Aggressive Strength Magazine
Issue 134 6/13/07
1. Aggressive Strength Quote Of The Week
“If you are discontented but unwilling to give up what is holding you back, you will have to admit that it is you who has chosen to reject success and to abandon the dream of being all of the best you can be. If this is so, you can stop getting jealous whenever you see other people around you succeeding in the life you thought you wanted for yourself.”
Over the years, I've realized you can't want success for others more than they want it for themselves. You can give someone the tools they need for success but if they don't use those tools and follow through, success will always evade them. You can send them opportunity after opportunity and introduce them to all the right people, yet success will always evade them. Why are some people not prepared to lay the groundwork for success? Who knows? As motivational speaker Jim Rohn says, “It's one of the mysteries of the universe.”
The main reasons people fail to succeed? Lack of self-responsibility and self-awareness. You have to take charge of your life and take responsibility for your success. It's not anyone else’s job but your own to be successful--as long as you rely on other people and relinquish responsibility, you won't experience success. No matter what others do for you, if you don't take responsibility for yourself, it's all in vain.
I once had an online client who signed up for a three-month program. I put a program together for him and never heard back...until six months later when he emailed me complaining I'd let him fall off-course and that it was my fault he didn't succeed. In his world, it was my fault. After all, he'd done his part in paying for the program, right? Wrong: you can't buy success; success is earned though action. Yes, you can buy knowledge, which is critical to success--but certainly not everything, there are plenty of knowledgeable people out there in all manner of fields who aren't successful, due to lack of right action.
Lets get back to the client: the client didn't follow the program designed for him and never sent me his training journal. I require all my clients to keep a training journal and to send me that journal every Friday for review. This keeps the client and I both engaged and committed; however, I clarify up front that if you neglect to email your journal I won't be emailing you.
I'm not the type of trainer who'll come to your house and wake you up in the morning or call everyday to motivate you--that's not what “Aggressive Strength” is all about. I want to work with people who are ready to make a change and are self-motivated. These people require guidance, direction, and a personalized program to fit their lifestyle. That's the service I provide--not coddling people and treating them like children.
The online client who didn't follow through on his end chose to blame me for his lack of success, even though he chose to neither follow the program designed for him nor to send his journal for feedback. While he was motivated enough to pay for a training program, he wasn't motivated enough to take the real-world action and responsibility necessary for his success. Many people feel that if they're paying someone for a service, that person is now responsible for their success. Well, it doesn't work that way: no one else can do this work for you. You can't drop the “success burden” upon others and expect positive results--such a mentality is for losers! The best others can do for you is act as guides and consultants, supporting your getting on track and staying there. At the end of the day, you have to put in the work.
Next, lets talk about self-awareness: what do you know about yourself--and of what are you capable? What is it about yourself that holds you back? Plenty, probably, if you take an honest appraisal. Yes, you have to take a ruthless look at yourself and address your weak points. Of course, this means actually accepting that you have weak points and then, more importantly, doing something about them. The former is often harder than the latter as it's easy to wear blinders and blame circumstances or the world for your own lack of success--people do it every day.
One common trait holding back unsuccessful people is their jealousy of others' successes. The unsuccessful can't stand to see people do what they themselves didn't have the stones for. Whenever someone acquires success, the jealous people get angry. What they fail to realize is this: successful people are prepared to pay the price of success, thus any jealousy of that success is both petty and counterproductive. Jealousy is a wasted emotion which misplaces your focus. Again, the focus needs to be not on others, but inward--on what you are prepared to do. Your own lack of success isn't anyone else’s fault, and your wasted jealous energy won't change this.
Rather than feeling jealousy around successful people, a better use of vital energy is feeling inspiration--realizing that what others can do, so can you. It boils down to that word no one wants to hear: sacrifice. What are you prepared to sacrifice for success? You can't watch four hours of TV everyday, then waste four more hours surfing the Internet, then complain that you don't have time for creating success. When you take time to assess your situation and your daily habits, what becomes clear is what you're not doing and thus, what needs to be done. The only question left is--what are you prepared to do now?
One thing is certain: days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. Before you know it, you've repeated the same year over and over again as a decade's passed you by. But you always have this choice: if you're content where you are, stay there and continue with your daily routine--or, choose a new direction for yourself and finish what you once started.
Live Life Aggressively!
Mike Mahler
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
2. Affordable High Quality Kettlebells Are Here! Time To Join The Fun
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.
Lifeline USA Kettlebells
The marketplace is finally ready for a high quality kettlebell at a great price. I have no doubt that you will love these kettlebells and you cannot beat the price!
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."
And five months later.......
"I want to say THANK YOU in a huge way. This past weekend was the RKC, and thanks to your program I am officially Mike Provost, RKC!!! Not only did I ace it, I took third place (majority of the audience thought it should have been first, but it was fun so it’s cool;) in the technique competition, but I blasted through the snatch test and every workout they threw at me. The heavy Kettlebell work translated to the light bell work perfectly, and the workouts, while certainly challenging, never made me tired for more than 30 seconds to a minute afterward. Thank you, thank you, 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
4. 2007 Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Workshops
"After attending your excellent Vegas Seminar in March and using routines from the above two DVD’s, I went in for my regular massage and my therapist was like “are you juicing”? She could believe how my body was changing, and how fast. Then, for some reason I can’t fathom, I switched to the “Enter the Kettlebell” workout for a month. At my next massage she was “did you stop lifting ‘bells”. Needless to say, I immediately came to my senses and went back to hard and heavy. I’ll keep the lil’ fellers workouts around for rest/recovery (maybe). Keep up the good work."
--James Lewiston Portland, Oregon
June 16, 2007:
Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Las Vegas, NV
(two spots 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)
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.
6. Aggressive Strength Training Article
A Master Swordsman’s Advice For Productive Strength Training
By Mike Mahler
In this article I am going to use Musashi’s wisdom as a back drop to reveal clearly that productive strength training is far more than just working the body. You have to incorporate mental discipline and accountability with physical work to have the entire package. Lets get started.
“Truth is not what you want it to be; it is what it is, and you must bend to its power or live a lie.”
You just had a great workout in the gym and feel like a million bucks. You feel strong and ready to conquer the world. Before you head out to enjoy the spoils of war, you record your workout in your training journal and the brutal truth hits you as you realize that you have not made any progress all month. Fortunately, you have been keeping an accurate training journal and have some important data to work with. The majority of trainees do not keep a training journal and it is no surprise that the majority of trainees do not make much progress either. Imagine running a business in which you did not keep accurate records. You have no idea what you are making and what you are spending. You could have the illusion that you are making a big profit when in reality you are just living off of revenue. Moreover, God help you if you ever get audited!
Top strength coach Charles Poliquin once told me about a study on factory chair workers. Once the workers were told what their production number was, they started beating the number dramatically. Coach Poliquin states that there is a natural human drive to want to improve when you know what your number is. This is one of the main reasons why an accurate training journal works. It forces you to accept the truth and gives you important information about your workouts. If something is not working, you will know and we will be able to make the necessary modifications to improve. In addition, who wants to record the same weights and sets at every workout. Just like the factory chair workers, when you know the number you will want to beat it. Want another tip to make training journals even more effective? Hire a strength coach to review your training journal once a week or at least have a friend that is into training look at it once a week and give you some feedback. Just knowing that someone else will be seeing your training journal will force you to step it up a notch. Hey, you could even ask some hot fitness bunny at the gym to be your accountability friend. One of man strongest desires is to impress women and what could be better than having a woman that you are attracted to look at your journal each week? Well we all know what the answer is to that, but once again get back to reality buddy.
Without an accurate training journal you are just shooting in the dark and hoping that you hit your target. It is simply amazing that trainees will spend tons of money on supplements and not take the time to keep a training journal, which costs next to nothing. All you need is a notebook or a file on your computer. Do yourself a favor and start keeping a training journal today. You will be amazed at what a big difference it makes in your workouts.
“To build anything quickly and maintain quality means not being disorganized with anything.”
Many trainees are impatient when it comes to training and want immediate results. While expecting impressive results after a few workouts is not practical, you can speed things up by controlling as many factors as possible such as: nutrition, training, restoration, stress levels, sleep, and accountability.
First, get on a solid training program that targets the goals that you want to achieve and you are more likely to achieve those goals. Just do try to do too many goals at the same time. Pick one to two and focus on those such as adding fifty pounds to your deadlift or ten pounds of muscle. In addition, take your lifestyle into account. If you are only sleeping five hours per night and are under a lot of stress at work or at home, now is not the time to do Charles Staley’s EDT program or a doe of “German Volume Training.” Adjust your training accordingly to your current situation and you will make more progress. If you do not have a lot of time, try brief and frequent workouts that you can do at home. If you have plenty of time on your hands, then try doing twice a day workouts to accelerate your progress.
Second, if you have a solid nutrition plan, you will have more energy for your workouts and more energy for adequate recovery. Start keeping a nutrition journal and track how many calories you are getting in each day and where they are coming from. If you are not losing fat, your nutrition journal will show why. If you are not getting bigger, your nutrition journal will show why. I have found that many trainees think that they are eating a lot and when they break it down, it does not add up to too much. I had one of my online clients keep track of his caloric intake for a week and he realized that he was only consuming around 2000 calories per day. This is a guy that though that he was eating a ton everyday. The same works for fat loss. One of my online clients though that she had it together until she wrote everything down and realized that she is getting an additional 250 carbs each say from “Jamba Juice” smoothies! Get your nutrition on track and you will make more progress in the gym. Or just stay in illusion land and hit Mickey Dee’s three times a day
Third, work on additional recovery methods to facilitate faster progress. Try sitting in a Jacuzzi or Sauna for twenty minutes after each workout. Get a sports massage once every two weeks, and get a power nap in after each workout.
Fourth, stress is another factor that must be controlled. The more stress you have in your life, the less likely you are to make progress. Meditation is a good idea. You do not have to sit in the lotus position and chant for twenty minutes. Meditation could be a thirty-minute walk to clear your head at the end of the day. It could take the form of stretching or doing joint mobility work to loosen up in the morning or evening. Recently, I have been using the “Holosync” meditation program and really like it. For more info, click here: http://www.mikemahler.com/store_CD's.html Incorporate a few activities in your day that help you relax and unwind. My friend and top strength coach and BJJ athlete Steve Maxwell has a great “joint mobility” DVD that is a great way to start the day and a great way to end a workout. Pick up a copy today at http://www.maxwellsc.com/Home.html Also, did I mention that an active sex life is a great way to reduce stress?
Finally, make sure that you are getting at least eight hours of sleep per night. Some need less and some need more, but erring on the side of more, is always a good idea. It is amazing to see athletes that have everything else down, but completely neglect sleep. Four to six hours is not going to cut it. Especially when you are training hard. Try taking a mineral supplement called “ZMA” or an amino acid product called “GABA” to help you get some deep REM Sleep each night. Just get ready for some crazy dreams if you take ZMA. I could write a book on some of the dreams that I have had while taking ZMA. Another thing to do before going to bed is to take a walk around the block to clear your head. This gives you a chance to think about the day and what you need to do tomorrow. That way, when you hit the sheets, your head is clear and you are all set. A hot shower or twenty minutes in a sauna also works wonders. I have also heard that sex before bedtime works well also.
“You should study all things to broaden your life. You should specialize in several things to polish your life.”
Studying a variety of training methods is a good idea as there is a synergy among many schools of thoughts. A book on the benefits of sandbag training may give you ideas on how to improve your powerlifting routine and a DVD on kettlebell training may give you some ideas on how to improve your conditioning for combat sports. While studying a variety of training methods is a great idea, you want to focus on a few things at a time and do them well. If you want to improve your Barbell Squat, then make that the focal point of your workouts and place other things on maintenance mode. If you need extreme conditioning for mixed martial arts, focus on “Roadwork” or other forms of high intensity cardio and place other things on maintenance mode. Having a laser like focus will increase the odds of your achieving your goals. Just do not make the mistake of having too many goals at one time. I once had an online customer that wanted to compete in powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and she wanted to run a marathon as well. She wanted me to design a program to address all of these goals. A “jack of all trades” program is not the way to be successful. Pick one goal that is most important to you and go after it. Once you nail that goal, switch gears and go after another one.
“You should avoid becoming too dependent on any single weapon, or anything else really. Keep your options open and remain flexible. Too much dependence on any one thing is just as bad as not depending on anything. “
We all have “pet exercises” that we tend to make the focal point of our workouts. For many men, this exercise tends to be the bench press while women tend to focus on leg exercises. This is why it is difficult to design a program for yourself, as you will have a tendency to focus on exercises that you are naturally good at and avoid exercises that you suck at. Focusing too much on one exercise is a sure-fire way to acquire overuse injuries and bring progress to a stretching halt. It is a good idea to have several “weapons” to choose from. If you want to improve your bench press, try rotating it with bottom position bench presses, weighted dips, one-arm dumbbell bench presses, and floor presses. Top powerlifting coach Louie Simmons has his athletes rotate exercises frequently and calls this method “The Conjugate method.” You do not have to be a powerlifter to benefit from this. Try rotating your primary exercises with similar exercises every few weeks and you will not only get stronger but will break your dependency on your “pet exercises.”
Also, many trainees tend to be overzealous about one training philosophy over another. For example, many trainees belong to the “High Intensity Training” camp otherwise known as HIT and swear by training to failure even though they only made progress with HIT during the first six weeks of the program. They just find it easier to not think and would prefer to do the same program over and over again even if they do not make progress. They care more about the stimulus of training rather than moving forward. However, some of the “HIT” devotees do not corner the market. Other trainees think that high volume training is the be all end all of training and never cycle high volume training with lower volume training. As a result, their progress comes to a halt and the pile of overuse injuries that they have gets bigger and bigger every year. Over the years I have tried a variety of training programs and can say that many programs have merit. However, no program will work all of the time. Have fun with training and try a variety of different methods over your training career. In addition to being wiser, you will have the results to back up your open minded outlook.
“Business is like the waves of the sea. All things rise and all things fall. You must be able to discern the time that you are in and the time that is approaching.”
Ah, if only your entire training career were life the first month when you started working out. Remember that? Remember how you got stronger at every workout and you felt like it could go on indefinitely? You did the math and got excited when you had the illusion that you would be breaking every powerlifting record on the planet by the end of the year. Unfortunately, reality had a different plan for you and your progress came to a halt. Fortunately, being the smart trainer that you are, you did some research and came across the concept of “training cycling.” This is where you start off way below your best effort and work up to a new personal best over time and then back off again to live another day and grow stronger. You cannot train at full intensity all of the time. Whether you plan to or not, you will cycle your training. You can either proactively do it by mapping out a training cycle that gradually builds up to high intensity or high volume and then backs off or simply attempt to train all out at every session. The latter will cause the inevitable demon of over training to enter your training world and you will be forced to back off or continue to work hard to get weaker at every session. I recommend that you take Musashi’s advice and realize that everything goes up and down. No pun intended! You have to know when you are in an intense phase and maximize the window of opportunity and know when to back off and prepare for the next wave of training progress. Failure to pay attention to these cycles will leave you in the land of mediocrity and weakness, which I have heard it is not a fun place to be. You do not have to get overly technical with training cycling. Take some advice from Powerlifter Jack Reape and apply a back off week for every three weeks of hard training. For example, try the 5x5 protocol for three weeks and then switch to 2x5 with 85% of the weight that you were using for a week. In week five your will be refreshed and ready to roll.
“Only intense training and experience will teach you to recognize the difference between what is important and what is meant to distract.”
Lets face it nothing can take the place of real world experience. I can tell a newbie that they should avoid doing ten sets for biceps and triceps three times a week and focus on compound exercises such as: Squats, Deadlifts, Bench presses, Military presses, and Bent Over Rows all day long and very few will take my advice. They just cannot help it and have to find out the hard way that over focus on isolation work is not the most efficient way to get bigger and stronger. Regardless, the thought of giving up preacher curls and triceps push downs is harder for most trainees then giving up sex for a month. Well, maybe not that hard, but you get the point.
In order to get bigger and stronger, you have to put in some time and pay your dues. You have to experiment with a variety of programs and discover what works best for you. More than likely, this will be a life long process and if you are smart and open minded you will continue to discover new ways to maximize your training progress. Expecting to find the ultimate program in your first year of training is like expecting to start a business and earn a million dollars in your first year. It is just now likely to happen. Wisdom comes with experience and there is just no way around that. After you put in a few years of concerted effort in the gym and in researching proper training and nutrition, you will be well on your way to separating yourself from the weak masses.
Take your time with training and realize that it is a life long endeavor. Learn to enjoy the process and the learning experience and you will be able to train productively much longer.
“Overuse of power is not a good thing. If you cut with the mind of being very strong, your cut will be crude and sloppy. It is almost impossible to consistently win by relying on strength alone.”
Making progress in your workouts has more to do with just making your muscles stronger. The more you learn how to engage your mind, specifically, your central nervous system, the stronger and bigger you will get. Look at any trainee that trains with heavy training loads with good form and you will see a serious demonstration of focus and determination. A great deal of productive strength training is mental and the more you learn how to use psychology to maximize your training progress, the more efficient and productive your workouts will become. In addition, using more power and effort than is necessary to get the job done is a waste of energy. If an Olympic lifter uses too much power on the clean and jerk, their form will be sloppy and they will most likely miss the lift. If they do not use enough power, the bar will not go from point A to point B. When they use just the right amount of power to get the job done, they make the effort look easy and that is the sign of a true professional. As your technique improves and your experience increases, you will learn how to channel the right amount of effort in your workouts to get the job done.
To increase focus, only work with others that are as serious as you are with regards to training. No chit chat about the weekend in between sets and definitely no talking during sets accept some words of motivation to push you along. Get focused with each set and think about what you are doing before you do it. The more you practice the more it will become second nature like driving a car.
“The truth is that victory comes by manipulating the circumstances to your advantage.”
Many people tend to live their lives by simply reacting to whatever comes their way. People that fall into this category are never people that do anything exceptional with their lives. Successful people are far more pro-active and can see several moves ahead. They have learned how to stack the deck in their favor and maximize circumstances to move forward. You have to learn how to do the same thing with your workouts. If you have an arm injury, do you use this as an excuse to skip working out and watch four more hours of the idiot box? Or do you see this as an opportunity to work on your spindly legs? I hope you picked the latter. You just started a new job and only have time for a few thirty- minute workouts per week. Do you decide, that you are better off not working out at all or doing some lame cardio program until you have time to get back to longer workouts? Or do you decide that this is a great time to streamline your program, and do a few sets of a few basic exercises? Go with the latter and you may find that something odd happens. Because you have less time, you have to focus on the time that you have to train and spend the time that you have on the exercises that will give you the most bang for your buck. You no longer have time to overcomplicate your workouts and waste time in the gym and as a result you make much more progress than when you were unemployed and lived with your parents and had all of the time in the world. Winners find away to win, and losers will always find a way to lose. You are either one or the other. As one of my mentors told me, “You can either make money or make excuses but you cannot do both.” Well, you can either make training progress or excuses but you cannot do both.
“The Proper speed at which to execute a technique should flow of its own accord.”
There is an ongoing debate in the training world with regards to what is the optimal tempo speed for training. Just the debate along shows you the times that we are living in. However, that is another topic for another time. Here is interesting way to look at it. Why not let the weight decide what the speed should be. If it is light, lift the weight with solid form as quickly as possible. If they weight is heavy, attempt to lift it as fast as possible as well. What will happen? You will learn how to get faster with lightweights and will build strength and size with heavier weights due to the time under tension. Moreover, moving the weight quickly recruits more fast twitch muscles and the faster you are the stronger you can get. Do not believe me? Look at the difference between the bodytypes on sprinters versus Marathon runners. Case closed!
Even though you are still attempting to move the heavier weights rapidly, the laws of gravity have another plan for you and you will benefit accordingly. I am not saying that varying tempo does not work. I just think that more focus should be placed on lifting weights instead of worrying about tempo. Frankly, if you have the mental time to think about tempo while you are lifting a weight, then it is not heavy enough to do you any good. Focus on using good technique and let the weight dictate the speed.
“Those who have missed the mark may chatter all day long about this and that, but they have never done anything. Anyone can make a good argument, but few can show good results.”
There is a saying that those who cannot do, teach. Well, that maybe true, but I doubt that they teach very well. There is another saying: “talk is cheap.” Anyone can read some books on training and attend a few lectures and have the academic training background down. However, few can get their hands dirty, get some real world experience, and learn from their mistakes to achieve successes. Sure, learning from others via books, lectures, DVD’s, CD’s articles etc is great. However, if that is all you do, then you are just talking from a place of theory rather than application and practice. Where am I going? If you want to be a champion powerlifter, hire a powerlifting coach like Louie Simmons who has demonstrated clearly that his methods work through his own achievements and the achievements of his athletes. Want to build a strong muscular physique without using steroids? Find someone that has the training knowledge and results that you are after and work with that person. Sure, just because someone has results does not necessarily mean that they are a good teacher. Just as just because someone is overweight does not mean that they do not have a substantial degree of training knowledge. Regardless, in life what you see is often what you get and I would rather hire someone that has both the knowledge and the results than one or the other. In other words, find a good teacher and a good student and you are on the right path.
There you have it, a wealth of wisdom to improve your workouts and quality of life. What do you do know. Well, I would start by purchasing D.E. Tarver’s translation of “The Book Of Five Rings” today. Mr. Tarver, uses modern day English so you do not have to try to digest a book that reads like something Master Yoda would put together (another lame Star Wars joke in case you do not get it). Seriously though, the book is awesome and the more you read it, the more you will like it. While it might not inspire you to take up sword lessons, if you apply the wisdom from the “Book Of Five Rings” to your workouts, you will maximize your workouts and become a more intelligent trainee.
The Aggressive Strength Solution for Size
And Strength e-Book
"I am reading your book "The aggressive Strength Solution For Size and Strength" and it is the best book I have ever read pertaining to working out and improving strength."--Juan Albert
“After reading your new e-book, I implemented your strategies right away. After a 5 X 5 regimen , a period of active recovery, then HFT for several weeks; I have noticed some good strength gains across the board. The one that I was most happy with was being able for the first time to clean and press an 88lb KB. I was previously able to snatch it and push-press it, but could never press it until now. Thanks Mike!”-- Frank DiMeo Gulf Coast Crossfit
This e-Book is 160 pages of fluff-free information to super charge your
workouts. No wasted space with photos of roided out bodybuilders. No use of
super large fonts to artificially make the book longer. Just pure content to
give you the tools you need. Whether you train with barbells, dumbbells,
bodyweight exercises, kettlebells, or a combination of all of the above, you
will love this e-book. Loaded with nutrition and sports supplement info as
well.
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7. Win The Battle Against Fat!
"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.
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8. Benefit From The Aggressive Strength Kettlebell DVD combo now
"After attending your excellent Vegas Seminar in March and using routines from the above your DVD’s, I went in for my regular massage and my therapist was like “are you juicing”? She could not believe how my body was changing, and how fast. Then, for some reason I can’t fathom, I switched to the “Enter the Kettlebell” workout for a month. At my next massage she was “did you stop lifting ‘bells”. Needless to say, I immediately came to my senses and went back to hard and heavy. I’ll keep the lil’ fellers workouts around for rest/recovery (maybe). Keep up the good work."
--James Lewiston Portland, Oregon
Kettlebell Solution for Size and Strength
If you enjoy lifting light kettlebells and have no desire to be strong with a powerful physique, then this DVD is not for you. However, if you are ready for a new challenge with kettlebells and desire to maximize the benefits of kettlebell training, get this DVD today.
The Kettlebell Solution For Size And Strength will show how to get much stronger with kettlebells and build a muscular physique as well. This detailed DVD is for all levels and covers the basics enough for beginners and offers new challenges for experienced kettlebell lifters.
Kettlebell Solutions for Speed and Explosive Strength
Super comprehensive kettlebell training DVD that goes over how to build speed and explosive power in four different categories: Full body explosive power, Upper body explosive power, Lower body explosive power, and Rotational explosive power. Translation? You will be one explosive hombre after you practice the exercises on this DVD and follow the programs in the Free Kettlebell Training DVD E-book. I did not leave anything out on this DVD. Even if you do not care about getting faster and more explosive, you will love the wide variety of exercises that this kettlebell training DVD contains.
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9. Aggressive Strength Training Article
Strength Training for the Eons
By
Jake Shannon
