AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH MAGAZINE

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ISSUE 131 5/17/07 

1. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

"I don't think you were put here to please everybody; that would be horrible.  You have to have some kind of a stand and stand against something as well.  If not, you're just being accommodating."

-- Rocco Deluca

A few weeks ago I was talking to my friend, Harley Flanagan, about my latest kettlebell DVD on fat loss.  As many of you know, Harley's the founder of the NYC hardcore band, The Cro-Mags, and is working on a new CD (which I’m financing) that'll be out soon.  I've heard some of it and it rocks!  But that's a story for another time, so let's get back to the conversation I had with Harley:  while Harley likes my DVD, he thinks I'm missing the mainstream market with my personality and teaching style.  He didn't insult my approach, just stated that it's hardcore and intimidating to a lot of people.  He's probably right, but me making a soft, mainstream fitness DVD is like asking Harley to model his musical style after Justin Timberlake in order to hit the mainstream market! It is not going to happen!  It means not being genuine, and when you're not genuine people pick up on it.  This is a main reason why most fitness DVDs--and most music Cd's--are terrible:  instead of doing what he wants to do and letting it flow authentically, the artist starts thinking about what's going to sell and how to please people.  Hell, this is the main reason why most movies are forgettable:  too much of a corporate cookie-cutter approach that insults the viewer.  You know what's going to happen in the first ten minutes and thus drift into oblivion for the next two hours.

The problem with being accommodating is the focus gets shifted to what doesn't matter.  In a recent episode of Inside the Actor's Studio, actor Matt Damon said that winning an Academy Award shouldn't be the focus of an actor--the focus should be the craft itself and doing the best job possible.  The best job possible comes from being genuine, and in the moment, rather than being focused on approval from others.

The problem with always accommodating the needs of others is you stop taking risks, and begin to live your life like a spineless politician who has to take a poll before any decision.  If you only take action after getting validation from others, then you'll never live fully.  You're no longer a real person, but a pinball in the game of life being thrown from one side of the table to the other--not an empowering way to live, to say the least.  There's a rush that comes from having the deck stacked against you and prevailing; those are the times when you discover what you're made of and are fully alive.

Many of the greatest human beings were people who refused to be quiet and accommodate the wishes of others.  Gandhi refused to move from his seat on a train and as a result was literally thrown off the train.  He went from being a lawyer focused on making money to becoming arguably the greatest human rights leader of all time.  Gandhi learned the importance of not-accommodating in seemingly insignificant cases and used that to prepare himself for the major cases later in his life. 

Being accommodating in major areas of your life comes from being accommodating in the seemingly insignificant areas.  Recently, I was on a flight and got stuck in the middle of a row.  Not a fun place to be, and even worse when you're seated between a couple talking over you while passing things back and forth to each other.  It was irritating and disrespectful, to say the least. Finally, I suggested that I either switch seats with one of them or they respect my personal space and stop passing things over me and talking over me. While they were the ones that were being rude both of them looked at me like I was crazy. Clearly they were used to having their way. Fortunately I spotted an empty window seat in the front row and moved leaving the annoying couple pondering why someone had the audacity to question their rude and inconsiderate actions.  Ah, I miss my private jet from the old days ;-)

Yes, I realize the above instance of non-accommodation is hardly dramatic.  But, that's the point:  it starts with the small stuff.  When you accommodate others, you're a victim as a result--no matter how insignificant the situation--and you create a victim pattern.  If you can't stand your ground with small stuff, you'll be crushed when major events come your way, e.g., instead of quitting a lame job and going after what you really want, you'll accommodate the boss, taking the path of least resistance.  In this manner, your entire life passes you by with you wondering what happened.

From an early age we're taught to accommodate others at the expense of ourselves.  Sure, some accommodation is necessary and we can't always have things our way, but letting others walk all over us and decide how we should live our lives isn't acceptable.  You don't have to explain your actions to others nor get their approval.  So some people aren't going to like you?  Well, they weren't going to like you anyway so it's not a big deal.

It's a liberating feeling knowing you don't have to take crap from people; you can stand your ground and do what's best for you instead of living a fear-based, accommodating lifestyle.  Just remember to be a non-accommodator with the small stuff and you'll automatically become a non-accommodator with the major battles.

Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

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Who says we do not have any heroes any more? Here is a group of them. Thanks men you make us all proud!

"Good morning Mike! Just wanted to share some pics from the Fort Hood KB Club via Baghdad. The team is doing well and staying safe, although we did lose a close friend on the recent helicopter crash. I truly enjoyed your "Aggressive Strength Solution for Incredible Kettlebell Training". I am planning on ordering your latest Ebook "Aggressive Strength Solution for Size and Strength". Would I have your permission to share this with the team members here in Iraq? I believe I have stated this before in previous emails, but just wanted to say thanks again for the great web site and free articles. Your contribution to the fitness community is duly noted."
- David COL Jon "David" Mullins

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2. AFFORDABLE HIGH QUALITY KETTLEBELLS ARE FINALLY HERE!

I have been getting a lot of questions regarding the new Lifeline USA Kettlebells and here are some answers:

Q: I have one Dragondoor bell, can I use a Lifeline USA bell with the DD one for double work?

A: Yes it should not be a problem at all. While the LL bells have slightly thicker handles, the bell is pretty much the same size and will not be an issue.

Q: Can I get single units of the super small bells (16lbs and below)?

A: Right now the super light bells are only sold in pairs. I am trying to get LL to change this for the very near future. All other sizes 35s and up are available in single units.

Q: Can the smaller ladies bells be used for Renegade Row?

A: While the smaller bells look like real kettlebells (no plastic thin handles) I do not recommend anything below 35lbs for Renegade Row. It becomes too much of a stability issue with very light bells.

Q: Do the handles have the slick smooth epoxy coating that DD bells have?

A: Nope, I made a point of having LL avoid the slick handles. They are smooth enough that they will not tear up your hands and rough enough that they will not fly out of your hands on high repetition work.

Q: How big is the 97lb bell?

A: Around the same size as DD's 88lb bell. I love the 97s for double work!

Q: How is the quality?

A: I am very happy with the quality. The bells went though strict quality control measures and passed with flying colors. I could put my reputation behind any bell on the market and chose to do so with the LL bells. I have been training with them for a month and love them. I know you will as well.

Here is what people are saying about the bells: 

"I recently received two 80 lb. KB's from Lifeline. The delivery was very prompt. The bells themselves are of excellent quality. I like the thicker grips-they seem to facilitate performance. Cleans, rows, swings, and especially overhead pressing was very smooth with what I perceived as a very well balanced piece of equipment--they have  a different feel than their competitors in this regard much for the better. The handles are not at all slick and have enough grain to make gripping easy without raising blisters. Overall, a superior product." 

--Steve Fink 

"My Lifeline kettlebells have just arrived. I am well pleased! The finish and design are simply perfect. Your offerings are what I have been hoping would appear for years, quality, usable kettlebells at reasonable prices. Lifeline has met the challenge. I expected such, as it is my experience that the products, teaching and endorsements of Mike Mahler are honest and high quality. I shall be recommending your products to my friends and students. I look forward to a long and satisfying relationship with your firm as a customer."

--Randy Shadoe

"I just got my Lifeline KBs, so I thought I'd drop you a line. OK, keep in mind that I've never used DragonDoor KBs; I've only used the Ader bells, and I wished I had ready your review of the different KBs on the market before I bought them because they are way too slick for my taste. I started to develop serious calluses at the base of my fingers because I had to use a
rosin bag for grip.

Well, when I unwrapped my LL bell, I could tell the difference right away. Hell, I guess my rack technique is not as bad as I thought because I didn't bang my forearms with the LL bells as I've been doing with the Ader bells. Don't get me wrong, I know that I have to improve my overall technique so that I can handle any KB; however, I like the different feel of the grip and shape of the bell of the LL's version. I'm trying to figure out a way that I can sell my Ader bells, so I can buy another LL bell. LOL!"--Muata Kamdibe

"Mike, I received the Lifeline KBs(2 79s and a 97) today, and did some snatches, Turkish get ups, and presses. It felt good to be able to press the 97. The handles have a nice gritty feel--I believe I like them a little better than the original Dragon Doors, definitely better than the newer, slicker Dragon Doors. Thanks again for your ideas. I'm looking forward to your new DVD." --Brian DeLong, Harrisburg, PA

You will love the prices on these bells. Click on the link below and check it out.

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3. Taking Online Clients Again 

"I have to say this program really kicks ass. Everyone I know has noticed a difference in how much leaner I look already, and it has just been two and a half weeks (out of a 6-month program!) I am noticeably stronger (the girlfriend loves it;) Needless to say, I can tell you that I look forward to every work out, and I will be purchasing another six month program when this one is done. Thank you."
- Mike Provost, Reno, NV

"Lost 10 lbs and went down from a size 12 to a size 8 in jeans – that was something I expected not to happen for another 10-15 more lbs! So thanks for your guidelines – they really have helped a lot."
— Michele Milevoi

I have not taken on any new clients for a few months now and I am ready to take on ten new clients. Click here for more info: http://www.mikemahler.com/services.html

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4. 2007 AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH KETTLEBELL WORKSHOPS

June 16, 2007:

Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Las Vegas, NV (three spots left) 
» Click Here for More Information

 June 30, 2007:

Mahler Level 2 Advanced Kettlebell Workshop in Las Vegas, NV (five spot left) 
» Click Here for More Information

September 15, 2007:

Mahler-Shaffer Level 1 Plus Kettlebell Workshop In Dallas, TX
» Click Here For More Information (Last Dallas Workshop Period! I will not be traveling in 2008) 

October 20-21, 2007: 

Boys are back in town 2-day Kettlebell Workshop Plus! Featuring Steve Cotter, Mike Mahler, Steve Maxwell, and Nate Morrison Click Now For More Information (SOLD OUT! Email mahler25@yahoo.com for the waiting list)

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5. Aggressive Strength Community Service 

 My friend and top body worker Dianna Linden sent me a list of non-profit organizations for helping out the Katrina Victims. Here is the list:

• Operation USA http://www.opusa.org
• Mercy Corps http://www.mercycorps.org
• Oxfam America http://www.oxfamamerica.org
• America's Second Harvest http://www.secondharvest.org

I encourage you to take a look at the above organizations and make a donation to the one that sits well with you. Also if you want to help out animals, make a donation to http://www.bestfriends.org.

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6. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH ARTICLE

Drop Set Training For Fat Loss 

By Mike Mahler 

As stated in many of my articles and on my latest kettlebell fat loss DVD, the best way to win the battle against fat is to build as much muscle as possible. There are many programs to choose from and one of my favorites is "drop set training." 

Drop set training is a great way to work a variety of muscle fibers and add some intensity to you’re workouts. Drop sets allow you to extend sets without burning out. You start with the heaviest set first to work fast twitch muscle fibers. Then you drop to a medium set and do more reps to work some slower twitch muscles. Finally, you end with a light high rep set to pump as much blood and healing nutrients into the muscles. Lets go over some sample programs to get you into action right away. 

Monday and Thursday:  

Double Clean and Military Press (using the example of a trainee that can press the 88s 5 times)

1x88x4 (one set of four)

1x70sx10

1x53sx20

Take 30 second breaks in between each set. When that gets easy, go from one set to the next without any breaks.

Double Ballistic Bent-over Row: (example of limit row of six reps with 97lb bells)

1x97sx5

1x70sx10

1x53sx20

Take 30 second breaks in between each set. When that gets easy, go from one set to the next without any breaks.

Double Suitcase Kickstand Lunge  (example of limit row of 10 reps with 97lb bells)

1x97sx10 l,r

1x70sx15 l,r

1x53sx20 l,r 

Take 30 second breaks in between each set. When that gets easy, go from one set to the next without any breaks.

Double Swing  (example of limit row of 10 reps with 97lb bells)

1x97sx8 

1x70sx12 

1x53sx20  

Take 30 second breaks in between each set. When that gets easy, go from one set to the next without any breaks.

While I think that hitting the weights at least four times a week is great for building muscle and fighting fat. You cannot do too many drop set workouts in a week and expect to recover fully. Thus, limit the drop set workouts to two sessions per week. On the other two days, do some moderate intensity workouts such as the following strength circuit sessions: 

Tuesday

Strength Circuit:

Double Relaxed Mil Press 5 reps

Double Ballistic Bent-over Row 5 reps

Double Clean and Front Squat 6 reps

Power Wheel AB Roll Out 6 reps

One-minute breaks in between each set and do three rounds per workout.

Friday

Strength Circuit:

Double Hang Clean and Press 5 reps

Alternating Bent-over Row 8 reps l,r

Double Clean and Front Squat 8 reps 

Slow and Controlled Sit-up 10 reps 

One-minute breaks in between each set and do three rounds per workout.   

Finally on Wednesday and Saturday you can throw in some light cardio sessions for heart health. No despite what the overweight aerobics instructor preaches at you're gym, cardio is not the most efficient way to lose fat. Regardless, it is beneficial for heart health and recovery from the strength training sessions. 

Remember that fat loss is 60-70% diet so make the most of your workouts by eating clean!  

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7. Win The Battle Against Fat!

  Kettlebell Solution for Fat Loss and Mental Toughness

"Your new  "Fat Loss and Mental Toughness" DVD is Great. The Best you have put together. Tons of great stuff again. All the exercises and the demonstrations were done well my favorite exercise is the double KB clean and front squat. The hormone talk was definitely a bonus. I have lost 10 pounds in the last two month using your HFT from the DVD and workbook. This DVD is not only for Fat loss, Hell I am putting muscle on every month."--Dan Hall D.C.

"The DVD is the best yet buddy! I'm finally interested in the fat loss side of things! GREAT detailed instruction with sound info on the finer aspects. You've cut through the crap that's out there & blown the lid off all the mystical BS that usually surrounds this subject AND not a stepper of 'spin' cycle in sight!! FANTASTIC!!"--Dan Wait

"I love your new DVD. Definitely the best ever. You totally crack me up with some of your comments and jokes. You exude a marvelous energy. (And, I love your arms. Good thing you've got a sleeveless shirt on!) Your DVD has traction on totally new training ground with all that info on hormones."--Jeanine Trevillyan M.D.

» Click Here for More Information

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8. GET THE AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH DVD COMBO PACK TODAY

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9. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH  ARTICLE

Cutting Edge Sports Training for Extreme Performance.
By: Dr. William Wong, ND, PhD.

Here in the States we like to think of ourselves as being on the cutting edge, leaders in all endeavors and ahead of the game in all things.   This attitude may be true in some things but it is definitely not true in Sports Medicine.  Typically Americas ivory towers of sports med and exercise physiology are 20 to 30 years behind Scandinavia and Eastern Europe in their theory and application.  As an example the top textbooks in exercise physiology on the development of strength and power are from Scandinavian physiologists.  Romania's former national weightlifting coach was scoffed at by American academics when he described the training techniques he and the Communist Block in general utilized to build their gold medal powerhouse teams.  They did not scoff for long.  On trying the techniques out, mostly in attempts to discredit the Eastern Blocks methods, low and behold it turned out that they worked!   The Romanian coach now heads up the US Olympic Weightlifting Team!

Most of the powerful Iron Curtain competitors were relatively small and poor countries.  How could these nations with their small gene pools hope to compete against the powerhouses of genetic variety such as the US with it's huge racial mix and the Soviet Union with it's hundreds of nationalities.  These large nations could custom fit a genetic type to a sport.  The smaller countries had to work with what they had.  What mix of things did the likes of Romania and East Germany do to produce athletes of such superior ability?  The answers were threefold: True strength training, plyometric power training, Systemic enzymes.  

What do we mean by true strength training?  Strength is the ability to apply force.  Most of what passes for strength training in the West today is simply modified bodybuilding and as strength coach Ken Leistner says bodybuilding is the worst thing that ever happened to weight training.  Bodybuilding works with moderate resistance with moderate numbers of repetitions, in very strict movement with the aim of producing muscular hypertrophy.  Hypertrophy is defined as an increase in the size of an existing structure.  Bodybuilders use techniques that balloon out size with out producing significant gains in strength or producing strength that is adaptable to sports performance.  I'll explain how that works in a bit.  

True strength training uses very heavy weights, few repetitions and they do something unthinkable in bodybuilding - they cheat.  In other words they use their whole body to help perform the lift.  This is not the recipe for safety in commercial gym settings where worries about injury liability run dominant over performance physiology.  Neither is it the recipe for a body builder's kissibly beautiful biceps.  But whole body involvement is the recipe for functional strength.  Skill movement in sport, dance or any activity involves the whole body never one joint at a time.  Training only one joint solo without synergistic involvement of the rest of the body produces strength that has little transference to real movement during performance.  When involving the whole body strength is amplified into power  (strength over time).  Proper strength training does not produce a lot of hypertrophy (bloating).  Instead it produces a change in muscle known as hyperplasia where a muscle bundle splits and becomes two or more overlapping muscle bundles.  The result is not the bloated, soft, easily lost size of the bodybuilder but plywood strong dense muscles with lasting useable strength.

Here again we have one of the differences between European sports science and the Yanks; physiologists here don't believe hyperplasia happens in humans, in Europe hyperplasia been a given for 20 plus years and they've adjusted their training methods accordingly with great success.  

Notice the difference in size between bodybuilders and Olympic weight lifters.  The smallest Olympic lifter is considerably stronger pound for pound than the biggest bodybuilder despite the size difference is.   Also according to studies done at two separate Olympics, the weight lifters are the second most flexible and balanced athletes there (the gymnasts are the first.  Watch a bodybuilder move - flexibility and balance are definitely not strong points of their training and being).  Feel the difference in the muscle.  Show muscle feels doughy to hard squeeze, like the muscles on a dystrophic child.  Now squeeze the arm of an Olympic lifter or power lifter.  Solid steel covered by flesh.  Show or performance?  Posing or movement?  For which shall you train?  The physiological law of training specificity demands that one has to condition the muscles against the loads that the sport will demand from them.   Bodybuilding is a non contact sport.  Strength training get you ready to perform, to excel and to strive.

Next the Communists had to develop an advances way of turning the strength their techniques developed into power.   Training slowly teaches you to move slowly.  While slow performance is initially needed to learn the proper performance of a skill, practice must be speed up after learning to insure proper performance.  Most sports demand explosive movements against resistance.  That resistance can come either from gravity (as in gymnastics), a medium (such as water in swimming), or an opponent (as in wrestling). Explosive movements against the weights can be done safely if proper training in its bio mechanics is done before hand.  (This is definitely one not to try at home boys and girls, unless you've got the supervision of an exercise physiologist (NOT a personal trainer) knowledgeable in the safety of such techniques).   Explosiveness against weights only partially builds the ability to produce power.  To fill this need of sport, the Eastern Block exercise science folks developed Plyometric training.  Here in the States some folks have fancied up some aspects of plyometric training with giant rubber balls and fancy equipment. You don't need any of those.  

Lets first answer the basic question as to what plyometric exercise is.  Plyometrics are exercises that involve an explosive movement of the extremities that propel the entire body.  The wind-ups to these movements are usually full body and the full body learns how to cooperate in producing great speed and explosiveness that transfers directly to a sport skill.   One example of plyometric work you may have seen involves athletes zig zag jumping over knee high benches side to side.  The most common plyometric exercise involves jumping up onto a bench some 20 to 25 inches high with both feet.  Then the athlete jumps down again absorbing the downward energy on the return then uncoiling it to jump up once again.  The Soviets trained all of their athletes in Plyometrics; from the archers to the fencers to the shooters to the wrestlers.    The balance, precession, anaerobic conditioning, and power developed by this work was useful they found, for all athletes in all sports.  

A typical day for a Communist block athlete would go something like this:

• Stretching, not the slow static mamby pamby passive stretching we advocate here but an active stretching that actually had a side effect of producing strength.  
• Progressive Resistance Training.  Strength Work at the afore mentioned low reps and high weights.
• Plyometric Exercises
• Skills Training.  Practice in the actual sport.
• Additional aerobic or anaerobic conditioning as needed by the sport.

What is anaerobic conditioning?   Everyone can more or less describe aerobic exercise as working out the heart, lungs to develop endurance.  This description would be correct, and we'll add one thing; in aerobic exercise oxygen is the primary fuel the body uses to maintain it's work load.  You literally burn oxygen.  Anaerobic exercise on the other hand does not involve long steady bout of work but short and super intense rounds of exercise.  In this type of work oxygen is either not available to the muscles due to the intensity of muscular contractions which cut off blood supply or, the work bout over loads the body beyond it's ability to deliver oxygen to all of the working parts.  In this type of work the cells burn glycogen or blood sugar as their primary fuel instead of oxygen.

Olympic Freestyle wrestling is the best example of an anaerobic sport.  Freestyle wrestlers are the best conditioned athletes in all of sport both aerobically and anaerobically, as the demands of their skill are so great.   Conditioning for anaerobic ability involves near endless repetition of exercise drills involving one burst of energy after another.  Athletes wind up breathless, nauseous, dizzy and the number of precious energy producing centers of the cells known as mitochondria just build and build.  This increases both the stores of potential energy as well as the actual furnaces to burn that energy in the cells.  The result longer, stronger more controlled and able bursts of skill performance.

The third secret was not a training method but a physiological realization as to three drawbacks of intense training.   Inflammation, micro injury and immune system depression.  These are the main limiting factors on sports performance.

All athletic training produces inflammation.  Muscles, tendons, ligaments, bursa, periosteum all react to hard training by swelling and becoming painful.  The more of this accrues the less intense the athlete will participate in the training.  Micro injuries happen every day in skill and conditioning exercise.  These tiny injuries are not enough to sideline an athlete but they accumulate and sooner than not become a macro injury demanding rest.   Over and above the lapse in training, both micro and macro injuries produce scar tissue (fibrosis) which limits the range of motion in the limb and creates the potential for further injury.

The one aspect unrecognized until the 60's was that intense training schedules lowered the bodies immunity.   Every day of hard training is followed by two to three days of immune suppression.  When an athlete tags too many days of training together without adequate rest then the immune system in goes into steep decline to the point where in some athletes, such as marathoners, it dies out all together.  There is now even a professional journal for immunology issues and sports medicine.   What armament did the Iron Curtain countries use to combat these three deadly foes to performance?

Through the 40's and into the 60's they tried to use Cortico Steroids, against the inflammation. These drugs had nasty side effects such as water weight gain, death of bursa (the tissues that lubricate the articulation of muscle to bone), weakening the tendons, extreme mood swings none of which are conducive to high level athletic performance!  The issues of fibrosis and immune system depression they had no answers for.  Then came the late 60's and everything changed.

In the constant search for substances to improve performance the East Germans took notice of a preparation that was gaining favor on the other side of Germany.

This product was used by physicians to naturally reduce inflammation, eat away at fibrosis, and modulate immune function. (1).  It's components were already approved for use in boxing to reduce brain swelling due to practice or matches. (2). When the product was tested it surpassed all expectations as an inflammation controller.  What's more it kept micro injuries from becoming macro injuries and ate away at the limiting fibrosis of older injuries. (3).  When an athlete was injured use of the product caused that athlete to heal faster than was ever seen before.  

Use of cortico steroids could be dropped. Moreover the toxic non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID's) such as aspiring, ibuprofen and the rest could also be dropped saving the athletes from facing the great killer of young sportsmen - kidney failure.  The combination of dehydration and NSAID use is the single largest cause for athletic deaths.  During one New Your Marathon in the late 1990's an Ibuprofen manufacturer gave out samples of their product before the race.  Four runners died at that marathon from kidney failure!  

What was this product whose use was classified as a state secret in most of Eastern Europe -  Systemic Enzymes.   They were buying it through from companies in the west and secreting the supplement across their borders.

The International Olympic Committee banned cortico steroid use in 1975.  Most of the Eastern Block countries did not even blink, their athletes were already off the anti-inflammatory drugs and performing harder, healing faster, staying healthier and maintaining their ranges of motion all through the use of safe and research proven systemic enzymes.  In the world, today's best systemic enzyme product is VitalZym, from World Nutrition.

There will be some who'll scoff and say that all of the Eastern Blocks sports greatness came through the use of anabolic steroids.  Not so!  Our athletes used the same dope; so why were the Communist kids that much better?  (The one place where Soviet and East German drug science did excel was in covering up drug use).  The Olympic athletes themselves called the Olympics in Atlanta the Human Growth Hormone Games.  

The IOC seems impotent to stop drug use because spectators come to see records shattered.   Without drugs such sports as cycling, speed skating and track and field would be boring events where this years times and distances would be no better that the last games and those not much better than they were in the `64 and `68 games!  The result would be a drop off in viewers and a drop off in sponsorship.  The bribing scandal concerning the Utah winter Olympics has done more than anything else to show that the Olympics are no longer about the glory of amateur sport; it's all about the glory of money for the promoters, the hosts and the potential winners.    In this vein the IOC has nothing to learn from the WWF about the link between money, promotion and performance; the IOC wrote the book!

If you are into extreme performance, overdoing and pushing the envelope of human performance then take heed of what they did behind the Berlin wall.  The Comrades got it right!  Now 30 years later we need to catch on.  Nuff said.

References:

1).  Muller-Hepburn W.: Anwendung von Enzymen in der Sportsmedizin.  Forum d. Prakt. Artes 18 (1970).
2).  Bronstein J.L.: Oral Enzyme Tablets in the Treatment of Boxing Injuries.  The Practitioner 198 (1967), 547.
3).  Baumuller M. Therapy of Ankle Joint Distortions with Hydrolytic Enzymes - Results from a double blind clinical trial.  In: G.P.H. Hermans, W.L. Mostred (eds.) Sports, Medicine and Health.  Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, New York, Oxford (1990), 1137.

 

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10. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH BONUS ARTICLE 

A New Look At Senior Fitness

By Frank Dimeo

  I almost have to chuckle as I am writing this article on “Senior” Fitness. I know what I thought a Senior Citizen was many years before society told me I was one (though I still refuse to think or act like that stereotype). After all, when I was young and just full of self-proclaimed wisdom that everyone else  needed to hear, I just knew that old age was not something that interested me in achieving.

Now fast forward to March 24, 2007, and now I’m 56 and my buddy, Doug, is older than me, yikes! So where does this time-warp find us? Right in the middle of a bunch of guys half our age , or less, attending a Strongman Training Seminar. Are we nuts? What are we doing here? Aren’t we supposed to be in a state of decay by this age?

What it does mean is Doug and myself, and probably a lot of other guys (and gals) are not done with life yet. We refuse to limit ourselves by allowing our culture to marginalize us. At this point in life, we should be able to pull a 500lb tire down the parking lot (and we both did) We should be at our best, not our worst! You see, there is a lot to be said about a person’s attitude or mindset as it relates  to his or her physical body. Sometimes, you just have to go after something really out of your comfort zone to keep your mind sharp, your body strong, and life interesting.

The other day, I lifted a 40kg (88lb) weight over my head with one arm. It had been a goal of mine for a while. Now, it’s been accomplished. But what if I had said to myself that a senior citizen can’t do that kind of thing, or that they should act their age? I would never have experienced that.

Yes, there are a lot of stronger guys out there than myself ( I even know of some gals that can lift that kind of weight, and more). The point is I am striving for excellence, not perfection.

Everyone can do that, no matter what their age or gender is. Isn’t it time to try something out of your normal routine for a challenge? Think about it, the possibilities are endless. Now get after it!

Frank DiMeo is the author of "Strength For The Streets." Check out his website at: www.crossfitgulfcoast.com

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11. RECOMMENDED AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH BOOK

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12. KETTLEBELL TRAINING INFORMATION PAGE 

http://www.mikemahler.com/kettlebell_info.html

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13. AGGRESSIVE STRENGTH MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

http://www.mikemahler.com/newsletter

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Until next time.

Live Life Aggressively!

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Mike Mahler

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