Fighting Fire with Water

To become incredibly strong, healthy, and capable is an amazing gift...so much so that you feel the need to go out and convert the rest of the world to this lifestyle. The way we workout combined with a Paleo way of eating produces amazing and potent results. It’s not so much just working out and eating right, it takes on a lifestyle. You stop caring so much about what is on TV and your attention turns towards becoming faster, stronger, harder to kill…better.

These are all very good things. However, just be advised of the world you live in. Not everyone is ready to accept the harsh reality and truth that there is no easy way, that to get what you want in life requires nothing less than your absolute best, that life is a meritocracy. Sometimes your sheer desire and enthusiasm to help out people can do more harm than good, driving away the exact people you want to help the most.

Many of you are just like me. For the majority of your life you thought you knew what you were doing. You went to the gym, you ran, you lifted…boring, repetitive, nothing was happening…you weren’t excited…you were just existing, not looking to challenge and conquer. Factor in the “nutrition” you were eating that was approved by weight watchers/Jenny Craig/”experts”… then one day a very good thing happened. You stumbled across kettlebells, Crossfit, Paleo/Primal eating…and life changed for the better and I wanted to share the same thing with my friends, family, and community. PSKC was opened…and the rest is history.

Now that you carry this gift around with you, you want to share it. That is awesome and I encourage that…the success that PSKC has had is exactly for that reason…you all referring people to the gym. But sometimes…people just don’t want to listen and even accuse your/our “way” of being dangerous.

Doctors say deadlifts will hurt you. Dieticians claim eating meat, veggies, nuts, seeds, some fruit, and no sugar is unhealthy and dangerous. Clearly we know this isn’t the case. We experience and see the results backed by the bloodwork, pounds lost, strength gained, and just general good feeling we have...each and every day…so what do we do when our “gift” is attacked? Much like you’ll read in a moment, early on I would have lived to argue, attack, and accuse the other person. But in the end…it really doesn’t do anything of value.

Sometimes you need to learn that “fighting fire with fire” isn’t the best approach…sometimes the best way to fight fire is with cool, calm water. And sometimes you just need to understand you’ll never win a fight with a skunk who is only concerned with pissing their ignorance all over the place.

So what do you do? You pick up the bar and deadlift then go eat some meat and veggies…you smile, be the kind and caring person there to help, you continue to be the example for others to follow. If you come across as the “my way is the only way/your way is stupid” person, you will automatically turn away many of the people who need to be helped the most. No one wants to be preached at and told their “way” is dumb. Your actions will always speak louder than words (spoken and/or written in the forms of posts/comments).

I encourage you all to read the below post from Practice Crossfit. As usual, it is better written than anything I could have crafted and expresses a very good lesson.

"She crossed the rubber floor dusted in chalk with a confidence few her age could dream of. Her generous brown eyes caught mine as if to betray her youth by saying, “I’m too young to be feeling this old.”

Not even out of high school and yet she sat beside me like it was just part of the routine. As if a connection that had existed for centuries somehow was realized in seconds. She had a story…we all have a story.

I could tell by her gaze she required answers. The connection was made because I continue to have the same look of disbelief perpetually fixed upon my demeanor. Now she had it. She rested, unbroken by life, still majestic in her ability to forgo judgment in favor of hope in man-kind. She sat peering at me for advice. Without saying a word she asked, “will it always be this way?”

“Did you hear what happened to me at school”, our CrossFit teen says to me after we all WOD together as family. “Yes”, I said.

“Today my teacher singled me out in class because of my beliefs. She said the Paleo diet isn’t healthy and that in the long term, myself, my Mom and everyone else following diets like it, will eventually die of a heart attack”, our CrossFit teen said.

“My teacher even attacked you and others like you”. She said “trainers aren’t Doctors and we shouldn’t listen to them about matters of health.”

“What did you say”, I asked as I began to notice how tired her eyes were. Clearly she had revisited this story many times. Clearly she wasn’t looking to tell me what she said. She was asking, “what should I have said”?

Years ago I would have been infuriated. Not only was someone I care for being outwardly attacked for her opinion, but so was the life I love, and the truth I hold so dear. Years ago I would have replied to our CrossFit teen, “When is your next class”. That was years ago.

While looking into those youthful eyes yet to be trivialized by boring adult banter and meaningless relationships I said, “This is just the beginning”.

“Your life will always be harder if you chose to be on the side of truth, but living, to you, will always be worth it. Much more so than people like your teacher will ever know”, I said.

This is what our youth have to look forward to. A war between those who practice the truth, and those who are voluntarily inoculated by the lies.

We must do everything we can to properly prepare our young ones for this, we must never shelter them form it. Nor should we defend them against it. It is their willingness to fight that will make them great. Its our lack of belief in their ability that will make them weak.

I could tell our young CrossFitter, and even the elders backing her wanted me to be angry. They wanted a brave-heart Esq-kinda speech preparing the troops for victory. But war never changes anyone, and nor will we if every-time someone disagrees with our way we argue instead of educate.

“Aren’t you angry”, someone asked. “No” I said. “You can’t hate them for believing the lies, you can only teach them the truth by example.”

In fact, not only should we avoid anger, we should employ sympathy. Outsiders to our way are living in state of perpetual darkness. We are the light. Even if we are just passing by.

Make no mistake I am in no way saying we should not vehemently defend our path, as it is right, just, and glorious. I am saying as we walk, some will always try to keep us back. We need never conform to them. Nor do we need to give them audience. We simply show them the truth, then we continue about our way enlisting followers in every town, city and state across the country. If we turn every corner to argue every naysayer we will miss the majority by debating the minority.

The hardest lesson I am learning more and more everyday is that fighting is more walking away to teach others willing to learn, than it is arguing with those unwilling to listen.

Leaders throughout history were able to impact the world by the millions because they did not waste their time on negative haters who want nothing more than partnership in hell.

Those willing to change the world are those willing to speak the truth when it is not fun popular or acceptable. They are those willing to cut their loses and continue no matter how alone they may feel.

I applauded our CrossFit teen for standing her ground, and I urged her to continue no matter the cost. Take pride in your ability to move on everyday looking to find the lost, and take pity in those you leave behind simply because they aren’t ready to be found.

To my CrossFit youth, and all other youths like her; you are surrounded by adults trying to accomplish little more than a comfortable death. The greatest gift I can give you is the knowledge that you don’t have to be anything like them. You are free."

SEEK TO SURVIVE: S.E.R.E. PERFORMANCE 001B

Mission success..

27JAN12 – Washington D.C. The Frozen Chosen Few
“So there I was…”


A few months back, a buddy of mine who happens to be the owner of INFIDELUSA started posting a few things about a new nationwide adventure event called the S.E.R.E. Challenge. So I emailed him and asked him what the hell this challenge is all about. He responded;

“I can’t give you the details. I am working on the website right now for my buddy Keith Jolly he was the one that put together the USMC Ultra Ruck Off (an epic 170+ mile Ruck from Philadelphia PA to the Iwo Jima Memorial in just over 80 Hours). He has multiple military Spec Ops inspired challenges. It’s the real deal, it’s for the people that want more than GORUCK or a Tough Mudder, longer distances and some crazy stuff. I was reading the challenge descriptions it’s insane and I’m loving it.”

So just like that I decided I was in, from the day I signed up until the event kicked off we had no clue what would be in store. For most competitions, obstacle courses, races, etc..I will try to get as many people from the gym involved as I can. For this, I really wasn’t trying to get a group of people together from the gym to do it. What the hell would I tell them? “Yeah dude, show up in D.C. in the middle of winter and you have to wear a 50lb ruck for 12 hours.”

But the funny thing is as soon as I posted on Facebook I was doing it..Troy, Zak, and Brandon immediately contacted me and told me they weren’t going to let me have all the fun by myself. What is even cooler is that Tia, Ninjy, and the Cyborg said they wanted to come to watch and support us along. That is why I love PSKC, nowhere else to you get the massive amount of support that the people of PSKC offer.

start time..



So Friday morning the 7 of us load up in a sweet minivan that my boy and PSKCr Luke D hooked us up with from Enterprise (plug – you need a rental car? Go see Luke D). 8 hours later we arrived in D.C. and it was game time. We all double checked our gear from the required packing list (which included 20% of your bodyweight in sand) and headed out into the unknown. We knew our rally point was the east side of the Washington Monument and the time to be there was 2200. As we headed out, the 4 of us all received numerous texts of support and encouragement from you all. The Facebook page was lit up as well. That would be huge for us later on as we wanted to make you all and Scioto County proud.

I’ll do my best to recap the event, but there’s lots I forget and will omit. After all, I was up for 30 hours and the challenge itself lasted 14.5 hours. There were approximately 40 other deranged individuals assembled at the Washington monument with us. After some admin time for waiver signing, we needed to get warm with some pushups.

Then a bag of shirts was dumped out as our class uniform. But before we could wear them, a couple gallons of water and several pounds of sand had to be added to them. Who likes a clean white shirt anyways? Each person was also issued an egg that was to be carried along during the first mission . It wasn’t a good thing if an egg broke… (later on after the eggs were used, he had to dispose of them. We had a cool idea to just go ahead and eat the raw eggs).

wet, sandy shirts + windy winter weather = awesome

From there we rucked around each War Memorial/Monument. It was very truly a great experience to pay tribute to those who have sacrificed so much for us. We ended at the WWII Memorial, after a couple hundred meters of low crawling holding onto our egg. At the memorial we had to work as a team to figure out where our next objective was.

enjoying the low crawl through the National Mall

working the puzzle

From there we had to ruck down to the Capitol Building within a designated timeframe. Once at the Capitol building, we were given our next clue and set out traveling to the next rally point. This leg of the journey seemed to be the worst…it was long and it took forever. Plus this was around 0330-0530. This was also when the herd started to thin and I got to witness one of the coolest things ever. We had a girl who completed 5 rounds of the World’s Toughest Mudder. She accidentally ingested some cashews (which she is highly allergic)..so she started throwing up violently. So a 3-4 guys hauled ass to CVS to get some meds for her. After she puked A LOT…she chewed the Benadryl tab, drank some water, smiled..rucked up and moved out. That’s the kind people that participated in this “fun” little journey.

late night lunging in front of the Lincoln Memorial

At our next rally point we were “rewarded” with another low crawl. This time it was in a very rocky creek. If you ever find yourself getting tired, I highly recommend low crawling through a cold and rocky creek in the middle of the night. From there, it was more miles until we arrived at a muddy tunnel. Guess what? More low crawls, this time through some very aromatic mud. After the tunnel, we followed along the river until we reached Fletcher’s Cove. However, along the way we made sure to stop at different points at the river to do some much needed flutter kicks in the water.

At Fletcher’s Cove, as a class we did dive bomber pushups in the river and held the bottom of the pushup as we recited Admiral Nimitz’s famous WWII memorial quote.

“They fought together as brothers in arms; they died together and now they sleep side by side...To them, we have a solemn obligation”

Fletcher cove marked our last water event. But we weren’t finished yet. From there we rucked back to the Iwo Jima USMC memorial. Once there we were treated with several 100 reps of different exercises to mark the culmination of the event.

2 thumbs up! My response to being told to do 100 burpees

12:30pm – 28JAN12 we finished. All 4 started and finished together as brothers and teammates.

Of the original 40 we had some quit, some get injured, and some get hypothermia. Proud to say the crew from PSKC enjoyed the 14.5 hour journey. Altogether we were up for 30+ hours, the event itself lasted 14.5 hours, which we logged approximately 15-20 miles with 50lb rucks on. Not to mention the several 100 meters of low crawling and 100s of reps of pushups, squats, flutter kicks, and lunges along the way. We are all very proud members of the Inaugural S.E.R.E Basic Challenge – Class 001B – The Frozen Chosen Few.

What We Learned:
Training at PSKC will prepare you physically and mentally for anything…bottom line. That is not some bull$#t marketing statement, that is the verified and tested truth. That has been a mantra we have preached for awhile. But in the last 8 days, we really wanted to put that to the test. The previous Saturday, Zak, Brandon, and I competed in the Crossfit New Albany Winter Throwdown. A series of 4 short duration competition sytle AMRAP workouts that involved rope climbing, clean and jerks, burpee box jumps, deadlifts, squats, kettlebell swings etc. The longest workout lasted 10 minutes. I’m not saying we finished in the top 5, but we held our own.

Exactly 7 days later we embarked upon this 14.5 hour long multiple mile endurance suckfest style event. So what secret cool guy training protocol did the 4 of us do to prepare us for these events that were on such opposite ends of the spectrum? We worked out at PSKC 4-5 days a week doing the daily workouts religiously. (Also by the way, 3 weeks ago both Zak and I PR’d in our deadlifts).

However I will say, 1-2 times a week we modified the daily workout so we could wear our rucksacks in order to get used to the weight and make adjustments to our rucksacks as necessary. That was the only thing we did different from normal class workouts. The majority of our workout durations we were in the 10-20 minute ballpark and we never did any long distance marches or runs.

Yes, we were sore and stiff when it was over. Take a look at my foot (try not to puke).

This reminds me; Troy completed the challenge in a pair of Inov-8s with Zak and I rocking our New Balance Minimus (can’t remember what B wore). I can’t say enough good things about my NB minimus, they survived daily beatings from workouts, a Tough Mudder, and now a SERE challenge. This basically confirms minimalist footwear is the way to go, assuming you’ve broken your feet into this type of shoes.

None of us had any injuries (our post event recovery did consist of Yeungling and an amazing Brazilian Steakhouse) and we all hit some kind of workout on Monday, lending further credence to the benefits of training at PSKC (injury proofing your body).

CONCLUSION:
S.E.R.E. Performance kicked ass. As we were the beta-testers, it will only evolve, grow, and get better from here on out. If you want to step up and test yourself mentally and physically, this is definitely for you. Who knows…maybe there is a possibility for an event to come to Ohio…..Southern Ohio even..

Recipe of the Week: Quadzilla's Fajitas

Chow time! Satisfy your Toro Loco craving this piece of goodness from our very own Quadzilla!

Paleo Fajitas

WHAT YOU NEED:

Thin skillet steak

1 onion sliced lengthwise

1 pepper sliced lengthwise

4 mushrooms sliced

Cumin

Garlic powder

Salt and pepper

WHAT TO DO:

Sprinkle both sides of steak with cumin, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Cook steak a few minutes on each side and let rest.

Add veggies to pan and sauté in steak juice for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, slice steak in thin slices and serve with veggies. Serve with tomato and avocado on the side! 

"Experiment with everything, leave out nothing, condemn nothing, qualify everything"

In the last 3 weeks, close to 10 people have completed the beginners program. That is a whole bunch of awesomeness. Lots of new and eager faces ready to travel down the path to being strong, fit, and healthy. However, all these new faces mean we need some help from our veteran PSKCrs.

1. Say Hello: Remember that first time you did your first workout? I'd venture to say for some it could be an intimidating experience. Barbells crashing, kettlebells swinging, people sprinting, jumping, burpeeing all over the place. But what made it cool was the person who was a stranger now became someone you trained with. So if you see a new face, offer a handshake and smile. Calm their nerves and put them at ease. Just put yourself in their shoes..

2. Coaching: If you see someone doing something unsafe, stop it before it becomes a problem. Then go grab a coach to help that person correct/fix their technique. It's totally cool to offer pointers/tips and help each out. However, it can be incredibly confusing for a rookie to listen to 7 different people provide 7 different coaching cues on a movement. So if see something that needs to be fixed, don't hesitate to go grab a coach.

3. Be An Awesome Example: I don't think you guys realize how powerful your example can be. Although people are too shy to admit it (and I won't publicly say any names), you don't know how many times I hear "Man, I want to be like John/Jane". Or "I wish I could lift/snatch/squat/pullup like John/Jane". Keep being awesome..keep busting your ass..and when you're done shout and yell your ass off for the next person. Keep paying it forward...that includes setting an example with what you eat, your mobility work, and the extra time you put in just to be better. Don't be afraid to take a rookie under  your wing and show them the ropes.

So the first part was targeted for veterans. Next up this message is directed at our newbies (won't hurt the veterans to listen either).

I've copied and pasted JB's post from a few weeks ago over at Practice Crossfit regarding things every veteran or rookie Crossfitter should do. Those who have been reading for awhile now I take much stock in what Josh writes. He's a wealth of knowledge regarding Crossfit and Nutrition and an all around good dude. So much so, he's coming down to the compound on Feburary 11th to provide his awesome Paleo Seminar (click the top left link on the page for more info).

I encourage you all to read, and I'll expand on the last item as it's very important especially for the lionesses at PSKC.

TRUST YOUR TRAINERS

If your Coaches say something, anything, it is your job to listen. You may question them. In fact you are encouraged to do so. Don’t forget your eye during a WOD tells lies your body can’t handle. Their eye watching you day in and day out tells the truth.

GET GOOD BEFORE FAST
Even if you can keep up with 90% of the class your first day, it doesn’t mean you should. Our CrossFit drug is potent and it will catch you the 2nd day if you don’t respect it the 1st day.
Forget the clock and the RXD weight for know, it will come. Be patient enough to progress correctly and you will be rewarded with longevity and vitality. Move fast before you move well and soon you won’t move at all.

EXHAUSTION DOES NOT EQUAL SUCCESS
The grueling breathers make you better…..and addicted. As CrossFitters we feel like we are somehow cheating ourselves if we are not lying in a puddle of our own sweat after each and every WOD. GOOD WORKOUTS ARE EVERY WORKOUT THAT MAKES YOU BETTER, NOT JUST WORKOUTS THAT MAKE YOU EXHAUSTED.

MOBILITY WILL ALWAYS TRUMP STRENGTH
I know this first hand. Competitively bodybuilding left me very strong over the 10 years I did it. It also left me very immobile.Recreational do-gooders lift things. Those of us who want fit and healthy and everything that comes with it realize their is no need to add strength to dysfunction. Get mobile, and get strong. One doesn’t truly work without the other.

YOU CANNOT OUT WORK A BAD DIET
When you’re just starting CrossFit give it a few weeks before you start worrying about your food. Stop asking questions and just listen. After a month of paying attention, begin the food change you so desperately need otherwise your results will eventually halt.

There are those genetically gifted, chances are, you’re not one of them

Just because Rich Froning can survive and thrive on peanut butter doesn’t mean you can.

This is about as common sense as it gets but we still look for proof everywhere so we can so we feel better about letting our guard down.

This of course doesn’t mean you can’t be like a CrossFit games winner, it simply means that to become one, or your version of one, you may need to do things differently than the top athletes do. If there is one thing concrete about all top athletes…nobody does things the same.

Experiment with everything, leave out nothing, condemn nothing, qualify everything.

GENETICS ARE NOT YOUR GOAT (WEAKNESS)
Conversely to the above, genetics may make life harder, or easier, but that doesn’t mean you’re doomed.

Epigenetics is the expression of our insides. There is our genotype, the way you were born to be. And there is our phenotype, the way we make ourselves become.

We can be genetically disposed to carry more fat, but we still have to eat the calories. We can have the BRCA 1 gene that causes breast cancer, but it still takes eating sugar to make it grow. Don’t blame you genetics, blame your choices.

*TO LOOK BETTER, PERFORM BETTER* (key point)
No matter the coolness of CrossFit, nobody would do it if you gained 30# pounds of fat. It’s safe to say many of us, maybe even the majority, enter CrossFit because they simply want to look better.

The stronger you are the more potential you have for losing fat, and gaining muscle. If you really want to change the size you fit into, drop weight fast, or even change your blood work for the positive…get fast, and get strong.

These guidelines will not always make you or I happy. These guidelines are not exotic. They are tried and true methods to keep you CrossFitting, and living better everyday. Stray, and pay the consequence, follow and reap the rewards.

Good stuff right? Let me just add a little to the last bullet. Ladies..lifting a barbell and/or kettlebell WILL NOT magically grow muscles and make you look like the Terminator. It doesn't work that way. Lifting the heavy bar will make you STRONG. Strong is what you want (see above)....but strong only happens if you're willing to go for it. If you keep lifting the same comfortable weights, you won't progress...you will remain stagnant and result less.
 
If you're afraid of "getting bulky"..then you need to be afraid of the cookies and wine not the deadlifts and presses.
 
In closing, I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from Mark Rippetoe:
 
"THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FIRMING AND TONING. THERE IS ONLY STRONGER AND WEAKER"

PSKC at the CFNA Winter Challenge

A crew from the compound made the icy/snowy trip up North to New Albany to compete in the Crossfit New Albany Winter Challenge. Typical with Crossfit competition it was mix of great workouts combined with even cooler people. The great thing about competing is you always learn something about yourself, more importantly you always take away a great desire to work harder and train your weaknesses. As usual I'm so damn proud of those who made the trip. There were so many highlights, but the couple that stick out in my head were the Honey Badger and Ninjy. Both these girls are new to Crossfit and had the stones to step up and compete. The Honey Badger had a tough time with wall walks (having never done one)..but she refused to quit and fought the entire time. Then on the other end, you had Quadzilla who finished in the top 10.

Below are some video recaps of the workouts. Hope to continue to bring more and more people to enjoy the Crossfit community at the next competition.

WOD #1


WOD #2


WOD #3

Recipe of the Week: Trappy's Cajun Stir Fry

Dinner is served!

It's Wednesday...recipe of the week time! After the past few workouts your body is in dire need of good chow for recovery. As a reminder to keep track of your progress and log your workouts/time, please get an account at Wodstack (click HERE) and join our gym to follow along. Now onto the grub!

Trappy's Cajun Stir Fry

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 pound andouille sausage sliced

1 pound shrimp shelled, deveined

1 chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper

1 can of diced tomato

1 head of cauliflower "riced"

Zatarain's blackening seasoning to taste

juice of 1 lemon

WHAT TO DO:

You need a food processor to "rice" your cauliflower. Just pulse it so you don't over do it.

Sauté sausage until cooked, add onion and pepper and sauté. Add Tomatoes and lemon juice. Add shrimp and seasoning and sauté until pink. 

Add cauliflower and cook about 2 minutes. You want the cauliflower to be a little crunchy.

There it is..short, simple, and saucy! Enjoy!

Always Teaching..

Coach Cyborg teaching the clean

I first got introduced to kettlebells and Crossfit while serving on active duty in 2007. I quickly learned there was much to learn. A few months later I bought some bells and watched as much Youtube as I could on learning how to do a swing, clean, snatch, etc..

For weeks I had pretty epic bruises on my wrists and forearms from constant pounding due to crappy cleans, snatchs and just overall crappy technique. Due to my ignorance I proudly wore them as badges of honor. As one my kettlebell instructors Jeff Martone of Tactical Athlete says "if you're gonna be dumb, you better be tough".

I then thought to myself, maybe I should seek out someone who knows what the hell they're doing. At the time, the ONLY Crossfit affiliate in Ohio was Rogue Fitness and the instructor/owner was Bill Henniger. Now keep in mind this was 2007 before Rogue Fitness became ROGUE FITNESS. So I went through a couple sessions with Bill and got a few workouts in and was hooked. Driving up to Columbus each time, that's how obsessive I was. I remember thinking how cool it was that I made their website. Click HERE for the link...pretty funny from all the way back in August of 07.

From there I went onto to train and learn from the best there is in the kettlebell world: Jeff Martone, Mike Stehle, and Jim Milkowski and eventually going onto get my Crossfit Level I certification, and attending an Olympic lifting seminar with Charles Staley.

From all these folks and organizations...the one thing I was always impressed with was the quality of instruction. Very welcoming, no egos, just wanting to spread what true fitness is all about. That's the one take away I was always wanted to give at PSKC...quality instruction. That's why all the coaches are minimally Crossfit Level I certified and we always looking to attend different seminars, competitions, and certifications because we want to learn from the best and pass along the knowledge to you guys.

We changed the way we do our intro program for beginners, because we wanted to drill the basics and fundamentals for our new folks before attending regular classes. Speaking of which, big props to my boy Luke D. His first workout after completing the beginners' program was a scaled down version of "McGhee".


That's also why every class we separate out those who want to work on their technique and offer open gyms...you must never stop learning, practicing, and growing.

Finally, if we're not the experts in our field...we'll go get them and bring them to you. That's what we've done with our upcoming Paleo nutrition seminar that will take place this Saturday, Feburary 11th. Spots are filling up fast! Please click this link to register or sign up and pay at the gym. This will really be an amazing opportunity to learn and grow! See you at the compound...

Deadlifting Maniacs

That is the wife crushing a 300lb deadlift. The first chick at PSKC to break the 300 barrier. She was pumped after watching Zak aka Coked Up Werewolf be the first guy at PSKC to bust the 500 barrier!

Get strong, get conditioned, have an awesome time with awesome people. That's what PSKC is all about.

The intro program is in full swing, lots of emails and new folks coming in..come be apart of the best gym in Portsmouth.

Also, don't forget the upcoming Paleo Seminar on February 11th. Click the link in the top left corner of the blog for more info and to register!

Recipe of the Week: BLT Quiche

Do you like bacon? No? C'mon dude you know that shit is delicious. Now, don't get your paleo undies in a bunch. Bacon is fine in moderation as long as you're not having a bacon tree (see below) 5 days a week.


Also, pony up the extra couple dollars and get the natural (non-MSG kind) bacon.

Onto the Recipe of the Week via Quadzilla: the BLT QUICHE

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 small onion diced finely

1 small tomato chopped

4 strips thick cut bacon chopped

5 eggs

Large handful fresh spinach or dark green, no iceberg!

Salt and pepper to taste

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 350.

Sauté onion in coconut oil until they start to soften. Add chopped bacon and cook for few more minutes. Drain bacon fat and add spinach and let it wilt down. Set aside to cool.

Beat 5 eggs in a large bowl.

Add chopped tomato and spinach and bacon mixture to eggs. 

Stir all ingredients together and transfer to oven safe dish that has been lightly coated in coconut oil. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes....THEN BOOM GET YOUR BACON ON!!!

Intro appointments are filling up! We have a few spots for this Saturday at 10am. Email me at: louisdaleking@yahoo.com to grab a spot and start down the path of awesomeness! 

Brutal Bells

worth a 1000 words

Tonight's partner finisher was brutal. That's the great thing about kettlebells, the right combinations can be punishing...simple and effective. 

Partner WOD
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
Run Ladder from 1-10 in alternating partner fashion. Run up ladder with one arm at a time.
Perform this with kb cleans (partner not working hold bell in rack position)

Then perform this with kb Push Press (partner not working holds bell in OH position)
*Burpee penalty if bell has to be set down

Also, check out the official flyer for the upcoming Paleo Seminar!

We want a PACKED house for this. The mo the better! Print them off and pass them around and don't forget to sign up in the gym. Or for you out of towners or those who prefer to pay online, click HERE to register/pay online!

Track Your Progress

thanks for all the birthday cards, texts, emails, and messages. Hope you enjoyed the workout!

Last week on the Facebook page (which we use to push the latest updates, so please hit the "like" button to ensure you're getting the latest and greatest), we let you guys know about an awesome website called WODSTACK.

WODSTACK is a great tool to keep track of the workouts that you've completed and chart your progress along the way. We created a PSKC page on the website where we post the Workouts of the Day (WOD). This allows you to see all the workouts we've done and will act as a historical record of sort. But more importantly, you can "clone" the workout and put it into your own calendar where you keep track of your weights, times, rounds, etc. You can also track your PRs, goals, Benchmark WODs, etc. Click the below video for a better explanation of the features..and best of all it's FREE.


Each time I play around on the site I discover some cool new feature. And keep in mind this website is still in its infancy and will get better with time. There's lots of reasons to create a profile and follow along.

1) Tracking your progress. Remember your first intro class with the "icebreaker" workout? The little 5 minute partner AMRAP of swings and push presses with a 35/18lb kb. Imagine if you kept track of your rounds/weights and then compared it to now. It would be staggering.

2) Some of you are more OCD than yours (looking at you Quadzilla). This site fullfills your wildest OCD fantasies. You can input your 5/3/1 weights and reps, track your PRs and goals, etc. You get what you put into it. Some of you could care less about times/weights/etc, you just want to come in and get it in...and that is completely cool too. At a minimum you don't have to do squat. You can just logon and see what the workout is, completely up to you.

So go click HERE for the PSKC page and create your profile and surf around and check it out.

Also, keep your friends coming! We love having new folks come in!

Saturday Feburary 11th - Paleo/Nutrition Seminar Presented by Josh Bunch and Chastity Slone of Practice Crossfit



Everyday we strive to get better. At PSKC, our goal is very simple..we want to make you guys better than you were the day before. That means creating awesome workouts, an awesome community, and an awesome experience.

As we reviewed the previous year, one of the things we were lacking is providing you guys with the knowledge you need to be successful outside the gym with the food you eat. So we reached out to the experts in the Paleo/Crossfit community; Josh Bunch and Chastity Slone of Practice Crossfit in Troy, Ohio. Some of you will remember JB and Chastity from the great time we had at the Back at the Ranch Competition in October.

They agreed to travel down to the compound and provide their Paleo/Nutrition seminar to the good folks of southern Ohio.

WHO: OPEN TO ALL


WHAT: PALEO SEMINAR AT PSKC

WHEN: SATURDAY, FEBURARY 11th 1030am. (Pain Clinic workout will start at 0900, feel free to come at 0900 get your WOD in then stick around for the seminar)

COST/REGISTRATION: $25 You must pre-register click HERE to do so online or you can register and pay at the gym. We are also working on getting an online registration page that will be up in the near future. You must register no later than Wednesday, Feburary 8th. (For non-members, the $25 fee will also cover the charge of the workout for those who will be joining us for the 0900 Pain Clinic)


WHY: No matter how hard you train, to unlock your true God-given potential you must eat the way your body is designed to eat. Let JB and Chastity provide the knowledge you need to get you started down the path to being as healthy as possible.

Here's a quick explanation and sample of what to expect at the seminar:


To prep yourself for what you'll be learning at the seminar click HERE to download, print off, and READ the booklet. Bring it with you along with a pen and take lots of notes. Please come LOADED with questions. The seminar will last approximately 2 hours, then followed by a Q&A session.

Please make every effort possible to be there on Saturday, Feburary 11th. Please email me at: louisdaleking@yahoo.com if you have any questions!

Upcoming Paleo Seminar - 11FEB12

What's cooler? Watching a retiree nail split jerks...or..

Seeing a 300lb split jerk? Both are pretty damn awesome

Quick post tonight. I will follow up with details in a longer post tomorrow, but please save the date now, I promise you will not want to miss this!
SATURDAY, FEBURARY 11th Paleo Nutrition Seminar with my good friend Josh Bunch of Practice Crossfit 

And six year IFBB professional figure competitor Chastity Slone

Both Josh and Chastity are amazing Crossfitters, coaches, and Paleo nutrition experts. It truly is an amazing opportunity to bring these two to the compound to share their knowledge and expertise with us. Especially since the cost is only $25 and open to the public!

The key to becoming as strong, fast, and healthy as possible is what you put in your mouth. Join us as Chastity and Josh guide us in a discussion that will show you how. If you're interested please email me at: louisdaleking@yahoo.com so I can reserve your spot now!

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Cauliflower and Leek Puree

Great work tonight. We worked on squat cleans to open up then went into a triplet finisher of:
kettlebell snatches
box jumps
pushups
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Solid work all around. It's really great to start and introduce some of the new folks into the fold. Jeremy got his first workout tonight and did great. It will be awesome to have this beast unleashed in a few short weeks.

Onto the grub! You like mashed potatoes? Who doesn't we are in the Midwest after all...tonight Trappy is gonna hook up with a great Paleo substitute.

Cauliflower and Leek purée

WHAT YOU NEED:

2 heads of cauliflower

3 leeks (white to light green parts only) (Editor's note: your redneck ass doesn't know what a leek is? Even more reason to go buy some and try it out!)

2 tbls organic butter

2 tbls almond milk

Sea salt and pepper to taste

WHAT TO DO:

Remove the core of the cauliflower and discard.Cut the rest of the cauliflower into 2 inch pieces.

Steam for about 10-12 minutes on medium high heat.

Cut the leeks into 1 inch pieces and sauté in butter for 10 minutes on medium heat.

Combine the cauliflower, leeks and almond milk in a food processor, it may take 2 loads.

Process together and put in a sauce pan and season with salt and pepper.

Keep heated on low until your main dish is ready.

This is a perfect substitution for mashed potatoes! Throw a grilled/baked piece of protein and another side of veggies and you're good to go! 

Keep eating clean and kicking ass. Make 2012 the year you started something amazing. We'll keep posting weekly dishes for you guys to try, and keep coming an average of 4 days a week and I promise you will be in the most amazing, healthy, and happy shape of your life!

Getting Back At It

2012 is in full swing and PSKC is back at it, to welcome everyone back Coach Cyborg said hello to the New Year with a full blown Sissy Test. A sissy test is an alternating ladder of swings and burpees. Start at 25 swings and do 1 burpee, 24 swings and 2 burpees, etc....all the way down to 25 burpees and 1 swing. A badge of courage to wear for all those who have completed it.

Speaking of the new year, new intro appointments are filling up FAST! Please remember we have changed the way we are bringing people into the program. You must set up an appointment first and the intro program covers 2 x 1 hour private sessions. After completion of the 2 sessions, you can hop right in with the regular crew. We have a few openings for tomorrow at 5pm, if you anyone is interested please email at: louisdaleking@yahoo.com

Finally, we always manage to try and compete in local Crossfit competitions. There is one going down in New Albany on January 21st! It's a great way to compete and see what areas  you need to improve on. Go to:
http://cfnawinterchallenge.blogspot.com/ for details and to sign up!

See you guys tomorrow for some great workouts at 9am or 6pm!