Southeast Regional Kettlebell Sport Championship

Meet information is up and posted here:http://www.atlantaironsports.com/events.html

For more information contact Scott at: scott@extreme-fitness.org

Thanks!!

Scott

Building Ferrari's and Aligning and Balancing the Wheels and Tires

Dr. Lou Pack pictured with Olympic Gold Medal Pole-Vaulter, Tim Mack.

Ok, it's not another car blog! This is actually about sport performance enhancement and injury prevention.

I had the very good fortune to meet a brilliant man, Dr. Lou Pack, about 2 years ago at a seminar at the Dunwoody Country Club. Doc was doing a presentation on sports performance enhancement and injury prevention. About 2 minutes into his presentation I thought the guy was a genius. 10 minutes into it I KNEW he was. Doc is the first person I have come across in my industry that actually looks at the feet first.

Let's back up for a moment. How many of you reading this are trainers or serious trainees who actually consider the proper mechanics associated with exercise and training? How many of you people who squat hear these same comments all the time "sit back! push out on the knees! arch your back! head up! big air!" No doubt, these are ALL very important things to consider when squatting. But what about our feet? What if we were a MAJOR pronator with a leg length discrepancy? Don't you think this would affect our performance of the squat or our ability to lift a maximal weight, whether it is a personal record or a world record? Don't you think having a faulty structure could potentially lead to an injury that otherwise might have been avoided? What about a sprinter, or a football player getting timed in a 40 yard dash? If one of these athletes pronates, this will cause their foot to spend more time on the ground than if they were able to push off in a more neutral position (subtaler neutral to be exact). Doesn't it make sense that the faster athlete's feet spend less time on the ground?

Doc has built his entire system, his business, around identifying these "structural abnormalities" in athletes and general fitness enthusiasts alike, assessing the problem, then correcting it.

The end result? Athletes see immediate improvements in strength, speed and power, as they now have a better foundation and are more properly aligned on their "vertical axis" (look at a person head on, now draw a perfectly straight line from the ground up through the top of their head, most people who have a structural abnormality will be leaning more to one side, whereas those who've been corrected by Doc are much more close to being perfectly centered.) Overall this will raise the bar on all of their athletic abilities.

This also has much benefit for the general fitness enthusiast - less wear-and-tear on the joint, thus preventing injuries and avoiding surgeries like joint replacements. Not only will they get greater benefit from their exercise, they will be healthier throughout their life as a result.

As professional trainers we owe it to the clients and athletes we train to learn the best possible methods that will improve performance and enhance health. I firmly believe you are doing a disservice to your clients and athletes if you are not assessing and correcting their physical structure before loading their bodies with exercise and training. Now granted we can't put a gun to their heads and make them get treated - however, we must help them identify structural abnormalities, inform them of what may result due to the abnormalities, then refer them to Doc to get fixed.

Doc's a car nut! He loves to say - athletes and clients are Ferraris and our job as trainers is to build the ultimate Ferrari - his job is to align the wheels and balance the tires (the athlete/client's feet). It's that simple!

For more information on Doc I strongly urge you to visit his website and contact him directly at http://www.drloupack.com/ Be sure to tell him Scott sent you!

Training montage of some of our athletes and clients!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl9npQXHJfA

Enjoy!

The Lamborghini Test-Drive...

Man, it's been about a month now and I can't stop thinking about this thing. Fortunately I am lucky to be married to a HUGE car enthusiast, my wife rocks! Lisa was in the market for a new Porsche (she had a Cayman-S and took it into our Porsche dealer for a routine service and saw a GT-3 on the lot - she was hooked immediately!) Our friend Malcom found her a GT-3 at Lamborghini of Atlanta and told Lisa about it. She went down to take a look at it and wasn't a big fan of the color. However - with this place being a Lambo/Lotus dealer there were PLENTY of cars she was interested in. I'm getting ready to leave work and I get this text message from her "I'm about to test drive a Lamborghini!" My response was "I'm there in 10 minutes!" Fortunately ATL traffic wasn't too bad - I got there and Lisa had already gone on the test drive of the Lambo and a Lotus and was eyeing a Ferrari 360. Now the Lambo has been my dream car ever since I was a kid drooling over the Countach and I have to admit, walking up to the Gallardo I was about to test drive felt like I was walking on egg shells. We got in and the sales lady took me for a ride and explained the ins and outs of this 10 cylinder, AWD, 540 horse-power beast. Then she pulled over and it was my turn - man, to FINALLY be getting behind the wheel of the car of my dreams was amazing, then to let off the clutch and take off.... To say that my expectations were met would be an understatement - they were obliterated! This thing was amazing. It BEGS to be driven. It was an incredibly smooth riding, amazing handling, totally insane experience. To say I wanted one before is an understatement and now I am hooked. It WILL be my next car. The one we drove was yellow w/yellow and blue interior (I could overlook this but Lisa convinced me not to settle and eventually get the one I want - black w/black interior - possibly the Nero edition w/black wheels too.) We asked the sales lady if they had an black ones for around the same price and she said they didn't. So we ended up with the supercharged Jag XK-R to replace the Porsche. Soon though, very soon, we'll have a black lambo sitting in the drive!

Why AKC Pro-Grade Kettlebells?

Despite what some manufacturers of "authentic" Russian kettlebells claim - there IS a reason the Pro-Grade kettlebells endorsed by the AKC and WKC as well as the kettlebells used by basically every country outside of the US are designed the way they are. Optimal performance. Take the "leading" brand for instance, they manufacture bells that come in a variety of sizes. The lighter weight bells are small and as the weight increases, so does the diameter of the bell. Why is this a problem? Easy. Try putting the bell in the correct rack position in order to perform presses, jerks, push-presses, etc. You can't. The bell needs to rest between the wrist and the shoulder in the crook of the elbow. You cannot accomplish this with the "leading brand" kettlebells until you get up to the 32kg-40kg bells. Great if you're an advanced lifter, but since there are literally so few people in the US that should be working with 32kg bells or better for reps (sure, most strong people can grab a 70 and press it a couple of times - but I'm talking about REAL kettlebell lifting) most people will find they have to change technique as they increase in bell weight due to the difference in diameter. The smaller bells manufactured by the "leading brand" do not sit well on the arm either, anything 16kg and below sits uncomfortably on my wrist making it very hard to put the bell in the correct rack position. The thicker handles of the "leading brand" can be of great benefit for grip work - however, in my opinion, there are much better grip tools out there than kettlebells. Williams Strength makes a whole line of fat barbells and fat handle attachments for cable machines and Ironmind carries just about every grip tool imaginable under the sun. We use kettlebells for repetition lifting. Kettlebells are fixed weights and are not very heavy, even at 48kg - that is only 106 lbs people. If I want strength work I'm using my texas power bar and iron plates. For rep work, strength endurance and GPP - I'm choosing kettlebells, and in addition to my sled, prowler and battling ropes kettlebells will whip you into shape faster than you thought possible. There's no reason to perform circus stunt exercises with a higher risk to reward ratio - unless of course you want to impress someone. Stick with the core kettlebell lifts - swings, cleans, snatches, presses, push presses, jerks, clean and jerks and all the variations. It is these lifts that the Pro-Grade style of kettlebell reins supreme. First, the thinner diameter handle allows you to use the finger lock technique on swings and snatches - something that is crucial in preventing your hands from getting torn up. No reason to be lame and use gloves or cut up tube-socks on your hands people. Learn good technique and don't worry about ripping your hands and callouses up. Next, the diameter of the bell is the perfect size for sitting in the proper rack position. Think about it, there's a reason this style of bell evolved over time - it works better. I am a car fanatic. My wife and I have had numerous corvettes (including the awesome Z06 and currently a 2008 coupe), a porsche and in addition to the 08' vette we have an awesome 07' Jag XK coupe and after test driving a Lamborghini last week that will be next on our hit list. While I think the first generation corvette is an awesome piece of machinery, it can't hold a candle performance-wise to our 08' vette. Cars evolve into higher performance machines. Kettlebells have evolved as well. There's a reason I love our top of the line high performance sports cars - it's the same reason I love my top of the line high performance kettlebells.

That's why AKC Pro-Grade bells.

-Scott

American Kettlebell Club Kettlebell Coaching Certification 5/17/08-5/18/08 Atlanta, GA

Friday 5/16

Eric, Jon, Marty and Valery got into Atlanta Friday evening. They met me at my gym just after I finished my last client for the night. We talked a bit then Valery became interested in the stones I had in the gym. Valery, Eric and I all took turns shouldering the bigger of the two stones I had, then we played with some grip tools and headed off to Ted's Montana Grill for a late dinner. My friend Svetlana and her husband Danny met five of us at Ted's. Svetlana is from Russia and I wanted to introduce her to Valery. Dinner was great, I opted for the Kitchen Sink burger - bison w/grilled ham, fried egg, bacon and cheese, YUM! I highly recommend it. Marty, whose dietary habits are odd to say the least, went with the crab cake appatizer, then surprisingly went for the crab cake entre. Marty, Marty, Marty.... Plus he washed it all down with an old fashioned root beer float. We're convinced he ran to the bathroom to regurgitate - he's gotta' keep that svelte 153 lb. physique somehow... Dinner was great then they went to check in to the hotel and get some sleep as we had two days of kettlebell instruction and lifting beginning in a few hours.

Saturday 5/17/08 - Day 1

The cert was held at Francis Fong's Martial Arts Academy in Norcross, GA. Thanks to my buddy Eric Froncsak for hooking that up as I wasn't sure my gym would be ready in time. The dojo was awesome. After some last minute setting up we hit the ground running. Valery and Marty began by introducing everyone to the AKC method of kb lifting as well as the basic outline for the weekend. The main point here people - there is NO kettlebell lifting style - there is only technique. And like everything there is GOOD technique and BAD technique. AKC is NOT about kb sport. KB sport is merely the pinnacle of kettlebell lifting just as a marathon is the pinnacle of distance running. Do people run for non-competition reasons such as fitness, recreation, health, etc? Sure they do. Do they PURPOSELY make their running technique harder? Only if they are a moron. Should the same apply to kb lifting? One would think. Now I know, here come the power lifting analogies. But Scott, box squatting is a way of making the squat harder. Special variations of the main lifts used on max effort day are designed to make the lift harder and exploit and build weaknesses. Well, I agree. HOWEVER, the TECHNIQUE is still done with one thing in mind - absolute perfection. You do not use sub-optimal technique in any variation of any lift - this is why we teach and learn the technical aspects of kb lifting that should apply to everyone - from the fitness enthusiast all the way up to the competing professional. It's kb lifting people, it's not rocket science. Stop overcomplicating it. If you want strength - lift barbells, kb's ain't heavy. A note on kb's and strength - Valery and I talked about this in Vegas as well as at the cert - kb's don't make you strong. Kb's improve your recovery and boost your GPP as well as build aspects of typical weak points which increases your strength potential. For powerlifters? Valery recommends short 2-3 minute sets at the end of the workout - no more, as he says "as your endurance goes up, your strength goes down. As your strength goes up, your endurance goes down." In speaking with Eric and Valery, they told me they felt one could get to a fairly high ranking in kb sport and powerlifting concurrently - but at the point when one is ready to progress to the highest attainable level, specificity rules. Therefore I feel, that with proper training, one could realistically achieve and MS ranking in kb sport and a class 1 or master level in powerlifting. Should one want to progress to MSWC in kb sport or Elite ranking in powerlifting, one discipline will have to be put on the back burner. This is all I have to say about this topic, now it's time to get the work done. I'm experimenting with the template right now and will have something worked out in a week or two. Stay tuned. While I will not give away the specifc details to the certification process this past weekend as it is not my place to give out the info for free that so many people paid good money for (if you really want to know what we do go to a cert for yourself you cheapskates). I will however give a brief overview of the cert and the topics we covered. Day 1 included specific work on the swing, clean, press, push press, and jerk. After instruction in each lift was given, we grouped up with either Jon or Marty and individually performed multiple timed sets (usually in the 2-4 minute range) so that we could get our technique corrected. Valery walked around and worked with everyone. There was MUCH more hands-on work involved with this certification than when I attended in March of 2007. Eric, Jon, Valery and all the coaches from the AKC are doing a great job at evolving this beast while keeping true to the methods they are trying to teach without having to create "new and exciting" exercises to sell the program. In addition to the instruction on Day 1, Marty demonstrated the long cycle w/ a pair of 32kg bells by doing 37 reps in 10:00. He also did a short-cycle jerk set w/ a pair of 24kg bells going 60 reps in 5:00. Valery performed a long cycle set w/24kg bells going 50 reps in 6:00 and Jon demonstrated the short cycle jerk with an awesome 88 reps in 10:00 w/ a pair of 24kg bells. A brief note on Jon - he's a super cool guy and probably one of the most underrated people in the AKC. This cat can lift the bells and his technique is amazing. Some highlights on day 2 included lunch at the Polish restaurant and dinner that night at Rusans in Buckhead, great sushi. Plus it was cool to catch up with some fo my friends who came to the cert and meet some new people as well.

Sunday 5/18/08 - Day 2

Day 2 consisted of work on the long cycle and the snatch. There were more demonstrations and a lot more talking about training philosophy, how to set up a training plan, key points for all the lifts, supplementary work, Q&A's, discussing the attributes of a kb lifter, Valery's recommendations on things such as speeding and program planning and Marty detailing his journey from starry-eyed kb newbie to becoming the 1st American male to achieve the rank of Master of Sport in kettlebell lifting. Day 2 demonstrations included Jon performing a 6:00 1-arm long cycle set w/32kg bell for 48 reps and a 10:00 snatch set w/the 24kg bell going for a total of 140 reps. Marty did the 1-arm long cycle w/32kg and got 100 reps in 10:00 and did a snatch set of 84 reps in 6:00 w/1-hand switch. Valery did a 10:00 set of snatches w/ 1-hand switch w/24kg going for 160 reps. He also performed an amazing feat of strength - bottom's up clean a 16kg bell, stack another 16kg bell on top and press, freakin' awesome! We wrapped up the cert with a written test, more Q&A group and individual photos and Valery and Eric presented attendees with certificates.

It was definitely a much improved certification since the last one I went to and something any aspiring kb lifter should attend. I like to tell people training and learning about KB's from Valery would be like getting basketball coaching from Michael Jordan - when you have a chance to train with the best, why let that opportunity pass?

Thanks to everyone who came out to the cert and my friend Eric Froncsak for co-hosting with me and really getting the ball rolling for this certification workshop. Thanks to Eric, Valery, Jon and Marty for doing a great job instructing and of course a special thanks to my good friend Marty for giving us all something to laugh at at lunch and dinner daily! Com. Marty is the man!!

Next up is the AKC affiliated meet I will be hosting at my gym, the Atlanta Barbell & Kettlebell Club, on Saturday December 13, 2008. Stay tuned for details!

-Scott

Henry Rollins.

This past Saturday, 2/23/08, Henry Rollins came to Athens, GA on his spoken word tour "Provoked". Big Derrick an I made the trip up for the show and it was freakin' awesome! At 47 this guy is still kicking ass. He came out and talked for a little over 3 hours about everything. His trips, shows, views on government, music, people and Van Halen fans. Freakin' awesome stuff. It was funny, there's an internet discussion forum I check out occasionally and some "self proclaimed worlds greatest trainers and fat, fat-loss experts" were on there were slamming him cause' they don't like his show he hosts and calling him a pussy and a liberal, blah blah blah. It's so hip to slam him nowadays because he's "done the same thing for far too long". Why? Because he does what he wants and doesn't give a shit about what other people think? Whatever. He goes out and lives his life more honestly and with more fire and balls than most do. Like Henry says, "knowledge without mileage is bullshit." I've been a fan for a long time and it was awesome to finally get to meet him and shake his hand. Big Derrick was pretty stoked too. Good times!

"I'm like a katana blade, thrust into the fire, rolled and hammered. The longer I go the stronger and sharper I become." -Henry Rollins

The Vegas

Lisa and I just got back from our first trip out to Vegas and had an awesome time. Here are some highlights and some photos:

-stayed at the Luxor, aside from being chased down by timeshare representatives the whole weekend a great place to stay

-got to see filming of an episode of Mindfreak with Wilmer Valderama (Fez from That 70's Show) as Criss Angel's guest. Also got a ton of cool pics, got to meet Criss and Wilmer and was in the front of the crowd when the camera filmed us all screaming "Mindfreak" for the end of the show, hopefully the shot with me in it makes the cut for the final show! Look for the bald guy with the grey Adidas shirt looking like an idiot!

-Carrot Top's show at Luxor - Freakin' Hysterical! You gotta' see this guy.

-Penn and Teller at the Rio, a good show, but Carrot Top killed it for anyone I see after him.

-gambling at Luxor, Mandalay Bay and Rio - we came out ahead thanks to Lisa and I did really well at my first Blackjack experience. Good times!

-Shark Reef aquarium at Mandalay Bay - awesome!

-Seeing Criss Angel and Carrot Top just "strolling" around Luxor and Mandalay Place - wow, I guess they are just real people. LOL!

-Working out at Luxor gym

-The two rock climbers who were trecking through the dessert for 3 months on a climbing expedition we shared the cab to Rio with. Cool guys, climbed boat rock and rock town in Atlanta. They were going for the buffet man! LOL!

-The water fountain show at the Bellagio - very cool and very patriotic.

-The idiots slapping the call girl cards at us as we walked the strip.

-Sushi at Tao (Thanks Sveta!)

-Texting Sveta all week to tell her about all the Criss Angel sightings only to find out she thought I was joking around with her when I got back! Good thing I got all the pics!!!

-Meeting up with my cousin Michelle and her husband for dinner, hadn't seen her since we were kids, this was very cool.

-The burger at the burger bar - awesome food!

-Criss Angel's choppers and rides - freakin' sick!

-Erik coming down to Akron/Canton on our layover to help us kill sometime.

-The steak, shrimp and ribs trio lunch at Rainforest Cafe at MGM - freakin' awesome!

-All in all a great vacation! Can't wait to go back!

If you want to check out all the pics from the trip go to my myspace page, click on pics under my profile pic and check the Vegas and Mindfreak photo albums at:

myspace.com/scottpl613

The Importance of CPR/AED Training

An article I wrote for the American Kettlebell Club on this very important topic:

http://www.americankettlebellclub.com/blog/?p=90

Thanks for setting it up Eric!

On My Way to the Cage

Anyone who's EVER done a real squat training session can certainly appreciate the lyrics to Henry's "On My Way to the Cage"......

On my way to the cage

I'm getting taught a lesson

On my way to the cage

I'm choking on the medicine

On my way to the cage

I'm stepping hard on four leaf clovers

On my way to the cage

I'm learning the same thing over and over

On the way to the cage

I heard the crowd roar

Thoughts of you were long behind me

I couldn't ask for more

The lights are almost blinding

Come closer,

see yourself in my eyes

Fear me

On my way to the cage

The taste of blood is in my mouth

On my way to the cage

The fear is in their eyes

On my way to the cage

My animal blood is pure

On my way to the cage

No regrets and no last words

(Chorus)

I've got your world inside my fist

I've got your mind on a string

I've got your soul on a leash

You put yourself above me

But there's something that you've missed

You always say you hate me

But you watch me anyway

It's a pain you can't resist

On my way to the cage

I'm larger than life, laughing at death

On my way to the cage

I'm tripping on pain and feeling fine

On my way to the cage

You're paying your price and I'm paying mine

On my way to the cage

I'm watching you cry and wave goodbye

Excuses... What are yours?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA

So why couldn't YOU train today?

York 45 lb Plate Hub Lift

http://www.youtube.com/v/H0K7JOcy7R8

Here's a video of a couple of my York 45 lb plate hub lifts. This has been a long time coming for me! Thanks to Derrick for adding the badass Rollins Band background noise and posting on YouTube.

-Scott

The Warrior Creed
by Robert L. Humphrey (Iwo Jima Marine & Bujinkan 10th Dan)

Wherever I go, everyone is a little bit safer because I am there.

Wherever I am, anyone in need has a friend.

Whenever I return home, everyone is happy I am there. "It's a better life!"

Robert L. Humphrey 1923 -1997

Congratulatons David! #3 114 lb class!

One of the lifters I train, David Cohn, recently made Powerlifting USA's top 100. A 400 lb squat, 275 lb bench press, and 425 lb deadlift combined for an 1100 lb total put David at #3 in the top 100 of 114 lb lifters in the country. A mere 79 lbs shy of the great Ervin Gainer who holds the #1 spot, and 29 lbs out of the #2 slot.

Since training with me David has totalled elite twice in single ply gear. His first meet he made a 1069 total with a 374 squat, 265 bench and a 430 deadlift. His second meet he made his 1100 lb total with a 400 squat, 275 bench and 425 deadlift. He weighed in at 111 lbs in both meets and he missed a 10 x bodyweight total by only 10 lbs at his last meet.

David trains 4x per week. We utilize the maximal effort method, dynamic effort method and repeated effort method in his training. Box squats, rack deadlifts, goodmornings, board presses, floor presses, bands + chains, LOTS of tricep and late work, and glute/ham raises are all staple exercises in his program. For conditioning and weak point work we have been using kettlebell swings and 1-arm long cycle clean and jerks with kettlebells the "AKC-way".

David is finishing up his meet prep cycle for the November 9-11 WNPF World Championships here in Atlanta. I don't want to jinx him but he should be in the 405-425 squat range, 285-300 bench range and 440-460 deadlift range. He's made a solid 300 bench in training so I know he's capable of it.

Congratulations on your accomplishment David!! Onward to 1200!!!

Scott

Rollins

Big Derrick and I had an awesome bench workout last night jamming Rollins "Clockwork Orange Stage". This quote really stuck with me after big D nailed an easy 455 bench (about a month or so ago his bench PR was 315).

"There's a lot of choices you can make. But it all boils down to two. Either you do, or you do not do. Some people came to play, some people came to drive away. Some people came to rock this muckerfucker, some people came to talk about rockin'. I think you know the difference by now. Animal inside, animal outside to. Animal inside, I'm an animal just like you." -Henry Rollins, from 'Thinking Cap' live.

There you have it folks. Shut the fuck up and lift something.

Scott

Keeping it Simple

I've been thinking alot about training lately, my training as well as the training of my athletes and clients. When I first started training people the exercises and training plan were simple. Use basic exercises like squats, deadlifts, presses, chins and rows and try to do more reps or more weight every few workouts. Want to get big and lean? Eat a lot of clean food. Carrying too much bodyfat? Eat less food. Keep junk food to a minimum. Add in some intensive cardio. We ran and marched a lot in bootcamp, and ate 3 balanced meals a day. There wasn't one fatass in my company, although there were 5 that could be considered overweight when our class convened on day 1.

As I started to learn from other trainers, coaches and experts in an effort to increase my knowledge base the exercises and training program became more complex to the point it gave me a headache trying to progress. Complex exercises, uni-lateral, ipsi-lateral, cuff complex, neuromuscular junctions, synaptic facilitation, tempo prescription, optimal carb to protein ratio shakes, branch chain amino acids, blah blah blah.

Now that I've learned from alot of trainers, coaches and experts the training program and exercises are simple. Focus on squats, deads, presses, chins and rows; get as muscular and lean as possible; train freakin' hard; eat a lot of clean food (if you count calories you're a dipshit, instead just try backing off on the coke a cola and snickers, I don't think you have to worry about eating too much chicken or spinach); listen to your body and know when to back off.

I've really taken the simplistic approach to training my athletes.

For strength, power and speed: we use barbells (sometimes with bands and/or chains on certain exercises), dumbbells, medicine balls, various odd objects, and different types of jumps and shock training. We use the maximal effort method, submaximal effort method, repeated effort method, and dynamic effort method.

For speed - we perform max effort sprints.

For agility - we work on maintaining speed during change of direction and we learn how to decelerate properly.

For conditioning - we perform tempo runs, sled drags, prowler pushes, high rep kettlebell work (the basic traditional exercises), and battling ropes.

We build and maintain both active and passive range of motion.

When we're feeling good we push it, when we're not feeling good we back off a bit.

When weaknesses emerge, we work hard to bring them up.

The younger the athlete and the earlier in the off-season there is more general and less specific work. The older the athlete and the later in the off-season there is less general and more specific work.

We learn from experts who've achieved real results and ignore charlatans with little experience and big internet balls.

It ain't freakin' rocket science.

The Evolution of Kettlebell Lifting in America - by, Mike Stefano



This is a GREAT blog written by AKC coach Mike Stefano that discusses the history of kettlebells as well as kettlebell training in America.

http://firefightersworkout.blogspot.com/2007_09_23_archive.html

Good stuff Mike!

A Simple Approach to Training

Due to my hectic professional and personal schedule lately I've had to make some changes in my training. I had been training 4-days per week - squat/deadlift on M/F, bench on W/Sa. I usually try to get up early in the morning before I start training clients (around 4-4:30am) and do some light cardio (20-30 min. of walking or jogging) and joint mobility and flexibility work. Unfortunately due to long work days and working 6-7 days per week my body felt like it has not been recovering that well between sessions. I have a powerlifting meet coming up in November and I also have the goals of stonelifting (travelling to Scotland and Iceland and trying my hand at some of the manhood and testing stones located in these countries) as well as improving my kettlebell lifting and achieving a high ranking in the kettlebell sport. Due to the fact that two of my goals are heading in opposite directions on the strength spectrum (powerlifting and stone lifting are more about maximal strength whereas the kettlebell sport is about strength endurance) I've had to reevalute my training plan. Here's what I've come up with so far.

Eliminate unnecessary crap and focus on what will be most effective for my goals. Current goal - hit PR's in the November PL meet (planning to go 475-500 squat, 315-335 bench, and 475-500 deadlift); while doing this I need to do maintenance work for my kettlebell lifting and stone lifting. My lifts need to be focused on building my squat, bench and deadlift and accessory lifts to address weak points while working in maintenance work for my stone lifting and kettlebell lifting. I also need to ensure I am getting enough down time for rest and recovery as my job is far from sedentary and I work 6 days per week from early morning until late evening.

Here's the training schedule:

Monday
4-4:30am - light cardio 20-30 min. + joint mobility, spineworx and flexibility

7pm - Squat/Deadlift training with my training partners Malcom and Derrick

plan A (weeks 1 and 3 of a 4 week cycle)
1. max effort squat: work up to a max single in a squat variation (high box, low box, SSB, etc)
2. GHR, good morning or RDL: 2-4 sets of 3-7 reps
3. heavy 1-arm KB jerks w/24-32kg bell: 1 set of 10-20 reps on ea. arm, a second and possibly third set of half the reps of the first set
4. 2 heavy ab exercises: 2-3 sets each for 6-12 reps

plan B (weeks 2 and 4 of a 4 week cycle)
1. dynamic effort box squats: 8x2x50-60% plus bands or chains
2. max effort deadlift: work up to a max single in a deadlift variation (pin pull, reverse band, etc)
3. same as plan A
4. same as plan A

Wednesday
4-4:30am - same as Monday

7pm - Bench Press training with Malcom and Derrick

plan A (weeks 1 and 3 of a 4-week cycle)
1. max effort bench press: work up to a max single in a bench press variation (2-4 board, floor press, reverse band, etc)
2. heavy triceps lift: 4-6 sets of 5-7 reps
3. light triceps lift: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
4. lats: 4-6 sets of 6-12 reps
5. upper back: 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps
6. heavy 1-arm kettlebell swings w/24-32kg bell: 1 set of 20-30 reps per arm, followed by 1-2 sets of half the reps performed in the first set

plan B (weeks 2 and 4 of a 4-week cycle)
1. shirted bench press work - full range, heavy triples and singles to master the groove of the shirt
2. db bench press: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
3. triceps lift: 3-5 sets of 6-10 reps
4. same as plan A
5. same as plan A
6. same as plan A

Friday
4-4:30am - same as Mon/Wed

3pm - Supplementary work for kettlebell lifting and stone lifting
1. kb jerks w/16-24kg: timed sets get a total of 10 minutes regardless of how many sets it takes
2. kb snatch w/16-24kg: one timed set
3. kb "feat of strength" lift (focus on various presses, bottoms up, chair press, bottoms up chair press, pinky press, etc.)
4. stone lift to chest, shoulder, press, carry, etc..
5. low back work: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps
6. extra abdominal, neck, trap and grip work

Saturday
9am
1. kb snatch w/16-24kg: timed sets get a total of 10 minnutes regardless of how many sets it takes
2. kb jerk w/16-24kg: one timed set
3. chin ups/pull ups: varied sets and reps
4. sled dragging
5. battling ropes conditioning work
6. extra abdominal, neck, trap and grip work

So there's the plan. This is allowing for a full day off between training sessions. My body usually feels good and ready to go by Monday. Nutrition is important but doesn't need to be rocket science. I am eating clean about 80-90% of the time then whatever the hell I want 10-20% of the time. If my bodyfat starts creeping up too high I'll eat less and move more. Simple stuff.

Plan for after the meet in November will change some. I'll be doing more KB specific work on the M/W workout and basically just doing the main PL exericise with Malcom and Derrick following with 1 or 2 supplementaries for them as well as more conditioning work and leaning up and I'll document the program changes when the time comes.

That's it, nice and simple. Training doesn't need to be super secret rocket science. Lift some stuff, add more weight to the bar and lift some more stuff. If you're doing rep work, add more damn reps. If you're goal is to lift stones, lift stones. Always strive for technical proficiency in the lifts and learn from what the best do - not charlatans who are out to make a name for themselves.

Train hard!

Scott

Video Review - "Never Enough: Squat and Deadlift Edition 2007"

In one word, awesome. This is hands down one of the best training videos I've seen. This video is narrated by Mark Bell, former pro-wrestler and current elite level powerlifter, that many know of as "Jackass" from the Elite Fitness Systems Q&A. Mark does a great job explaining the various lifts his powerlifting team, Supertraining, uses to build the squat and deadlift. Mark mixes a definite element of humor into this video that makes it as entertaining as it is informative.

It is great to see various members of his team who are lifting at different levels and have different body types. This team is definitely focused on one goal - getting stronger. One of the most important aspects of the video that comes across loud and clear, is the importance of having a team of like minded individuals in the gym pushing each other to excel.

Other great features on this video are the guest commentary by elite lifter Chad Aichs and the documentary of Scott "Hoss" Cartwright's exceptional performance at a USPF meet in which he totals over 2,200 pounds in single-ply lifting gear. GREAT stuff!

About the only thing I can say about this video is if you don't have it, get it now!

Order here:

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=182&pid=2264

-Scott

Roger Davis lifts the Inver Stone!

The brotherhood of stone, as the great Bill Crawford and Erik Suave like to call it, is growing! Congrats to Roger for wrapping his arms around history and heftin' it to his chest.

Read about it here:

http://www.powerropes.com/public_html/forum36/showthread.php?t=387&page=7

Roger, I'm raising a pint in your honor this weekend brother! Well done!

-Scott