Intensity, Density, and Muscular Failure

Disclaimer:  This is a bit detailed so please follow along.

In my last post I touched upon a few topics you may or may not have heard before and now I will explain what they are and what implications they have one your training and, more importantly, your results.

Intensity is a tricky word. It is deceiving. Mention “intensity” to anyone and they probably think of action movie explosions, the look in a fighter’s eyes before a title shot, or their last grueling Kettlebell Kamp workout. But, intensity, as I stated before and as it relates to training, is merely load over time. I will try to refer to what intensity actually is as load/time and what one thinks of as a “high-intensity workout” as a high-density workout hereafter.

Decreasing one’s time spent training rapidly increases load/time, and increasing the loads in the time you do spend training increases it, but not as quickly. To give you an example, snatching a 16kg kettlebell 100 times in 10 minutes (600 seconds) would produce a load/time of about 2.7. 16kgx100reps/ 600seconds=2.6666. This of course is not a PERFECT model because it does not take into account time spent at the “lock-out” position or “rack” position and instead assumes a constant degree of load, but it works in the case of the example and, more importantly, the theory behind varying degrees of intensity. If one performs the same load (16kg for 100 reps) in 400 seconds (6 minutes and 40 seconds), the load/time of their workout nearly doubles to 4! To produce this same effect by increasing the load, one would have to perform 100 reps in the original 10 minutes with 24 kg! That’s a 50% increase in weight.

So now that you have a clearer understanding of workout intensity, I will explain how it relates to high-density workouts and muscular failure. A high-density workout is a workout that reaches near the point of total muscular failure in the quickest time possible by employing a high degree of load/time. It is complicated, so I will try to break it down. This means performing exercise with the greatest load possible for a given time, or performing an exercise for the greatest amount of time with a given load.

The reason we perform multiple sets during a workout is because it is impossible to near total muscular failure with just one all out effort. If we were designed to give everything we had at once without the endurance and recovery to keep coming back, the human species simply would not have survived this long. Either way, a high-density workout must be performed to NEAR muscular failure.

But what is muscular failure, and what constitutes a “high-density” workout? Many people confuse the meaning of “training to failure” and how one should use it to workout. Failure, or the inability to complete another repetition at a given weight is NEVER a good thing to do when working out. It messes everything up: your designated load/time, workout density, and even your mentality as well. We were not programmed to fail, and your workout should reflect such. Think about it, if all that was needed to get results was failure, then you could just walk into the gym, perform an exercise that was heavy enough for you to perform for 1 repetition but not 2, and then attempt 2 reps. Then that would be it. You would go home thinking you performed the most effective exercise possible. But you wouldn’t have, and I don’t suggest anyone try to employ this method of training as I can guarantee immediately that it will not work.



Muscular failure, the goal of a high-density workout, is actually impossible to achieve. You can’t ever batter yourself so hard that your muscles will become completely useless and inoperable, otherwise you would have to be carried out of the gym on a stretcher as you would be unable to move! What you can do is push yourself so close to this muscular failure that your knees wobble going up stairs, or you have trouble opening doors for the next couple days.

And so in a nutshell: a “high-density workout” is one that nears muscular failure. Bodybuilders will often, mistakenly, utilize strictly high-density workouts by “splitting” the body into various parts. In theory, it sounds like a great idea, but in reality, the body functions as a unit and must be trained as such or it will atrophy. This is why the body should be trained in its entirety, even if certain workouts may place greater emphasis on different muscles. For example, high-density sprints will affect you differently than a high-density long cycle the next day, but both require you to use multiple muscle groups, as well as effectively engage your core muscles. Extreme high-density workouts should only be performed 1-3 times per week when training the entire body or over-training will result.

One must also use their muscles each day in some relatively low-density fashion. By low-density, I mean well above baseline resting, but nowhere near muscular failure. There are two ways to accomplish this. First: you can perform a workout with a high load/time, but with few sets to prevent nearing muscular failure. This would be like doing 4 100 yard sprints in your workout if you typically do 10 of them during a high-density workout. Another way to perform low-density exercise to keep one’s body stimulated is to utilize a much lesser load for a greater time. Using the example of running again, one could jog for a mile or more at a comfortable pace rather than attempt to reach muscular failure as quickly as possible. A week long bout of bed rest in studies has been shown to dramatically decrease protein synthesis, suggesting that it starts happening after a matter of only a couple days of doing nothing. The ramifications of not using one’s muscles are greater than the idea of only using the “most effective workouts.” Disuse leads to atrophy and the last thing anyone wants is for his or her hard earned muscle to start shrinking before their eyes. The only exception to this rule is after the NERVES have been over-taxed, rest must be allowed for them to grow and strengthen while one’s muscle may minutely atrophy. To prevent or minimize atrophy, it is recommended that you perform “active” rest during your “off-week.” This can be as simple as yoga or performing the same exercises with fewer sets or less weight. Any minor loss of muscle will be more than compensated for by the fact that now the force generated by your nerves will be stronger, thus stimulating more muscle, and allowing more muscle to strengthen and grow in the coming weeks of training. You may even find that your nerve force has so greatly improved that you experience a GAIN in strength after a week layoff!

Now that you have a better understanding of intensity, density, and muscular failure it is time for you to employ these concepts in your training and watch your results take off!

Yoga Back Bends

Yoga is something I really love and especially Bikram Yoga due to the long lasting detoxing effects on top of the greater stretch range due to the controlled heated environment. Here are some of my favorite yoga postures to practice for overall spine and joint health. Personally by practicing yoga, without the spiritualness side of it, the art has given my back as well as overall body a much greater balance.  That's what health and fitness is ultimately about: balance.

Remember as I always say: It doesn't matter if you are doing 1%, 100%, or anywhere in between that for the posture as long as you are doing the absolute best of what your body can do for that day. Every day your body will allow you to do different things and as long as you are continually practicing your results will come and improvement is guaranteed. 

 

Change Is NOT Always Good

There is ONLY one kind of human and that is homo-sapien.  They all move the same way or should.  If not then a problem needs to be addressed.  Whatever the tool used be it a kettlebell, dumbbell, med ball, stone, sandbag, tire, whatever it can produce great results if the movements are gone after as the primary focus. 

When your main focus while you workout is burning calories your exercising has become less about improving movement and more about covering up poor eating habits.

Get off the bench and elliptical machine.  Connect the core.  Train movements.  Not body parts.

In life we don't do something once.  We do it over and over and over again.  In boxing, for example, indeed the boxer does punch numerous times with very, very slight changes to their strike, but ultimately a punch is a punch.  In football the quarter back throws the same.  In tennis the backhand is always the same.  In soccer the kick is the same.  Average Joe gym-goer performs bench press the same, squats the same, preacher curl the same, jogs the same.  All these sports have very, very slight changes made, but in theory under the same action being performed. 

In Kettlebell training a swing is a swing and a jerk is a jerk.  Every rep they may look similar(which is actually one of the goals), but just as the boxer- and all the others- makes slight changes so does the body of a kettlebell lifter.  The ultimate goal is to actually do it the exact same way each time.  That way there's efficiency in the motion of the movement.  The same is true for all others as well.

Bikram Yoga, which is the original and best hot yoga, practices the exact same 26 postures in every 90 minute class all over the world every single day.  Each participant practices at their own pace and own abilities.  The program never changes because the human body doesn't.  Sure every day the body is a little bit different in that it may be more stiff, sore, achy, or even more relaxed, but essentially movement is movement and practicing to get better at it is all it's about.  It doesn't matter if you can produce 1%, 100%, or somewhere in between of what the movement is.  As long as it is your absolute best, and what you're body can handle, you will benefit.  It's all about the practice.

Girevoy Sport style training focuses on strength endurance.  The protocol does not change much at all when focusing on the 3 main lifts.  Sure you perform many supporting lifts, but in the end the kettlebell practice is very streamlined and basic.  It is the basics that we practice which really make the difference.  If you watch any professional sport all athletes do not sway very far from the basics.  This is because they work.  It all depends on who is more athletic and driven to who will be crowned the winner.  The difference between the elite and the average is that the elite have mastered the basics.


Applying this to regular training, the winner can be you every time in experiencing what your desired results are based upon your goals.

People try to change things to much and too often.  Just when the body begins to experience great results they go and change it up.  Plateaus don't come because someone doesn't change up their routine enough.  They come because they change it too often.  In life we live by routines.  We wake up in the morning and go through the same rituals every morning- same with how we go to bed.  If we deviate from these routines we feel it and notice it right away.  It doesn't feel the same.  Complications arise and that is never good.  Relate that to exercise and the same thing happens.

Over-change and over-analyzing usually leads to over-complicating.  Sticking to the basics and practicing them over and over will always produce optimal results. It's really is that simple.

A Trip Through The Gauntlet

I recently read an article written by Scott Helsley, Master of Sport, that really got me thinking about some things. His article was titled: "Checking The Boxes" and here's an excerpt from it:

"How many people out there are just "checking the boxes" when it comes to training.  I'd say most people.  Go to the gym and just watch, same guys there doing the same routines, lifting the same weights never making much progress and never asking why.  On the other end of the spectrum are folks who radically change their paradigm on a weekly basis, that doesn't get you too far either.  A little mindfulness goes a long way. This is applicable both in the planning of your sessions and the actual training itself.  Define your goals."
 
This makes me think of a few people in the gym where I train.  This one guy walks in at the same time every day and instantly begins putting the exact same weight on the leg press.  He performs the exact same number of reps and sets every day.  He then continues to do this for several other machine based exercises, but unfortunately most of them are all upper body.  He has his sleeves rolled up like a 1950's Greaser.  All he needs is a pack of smokes in there.  Thank God he doesn't do that.  It's bad enough the gym is located directly behind one of the busiest McDonald's in the area.  I know ironic huh?  I laugh every day cause the drive through points them directly to my front door.  After ordering that Supersized Number 2 with a Shamrock shake they get to see my clients swinging kettlebells and sprinting on the treadmills.  Now that's a guilt trip if ever one.

When I tried professionally confronting this particular guy by offering him a trip through the Gauntlet (2 freebie sessions with me) he shrugged it off.  He said: "That kettlebell thing is not for me. I see what you do with your clients, and really respect it cause it looks like really hard work, but it's just not for me." 

So then I offered to allow him to just try it under no obligation to enjoy it.  He declined.  Then I offered anything, but kettlebells.  I didn't care if he did or didn't work with me ongoing, but simply wanted to get him to understand what he was doing could be done better.  He didn't care and didn't want to hear it.  So that is why he does not improve and why he will not ever improve.  In the event that he one day desires to have a taste of something more than he gets now I will be ready and willing.  If that happens I'll have one requirement though.  He'll have to unroll his sleeves cause they are really annoying and he doesn't know it, but everyone makes fun of him over it too.  LOL! :)

Ongoing Team Work For Survival

 

Please allow me to sit down and just chat with you about a couple of my thoughts regarding the recent tough times. It can be hard to get up every day and remain focused with hopes and promises.  Sometimes it's just a struggle to hope that your hopes are not empty.  In all circumstances there are always ways to remain positive- no matter what may come.

In my life I have strived to be proactive in any situation I encounter rather than reactive; however I can do that as well if need be.  Over the past 11+ years as a professional trainer, fitness coach, and multi-level supervisor, I have been given a gift in the opportunity to learn how to motivate and encourage many different personality types.  This has certainly strengthened me and has been both fun and rewarding for my clients, employees as well as exciting and a blessing to myself.   In reality it is the personalities which I encounter on a daily basis that have really inspired me and keep me motivated.  It’s about team-work.  When a ship goes underway each crew-member must do their part in order to safely reach the destination.  There are certain systems and standards set in place by the captain which are vital ways of doing things in order to fulfill the requirements of their job.  They must embark on the journey together or will never last a day.

The same holds true for any entity be a corporation, school, training team, church, sports team and family or community.  Any team is only as strong as each of its members who directly represent the product being delivered, sold or service offered be it cars, clothing, food, toys, hairstyling, electronics, or health club services.  If people do not believe in what they are doing- no matter if they are doing, delivering, or selling even if it is simply filing paperwork- the team will not do well.

It has been one of my main missions that whenever I manage a team to keep them focused on what they are doing is more than great and extraordinary relative to the job or duty they must perform.  If they believe in their hearts that what they are doing will positively impact others, and leave a lasting impression, attitudes are very different in the work environment.  We must do what we do for fun.  If it isn’t fun we lose interest.  That mindset is something that cannot be given an individual even if they earned a degree which many degrees these days are little more than a piece of paper that symbolizes years of busy work and wasted readings.

A degree does not symbolize anything, but smarts.  Smarts is knowing facts, experiences and knowledge.  The world NEEDS wisdom.  Wisdom is doing something useful with what you know.  It's not what you KNOW- it's what you DO that matters.  We must continually work together as a team to decide each day to be positive in all that we do.  No matter how empty a cup may be there is always a way to stay positive.  At least we still have the cup.

Playtime and Recess

As hard as we work all the time we have to, have to, have to just have plain old fun every so often to break up the pain and agony of Kettlebell beat-downs. 

Watch as Lee and Lloyd Munsil and Jen Chandler perform Bosu jumps both two legged and one legged.

Have Fun In What You Do and Please Do At Your Own Risk!

Synergy Kettlebell Training's Playtime and Recess from Bob Garon on Vimeo.

Fruiting and Vegging For A Healthy Body

A healthy colon is a healthy body.  Most people do not get enough fiber.  One way I recommend is by fruiting and vegging.  Ok so I just coined those "words".  Don't freak out anal grammar fanatics out there!  LOL! :) Watch- they'll catch on soon enough.
Anyway there are many folks who subscribe to juicing being the best way to extract nutrients from great natural sources being fruits and veggies and this is certainly a way to get them, but I don't believe to be the best unless you absolutely must.  The extraction process is what detracts from the natural wholeness of the fruit or veggie.  If you toss the juiced pulp on your salads or eat it somehow okay then you'll be better off, but the best way is to actually eat the fruit and then blend and then juice.

My thoughts are like this:  If nature intended dairy to come out of the cow skim it would have.  So eat it full-fat.  If nature intended eggs to come out of the chicken with just the whites in the shell then they would have.  Don't separate the yolk and whites, but instead it is as nature intended.  It will be fully balanced in your system in that respect.  The same holds true for fruit.  If nature intended the fruit to be centrifuged apart so that the pulp and flesh were free from the juice and nutrients it would have been grown that way.  Nature has a balance in place for a reason.  We benefit from getting the completeness in our diets. 

I am actually in the process right now of writing my own book regarding a lifestyle of eating practices.  Everyone who regularly trains with me or who reads my articles can clearly see the direction I will be going and I have had exceptional personal success as well as that of my clients in my prescribed eating protocol.  One recent(past 6 months) client lost 60lbs. within 11 weeks and cleared up IBS, ulcers, and a couple other personal issues.  She is still ongoing in her journey to living a healthy lifestyle, but the initial needed weight loss came with very detailed fat loss and muscle retention monitoring.  This was an exceptional case, but on average the first 2 weeks of a client beginning my recommended eating practice is 10+ pounds of fat loss. Above that an increased health and well-being is experienced. That is what it's all about moreover.  After that depending on what they need to lose it will continue.  I have not seen plateaus in anyone until their body gets to the point of where it doesn't need to lose any more.

So essentially my recommendation is to do what you feel is best and would suggest allowing openness in your mind to what you can do to evolve your own game- whatever that may be. Always strive for balance in all things.

To Live Longer Fast Stronger

Consistency, consistency, consistency... I can't stress that enough.  When you sway from the very basics is when results will diminish.

A lot of folks overeat.  We know this.  Often times we don't realize when we do it.  Many folks believe they are eating healthy, but then when they are not healthy and/or can't understand why they cannot lose weight it usually roots back to two main things: timing of meals and type of foods consumed.  When I talk about intermediate fasting to my clients I am usually looked at with a weird questionable glare of disbelief.  I think it's because most trainers and nutritionists recommend eating several times throughout the day.  It's not that they recommend that over intermediate fasting, but the biggest reason has to do with their lack of education or knowledge of intermediate fasting.  So they simply recommend what they do know and are comfortable recommending.

If eating throughout the day worked and the 5-6 small meals a day protocol was the best then why oh why are there so many fat/obese people walking around living their life very unhealthily.  The reason is simple- lack of desire.  They lack the desire to work hard at living a healthy lifestyle.  Those who do are indeed healthy.  Those who don't- are not.  It is really that simple.  What you put into your lifestyle is exactly what you will get out of it. 


Ok so the argument is out there that when you don't eat every couple hours your body will break down it's own muscle tissue for energy.  Well that's just rubbish!!!  If that was true then when does it use your fat?  When all the muscle is used up?   I thought the fat on our bodies is our reserves and when we need energy, such as when we are not eating, it will tap into those reserves.   Yes that is true.  The fat is used when we undergo two different situations: exercise(intense activity of any kind) and fasting.  It has been proven that it takes about 72 hours at a complete fast for the body to begin to cannibalize it's muscle tissue.

Additionally lengths of time when not eating- as in intermediate fasting- the hormones are triggered and an increase in testosterone, growth hormone, and glucagon is experienced putting the body is in a very beneficial state.

When intermediate fasting the main meal should always be at night.  If we simply eat that meal in one sitting until we are full that would not be nearly adequate to suffice for the entire day's calorie needs.  It must be staggered for full eating and digestion potential.  The digestive system works well in this way.  I have been intermediately fasting for over a year now and have my body's needs down to a science where I can gain or lose weight(fat or muscle) at will.

During the daily fast the liver stores up enzymes that need to be released to break down proteins and fats so beginning a meal with a big mixed veggie salad will do that trick nicely.  I eat with usually about a 30-45 min. between stages in my main meal.  My intermediate fasting is structured so I 100% fast every day until the main meal except post workout where I have my raw egg and fruit recovery smoothie.  My main evening meals are huge.  I mean huge!  I stagger my feeding when my eating window arrives and never linger past that window.  Most days I only have about a 2 hour window due to my work schedule, but that suits me just fine.  I make sure to drink about 1.5-2 gallons of water daily to curve any hunger cravings, facilitate detox, and maintain energy levels. With even a 15% decrease of bodily water energy levels are diminished by about half.  Water is vital to overall success and wellness.

I think this is the best, meaning most convenient and results driven, way of doing it rather than "needing" to eat during the day.  Keep in mind that there is a big big difference between needing and wanting.  Your body does not need to eat during the day.  You are programed habitually to believe so. Fasting rejuvenates and refreshes your system ensuring everything is functioning properly and efficiently.  Fasting also gives you a lot of energy as long as the adequate water intake is there. Since you will still be eating quality natural foods and getting in nutrients- but at night- the body will be fine.

Additionally striving to fight to eat or not eat within blocked hour parameters is just not needed at all.  My advice is to be flexible and just do your best to stay around the same pre-determined timing.  Not all schedules can be mathematically mapped on a daily basis.  That would make a healthy lifestyle just too cumbersome.  Focus on what can be done and how easy it actually is to do once you decide to do so.

Chuck Norris Facts At Kettlebell Kamp

Today at Kettlebell Kamp we started talking about all the Chuck Norris sayings. I'm not sure even how we got on that tangent, but these are pretty funny anyway. One I thought of was that Chuck Norris doesn't swing a kettlebell; the kettlebell swings itself out of fear in Chuck Norris' presence. Ok, ok I know it's a bit corny, but they all are. That's what make them funny. Here's some more for your reading pleasure.

Chuck Norris Facts

1. If you spell Chuck Norris in Scrabble, you win. Forever.

2. Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is based on a true story: Chuck Norris once swallowed a turtle whole, and when he crapped it out, the turtle was six feet tall and had learned karate.

4. Chuck Norris can hit you so hard that he can actually alter your DNA. Decades from now your descendants will occasionally clutch their heads and yell "What The Heck was That?"

5. Chuck Norris doesn't shower, he only takes blood baths.

6. When Chuck Norris works out the weights get sore.

7. The best part of waking up, is not Folgers in your cup, but knowing that Chuck Norris didn't kill you in your sleep.

8. If a tree falls in the forest, does anybody hear? Yes. Chuck Norris hears it. Chuck Norris can hear everything. Chuck Norris can hear the shrieking terror in your soul.

9. Chuck Norris eats a bowl of diamonds every morning.

10. When Chuck Norris calls 1-900 numbers, he doesn’t get charged. He holds up the phone and money falls out.


More to come... I promise! :)

Come Hiking With Me at South Mountain

Come hiking with me as I have a great time in the beautiful nature God created by getting a good cardio workout in at the same time. I recorded my view of part of the Telegraph Pass Trail at South Mountain in Phoenix, AZ. It was so beautiful outside yesterday I had to be out in it after my Girevoy Sport practice.

Remember as long as you are active every single day, in some capacity, that is what matters to make a difference in the way you feel, look, and in your overall well-being. I love hiking and Arizona is packed with great trails. I'm lucky to live very close to some of the Valley of the Sun's best ones. No matter what you do as long as you do something for no less than 30 minutes you will be well on your way to become as healthy as you can be. Just the mindset it takes to be pro-active and do something will be far greater than if you weren't. It will be a complete mind/body connection. The rest will be your spiritual and for me, being out in nature, really allows me to truly connect with God's beauty and awe.

So take a quick journey with me- and breathe in the cool fresh air- sharing the awesomeness of the trees, cacti, desert trail, rocks, blue sky, and bright rays of sun.

Sorry about the shakiness of the camera. The trail is pretty steep and I was moving at a really good pace. Next time I'll bring my good Sony video camera instead of the Flip Video cam. That way it will be much, much better quality. Anyway enjoy!

Health Benefits of Raw Eggs

I came across a great article by Dr. John Claydon and it looks very good on explaining the great benefits of eating raw eggs. I do this and if you read on Mercola.com Dr. Mercola has some great advice regarding eating raw eggs as well as the quick testing methods for a healthy or unhealthy egg. Sick eggs only come from sick chickens. 1 in 30,000 eggs contains salmonella and the chances of you eating that many in your life are very slim. This is explained much further on those 2 websites.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"The process of cooking eggs destroy the very goodness that our bodies so desperately need as the nature of proteins and fats is altered when exposed to heat. When cooked, the egg protein changes its chemical shape; it is often this process that can be the cause of allergies. Generally when eating raw eggs, any incidence of egg allergy will disappear.

Surprisingly, in spite of ‘bad press’ raw eggs, organic or at least from a known source of healthy free-range chickens, are an excellent health tonic. The regular consumption of raw eggs will do wonders for your overall health. Exceptionally easy to digest, raw eggs provide a wonderful boost to the immune system, and a completely balanced nutritional package. A good immune system is one of several things the body needs to overcome cancer."

For the rest of the article please CLICK HERE.

I eat raw eggs by blending them into a post workout recovery smoothie as follows:

1. 1-1.5 cups of filtered water
2. Fruits are usually 1 cup of strawberries and pineapple and/or some blueberries
3. 2 tblspns of Virgin Coconut Oil. Always get Virgin as it is unrefined and promotes health.
4. Blend first the above ingredients together well and then add 4 whole organic raw eggs. I blend for no more than 2 seconds, because the egg protein is very fragile, and then drink right out of the blender pitcher.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Emeril's Lentil Salad with Braised Greens and Sunny Side Up Eggs

Emeril's Lentil Salad with Braised Greens and Sunny Side Up Eggs, Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse

 

Leigh Beisch/Getty Images

2 bunches Swiss chard

1 bunch beet greens

1/2 cup olive oil

3/4 cup diced onion

3/4 cup diced carrots

3/4 cup diced celery

1 pound French lentils, rinsed well and picked over

6 cups Emeril's All Natural Vegetable Stock, homemade vegetable stock, or low sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning

3 ears sweet corn, roasted over and open flame, kernels removed

1/2 cup small-diced red bell pepper, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1/2 cup small-diced yellow bell pepper, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

1/2 cup chopped parsley, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish

2 lemons, juiced

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

6 to 8 large eggs, at room temperature


Wash the Swiss chard and beet greens well. Pat dry. Cut the ribs from
the leaves, chop into 1/2-inch pieces, and set aside. Cut the leaves
into 1-inch strips and reserve separately.

Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium
high heat. When hot, add the onions, carrots, celery, Swiss chard ribs
and beet ribs, and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the lentils, bay
leaf, and the black pepper. Toss to coat lentils
then add 6 cups of the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and cook
covered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are just tender, about 20
minutes. Take care not to overcook or lentils will become mushy. Set
lentils aside to cool to lukewarm in the cooking liquid, then strain in
a colander.
Reserve the cooking liquid for braising the greens.

Place the warm lentils in a bowl and add the sweet corn, the red and
yellow bell peppers, parsley, lemon juice and the extra virgin olive
oil. Toss well to combine and adjust seasoning if necessary. Set-aside
until ready to serve.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the
remaining olive oil. When hot, add the garlic and crushed red pepper
and cook until fragrant, 30 to 45 seconds. Add the chard and beet
greens, in batches, stirring between additions, until the greens wilt
slightly. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 1cup reserved stock.
Continue to cook until greens are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes longer.
When ready to serve, cook the eggs.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat. Add the remaining 2
tablespoons of olive oil and gently crack 4 of the eggs in the skillet.
Season lightly with pepper to taste and cook, undisturbed,
until the white is set, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the eggs from the pan
and repeat with the remaining eggs.

To Serve:
Serve the lentils in shallow bowls, topped with the
wilted greens. Place egg on top of greens and garnish with diced red
and yellow pepper. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Drizzle with lemon
juice to taste and serve immediately.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Kettlebell Training 101

Kettlebell Training 101:

Rule number one- Don't Get Overwhelmed!
 
Kettlebells have been around for a few hundred years and have survived among many different cultures. The main culture they derive from is Russia. Kettlebells have made their journey into the U.S., post cold war, around the mid 1980's and then the mainstream over the past decade.
 
Most women begin with either 8 or 12 kilo where most men begin with 12 or 16 kilo. It shouldn't take long to progress to the next size bell if you practice regularly.
 
There are 2 general schools of thought when it comes to Kettlebell practice- "Hard Style" and "Girevoy Sport". We generally practice a blend of both.

1. Hard Style- more explosive, very crisp, power oriented, trains usually for certain number of reps and sets in various Swings, Snatches, Cleans, Presses, Turkish Get-Ups, Sots Presses, Bent Presses, and more.
-made popular by Pavel Tsatsouline

2. G.S.- much more fluid & graceful, more relaxed, strength endurance oriented, trains usually for time and number of reps in a given time limit in either the jerk & snatch or long cycle clean and jerk(which is pretty much simply a clean and jerk movement)
-Girya = kettlebell lifter = competitor in Girevoy Sport

Russian Kettlebells are the single best piece of training equipment that will show you the most muscular strength and endurance, joint stability, cardiovascular strength and endurance, power, agility, coordination and simply the ultimate overall fitness conditioning that your body could ever receive. If there is one training piece of equipment that I can use for the rest of my life and never anything else again regardless if it was a sophisticated machine, tractor truck tire(for flipping), cables, ropes, dumbbells, barbells, medicine balls or whatever- the Kettlebell would be it!
Kettlebells are, simply put, a tool. There are many tools out there and many roads to fitness. This is just one of those tools and will take you down a great, great road.

Example Kettlebell Fitness Workout:
6 Minute Swing Set w/ one hand switch

3 Min. Single-Arm Press or Push Press Set

One-Arm Cleans 16kg(35lbs.) 25R/25L 1 Set

Renegade Rows 20x(10R/10L) 1 Set

1-3 Min. Planks as a finisher


Then:
8-12x Tabata Sprints on Treadmill
-4 min. of total sprinting. 20s sprint followed by a 10s rest times 8-12.


Optional:
1. 15x Pushups
2. 15x Diamond Pushup on MB
3. 15x Suicide Pushup
Take a 3 minute break and then perform it again if you can.

-Always finish with some yoga based stretching.

 

If your focus is not specific Girevoy Sport practice for competition then try to keep every workout different and constantly changing. You will certainly practice the same movements, but don't ever just do the same things over and over. This way your body continues to change and not plateau. I gave you a good mixture of things to do in today's workout. Feel free to expand upon it and practice some of the things we did intermixed with other exercises. Try to keep all strength training workouts to about 45 min.- give or take. This way your intensity will remain high. When you stretch out the time intensity lowers and you run the risk of overtraining.

Have fun and let me know about your progress.

The LCCJ Cornerstone

THE LCCJ CORNERSTONE, by: John Henrici

(Long Cycle Clean and Jerk)

I have formed the opinion that the Long Cycle Clean and Jerk (LCCJ) is the cornerstone of Kettlebell Lifting whether for Fitness or Sport. Although many view the Snatch is the “TZAR” of all KB lifts I will attempt to build a case for the LCCJ.

SWING – CLEAN – SNATCH

There is no argument that the swing is the basic building block of KB lifting. This motion is used for the Clean and the Snatch. The main difference between the Clean and the Snatch is the force of the hip thrust that carries the KB to the overhead lock out position (SNATCH) instead of the rack position (CLEAN). In each case the arch of the KB is the same. The KB passes just in front of the body. In the Clean it is stopped in the rack position; in the Snatch the KB is allowed to continue to the top lock out position. The “basic building block” is simply “stacked up” to whatever level is needed.

THE LCCJ FOUNDATION

The motion of cleaning, in the LCCJ, can be viewed as a “half Snatch”. Thus the Clean incorporates the movement of the Snatch in the LCCJ. So, even though one is not technically doing the Snatch, the Snatch sort of becomes a part of the “compete” movement in the LCCJ. The Clean with every rep places a burden on the core that is not normally enjoyed when only doing Jerks. Combining this “partial Snatch” with the Jerk essentially creates the “ultimate” movement for strength and conditioning.

A STEPPING STONE

Whether training for competition or just challenging oneself, moving up to the next higher weight can be taxing on the lower back and arms if only Jerks or Snatches are performed. If one will begin with the LCCJ at the next higher weight, one can do less RPMs while building core strength in the lower back and legs. The wider – all encompassing – range of motion in the LCCJ will minimize the focused strain on the lower back and arms since the motion alternates between forward and backward stress. At the same time, key conditioning in the core, and cardio ability is also increased.

Foundation of Strength

While you condition the joints and connective tissue at the next higher weight through LCCJ, you are striving for that goal at a much slower (and safer) RPM; usually 4-6 RPM for the LCCJ, instead of 8-10 RPM for the Jerk, and 12-15 RPM for the Snatch. The lower RPM rate will allow the muscles, joints, and connective tissue to strengthen at a safer rate of progression.

Cardio

If you can go ten minutes, with two KBs, in the LCCJ, you can go ten minutes with the Jerk or Snatch. This general “guarantee” of course comes with some caveats. Pace is always an issue once the 10-minute mark is reached. The “assumption” is that if one can do 6 RPM in the LCCJ for ten minutes, s/he can eliminate the clean and do at least 6 RPM in the Jerk alone. Even though elimination of the clean will be felt in the arms (since they are not allowed to “rest” while cleaning); the body as a whole will be conditioned to handle this load. The cardio conditioning alone is worth the investment.

Hand Development

Hand conditioning is something that continually plagues all but the pros. Usually “doing too much too soon” causes hand problems. The fewer RPM at a heavier weight will more gradually build grip strength as well as callusing for the heavier weight. The “Index Lock” (locking the index finger with the thumb) is more easily facilitated coming out of the rack position instead of the Snatch. The wear and tear on the hands from doing Snatches is usually worse than from any other move. If one can do ten minutes of LCCJ at a given weight without having any blistering or tearing, the hands should be sufficiently prepared for the rigors of Snatching.

CONCLUSION

In the arsenal of KB movements, no other exercise embodies all aspects of KB lifting like the LCCJ. Kettebell lifting is ideal for overall health and fitness. It builds core strength. It toughens connective tissue. It hardens muscles. It increases cardio vascular capability. It develops strength throughout a full range of motion. It develops the hands. Anytime one picks up a KB, to some extent they are using all muscles from their neck to their toes. However, the LCCJ is at the top of the list for doing it all so well.

It's not the prettiest set as I did not hold out my overhead lockout long enough and I was looking up on the jerk portion due to my shoulders being tight, but all in all it is a 10 minute Long Cycle set and it felt great!

Synergy Kettlebell Training High Windmill and Two Hand Anyhow Demos

Jen Chandler does an awesome job of demoing two of the best movements for flexibility, stability, and they just down right look cool.  Watch Jen use 8kg Kettlebell to practice the High Windmill and Two Handed Anyhow.

These movements are to be performed with very strict form and very slowly in order to achieve the desired results of flexility, strength stability, and core strength development.  Pay close attention to her locked legs and locked out elbow.  Both are vital for completing these movements well.

High Windmill

Two-Handed Anyhow

Activities Will Keep You Ageless

There are a lot of folks who believe they need to wait to exercise and be active until they can't stand what they look like in the mirror or when they get old enough to where their body doesn't work the way they would like it to work.  There are even some folks that believe that they are too old to workout and be intensely active.  I say RUBBISH to those thoughts!!!  It is never too late to be active in some capacity.  It is what you do that matters for you.

Ninety percent of the way you look and feel is based entirely on your eating habits and dietary lifestyle. The rest is then activity related. You can do everything right in your exercise routine, have not so great eating habits, and experience little to no results.

Cardio is the smallest portion of the equation. Many, many people focus on spending hours and hours and hours performing inefficient cardio routines.  One very productive way to produce very high results when being active while performing cardio is interval training.  While performing interval cardio your goal should not be to burn "X" amount of calories while training, but to get your heart rate as high as you can in bursts of highs and lows called intervals. The time can then be condensed to no more than 20 minutes as long as the intensity is high. Most of my clients cardio sessions are only 12-20 minutes long. It's the "afterburn" that you're after.

Normal cardio puts your body into a "steady state" where your heart rate is the same for 30-45+ minutes. You burn a decent amount of calories while performing the workout, and up to about an hour or two post while your body is recovering, but that's about it. The afterburn stops short.

By performing the high intensity intervals you will create an afterburn effect of a higher calorie burnage over a 24 hour period. That's being very productive!  Then as long as you have great eating habits and continue to be active during that 24 hour period you will keep that afterburn going strong in your favor.  The results couldn't come fast enough if you're being efficiently active.

The next piece of the equation is resistance training.  A lot of folks don't perform regular resistance activities and try to depend solely on cardio. You should never leave resistance training out of your regular activity.  This is actually more important than cardio activities.  Resistance training is an absolute necessity. It promotes muscle and keeps your body from losing muscle. The more muscle you have the higher metabolism is and that's a great, great thing!

There are many ways to be active and perform regular resistance activity in order to make it effective, efficient, and fun.  If you're smart about it you can even Kill Two Birds With One Stone by combining cardio and resistance together.  More to come on the specifics of that, but for now begin uping your overall activity intensity.  I encourage you to find a good Boot Camp for a workout you don't have to come up with on your own and rest assured it will definitely be intense enough for you.


As we age it doesn't mean we should be active even if our body isn't cooperating as we would like it. In fact it is very important for longevity to be active in some capacity on a daily basis.  Do what is enjoyable for you and do what works for you.  Some folks really enjoy resistance training while others more cardiovascular.  Other don't enjoy gym style work at all and want to play with Kettlebells and other odd objects such as sandbags, kegs, Indian Clubs, heavy stones, sleds, ungulate thick ropes, and more.  You can even be active by playing your favorite sports.  The point is to always be active every day in some way.

What seems to be common among super seniors is a life-long commitment to natural living based upon a healthy diet of only natural foods; exercise both cardiovascular and weight-bearing, and positive thinking alongside a strong spiritual life.

Some great examples are the people below.  If you are young looking at this pay attention and remember these faces and bodies.  Make a lifelong commitment to yourself to be like them. If you are grown understand that it is NEVER too late.  Start now if need be and work hard every day to be the best you that you can be!

Jack Lalanne 28 yrs old and 72 yrs old

Bob Delmontique Age 70's - 80's

45 yr old Colleen Fisher and her mother 75 yr old Kelly Nelson posing with Bob Delmonteque 

Kelly Nelson at ages 52 and 72.   Doesn't she look 20-30 yrs younger than her actual age?! Wow!!!

 

 

  

Frank Zane (former Mr. Olympia) 20's and Age 60's

Clarence Bass - Age 15 - 70