Latest musings, rants and other happenings...

Sorry I've been absent from the world of blogging lately. Unlike some internet training experts who seem to have all day to post on forums and blogs, I've actually been out training, both my clients and myself.

Powerlifting events....
I have a powerlifting meet coming up on April 14, the WNPF GA State Championships. This is going to be a tough meet for me. First my training cycle has been pretty lack-luster lately. I don't blame anyone but myself. I have been slammed with new clients, workshops and clinics since the new year fell upon us. I have been making time for my workouts and thanks to my training partner and good friend Malcom for keeping me honest in the basement. Right now I am hoping to go 475/303/501 in the squat/bench/deadlift at this meet. I'm a little off target, this year I wanted to crack 500 in the squat, 350 in the bench and 550 in the deadlift at about 198-200lbs BW. I'm getting there! Hopefully by the Worlds in November I'll be closing in on those numbers. This meet will mark the end of my second full year of powerlifting competition and third year training for the sport. My first meet I went 375 in the squat, 255 in the bench and 405 in the deadlift with a 1035 total. We'll find out in a few weeks what I've been able to accomplish these past two years!

Wearing two hats....
In addition to lifting in this upcoming meet I have to keep my coach's hat on too. A powerlifter I coach, David, is an exceptional 114 lb weight class lifter. Since training with me he achieved his first elite total of 1069 at 111 lbs of bodyweight at the 2006 Nationals last July. If you want to check this cat out he has a profile on my athlete profiles page of my website at www.extreme-fitness.org. David's best meet lifts so far are 375 squat, 265 bench and 430 deadlift. He's gunning for a 415-420 squat, 280-290 bench and a 450 deadlift at this meet and his second elite total. Good luck David!

What I did this past weekend....
Finally attended my first kettlebell certification workshop. I've been playing with the little iron bells for a few years now and have trained with some exceptional guys. People like Steve Cotter, Marty Farrell and Dave Randolph have really helped me develop my kettlebell skills over the years. I recently made the decision to join the American Kettlebell Club and get certified through Valery Fedorenko's program. Valery is the real deal. A former girevoy (kettlebell) sport world champion and world record holder, I honestly feel there is no better person instructing people in the use of kettlebells in the USA than Valery. It was very educational weekend and I learned many new techniques in the CORRECT kettlebell lifts. From using the right style of kettlebells to proper execution of the lifts, everything was covered in great detail and I look forward to continuing my journey with the American Kettlebell Club both in teaching people the correct way to train with the kettlebells for fitness and helping the sport grow here in America. I want to extend a huge thanks to Valery, Eric and John from the AKC and my friends Steve Cotter, Marty Farrell, Dave Randolph, Jim Eggers and Matt Macnamarra (I am pretty sure I butchered Matt's last name!) for a great weekend. It was also great meeting the other participants of the workshop including Steve Maxwell. I had the pleasure of seeing Steve present at the Wake Forest University Strength Coaches Clinic a couple years ago. It was great to finally get a chance to talk with Steve, an accomplished athlete and trainer, and attend the course with him. Great things are going to happen with this organization! www.americankettlebellclub.com

Football combine preparation continues....
Ahhh, it's that time of the year again. With the major NFL combine over and pro-days underway, college seniors and free agents who weren't able to participate in the combine or pro days are getting ready for Scout Camp regional combines in the hope of making it to the Scout Camp Elite Combine in June at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. I have been fortunate to gain a whole slew of new clients preparing for this event and it has been both rewarding and challenging. Talk about heart! These are the guys who aren't guaranteed to make the NFL and are doing everything in their power for the chance to workout in front of NFL, CFL, and AFL scouts and coaches. These guys are hungry and are a complete joy to train. In addition to working with them one on one and in small groups, I have been consulting for some athletes out of state on their combine prep programs and will be holding a clinic at the end of March to teach optimal performance in the combine events. It is a total honor to work with these athletes and am excited to see what lies in store for them as they try to advance to the professional ranks.

SWAT stuff...
A huge thanks to my buddy Steve Mosley for inviting me to present at the GTOA (Georgia Tactical Officers Association) clinic last week. I had the pleasure of working with about 40 or 50 tactical law enforcement officers and present our brand of strength and conditioning for military and law enforcement types. It was a great day and the LE officers were a true pleasure to work with. Steve and I have big things in store for 2007 in this arena!

Products....
I FINALLY got off my butt and began writing a couple of books. One is going to be titled "Optimal Strength Training and Conditioning for Young Athletes" and will be a training manual to introduce a solid, basic strength training and conditioning plan to the young athlete. The target market for this book will be the high school coach or athlete and anyone who needs a refresher in the performance of the often overlooked, basic strength and conditioning exercises. The second book I am co-authoring with Steve Mosley and will be titled "Optimal Strength Training and Conditioning for Military, Law Enforcement and Fire Fighting". This book, just as the title indicates, will cover all concerns for optimal physical preparation in these demanding fields. Stay tuned for release dates and information. Both should be ready in the next month or so!

New business...
I received a call from my friend Gary a couple months back. He, a couple colleagues and myself are starting a company that will help raise the bar on strength and conditioning and performance training on all levels. We are very excited about this project and hope to "go live" with in by mid May. Stay tuned for details!

Well, as you can see my life has been quite a bit crazy lately! Hopefully I can hold it all together a little while longer and get back to posting a little more regularly.

Scott