Monday 31 December 2012

Week 1, Day 1

This is the first session of (if everything goes to plan), a 20-week project. I will call it, Project Firebird. I am putting all my sessions up on the blog, with a view to writing up a full article on my training at its conclusion, to give the fitness enthusiast a truer understanding of what my principles are and better yet, a demonstration on how I apply them. Hopefully I will learn a thing or two also.

I won’t get into the details just yet, save for a couple of points, that is, I am starting relatively light, to build momentum, and I have selected the exercises and lifts according to my own needs, which I could also reasonably assume my clients to perform under similar needs.

A1 Double Kettlebell Clean & Press, 16kg’s x (1,2,3)
A2 Double Kettlebell Front Squat, 16kg’s x 2

Perform A1 and A2 as a superset, every 4 mins for 8 Rounds.

B One-hand Swing, 32kg x 15/15 (L)

Saturday 29 December 2012

My Self-Repair Kit




Apart from good nutrition, adequate sleep and appropriate stretching, the following items are invaluable in helping me restore my physical performance, and ought to be a part of any athletes or trainee’s arsenal of restoration devices.

PVC pipe (foam roller on steroids) – There are many benefits to using foam rollers. I consider foam rollers primarily as tools for a highly individualized self-massage experience. I prefer deep massages, with a lot of pressure, and foam rollers generally feel unsatisfyingly soft for me, so I substitute with a PVC pipe. They can be picked up from any decent hardware store and shouldn’t cost more than $30.

I use it when I need large areas covered, and they can also move a lot of muscle tissue around. Areas like legs, arms, shoulders, back, and hips, are very easy to work. But be careful, keep away from or at least limit the pressure used to minimal over joints or bony protuberances. Generally, stick to manipulating muscle tissue with this beast.

Tennis ball – This is great for getting at smaller muscles like rhomboids, external shoulder rotators, Quadratus Lumborum (those little fan shaped muscles either side of at the base of the spine), hips, hands, feet, and are also great for focusing on trigger points with precise pressure.

If the PVC pipe is an artillery assault on your soft-tissues, then the tennis ball is a sniper shot to specific points of hypertonic musculature and adhesions. It’s an individual thing; some people prefer using a golf ball, or a baseball, but for me, I find I get the best results from using a tennis ball.

Kettlebell – The first kettlebell I ever purchased was around 8 years ago, and is a 16kg classic design, which I still use, mostly for mobility and rehab-type stuff. Most people either use too much weight or not enough when it comes to mobility, but the 16kg is just the right weight and size for practicing all the major kettlebell lifts without demanding too much from me. It really allows me to focus on technique.  Other lifts like One-Leg Deadlifts, Turkish Get-ups, Goblet Squats, Bent Presses, RKC Arm-Bars, Windmills, Bottoms Up drills are a staple in my recharge routines.

Another inexpensive restoration mode is contrast showers. It’s basically as the term implies, simply alternate between hot and cold water. I generally don’t like specifying lengths of time as it can vary considerably from person to person. I usually adjust the shower until it’s as hot as I can tolerate, then, as I’m adjusting to the heat, I will adjust the shower until it’s as cold as I can tolerate, then again, as I adjust to the cold, I adjust back to the hottest temperature I can tolerate, and I do this back and forth a couple of times.

To refresh yourself and stimulate your nervous system, finish with a cold shower, and doing the opposite, finishing with a hot shower, will relax the nervous system. In light of that, think about what temperature you will use at different times of the day.

Do ease into it, especially if you only ever have hot showers and generally don’t swim much, as the drastic temperature change does shock the body, and usually results in catching a cold.

And there it is- a very economical yet very effective toolkit. With smaller kettlebells priced under $100 these days, this whole kit can be assembled for less than that, and if you practice injury prevention, restoration, correctives or rehab, you will definitely get your money’s worth. It is also something that may take time to learn, and to personalize it to your needs, but even starting out you can expect to recover from training a lot quicker, feel less sore afterwards, and generally enjoy better movement from the use of the above tools.

Sunday 9 December 2012

It's never too late...


The holiday season is almost upon us. With only a couple of weeks left to get all the gifts sorted and final holiday preparations being decided, the added stress of getting into shape or worrying about getting out of shape can leave most cramming in as much training in what’s left of the year or at worst, delaying any training or diet plans. You can worry about that after the holidays, right?
It’s easy to overindulge during the holidays, and there ought to be no guilt associated with this, as everyone deserves a break, but the new year rolls around quickly and resolutions will require pondering, then action. Most will only act for a couple of weeks and then quit. The holidays then turn into another round of expectation of change and yet, is almost always followed with failure.

But that’s about to change. Start envisioning your desired goals for next year, write them down, maybe even make a plan or two, and then start now. That’s right, start now.

Why would I start now when there’s only a couple of weeks left until the new year? I’m stressed enough as it is, and I’m not too out of shape. I just want to relax. It can wait.

I hear you. But there’s no such thing as waiting for the right time. Start now with what resources you have. The majority of people simply want to look great and fit into their old clothes, and you know what? You can. It’s a matter of habits. Small changes made on a consistent basis will yield the desired results. Take a walk couple times a week. Replace a couple of meals with healthier alternatives, or simply add a nutritious meal when you would normally skip a meal. Do you need to overhaul your diet? No. Can you make one or two changes? I’m pretty sure you can. Easy steps.

Getting started is the most difficult part. If you have the momentum now, why wait? Use it now.

I want you to realize it is never too late to start making positive changes in your diet and life, even if you will be tested during the holidays. When the new year rolls around, you can pick up where you left off, rather than having to start at the beginning. Keep your vision, believe, expect you will manifest your vision and keep going.

If you would like some suggestions as to what you can do now to get started, or if you have any questions, then please get in touch with me.