NEKB CLASS 2012

The lighting was weird on the picture this year. Makes us look gritty. Much more than we are already. I kinda' like it. That's it....COPY !!!!

Stray Dogs.....

Here are some links to articles and blogs that I have saved from the past. They have very good content. Some of you have seen them before because I have posted them before (or discussed them in class). Always worth a re-post.

SWING INFO'
DAN JOHN Interview
OLD SCHOOL KB THREAD

RECAP FROM LAST NIGHT (Incase you missed the training

The CK-FMS was phenomenal . The approach is to treat the body as a movement. The lift as a movement. The FMS , like the RKC, is a system. A process. I am as excited about this as I was coming out of the RKC for the first time. It is a beautiful marriage. The crazy thing is.....it works. Every time ! This is going to have a lasting impact on the way we train. Strength will go up due to alignment and stability of the structure (out bodies) before we worry about the lift (or movement) portion. Everyone will be screened. The screen will identify asymmetries. We all have them. We all have them. We all have them. I cannot say this enough. CORRECTING AN ASYMMETRY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE AMOUNT OF WEIGHT YOU LIFT DURING A TRAINING SESSION ! We Good ? Clear ? We will need to dial back a little for a few weeks to fix the road before we drive on it again. It only makes sense. If your concerned that you didn't get your 'sweat on' that day....I can't help you. I only sweated twice over 4 days at the workshop and my strength and mobility increased. We need to get the repair work in. Some of you may be thinking that you feel pretty good....not much work will be needed. Brett Jones says he has never seen a perfect 21 (score). Doesn't exist. Let's get the screens done and see where we sit. I promise you, we are full of compensations for our weak stability. Don't think it's you? Here's a quick question. Would you rather I say "Press the bell over-head and hold it for 2 minutes" or " At your own pace, press the bell for 2 minutes" ? The first one requires no effort IF you have your stabilizers intact. The second one using your prime movers to blow past your stabilizers. DEEP STABILIZERS NEED TO FIRE BEFORE PRIME MOVERS FIRE. If they don't you will have bad movement with bad motor control. Then your body to compensate the movement and the problems begin. Foundation first. On to the next topic.

Chalk. We are WAY too dependent on it. Big lifts, big singles, going for Personal Records will require some chalk. I get it. I've done it. I do it. Chalk up to your elbows, all over the floor, the bell, in the air AND it's the bell you can 'hang with'.....Nope. Not needed. Un-necessary. Re-examine your relationship with the chalk. It is there to remove the oils from your hands. That's it. That requires a very, very light application and rubbing it into your skin. IF you can't hold on to it, that represents a weakness. It doesn't matter the origin of the weakness. It still represents a weakness (yes, it does.....yes, it does....stop arguing! ). Use a lighter bell OR, MORE IMPORTANTLY, USE A BETTER TECHNIQUE. It does come down to that. Soften your technique. Build the strength without the use of props.

Lastly....This past weekend was a bad experience for some of the attendees. We had some big names and heavy hitters in the attendence. They didn't get what they wanted from the experience. What they needed was there...it was. What they wanted was for the FMS to validate how they already train and validate their current belief system. That's what they wanted. What they needed was the FMS, but they didn't see it. They needed to do two things: shut their mouths and be receptive. Had they done that little maneuver, doors would have opened. I will tell you from personal experience, as a recovering chronic painer it is very, very hard to take the suggestions of somebody outside the body I know. It's the body I know. Not them. Trust is a HUGE factor because I will kick my own ass a lot harder for listening to the morons poor advice when I knew I shouldn't have in the first place. I (we) joke at work that I care for people...not about them. The joke ends there with a little chuckle. More to the heart of it is why. It has more to do with me and my frustrations and disappointments from living life. I have found there is a bucket full of frustration and disappointment if you care for someone more than they care about themselves. Or, if you want something (an accomplishment) for another (maybe your kids) more than they want for themselves. Even though I know it will work, my passions or goals gets smashed because the other person just isn't interested. After all, they can make their own choices. That is really the root of the cute joke from work. When dealing with someone who has drank their liver dead and they need a transplant, well, it comes with its dynamic. So, how does this apply to N.E.K.B. ? After this weekend....especially after this weekend, I see huge potential gains for everyone in class. Mobility, strength, agility, pain relief. I know your abilities. I know your strengths and weaknesses. I know your bodies and it's movements. I reflected back on the class every moment of the workshop and thought of examples in my life to each of the examples they played out. We are not a special or unique group. We are very predictable and correctable. The FMS is powerful and simple....that's its beauty. IF this is something your not interested in doing...I get it. My assumption is everyone wants to know if their patterns are symmetrical. This is the only time (over the next couple months) when I will offer screening for free. It's a learning time for me and Mark so I want to get my hands on as much material (new screens..a.k.a. people) as possible. I respect the FMS too much to let some one walk away with a score 'just because they were curious.' Seeing an asymmetry in some one, knowing they can correct it (not me..it's up to them) and then watching them not correct it is going to piss me off. Not hatred toward the other person. Just...piss me off because I want more for them than they want for themselves. I will dial this back but for now, the force is strong in this new Jedi.

The picture is from an old German gym circa. 1900

EITHER WAY => whether you want to follow thru with the corrections your given or not.......dial back on the chalk.

FAT LOSS -VS- WEIGHT LOSS

I cannot explain it better than this posting by The Tamer.

LOADS OF FUN

I was a little annoyed by not finishing my ladder last Saturday morning. I knew what was going to happen and I felt pretty good considering I had not eaten well or slept. I worked the night before so the typical 2 hours of sleep in the past 24 was in play. All that aside, I felt pretty good. The ladder was a challenge . For those missing the action, It went like this:

Press L x5
Goblet Squat x 5
Press R x5
Swing x10
Snatch L x5
Goblet squat x5
Snatch R x5
Swing x10

The rules: Complete the above with one bell (keep the same bell) for all movements. Do everything in 2 minutes and do it 8 times. that's 16 minutes of straight work. Wait 5 minutes (rest) and do it again.

I used a 24 kg bell. I got thru the first set of 8....rested and only made it to 11 minutes the second half. My form was beginning to suffer and we all know the rule. When the form goes, your done ! So I put it down. Afterwards we talked. I heard a common theme. "Think I could have finished if I started with a ___ . I found myself falling into this thought pattern. I know I could have finished if I would have used the 20 kg bell instead of the 24 kg bell. Then I thought......maybe not. Maybe I hit peak capacity in that short time frame. Curious, I did the math. It's the same total weight lifted. Finishing with the 20 kg is the same total weight as quitting early with the 24 kg. Maybe I did hit my peak work load before my form went to hell. I won't know for sure until I do it again. Actually, I need to do it 2 more times. Once with the 20 kg and one more time with the 24 kg but, this time, well rested and fed. Only then will I know for sure. This will be revisited.

So, here's what we got....... " The Food Choice Challenge ! "

Oh, quit your whining.There is a very good reason behind the madness. First, let's look at our training (try and keep up with the long narrative, Dan (Seawell) ). IT'S HARD. Real hard. One might even call it a 'hard-style.' We are getting stronger. Breaking down and building up muscle is the pattern. The waste products need to be eliminated and are eliminated...for the most part. But, elbows and knees feel tight. Joints, shoulders, backs take a hit and don't feel 100% at times. Take a Motrin. Drink a beer. Drink some wine. Shot of bourbon. Whatever. Body feels a little better and we are back at it. I have had more conversations about tennis elbow, shoulder pain and knee pain in the last 8 weeks than in the entire 6 years I have been doing this KB stuff. These are all symptoms of the same problem. I am not going to get into all the research and studies...it isn't needed. But here is the bottom line...the stuff we eat is the stuff we become. Not only that, the cells actually modify themselves when they replicate to accept and process more crap that we eat which leaves less room for the cell to have receptor sites for the normal items of proper metabolism/nutrition. It is a sick cycle. And I do mean sick...like 'ill.' Cells that are so out of balance they just keep replicating but they have lost function. They become cancers. This isn't rocket science. Rocket science is simple compared to the complexities of this process. This is more important.
So, What's the fix. We are all walking around as toxic waste holding ponds. We have inflammation in our joints, under our eyes and in the lymphs. We continue to eat the foods that cause it so it doesn't go away. Well, my challenge to you is to stop...for 60 days. You have been grazing to your hearts delight your entire adult life. In the 3 weeks you have know about this challenge I have had multiple people want to get 'their food' on the list. Look, you don't have to do this. I really don't care. I know it's needed and you will experience what I experienced June-Sept 1982.
If you ever had your food rationed, you quickly learn things about yourself AND your neighbor. My food was rationed for almost 4 months. I went to boot camp. A real boot camp. There is only one. Not the weekends off, go out in town and call mommy to send you an extra pillow. I'm talkin' The Marine Corps. Any other boot camp doesn't count. Why? Because in the Marines, the time was restricted. Food was rationed and regulated AND freedom was taken away. What other bootcamp does this? None. You go thru the chow line with your sectional tray and hold it out. You get a spoon of scrabbled eggs and you move on. You get the same spoon the guy in front of you and behind you got on their trays. NO REGARD FOR YOUR HEIGHT OR WEIGHT. NO SECOND HELPINGS AND NO TIME TO EAT IT. We all ended up the same shape after 3-4 months. Skinny got lean. Lean stayed lean. Fat got lean. Muscular got lean. We all looked the same. Same with P.O.W.'s...They all look the same. Nobodys 'fat gene' kept them fat. What keeps you fat is shoving crap in your mouth.Every new crop of young nurses that graduates and starts working nights starts getting fat because night nurses eat to stay awake...and they eat crap. You can argue cortisol levels if you want....but your retarded. Sorry.Everyone that uses that argument has a mouthful of crap they are constantly digesting. Whatever. Live your life. But don't feed me your justifications for feeling sick or being fat. There seems to be a trend as we age that we deserve to enjoy ourselves and enjoy the fruits or our labors....by eating rich foods. Oh sure...you never tasted ice cream until you had a good job and a house that is mortgage free. Give me a break. You have been enjoying yourselves the whole way. Well Here's the challenge....( For you spiritual folk, think of it as a nutritional sojourn. Fellow Catholics....think of it as a lent from hell.) Stop eating your stuff and eat this stuff.
Paleo list of approved foods I had a real nice piece I was typing but Linnea gave me a hand out at the studio and it directed me to this fabulous list. I am not one for recreating the wheel. The idea is to eat what cavemen would have been exposed to back in the day. It is how our bodies are genetically wired to best respond. You may not buy that. You may think it's crap. You may be right. A lot of evolution has happened since Paleo' period. Who cares. I can tell you right now that we were never designed to ingest High Fructose Corn Syrup. So relax. It's only 60 days. The list is only half the story. The list is what you can eat. Here's what you can't eat. Gluten. That little word is going to piss off a lot of people. No breads. No pastas. No dairy. No alcohol. NO FAST FOOD. NO POPS. No exceptions. " But Mike, what if it is gluten free bread?" No. It's still bread and it only 60 days. "What about gluten free cookies?" No. It's still bakery goods and it's only 60 days. (see a pattern?) NOW, if your totally lost and completely bummed and extremely agitated that I am expecting you to "go without " for 60 days and you think this is unreasonable. I think you need to reconsider. Consider this.......how weak are you? As a 18 year old punk I went without candy and my favorite stuff for 4 months. Nobody died but, everyone did get diarrhea when we drank our first Coke after abstaining for 4 months. Stomach aches and Diarrhea. That crap is nasty.
Here's what will happen. You will feel better. Much better. Skin will be healthier. Nails will grow longer. You'll sleep better. You'll move better and have more energy.
For those doing the Mud Run. You will have a major event kick starting your metabolism to a very high caloric need for about 3 days. Eat properly and your body will be different your first week.
One last item of note....and it's a big one. Guys.....you get no more than 2000 Kcal a day. Ladies.....you get no more than 1650 Kcal. How you get those calories is your business. Just remember the meats. All meats are very lean meat cuts. I am surprised that pork is on the list. Personally I only eat bacon so it will be easy to get rid of pork altogether.
The caloric intake is based on BMI for average body frames. Welcome to boot camp !!!

Not in this case.....

Ben Franklin said "Well done is better than well said." Up until this minute I would agree. Andrew Read RKC II, CK-FMS wrote a piece I read this morning that sums it all up. Remove Pavel from Andrew's story and insert Mark Reifkind Master RKC and you will have MY story. Which, speaks to the consistency of the RKC because my conversation with Mark happened over dinner 3 years ago. I was forty-four years old, he and I had an 'old persons' talk about training smarter and not just pounding out reps for rep's sake. Andrew's post is perfect. Read it here. The question is....will you benefit from the advice of experience of others or will you pound yourself into the ground. Remember, there is strength in mobility and symmetry. Even up your bells and iron out your movement compensations that have developed over the years. Last night Shannon was working with me shortly before class on my T-spine rotations. My T-spine is locked up. I stopped rotating my spine in 1991. This was the year I herniated my L5-S1 disc. 'Twisting' killed me so I stopped all rotational sports (if you call softball or baseball a sport...personally I think of them more as 'activity') . Flash forward to 2011 and after 6 years of KB training, I have great back support but the "Bretzel" triggers a dragon deep within the system that seizes my diaphragm, kills my breathing and spasms the peri-spinal muscles. So....I'm working on it. What's your dragon? Can you identify it? Are you working on it or working around it? (BTW-in the picture, Andrew is the first from the left, then it's Andrea, Geoff and Shaun (the original Beast Tamer).