Your Load Can Be Heavy or It Can Be Light..

You choose heavy or you can choose light..but you will always have a choice

Tonight the workout was as much mental as it was physical.

 I get asked all the time; "why do you all that crazy stuff?" or "What kind of things/stuff do you guys do there?" after giving a 10 second generic answer, sometimes their immediate reply is..."ohhh I could never do that". On the outside I just smile and nod.... internally I'm thinking....

"yes, you're right you never could do it because mentally you're not willing to"...

Another question that is asked regularly, is why did you open up a gym during a recession in a town that has been on the economic down slide since the 1970s?!?

So here is my answer....we are not a gym, we are a club of like minded individuals who want to become better. My whole goal for PSKC is to create the most mentally and physically tough individuals in the Portsmouth area. The kettlebells and the workouts are our vehicle to learn about ourselves.

"You become what you do" .... take a minute and think about it.

How can you learn about yourself if you're not constantly testing yourself? You go to work, you come home, you sit in front of the TV or XBOX and repeat....day after day...year after year. Suddenly 10 years becomes 20 and what do you have to show for it? You are alive, but your soul is dying a slow death. You became what you did...nothing.

"You become what you do"; is this how you want to spend the rest of your life? Empty, untested, unknowing what you are capable of doing...is this the life you envisioned for yourself when you were younger?

Every time you enter PSKC, whatever is on the board does not matter. What matters is that you're willing to commit fully to the task at hand....weights, times, reps...they do not matter. What does matter is that you pour yourself fully into the workout. The workouts at PSKC are your vehicle for clarity and enlightenment....however you still must be the driver. Enter tonight's workout...

Very simple....it involved different exercises mixed with carrying an object around the block for a total of 6 times. Now here is where the mental aspect came into play. Each person chose the weight and/or object they thought was appropriate to carry. This is how you learn about yourself....anything in the gym was up for grabs to carry around the block. You could have picked a 10 lb med ball each time, you could have carried a loaded barbell, you could have picked up a person and carried them....the point of the exercise was to learn what you were willing to do.

Would you take the easy way out? Would you pick the light load? Would you quit along the way?

When faced with decisions in life will you shoulder the heavy burden or will you choose the light and easy way out? The people who enter PSKC know the answers to these questions, because they KNOW what they are made of....they TEST themselves, they LEARN about themselves....TIME and TIME again. Each day they become tougher....

Why, this towns needs them. For far too long this town and their people have chosen weakness, they've picked the light load. Now it's time to shoulder the heavy burden if we ever want to become better...so.. your load can be heavy or it can be light....which will you choose?

Hard work is making a comeback..

Truly worth a 1000 words, some people have a difficult way of saying "I love you"

Short post tonight, finally coming down off  a high from earlier. 42 people entered through the doors of PSKC to immerse themselves in a "Lactic Acid Bath" workout...it was an amazing energy in there tonight. People refused to quit on one another and encouraged each other to "hold the line". That's what happens here, pants/dress sizes are shrinking while strength and conditioning levels are increasing and people want to share it with their friends. Enlightenment through physical discomfort is a beautiful gift to give. 

We've been open for a month now, and it is more than I could have ever imagined and I'm excited about what the future holds... Come join the most twisted, sick, and loving family in Portsmouth. If you are willing to commit and give pure and beautiful effort ... you are always welcome here, egos are not.

Introducing Running with Ann Marie, Wednesdays at Noon

PSKC Running Clinic – Wednesdays at Noon

The greatest part about PSKC is the people. People from all walks of life, backgrounds, and fitness levels come to train here. One of my favorite things to watch is the friendships that develop as a result of the common bond shared through enduring the pain. Another great thing is that what everyone brings to the table here and the unique opportunity to learn from one another. At PSKC we have one of the most talented and tough runners in the area, Ann Marie Allen.

Trust me, Mommy does run fast

Who is Ann Marie?

Ann Marie has been a runner for 15 years. She is a mother of two small children and a full time graduate student. She believes exercise is essential for proper health and a quality to life.

Credentials:

• Exercise Physiologist (B.S. Exercise Science)
• Certified Personal Trainer (A.C.E.)
• Certified Kettlebell Insturctor ( Primal Training Systems Level I)

In addition to the qualifications she has, anyone that has worked out with Ann Marie knows she is just flat out TOUGH. We are honored to have her at the gym helping others. 

So why are we having a running clinic at a kettlebell gym? They don't have to separate from another, being strong will help your running and vice versa, it's all about developing the right balance. 

Being physically fit means being able to overcome any physical challenge life might throw at you. Sometimes that means lifting big heavy things or running. If you're stuck somewhere without a vehicle and you need to move from point A to point B as fast as you can....guess what you'll be doing...running. So you better not suck at it....Ann Marie will coach you not to suck. 


Okay...so what's the cost?

*The monthy membership includes all running coach services.

*It is 5 dollars per class/appointment, or if you have a package of classes one will be deducted for these services

Why the Pain Clinic?

Hey guys..good to be back in God's country, will even be better to get back to PSKC for Saturday's Pain Clinic. So just why the hell do we call Saturday workouts "Pain Clinics"?

For those of you unfamiliar with southern Ohio....this area is PLAGUED by prescription pain medicine abuse and addiction. It is so bad that Scioto County has the notorious distinction for being on the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) top 10 list for trafficking pain medications in the COUNTRY.

For more info read this article Southern Ohio; home of the Pill Mills
Or see below..



These zombies are walking our streets only concerned with finding their next fix so they can numb their minds and bodies to their world. Blame who you will, the addict, the "business man", the doctor... the one thing all these leaches have in common is mental and/or physical WEAKNESS.

The addict is physically, mentally, and emotionally weak. They are too scared to face life and sometimes that means facing its bitter harsh realities. It's easy to run away, to not be responsible, to not experience pain.

The businessman is morally weak, instead of choosing to  actually contribute to their community, they choose to prey on the addicts to make a quick buck.

The Doctor is mentally weak. He chooses to sell his soul all in the name of the mighty dollar. Did you really spend a significant portion of your life in medical school just so you can dispense pain medication to the weak masses? What happened to you? What about the Hippocratic oath?

We at PSKC are a different breed. We live here, we see the devastation firsthand. We all know someone who is either an addict or worse...died from drug overdose. We see the once vibrant souls, full of laughter and life...now walk the streets as zombies...numb to the world.

We choose to chase the pain, not run from it. We understand that steel is only made through fire. We embrace the pain for we know that each time we enter the doors at PSKC, when we leave we will be stronger, fitter, better than we were when we entered.

Pain clinic peddlers and abusers be forewarned, we don't want your weakness in our lives and in our towns. It is not an option, we are simply tougher than you. For the rest of you out there, if you feel the same come join us...the only way to fight weakness is with strength.

Dirty 30s

Tonight Dave and Monica introduced a little dirty 30 action to the crew. Dirty 30s consist of performing 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest for a total of 5 minutes. The exercises were:

Sandbag Squat
Pullups/Climbing
Pushups (any variation)
Butcher Pushes
Tire Drags
Double KB Press

Equal rest to work ratio can be tricky. If you are using the appropriate weight, it might start out "easy" in the beginning...but the wizard will always catch you in the end.

On my end, even though I'm out of town and miss my people, I always take advantage of any opportunity I can to train, learn, and be coached by others. It just so happens that my adopted home away from home is  CROSSFIT LEGION.


It's always great to be coached and learn knew things, it's even better to learn from great people, in this case it's Henry and Justin (two former veterans) of CF Legion. For example, I come from a kettlebell background...but today they put this Southern Ohio kid through some good old fashioned gymnast training. They focused on teaching the hollow position, then progessing through knee ups, L-sits, knees to elbow, toes to bar, sweepers then ended with some "skin the cats" (as seen below).


Keep up the great work guys....

Thank You Derick...

There are many things that may you impact you emotionally in this life, these two sentences that I read today from Derick impacted me the greatest....

"What Dale won't say to you is he was the one the helped get me to where I am now. Thanks brother."

To understand more about 1LT Derick Carver; click here for Derick's story

I struggled with the decision to write a post about this, because I didn't want it to seem like this is about me. To say thanks to Derick for his kind words he posted on his facebook page is simply not enough, let me be very clear and set the record straight; I did nothing for Derick. His amazing recovery is a result of his tenacity, strength, and determination. He refused to be defeated. All I ever did was tell him a little group of people in a little town in Ohio care and pray for him....the least I could do was share his story and how he has impacted me.

As a matter of fact, Derick has done way more for me than I could ever do for him. He is one of my greatest sources of strength and inspiration, and to read those words from him that I had "helped" him in anyway was indescribable....so to my friend and my hero; Derick thank you brother, thank you.

Monday's Smoke and Simple Iron Truth

Truly an amazing day...we had 6 new folks come to the intro and get a little taste of PSKC's Monday Smoke Session. We took a page from the Training Room and annihilated a triple triplet workout...

20 Seconds of work at each exercise non-stop for a total of 3 minutes. Rest a minute in between triplets then repeat...a total of 18 minutes non-stop work.

First triplet = snatch/swing weakhand, snatch/swing stronghand, pushups
2nd Triplet = high pull/clean, push press, situps
3rd Triplet = air squat, 1/2 burpee, mountain climbers

It was an awesome atmosphere in there today. My apologies for no photos, I too decided to throw myself into the smoke session at the end...

On a sidenote, a blog/website I visit daily CLICK HERE - SIMPLE IRON TRUTH operated by Rob Fusco, posted Derick's story. As I devour much of Rob's writing it was an honor to even be mentioned on his website. Rob has had the privledge of spending several hours training and learning at Gym Jones in Utah. Below is a clip of Rob doing amazing things with kettlebells and his people:

Rob's writing is some of the best stuff out there, agree or disagree with him....the dude has talent. Below is an excerpt taken from his "about" section:

"Simple Iron Truth is a collective of real people who suffer to understand who they are and what they are truly made of.  

We use physical training as a vehicle to carry us deeply into those places within, searching for hints of truth as we go.

Not many are welcome into this because few possess the intelligence and heart to begin to see themselves as they actually are and then take steps to become something more.  

We are protective of what we do because it is rare.  We are suspicious of people because most are shallow, looking for acceptance and validation from others when they should be looking inward.  If this is what you seek, look elsewhere.

We believe in one another because what we do and how we train requires it.  There can be no other way.  There is no other way."

And finally class update: This Thursday's class will be held at 6pm. There is a great week of workouts programmed. Dave and Monica will show you the way...