Food Talk - Saturday 10am

Sorry it took so long to get this together, but hope you guys enjoy! It was an awesome event and will only get better each year.

Intro to Paleo = Saturday, July 9th 10am (immediately following the Pain Clinic)

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a nutritionist, dietician, or nutrition counselor, nor do I ever want to be. All we will talking about is what I do and recommend, the primal/paleo way of eating. And it's not just me...Shep, Troy, Ashley, Ann, and several others eat this way let alone the thousands across the nation.

The purpose of the discussion to provide you guys some general information on the Paleo/Primal diet. What is the caveman diet? A picture is worth a 1000 words...

We will be having this discussion immediately following the Pain Clinc this Saturday (July 9th), approximately 10am.

Your health and fitness is determined by what you eat...plain and simple. No matter how hard you train, to see the results you want, you have to eat the right stuff. Trust me...it took me several years to learn this lesson. I figured since I was busting my ass in the gym, I could eat whatever I wanted to. I even often rationalized with myself that since I just survived the wizard I should reward myself with some Freds and beer the majority of the time.

It wasn't until I really got serious about what I was eating I started to perform and look better. Now I'm under 200lbs for the first time since college/high school days and I didn't have to sacrifice any strength along the way. I have yet more to go...but because there's been a significant interest, we are going to take about an hour on Saturday after the Pain Clinic to explain what the Paleo/Primal way of eating is all about.

Here's the craziest part...it's FREE for members. Now typically with something like this, there's always a "catch". Each diet "fad" has to have something to sell along with it. Well unless someone has information that my caveman brothers took magical diet pills, you won't find us selling them to you. The only thing we promote is natural, organic, chemical free, plant and animal based foods. That's it...

I take that back, I will highly encourage you to buy your fruits, veggies, and meats from the local farmers market...more on that a food talk on Saturday!

Mac with 185lb overhead lunges

Yesterday was the 4th of July and it was fitting that Shep put on a Crossfit "hero" workout to honor a fallen serviceman killed in Afghanistan. It was named in honor of U.S. Army Specialist Scott Morrison, 23, of Blue Ash, Ohio.

It consisted of:
50-40-30-20 and 10 rep rounds of:

Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
Box jump, 24 inch box
Kettlebell swings, 24kg

That's a total of 450 of nasty sweat producing, leg shaking, lung searing, reps...not easy after a holiday weekend, or any weekend for that matter.

Today we focused on a strength based workout consisting of:
10-8-6-4-2 (increase weight as reps decrease)

double kettlebell floor press
Pullups
Overhead Lunges

Then ended with a finisher of butcher and bear crawl relays.

In closing I offer you another excellent post by Josh Bunch of Practice Crossfit explaining the true reason why we train this way...please read the entire post HERE.

"We deadlift so if a toddler falls in street we can pick them up before a car scrapes them off.

We snatch so that when the flood comes we can toss sandbags high enough to build a wall to save our home.

We pull-up so when our loved one is screaming we can go over a wall to get to them rather than search for a door.

We climb ropes for fun, so that when we must climb ropes for freedom we can.

We burpee so that no matter how bad the beating we can always take one more punch.

We row so when the clouds surprise us in the ocean we can out-paddle the rain.

We run for the day we need hurry to a friend in need.

We lunge for that sweet burn that teaches us to handle the flames.

We push-up so we can push back against those hurting the weaker.

We squat for the time we're hit so hard we buckle...yet we still stand


..I want so badly for everyone to be able to do all of those things we are supposed to do instead of live with the regret of a single missed opportunity. An opportunity to help another, the community, a child. In my experience, regret is so much more painful than discipline."


Don't let another opportunity be missed. Stop imagining and dreaming of what could be. When you come to PSKC, you'll never have to think/say the words "I wish I could do something like that if I was just in better shape". Set the example for your children, your friends, your co-workers to follow. The example of strength for you, your family, your community. In times like these we need all we can get.....

what an amazing example of strength for him to follow..

See you tomorrow at the PSKC intro, Wednesday at 5pm. We look forward to welcoming you to the club!

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!