From Weakness to Aggression

Even in an incredibly supportive environment, YOU are the one that has to get through it

Yesterday we conducted a workout inspired from GYM JONES . Quite simple on paper, take 2 kettlebells (35m/18f) and perform 100 X Double Clean and Press. The only problem is that once you start you cannot set the bells down. The only authorized "rest" position is in the farmers carry position.

If the person tapped out and quit before they reached 100 reps, the penalty was 25 burpees to be completed on the spot each and every time until the 100 reps were completed.

This physical test was grueling. But much more important was the ability to silence and redirect the mental chatter throughout the course of the 100 rep odyssey. Pretty early on the thoughts of negativity and weakness enter the brain. From a coach's perspective it's fascinating to watch how people respond to when they are immersed in a pool of discomfort.  Immediately, the face/eyes/body language start to display what the mind is thinking...

immediate regret from setting the bells down

"There's no way I'm gonna make it through this, I'm only on rep 17 and my shoulders/arms are toast. I can barely hold on.."

So then the immediate option is let's rest...so the individual drops the bells into the farmers carry position. A maximum of 3-6 seconds of rest is achieved before discomfort settles in...then the battle begins. By rep 25-30...you really start to find out what's gonna happen. Right now the choice is purely and solely mental...at that exact moment you are choosing your fate..you are planting the seed for future success or a visit to the burpee reaper. It's at this exact moment when negativity creeps into your brain...that you choose to feed into the thoughts of pain/weakness/discomfort OR you immediately INTERDICT and RE-DIRECT. 

I recently completed the 12 month Unbeatable Mind Academy (UMA) course created by SEALFIT owner Mark Divine. UMA is designed to teach the lessons of developing mental toughness and forged an unconquerable spirit. CMDR Divine speaks in great detail on the ability to tame the mind from negativity. I've discussed before the parable of the Courage vs. Fear Wolf and how ultimately whatever energy (positive vs. negative) you feed your mind will takeover your life.

The 100 x clean and press workout was an opportunity to "witness" what your mind will do and more importantly your ability to overcome. First and foremost the battle is won in the mind first. 

In the UMA you learn to develop the ability to WITNESS. This is the ability to check in and see exactly where we are mentally. What thoughts are racing in our brains/minds..are they positively or negatively charged? (fear vs courage wolf). 

Secondly, and most importantly is the ability to INTERDICT. For example at rep 17, through our ability to "witness", we quickly realized we were experiencing some discomfort and we had 83 more reps to go. After that thought entered your mind..what did you do next? 

For some it was..."I GOT THIS. I've been here before. Every rep makes me stronger" A great example of interdicting the negative thought pattern and replacing with positive/aggressive statements. 

engaging in an offensive mindset

For others it was "ohhh shit...there's no way..I've got 87 more to go..I can't get through this. It hurts to even hold the kettlebells." Without the ability to interdict negative thought patterns, quitting becomes an easier pillow to swallow. 

The next step is to RE-DIRECT. After we've acknowledged the weak/negative thought pattern, and stopped it through interdiction....now we must now immediately replace/re-direct positive aggressive statements/thoughts/mantras. For some I recommend you become angry at the thought of quitting. Re-direct the thoughts into aggressive positive statements. 

Then we just rinse and repeat. Every new negative/weak thought..we simply repeat the process. WITNESS

INTERDICT

RE-DIRECT

And before you know it...you go from rep 17 and suddenly you're at 97 with only 3 more to go. Stronger mentally and physically along the way.

Too often in life, people allow themselves to be the victim of their story. Blaming others and situations....negativity breeds negative outcomes. Be the person others lean on....not the other way around.

"It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul."

William Ernest Henley 

Olympic Lifting Options

nothing like 2 man teams pulling a RZR for a 5K

This week you will notice we are adding in the option of an Olympic lift to be done during the strength/skill portion of certain workouts (depending upon the programming). So for example this will be Monday's training:

Strength/Skill:

Deadlift - 3

Double KB Strict Press - 3

5 rounds

*Olympic Lifting Option:

Clean and Jerk

5-50%

3-75%

Spend remaining time working heavy singles

Finisher:

100 X Double KB Clean and Press (35/18)

* DO NOT SET BELLS DOWN. Only authorized resting position is farmers carry hold. Do not set on shoulders and/or legs. INTEGRITY. If you set bells down or use unauthorized resting position, you immediately perform 25 burpees.

As you can see during the S/S portion we will have 2 different options going on at the same time. On the gym floor we will separate these two groups out with a coach with each group. HOWEVER, in order to participate in the Olympic lifting portion, you must have taken an Olympic Lifting intro. To do so, send Coach Zak an email (zak@pskcstrong.com) and he will get you started. 

The Olympic lifts aren't just something you can pick up on your own. You need to be trained by a certified coach to get you started down the right path. Just so happens all of our coaches are USAW level 1 coaches. 

We believe this will accommodate everyone's needs and give you guys a chance to pick what you want to work on. The choice is yours. If O-lifting doesn't interest you, no problem you can still work the basic lifts and continue to advance your strength levels. Then after the S/S portion is over we link back up for the finisher. 

See you guys for another great week of training!

Shed a Little Light

The other day I stopped at a rural gas station in Kentucky. A young mother was digging in her pockets to pay for some gas. It was clear she had seen better days and strapped for cash. She asked the cashier to give $5.35 on pump 8. I remember thinking "damn, that won't get you far". And didn't give too much thought after she paid the cashier. I was running late in a hurry and waiting to pay for my coffee. I was too concerned with my own worries to give her much thought.

In line in front of me was a tall old farmer, complete with overalls. He reached in his pocket, grabbed his wallet and pulled out a $20 bill. He gave it to the cashier and told the young mom, "Merry Christmas, hope this will get you a little further down the road." Her eyes misted up and said "Thank you so much sir".

After the young girl was out the door and pumping her gas, the farmer gave the cashier another $20 and told her to add to the girl's bill. This time it was the cashier who started to get misty eyes. She told the farmer, "thank you sir, you'll be blessed for that. That girl is a regular and I know she's such a hard worker". The farmer simply replied, "I reckon that's how it works".

That simple gesture undoubetly had a profound impact that day on that young mother. It was clear she was having a difficult and dark day, all the farmer did was shed a little light.

A few minutes later I was checking my Facebook and the above picture popped up in my newsfeed:

"EVERY SINGLE INTERACTION THAT YOU HAVE WITH A PERSON IMPACTS THEIR DAY."

It takes a strong person to do what that farmer did. What if we acted more like a farmer? Imagine the impact we could make, the light we could provide to people during a dark day.

Helping others requires strength, strength as defined by Henry Rollins:

"Muscle mass does not always equal strength. Strength is kindness and sensitivity. Strength is understanding that your power is both physical and emotional. That it comes from the body and the mind. And the heart."

The world is full of weakness, full of people acting like assholes. More than ever, we are in need of strong people. A simple $40 made an enormous impact on that girl that day.

Stop being in a rush, busying your mind with "me first" thoughts. Start looking for opportunities to have a positive impact on someone's day.

Please read the remainder of Henry Rollins essay below. It beautifully explains why we're such believers in using the gym as a tool to develop the total person.

"It took me years to fully appreciate the value of the lessons I have learned from the Iron. I used to think that it was my adversary, that I was trying to lift that which does not want to be lifted. I was wrong. When the Iron doesn’t want to come off the mat, it’s the kindest thing it can do for you. If it flew up and went through the ceiling, it wouldn’t teach you anything. That’s the way the Iron talks to you. It tells you that the material you work with is that which you will come to resemble. That which you work against will always work against you.

It wasn’t until my late twenties that I learned that by working out I had given myself a great gift. I learned that nothing good comes without work and a certain amount of pain. When I finish a set that leaves me shaking, I know more about myself. When something gets bad, I know it can’t be as bad as that workout.

I used to fight the pain, but recently this became clear to me: pain is not my enemy; it is my call to greatness. But when dealing with the Iron, one must be careful to interpret the pain correctly. Most injuries involving the Iron come from ego. I once spent a few weeks lifting weight that my body wasn’t ready for and spent a few months not picking up anything heavier than a fork. Try to lift what you’re not prepared to and the Iron will teach you a little lesson in restraint and self-control.

I have never met a truly strong person who didn’t have self-respect. I think a lot of inwardly and outwardly directed contempt passes itself off as self-respect: the idea of raising yourself by stepping on someone’s shoulders instead of doing it yourself. When I see guys working out for cosmetic reasons, I see vanity exposing them in the worst way, as cartoon characters, billboards for imbalance and insecurity. Strength reveals itself through character.

Learning about what you’re made of is always time well spent, and I have found no better teacher. The Iron had taught me how to live. Life is capable of driving you out of your mind. The way it all comes down these days, it’s some kind of miracle if you’re not insane. People have become separated from their bodies. They are no longer whole.

I see them move from their offices to their cars and on to their suburban homes. They stress out constantly, they lose sleep, they eat badly. And they behave badly. Their egos run wild; they become motivated by that which will eventually give them a massive stroke. They need the Iron Mind.

Through the years, I have combined meditation, action, and the Iron into a single strength. I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts. Time spent away from the Iron makes my mind degenerate. I wallow in a thick depression. My body shuts down my mind.

The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.

The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black. I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds."

Jingle Bell Jog - 5K Saturday December 1st

Last year we pushed a truck for the innaugural Jingle Bell Jog. This year we're recruiting as many "reindeer" as possible and we will be pulling Santa's sleigh for a 5K! Just so happens Santa's sleigh will be a RZR side ATV.

If Boston is feeling up to it, he will be driving the sleigh. We will attach tow straps to the sleigh and pull the ATV for the 5K. We will break into teams of 4 and rotate out every 30 seconds for the duration of the 5K.

Here's what you need to do:
1) Get registred for the race. Click HERE or see Sara Mauk at the gym to get signed up. Don't forget this is a fundraiser for the Red Cross, so your registation fee goes towards a great cause.
2) Get to the gym at 0815 on Saturday to help decorate the "sleigh"
3) Wear your most creative Christmas themed clothing/costume
4) Be awesome.

Last year was a blast and this year will be even better. So get signed up and we'll see you on Saturday morning!

Giving Thanks..

We will be cancelling evening classes this Thursday and Friday but we'll give you some opportunities to get in some nasty workouts (pre & post) Turkey day.

THURSDAY - 9AM PRE-THANKSGIVING BURNER

FRIDAY - 9AM BLACK FRIDAY BURNER

SATURDAY - 9AM PAIN CLINIC

As you all prepare to be with loved ones and chow down this Thanksgiving, we just want to say THANK YOU. We are truly blessed to be surrounded by a community of awesome individuals. We love being with you all and witnessing you achieve your goals and change your lives for the better.

While we all love to read and watch amazing testimonials about weight lost, strength gained, and lives transformed. No one will deny how cool it is to watch Slusher deadlift, Zak clean and jerk, or see Ash attack workouts. The most important part of what we do in the gym is to make us more confident and capable for life outside the gym. This funny story that was emailed to us by Anita, a grandmother illustrates that point.

Just wanted to say thanks to PSKC because of you guys, last night I learned how strong I have become.

"Yep this granny had to rescue a grandchild. This is gonna sound a little silly but here is the short story. We were at Party Pros and my youngest grandson got away from me and climbed all the way to the top of the jungle gym. After frantically looking I found him, tried to talk him down but, no go. So here I go climbing ropes and ladders, crawling through tunnels and dodging kids, finally I make it to him and he was thrilled. I thought about just going down the slide to get back out but it dawned on me. You guys would never let us have the easy way out. (plus I didn't want us to get kicked out because our party was just getting started) So I did it the hard way; I carried a 25lb kid back down, over, and through until we returned to the beginning. I thought about laying on the floor and panting like we all do but because of you guys I didn't have to. I was in good enough shape as a grandma to do what those kids were doing and not even think about if I could or not. So thank you guys. This is a funny story but we all need to laugh sometimes. So laugh away because my family sure did. Thank you, Anita"

So as you gather around with your loved this Thanksgiving give thanks for the mental and physical strength you've obtained. Also please take time to remember those who are still serving in far away lands. Pray for their safety and strength.

Thank You!

I've tried to describe in words the amount of love and generosirty a community gave on Saturday..I'm not that good of a writer. I do know, several hundred people came together and gave several thousand dollars to a family, one of our families, in need. It will forever be one of the greatest days of our lives.

Ash and Joe want to make sure that every business, group, and individual that made Saturday possible....THANK YOU. What a great area we will live in!

From young to old, competitor to spectator. We all came together to show a little love. However, our work is not done yet. Here's some details for this weekend's activities at the gym and more importantly some more opportunities to help out our lil man Boston.

THURSDAY:
A group from PSKC will be donning our Battling for Boston shirts and walking in the Portsmouth Christmas Parade. So here's the plan for Thursday:
430pm-530pm - Special evening class (the rest of Thursday evening's classes will be cancelled)
530pm - meet in front of PHS
600pm - we will walk together as a group on Boston's behalf. Be sure to wear your Boston shirts!

FRIDAY:
Normal class schedule (9am and 530pm)

SATURDAY:
Pain Clinic at 9am
Beginners Program - 10am (be sure to email mo@pskcstrong.com to grab a slot)

Benefit for Boston at Koehler's Farm - click the link and check out the details for a great time with some great food and great music put on by Les Norris and Garret out at their Otway farm.

SUNDAY:
1230pm - Sunday workout. This Sunday we are hosting our good friends from the Studio Fitness in Dayton, Ohio. They're coming all the way from Dayton to see how we train at PSKC. So if you want to get a workout in on Sunday, come on down at 12:30pm then head out to Minford for a great Boston fundraiser afterwards.

1pm - Battling for Boston Fundraiser at Minford Middle School  All kinds of kids activities and great stuff going on to support Joe, Ash, and Boston.

BATTLING FOR BOSTON DETAILS:

We are ramping up for awesomeness this Saturday at 10am! We will be hosting a multi-event fundraising extravaganza at the gym in an outdoor festival/tailgate atmosphere. So please bring your own fold up chairs/pop up tents and dress appropriately. Good news is that the forecast is calling for sunny and a high of 66!

We will be having all kinds of events going on and 100% of proceeds will go towards the "Battling for Boston" fund. So bring the kids and your checkbook!

Here is a rough draft schedule of events, please note times are not exact:

8-9:00: Volunteer Arrival and Setup

9-10:00: Competitor Registration & Warm Up

10:00 - entire day: Event(s) kickoff;

Bidding starts on Silent Auction some of the items include:

$25 Gift Certificate to The Robin’s Nest

(2) 1 hour gift certificates to The Relaxation Station

Wine Gift Basket from the Party Connection

(2) $150 Gift Certificates to Rogue

Bath & Body Works gift Basket

Victorias Secret sunglasses

Blower from Wagner Rental

$25 gift certificate & T-shirt from Graphic Solutions

Battling for Boston painting

Battling for Boston graphic prints

Handmade Ohio State quilt

Handcrafted Wooden Trucks

Kyle Signs Ohio State Cornhole Boards

$50 2POOD Gift Certificate

Ohio Builders Supply Tool Package

$30 gift certificate to The T-Shirt Zone

Dale Earnhardt Mountain Dew hood donated by Pepsi

ADD MANY MANY MORE if you would like to donate any items for auction contact Sara Mauk at: saragraf@appalachianwoodfloors.com

Kids activities : Inflatables donated by Party Pros, Facepainting, Cakewalk, SnoCones, Portsmouth Fire Dept. Firetruck

Battling for Boston Shirts, bracelets, and stickers will be available for sale

$1000 Raffle tickets go on sale, Nelson Medical Massage for a year raffle tickets will be available, Papa Johns for a year raffle tickets will be available

10-1:00: 3 Event Fitness Competition (register for competition by using this link: http://battlingforboston.eventbrite.com)

12:00: Food will be available

1:00: Cornhole Competition (register anytime before 1pm, cornhole competition will start right after fitness competition is complete)

2:00: Silent Auction Winner(s) Announcement

3:00: Raffle Drawing and wrap up

PARKING: We will be blocking off the entire compound to hold all the events, so you'll need to park on 10th and/or Court Streets.

VOLUNTEERS: We will be needing your help! We will need folks to register the competitors, judge the events, watch the kiddos, etc. Please reply to email if you're willing to help!

Most importantly spread the word and come ready for just a flat out good and fun time. We will have something for everyone and it will be a wonderful time to open your hearts and wallets and support a family in need. 

In the meantime stay up to date on the latest greatest on Battling for Boston Facebook Event page; click HERE

In Southern Ohio, we take care of our own! See you Saturday!