Richie Barathy, in the photo above was a practitioner of American Combat Karate. He had a background in Taekwondo and later found himself in the rough and tumble dojo of Nisei Karate founder, Frank Ruiz. This school was populated with the likes of Louis Delgado, Herbie Thompson, Owen Watson and others. Richie paid rent by bouncing in NY in the 1970′s and by later teaching his brand of karate. He was blind in one eye due to an injury and had incurred Lupus early in life. Doctors told him he wouldn’t be physically active and he defied them by training rigorously.

He, at one point, met Howard Tague, A practitioner of Japanese jiu jitsu and other arts. He was also a hypnotherapist and devout weight trainer. [Realize, back in the day, weight training was less common in martial arts.] Sensei Tague sparred the battle hardened Barathy using such subtle technique and control that it baffled Richie. He was overcome with a thousand questions and his fertile mind was lit on fire.

From Tague, Richie grasped his use of primarily cables to train muscles into strengthening in isolated components so there were no weak links. Richie ran with the idea and developed, “Mind-Body Weight Training”. He later extensively trained, Mark Gastineau, Freeman McNeil and boxer, Gerry Cooney. Gastineau’s book, “The Body You Want”, crystallized the methodology of Richie Barathy. Below is the extensive, abdominal routine that Barathy taught his clients.

1. Weighted Roman Chair Crunch – Please note it is not a sit up, but a crunch for the upper abdominal area/movement. A dumbbell is rested on upper chest for this one. Constant tension and small crunching motions. Barathy used a 60 lb dumbbell for 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps. The Roman Chair is not common these days, but was a tool popularized by Zabo Koszewski.

2. Cable Side Bend – This drill is in my dvd, Concrete Conflict. It is simply a side bend using a cable anchored several feet from you. This makes the force lateral, rather than vertical. Once again the idea is to use enough weight to stimulate the muscle and strengthen it without momentum or assistance other than stabilization. Three sets of 12 to 15 slow reps.

3. Cable Knee Pull – Richie had clients rest flat on a bench for this one. I’ve had good results from doing it on the floor with my hands propping my hips to eliminate low back aggravation. The cable is safely attached to the ankles and the knees are pulled to the chest in a smooth fashion. This movement, from running back, Freeman McNeil’s comments, helped running and cutting during NFL games. 3 sets of 12 to 15. 

4. Incline Leg Raise – There is a twist to this drill that makes it more control oriented than ‘burn’ oriented. On an incline bench, use the appropriate torso stiffness to maintain a neutral position with the lumbar region. The legs may be slightly unlocked. Raise them to the highest level of your personal range of motion. At the top of the motion, ABduct the legs to slowly form the widest, straddle, position. Now, while still ABducted, externally rotate the thigh so the toes point OUT. Reverse the action by internally rotating the thigh, ADducting the thighs [bringing them together] and lowering the legs, but not letting them rest. This is one rep. Build up to 3 sets of 12 to 15 over weeks and months.

5. Cable Rotation – This is a movement that is unique. It is low force, slow and subtle. You must kneel on the ground, sitting back on your heels. Position yourself ninety degrees from the weight stack. If the weight stack is on your left, grab a single handle with your right arm and lock it straight as if you were firing a gun. Keep your shoulders square. Do not move the hips, this is a waist only movement, done slowly to build rotational strength and minimize shearing and momentum on the spine. The opposite or left hand, should grasp the wrist of the right arm to support it. Start in a mildly stretched position and slowly rotate counterclockwise for 12 to 15 reps. If you lose form or speed up, drop the weight and do it lighter. Repeat on the opposite side for one set. Three sets per side should suffice.

6. Hyperextension – A proper hyperextension means folding at the hips and NOT lumbar which has a limited range of motion and might spell trouble for those who are flexion sensitive. You can add weight slowly as you mature in the movement. Remember this is NOT pure strength. We are learning movement and finding weak spots or “air gaps” in muscle structure. The same set/rep scheme of three sets of 12 to 15 are done.

This abdominal routine is extensive because Richie felt that movement started and finished in the core. This is NOT the peer reviewed and highly conservative methodology of Dr. Stu McGill, but this was the 70′s and I think Sensei Barathy was WAY ahead of his time. The weights are low and not explosive, but the volume, variety and intensity are high. There are simple ways to stabilize the abdominals and then there are others. In the photo below is the cover of Mark Gastineau’s book. You can see at 260 lbs, he had unusually developed abdominals for such a large man. His sack record [we can avoid other aspects of his life for now] was quite impressive.

This abdominal routine is just part of the total, Mind-Body Weight Training System. Each body part has unique exercises that go with it. There is an overall theme to it. I’m NOT saying it is 100% correct or the only way to train, I’m simply presenting this article from the past since a lot of “free thinking” gets bashed before it can develop and flesh out a methodology. 

 As for Richie, he passed away in October 21 st, 1996. I had the honor of meeting him. His crew of martial artist and bouncers had driven in from New York to Fort Lauderdale for vacation in 1979. They looked like a bunch of guys you really didn’t want to argue with but they were total gentlemen and full of class,.. like their instructor. I miss guys like him. “Has anybody seen Richie?”

The post Abdominals: “Has anybody seen Richie?” appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

The photo above is a view of the stage of Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach from the spotlight booth. I’m estimating I spent several hundreds of hours looking through that glass.

From roughly 1980, starting as a bodyguard on the Miami based movie, “Absence of Malice”, until 2010 I was employed in the entertainment field. That included some film, major TV, [Miami Vice], philharmonic, concerts, Broadway shows, corporate conventions, industrial shows, ballet, modern dance, award shows and a full spectrum of Latin entertainment. This job is supervised by a union and you could be largely unemployed in the summer months or work over 100 hours in a week during the season.

The rules when I began were much, much, looser and to a degree, it was like entering a prison environment with hostile people, fights and open substance abuse. It was just part of the culture. Not for the faint of heart or weak of back. Such morbid conditions and high pressure, complex work forced certain principles. Millions of dollars are often on the line and live performance is immensely stressful. You will soon get over your own ego when you fail on camera with a live audience of one billion.

Following are some observation rules or principles. I’m NOT saying they are right. Simply my observation of what went on for 30 years and how simple decision making tools worked out.

1. You Are Either On Time or  You Suck – In thirty years of being on time, I can count on one hand the times I was even a minute or two late. The same with the most talented, highest paid guys. If you were on time, you were good. If you were late, you sucked. We can realize from some of my earlier writings and social media comments that being late = arrogance.

2. If You Have Substance Abuse Issues, You Had To Be Extremely Talented – Even in the talent side of show business this is true. Think of Robert Downey Jr for example. Humans are more forgiving of substance abuse if you are capable of sobering up and providing a high level of skill that contributes to a positive outcome.

3. You Can Tolerate Immense Amount of Physical Abuse – Hard work is a filter. Some will last, some won’t. The ability to endure in a hopeless situation and continue moving forward is a quality known as gameness. I’ve seen guys return after abdominal surgery, vasectomy, heart stints, pneumonia, broken bones, herniated disks, seizures, strokes, heart attacks and cancer to work long before the doctor’s OK. Bad decision? YES. But you have to eat and pay your bills. I worked with untreated pneumonia for two months. You just learn to shake that stuff off.

4. A View of the Big Picture Is Important – They dynamic of building a show are constantly changing. The end result is what is important. This ability to adjust your behavior and actions at the drop of the dime is not unique to the theater world but it is certainly applied daily.

5. Production Meetings Are a Waste of Time – Any meeting by production is simply a matter of social interaction, drinking latte’s and checking social media status. The crews know  what they have to do, how to do it, how soon it must be done. Stopping them for meetings simply stops work. Fundamentally, let professionals do their job.

6. Rewarding Bad Behavior is the Deadliest Behavior – Rewarding bad behavior perpetuates bad. A crew member who was late or incompetent back in the 70′s and 80′s [earlier too] was often, ‘covered’. His behavior was masked by fellow workers or “union brothers” so as not to diminish the total picture. Hide your rotten apples so to speak. This creates monster on crews and in society. It will create a monster out of a child or pet.

7. Chaos Creates Money – The more disorganized the production, the more money you make. The more production assistants they use on a film or TV show, the more money you will make. When they are incompetent, you make more money.

8. Knowing What You Want Is Extremely Powerful – Frequently an emotional and personally disorganized lighting director when asked, “Is that good?” [checking to see if the adjustments to lighting are satisfactory], they will reply, “I’m not getting what I want!!” Our reply was, “How are we supposed to know what you want if YOU don’t know what you want?”

9. Assuming is Deadly – I’ve had massive Broadway shows role into the Jackie Gleason Theater and they were constructed so smoothly we were planning dinner and beverages at 2 pm. The stage crew were already telling each other the same stories for the third time. Then I’ve been left to manage a, “Little Cuban Show”, which is shorthand for, “the kiss of death”. Complexity is more about incompetence and communication than apparent size.

10. Having a Sense of Humor is Lifesaving – Being able to laugh when you work is survival. I’ve worked three consecutive 100 hour weeks before. That isn’t even close to the record. If you can’t laugh, tell jokes and stories,.. I think survival would be tough. Realize the show always goes on and managing stress with humor is healthy.

Below is an example of what a large show looks like. This was the MTV Latin Video Awards. The closing act was Iggy Pop. I was running the spotlight on Iggy. [there EIGHT spotlights for that show]. At that point I had about 75 hours of labor in that week and averaged 5 hours sleep, with a one hour commute each way. It would take another 20 or more hours to disassemble the show and then restore the Jackie Gleason Theater to normal, working order.

The post What I Learned As A Stagehand That Applies To Life appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

First off, let’s realize that Max Shank is a genetic stud. A lot of the time, those who win the genetic lottery need to not work hard or they are lousy coaches. I’ll be blunt. Max is a HARD worker and he’s a very good, articulate, coach. The Ultimate Athleticism package presents Max’s ideas on how to improve your ability to do anything. It’s not specific. It is groupings of exercises that have the most carryover, in Max’s estimation, to developing that movement. Within those groups, Max gives a progression from basic to advanced. It is very, clearly, delineated. Then he gives a template to combine those movements into workouts. He is very specific and nothing is taken for granted. When you move through the steps, you are essentially  developing strength and ability that has the biggest bang per buck. It’s not so much about minimalism as it is about efficiency.

What I liked — Just about everything. The total package of book, videos, etc is just thought out. The writing style is CLEAR and layout is professional. I’d say this is a worthwhile investment. If a teen athlete just focused on this.. he’d have a foundation that would be rock solid.

What I didn’t like — Not much. The thing that is distracting is to see Max do Thai Boxing, press two 106lb kettlebells, practice Muay Thai + Brazilian Jiujitsu and perform difficult bodyweight feats. He appears superhuman. He certainly can’t guarantee you will do all these things and doesn’t. As they say with any process, “Your mileage may vary”.

To buy this package, simply go here – http://ultimateathleticism.com/

To learn more about Max and his workshops/services, go here – http://maxshank.com/

I’ll end this review with a picture of Max from his prison days. [Photoshoot in Alcatraz for Convict Conditioning]

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Let me blunt at the start. I will probably not be doing much of the “Mastery” level of this book. However it is by far the best thing Dragondoor has put out in terms of content, thoroughness, art design, writing and entertainment.

Explosive Calisthenics follows up the path started by the controversial Convict Conditioning. It doesn’t let you down. In fact it’s just an evolutionary process to present material that needs organized with sensible progressions, some history and clear coaching.

I like to give two sections to reviews. “What I like” and “What I don’t like”. I like 99.9% of this book.

The possible downside is that you have enough mileage NOT to be able to start at the first level, just for challenge, variety or interest. You have no need for the Explosive movements. That’s fine. Your children or grandchildren MIGHT. This book is THAT good. Just laid out well, colorful and well written.

If you are a fitness person, you should have this on your shelf for a reference. The only people who would dislike this book train in cold rooms, in slow motion, in fear of injury, while preaching extreme right wing politics and misogyny. Other than that small subset, it’s worth it’s price. I have a hard copy, but an ebook with a Kindle works just as well.

Click the link below if you are tired of the old black and white, poorly written books that DON’T deliver. This one does.

Explosive Calisthenics Superhuman Power, Maximum Speed and Agility, Plus Combat-Ready Reflexes—Using Bodyweight-Only Methods By Paul “Coach” Wade
Explosive Calisthenics is for those who want to be winners and survivors in the game of life—for those who want to be the Complete Package: powerful, explosive, strong, agile, quick and resilient.

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Rings of Power is a book on using gymnastics or “still” rings to enhance strength fitness. It is written by Mike Gillette. I remember Mike from ‘back in the day’. He was a regular contributor to mma.tv’s “The Underground”. He was also featured early in Threat Response Solutions, dvds. Here is an excerpt of his resume on Dragondoor -

“Former SWAT Commander and Executive Bodyguard, Mike Gillette is a relentless student of the human factors which allow people to succeed against overwhelming odds. In his line of work, these ‘odds’ have centered on threat management and peak performance training methods. His research and experiences have taken him through many different worlds and disciplines. They have ultimately produced a body of knowledge which has been put to use by clients ranging from armed professionals to ordinary people who must operate in extraordinary circumstances.

Mike’s knowledge was first put to the test after he was injured in a climbing accident in 1984. This came just several months after he had left active-duty service as an Army paratrooper to attend the University of Arizona on an ROTC scholarship. With a broken back and screws holding his ankles together, Mike was discharged from military service.

This was all hard to take for someone who had received perfect scores on every one of his Army fitness tests and had run his first marathon on a dare. The next four years were a combination of discipline, experimentation, and disappointments. But through diligent study, pain and hard work, Mike had restored himself physically to the point where he could enter the field of law enforcement. As distinguished graduate of his academy class and with several academy fitness records under his belt, Mike was selected to attend a police fitness-trainer pilot program. Mike excelled as a trainer, and would eventually become one of the most highly credentialed tactical trainers in the United States, with over 25 different Use-of-Force and Weapons Systems instructor designations to his name.”

In 1995, concurrent with his law enforcement and training duties, Mike returned to military service in a part-time role. Following a rigorous selection process, he was accepted into the 194th Long-Range Surveillance Detachment and full ‘jump’ status. This was a significant milestone for Mike, who had been told 11 years earlier by an Army surgeon that he would never run again, much less jump out of any more airplanes.

For over 25 years, Mike has been an ardent student of the martial arts. He has traveled extensively to train with some of the world’s foremost instructors, earning black belts in Filipino, Korean and American martial arts styles. Mike has appeared in martial arts magazines, books and videos and has provided performance coaching to competitive martial arts fighters.

Mike has, by necessity, pursued a life-long study of strength and conditioning methods. He served for several years as a Police Academy Fitness Trainer and later as a Physical Training Specialist for the Army National Guard. He has personally trained under such luminaries as Bob Hoffman, former Physical Education Faculty at West Point and former Director of the US Army’s Physical Fitness School; and Ed Thomas, one of the world’s leading physical culture experts.

More recently, Mike began training in the performance of strongman-style feats of strength, studying with such notable practitioners as Dennis Rogers and Jon Bruney. And to better understand the connection between mind and body, Mike has trained with Guy Savelli, best known for introducing unconventional operator enhancement techniques to the US Army Special Forces community and whose unique talents were the basis for the title of the film “The Men Who Stare at Goats”.

So when I was sent this book for review, I had some very high expectations. Perhaps they were too high.

What I liked -

Photography was impeccable. Form on drills, flawless. Clearly written and laid out. Dragondoor is getting awesome at putting together fitness books.

What I didn’t like -

Content. I thought this only covered drills that were fundamental to most Suspension Classes in the country. Mike is just a tough guy, hard core and it shows, but with his incredible resume, I thought there would be more. Not much in the leg training and while the upper body loading methods are novel and ‘hardcore’, a weighted vest could have sufficed. I don’t know if there are more books planned and Mike’s ultimate vision was a HUGE catalogue of training methodology or what. Perhaps this is just an introduction. The book is 101 pages before the advertisements.

Overall I’m a Mike Gillette fan. Perhaps my expectations are too high and this introductory manual is more in line with what trainees need. However I’m let a bit let down. You can check it out below if you like.

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Let me say this book is pretty amazing. Within the compliment I have reservations. First off, it is over 600 pages. Not crappy, black and white photos of boys and girls in ill fitting active wear demonstrating sit ups,.. but charts, graphs, illustration on almost every page. I have said it before and will say it again, Dragondoor’s quality has gone UP incredibly. The books are very, very, well crafted, great art design, superior photography and edited well. Even if the content is not exactly what you agree with, they are nice additions to your collection.

This book involves empowering you to understand some health issues and how to deal with them. Proactive behavior is great in theory, hard in practice. Years ago after talking with a high level medical researcher about my fitness and diet practices, he said, “You are right about everything, but with patients it’s about adherence. That is where humans fail. Based on that, I can’t have people “check out” on my watch.” Regardless, more books that address prevention and application are needed. Taking responsibility for one’s health has to be a priority.

Here is the breakdown. I’ll keep this brief and not add more reading in case you buy the 600 page monster.

What was good – Art design, thoroughness, illustrations were incredible, included a vast source of data about health, nutrition, exercise and application. It’s worth buying the Kindle or adding to your coffee table book collection.

What I didn’t like – A bit of “new age” stuff on gluten and inflammation being the source of bad hair pieces and Third World Debt. I’m sure most health issues are multifactorial and not singular. However books create debate. Debate is good.

 Based on going through this heavyweight source.. I’d say buy it if you are a fan of taking control of your outcomes. Some items could be debated, but that is positive. Better to have open discussion than closed minds.

Strong Medicine How to Conquer Chronic Disease—And Achieve Your Full Genetic Potential By Dr. Chris Hardy and Marty Gallagher
How to Win the War Against the Enemies of Optimal Health and High Performance—A Complete, Scientific Battle Plan for Reversing Disease, Restoring Vitality and Operating at Your Athletic Peak…

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Ever since man started using external resistance to improve strength, he has tried to improve the methods. More direct, more comfortable, simpler and effective. The use of “machines”, to improve effectiveness is actually pretty old. However even though cables, benches, leg extension/curl apparatus existed along with Universal Machines, etc, no one had the impact that Arthur Jones and Nautilus had.  When you combined a fundamental knowledge of mechanics, some basic logic, a flamboyant image and PT Barnum-like sales ability, you had a force to be reckoned with. You could say that Steve Reeves caught our attention, the Weiders published it in media and Arnold soared it to amazing heights. But the person that made us pissed off, made us think, made us question,.. was Arthur Jones. Imagine a big game hunter, surrounded by crocodiles, alligators, airplanes and exercise machines in that heartless savannah called Central Florida. It wasn’t on the beach in Venice, CA, nor at the gym. It was about imagery, mechanics, theory and pissing  you off. It was also a huge act. It also worked. Weider publications ran a series of articles in the early 70′s called, “Nautilus Machines: A Critical Analysis. They interviewed Arnold, Franco, Bill Pearl and Vince Gironda. The charismatic Nautilus inventor was seen as a threat to bodybuilding. I have NO idea why. Perhaps it was a knee jerk thing like Weider throwing contests that didn’t require bodybuilders to perform Olympic Weightlifting then get up on stage at 1 AM after the REAL lifters were done. The York Empire was not happy. Arthur Jones however introduced a tool AND a method. So he was going against the grain. His machines, he said, were better and you could improve in less time. You just had to work harder and be more efficient. You, because of the efficiency of machines, do as little as one set of, “outright hard work”, to accomplish what 20 sets would do. He was willing to back it up as well. He invited bodybuilders, including Arnold and Franco, down to train in Florida. The rest is history.

The point that most in the whole Nautilus vs Free Weights debate fail to mention is that Arthur Jones was promoting a training method AND his machines. So he was bold enough to say that he invented something better than a barbell or cable, and he invented a training method BETTER than anything currently available. Once again. Bold claims, flamboyant source, PT Barnum and that brashness. Besides “This vs That” is avoiding middle ground, a logical fallacy. Why can’t you use any effective tool at your disposal?

The debate of whether HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING is equal to any other method is not the point of this article. The point of the article is that the popularity of Nautilus/Hammer/MedX declined as Arthur Jones slowly faded into that big Safari in the sky. What did we lose? Some GREAT hardware.

So rather than argue with HIT Jedi’s about leg work, why not just do your squats and finish off with a Nautilus Duo Squat Machine? Your spine is protected and the range of motion is great for hip/leg health. Shearing forces are reduced as well. Resistance is EASY to change. These features can safely address leg strength even when fatigued or sporting an injury.

The Nautilus Duosymmetric, Polycontractile, Squat Machine.

Range of motion in the shoulder girdle can be a limiting factor. NO tool addresses it better than some of the original Nautilus Pullover machines. I believe there was a 290 degree, range of motion in the machines. I had several clients capable of this back in the 1980′s.

A very rare, Poly-Duo Pullover

So your pressing, both overhead and supine is weak? What about a machine that could help you through a sticking point or allow you to SAFELY load eccentrics in those movements?

A foot pedal to lift the weight stack in the Omni Shoulder. Next to it is the Omni Bench Press.

How about one tool that can be used for belt squats, stiff legged deadlifts [with an optional platform], weighted pull ups, weighted dips, negative pull ups, negative dips, standing calf raise, donkey calf raise, wrist curls and probably a few more?

The Nautilus Multiexercise machine. Adjustable height and with a weight stack.

What if your low back is ”tweaked” or hands are torn? Perhaps stimulate strength and a healthy range of motion with a lumbar machine that applies force on the upper torso? You can start with hardly any weight and safely isolate it with one of these.

A later version of the lower back machine by Nautilus.

Oh, suffering from gluteal amnesia? Why not trade in your pelvic smashing hip thrusts with some work on the old Nautilus Hip and Back machine? By keeping one leg contracted and working the other through a full range of motion, West Point cadets had a higher vertical leap than their peers who trained both legs together.

Poly-Duo Hip and Back

Lastly, other than grapplers, few work their neck. The original Nautilus machines had a, Neck and Shoulder unit [shrug], a Rotary neck [seen below] and a 4 Way Neck. These machines were refined over the years until they disappeared in most gyms around the turn of the century. A strong neck is no less important now than 40 years ago.

Rotary neck. Resistance is through self applied negative loading with arm levers.

The point of this parade of metal is that some excellent tools were discarded. Remember when your martial arts instructor wanted to teach throws and groundwork back in the 70′s when everyone was “Kung Fu Fighting”? Then came the Gracies. So now it’s functional, dynamic, max effort, plyometric, Olympic, prehab, rehab, assistance, anaerobic, aerobic, lactate threshold, heart rate variable, hormone and GMO free. So much variety, so much information and we still have obese people and injured people. That last group may well do better on machines initially. Why start a de-trained 300lb woman on squatting when her knees or hips are barely strong enough to walk?

For that matter, what if you are so beat up during your season of rugby, football, soccer or baseball that the thought deadlifting or squatting makes your back hurt from the layers of injuries and fatigue? Wouldn’t it be safer or saner to sit on a machine IN season to protect your carcass and focus on the powerlifts AFTER the season was over? The 70′s Steelers under strength coach Lou Rieke did just that. He designed some of the earliest machines to maintain in season strength. Who could argue with their success? Too often the ego gets in the way of the concept of, “do no harm”.

So coming back around to training styles and NOT debating HIT vs THAT. What can you do with those older machines?

• Training to failure

• Training not to failure

• Training full range of motion

• Training limited range of motion

• Pyramid up

• Descending sets

• Pre exhaustion

• Post exhaustion

• Single limb

• Poly Contractile, Duo Symmetric 

• Alternating

• Varying Speed

• Positive/Negative

• Negative only

• Negative accentuated

• Infimetric 

• Infitonic 

• Forced reps

• Metabolic Conditioning

• Static Contraction

Of course you could do this on some other machines, but the design of these machines allowed for ease of operation, alignment and safety. The drawback is some of the earlier machines had lots of friction and their design used lots of floor space with exposed cams and chains. This has been modernized although some of the other features have been eliminated or minimized. 

So if you have an opportunity to strap in and take one of these antiques for a ride, try it. Don’t limit yourself. Do some research and use the right tool for the right purpose. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. 

The post Rage Against The Machines: The Baby and the Bathwater appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

I just finished reading and absorbing Project: Kratos Bodyweight High Intensity Training by Drew Baye. I thoroughly enjoyed it. For those of you that don’t know Drew, he’s kind of like the Wolverine of HIT. He’s the best at what he does. I became aware of his early writings on a black & white blog some time ago. Let’s just say he’s mellowed a bit since then. Life has that effect. He’s also more focused now. It’s like watching an actor early in his career and then later. You see growth. 

Project Kratos is Drew’s application of high intensity training and mechanics to improving and clarifying the use of bodyweight training into a progressive format. In all honesty, it comes off a bit dry, but the technical essence and dialogue are spot on. Drew may be the most detailed fitness communicator in the business. The refreshing part was the aspects of measuring intensity through speed of movement, number of repetitions, range of motion and time under tension. These are strictly organized and the application to the body part groupings carefully detailed. 

The parts I liked was the clarity. It’s really unmatched and it’s comprehensive. I mean if HIT training is not your game, this is not some persuasive advertisement. It’s direct and detailed. The ebook is well put together. It’s more technical than flamboyant, which is Drew’s style. As Mr. Spock once said, “If it’s less technical, it’s less correct.”

The parts I didn’t like are minimal. Drew is a graphic designer as well as a fitness coach. I’d like to see more flavor in his photographs and layout. That’s just an artistic observation, but I think it would help the total package. 

If you would like to purchase the Ebook or Softcover go here —> http://baye.com/store/project-kratos/

To sum it up,.. It’s clear, concise, competent, collective, centered and yes.. cool. 

Drew meditates after the workout, repeating the words of the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, “I taught them everything they know but I didn’t teach them everything I know!”

The post Drew Baye Wants Your Body appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

This Ebook is absolutely free to you. It is basically answers to questions from clients all over the world about Armor of War. It provides alternative applications and clarification of methodology.

Of course OWNING Armor of War first would help. It’s only $10 dollars and available at the url below.

http://www.tomfurman.com/downloads/armor-of-war-augmented-bodyweight-training/

After reading it, download the Frequently Asked Questions Ebook to further your understanding.

http://www.tomfurman.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/AOW_FAQ-eBook.pdf

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Danny Kavadlo needs little introduction. He and his brother, Al are traveling the world teaching bodyweight methodology and also publishing the material with a high quality standard that is missing in many other venues. His current, work, “Strength Matters” focuses less on training bodyweight or street style, but more on progression. The simple idea of doing the same thing and expecting different outcomes is quite common in the exercise world. The templates, drills and integration are nicely organized. What I respect is the humor and carefree nature of Danny. He has fun. Not everything is serious and his approach is about a way of life, not just 20 minutes out of your day, three times per week. The graphic design as with all his books is off the charts. Photography is NOT boring and Dragondoor is getting increasingly masterful with putting out books for your shelf versus a few printed and gray pages.

The only possible downside is if bodyweight training is not your thing. I’d still think this is a good supplement, but if it’s not your thing, put it on a back burner for a friend or family member who could make use of this spartan approach to excellence.

You may purchase it here — http://www.dragondoor.com/b84/

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As I went through my various writing notes on my storage cloud, I came upon the purposely unfinished book project on the training methods of Eddie Kowacz, the Green Ghost. Some of this material is redundant from other articles and some of it is not. The impact of the method is still valuable and the thought process of the training is like the intended title, brief, brutal and basic.

The thinking and ingenuity are at least in an organized outline. You will also see some incomplete areas that I had not yet filled in. Such is live. Enjoy this and like Bruce Lee said, “Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is specifically your own.” [This document is largely unedited]

Brief, Brutal, Basic

The Training Methods of Eddie “Green Ghost” Kowacz

Forward

The Short Bio

I learned from the Pros in my gym (Gaspari, Phil Hill) and my partner at the jail was a bodybuilder named Franco Santoriello. Nothing new is out there bodybuilding wise. Everything is just a re-hash.

I have my training logs from the 80s and 90s and use it as my guide.

How this book is designed

This book is organized by an outline giving a broad over view of what I call the “Green Ghost System”. I’ve sorted through a massive volume of notes, commentary, questions, answers and workout logs to put a loose and flexible overview of a system that is constantly refined and tested nearly daily. This book will have a massive amount of sidebars. This lends itself to lateral thinking. Having the organization, then having commentary from Eddie Kowacz himself is similar to being instructed by him. The technical framework provided by this book is just a skeleton, whereas the meat of the methodology is built from Eddie’s words. Whenever you see a sidebar with “E.K.”, you will know that the detailed comments are from Eddie himself. You will also see examples of the principle or exercise in a sample workout from his training logs.

Overview

Brief- The workouts are not lengthy and the warm ups are often non existent. Only a few movements are used. Time between sets is measured and considered a training variable. This also adds to the GPP or General Preparatory Phase of conditioning.

Brutal- The brutal nature of training is in heavy movement. Fundamentally, two motions are focused on. Pushes and Pulls. Pushing is any pressing movement. Eddie does not squat because of previous knee damage, but you will add squatting to this mix under this category. The other category is Pulls. This will be from the ground up, like deadlifts, cleans, snatches, swings or upper body pulling that would include chin ups, rowing and curling. By focusing on movements that can be loaded heavily, the stimulus to the system is greater. This is amplified by using heavier [relative] weights for lower reps and higher amounts of sets.

Basic- Simple Movements

Main thing for me has always been to never to focus on more than a few ( 2-3 ) movements per training cycle. I love doing this type of Volume Training for most of the Basic Compound Multi-Joint Exercises, using either Barbells, Dumbbells and Kettlebells. Bodyweight drills done using this format are also a favorite of mine. I vary the intensity of the movement by changing the amount of weight, sets, reps, or even time of rest.

Syncretic Nature of a System

Not an Either/Or Fallacy

“If it works for you it can’t be wrong.”

Rather than focus on what is politically correct the methodology that Eddie employs is that it works for him. Give it a fair test, measure results and either use it, put it away for now or throw it away. The most import component is the trainee. The methods are secondary to getting results.

Too often in seeking effective training methods the individual looks to the extreme. Simple hard work is ignored for what is flashy or fantastic. Mystery always hold more attention than logic. By instead focusing on what produces result, you can add to or subtract from your bag of knowledge. Your toolbox remains a personal history of success and new techniques or tools can be added without giving up the flavor of how you train.

——————————————-

1. Methods

Strength base was built by using a combination of ME, DE, and Volume Deadlifts.

————

Yes, I combine ME and DE sometimes in the same workout and sometimes I reverse the order and do DE first which serves as a warmup. I have done this using the same movement and have also switched up in the past and switched compound movements. For example:

1 arm KB Dead Snatches done using a sub-maximal load ( 70s ) for 10 sets of 3s followed by 3-5 Deadlifts in the 92-100% range. The dead snatches do 2 things for me, they help in providing a warmup and they are used as a gauge to check my speed. If I’m sluggish that day I’ll backoff on both the number of snatches and I’ll cut back on my DL load.

—————————–

Dead Cleans done using 2 70s for 12 sets of 5 reps. 60 seconds rest break after each set.

Conventional DL stance used and starting position of KBs was on the outside of legs.

Using a Safety Squat Bar with chains added for the past 4 weeks has really aided this drill.

———–

I have two fat handled 100s and one 145 lber. I’ve done 1 arm swings with the 145 for 3×3 to chest height. My best workout with the 100 was 10 x 3/3 swing snatches using a 60 second rest between sets. Dead Cleans with them is a killer!

I do eat 1 meal at night 7-8 PM and a snack 3 hours later. Nothing during the day though. Weight has varied lately from 190-198.

————–

a. ME – The Maximal Effort Method: This is defined as lifting a maximal load for 1-3 reps, and is the highest force that can be performed by the muscular system. This is and should be an all out effort. This method will improve neuromuscular coordination by increased motor unit recruiting, increased rate coding, and motor unit synchronization. Many coaches view this as being the best method for both intra-muscular and inter-muscular coordination, because the muscles and the central nervous system adapt only to the load placed upon them.  
The maximal effort method does not utilize psychological preparation, in other words you should not psyche up before the set, this will only bring about emotional fatigue. Save the psyche for the meet when you really need it. Training with the max effort method more than twice a week should be avoided because it will impair muscular coordination as well as increase defensive inhibition.–Louie Simmons

b. DE – Dynamic Effort Method

“This method requires the lifter lift sub-maximal weights as fast as he can.” – Louie Simmons

IMO, doing ballistics is the best way to develop starting strength.

Different categories of strength and each kind of strength requires a different way to train. For example, explosive strength is best developed by using compensatory acceleration.

You must know which one to maximize for your sport!

c. RE – Repetition Effort Method/Density

I’ve always enjoyed the 10×5, 10×3, 12×5, 12×3, training formats for whole body movements even when I was bodybuilding in the early 80s. But I never thought of using “time of rest” between sets as a training variable. It was either more weight, more sets or more reps. I feel that this is an important variable to tweak from time to time more so for KBs than BBs because of the limited options in KB sizes.

Supersetted Bodyweight Dips + Chins for 10 sets of 5/5.

30 seconds rest between sets. 5 Dips + 5 Chins 30 seconds rest and repeat 9 x

Brutal but great! Thumbless grip used as always.

d. Basic movements

e. Reps for recovery

2. Tools

Folks, Whatever training tool that you are using (Spin Bike,Treadmill, Barbell, Kettlebell, Sword, Hula Hoop, Yo-Yo) and you find yourself still fat and unhappy, don’t blame the equipment that YOU chose, nor the INSTRUCTOR! The only tools to blame here, are your FORK and SPOON!…. and some of you even look like you’re only a few days away from switching to a PITCHFORK and SHOVEL! 
Unless you’re lying unconscious in the ER with a tube stuck into your arm, it’s YOUR FAULT! Why? Because you have 100% complete control over your food intake. That’s 100%, all the time! No one is pointing a gun in your face and saying eat a box of munchkins or else are they?


Doing an hour of intense cardio in the morning, followed by a food intake that would rival the total number of calories consumed by the Pilgrims on Thanksgiving Day is a bit much, don’t you think? 
Time to accept some personal responsibility.


Almost forgot, re: Spinning – I read a training blog recently that claimed that one of the top reasons as to why woman get fatter is because they do spinning. !@#$%&? 
This of course, is an absurd statement and reeks of a self serving purpose, most likely fueled by an attempt to separate good hard training people, from their coin. 
Thus, anyone making this statement is a dumbass, and anyone who agrees or believes it, is an even bigger dumbass! DON’T BLAME THE TRAINING TOOL! 


a. Barbells

b. Dumbbells

Did 3 sets DL Stiff-Legged Triples using 2 – 172 lb DB’s. ( handles fit 8 per side and not only 7 as I stated before )

Did 3 singles of same drill using the 2-212 DBs.

I like the feel of these better than with the trap bar due to the fact that I can get in the same pulling position as I do KB Dead Cleans with.

The width of the Trap Bar handles is 25 inches or so and I prefer a position that’s closer to my legs. I did find that if I use the trap bar length wise the handles are an inch closer. Better… but still not as good as with the DBs. I will be keeping the STDLs in my routine but not on a weekly basis.

c. Kettlebells

I’ve been training with Kettlebells on and off for the past 8 years, and I like them. While they provide a great training effect, mainly GPP ( General Physical Preparedness ) they are nothing more than just another piece of training equipment. All things being equal, I can get the same type of training effect from barbells, dumbbells, shoveling snow, cutting wood or even lifting a bunch of rocks in my backyard.

That being said…There’s nothing magical about them. It’s not manna from heaven. It’s a hunk of metal with a handle, nothing more. You wanna worship it, pray to it, color eyes on it, and even name it, fine by me.

However, some of the claims that I’ve read about them (think marketing hype, here) have been downright ridiculous! Some trainers have even gone so overboard with their claims, that you’d think that in a past life they worked in a carnival as a barker.

KBs won’t burn, sear, scorch or even vaporize the fat off your body any faster than any of the aforementioned equipment. Providing of course, that you monitor your food intake. Separate the dogma from the drivel! Again, great training tool. Nothing more, nothing less.

——-

Training Test using Kettlebells! First time this year using them.

Double Dead Cleans done using 70s for 10 sets of 5. 60 second rest used between each set. KBs placed outside of legs and all reps done touch and go. Purpose of today was to gauge the effectiveness of my 2 weekly pull days as far as explosiveness and stamina is concerned. My bodyweight has been at 185 since last Saturday and it’s an easy keeper. Nice Barbell to Kettlebell WTH effect! Off tomorrow and Mon. Deadlifts!

d. Bands

Bands-

Great choice to include them in your players training as well as your own. I wish I had them 25 years ago when I was 18! I have been using them for the last 3 years for a half dozen movements both band only and with fixed weights as well. Can’t go wrong!

Here are a few band specs:

mini band – @ 6′ 25 lbs. of resistance per band.

light band – @ 6′ 50 lbs. of resistance per band.

average band – @ 6′ 75 lbs. of resistance per band.

strong band – @ 6′ 100 lbs. of resistance per band.

If you want to increase resistance just add an extra loop on the bottom. Instead of just stepping in the band step on it and loop it once around the bottom of your foot. If that’s not enough do it one more time.

Right now I am doing band only squats 2X a week for knee-rehab. Once for strength and once for strength/endurance.

Band only GMs, Presses, Jerks, Pullups are must tries also. The only knock I have on them is that when you stretch them beyond 6′ they wear out at a faster rate. For example, with overhead presses at my height of 6’2″ and with my arms extended they are stretched out at least an additional foot and a half ( unbelievable extra tension ) so they tend to lose a little integrity after a few months of 2X a

week use. ( I got separate ones for overhead use only ) But they are low cost and worth every penny. Good Luck

c. Chains

Yeah, Home Depot is where I got mine. Don’t buy the towing chain that comes in the bag , that’s way too expensive. Their biggest chain is either 3/8 or 5/8, I forget. Whichever one it is it’s 20 lbs of weight for 12 foot of chain. Start with 1 set which is 2 – 12 foot pieces. Cost is around 60 bucks for this set.

Wish I had chains and the knowledge of them back in the 80′s. Great for pullups when the chain weight is heavier. I think that using chains is better for bodybuilding than even powerlifting!

e. Clubs

21 Oct:

Clubbell Swipes – 5X5 using 25 lbers. ( Warmup )

Deadlifts – 5X5 with 415 lbs which is 80% of Max.

Standing Ab Curls – Jumpstretch Blue Bands

This was my last DL workout til next year.

23 Oct:

2 KB Overhead Presses using 70 lbers. for 5X5

Dead Snatch – 70 lb. KB for 12 sets of 3 reps

30 second rest break between sets. Nice to start doing

these again.

25 Oct:

Clubbell Swipes using 2 25 lbers for 10 sets of 5 reps.

I also did some work with the 45 lb. Club. As follows,

I start with club at my side Swing it up to chest level,

release and catch with the other hand etc, etc. Great Drill.

5 times with each hand for 5 sets.

27 Oct:

KB Swings using thick handle 100 lber. 5 sets of 5 reps were done.

All reps went to head level. Did not switch on the fly.

I reset the KB on the ground after each arm did 5 reps.

Felt almost as difficult as the 5X5 DL routine.

Used the same KBs for Suitcase Dls for 15 sets of 5 reps.

Nice feel to this with the KBs on the outside

29 Oct:

2 KB Overhead Presses using 75 lbers. ( 70s with 5 lbs. added )

5 sets of doubles.

Clubbell Swipes using 25 lbers. for 10 sets of 10 reps.

Abs.

Today:

Dead Snatches using 70 Kb for 12 reps per arm.

15 minute rest.

KB Swings using 100 lbers for 5X5. All reps head level

2 Kb Dls using 120 lbs each. ( 100 lb. KB with 20 lb leg weight added )

10 sets of 5 reps were done with a 60 sec. rest break.

Bodyweight at 200 . No RSR Deadlift til I get my new Titanium knee

next year.

3. Modes

a. Pulls-

IMO, you can never have a too strong back. If it’s a weakness it should be addressed.

——————–

My pulling movements have always been dominant over my pushing movements. Whether it’s low reps, high reps or even long volume sessions, pulls rule. Maybe it’s because when I started lifting back in the middle 70′s ( I was 15 then ) I had no bench. I got a 110 lb. weight set from Sears ( gold ) and the first exercise I ever did with it was a Deadlift. I had some marathon sessions for sure. I remember doing 100 rep sets (DL)with it when I was a sophomore in H.S. DLs, Rows, Power Cleans and even Curls were the favorites. Military Presses came later as did Bench work.

———-

On my next Pull Day I will do pulls from the middle ( between legs ) as opposed from the side, like today and will be rotated on this Push/Pull Routine from now on. The Primary movements for Center Pull day will be KB Swing High Pulls using 150+ or Heavy 1 arm swings with the 100 and 150 lb KB. Snatches will be done using the Dead version as opposed to the Swing version. This drill will be done using the 70 for DE type training and the 88 and above will be used for ME training. I picked up some heavy 3/4 inch chain and will be adding them to my KB High Pulls.

—————————-

KB Swing High Pulls done using 210 lber for 6 sets of 3 reps. (front pull drill)

(I used my 150 lber + 60 lbs of chain ( fixed weight ) attached to each side of the handle using flex cuffs) Future drills will be done using KBs attached to the handles. Got many KBs so the combinations are endless.

Finished with 1 set of TBDLs using 315 for 25 reps done touch -n- go. (side pull)

1. Deadlift

–Volume Deadlift–

Deadlifts done using 315 for 25 sets of 5 reps. 60 seconds rest used between sets.

With a few warmup singles this was a 40,000 lbs + volume day. Good cardio!

——–

Deadlifts done using 315 for 12 sets of 5 reps. 30 seconds rest between sets. Great cardio!

—————

Deadlifts done using 365 lbs for 10 sets of 5 reps. 1.5 to 2 minutes rest between sets. The 365 is just more than 2x bodyweight.

—————–

Deadlifts done using 405 for 10 sets of triples. 60 seconds rest used between sets. For the last 4 sets I used straps.

——————

The Stiff Legged Deadlift- SLDL using 25 lb plates. 345, 395, 445, 395, 345 for triple. SLDLs will be done using either 25 or 10 lb plates for the purpose of increasing the movements ROM. Standard Deadlifts are not being used in this training cycle. I used a clean grip for all the SLDLs except the last 445. No problem since it’s the first time doing these in years.

——–

SLDLs using 10 lb. plates. 365, 385, 405, 385, 365. The bar holds 17 ten lb. plates per side so I had to add a 20 lb leg weight onto the middle of the bar to achieve the 405. Unreal ROM using the 10s!

——

The SLDLs are done with a slightly rounded back. I’ve never injured my back when doing any kind of DL pulling action but do use these extreme ranges with caution.

Right now I am focusing on both DE and ME for a few Posterior Chain Movements which include SLDLs, Clean High Pulls ( using heavy KBs ) , and 1 arm KB Swings and 1 arm KB Snatches. These are done on a rotating basis every 2-3 days. For high rep work I am using either JS Heavy Band GMS or bodyweight rev-hypers.

——————————

Trap Bar Deadlift done using 455 for 5 singles. Was good for about 20 lbs more but no need to push it. (500 + in 4-6 weeks) Finished with 1 set of same movement using 315 for 25 reps. ( touch and go ) I will keep TBDLs as my main pulling movement ( 1-2 X weekly ) since I’m done with regular DLs for quite a while! More carryover for me to KBs with the TBDL than with regular DLs, as well. The reason is the hand placement. I can pull and hold a lot more using a neutral grip, than with either a mixed or clean grip. The DL form that I am using on this movement is very close to a Stiff-Legged version. I also feel that I will get more carryover to my KB Dead Clean workouts using this version as well as my Farmer Walks. I will consider doing the Russian Squat Routine for the TBDL sometime next month. .

———————-

Question

I have been following your posts for a while. I like how you keep things simple and yet you keep it interesting. I was wondering if you had a barbell, dumbbells and kettlebells for tools how you would increase the deadlift if your weakness was off the floor?

Currently I have been training the deadlift very infrequently maybe 3 or 4 times a month doing a Westside singles type program. I was thinking about pulling more frequently maybe two or three times a week and get my average deadlift weight up to about 80-85% of max for one or two of those sessions. Good idea or stupid?

Answer

I’ve always liked Speed Deadlifts w/Chains to help with a weakness off the floor, using between 60-65% of max for 10 sets of triples with a 60 second rest between each set.

AS far as KBs are concerned my 2 favorite in helping to increase speed at the bottom of the DL, I’ve loved both 1 KB Swing High Pulls and 2 KB Dead Cleans. ( i’ve never done swing cleans, no need )

Swing High Pulls – 1 Heavy KB using either 150, 170, 190. I do this movement with 2 hands on the bell and swing back as far as I can and explode up into a high pulling position. 190 KB is used for ME and the 150 is DE work. I’ve also used chain for DE KB Swing High Pulls. The feel is unreal. Bands can be used but I find it much easier on my body to just stick to chains.

Try this following routine. ( Based on your post for a 3 day a week schedule ) : Day 1 – 3 X 5 @ 75-80% … Day 2 – Speed DLs  ( outlined above ) … Day 3 – 3×3 @ 85 % .

Now that’s just BB work. Feel free to switch the Speed Dls with an explosive ballistic KB movement such as the 2 that I listed above. I consider them interchangeable.

Don’t confine yourself to a static strict training schedule. For example try – Mon. Wed, Sat for pulling days and take 1 or 2 days off.

DBs ? I got them as well up to 120s and I consider them useless as far as helping the DL off the floor. However, great for GPP ! Farmers Walks!

——–

Deadlifts done using 405 + 100 lbs chain for 5 singles. Halfway through lift bar weight = 455 , at top 505.

Finished with Deadlifts using 315 for 1×12, 1×10, 1×8.

—————————-

Right now I’m DLing 2x a week. 1 session consists of Density Training using between 60-65% of 1 rep max for a minimum of 10 sets to a maximum of 20 for 5 reps. Since this is primarily a cardio drill I keep the rest periods to no more than 60 seconds between sets.

The 2nd DL session is done for 10 sets of triples using @ 80% of 1 rep max.

Rest period between sets is anywhere from 2-3 minutes. For example: yesterday I did 425 for 10 sets of 3 and a week or 2 back I used 405. This is mostly a strength maint drill for me since pulling anything heavier causes excessive knee swelling. I pulled 3 singles at @ 90% ( 475 ) a few weeks back and it caused a problem.

I will be adding another DL workout to the mix soon which will consist of 1 or 2 sets of high rep work ( 20-30+ ) using the same 60-65% ( 315 ) as my 1st session. This will change my 2x a week program to one which will have me DLing every third day. This will be mainly a posterior chain endurance strength drill. On this day I will also add my 1 Arm KB swings using my 150 for some low rep,low volume work. KB first and DL last as a finisher.

My other 2 days are pressing days.

2. Swing

———

I realized that I got much more out of Swings than Snatches.

For example, I was doing 5 sets of 5/5 1 arm swings with my 145 lber last year and in comparison my best 5 set 5/5 routine using snatches was with my fat 100.

More of a overload = better carryover to my Deadlift and grip work.

The point for me is that a 1 Arm Swing ( KB, DB ) done chest high gives me a greater benefit because I am able to handle more weight. No need to go overhead. Now, if I want a greater overload for my posterior chain I can always add straps when doing 1 arm Swings and simply choose to work grip some other time.

As far as 2 arm KB work goes, I’ve always preferred the Swing Hi-Pull using my 145 lber as opposed to doing 2 KB Swings. Why? Because it’s easier to use the same close DL stance when doing the Hi-Pulls and I feel that it’s a much smoother action. I’ve added 2 20 lb leg weights and a 5 lb plate to the 145 for a total of 190 lbs. 10 sets of triples on ME DL day was plenty for me.

The action of this drill is similar to the Swing. Simply pick up a heavy KB swing back as far as you can , reverse the motion and go right into a Hi-Pull.

As far as BB Power Snatches and such, I’ve never done them. Done many a Power Clean though. Even with chains. Great Movement!

—————

ME Kettle Bell Swings done using fat handled ‘bell. 110 for 10 sets of 3/3.

60 second rest between sets. Switch made on the fly and all swings done to head level.

Good to use time as a ME variable instead of adding weight to the KB!

Yes, I have tried 2 KB Swings to the outside of legs but I don’t like them for the following reasons:

1. Interferes with knee brace. ( which means I have to really “think” too much when performing the exercise ) My training movements have to “flow” in order to have successful training session. Much like training with MA weapons. ( if it doesn’t work for you… get rid of it )

2. IMHO, I don’t feel it is a necessary movement to do with KBs. Wanna know what I do Outside Swings with? Clubs! Yep…. As a matter of fact I warmed up this morning using 2 25 lbers before I did my Trap Bar Dead Lifts. Feels more like a live motion.

3. The only KB drills that I use a Swing Motion for are done with 1 KB. Never 2. I don’t even do them from the middle. Never done Swing Cleans either. Only the Dead version. 2 KB Dead Snatches kick ass. Only managed 1 rep 1 time with my 88s . Doable again down the road but not know.

Heavy swings are great for the grip. You can adapt quickly to this type of training as long as all other grip work is kept to a minimum.

3. Swing High Pull

The high pulls are done by swinging the KB between the legs and then reversing direction and exploding upward with elbows up and out and the handle of the KB slightly above chin level.

—————–

Mid-Morning

KB High Pulls done using 150 lber + 30 lbs chain for 10 sets of 2 reps.

60 seconds rest between sets. All pulls done to at least chin height.

—————-

Swing High Pulls done using 150 lb KB for 10 sets of 5 reps. 30 seconds rest used between sets.

Sometimes I do the high pull drill for 1 near max single set of 25 reps , 3-5 sets of 10-12 reps, or the above. This is the only high rep ballistic KB drill that I do.

My other 2 KB Ballistic drills are 1 Arm Heavy Swings and 2 KB Dead Cleans ( from outside the knees ) Nothing above 5 reps! Many ways to train with KBs. If it “works” for you, it can’t be wrong!

———

KB Swing High Pulls using 190 lber. ( 150 + 2 20 lb leg weights )

12 sets of 3.

15 min break

One set same drill using 150 lber for 20 reps

4. Swing Snatch and Dead Snatch

The Kettlebell Dead Snatch in my opinion is the best exercise that can be used to develop power . Power which is also regarded as starting strength or explosive strength is necessary for the sporting world. Having explosiveness is the most important motor quality for sports and this can only be attained by training your posterior chain muscle group, which consists of the glutes, hamstrings and spinal erectors.

To perform the Dead Snatch you start by placing the Kettlebell on the ground by your feet . The stance is up to you , but in general it should be about shoulder width apart. You bend over grab the Kettlebell and with one explosive motion lift it overhead to the catch flip position while simultaneously performing a knee dip to help absorb the impact of the weight. No arm pulling is used in this movement. It is the powerful hip snap effect that with the use of momentum, gets the Kettlebell overhead. It is this triple extension of the ankles, knees, and hips that gives the greatest benefit and transfer to any athletic activity.

It should be part of any Kettlebell lifting program and it is important to remember that it’s greatest benefit is to generate power. Acceleration of the Kettlebell is the main emphasis of this movement , not the amount of weight. Sets and reps are up to you however , I would recommend a weight load of between 70% – 90% for 3 – 5 sets with the same amount of reps. Once you can perform and complete this 3 – 5 drill with acceleration you will be able to increase the weight by moving to a larger sized Kettlebell.

———————————-

As far as training ME swing snatches ( singles, doubles, triples-fives ) I do find that there is both a temporary CNS ” boost effect ” and a more permanent training effect ( max effort strength to strength endurance ) providing that I am working on both the above methods in the same training cycles. ( The CNS ” boost effect ” refers to for example: Snatching the 100 and a few minutes later snatching a KB of lower weight which equals the kb of lower weight to “feel” lighter than if the 100 lb. wasn’t snatched at all ), at least in me. I normally use the 100 kb for a sets of 10 for 3 reps or sets of 5 for 5 reps. Above 100 I do singles or doubles and go slightly above Prilepins recommendations for 90%+ work.

• Question-

• “Do you ever dip down to train the strength endurance pathways of the same move and do you find that heavy singles have any effect on your numbers with the 2 pood?”

• Answer-

• My current method of training strength endurance is to use a low rep high set approach with the time of rest between sets and tempo of each set being the main factors. For example:

• 10 sets of 3 reps of 70 lb Swing Snatches with a 15 second rest break between sets while using a fast ( explosive ) tempo.

• 10 sets of 5 reps of 70 lb Swing Snatches with a 15 second rest break between sets while using a slower tempo.

• Of the 2 examples I find the faster tempo method of triples to be more taxing to the muscular system and more cardio challenging than the slower tempo sets of five. Number of sets is never less than 10 or more than 15. This is usually determined by my recovery ability from previous workouts.

• While I’m not about to anoint this the holy grail of strength endurance training, FWIW.. I did do a max effort Swing Snatch set of 40/40 back in the spring with the 70 lb kb using a similar training approach. However I’m not interested in high rep training or in any other methods that would increase such numbers. I have also done an easy test set of 15/15 with the 88 just to satisfy my curiosity.

5. Cleans

• The main benefits that I get from doing Double Cleans are cardio and carryover to my deadlifts. Now, to be fair I never do Swing Cleans only Dead Cleans.

• 2 KB Dead Cleans done using 70s for 20 sets of 5 reps.60 seconds rest between sets.

• Placement of KBs was outside of legs. No resting in the rack and I used a slight pause at the bottom to disengage the stretch reflex. I don’t flare my elbows out or bring them up high when I do this movement, just enough to get to the rack position. For me the main muscle group worked is the lower back/glutes on the first part of the pull and of course the traps in that order. Coming out of the rack I drop first to the hang clean position before I very briefly reset on the ground ( touch and go ) and this sudden ballistic movement further torches your traps and grip.

• I prefer Dead Cleans over the Swing version because I use the same close stance ( conventional ) with the DCs as with DLs. Of course, if I was a sumo puller I would opt for the Swing Cleans. I find the following 2 drills interchangeable on a DL/KB Volume Pull Day.

• 1. Double Dead Cleans using 70s for 10 sets of 5 reps. 60s rest per set.

• 2. Deadlifts done using 315 for 10 sets of 5 reps. 60s rest per set.

• As far as frequency goes If I’m DLing every 3rd day as now I don’t do Double Cleans. If I’m Dling once a week I’ll throw in 2 Double Clean days. ( 1 day I use 70s and 1 day I use 88s ) If no DLs in a training cycle I do Double Cleans every 3rd day.

• Another reason that I prefer the Dead version of Cleans is because I mainly focus on 2 Weight Movements ( drills ) per training cycle and when I am doing a KB only cycle I can go all out 1 day doing Snatches and the next day do the same with Dead Cleans without the fear of pattern overload or redundancy of training.

• This is because the pulling action when doing Dead Cleans is from the outside of the legs and with the Snatches it’s inside. ( middle )

• Last summer I focused on only 2 KB drills. Double C+Ps and Swing Snatches. Nice and simple!

—————

2 KB Cleans done (outside of legs) using 53s for 15 sets of 5 reps.

15 seconds rest used between sets. All reps done as fast as possible.

About 10 minutes to complete drill. Not bad.

——————– Progress to->

2 KB Dead Swing Cleans (outside of legs) done using 70s for 10 sets of 5 reps.  All reps done explosively without a rest.

6. Pullups

Neutral Grip Pullups done using 80 lbs of chain for 5 sets of 3 reps.

First time doing these in about 2 years.

In doing these, I start at the bottom with arms fully extended and the resistance in my bodyweight only. As I pull up the chain starts to load until all 80 lbs is engaged at the top. ( half-way thru movement 40 lbs is loaded ) All reps done in an explosive manner. No Queer Kipping, Either!

———-

Neutral Grip Pullups done using Bodyweight + 100 lbs chain weight for 10 sets of doubles.

Chains were set up so that in the bottom position ( dead hang ) resistance was bodyweight only, ( halfway through movement 50 lbs xtra and at the top all 100 xtra lbs were engaged )

Will use chains only ( never fixed weight ) for all pullups drills til May. I will be switching hand grip positions ( pronated, supinated, neutral ) every few weeks. Might even do 3 sets for each for some variation.

———————

Mid-Morning

Deadlifts done using 405 for 5×5.

Evening

Close Grip Chinups done using bodyweight + 160 lbs of chain for 10 singles. Chains were set up so that halfway through movement 80 lbs were engaged and all 160 was loaded at the top. Unreal feel! Finished with 1 set of bodyweight CG Chins for 15 reps. All Chins done strict.

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7. Rows

BB Bent Over Rows done using 135 + 40 lbs of chain for 10 x 10.

60 seconds rest between sets. First 5 sets I used a supinated grip and last 5 were pronated.

Chains were set up so that at the top of the movement total weight of 175 was engaged.

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BB Bent Over Row/Pullup Complex done for 8 sets of 5/5. I used 205 lbs for Rows and Pullups were bodyweight. Drill done in superset fashion using no rest between exercises. Bent Over Rows 5 reps, Pullups 5 reps. = 1 set. repeat 7 x. I chose 205 as my BB Row weight because that’s my bodyweight. (203 lbs.) I used to do this drill for 8 sets of 8/8 and I called them Crazy 88s. First time doing this in over 10 years. Great back blaster!

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DB Bent Over Rows done using 2 90s for 8×8. Neutral grip used. Not bad since Monday I DLed.

Way better to use DBs for this drill than Kbs. Not even close!

8. Curls

BB Curls done using 115 + chains for 6 sets of 6 reps.

Unreal feel at the top of the curl movement using chains.

Total chain weight at the top is about 30-35 lbs total.

Now, at the start of the curl movement ( standing, bar at thighs ) I have 115 lbs + about 5 lbs per side of chain weight. As I go through the curl ROM it loads evenly to the above number of 30-35 total. So at the top its roughly 145-150 total weight. Each chain weighs in at 20 lbs and is 12 feet in length.I double the chain so it’s 6 ft. per side and attatch to each end of the bar. You don’t need much extra weight at the top of the curl to be convinced of this method. Wish I had this when I was BBing. Can’t wait to try with Triceps Extensions. I will be using this same principle with mini bands for DB Presses. (flat, incline, overhead) This way I can “work” chest and tri’s to their full potential, by having the bands overload the tri’s with any of the mentioned movements. I will vary this type of training into my routine.

a. Pushes

Push Day – Noon

Weighted Pushups done using 145 lbs ( 100 plate + 45 plate ) for 3 sets of 6 reps.

Body Weight Suspended Pushups done for 3 sets of 12 reps. Feet elevated 1′ higher than hands.

Evening

Weighted Fixed Bar Dips done using 100 lbs for 5×5. Easy.

Finished with DB Decline Triceps Extension using 2 40 lb. dumbbells for 3 sets of 12 reps.

Tomorrow Shooting Range at noon, Sparring at night.

1. Pushups

In the Marines 20 years ago I could out pushup God.

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For the next few months I’m shifting my focus from Overhead Pressing to Weighted Pushups. Based on my previous training ( years ) I’ll be able to maintain most of my overhead strength using just the JS Green Bands. I’ll also do some high rep endurance overhead work using either the minis or the purple bands. Of course, it’ll all be 2 arm work since I never do any 1 arm presses. I’ve never had a 1 arm pressing workout and most likely never will.

About the pushup reps with weight vest… I think that it’s just a matter of being different as opposed to being better. However, it will still boil down to what you are able to handle once you move up to 80 lbs ( or more ). IMO, you should be able to handle 8×3 or even 10×3 right off the bat with the 20 lb increase, using more or less the same period of rest between sets.

If you find yourself struggling on set 8 and want to do 10 sets increase the rest period by 50% or so, and bang out the last 2 sets.

I’ve always preferred set and rep schemes of 3s and 5s whether it’s 8×3, 12×3, 5×3, 3×5, etc, etc.

2. KB Press

I never use KBs for presses except when I’m doing Long Cycle work. Do you also do Double Clean + Presses ?

• If so, do you also feel that the shoulders get a great benefit from doing a Clean before every Press as I do ? ( great pre-stretch loading action )

• Once you hit that groove it’s an addicting movement. Only with KBs! I’ve tried it with DBs and it’s not even close, way off. Pressing 2 KBs Overhead has kept my shoulders “healthy”.

• No other training tool ( BB,DB,CB ) has been able to do this. Bands do help but they are not a fixed weight tool. The KB Presses help maintain my shoulder strength and flexibility.

• No shoulder problems at all these days when I am benching.

•  

3. DB Press

Pressing movements will consist of DB incline at ( 30 degree) flat bench

and 2 KB Dead Cleans & Presses. These will not be done using a DE and ME template but more of a maintenance workout. I will be including Floor Presses using DBs and band work for the tris. I got DBs up to 120s so that should keep me busy for a while!

Neutral Grip Dumbbell Presses done using 2 65s for 5 sets of 3 reps. Really hits the tris hard!

The DB presses were done elbows flared much like using a BB. First time doing these in about a year or two. Stabilizers got weak! Another way that I like doing DB presses is in using a neutral grip. Really hits the tri’s. Nice to superset these with neutral grip pullups.

I used to do Arnold presses 20 some years ago when I messed with bodybuilding. Hated Them!

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2 Dumbbell Military Presses done using 75s for 3×3.

Stabilizers still weak from using mainly KBs for the last few years. Looked at my old training logs from when I was 32 (1992) and saw that I was 2 DB Military Pressing 90s for triples. Memories!

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Sat. Noon 1 Arm DB Presses done using 75 lber for 5 sets of 3/3. (1 clean, 3 presses) This is my first ever 1 arm pressing workout. Never thought much of them and still don’t, but decided to give em a try.

4. DB+BB Bench Press

BENCHING

I will be rotating my 3X weekly Bench Routine as follows.

triples one day, singles another day and fives for the last.

Since I am still getting used to this “new” benching I won’t

be doing any all out max attempts for a few weeks.

No board Presses , floor presses , lockouts or the like until

the groove becomes second nature. I will however include my

all time favorite close grip presses (flat) .

Other exercises that will be rotated will be Hammer Grip Dumbbell

Flat Presses , and chains and bands added to regular benches to

really stress the tris.

Yesterday I worked up to a few singles of Close Grips with 295 + 40 lbs

of chain and I had a room to spare poundage wise.

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Incline Barbell Press done using 135 lbs + 80 lbs chain added. ( 40 per side )

10 sets of 8 reps done. Two different grip widths used. No need for additional tri work due to the overload at the top of the movement. Unreal! I will be rotating the amount of fixed weight and chain weight for future workouts. I got 200 lbs of chain so that’s no problem.

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Barbell Incline done using 135 lbs + 200 lbs chain for 10 sets of 5 reps.

2 minutes rest between sets. Since this was a heavy tri day I used a closer grip width.

Finished with 1 set of 15 reps using 135 + 100 lbs chain.

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Barbell Close Grip Incline Presses done using 135 + 100 lbs chain. 5 sets of 5 reps done with middle fingers on smooth part of bar. Finished with same drill using 135 + 40 lbs chain for 3 sets of 10 reps. Same hand spacing used. The chains play a huge role in hitting the tris. But doing them with a close grip hits them just as good if not better even when using a lighter chain load. Full ROM movements with chains are here to stay for me. Since I hate doing partials this is the best way for me to overload the top. Last monday I used a wider grip spacing and 200 lbs of chain and today the above. Fun to experiment !

5. Dips

I do weighted dips and love them. I’ll be doing them tomorrow since it’s a push day. I rotate them every other push training day.

IMO, weighted dips have will provide the most carryover to OP only if the triceps are the weak link. If you identify the weak link as being at the bottom of the press you have options such as DE work with chains/bands added , or using different pressing implements. Never had a shoulder/elbow issue when doing dips.

My best gains with dips came when I specialized this movement and did no other pushing exercises in the same training cycle. No real surprise here. Listen to your body!  

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Dips done using Bodyweight + 180 lbs of chains for 5 sets of 3 reps. WOW! Awesome Feel. Chains were set up so that at the bottom resistance was bodyweight only and at the top all 180 lbs were loaded. Best tricep move I have ever done. Unreal Overload. I will be retooling my push/pull routine next week and I’ll be doing a ME day w/chains and a DE w/chains weekly. Might rotate JS bands with this setup after 6 weeks and of course, fixed weight.

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Dips done using 200 lbs of chain for 6 sets of 2 reps. Half way through movement weight = 100 lbs, at top 200 . ( bottom = bodyweight only ) Need more chain!

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Fixed Bar Weighted Dips done using 150 lb KB for 5 sets of 1,1,1,1,1.

Doubles would’ve been doable for the first 2 sets. Weight = very close to max.

Same drill done using 100 lb KB for 2 sets of 5 reps.

Finished with 1 set of bodyweight dips for 20 reps.

Tomorrow Off, Time for some more hormone laced rib roast! LOL

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6. Medi Ball Press

7. Tricep Drills

QUESTION – Forgive my ignorance but what is a decline extension?

ANSWER – The Decline Ext. are done for the tri’s. Hits all 3 heads.

8. Laterals

Shoulder Raise Complex all done with 2 30lb DBs.

10 Bent Over Laterals, 10 Side Lateral Raises, 10 Front Raises, 10 Overhead Presses. No rest between exercises. Drill was done for 4 sets total. I did rest after each set of 4 movements.

4. Patterns [Two ME days, Two DE days]

a. Upper/Lower

b. Push/Pull

I will be done with this 6 week Push/Pull program in a week and I will substitute 1 Incline Bench Day with a BB Press Day ( either front presses or BTN ) and will keep the pull days the same. Chains will be used on both push days, and for pulls only on Deadlift day. Nothing like 2 Push days and 2 Pull days a week!

c. Two a Day

As far as Volume and Intensity I go nowhere near failure and just stay a rep or 2 short. Nothing new here. I’m done with 1 rep maxes. I’m DLing and Pressing 3x a week. However, I’m switching my Press movements every press day between DB Flat Bench, Incline BB , Overhead Presses ( DB, BB, Bands, and Chains ) and I throw in some occasional extra Tricep work.

KB work as follows: 2 KB Dead Cleans done using only 70s for short rest. ( 30 seconds between sets ), Swing High Pulls using 150 + KB using same principle.

Pullups/Chinups and/or Rows done as a warmup before DL day. Step-Ups done 2-3 x weekly on non DL day. JS Band Drills done 3x weekly. Some MA work 3 times a week as well. I also stretch almost every day.

I train 2x daily but rarely for more than 20-30 minutes each. Nice to be retired!

d. Templates

Off tomorrow and after that for 3-5 weeks I’m going to follow an every other day training protocol. ( 1 On , 1 Off ) Will start going heavy on Dips and make it the main Pressing movement of my program. Other training will be added on off days.

Bodyweight @ 176 this morning. Big Porterhouse Tonight ! Hope it’s laced with hormones! LOL!

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Programming

OK, unless I am doing a specific powerlifting routine like RSR, all my training is planned either the day before or the morning of. For KB Dead Snatches ( my favorite ) I like to do these at least 4 times a week. As long as I vary the weight of the KB and the set/rep schemes, I am not concerned with overtraining. Deadlifts and presses are done 2 times a week with each getting a speed day and a Max effort type of day. As long as these are covered everything else is done on an as needed basis.

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2 DB Overhead Presses done using 70 lbers for 3 sets of 5 reps.

Finished with Suspended Weighted Pushups using 70 lbs for 2 sets of 15 reps. Feet elevated higher than hands by about 18 inches.

Day on, day off training is paying off already due to extra rest !

Tomorrow training with some SWAT buddies. Rib Roast tonight ! Still zero carbing. Meat + Fat is where it’s at!

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5. Evolution of a Carnivore and Intermittent Fasting

If you don’t have the self discipline to push the f*cking plate of chow away, remove yourself from the gene pool because you are not fit to breed.

I guess you see where I’m going with this, Huh? Let’s Re-Cap!

1. Put a foot into your ass. ( to get yourself in gear )

2. Put another foot into your mouth. ( to prevent eating every meal like it’s the Last Supper )

If you’re looking for sympathy you can find it in the dictionary between the words sh*t and syphillis.

Eddie, USMC 78-82″

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I don’t keep track of my bodyfat levels but at 6′ 2″ I’m 201 and quite lean. I don’t wish to add any weight not even muscle due to the fact that it hampers my plastic left knee. The less weight I carry the better.

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Yes, I am a low carber and have been so for years. I don’t drink at all , haven’t ate fried food in about 10 years and very rarely eat grains, starches or or sugar ( once or twice a year ). No refined foods either, or milk. Just meat, eggs, veggies , some fruit. ( no corn since it’s a grain )

Some nuts from time to time. Some great reading is Sugar Blues, Neanderthin, and The No Grain Diet . BTW, I’ve haven’t had the flu or cold in over 10 years.

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I do follow a WD eating plan and only eat at night. Been doing it for a few years now. I never eat breakfast or lunch and prefer to just have black coffee. I don’t count calories either. At night I eat mostly organic meat Bison and organic vegetables and plenty of coconut oil. No sugars, no starches not even grains. I never get hungry eating this way and I always train on an empty stomach. The level of concentration is awesome this way. As far as supplements I am a big believer of multi vitamin and minerals and 2-3 grams of C with every evening meal. No creatine or protein shakes either. Only whole foods and 1-1.5 gallons of poland spring water daily. Hope this helps!

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The Bison that I eat is from the Great Range Co. It’s antibiotic and hormone free but it is grain fed and not grass. Been eating it almost daily for a few years.

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The coconut oil that I use is from the Wilderness Family Naturals Co.

I used to buy from Tropical Traditions but about 2 years ago they changed to a different type of oil and it had a strong chemical tastes to it.

If you go to the Wilderness Family Naturals site they have 2 good books on coconut oil called The Healing Benefits Of Coconut Oil and Saturated Fat May Save Your Life book , both by Bruce Fife. I buy the oil in 5 gallon quantities and it lasts me about 8-9 months. It’s the only oil that I use. I stir fry and sautee all my veggies in it.

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The switch was on Jan. 1 I stopped eating carbs. (under 10 grams daily). For the previous 4 years or so I was stir frying vegetables in coconut oil.

Now I’m done eating veggies for the whole year and any other carb. It’s just meat, fish and flaxseed and fish oils. ( moderate-heavy vitamins ) Carb free is great. ! I have also read that Omega 3s ( fish oils, flax oils ) provide relief from joint inflammation. Think arthritis here. A few tablespoons of Barleans FlaxOil on a lb of buffalo meat or 90% beef tastes awesome. I don’t like Udo’s blend. Barleans tastes much better. The low bodyweight, Omega 3 Oils , and the elimination of carbs is my 3 pronged attack on knee joint pain. Yeah, I’m really lean 8 pack territory. But that’s not the goal. Just a byproduct. I used to be able to do an ab shot called the Rope. Might have to try it now. haha. Left out 1 food item. Cheese! I melt it over the meat. Good hard cheese.

Coffee black and lots of spring water. Feel great.

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Not really a big accomplishment for me to lose weight and getting ripped has always been easy for me. It’s ALL about diet. Good thing is that with a 2.5-3 day refeed I can be 212 with the same waist size. I don’t count calories but I eat 2x daily. Once after I train in the evening and once about 3 hours later. 1 lb meat, cheese, flax oil and about 1/2 lb of fish. ( sardines, salmon, chilean sea bass )

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Thur. Evening – Deadlifts ( regular ) done using 315 for 1 set of 30 reps. Not max but real close. About 3 weeks ago I did 365 for 20 reps. Nice to have a rep test day. No way could I have done this without the high fat ( 60-65% ), mod protein, zero carb plan. Starting month nine without carbs in a few days. 20 hours between last meal ( snack ) and the main meal the next day. Never hungry and energy levels high.

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One year of eating Zero Carbs in the books! No reason for me to ever eat carbs again. Still eating 2 lbs of meat every evening, 1 lb at 7 and 1 lb at 8.

Caloric intake between 2600 and 2900 daily. Nothing like fat adaption. No cravings for carbs at all. Nothing at all during the day except water and black coffee. Bodyweight at 185 and still training the same. Knees have never felt better !

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As far as fish oil goes I’m currently using a brand from Sam’s Club . About 5 grams daily.

I’m done with bison meats. Ate in daily for over 2 years. I’ve switched to cow beef over a year ago and it’s here to stay. I’ve tried grass fed tenderloin and I much prefer the taste of grain fed beef.

Porterhouse, Rib-Eye steaks, Rib-Eye Roasts, and Sirloin. Can’t beat the taste!

Supplements consumed are C E, Multi, Fish Oil. Everything else I consider overrated. Creatine is great, however my training right now isn’t about maximizing strength.

I did go back briefly to my more natural bodyweight of @ 215 back in late October by maintaining this current IF . How? I increased my meat intake from about 2 lbs to just over 3. Strength went through the roof. I was pressing my KB fat 100s for triples. Knee was barking too much to maintain. Dropped back down to low 180s and all’s well. Nothing better for me than Intermittent Fasting . Unbelievable energy levels! Zero cravings. Nothing but Meats ( animal fats ) little butter. 14 months carb free. I don’t drink any calories either. Water, Black Coffee. Had all the tests done a few months ago. According to the doc everything’s fine nothing to worry about. I have zero interest in knowing specific HDL, LDL, Test level numbers. His green light was all I wanted to hear! If I didn’t get it, I wouldn’t still be eating this way. IFing with a High Fat (animal ) mod Protein plan works best for me. I’ve tried just about everything in the last 30 years. Yup, zero carb.

@ 182-185, I feel great, have a high level of energy, and maintaining strength is all that I care about as well as walking around pain free. I’ll be 47 this year and being injury free = very, very, happy! I’ve had my share. Disclaimer: By no means am I saying that anyone who follows my eating protocol will have the same results. YMMV.

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Ate 2 meals today consisting of 2.5 lbs meat ( 1. 5 , 1 ) and lots of Omega 3s, some cheese. Nothing like ingesting protein and fats, brief compound weight movements, adequate rest, and some ZMA to keep my T-Levels healthy. Zinc and Magnesium ( 2000 Journal of Exercise Physiology ) use both increased free testosterone ( the one that’s available for use in building muscle ) and have been shown to decrease levels of cortisol. ( stress hormone ) Works best if you’re deficient in these minerals. Tribulus = Snake Oil ! No studies have appeared in any peer reviewed scientific journals. Fucking bogus!

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I take 20-25 caps a day mostly for my knees and to cover fuel needs. I’m under 10 grams of carbs daily so this and my flax oil is my only source. IMO, no harm in increasing the dosage. I like it for my shoulder joints as well. I’m never sore, as well. YMMV.

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I’ll add calories in the form of fat if I find myself slipping under 180. I weighed 180 all 4 years that I was in the Marines. I can easily stay in the 180-185 range for years.

Avoiding carbs is the key. I’m in my 16th week and I feel great. I eat 2x daily. Never breakfast or lunch. ( meaning no calories before dinner, only black coffee or spring water ) I always train in a fasted state. Main meal is at @ 8 and second meal is @ 11.

I always have enough energy to fuel my workouts even the Volume Deadlift sessions, thanks to the 60-70% of fats in my meals. The rest is mostly red meat. I’ve switched my 2-3X weekly fish meals with Filet Mignon and the others are ground beef meals.

Fats ingested are Fish Oils, Flax Oils, Butter (Kerrygold Irish Butter, Lurpak Danish Butter, or Organic Valley Butter) all unsalted. Might add Wilderness Family Coconut Oil ( my favorite ) in a few months. The only cheese that I am eating is Extra Sharp aged hard cheddar.

If I add eggs i’ll be the Omega 3 Organic ones from Shop Rite. $ 1.69 a dozen.

The only carbs I’m taking in are trace amounts. 5 grams or under. I’ve done this before for 6 months. Looking for at least 1-2 years if not longer. Feel great with no knee pain. Never hungry or any cravings for carbs. Never hungry during the day. Nice mood enhancement from the fish oils! Waist is @ 30. Onion skin thickness. Not the point, however only a secondary effect. Walking around painless is top priority!

6. Special Drills

a. Safety Squat Bar

However, I might switch up the ME SLDLs with some Safety Squat Bar GMs using both fixed weight and chains.

I basically used my SSB for rehab as far as wide squats went….and I would incorporate it’s use now with anyone by just rotating it in just like any other piece of training equipment.

• Tom Furman question -

  Squats. One ME day and one DE? Low reps, high sets?



• Eddie Kowacz

 answer - For Powerlifting ? That would be one way…depending on the rest of the program. Maybe 5×5 in the 80 % range too.

b. Trap Bar

KB Farmers Walk done using 2 Fat Handled 120s ( 100 + 20 ) for a distance of 200 ft 4 X . Grip strong , lower body needs work!

Been doing these for my knee rehab ( leg strength ) for the past few weeks, first time going this heavy though. Only doable with my knee brace.

Summer Training Switch – Time to break out my Trap Bar and DB Olympic handles. With the handles I can load 10 lb plates up to a total weight of 152 for each and with 25 lb plates they weigh in over 212 a piece. This means no DLing for the next 10-12 weeks and some heavy KB use. Snatches with 100+ and 1 arm Swings with the 145 lber. The Weighted Pushups, Heavy Dips w/ chains and fixed weight and DB Flat Bench will stay. I can even fit my Trap Bar on my rack for some neutral grip Floor Presses and neutral grip Shoulder Presses.

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Farmers Walk done using 365 lbs for a distance of 100 ‘ X 3. I used my Trap Bar and did this in my basement. The main purpose of this drill was knee rehab. Basement was used because of the flat surface. Will add slowly. I’m sure that I can do this with 400+ if my knee complies!

c. Elliptical

15 minutes done on Elliptical Machine wearing 150 lb weight vest.

Brutal! Wanted to quit after about 3 minutes but second wind kicked in.

Great feeling after I finished! Felt refreshed.

Been doing this for the past 6 months , although not with the same load.

I have an 84 lb X Vest and a 40 lb Go Fit Vest. I wore both and added extra 1 lb weights to the X Vest. I have 80 extra lbs on hand and have already loaded the vest to over 140 with no problems. This is the only quad dominant movement I can do because of knee problems. Body weight has been between 170-180 all summer still eating high sat. fat meat only diet and following a IF protocol ( 22 hours between meals )

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Elliptical machine done for 12 minutes wearing 165 lb weight vest. at a speed of 4.5 mph. This started to suck real quick …however, the euphoria when you finish is out of this world.

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Elliptical machine done wearing 170 lbs for 12 minutes. Dreaded every second but once I was done it was euphoric. ( Loaded my vest to 130 and added a 40 lb GO-Fit vest ) Getting another 40 lber next week.

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I’ve been training since I was 14 in both MA and Weights ( 47 now ) and this is the hardest 12 minute training drill that I’ve ever done.

Knees feel fine as well.  

d. Heavy Bag

Heavy Bag – 100 Power Punches, 30 seconds rest, x 5. ( maint ) 16 oz gloves used today.

Most of the time its either this or 50 punches, 15 sec. rest, x 10. I rotate between 10, 12, 16 oz gloves. Once in awhile I’ll put 1 lb hand weights into my 16s and turn them into 32′s.

I consider heavy bag training one of the most useful yet underrated metcon workouts known to man. Express yourself with simple, brutal, primal training!

As far as the 3 lb Gloves go… When I worked at the jail I remember that Earnie Shavers told me that he did this back in the day. Earnie used to come in and talk to the inmates about Christianity and I would be assigned to escort him around the building to their housing units. His version of gloves were big pillow gloves while mine are just 16 ozers with 2 1 lb weights inserted into each of them.

While I do consider this skill work, (done first in workout) I do feel that there is a training benefit as far as shoulder endurance and overall conditioning goes. I also like doing various punch drills with these gloves without using the heavy bag. Of course, I always warm up going slow, half speed before going all out. The 150 lb bag explodes when using the 3 lbers.

I also do this from time to time with just 1 lb added for a 2 lb total. When I switch to the 12 ozers ( on another day ) it feels like I’m punching with just fists. I’m also tempted to get into a kiba dachi stance and throw 500 punches with the 3 lbers. What would Mas do? or even say ? Me thinks that he would approve since he liked putting on some iron geta and doing kicking drills.

Tired of doing long slow cardio? No problem!….try out this heavy bag “rapid fire” drill. Punch continuously, as fast as you can using good form until you hit your target number…rest for a specific number of seconds…and repeat each “round” until you’ve achieved your desired result. For example: 60 punches …30 seconds rest…done 12x. (which was in fact part of my morning training)

Mix and match these numbers any way you desire….depending on your current level of fitness and total overall training plan. I used 16 oz training gloves today and in the past I’ve added an extra one lb hand weight to each glove ( held the weight in hand and put glove on ) for the purpose of stimulating a different training effect. (Use Gloves Please)

I’ve also added a bodyweight weight vest in the past a few times …and although I did get a more strenuous workout ( 50 lb vest ) I don’t feel it’s valid as far as my overall plan is, due to the fact that it hinders my explosiveness too much compared to receiving any immediate benefit from it’s adaption process. ( YMMV)

This drill is a great change of pace…especially if your current cardio is causing staleness ..so give it a shot. If you don’t know how to properly punch a bag seek instruction if you can afford…if not at least study some Youtube videos to get you on the right track. IMO…learning and practicing ( Punching + Kicking ) on the heavy bag.. is something every woman on the planet should do.

e. Clubs

 f. Sled

20 minutes of Sled Dragging using just 100lb plate. Forward /Backward walk. First time using my sled in 2 years. I will be adding Sled Drills every day ( 6 times weekly ) for the purpose of both active rest/recovery and strength work.

g. Ankle Weights

QUESTION – What’s the set up with the ankle weights? I remember in your log you saying you added ankle weight for the high pulls and swings, I think. I made my 88 a 93 to snatch (taped on 2 2 1/2s), but then I swung it and it could have been heavier. Do you just wrap them? Are the just the basic sporting good store kind?

Oh, and the 150lb swings – holy crap.

ANSWER – The ankle weights are 20 lbs each (40 per set) and they are made by All Pro, and can be bought at Sports Authority. Nice heavy duty. I use them for my knee rehab drills.

You can also use 5 lb plates on the 88. 2 plates duct taped on are a good fit and put ya at 98. 1 ankle weight makes it an 108 lber. The leg weight brand that Sports Authority now sells is TKO .

A 20 lb weight costs $50 . If you get 2 you can add to KBs for fun stuff like farmers walks and rack holds.

The 1 Arm Swings with the 150 are neck height and not above the head like you do your swings and are done for low reps, triples!

h. Jumpstretch Bands

I use JS bands for both high rep shoulder work ( presses ) after I do any overhead pressing just to get some blood flow into the area which helps me to recover. Other shoulder drills include band pull aparts that hit mainly the rear delts which I like to do after DB benching. The tricep work is done with a band attached to a pullup bar for either low rep pushdowns using a heavy band or high rep work using a smaller band.

I like doing high rep on the band GMs every once in awhile.

It’s the only high rep work that I do for lower back and great for active recovery.

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Standing Ab Curls –

I do these by attaching the JS band of my choice , to my overhead pullup bar and just curl down. I used to do these with a cable at the gym, but since I train at home now I have found them to be just as, if not more effective. Louie does these on his Reactive tape. He prefers to bend all the way to a 90% angle at the waist, but I like to vary the ROM at times and also the speed of the rep as well. They can be done with 1 or 2 bands, but I use one at a time. Great move, as with the cables. BTW, I find standing ab work much more fun and effective than ab work done any other way. I train in MA standing and

I like working the abs in the same plane, as with the Dead lift as well. JMO, of course.

i. Slant Board

I have a slant board that I include in my ab training and all it is , is a board that I hook on a ladder type of rack , lay down with the back of my knees hooked on the top and perform ab curls. I hold whatever weight I am using on my chest and just curl up to induce a maximum contraction.

7. Questions & Answers

a. Calf Work/Neck Work

Haven’t trained calves directly in over 15 years….no specific neck training.

b. Stretching

Stretching for lower body was/is basically TKD/Karate drills….upper body are arm/wrist/trunk rotations and doing the specific tasks slowly ( that will be worked ) and increasing as needed.

c. Martial Arts

I hate side handle batons as well. Major flaws with this when used as a weapon or tool. Nothing like a straight stick!

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Double Tap Drills on Dot Heads. Room entries with MP-5, all day. The ultimate testosterone booster! hahahahaha

d. Grip

Since you only have basic equipment your best bet for extra grip work is 1 Arm Hangs from a Pullup Bar, if you have one. If not, a tree branch will do. No need to do these for longer than the amount of time it takes you to do your 1 rep DL max. For example, if a max DL pull takes you 6-7 seconds you don’t need to go much longer than that for your hangs. I’d do 3-5 of each for both arms after my DL training. You can also do them on a non DL day and add extra weight , either by holding in the free hand or through the use of a weight belt, vest, etc.

——————-

Wanna know a great KB/Band grip exercise? (in case you don’t know) Take your fat handled KB and the light band. Put the band into the handle opening lengthwise. With the KB on the floor and the band

centered through and place each foot into each band end. All you do is pick up the KB ala 1 arm DL. The reverse pull is like no other while using the bands. Switch to a bigger band if need be or just put some twists in the one that you got for more resistance. I swear this feels like the tension that you get on the grip after the KB drops from the top on the fly. Much better IMO that regular farmers walks or holds.

e. Ice Plunge

Push Day – Morning

2 DB Overhead Presses done using 65s for 5×5.

JS Mini-Band Presses done for 2 sets of 30 reps.

DBs + JS Bands = best pressing known to man, by far!

Noon – Went to my annual Law Enforcement Charity Polar Plunge.

Tonight

Fixed Bar Weighted Dips done using 120 lbs for 5 sets of 3 reps. I used a 2 second pause at the bottom before each rep. Strong !

Same drill done using 90 lbs for 1 set of 10 reps. ( no pause )

Finished with Suspended Dips using bodyweight for 1 set of 15 reps.

f. Knee issues

Knee pain since my last traumatic injury in 96. First traumatic injury was in 86. Now 10 ops later i’m feeling no knee pain. This could put off my titanium knee til spring of 08, I hope. A combination of things have helped. Mega dose of Flax and Fish oils, lower body weight and zero carbs,( which I believe contribute to arthritis)  I believe that grains and starchy carbs cause inflammation in the joints. At least that’s been my experience throughout the years. Even before I started my present ” Way of Eating ” I stuck to just veggies and fruits as my main sources of carbs. ( 5 years ). I decided to eliminate all carb sources on Dec. 26 and have not had any since. High fat/Moderate protein is the way for me to go. Main source of fats are the Omega 3′s ( fish/flax ) family which I also believe help reduce inflammation. One thing is for sure…. I’m never sore from a workout and they do have a nice mellow calming effect. I also enjoy saturated fats in the form of Coconut Oil and from red meat and eggs.

Never any trans fats , hydrogenated fats or partially hydrogenated ones. Only thing worse is high fructose corn syrup and white sugar.

Some of the books that I have read include, Sear’s Omega 3 book, Neanderthin, Life Without Bread, Sugar Blues, Protein Power, The Omega 3 Connection, Syndrome X , Eat Fat , Get Thin and several others that escape me at the moment. I’ve been a student ( and still am! ) of nutrition ever since I started MA and weight training in the middle 70′s and ( it really picked up in the Marines ) til the present. That’s why I enjoyed BBing so much in the 80s.

———

Yesterday Morning – Step Ups done for 30 minutes. About 22 per side for each minute.

g. WARM UPS

I hate warmups ! I keep 2 bars loaded in my basement . 1 with 3 plates

and 1 with 4 plates. If I am pulling with anything less than 80%

I hardly ever warmup. ( strong cup of coffee will do )

Anything over 80% ( like later today ) and I just walk over to the bar

with 3 plates and do a few speed reps.

Only thing worse than warmups for deadlifts is loading and deloading

the bar with plates! Really Bites ! That’s why I got 2 bars.

h. Minimal Equipment Workout-

Bodyweight Drills ( with/without added weight ) + KBs + Heavy Bag + Cardio = Good Karma !

This is mostly where I am these days. For the KB work I like sets of 10-12 with the reps being 3s or 5s all done with max explosiveness and a brief rest. ( sub max weight )

Heavier KB work is done for either 5×5, 3×3, 3×5, using a longer rest period. ( all ballistics )

Cardio is Elliptical with weight vest.

I like various forms of Push Ups ( handles, suspended, on basketballs , elevated ) with or without added weight.

Pull Ups/Chin Ups are done in a similar manner. ( pronated, supinated, neutral ) with or without weight. Chains for this movement as well.

Heavy bag work is either a tabata type speed drill or rounds of power punches.

————

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I had heard of Jerry and Liberty Gray through my friends, Ken Blackburn and Steve Cotter. Recently I saw that Jerry took second place in his division in the World Kettlebell Championships at age 74. I asked him for some details about training and diet, but what he gave me was far more valuable. It’s about a man who views stumbling blocks as stepping stones, sets goals, but focuses on process and walks the walk by training for life. If you aren’t impressed,… you don’t have a heartbeat! What follows is largely unedited since I think the character of Jerry is something you don’t need to change. Enjoy!

BIO: Born 7/27/41 Saginaw, MI. Graduate Ferris State Univ. and Michigan Tech. Univ. Civil Engineering
Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor, MI.
Instructor at Ferris, Surveying 4 years, Building Const. 6 years
Started my business Mid-MI Engineering 1971 and still active in the business
Married to Liberty Gray
5 Children, 1 stepson, 22 grand and 8 great grand kids
Heavy smoker for 23 years until I had my first heart attack at age 39 and got my second divorce. From that point on I totally changed my life.

My decade in the 40′s was filled with racquetball and running. I chose racquetball because it was while I was playing that I had my first heart attack. I attended several training camps, competed in tournaments statewide and nationally, coached a club sport team at Ferris, was appointed as vice chairman of the American Collegiate Racquetball Assoc., ran local, regional and national collegiate tournaments, was invited to an elite racquetball camp at the the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and another coaching clinic at the OTC as a speaker, and in MI I received the Contributor of the Year Award 1988. While I wasn’t in the court, I was out running and biking. In 1989 I completed the Chicago Marathon and 1990, the New York Marathon.

During the decade of my 50′s I added weight training to my program and I met Liberty. I remember buying 2- 15# dumbbells when I turned 50 because I read that I needed weight training for long term health. By the time I turned 60, I had a room in my house filled with squat rack, bench, dips, treadmill, bike, 400# of plates, and dumbbells from 10#-50#.

Heart disease also raised it’s ugly head again in this decade. In 1995 I received my first 3 stents, heart attacks followed in 1997 and 1999. My personal feeling is the the high carb, low fat diet I was on plus previous smoking were the culprits.

Liberty and I married in 1999. While we dated for 7 years Liberty was pursuing a career in accounting and soon after we married she decided to switch to a career in fitness. She is very accomplished, 3rd dan Taekwondo, Paul Chek Institute Level 2, Natural Bodybuilding pro card, Kettlebell Certifications IKFF, EKC, IKSFA, Crossfit Level I, Diet Doc nutrition program and I’m sure I’m missing a few others smile emoticon. She runs 2 small gyms Grand Rapids and Big Rapids. She is my biggest supporter and I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without her covering my back.

Liberty Gray

Liberty decided we were training hard but seeing very little results and she wanted to seek help. I had went from 172# marathon weight 1989 to 205# at age 60. So we hooked up with a body builder MD who explained in detail the importance of diet and how the food we ate affected the body.

We never looked back and started reading and researching everything. Liberty even got me to enter a few bodybuilding shows in my 60′s. Granted I wasn’t very good at it, but during the process and education the pounds started dropping off.

I was getting bored with the barbell work although I had acquired some needed strength, I started looking around and found kettlebells. We both went through the RKC, I was 65 at the time when most guys my age were heading for the couch. Later that year we met Ken Blackburn who introduced us to girevoy sport.

So I sold all my equipment in my house and train almost exclusively with the kettlebells although I still do some barbell work.

Up until last year I wrote my own training programs and trained the girevoy sport classes at Liberty’s gyms. Last year when I decided to train for the National Team I hired Ken Blackburn to be my trainer and write my programs

I do most of my training at home on an every other day basis. My weight now is 172#, the same as 1989 marathon weight.

My diet is not as strict as Liberty’s smile emoticon but I eat pretty basic, very few grains, hardly any processed food, never overeat,  only eat when I hungry. Most of my training is in the morning in a fasted state. Ken Blackburn and I started yesterday  preparing for the National Team 2016.

Through the years I have always used the competitions , racquetball, running, lifting, etc. for health reasons, to keep me engaged, to always be looking forward. I never looked at it as something I had to win, because I’m always a winner when I compete.

I think the GS has made my heart much stronger although I did have 2 other events in 2010 and 2011. I have to be careful because of the diseased arteries that still exist.

I believe it is all the interval training I do with the kettlebells. The longest lift is 10 minutes, versus running at a steady pace for hours.

The running doesn’t build the cardio reserve that interval training does.

Yesterday’s workout had my heart in stage 5 and higher for about 12 minutes. 5 minutes after completing my workout of 45 min including warm up my blood pressure had dropped to 123/83 and heat rate of 75.

A couple of more things that I’ve done over the years. My kids and I started backpacking in 1989 and have only missed 2 years since. Most of the week long trips are to Montana, Wyoming, or Colorado. We have volunteered 6 different trips to do trail inventory with hand held GPS on the continental divide trail. In 2007 I was picked to do trail inventory with a group on the continental divide trail in ID/MT by Backpacker magazine. In 2008 I did a technical climb of Grand Teton Mtn, in Jackson, WY at age of 67.

I also love to ski and golf. I ski with a group out of Big Rapids and we have skied practically every major mountain in the lower 48 and some in Canada.

 In 2007 was my last bodybuilding show 66 yo BW 185.

This past summer Liberty did 1000 hand stand pushups in 22 days.It gets a little crazy around here. Being on the podium in Dublin was special.

The post Jerry Gray Trains For Life appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

“The Motion of Many Motions.” — Pendekar Paul de Thouars

The word, “djuru” can mean many things in Indonesian martial arts. It is usually a short form using mainly the upper body. In a DVD, the late Paul de Thouars said it was, “The motion of many motions.” I like the idea of a tool that has many functions. “Iron Djuru” are sequences of movement that can have added resistance. Resistance to gain strength is secondary to “pressure testing” movement. Looking for weak spots, tight spots and painful spots. It is as much diagnostic as it is developmental. When and only when you can move smoothly, with no pain or restriction, should you adjust the resistance. Even so, building a bit of muscular endurance and demonstrating the skill of composure under duress is primary. This is not a great strength builder. It is about motion and freedom to express physically.

Iron Djuru #1 is lower body based. It is hip hinge and knee joint focused. While either move is hardly new, novel or revolutionary, putting them together makes for an enjoyable drill to maintain youthful, athletic movement on your off days or as a warm down from heavier training.

The first part is a modified Good Morning exercise. Rather than carry the weight on your upper back, you will use a kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell plate, behind your back in the “handcuff” position. If you are detrained or recovery from injury or illness, you can easily hold a rolled up magazine or towel before adding resistance.

Starting in a military posture with feet at shoulder width apart and shoulders down and back, unbend the knees slightly and push your tailbone back as you fold at the hips. You should imagine trying to touch a wall behind you with your buttocks. Only bend as far as comfortable and as long as you can maintain a neutral spine. This will vary from person to person. You should exhale in the stretched position. You are NOT lifting maximal weights and exhaling with allow a reduction of tension in the muscles allowing movement.

Smoothly return to upright by squeezing the buttocks. Remember, you only move at the hip joint. Repeat this process several times. Don’t FORCE movement, ALLOW it.

The second half of Iron Djuru #1 is the Kettlebell Hack Squat. You may again, use a barbell plate, dumbbell or just any object to keep you in the ‘handcuff’ position that enforces good posture. This Hack Squat will have an bonus feature at the end that is added AFTER you have mastered the basic movement. I’ll use a quote from my article, “The Lost Basic” on this movement by internet legend, Steve Shafley,

“Do a hack squat with your feet pretty close together and coming up on your toes. Let the knees track out over the toes. Hold a kb behind you.

Important points: open up the joints, “pull the hip out of the socket”, instead of going down, think of pulling your hips out of the sockets while you pull yourself down into a squat. Let your chest open and pull your shoulders back to let the kb open up your chest a bit. When you can sit on your heels in the bottom, pretend there’s a cable attached to your belly button tilting your pelvis, let this pretend cable pull your hips even further open by tilting the pelvis up”.

– Steve Shafley

Some added tips from the same article -

1. While there are various versions on YouTube, I opt for a position with the feet closer together and toes pointed out at 45 degrees.

2. The kettlebell is held at arm’s length, behind the back and shoulders are drawn back with ‘proud posture’. Keep the shoulders down and away from the ears.

3. There should be a normal, not exaggerated curve in your low back. The torso remains vertical. If the need to lean forward overcomes you, face a wall so it will be impossible.

4. The knees move forward, tracking past the toes, the heels come off the ground. Focus hard on keeping your balance.

5. As stated above, think of creating space between your thighs and hips. Allow the kettlebell to open the chest and maintain tension in the calves.

6. In the bottom position, smoothly reverse the direction. You should focus on creating a stretch in the area of the hamstring/buttocks area. This will improve over time when you access more coordination and skill.

7. Also PRY the thighs together using your adductor group. This will be easier by placing your feet closer, rather than further apart.

8. Maintain a good posture at top and squeeze your quadriceps and glutes. Think of lifting your kneecaps and flexing your glutes hard.

9. Repeat within your repetition scheme.

10. Barefoot training on a padded surface is superior to wearing shoes. Squatting on the toes not only stimulates thighs and glutes, but the muscles of the calves and feet. Weak feet are a byproduct of spending too much time in shoes and socks.

The added ideas are tips from Pavel Tsatsouline’s, “Resilient” dvd. He suggest two variations. Only add these when you are secure with proper Hack Squat technique.

1. In the bottom position, while imagining a cable pulling your navel forward/up, touch one knee to the ground, then try it with the other. Return to standing forcing the hips forward and prying the legs together.

2. In the bottom position, while imagining a cable pulling your navel forward/up, touch BOTH knees to the ground, return to low, toe supported, position, then come to standing.

Now putting these two drills together creates Iron Djuru #1. There are several ways to approach this and they are all valid.

1. Practice the, Modified Good Morning for several reps, then do the Hack Squat for several.

2. Do one big movement, Modified Good Morning, then a Hack Squat.

3. Work on your weak point. If your hinging is fantastic, do one Good Morning and 3 to 5 Hack Squats.

4. Most however will find the resistance oddly matched. The Good Morning is pretty easily done, the Hack Squat, tougher. I’d recommend FIVE Good Mornings to ONE Hack Squat as a ratio.

5. When you are mature in movement and skill, add the “Knee Touch” drills at the bottom of the Hack Squat. Maintain strong visualization of a cable pulling your hips forward/up.

So that’s it. Djuru #1. Do not use this as “overload” or strength training. This is designed to regain, maintain or diagnose movement. Essentially eliminating lack of strength, lack of flexibility and lack of confidence in various ranges of motion. Like building an exoskeleton to protect your biggest investment,…. YOU.  

[Photo of John Engum by Starting Strength]

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Iron djuru number two is called the, “Gelek”. My best interpretation of this Indonesian term is, “spiral”. It’s twisting on your axis. It’s a consistent part of Indonesian martial arts involving, stepping, [Langka] and position. It is a method to change height zone and width zone as well. It can be brutal on the legs and quickly highlights weakness in mobility and special strength.

The bottom position, seated on the ground as exhibited in the feature image, is called, “Siloh”. Most individuals will have a difficult time sitting in this position. Even for those who sit in this position, moving in and out of it gracefully will be difficult. The idea of adding weight slowly to this movement over days, weeks, months and years is even more daunting. However every journey begins with a single step.

The legs and hips have the capability of rotational movement. The hip of course is a ball and socket joint with a greater range of motion. The knee is a hinge joint, but a bit of internal rotation of the lower leg/foot, is possible. External rotation is of course greater. By taking these joints through rotation, you are encouraging strength gains, stimulating flexibility and enhancing mobility. There is a saying that, “knees are escape valves for the hips”. So if your hips are glued to a narrow range of motion, forces to the lower body can transfer to the knees and create havoc.

No argument or discussion should exist about the SQUAT being the king of exercises. The high loads and range of motion of the Olympic or Power squat create a systemic and local effect that is profound and is of high priority in training. The “Gelek”, simply unlocks movement, then over time, that movement is loaded lightly to stimulate development of the muscles in the extreme range of motion. By ONLY doing the Gelek you will not develop some “secret strength” that enables you to jump tall building in a single bound. The movement is both developmental and forensic. It develops mobility that can resist injury and improve performance. It is an exercise, not magic.

The first part of the drill is the same as the Chinese martial arts, “Dragon Twist”. In their thought process, the dragon represents spirals [Gelek] and the drill develops, “Low Basin Energy”. Here is a photo of Kettlebell Guru, Steve Cotter at the bottom of the Dragon Twist with a sizeable load.

Note that Steve’s posture is perfect. Alignment is good and support is appropriate. The lead foot is externally rotated to a range that is comfortable to your current ability. Don’t exaggerate it, however don’t ignore it either. When teaching this drill the two mistakes are NOT rotating the foot position and NOT maintaining good posture.

While Steve is doing a loaded drill, I HIGHLY suggest you start with a broomstick on  your shoulders. This will instill proper posture and help you focus on lower body movement versus flapping your arms around. Begin the drill in sets of 5/5. That is, start with feet about shoulder width facing forward with the broomstick on your shoulders, externally rotate the right foot and twist to the right while bringing the knee within kissing distance of the ground, preferably padded. Your descent should be smooth. Try to look straight ahead and not down. In martial arts when students look at the ground, the teachers remind them they are looking at their own grave. Now smoothly reverse the motion, which is both elevation and rotation to the neutral or facing forward position. Continue and repeat the process with your left leg bending and your right knee coming close to the ground. That is ONE repetition per side or 1/1. Repeat until you get 5/5. That is ONE set. I’d like you to repeat this for FIVE sets.

At the end of 5 sets, your hips, thighs, hamstrings and possibly calves, will be quite shaky and have a good pump. Rather than have you drop down in the lowest position and strain, we will focus on resting in the “Siloh” or bottom seated posture. This will be developmental for further gains in motion and restorative in the sense that you are stretching the muscles that you just worked. You can hold this stretch for up to three minutes on each side. Just learn to relax. If anything gives you undo resistance,.. like a tight muscle or cramped foot, just back off a bit and try again next workout. Gaining seconds each workout is called consistency. When you string together lots of sessions, nothing can stop you as long as you don’t strain or push it beyond the bloody edge.

The next phase beyond doing, “Dragon Twists” and stretching in the, “Siloh”, is to do the Gelek or spiral, top to bottom. While limb length, genetics, fatness, size and previous injury all have a role,.. the very act of working towards the full Gelek will get you much further than sitting around eating donuts. Simply begin with the Dragon Twist and rest your knee gently on the ground. Control your descent with your arms or holding onto any upright, stable, device available until you are in the seated position. Try to maintain a neutral lumbar curve. To reverse or stand up, rock forward slightly and load your foot. This is the toughest part of the movement and often the limiting position. Make this transition smooth and the only way to get smoother is to practice. Spiral out of the position and repeat on the other side. This drill is brutal and lets you appreciate how Western living has changed the adaptation of the lower body. Once again I recommend FIVE sets of 5/5. The lower reps avoid much of the muscle soreness that high reps create. They also keep the quality higher. Frequent, fresh, practice is best.

The last step is loading the Gelek. The load at first should be held at the solar plexus with both hands securely. A weight plate, dumbbell, kettlebell or even a rock will work. Another variation is to hold it behind your back in the “Handcuff” position. The advanced loading methods are racked at the shoulders which stimulates activation of the torso muscles. Finally the weight can be held overhead in the lockout position. This is QUITE intense and precarious as well. Use your judgement.

Here is a short video of the Dragon Twist for those who need to see things rather than read them.

 And here is a GREAT article by Steve Cotter on the Dragon Twist. I highly recommend you read this as well. http://www.kettlebellinc.com/kettlebellinfo/cotter-dragontwisting.php

I think this exercise will add a lot to your game in terms of health, mobility, strong hips that avoid replacement and added ability if you are a martial artists. Try it and contact me with questions at Physicalstrategies@gmail.com

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Many years ago, being fascinated with TV and media, I read a book by a former talent coordinator for the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. The name of the paperback was, “Johnny,.. Tonight”. Not a very original name, but a very interesting series of stories about how the Tonight Show ran behind the scenes. The most interesting one from a business and life perspective was about Tonight Show band leader, Doc Severinsen. There is no need to go through Doc’s resume here, but his many years on TV fundamentally made him a household name.

Early during the first days of Doc’s time on the tonight show, there was a limited budget. Production has to draw the line somewhere. Doc was upset and wanted a meeting so the show’s producer and his secretary came to Doc’s office. The office was full of musical scores, instruments and a rack with Doc’s flashy wardrobe. On one side of the office was a stack of mail bags with unopened mail. Doc cut right to the point. He wanted the NBC producers to pay for a secretary. After all, Johnny had one and so did Ed McMahon. He had too much to organize by himself in terms of wardrobe, telephone calls and his job of providing music for the show. The producer basically stated that there was no money currently in the budget for a full time secretary. Doc wasn’t happy with this answer. However during this conversation the secretary wandered over to the mail bags, labeled, “fan mail”, and opened a few letters. She kept up this process during the heated discussion the pitted Doc against NBC management.

As the argument was coming to a very loud point, she interrupted them and stood between the the adversaries. She said to them, “Look at this! An advance for $5000! [ In 1960's money ] “Another one for $2000!” She went on and on. She said, “Listen to me Doc, this is just part of one mailbag. With advances for appearances and performances like this you could have TWO secretaries and a whole extra stream of income!” Simply stated, if Doc had explored what was right under his nose, the idea of secretaries, wealth, his own production company, etc, wasn’t an issue. It would be easy to use and spread the wealth.

So, problem solved. The rest is history. But what is the takeaway?

The idea of neglecting something right under your nose is not new. However the thought of wealth, ideas and perhaps a new life simply being a process of taking action,… well, we can all point the finger back at ourselves for being neglectful.

How many people in sales never have had a professional sales course? I don’t mean those morning breakfast where realtors stuff their face and try to get telephone numbers of the opposite sex. I mean real training through audio or video or practice sessions? A lot of this is free on Youtube. What about fitness? How many complain about driving to the gym or paying a fee when they live near steps/hills and parks with chin up bars and other apparatus. Did I mention it was FREE? Is eating properly a problem? Of course you can’t afford that special diet food. However it’s amazing that populations around the world eat a relatively cheap diet and still win Gold Medals. I mean how expensive are chicken breasts, tuna, lean pork, vegetables and fruits? How expensive is oatmeal or eggs? How about using social media to promote your business? How many say they hate Instagram or Facebook, yet complain that they get no leads, have no mailing list? Facebook is free and any 14 year old kid can show you how to use social media correctly.

The summary is best condensed in a statement by Indonesian Martial Arts Master, Paul DeThouars. “There are NO secrets, only truth yet to be uncovered”.  I bet Doc Severinsen wished he had known that earlier.

The post The Doc Severinsen Principle appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

From what I hear, a “Courage Corner” is a corner of a home, garage or any structure that has equipment casually stored. No elegance or organization to it. It’s simply a stack of tools to get the job done if you are so motivated.

Many home trainees have such an area. Easy to buy and collect, often collecting dust in favor of the sight seeing at LA Fitness or YouFit. Most often used for curls prior to having a beer.

The solution is a workout or template that doesn’t smash you, but allows you to improve. It can’t be just chest or arms or butt. It has to be a total body workout. You have minimal gear and you have to exploit it maximally. The answer is in ladders and simple, multiple joint, exercise. When planned and sequenced properly they can produce great results. Let us first define Ladders.

 ”The Ladder is a set/rep progression volume and fatigue management scheme that a friend and I came up with some time ago after reading some other literature on strength training.  We wanted to work on the “skill” aspect of strength training, while remaining as fresh as possible.” — Steve Shafley

This definition is pulled from an article written by Steve for Beyond Strong newsletter. The full article is here - http://www.beyondstrong.com/climbing-ladders-for-strength-and-size-by-steve-shafley/

The good news is.. Steve is writing a book on it and the material will be ground breaking. Take note of the following meme if you believe that.

The next understanding is the exercises themselves. The will be the Clean & Press with a single kettlebell, the pull up and the airborne lunge. Let’s first address the C & P and the modifications I suggest.

The clean and press methodology I recommend is more of the traditional style. It’s designed for efficiency and work capacity. There is no need to discuss, “styles”. I’m simply choosing this one. Your mileage may vary. This form of clean and press is demonstrated by Mitch Blackburn and instructor by his Dad, Ken Blackburn. It makes use of hips, legs, thoracic flexion/extension and both pulling/pushing. Here is the video.

The second exercise is the pull up. There is nothing exotic about this. Most apartments have doorways for a chinning bar. An overhand, parallel or supinated grip is fine. You can alternate through these approaches as well.

The third drill is the airborne lunge or shrimp squat. This drill is in many ways, superior to the single leg, pistol squat in mechanics. There are three variations, from easiest to hardest. If they become too easy you can load them with external weight as well.

Shawn Mozen doing version #1

Shawn Mozen doing version #2

Shawn Mozen doing version #3

The variations make it quite challenging. However if you have ample leg power, you might need a bit more stimulus. Here is a link to Max Shank’s explanation and selling points on the airborne lunge. There is a Youtube clip of him doing a weighted version. It might be suitable for you too.  http://rkcblog.dragondoor.com/put-your-pistols-down/

Now the organizational process. This workout is a circuit but an UNTIMED ONE. Running exercise to exercise is not recommended. It’s about being able to do the work and not training against the clock. In reality it is about sequence and not circuit. REST AS MUCH AS YOU NEED BETWEEN AND AFTER THE SEQUENCE. These exercises follow the old “Enter The Kettlebell” programming with the variation in Clean & Press form and the addition of the airborne lunge.

1. Set up the gear and some padding for your knee during the lunges. You can time the whole workout to get an idea of how long it takes. Don’t dwell on this however.

2. The sequence is one C & P, R+L, One pull up, one airborne lunge, L+R. Then Two, and so on. You need only take the pull ups up to 3 reps if you like. The pressing and lunges should be done for all five sets. At some point when your work capacity is higher, the pull ups can be done, 1-2-3-4-5 or whatever your workout is for the day. The idea is to allow your body to adapt, don’t force it. Do as much work without going to muscular or cardiovascular failure that you can that day, spreading the workload over as many muscles as possible.

3. You should do this three times per week. By all means break in with shorter workouts of 1-2 or 1-2-3 for 2, then 3, then 4, then 5, sequences. Your workout will be, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3 eventually. Then it will be 1-2-3-4 for all five rungs. Then 1-2-3-4-5 for five rungs. That will be your peak workout. Remember, like I said, you can skip the chins for 4-5, unless you like the pain. The workouts will be listed in your journal as “hard”, “medium” and “light”. This is subjective. You may choose 5 rungs of 1-2 for your easy workout. The key is finding the sweet spot that is developmental but not detrimental.

4. Off days should be light activity for recovery. I’d highly recommend hiking or biking, then some general stretching or more athletically oriented yoga. Take at least one day off per week from all activities.

5. If the pull ups are not easy for you, by all means use a suspension device for a variation that fits your current strength level. If they are TOO easy for you, especially after a while, add weight starting with 5 to 10 pounds. The airborne lunges may be a bear too. You can scale them by limiting the range of motion with the couch or yoga block or any soft apparatus below the rear knee to limit the downward path.

6. Push this program for 3 weeks. Then do one week of not going over 1-2 or 1-2-3. That is your back off week. You can increase the weight of the kettlebell when 1-2-3-4-5 for all 5 rungs is done in proper form and you literally “own” that weight. Increase the resistance on the pull ups when it’s too easy. You may just choose to continue the ladder and do 4 and 5 reps. The airborne lunge will give you ample feedback on moving to the more difficult variation.

7. What should be your goal? Well let me pull this one out of my ass. How about C & P ladder with a 40 kg, Pull Ups with a 25 lb plate and weighted Airborne Lunges? With minimal equipment, focusing on basics and adding consistency.. you can do amazing things.

So this workout is called Corner Courage or #Cornercourage . Try it and tell me what you think.

The post Corner Courage: Let The Ladders Do The Work. appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

Most often, advertisements are intentionally misleading. Sensationalism captures our attention and focusing on the extreme rather than a the middle ground becomes a seductive trap rather than a mere, logical fallacy. In an information based society, we want instant results downloaded to our lives as quickly as a photo to Instagram. The reality is far removed from the fantasy in this case and the hard facts are often sobering. However, there is a different mindset that exists. It’s called “punching the clock” or learning to #trainforlife.

EdX,  is a husband, father and employed in the IT world. He has a full day and as much pressure as anyone. To that end, he as to train before work, which for him is 5AM. He simply realizes to get the outcome he desires he has to arrange his hierarchy of tasks. You simply figure out what you have to do and do it. For others this may mean a lunch time activity or on the way home from work or perhaps in the evening. WHEN is not important. It’s simply that you do it. Realize that showing up is 90% of anything.

The transition is not a 30 day miracle. No special lighting, no photoshopping, no spray on tans. It’s a product of EdX’s work and online coaching. Through multiple emails, Skype, training journals and diet journals, analysis can occur and distinctions in behavior can be applied. It is not about yelling, “destroying your client”, or silly motivational memes. It’s about communication and application. Below is Ed’s progress over a year that included vacations, business travel, holidays and the usual stuff that most people use as stumbling blocks. EdX used them as stepping stones towards a powerful outcome. Click to enlarge the photo.

Similar results can be obtained by taking two simple steps.

- Making the decision to do so.

- Contacting me at Physicalstrategies@Gmail.com

The post What A Difference A Year Can Make! appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

“This shield is composed of a unique alloy of Vibranium, steel, and an unknown third component. It is virtually indestructible. It is as much an offensive weapon as a defensive one for Captain America. Cap uses it against his enemies, mainly, by throwing it at them and can perform mindbogglingly impossible tricks with it.”– Captain America’s shield

To review, the term, “Djuru”, means, “The Motion of Many Motions”, according to Silat Master, Paul De Thouars. Iron Djuru is a resistive form of mobility designed to strengthen connective tissue and muscles in positions that are not common. In other words you are in position of compromised leverage and vulnerable to self created or outside force overcoming the integrity of your body. While these drills build strength, they are not optimal for overall body strength. The big push, pull, squat, hinge, carry, etc, would be the focus of incremental increases in external overload over weeks, months and years. However for optimizing, maintaining or restoring youthful motion and resistance to injury, Iron Djuru are a good choice, but certainly not your only choice.

Iron Djuru #3 is not some unusual, exotic, movement. It’s kind of well known inside the kettlebell conditioning circle. [not so much the kettlebell sport or GS realm] It’s the combination of a Kettlebell Arm Bar, Turkish Get Up and Windmill. It takes the shoulder through a dramatic range of motion that encompasses not only movement, but stability. On top of that it increases strength in the torso, legs, abdominals, hips and hinging muscles. Your grip will even be challenged. The time under tension is great. The increase in pulse, respiration and breathing is challenging, but this won’t turn you into the next half marathon champion. It may however, allow you to train for half marathons with less aches, pains and injuries.

There are three parts. The first is the Kettlebell Arm Bar. It’s a stability and mobility drill for the upper body. I won’t complicate things with the subtle nuances at this time. You can attend a workshop and drill in person with a notebook at hand to do that. What I’ll display is a video clip of just the arm bar portion.

The second part of this drill is the Turkish Get Up. This drill is getting very popular. It will do a lot of things but it won’t make you walk on water. It’s nice to keep in the mix to kind of keep track of tightness, weakness and unstable positions. Once again here is a video of Jeff Martone talking you through the Turkish Get Up.

The last part is the Windmill. This drill is simple yet it requires a very specific mindset based on hinging the hip. It has a tremendous effect on upper body range of motion and of course lower body range of motion.

 Now you have the three movements. Putting them together in a seamless flow require practice. If you are under duress, it will be more difficult to learn. The idea is to break each segment down into bite size chunks. Practice frequently with adequate rest. Don’t practice fatigued. Frequent/Fresh is your motto.

This is not a high repetition exercise. Do only one per side, rest and repeat. Eventually you may do FIVE left and FIVE right, alternating sides. When you are adept, you may learn new skills like bent presses and Sots press, then do a free form like Max Shank does below, using a barbell.

The post Iron Djuru 3: The Exoskeleton Project appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

Joe Lewis, Ed Parker, Bruce Lee, Mike Stone. Without them there is no, “us”.

I will start by stating in NO way am I an expert in anything. I’m not a talented athlete or martial artist. I’m lucky to have been able to observe change and have practiced with many talented people. I learned by making mistakes and just showing up. Things repeat themselves and at times we think we are brilliant by our innovations. All they are is rediscovery. Nothing wrong with that. As Paul De Thouars said, “There are no secrets, only truth yet to be uncovered”.

1. All Arts/Schools Work,.. Some better than others. There are sometimes superior arts. There are superior people. There are superior techniques. There are superior training methods. When you can include all of them, you get monster. Most of us aren’t that lucky. Most all arts have punching, elbowing, kicking, kneeing, clinching, throwing and grappling. The degree to which that methodology is exploited usually stems from the environment/sociology. This can be seen in combat sport. Judo doesn’t look like Greco Roman. Both, I can assure you are real. Glory Kickboxing doesn’t look like Eddie Bravo Invitational. Both are solid war arts methods. The rules determine the, “look”. In society the nature of the country/environment establishes the rules. Americans, for example, are head hunters. So if you are from another country.. you had better be aware of that. If you hope to exploit your dynamic roundhouse and spinning kicks in some alleyway in Hong Kong, you might get a wake up call about the value of straight punching in the “bitch slap” range. “All arts have a window of opportunity, some windows are smaller than others”. [Dan Inosanto]. If you look at a chessboard, you can divide the board into thirds. Stand up, clinch and ground. Then compare your school’s syllabus honestly. All the stuff about giant attackers, club & knife wielding and multiple bad guys can wait. That only works if your basic three are optimized.

2. If You Can’t Swim, You Die,… All these online arguments over ground fighting since UFC in 1993. Silliness. “The LAST place you want to be is the ground!!!!!!!!!!!” is repeated many, many, times. Usually spit out of the mouth of someone with pizza crumbs on their lips. Of course not. No one wants to be in the middle of the ocean, either. It’s the LAST place you want to be!! But here is the thing, if you can swim.. not even well, but tread water.. you increase your chances of survival. I can see only two reasons why martial artists do not practice ground fighting, ego and being out of shape. These often go together.

Sanun Plypoolsup learning how to swim with Benny the Jet

3. Learn To Hit Hard, or A Lot,… “A punch to the mouth has incredible track record of working well”. Many, many, many, fights are won with a hard punch. “Be the firstest with the mostest”. However this requires development. In the old days you went from waza [technique] to form, [kata] to makiwara [striking post or "wrapped straw"] to kumite [freestyle sparring practice] to bogu sparring [armored]. It was supported by specialized calisthenics and stance training [practice in energy transfer]. You could follow a similar thread in boxing if you asked the older trainers. Not that older is better, they tend to rely on outcomes [proof], memory, anecdote and instinct rather than spreadsheets. Punching coaches are trying to get to the same place but they are just using different methods. No matter what your size, being able to hit with the maximum power you are capable of is part of martial arts.

Legend Mike Stone focusing on hitting hard.

4. Wrestle Everything Out,… To put it simple,.. have your partner resist with a gradient and go through a maturing process of screwing up and finding solutions. This is how we grow. Life is not a vacuum or dress rehearsal. Fights will never look like kung fu movies. They will look sloppy. That is environment, emotion, energy and chaos coming together to make a soup called, “Murphy’s Law”. When you can handle adversity among training partners of a high level, your ability to manage it increases.

5. Among Those Who Practice Violence, Look For Common Themes,… When you watch Cops, Military Operators, Kickboxers, Grapplers or Youtube street fights, focus on what works. If you simply wrote a note for every video that you viewed, the most common elements of attack and defense would be there. Remember. We can train for what is possible or we can train for what is probable.

6. Your Ego Is Not Your Amigo,.. When we spend 20 years doing something, you get proud of it. You attach emotionally. Nothing wrong. However when it fails, you rationalize rather than analyze. It’s best to understand this is the process by which martial artist get great. Years ago I was told the story about Mits Yamashita, the Aikido practitioner. He was quite astute at his art. Then he ran into some of Chuck Norris’ crew. Chuck had taken his Tang Soo Do + Judo background and trained with Japanese punching experts, [Fumio Demura, Tak Kubota and Tsutomu Ohshima]. When Mit’s tried to grab the punches, they didn’t punch like Aikido guys and his throws didn’t work. So he became a student. Then he knew throws, kicks  and punches. Then he ran into a Thai who, when they sparred, kicked his legs and pulled him into elbows and knees. So he looked at that art. Later when teaching an Aikido class in college, he engaged a wrestler. The students watched as Mits struggled, waiting for the Aikido master to prevail. He was held helpless. So he trained wrestling. Later he met the Gracies and specifically Helio. Rorion translated that Helio wanted to roll with Mits. Mits replied, “I’m 20 years younger, stronger and in good shape. I wrestle well too”. So Helio replied, “Now I REALLY want to wrestle you!” Mits said he again was helpless as Helio did what he wanted and actually grabbed the remote control on the mat to change channels on the TV!” The moral of the story is that rather than rationalize getting his ass kicked, he became better and better and better.

7. “Who Do You Think Sucks?” Gets Old Real Fast,… “How many martial artist does it take to screw in a light bulb? “100…. One to screw it in and 99 to tell him it won’t work in the street”.  Realize this for all you martial queens out there. For you to succeed, everyone else does not have to fail. Life doesn’t work that way. Years ago the legendary Joe Lewis fought in a small tournament in his home state of North Carolina. Of course after he dropped several competitors with sidekicks.. the judging became a bit one sided. He “lost” to the hometown hero. The guy jumped up and down saying, “I beat Joe Lewis!” Joe looked at him and said, “Are you famous for winning the Grand Championship or for beating me?”. That is a valid point. If your most of your game is to post to Youtube videos on, “Who do you think sucks?”, then you might get into software work, construction, law, medicine or administration. I mean with all that energy, do something that pays well. If you see valid flaws.. put them on the mat for students with NO name calling and increase the level of force to show how it comes apart. That is win/win. I mean Randy Couture got knocked out by a front kick. Luke Rockhold got knocked out a spinning back kick. Fedor got tapped out by an armbar. Do they suck?

8. If You Are Out Of Shape, Change That,… When most of us started martial arts, one of the things it was supposed to do was get us in shape. It is usually listed as, “Fitness”, on advertisements. Fitness is adapted as we age to accommodate different goals, health issues, time and priorities. There is no excuse for being overweight. I didn’t say you couldn’t throw a hard punch or teach, but from what I remember being taught, self preservation included not having a stroke or heart attack or crushing your knees under your weight. It also covers self perfection aspects of the art. The discipline we learn from fighting arts carries over to better communication, confidence and yes, diet and fitness.

9. Weapons. Train Them,… Regardless of where or who you train with.. I’d suggest practicing weapons with pressure based training. While attacks with rattan sticks are uncommon, tire irons and pipes are. The machete is one of the most common tools on earth. A simple screw driver is a wonderful thrusting weapon. Jackets are great to choke with. I mean it’s all part of the game. You may have to explore some exotic stuff too. It’s easy to be critical of a room full of guys wearing sarongs, but then you hear of a guy showing up at a wedding wearing a rash guard. Of course there is a fine line between training with padded weapons and losing a limb from a machete. You have to survive training. Realize short of killing each other it’s all fake stuff. The idea is to have the best, but safest, fake drills out there. Just looking at the language will give you a clue. GunFIGHT. KnifeFIGHT. GripFIGHT. StickFIGHT. There is a common word there. It’s not form and it’s not in isolation. It’s FIGHT. Get good at fighting and add the weapons.

10. Step Into New Methods Even If You Don’t Agree With Them,… We need to be uncomfortable. There is no growth in sitting on our ass. Even if you think Tai Chi has no application to weapons retention for law enforcement, you might want to try a class. What you gain is up to you. It beats playing, “Who do you think, sucks?”. You might be surprised what you might find. I mean.. I have seen John Machado during Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instruction do hubad. Eddie Bravo mention Chi Sau during grappling, Harimau practitioners pat an opponent down for shanks during a takedown and OH!,… the weapons retention and belt oriented wrestling done by LEO? You might want to look at “Obi Waza”. It’s been around a while.

11. Stop The “Stem”, Add The Pressure,.. There is an “ideal” snapshot in training called the, “Stem”. Basically the demo partner sticks his arm locked out and holds it there while the instructor does some form of, “Dance of Death”. You see, the bad guy is told what to do and doesn’t get to hit back. Be wary of teachers who don’t let their students resist. I’m sure you can resist against Buakaw the kickboxer or Marcelo Garcia. It won’t matter a bit though. A large percentage of video material is taught in the old, right handed lunge punch, locked out, position. Historically I have been told the right handed attack was taught first because the right hand is the hand of God. The other reason is that these waza were versus weapons and most of us are right handed. Now don’t believe me, but ask anyone in law enforcement or doorman, what is the most common attack. It’s the right handed haymaker to the head. This is thrown with the left foot forward. Now you can only pray that the guy is SO drunk or SO unskilled that this is what you get. If he jabs and retracts, throws a straight right followed by hooks.. it’s going to be a long night. The argument used is that the “stem” is a starting point and they have drills beyond this. OK. OK. Then why is 99% of the stuff they show on Youtube from an unresisting opponent with their arm locked out? Pressure like weight lifting has a break in, a progression a back off and another wave of progression. You avoid injury by backing off on intensity when it is just about to peak. You train to fight another day too. You don’t start and finish by posing with the dumbbells. You practicing failing or coming close and allow adaptation to occur. The same with martial arts. Adaptation does not occur without pressure.

12. Learn Restoration and Teach Restoration,… Years ago restoration was acupuncture, herbs and stretching/yoga practice. We live in different times. There is still value in those things. We have CPR, First Aid, Foam Rolling, good nutrition and physical conditioning. We also should know about tapering after hard training and when to take layoffs. Knowing several arts is good. If you can’t roll in BJJ due to a back injury, you might be able to do some light weapons work, chi sau or take a Yoga class. As someone once said to me, “When I hurt my knee my bench press went up”. Regardless of the historic stories of hard training, realize this, if you train to reach your limits, you will find them. If it is always balls to the wall, some day it will be raisins to the wall. Your training will change every few years. I used to find this insulting.. like I won’t get old, but with notes from the past, your future path is a lot easier. It’s like a map to avoid potholes. Hopefully you get smarter or maybe you don’t. Another component of restoration is getting a grip on process orientation. That is, focus on consistency and not intensity. That doesn’t mean you don’t train hard, but you train on being able to show up and do it. Whether it’s the bag, sparring, clinching, weapons or some softer stuff, you log the hours and put the “X’s” on the calendar. “Blood on the mats”, was a cool thing to say, but now you get disease from that sort of thing.

 13. Keep It Secret and Watch It Die,… There used to be a thing about keeping certain techniques secret. Like teaching your enemy to fight would ensure your death. Well those days are gone. I recently worked out with a group that said, “Our stuff stays here”. I’m not longer a part of them and I thought everyone was great. That thought process is anachronistic though. Thai fighters watch fights since birth. The Gracies have videos of street fights they were in. A match like Garry Tonon vs Palhares is on Youtube in days. There are no secrets. That is why grappling is advancing so quickly. Rather than learning and “absorbing what is useful”, keyboard cookie eaters constantly find someone wrong on the internet and can’t sleep until they fix it. Those with curious minds and work ethic just get better. Simply watching Cops on TV can be beneficial to anyone in martial arts. You also learn that the biggest problem with arrest and apprehension is people resisting arrest. The biggest problem with archaic martial artists is keeping it secret.

14. Lot’s of People You Believe Can’t Fight Can Kick Your Ass,… In the right place and right time, anyone can knock out anyone. Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Royce Gracie have all lost. That doesn’t make them less great, it makes them human. While this is a bit about ego which I covered earlier, it’s also about, intent, first to strike and being out of your environment. It’s about another element, trying to beat people at their own game. I had a story related to me from someone who tended bar in a rather vigorous environment. Apparently at a local gun range there was a workshop for some sort of tactical methodology. So a participant, who was CLEARLY not an officer shows up at the bar with his new $30 workshop t shirt and wearing pants that I used to buy off the back of Parade Magazine at 2 for $25. He was a big guy and clearly had some schooling. According to my friend, he didn’t look like someone you’d shove around. So he is throwing his weight around a bit at the bar, being the center of attention and telling stories of his skills, both in altercations and with ladies. Behind him, a couple walked in. The guy was athletic and lean, the girl was bursting out of her tight outfit. Curves on curves. The male went to the restroom while the young lady sat at the bar, ready to order. This was all it took for the Workshop Wonder to sit next to her and put his arm around her. The bartender related how he was already to call the police since he knew what was going to happen. The girl asked him to please don’t do that and moved away. He smiled and let her know that they were made for each other. Out of the restroom came the younger male. He sat beside his girlfriend asked what was going on. Before she could speak, the Workshop Wonder put his hand on the young male’s shoulder and said, “She’s going home with me, pal!” [Before I go further, my friend told me the younger male was a local who wrestled in high school, was a doorman during his schooling and had ten years in Wing Chun]. He replied, “Listen, we’ll move, we don’t want any trouble, we want to have a good evening”. At that point as the Workshop Wonder went to shove the intended victim, his hand was parried and pinned to his chest. He was shocked at how fast this happened, but stepped back and prepared to charge forward to show this young guy a lesson in front of his girlfriend. He exploded into his, “Tactical Snowplow” that was designed to deal with any attack. As the bartender explained, he almost saw it in slow motion as the young lad rooted, angled, slap, trapped and zapped. He said it was if he was punching the Cantonese alphabet into the Workshop Wonder’s centerline. It was a quick language lesson of bong sau, pak sau, bil sau, lop sau, tan sau and gum sau.. Basically all of the “sau’s” with a three to one ratio of Jik Chung Chuie. As the Wonder dropped he tried clutching the legs in a failed attempt for a takedown [learned at a "Street Grappling Workshop" no doubt] as the young lad pivoted in his, “character two, goat pinning stance” and knelt on Wonder’s solar plexus. After the police arrived they recognized the local as a Fireman/Paramedic and local instructor of children. The Wonder was revived and bandaged. Both agreed not to file charges. No one heard of the guy wearing the pants from the back of Parade Magazine again. Now as funny as this is, the Wonder might have been a fairly formidable individual with just an abrasive personality. It doesn’t matter. Wrong place, wrong environment and wrong distance. I’m sure Wonder’s resume was longer and biceps were bigger though.

None of what I say is necessarily correct or by any means the only way to think. It’s just a bit of observation. Sometimes it’s good to do a strong forensic on your thought process or simply to jump into uncharted martial waters to feel alive.

The post Martial Means War: My Views Only appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.

Once again, with a little variation, we can create something that is very comprehensive from fundamental elements. Minimalist programs often lack elements that allow for longevity. Great in theory, weak in practice. However with a bit of strategy and addition of needed components, there is elegance in basics.

This is another variation of the ETK or Enter The Kettlebell format of Pavel Tsatsouline. I think the A + B elements both simplify and sophisticate this program. Life is simple, you do one or the other, as often or as little as needed around your job, lifestyle or sport. The secret is in the numbers. The use of a kettlebell for dynamic and grind type lifts also do wonders for your range of motion, back issues and work capacity. It is not, “pure”, cardio, but will get the pulse up. You still need to do the long, slow, distance, stuff for health and foundational GPP.

Equipment Needed: Several kettlebells, jump stretch bands and a chinning bar. Perhaps some sort of nylon straps with dog clips to later hang weights around your waist for pull ups.

Workout 1 is the ETK ladder. That is a clean and press for 1-2-3-4-5, R+L. A pull up is performed for 1-2-3 reps after the first 3 sets. When you are capable of handling weight.. add a couple pounds around your waist for the low rep pull ups. Realize you are doing a hinge, an upper body pull, an upper body push, then another upper body pull. [pull up]. This is a LOT of work. Rest as needed. It’s not a race. You will on your heaviest days.. do 1-2-3-4-5 for FIVE series. You can vary the load by starting at 1-2-3 for days when you are sore or lack sleep. I’d also suggest breaking in this way. Once you are capable of 5 rungs,..[1-2-3-4-5 x 5],.. don’t do less than 5, but cut off the reps at 2 or 3 or 4. Use your head.

Workout 2 is Swings X 100, plus extras. You are doing two handed swings. The variation will be in reps. You have three formats. 10×10, four sets of 25 or 10-15-25-50. Rotate through these formats. Work yourself into shape. Only increase the ‘bell weight when you own it. The add ons will be a superset of Kettlebell Hack Squats. http://www.tomfurman.com/the-lost-basic/ for up to 8 reps and Surf Dog Hip Flexor Drill https://www.facebook.com/tom.furman1/videos/10209149121539413/ for 15 to 20 reps. You will do THREE supersets of this combo.

The warm down is even more simple. Do a couple of rounds of up dog, down dog.

If you still like to attend the gym for social life, you can easily add long sessions on the aerobic machines, hot yoga or even Pilates to this program. If the solitary life is more to your liking, rucking with a weighted backpack, long distance road biking or mountain biking will fit in nicely.

This program can be three or four days per week. Don’t be afraid to skip a day if you are overly worked. However going through the program with a lighter load will be better than sitting on your butt. Add weight or move to a bigger kettlebell when you “own” the lighter one. Eventually the program can be done with 40 or 44 kilo bells. At that point you are stronger than the average person and harder to kill.

The post KB.SIMPLE.1.0 appeared first on Tom Furman Fitness.