Inspired Effort..

"AT PSKC THEY DON'T USE MACHINES....THEY MAKE THEM"

TONIGHT WAS AMAZING...If you missed you it, you missed one of the most inspired and determined nights we've had at PSKC. Everyone fed off each other's energy and pushed one another to levels thought impossible a few short weeks ago.

It started by reviewing the swing technique. The swing can be the best exercise you've ever done...if done correctly..but it takes constant work and technique refinement. Tonight we focused on engaging the lats at the top of the swing...Why?

1. It forces you to engage your entire body and maintain a tight vertical plank position at the top of the swing
2. By engaging the lats, it will prevent you from hyper extending. Always remember stacked structural alignment "shoulder over hip, hip over knee, knee over ankle". 

After the technique portion we moved into the strength portion of the workout focusing on two fundamental movements, the clean and press and pullups. 

Diane clean and pressing the 20kg bell

We did 2 X 1-3 ladders combining both movements...now this is where it started to get interesting. After the swing technique starting clicking with people, they were challenging each other to pick some heavy bells up...then bang out some pullups. 

Then it got pretty kick ass....the main effort was a descending ladder workout 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 of:

Kettlebell Snatches w/s

Wall Ball

Pushups

Everyone burned and sprinted through this workout...not resting between exercises, getting after it..pushing the pedal and everyone elevated the intensity level in the process. And the best part of the night was the end when everyone joined together and cheered the last person through the workout...together as a team. 

Thank you guys...this definitely lets me know where are on the right track. The future is blinding bright for you all...look how far you've come. Imagine what will come in 4-6-8 months from now...it all starts with setting goals...and it looks like the Z-Beast is getting pretty damn serious..

Speaking of goals...big congrats to Jill...down 25 lbs! Stories like this are not the exception...they are the standard for the machines at PSKC. If you're out there reading this wondering..."Can I do this?..Is this for me?....the answer is YES. Now is the time for strength...for power..for self confidence...come join us...make the impossible possible. 

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

Tomorrow you can take the first step at the intro class...Wednesday at 5pm!

Biggest Loser Kettlebell Gurus?

Sorry Bob...this is just the wrong answer

Just because you're on TV doesn't mean you know what you're doing....with kettlebells it's important you know what the hell you're doing and what the hell you're talking about. Why? You can jack yourself up pretty quick if you don't learn the fundamentals of kettlebell training the safe and correct way.

Case in point...the trainers from TV's Biggest Loser. Now I'm not ranting against the Biggest Loser, I think it's great that there's a show out there focusing on getting people to be active and eat right, I take that back some of things they do on that show is flat stupid and demeaning and irritates me beyond end. I'm not a fan of yelling at people and forcing dangerously overweight and deconditioned people to run on a treadmill until they fall off...but I digress.

The main point is that there is a right way and wrong way to do things. And sometimes kettlebells get lumped into the "fad" category and every trainer out there thinks they can buy a dvd or watch a few youtube clips and all the sudden they have the ability to train people using kettlebells.

A while back Jillian came out with a "Kettlebell DVD"..and it went over like a fart in church. Even the LA Times wrote an article on how the form was all wrong..
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/11/health/la-he-fitness-jillian-michaels-20101011

And now apparently there's a youtube video floating around from the other trainer, Bob Harper showing the perfect way on how to completely butcher a Turkish Get Up..
http://joshsgarage.typepad.com/articles/2011/02/bob-harper-from-biggest-loser-how-to-do-turkish-get-ups-wrong.html

Read the above the article and then bounce it off how we at PSKC teach it (via my instructor, Jeff Martone, owner of Tactical Athlete).
http://portsmouthspartankettlebellclub.blogspot.com/2010/10/turkish-get-up.html

See what I'm saying?

If you really want to learn the RIGHT way, you need to get with someone who knows what the hell they're doing...and there's a few of us at PSKC who talk the talk and walk the walk.

See you guys at 11am on Saturday for another awesome Pain Clinic!

Get Ready for the Gauntlet!

QUICK SCHEDULE UPDATE: THIS WEEK'S INTRO CLASS HAS BEEN MOVED TO THURSDAY AT 5PM. No intro class on Wednesday, we rescheduled it for Thursday at 5pm. Make sure you tell your friends and keep spreading the word.

GET READY FOR THE GAUNTLET!!! SATURDAY MAY, 21ST

Stay tuned for full details regarding this Spring's PSKC Gauntlet Challenge!! Mark your calendars, Saturday May 21st! You will not want to miss the one of a kind kettlebell strength and conditioning competition. There will be a total of 5 events, prizes will be awarded to the overall male and females competitors and top
40+ male and female competitors. Events will be:

1) Max strict pullups for males, flexed arm hang (chin over bar) for females for time
2) 5:00 Kettlebell Snatch test (max reps in 5 minutes)
3) Max number of kettlebell goblet squats in 2 minutes
4) 1/4 mile kettlebell carry, followed by 1/4 mile sprint
5) Surprise finisher event

Plus your registration fee gets you a t-shirt and free pizza and beer when it's over...that's how we roll in Southern Ohio baby!

Troy is getting jacked! Amazing what a couple of months of hard work can do..

Monday's work was another Training Room inspired suffering ..6 minute non-stop sets of:
30 second intervals on each side non-stop (total of 1 minute of each movement) of:
swings r/l
cleans r/l
push press or jerk r/l
kettlebell one arm racked squat r/l
Kettlebell one arm row r/l
walkouts 1 minute
repeat 4 times...trying to move a heavier bell each time

Speaking of the Training Room; I'll be heading out to the "Dirty Jerzee" at the end of this month to attend their weekend certification. I've been following Uncle Mike and the crew since 2007 and am very excited to learn from the masters and bring back the knowledge to PSKC. 

Also, I've been afforded another great training opportunity...I was offered a slot to attend a Crossfit Level 1 Trainer Certification up in Columbus at Rogue Fitness. Just want to say thanks to all you guys...all of this wouldn't be possible if you guys didn't make my dream a reality.

It's a truly a pleasure to watch you guys become stronger, tougher, fitter, and healthier...I love things like the fact that the Z-Beast has to buy a whole new wardrobe, that the entire Staker family works out together, that new friendships/relationships are being formed, etc...so THANK YOU! See you all tonight at 6pm!

Super Bowl Sunday Week in Review

Chris on the last couple reps of the 30 X Clean and Press team challenge

Lots of great stuff that went happened over the week...including one of the greatest quotes of all time. Back story = I'm a huge fan of the website "Strong Is the New Skinny"   http://strongisnewskinny.blogspot.com/ , the essential philosophy is to get change people's (women especially") minds/attitudes about working out and training....that being strong is a helluva lot better than being weak and "skinny". And to celebrate training hard, intense, and heavy...

So I'm constantly using that phrase - "strong is the new skinny". One of the hardest workers we have is Primetime (who just cleaned a 70lb kettlebell by the way)..as she was informing her husband that "strong is the new skinny"...he replied with "then traps are the new boobies"....instant quote of the week.

On Wednesday we did on the nastier workouts I've done in a while...a 7 round beatdown of:

7 kipping pullups
7 Snatches weakside/strongside
7 Slamball or Sledge
7 burpees

I used a 28kg bell and 20lb slamball and completed it in 11:51…I was on the floor for a LONG time afterwards...

The Wife back in action, cranking out the jumping pullups..not bad coming back from 2 broken arms a few weeks ago

Thursdays have been turning into team workouts/competitions...so we kept the ball rolling. We spend a good amount of time on refining the single and double kettlebell clean and press/jerk. Then we split people into teams and had a member from each team face each other by completing 30 X Clean and Presses as fast as possible. 

Seconds before the start..

Standard weights for females were 2 X 26lb kbs, males were 2 X 44lb kbs. If you choose a lighter weight, 2 minutes were added to your time and if you choose a heavier weight, you got to subtract 2 minutes off of your total time. Adding some intensity definitely increases the intensity...

Tiff killed it with a great time..

Then we ended the week with another great Saturday Pain Clinic involving batttling ropes, butcher pushes, wall ball, weighted situps, high pulls, ring dips, and racked step ups.

Brent attempting the Southern Ohio ninja warrior course..

Coach Ann Marie bringing the butcher home..

Built Ford Tough is prepping for the London Olympics 

never gets "easy"

Finally...being that it is the Super Bowl Sunday...here's some clips of what it takes to get there from my favorite players on each side...

Clay Matthews

James Harrison 

gotta love a guy who slams an idiot fan..see 0:39

Have fun tonight..and we'll see you either at 6 or 7 tomorrow!

Saturday Class = 10am

Quick note...we're moving Saturday's Pain Clinic class up to 10am. Need to get it done earlier so I can get up to Rogue Fitness to buy some more equipment! See you at 10am!!

An Open Letter to PSKC from Derick



"always remember that even on your worst day when it hurts the most there is always someone that would give anything to be in your place"

 Derick Carver posted this to the discussions tab on the PSKC Facebook fan page:
http://www.facebook.com/PortsmouthSpartanKettlebellClub

It is truly beautiful, amazing, and inspirational. We are all so lucky to have men like this serving our country...

"To PSKC,


I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone involved with PSKC for their ongoing support as I continue to rehabilitate, especially Dale. It has been a little over a year and I still read through the encouraging messages many of you have posted and check out the sign hanging in the gym. You have no idea how much your support and motivation means to me.


There is a few things that I have learned over the last year have and will continue to shape my life. The first is the importance of friends, family and community. Friends and family are the people that are going to be there for you regardless of what is going on in your life, much like you have been there for me. Its these friends and family that make up your community. PSKC is more then a gym or place to go get torn down but rather a community of people that build each other up through physical, and more importantly, mental growth.

This leads into discipline and commitment, something that no one apart of our community lacks. Complacency has become apart of our society, people make excuses or flat out do the wrong thing. This is not us, not you. People like you not only step up and accept the challenge but embrace it. This is what sets us apart from the weak. I employ you to continue to do this and always remember that even on your worst day when it hurts the most there is always someone that would give anything to be in your place. Give anything to be able to run that last 50m sprint or complete that last box jump. These are things that we take for granted only to realize how much we miss the pain until we can no longer feel it.


There will always be hundreds of reasons to not do something, but there is always one reason to do it. Find that reason and run with it. You have been here for me and I am here for you. I do not have the words to express my gratitude to be apart of such a great community of people. You owe it to yourself and each other to hold together and encourage one another to rise to continue to stride for greatness.


Remember, you can always do one more for the Airborne Ranger in the sky.

"There will always be hundreds of reasons to not do something, but there is always one reason to do it"

With sincere gratitude and admiration,


Derick"

The "Carver"

Real quick...do me a huge favor and spread the word about PSKC. Keep referring people to the blog and also have them check us out on FaceBook, I've created the official PSKC page at:

http://www.facebook.com/PortsmouthSpartanKettlebellClub

So head on over there and make sure you hit the "like" button!

Monday's work was all about the "CARVER". For the entire story on 1LT Derick Carver, go to:
http://portsmouthspartankettlebellclub.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-heroes-have-always-been-soldiers.html

Hanging on the wall inside PSKC

It was almost exactly one year ago that we first did the Carver workout. It was designed in honor of my good friend Derick Carver who lost one of his legs while hunting the Taliban in Afghanistan. It was our way of saying thanks and to let him know he was in our prayers. The initial inspiration for this idea was taken from Crossfit’s “Murph” workout (http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/001129.html). I was fortunate enough to be able to go out to Walter Reed a few days after we did the initial workout to visit with them and show him some photos of the people going through the workout named in his honor. He was pleased and honored to say the least…even remarking, “dude, I can’t believe anyone would do that sh!t!”


The Carver is a two part workout;

Phase I (Infil) aka the warm-up. This is designed to replicate (in the gym) climbing the mountains of Afghanistan.

So you do 30 seconds of box step ups (18-24in) followed immediately by 30 seconds of mountain climbers. You repeat this 5 times (rounds) for a total of 5 minutes non-stop. Take 1-2 minutes rest and then get ready for the workout.

Infil Phase

Phase II (Actions on Objective) aka the workout. Phase I deployed you to the mission, now it’s time to engage.

The workout is broken down into 5 timed work/rest rounds of 5 exercises; at the completion of each round rest 40-60 seconds and then hit up the next round

Round 1 = 60 seconds work / 30 seconds rest
*Round 2 = 50 seconds work / 25 seconds rest
Round 3 = 40 seconds work / 20 seconds rest
Round 4 = 30 seconds work / 15 seconds rest
Round 5 = 20 seconds work / 10 seconds rest repeated twice non-stop

Exercises/Movements =

Weighted Situp
Kettlebell Thruster (full front squat into a push press)
Ring Rows
Kettlebell Swing
½ Burpee

So Round One looks like this:

1 minute of weighted situps, 30 seconds rest
1 minute of Thrusters, 30 seconds rest
1 minute of Rows, 30 seconds rest
1 minute of Swings, 30 seconds rest
1 minute of ½ burpees, end of round – rest 40-60 seconds and go into round 2 etc..

*Variable = after the end of round 1, grab a weighted vest or weighted pack/backpack and strap it on for the rest of the workout. If working out in a group, you are able to pass the vest/pack off to one another as long as the vest doesn’t rest on the ground.

The vest/pack is a symbol of a wounded or fallen soldier and their kit and more importantly always being able to muster the strength and determination to honor those who have sacrificed for us. It's important to never forget what they have done and are doing for us...

See you guys tomorrow! Don't forget to check us out on Facebook and come join the madness...come down on Wednesday at 5pm for our weekly kettlebell intro class.