July 4th Schedule - Saturday 10am PSKC Intro

Drawing people in even across state lines...the awesome group from Wednesday's intro

Wednesday was a packed house! A huge intro followed up by a huge class! We are growing by the week and we couldn't be happier.

big thanks to our Kentucky friends..

If you are willing to come in and give us your all, we are here for you. You will not find a more welcoming, encouraging, and hard working group of people. Our doors are welcome to all...MMA fighters, soldiers, single moms, and grandmothers...no matter who you are you are treated equal. And we will not lower the standard for you...we will teach you to rise above it..



I love this comment on the Facebook page from Julie...
"If I were a realistic thinking kind of girl, I'd still be on the couch. Because realistically, I couldn't do anything the first time I came to PSKC"

the photo is blurry...but the determination still comes through

Julie is still relatively new to PSKC (around 2 months), and she is tearing it up. A self admitted couch potato, after several years of physical inactivity, she finally gained the courage to walk through the door (this was after a month or two of back and forth emails with me). I can only imagine her nervousness as she finally made the decision...for far too long she caged herself by believing what she could NOT do. All it took was a place and group of people to believe in her for her to believe in herself. 


Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to make it sound easy. Easy is not what we are about. Anyone that trains alongside Julie knows one thing...that chick brings it and she trains with a unique type of intensity. I would venture to say this intensity is a product of realizing that she is capable of incredible things....Julie definitely is...and you are too...believe 


Okay, it's Holiday time! And as I write this..Shep, Mo, and Ann are delivering an awesome class as the wife and I are on vacation. Don't worry we just completed a hotel workout, of dumbbell snatches and burpees 10-1, 2-10. Thanks to Uncle Mike from the Training Room for the inspiration...ANYWAYS...


Here's the schedule for the 4th of July weekend...
Friday - 9am Kettlebell strength and Conditioning
Saturday - 9am Pain Clinic, 10am PSKC Intro
Monday - 9am Kettlebell Strength and Conditioning...EVENING CLASSES ARE CANCELLED!


Have a wonderful time this weekend. Be safe, have fun, and make sure your friends and family know you love them. Take a minute to reflect on those incredibly brave and amazing rag tag group of rebels who got fed up with bullshit from the "man" and started a revolution. No one in the world believed in them....EXCEPT THEMSELVES, and that's all it took. From that belief the greatest country in the world was born...

Mo's Lucky 7s

Something very cool happened over the past weekend. The coaching staff at PSKC added more pieces of paper to the walls.

Ann, Shep, and Mo all officially became Crossfit Level I trainers! Everyone at PSKC is tremendously proud of them and their hard work. The end of certification test ain't easy, ask any of the hundreds of people who have failed it...

The coolest thing is that before these 3 made the decision to become an instructor, they all demonstrated some very important qualities.

1. Flat out, they train hard....over and over and over again, they give it their all. 

• They know what it's like to suffer.  There's nothing more disgraceful than having someone tell you do something that they don't do themselves. Would you go to a dentist with jacked up chompers? Didn't think so, then why go to a trainer/instructor/coach who doesn't practice what he/she preaches? Over the course of the last year, I have watched these 3 attack these workouts time and time again....only to come back stronger and wanting more.

Perfect example of Mo and Shep coaching...where else do you get this?

2. Their lives have been changed.

• I'm not trying to get over dramatic or throw cliches around. But each of these 3 have become immensely mentally and physically stronger, re-shaped their bodies, and changed the way they eat. And because of that power, they now have an intense desire to share it with others.

3. They love to help.

• Not just in the gym/training sense. It's in each of their personalities. They are shining examples of strength and compassion and they want to make everyone around them better. I've seen their faces light up when they teach the swing, pushup, pullup, etc.. their only measure of success is when you succeed. 

We are lucky to have these 3...and it's just the beginning for them. Not only will they be leading additional classes, but they are available for one on one personal training if classes aren't for you or you just want to spend some extra time working on your weaknesses. 

So Mo decided she wanted to program the workout. So tonight we got a taste of "Mo's Lucky 7s"

Big congrats to the Snatchmaster Romanello for clocking a blazing fast time! Also, the Wizard lodged himself in the Machine's throat. I think we found the Man of Steel's kyrptonite! 

Don't forget we offer a 9am class tomorrow on Tuesdays. It's a great way to beat the heat if you're available!

Being able to offer these morning classes is great! We can do this because PSKC is growing FAST. We are getting close to our 1 year anniversary and I wouldn't have dreamed we'd be this far with this many members. No other gym in Portsmouth Ohio or the whole southern Ohio region has the talent, passion, and excellence that our instructors and members do. We're not about taking your money and giving you bullshit in returen...we're about the people and we're about making our community stronger....we'd love for you to join the madness...

MAPACHE BOMB...

Mapache now comes in camo...we  must have one: www.ironskullfitness.com 

the aftermath of Thursday's Mapache Bomb

FANTASTIC WEEK OF TRAINING!!! You guys busted a tremendous amount of ass throughout the entire week. Here's the training recap.

Monday was all about working heavy push presses followed by a finisher of 3 X 400m runs with 2 minutes rest in between.

for a small frame, the Pride of Sardinia can move some weight

On Tuesday we did some skill work on pullups and ring dips then we hit a nice lil combo involving swings, wall ball, and knees to elbows in the following scheme:
5-10-15-20-15-10-5

On Wednesday the skill development was the kettlebell snatch. Rookies worked on learning/refining this technical exercise while veterans worked on the even more tricky double kettlebell snatch. Then after that it was a brutal kettlebell circuit. 3 rounds of 30 seconds non stop of each exercise:
Snatch w/s
Push Press w/s
Reverse Lunge w/s
Row w/s
1 minute of walkouts

On Thursday, it was time to spread a lot of squat love to the folks of PSKC. Thanks to Henry when I was down at Crossfit Legion I got exposed to lung and leg damage courtesy of:
20 min AMRAP
5 Burpees
15 Front/Goblet Squats
25 Heel slaps/double unders

BEAST MODE!

look Ma, no legs!

  Then Friday and Saturday we wanted to expose as many people as we could to the "whole lota squata"..
16 total minutes of air squats and holds. 20 seconds of work/10 seconds of rest x 8, repeated 4 times. Very wizard friendly and a true mental toughness challenge...

Feel use to cuss us each time you go to use the latrine....in all seriousness, continue to hydrate and do plenty of joint mobility over the weekend to bust up the concrete from setting in your legs.

COMING SOON...
You can do all the toughest workouts in the world, but if you eat like shit you'll never be as healthy or at the opitium  weight you want to be. Quite simply, the results won't come. We will provide you with the best strength and conditioning...but that's only 1 hour. You've got 23 other hours to SCREW IT UP. So here in the next week or two..we're just gonna sit down at the gym and talk about what you should be fueling into your body....here's a hint, "if you can't kill it or pick it, you shouldn't eat it".

In the mean time, here's an interesting look at a what some people are taking in..

IT'S NOT "THEIR" PROBLEM, IT'S "YOUR" PROBLEM...

We've all heard it before...time and time again. Portsmouth is a shit hole...nothing positive has happened there since.....??

Go anywhere outside the county and people will ask you about the drug problem and now associated crime problem. Hell my car has been broken into for a shitty GPS that got me lost more than found...but some pillbilly needed to turn a quick $20 to score some mind/body numbers to get his/her fix. Ask Wes, that dude lives in a damn retirement community and his place got broken into for some framed jerseys and a Playstation.

IT'S NOT "THEIR" PROBLEM, IT'S "YOUR" PROBLEM...

Blame is easy, blame is wonderful, it's intoxicating, it's contagious. It's never your fault. Ever gotten a speeding ticket? It's always the stupid ass Trooper's fault for pulling you over. Didn't he have anything better to do than write you a ticket for going 65 in a 55? I mean really, shouldn't he be more concerned about far more devious criminals than yourself?

Hey shithead, don't want a speeding ticket? Don't speed... Nevermind the fact that he is doing his JOB. And never mind the fact that the majority of drug busts in our area are uncovered during routine traffic stops. Next time, be so bold as to thank him.

Stop looking to blame others for your problems. Step up...take responsibility for your actions and equally important YOUR LACK OF ACTION. 

I'm not going to stop there, we're going one step further. The problem our community is facing is YOUR problem. WTF? You're thinking, "dude c'mon...I have never even been around drugs, I don't even associate with those zombies/pillbillies. There is no way it's MY problem."

The majority of people will agree with you but the majority of people in this community are WEAK. Sometimes it ain't so good to be in the majority if weakness, apathy, and mediocrity are the majority views. Being the loud, radical, raging, miniority can be so much cooler (Jesus anybody?).

So if you don't do drugs, don't associate with people who do them...how is it still your problem? Let's answer this question with a question.

What are you doing to fix the problem?

It's all too EASY to sit in your nice house up in Indian Hills, Wheelersburg, West Side, Feurt Hill, etc...and say "damn, look at this mess. I've never seen it so bad. Portsmouth never used to be like this when I was growing up."

Well here's why it got so bad....YOU LET IT!. Not the Governor, not the Mayor, not the Police...YOU LET IT HAPPEN BECAUSE YOU DID NOTHING TO STOP IT. That's weak sauce to pass the blame onto others because you failed to take action.

We are in a fight for our community. We don't need nice people who live in nice homes that DO NOTHING. We need hardened, fierce, radical, physically and mentally STRONG people to step up and take the power back.

Stop waiting for things to happen....when faced with inaction..TAKE ACTION. 

Here is an amazing example of exactly what I'm talking about. On Chillicothe Street there sits a small church you've probably never heard about. It's called REVOLUTION, and they are doing exactly that. In my opinion, far too many preachers PREACH and don't do anything. Jesus talked the talk, but more importantly he walked the walk.

Ever been to the East End of Portsmouth lately? I did a lil driving tour a while back to make that video, and it's bad, I've been to some bad neighborhoods in my life...and the East End is up there. When's the last time anyone/anything tried to go help that area out? Revolution is...they aren't there for a day or two...they bought a house and live there.

"Their mission -- walks the streets and form relationships with drug dealers and abusers and prostitutes, to help them get off these mean streets and into treatment.
Rawlings says Revolution House is the first of several East End homes the church intends to buy. He says it's known nationwide as a "re-neighboring" ministry with a proven track record."

Please read the full article HERE: 

Stop thinking it's not your problem. Stop thinking you have no power, stop being weak.

FIGHT WEAKNESS WITH STRENGTH....FIGHT IT WITH DETERMINATION...FIGHT IT WITH FORTITUDE...RAGE AGAINST THE WEAKNESS.

Fight....keep fighting.....look at has happened so far. The politicians can't solve it...the Doctors can't solve it...stop looking to other to fix your problem. Awake yourself from the comfortable and "safe" existence..go make a difference. Be an example for others to follow.

No matter what your choice of action will be, at PSKC we equip with mental and physical strength to accomplish the task. By having a strong and capable body...it produces a strong and capable mind. Think about it...right now ask yourself...Are you strong and capable? Can you do anything that life may require you do? If you're not strong and capable...than you are what???  WEAK AND INCAPABLE.

And it's weakness and incability that has allowed this town to go downhill. It is only strength and tenacity that will right the course.

Which will you choose?

"Safety"

"A friend should look the same as an enemy. Both challenge. Both argue. Both make you better than before. Enemies don't help you get up, they knock you down. Friends, true friends, do the same thing. The difference is the enemy wants you to stay down, but the friend prays you get the %$#@ up."
-Josh Bunch



As I'm out of town from what I can gather the last two days have been rocking!! More and more people in Portsmouth and southern Ohio are abandoning fancy machines and air conditioning in favor for nasty heat, hard work, and the ability to be around amazing people who push each to greatness.

I'm very blessed to receive numerous emails throughout the day wanting to know more about what we do. One of the reoccuring themes is "I'm not in shape enough" or "I would die if I do that".

Here is my response... ..  NOW IS THE TIME. 

News Flash....You're dying already. When are you going to start living? Everyone always wants to be "safe". Yes, you'll never experience pain and discomfort if you slave yourself to a comfortable atmosphere where mediocrity is not only permitted it is encouraged. Yes you'll never risk being in any pain,  but you'll never see what you're capable of either..

To quote one of my mentors, Henry Rollins:

"I KISS MY FEAR ON THE MOUTH"

Why are you waiting? Why are you scared? Why do you continue to allow yourself to justify the fear?

When you stop being afraid...you will climb above your self limitations

The good part about being on travel is I have some much needed to think.....just me and my thoughts. I really wanted to produce a work of literary genius to inspire you guys. But the words escape me... for now...but the good news is I came across a fantasic article for you guys to really think about yourselves. It hit me just at the right time and I hope it does the same for you.

If you're ready to shed your former self...if you're ready to be mentally and physically strong, if you're ready to be around amazing people who will challenge you and who will pick you up...OUR DOORS ARE OPEN FOR YOU. 

NOW IS THE TIME....WEDNESDAY 5PM INTRO.  Hope to see you soon... enjoy the below article.

One of the places I go to read on a daily basis is called Practice Crossfit. The author/owner/coach is a guy named Josh Bunch, and he is a very talented man. Read below...

Cognitive dissonance is the act of holding conflicting ideas or performing conflicting actions simultaneously. Knowingly we do one thing we shouldn't and then reason why it's acceptable. Damn, that sounds familiar.



One may know smoking is bad, but they also know gaining weight is bad. While thinking that smoking is keeping them thin, they argue how giving up smoking is just as bad as the habit itself, so why stop? Or maybe one argues CrossFit to be dangerous. Better to remain "safe" and fat on the coach then to get fit, get hurt, and end up back on the couch and fat. What's the point?


There are few techniques humans have honed as much as Cognitive Dissonance. Few habits we have established to fit all of our bad behavior. Few tactics make us feel so good about being so wrong, so hypocritical, so common.


The CD Diet:


On our blog alone, there are countless tools provided to make one incredibly successful when it comes to eating. From supportive, fellow Paleo-ers to countless posts on disease elimination and life improvement to constant challenges, testimonials, and experiments. And after over 1,000 posts on our blog alone, and millions of others worldwide, some still choose the other path. The path of CD...blaming, justifying, denying.

Are we really so egotistical and selfish that we conjure up reasons why we should be allowed those three beers? That piece of cake? That slice of pizza? I'm not saying there are not places for them, but if you're slamming them down and then mind-%$#&ing yourself into thinking they should not pose a problem all the while whining to the person checking your body fat, or writing your time on the board, you're the worst kind of person. You're the kind of liar that knowing deceives everyone around you, and just like I have said before, it's never been about the food. It's always been about your mind. Once you stop mind-*#%$ing yourself stupid, you can finally start living without justification and, instead, with success.


The best and most painful thing you can hear today, every day, any day is that you have enormous power. You are the reason you will succeed. Neither I nor anyone can ever really help you without you first helping yourself. The only question is, will you direct your power toward achievement or toward glorious excuses about why you "should have," but didn't?


If It's Ok Here, It's Ok Everywhere:


I never wanted to blog about a stupid-ass recipe for some bullshit Paleo piece of chicken. Shit that's boring. Its still #$^&ing chicken. If you need that, cool, go find it, but it's not my style or my gift. I was blessed with a certain set of talents just as you were, and after we discover what our talents are we are required to use them to help others. I want to show you what I believe we can be as humans.


If you're riding the Cognitive Dissonance train when it comes to something as trivial as food, I guarantee you're justifying other decisions about your life that are much more important than last night's chicken. And recognizing, being disgusted with and fixing that is the true purpose behind this blog.


Do you really believe it's ok to stay at that shitty job because you're "safe"? How safe is it to go against the human grain of challenge and strength only to adopt an existence that earns you a paycheck? Surviving from vacation to vacation?


A weekly paycheck is simultaneously the greatest prison known to man. The prison of society...the illusion of freedom...is the best way to keep convicts docile. ,And, oh are we docile. Oh,, are we convicted, imprisoned, "safe". A paycheck is Cognitive Dissonance in it's rawest form. Sure, we need it to some degree just like we need food, but the what and the how of that paycheck are dictated by us. If you're manipulating your talent into some less-than-meaningful version of what you could be just so you can pump your 401k full of retirement money, there will be nothing worth retiring for. A nursing home always looks like shit no matter how much money you have when you get there.

Unfortunately, the highest levels of CD aren't found in relation to our profession, but to our relationships with others. This is where we justify bad choices the most. Personally, I believe the reason for this justification is entirely due to our beloved blessing of instinct. Instincts we put on the back burner. Instincts we argue to be pre-historic, or uncivilized. Our instincts tell us we should not have to work hard everyday for love's sake, yet we do. Our instincts demand we help others, yet we move aside and make excuses that never really help them or, in the worst cases, aid their illness.


Blowing smoke up your ass, and letting you get by with CD is not friendly or loving. We know this, but fear alone-ness more than anything. So, we call those people who give us a so-called "helping hand" when we fall friends, but they're not. They're co-dependents reinforcing bad behavior. Behavior that is in opposition to our instincts.


Nietzsche's definition of friendship surpasses all others. To him, a friend should look the same as an enemy. Both challenge. Both argue. Both make you better than before. Enemies don't help you get up, they knock you down. Friends, true friends, do the same thing. The difference is the enemy wants you to stay down, but the friend prays you get the %$#@ up.


Do you really believe your path? Or are you making excuses

MARINE CORPS INVADES PSKC!

LOG = perfect tool for team building

Saturday, 18 June 2011 - 0900
60 future Marines ranging from West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio assaulted the PSKC compound for a half day of physical training and team development. It was one of the proudest days to date that we've had at the gym.

Once the Poolees arrived we assigned them to fire teams and briefed them on the day's 3 Phase Operation.
Phase I (Infil) and Phase II (actions on the objective) focused on partner suffering (Pain Clinic) workouts and team building events. Within the fire team there was a team leader who received guidance from the instructor. After receiving guidance it was up to the team leader to develop a strategy and communicate to his/her fire team their plan of attack.

The in-brief

After each station/event, the team leaders changed allowing each poolee the opportunity to make decisions under stress and develop a plan. There were 10 total stations in Phase I and II. See below photo highlights..

Upon completion of Phase I and II, it was time for the final Phase III, Return to Base. During this last and important phase. The fire teams were to run a half time carrying an injured comrade. The 1/2 mile route included the Scioto County Veterans Memorial. Once the fireteam reached the Memorial, each member was to pick a name on the wall and always memorize the name and draw strength upon it when necessary.

It was a phemonal event. I cannot thank the volunteers from the club who dontated their time and energy to help train future warriors. Like I said, it was a very proud moment for me and one I will never forget it.

Also, it goes without saying....the WIZARD made a strong showing as well!

Big thanks to SSG Rogers for setting this up. Looking forward to many in the future. For those who are interested in serving in the military. PSKC will surround you with the tools you need to be successful. We love our military and will do whatever it takes to make them successful!

On Saturday PSKC Hosts the USMC

The shirt in action! Only a few are remaining..

ladies tank...come and get them!

Local Marine Recruiter SSG Matt Rogers and PSKC are teaming up to host the tri-state region's future Marine recruits. PSKC will open its doors to put on a half day of physical training to prepare these young men and women to become warriors. And we couldn't be more excited about it!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
0730-0830: Saturday Pain Clinic. Early riser special!
0830-0900: Volunteers for the USMC event arrive and get briefed on their assignments for the event
0900-1200: Training for the Marine recruits!

Thank you to the volunteers who are helping run this event. We greatly appreciate it! If you're not doing anything, feel free to stop by on Saturday morning and cheer these guys on. They will need all the help they can get!

See you crazies for the super early morning Pain Clinic at 0730!

In Defense of Cussing..

WAY  TO  GO  SHEP!!

PSKC is not cushy. There is no air conditioning, no climate control, no bullsh*t.  When it's hot outside it's gonna be brutal when we're training. You have to be able to deal with the elements. Hell, last night we had to run while there was a fire going on making not so comfortable to breathe.

And if you guys start bitching about the heat, I'll kindly remind you of January/February. When we had to put a heater on the kettlebells to defrost them.

Through grueling physical stress we teach you to deal with the elements. It's equal parts making you physically tough and more importantly making you mentally tough. Case in point, I watched Les Norris fight through a workout that took her 27 minutes because she refused to substitute knees to elbows for toes to bar. That's toughness in action.

So what is the mystical ninja trick that automatically make you the next John Wayne/Rambo/Chuck Norris hybrid? There ain't one..it's called embracing the suck, it's called fighting through. And you gotta do it on a routine basis. But there is something that might help you...your favorite four letter word....that's right science says you swearing will help you deal with pain tolerance.

cussing while knocking out 50 toes to bar  is totally acceptable and even encouraged

As I'm doing my daily reading I happen to come across a post about the pyschological component of training and developing mental toughness (click HERE). The post mentions studies have shown that "swearing and music actually improve pain tolerance". Immediately, I said sh*t yeah! Finely, for once, science is on my side. So I decided to investigate (via my good friend the Google) these studies...

Up pops a Time magazine article citing a British study..click HERE:

"When we swear, we increase our threshold for pain, meaning we can bear it longer and don't feel it as much. Stephens is not sure why this happens, only that for some reason, "swearing appears to increase our pain tolerance."

"GO TO HELL" now there's science backing up Mo

It also goes to further explain that swearing is a very primal response, etc..

And I think you guys know, if you're around me enough, I tend to spice up my Southern Ohio vernacular with choice 4 letters words. For this, I make no apologies. To steal a bit from Bill Cosby, growing up I thought my first name was "damnit" and my sister's name was "sonofabitch!" Just kidding dad, but old man Lou was a 5th degree blackbelt in swear words, and I inherited it early on. Let's just say my time in Iraq didn't help the situation much either.

whatever Shep said I can guarantee you it wasn't Mother Trucker

So be warned, when you come to PSKC you will witness lots of amazing people doing amazing things. They will get loud, get excited, they will cheer you on...and we will cuss, this ain't Sesame Street. People here are pushing themselves to the far extremes of their abilities and in that process the primal urge to lay out profanity will take hold. Please don't take offense....after all it is science   :)

Also the music isn't edited either, it's raw and aggressive and odds are you'll hear some bad words. I'm not using this as an excuse to machine gun out profanity, but some well timed 4 letter jewels are justified.

I will say this I do TRY and watch my mouth when the rugrats are around...but I'm not always perfect.

If you don't mind a few curse words, and you don't mind being around awesome people, then come down and check us out. We've got another great intro lined up for Wednesday at 5pm. Come join the most hard working and fun loving people in Portsmouth. It might just change your life...

See you sonsofbitches on Wednesday, and come ready to bust your ass!

The PSKC Good Luck Charm

the official PSKC good luck charm...his name is Mapache and you pay your respects

The end of another great week. Over the weekend some of the crew went up to Columbus to volunteer and/or judge at the Reebok Crossfit Central East Regionals. It was an awesome event filled with some amazing athletes.

Also, we tested out the new time for the weekly Saturday Pain Clinic workout. Everyone seems to like the earlier 9am time, so we will be sure to keep it at that time slot from now on out.

On Thursday, we went old school and hit up a classic Training Room inspired kettlebell/bodyweight circuit accuratey named the circuit of sweat. It had been awhile since we had done one, and now that the weather warm it's time to do them more often.

Hope you guys had a great weekend with friends and family. Some of us (myself included) ate like crap over the weekend. Have fun fear, we have just the cure on Monday. See you guys at the 6 or 7!

Weekend Schedule Updates:

FIRST OF ALL ENJOY THIS!

Sabrina the Zumba Ninja floating across fire

Feel free to print that photo off and use it as inspiration/motivation whenever times get dark!

It always get dark on the Lane of Pain...check out Wednesday's finisher;


Here's the deal for this weekend. All the coaches are either judging or volunteering at the Crossfit Regional Games up in Columbus this weekend so we need to switch some things around. If you guys need something to do I highly suggest you go watch these monsters compete. Details can be found HERE:

Friday: Mo's (aka Cyborg) morning class is cancelled

Saturday: Pain Clinic has been moved earlier to 9am. This will be the standard time from now on out. Why has the time been moved? Because you guys wanted it that way! This is a perfect example of listening to the members. We are here for you guys and always take what you tell us in the deepest consideration. The best things we've done at the gym has been you all's ideas, so please keep them coming.

A couple of things I need from you all. You can leave a comment here or hit us up on our Facebook page HERE

1) Paleo Kits. You guys crushed that first order! I'd like to keep a continous stock, so far I can tell the Krunch Bars are like Paleo crack. What else do you guys want?

2) Tough Mudder: Everyone had a great time at the Warrior Dash. But is there something more extreme, challenging, and possibly funner? How about if you combined 3-4 Warrior Dashes into one 10-12 mile extreme adventure obstacle course...enter the Tough Mudder!


We will do this as a team. So here's what I need from you all. Which location do you want to do? Each location has its pros and cons. Just need to get a majority vote on this by those who are interested by next week. So we can registered and reserve our slots. The event isn't until late October or early November (yes the water will be freezing cold!). So take your pick between Virginia and Indiana and let me know!

http://toughmudder.com/events/indiana-2011/

http://toughmudder.com/events/virginia/


We will see you bright and early for the Saturday morning Pain Clinic at 9am!

"No other gym like it"

Beast Mode is Back!

Back at it! Monday we started off the workout with a task based triplet focusing on strength and skill.

3 X Heavy Barbell or double thrusters
2 X Rope Climbs
5 X Strict Knees 2 Elbow or Toes 2 Bar

We ended with the 15:15 protocol (15 seconds of work / 15 seconds of rest) on two stations. Each station lasted 7 minutes.

1. Pushups and Ring Rows
2. Swings and Slamball

Today we kicked off spending some time working on gymnastic skill development by working on kipping pullups and handstand/handstand pushups. These movements are complex and require bodyweight mastery throughout multiple planes. Pound for pound gymnasts are some of the most freakishly strong people out there.

After the skill development is was time for the nasty, it's name was ""Meritorious" and it came from Gym Jones

30 X Handstand Pushups (or KB Press each arm)
40 X Pullups
50 X Swings
60 X Swings
70 X Burpees

C-Glock on summer break after the workout

The summer morning classes with Mo aka the Cyborg are getting packed! We had 13 folks there this morning. Make sure you check them out if you get a chance. 9am on Tuesdays and Fridays. We also have Ann Marie's Running Clinic on Wednesdays at 9am as well. So that gives you 3 morning options throughout the weekdays.

The past month we've been having record attendance at classes and the intros. The sole reason for this success is you guys! I cannot thank you guys enough...we are retooling the way we work our referral system to make sure we take care of the people who have monthly memberships. If you pay as you go, the referral system is pretty simple. For each person that comes to the intro, you get a free workout. What we're thinking about doing for the monthly folks, is when you refer X number of people you will get either some free Paleo Kits or some sweet PSKC swag. So just make sure you are keeping track of the people you refer!

Speaking of which...PSKC intro is tomorrow at 5pm. We always love to see more pain faces! Still on the fence trying to figure if it's for you or not? Here's what Chris had to say after today's workout..

"Thank you all for the extra motivation! I needed it. No other gym like it in the world! You guys are awesome!"

Warrior Dashing!!

Yeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! 

PSKC took full advantage the first time the Warrior Dash came to Ohio! About 25 people from the gym made the trip over to Hocking Hills for some muddy goodness. Throw some hill running, fire, obstacle courses, mud, beer, and turkey legs and it's a match made in heaven.

Such a great weekend...yes it was the race/obstacle course and the overall atmosphere that made it such a cool thing, but what truly made it great was the people. A gym is only a building filled with weights and workout equipment...what makes us different than any other gym in Portsmouth, Ohio is the amazing people group of people who are the members.

More than just "members" of a gym, these people are friends. Months ago, lots of these people didn't know one another and know they are fast becoming great friends. That is the best part about the gym..it attracts the most hard working yet fun loving people in Portsmouth. People who love to live life...

the chick in the middle has the best legs

In addition to the Dash, we all set up shop at cabin afterwards for some grilling, cornhole, and most importantly laughs..

You guys are awesome...membership is increasing and the word continues to spread about what the crazy people are doing inside an old brick warehouse. From buddy carry 5Ks, to the Gauntlet, and now the Warrior Dash..you guys are making this one helluva summer!  We will ready to throwdown on Monday..see you guys there at the 6 or 7 class!