle Gym and heavy speed rope.

The ability to pull yourself free from the clutches of Earthly gravity with the power of the upper arms and chest is the single most productive upper body exercise you can do and the Lifeline Jungle Gym provides the means to do exactly this no matter where you find yourself. With low ceilings, inadequate doors and an overall cramped feeling, your hotel room may be too confined a space to put even the most minimal equipment to use. Worse, even hotel gyms are usually to dank and crowded to host a decent workout unless you're willing to play hamster on the treadmill--destination: Nowheresville. Bleak? Yes. However, virtually every hotel does hide a rarely used fitness resource, with bonus, ample privacy, and all the room needed for a complete workout: it's the stairwell.

Most hotel stairwells house cozy foyers in front of the fire doors, good for laying down a yoga or bath mat for core and ab work. Ceiling height is usually higher than your room, with enough to skip rope. If this isn't the case, go to the bottom-most fire door exit, just outside of which you'll usually find a small, private area where you can skip rope in peace--just make sure to prop the emergency exit door open so you don't lock yourself out! Finally, the stairs themselves offer plentiful opportunities for stair climbing, backward bear crawling and any number of foot, calf and ankle exercises.

Suspending the Jungle Gym from an overhead railing offers multiple arm and hand positioning for various upper body pulls. The Jungle Gym handles rotate, just like the more expensive counterpart sold on television. When the Jungle Gym can also support Dips, one of the most productive upper body exercises. In fact, the Chin-Up and Dip make up the perfect balanced pairing, comprising the mainstay of most gymnastics programs--have you ever seen a (competitive) gymnast with a poor upper body?

Be warned: Chins and Dips on a Jungle Gym are consider more difficult than using stationary bars--especially Dips--because the stabilizers of the core and shoulders must work extremely hard to keep the body from shivering and shaking. For those of you who are not yet doing Chin-Ups and Dips, there are numerous modifications and variations on these movements in your coach's bag of tricks and you can find some on my Spartan 300 and Ultimate Upper Body Workout DVDs.

Further expanding on the Jungle Gym's potential are Push-Up variations challenging enough for even the strongest out there.

But let's not forget the legs! Aside from its light weight and portability, the Jungle Gym has several advantages over rings (for the record, I very much like rings). You can do an assortment of hamstring Leg Curls and gluteal Bridges to get at the all-important posterior chain and the Jungle Gym makes the perfect support for doing Pistols. While most people can't pull off freestanding Pistols, with the aid of the Jungle Gym handles, I've gotten almost anyone doing this wonderful exercise. And even if you're not quite ready for supported Pistols, body weight Amasov Squats are yet another fantastic lower leg developer.

On a recent European trip, my teen protege and I opted to get a final workout in before the next morning's flight. Grabbing up the Jungle Gym, we headed down the hallway to the stairwell. This stairwell was a bit too narrow for rope skipping but at the very bottom, sure enough, was a fine little patio, surrounded by foliage, offering an ideal place to warm up. After working up a nice lather, my girl knocked out a few sets of Calf Raises on the bottom step.

Next up, the Single Leg Glute Bridge, utilizing the handy Jungle Gym stirrups. These were chased with the Single-Leg Curl.

http://www.youtube.com/v/BDDSq2aPuko

After hypertrophying up her fabulous glutes and rear thighs, we moved on to Pistols. All three movements were performed circuit-style on first one leg, then the other.

http://www.youtube.com/v/TCEf9zHA5oU

Performing hamstring and glute work before the Pistol really drives home the Pistol's hip involvement. Because they aren't focused in on recruiting the hamstrings and glutes, most people will primarily feel the Pistol in the front thigh and knee. There is also a tendency to rock forward upon the ball of the foot during the ascent, as opposed to remaining heavy in the heel. Pre-exhausting the gluteal muscles and hamstrings with the Single-Leg Bridge and Leg Curl respectively, then immediately going to the Pistol, really helps the client dial in and experience the hamstring/glute involvement (possibly for the first time) and optimize the Pistol. Damn, I just gave away some freaking AWESOME advice right there!

For the primary upper body pulling movement, we chose the Chin-Up/Knee Raise combination. Set it up by suspending the Jungle Gym from the overhead railing and setting it at shoulder-width. This is a fantastic movement with a strong core component, working everything from the chin to the toes.

For balancing the shoulder girdle in the vertical plane, she kicked up into a handstand and held for time. Handstand holds are phenomenal for shoulder and tricep development and that the yogis have been touting them for thousands of years is testimony enough of their health benefits. For the more advanced, Handstand Push-Ups are an option--and the practitioner will be handsomely rewarded with super-strong overhead pressing ability.

The secondary pulling/pressing combo was the body weight Row, basically a reverse Push-Up. This is an extremely important plane of motion for balancing the shoulder girdle, as well as a critical posture-balancing movement, due to its shoulder and upper back strengthening aspects.

Complementary horizontal pushing was covered by another compound movement, the suspended Push-Up. Once again, the Jungle Gym allowed her to suspend the hands while the feet remain on the stairs. By shortening the straps and maintaining the body at a steeper angle, you can progressively unweight to make the exercise easier.

http://www.youtube.com/v/lre5aRB9aCc

This workout was chased with some core moves done on a folded bath towel on the floor. As a finisher, she carried Coachie on her back--piggy-back style--the ride of my life! My diminutive Tinkerbell carried her 170 pound burden up four flights of stairs--you've got to have a lot of trust in your partner for this one, but I definitely advocate it for the super-fit. I don't, however, recommend walking down stairs with a load, as most of the benefit is from going up. Going down stairs loaded places unnecessary stress on the feet and knees.

All in all, a very productive workout which can be done by most anybody in most hotels anywhere. I myself did a similar workout, but replaced the Handstands with Dips and suspended Push-Ups with Atomic Push-Ups.

Dozens and dozens of exercises can be created with the Jungle Gym and my upcoming plans include releasing downloadable video listing them.

There is truly no excuse to miss a workout. If you don't already have one, get yourself a basic Jungle Gym. It's worth every cent of whatever currency you spend and will provide a lifelong benefit.

Yours in Strength & Health!

Steve

Of Interest:

My seminar season is opening soon! First up, stateside, a kettlebell workshop and a Body Weight Trainers Cert in Nashua NH, then two weeks in Iceland, followed with a Level 1 BW Trainer Cert in Florence Italy; then our semi-annual two-day Level 1 MaxBells Certification at Maxercise in Philadelphia, where I'm also presenting a Level 2 MaxBells cert and introducing the Level 2 BW Trainer Certification. Be assured--you don't want to miss out! Click here for the schedule of events.

I was recently interviewed by Caleb Queern for The FightWorks Podcast, click here to check it out.

My compadre-in-training, Dominik Feischl, has released the seminal DVD of his recent Gorilla Camp. I'll soon be carrying the English language version on my site, but if you just can't wait, go get your Osterreich on here. Two opposable thumbs up!

Finally, I'd like to welcome everyone to my new blog! I'm very pleased to be hosting the blog on my own site and I'd like to thank my web designer, Chris Crooke for the fantastic work he's done. I highly recommend him to anyone in need of a new website or simply a face-lift for your current site.

Current Pull-Up Numbers	Workout Reps
1 - 5	50
6 - 10	75
11 - 15	100
16 - 20	150

	1)	Testing it out on myself and putting myself through the paces
	2)	Next, the product rolls downhill: I chase my teen protege and strap it on her for a test drive... the difficulty here is that she can outrun me, so time and again I must resort to subterfuge...
	3)	If the product in question passes the above two tests, I'll test it out on actual clients