Home → Aggressive Strength Magazine → Issue 146 - 1/24/2008

Aggressive Strength Magazine

Issue 146 1/24/08

1. Aggressive Strength Living Article Of The Week

I’ve got the skills to pay the bills. --  The Beastie Boys

In Napoleon Hill’s classic, Think And Grow Rich, he emphasizes the importance of specialized knowledge in becoming successful.  This is good advice, but specialized knowledge in a single field is rarely enough.  You can be the best musician around but if you don't know how to effectively get yourself in the marketplace, your career will go nowhere.  No matter what business you're in, you'll need the skills of marketing and self-promotion.  Even if you work for others, you'll use these skills selling yourself in job interviews, promoting the value you offer as an employee, keeping your job, and moving up the ladder.  For self-employed people, marketing and self-promotion skills are critical and lacking these skills makes you dependent upon others, which is fine if others actually want to do your promoting work for you--but what if they don't?  Moreover, do you want to be dependent upon others for your individual success?  I hope not.

Let's go over the common excuses for not learning marketing and promotion skills:

I want to focus on what I'm good at and delegate the rest to others.

It's reasonable to focus on your talents while delegating other tasks to those more qualified...but doing so can be costly.  Public Relation agents typically cost $5000.00 per month--and that doesn't include the cost of making media kits and mailing those kits to prospects.  Of course, $5000.00 isn't much if you've got access to millions--but who among you fall into this category?  When spraying the money house isn't an option, you use your brain, becoming more self-reliant.  Besides, even if you have money, it's wise to avoid wasting it on unnecessary services and ineffective advertising (most advertising methods are costly and ineffective, especially for small business people.)  Never do a promotion without being able to quantify the benefits.

Eventually, your business may grow to a place where it becomes worth your time to delegate the marketing and promotion.  Still, you want to maintain those skills in case you ever need them and you must be sure to hire the right people to do the work for you; you don't want to be wasting money on clueless marketing people.  Marketing skills in today’s world are the equivalent of hunting skills of old times:   just as our ancestors' lives depended on competent hunting skills to acquire food, we require effective marketing skills in today in order to survive and--more importantly--thrive.

I find marketing and promotion boring and choose to focus on what I enjoy.

You find writing ad copy and reading marketing books flat-out boring? Are you five years old?  If not, remember that part of being an adult is taking responsibility for our own life.  Each day includes some tasks we find tedious--and that's a part of life.  Why anyone would avoid acquiring the skills to help him nurture his business is beyond me.  Even if you couldn't care less about making more money, an obvious benefit--often overlooked--is that the better marketed your business, the more people you can help!  I understand the desire to focus on what you most enjoy, but you can spend a great deal of time enjoying yourself while effectively marketing your business.  Further, learning to build passive income, and leveraging technology to market and promote for you, frees up even more precious time to focus on  enjoying yourself.  Bottom line:  stop acting like a child and learn the arts of sacrifice and delayed gratification.

I'm an artist, not a promoter.  I want to focus on my craft and leave the business stuff to others in order to retain my artistic purity.

Of the above excuses, this is the worst, implying you're simply too cool to learn to market and promote yourself, that somehow these skills undermine artistic credibility.  Such thinking is beyond nonsensical.  Yes, people can go too far with over-the-top marketing...but even that offense is better than doing nothing!  The bottom line?  You can effectively promote yourself and your business in a way that fits your personality and style.  The key is actually learning the ground rules of effective marketing and tailoring what you learn to fit your needs.  Get over the notion that it's beneath you, unless you think surviving and thriving are beneath you, too.

A great example of an artist as a master of marketing and promotion is legendary rocker Gene Simmons of the band Kiss.  I'm not much of a Kiss fan but I'm a huge fan of Simmons’ book, Sex, Money, and Kiss, and I highly recommend it.  In the early days of Kiss, Gene Simmons did all the marketing and promotion:  he booked all the venues for the band and successfully dealt with the business side of being in a band.  He turned the band Kiss into a brand and merchandised the hell out of it.  There are bands better than Kiss in terms of musical talent; few however, have been able to achieve the success and sustainability of Kiss.

What separated Kiss from other bands was Gene Simmons and his willingness to learn--and work--the rules of marketing and promotion.  He didn't see himself as above learning these skills nor did he delegate them to others.  He used intelligence and did what it took to ensure his band's success.  The result?  Taking a band of unexceptional talent and turning it into a cash-making machine spanning several decades!  Whether you like Kiss or don't, you'll learn plenty from the story of how Kiss rising from obscurity to cultural icon.

Here is an action step:  Find some people who are successful in your field and decode their websites.  If they don't have websites, decode their promotional material, such as magazine or television ads.  Look at the layouts and take notes of what is there--and what is not.  Decode each page of ad copy until you get a clear idea of why each line is where it is.  Done correctly, this will take several hours, or even longer.  Use this exercise to learn the principles of what they're doing and tailor it to your own business.  Avoid straight-out copying--you're looking to understand principles and concepts, not plagiarize. Take a page from Warren Buffet, "You have to think for yourself. It always amazes me how high I.Q. people mindlessly imitate."

At the end of the day, it all comes down to choices:  either you want to be successful or you don't.  Either you're willing to acquire multiple skills to support that beloved skill upon which you hope to base your career--or you're not. An unwillingness to learn the rules of effective marketing and promotion indicates you're either satisfied with your current level of success or simply disinterested in further business growth.  And there's nothing wrong with that, just don't complain (from your couch, in front of the tv) about your business going nowhere instead of doing something about it.

 

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Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

***Article Edited by Teresa Blazey: teresa.blazey@gmail.com

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Support The Camp Victory Kettlebell Club In Iraq 

Yes some hard working members of our armed forces in Iraq have formed a kettlebell club and are selling some t-shirts, hats, and mugs to raise funds to purchase more kettlebells for our troops overseas. Kettlebell training is a much needed positive outlet for them so buy a shirt and mug to help a worthy cause at: http://www.cafepress.com/army_kettlebell

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The Boys Are Back In Town Kettlebell Seven Hour Plus Workshop DVD! Order Now 

Ready to develop impressive gains in strength, mobility, internal energy, work capacity, and vitality? Our comprehensive fluff free three disc Kettlebell workshop DVD is exactly what you need to make 2008 your best training year!

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DVD Feedback

“This is by far one of the best DVDs on kettlebell training that I've seen, and I have seen tons of them. What's interesting is that I can tell that you guys ( i.e.,Maxwell, Cotter, and yourself) have not been stagnate in your development. I'm still trying to digest all the *new rules*, as I like to call them, about KB lifting that was presented in the DVDs. 

I encourage anyone who is interested in learning the more traditional and up to date KB techniques, buy this video and be prepared to be blown away. I tried the relaxed press yesterday, and I can see how it is easier to press heavier bells going from a relaxed state and only using as much tension as needed. On another note, bro I really think that you and the "Steves" should get together and develop a KB and flexibility certification, which, of course, is different from the RKC. From watching this video, it's very clear to me that you guys know your shit, and when all this is combined into one system, I think a lot of CPTs and fitness buffs would benefit tremendously. I'll be one of the first to sign up.”--Muata Kamdibe

“Got your video – great stuff – liked lecture on stress – where is the bar set? This is something to consider every day - I really liked your US Marine in Iraq stress level example vs. a whiney wanker housefrau. I was impressed w/ Steve Maxwell and Steve Cotter’s lecture. All of the KB overview info improved my form/technique and per set performance. Thank you, I thought it was very well done and very educational.”--George Sucher

“Let me say that I was blown away by these DVD's. (you can use me as a testimonial if you wish)..I learned so much from you and everyone. Each guy brought their special knowledge to each session..I loved your talk on supplements and careful watching of your hormonal levels through blood tests. Also, I study Shaolin Kung fu and I've always wanted to see Steve Cotter in action. By the way I am 46 and boy has Steve Maxwell given me something to shoot for as far as physical condition! I also found relaxing through tension a very valuable lesson from Nate Morrison.”--Alex Katsanos

"I also wanted to let you know how highly I regard your products and the obvious effort that goes into them.  The DVD was well worth the money and is by far the most comprehensive I have ever seen on training, health and lifestyle.  The excellent presentation skills of each speaker ensured that all the points were conveyed in a simple, direct and effective manner; I was also able to understand how joint mobility and posture increase the effectiveness of KB workouts and have tried to apply the correct principles in my own training."--Tom Haddon 

DVD Info

DVD Length: 7 hours and 30 minutes and as a bonus you will get a download link for the bonus report “The Aggressive Strength Solution For Optimizing Hormones And Well Being” when you place your order. 

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2. Aggressive Strength Training Article 

The Maxwell S&C Daily Dozen: Mobility Exercises for Health & Well-Being

My good friend Steve Maxwell was nice enough to let me borrow this joint mobility article and feature it in my magazine. I do a similar joint mobility routine every single morning without fail. It really is a great way to energize you for the day and to loosen up. I recommend that you start by doing ten reps of each exercise below and do one exercise after another without any breaks. The tighter you are the more reps you will need to do. Steve's joint mobility routine is also very useful to warm up before workouts and loosen up after workouts. Focus on doing the below routine every morning for ten days and you will look forward to each session. Make sure you pick up "The Boys Are Back In Town Kettlebell Workshop DVD" as well as Steve's section is the most comprehensive instruction that I have ever seen on joint mobility. 

1.  Hula Hoop Hip Circles

1. Feet hip-width ie, feet, knees and hips in alignment
2. Body erect, circle the hips in a large movement without bending the knees, moving the upper torso or head
3. Go both directions

2.  Pelvic Tilts and Rolls

1. Feet hip-width; knees soft and unlocked
2. Rock the pelvis forward and back
3. Then side-to-side by slightly bending one leg and straightening the other--it helps to keep the hands on the hips
4. Now, roll the hips by combining front, side and back tilts
5. Imagine "drawing" a circle with the tail bone between the hips
6. Go both directions

3.  Front-and-Back Bending

1. Feet hip-width
2. Exhale while bending forward as far as possible, keeping the legs straight
3. Inhale while straightening back up, stacking each vertebra, neck and head last
4. Move into an upper-back bend, lengthening in the lower spine and keeping the knees straight

4.  Lateral Bending

1. Feet hip-width
2. Sliding the fingers of one hand down the leg as far as possible without twisting
3. Imagine the spine elongating as you wrap around the side of a barrel
4. Both sides

5.  Qi Gong Waist-twister

1. Feet hip-width
2. Lengthen and straighten the spine and exhale, turning sharply to the left
3. Allow the arms to whip around, the back of the wrist striking the opposite kidney and the other arm striking the opposite shoulder
4. Allow the arms to hang loosely, effecting the swing by the centrifugal movements of the torso
5. Exhaling sharply with each twist to twist as much as possible

6.  Spinal Wave

1. Starting with the head and neck, slowly roll the spine forward and down, one vertebra at a time
2. Reaching for the toes with the finger tips
3. Pausing for a moment, flex the knees and roll back up, neck and head last

7.  Shoulder Shrugs

1. Shrug up the shoulders and slowly roll back
2. Arms hanging loose at the sides
3. Drop shoulders and slowly roll forward
4. Reverse directions

8.  Arm Circles

1. With straight arms, make maximal backwards circles (like swimming double back-stroke)
2. Reverse, circling maximally forward (dolphin stroke)

9.  Relaxed Neck Circles

1. Chin lowered, let the head hang and circle through the full range of motion, using gravity, not muscular effort, to create the stretch
2. Move very slowly
3. Reverse direction

10.  Slow, Flat-foot Squats

1. Squat down slowly while exhaling, holding the arms forward for balance
2. Keeping the heels flat, feet parallel and kneecaps aligned over the second toes
3. Exhaling while lowering the buttocks as close to the ground as possible
4. Inhaling while rising back up to the starting position

11. Bear Squats/Boot-strappers

1. Squatting down on the toes, palms flat on the ground and knees inside the elbows
2. While keeping the weight on the palms,  maximally straighten both legs
3. Inhaling while squatting; exhaling while straightening the legs and folding the body in two

12.   Pumps

1. Starting in the "downward-facing dog" position, hands shoulder-width and feet hip-width
2. Find the floor with the heels and straighten the legs
3. Pushing back with the palms, arms strong and shoulders relaxed
4. Lowering the pelvis towards the floor while keeping the arms straight
5. Looking forward
6. The only points of contact are hands and feet on the ground

Baker’s Dozen—If You Have the Time

13.  Cossack Stretch

1. Feet wide and angled 45-degrees outward
2. Squat to the left while keeping the right leg locked, keep the palms down flat and fingers forward
3. Maximally lower the pelvis while keeping the heels on the floor
4. Use the elbow to press the bent knee back in alignment over the second toe

14.  Table-maker

1. Sit on the floor with the torso upright
2. Feet hip width, legs extended
3. Palms flat on the floor alongside the hips, fingers pointing toward the feet
4. Keeping the legs straight, raise the butt off the floor
5. Now, bending the legs and lifting the hips as high as possible
6. Pelvis in line with the chest; head in line with shoulders or look back if the neck is ok
7. Exhaling, swing the hips down and between the hands
8. Repeat without letting the hips touch the floor

Make sure you check out Steve Maxwell's new website at: http://www.maxwellsc.com/index.html

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3. 2008 Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Workshops 

Can't make it to a workshop? Click here for the next best thing

March 1, 2008

Dylan Thomas Beginner And Beyond Kettlebell Workshop in Dale City, VA (DC area)
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March 8, 2008: 

Mike Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Las Vegas, NV
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April 5, 2008: 

Lisa Shaffer Level 1 Plus Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in Dallas, TX 

>>Click here for more information

April 12, 2008: 

Mike Mahler Level 1 Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in New York City
» Click Now For More Information

May 10, 2008 

Steve Maxwell Joint Mobility And Bodyweight Training Workshop in Las Vegas, NV

>>Click here for more info

 

Want an Aggressive Strength kettlebell workshop in your area? 
» Click Here for More Information

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4. Aggressive Strength Training Bonus Article

Have More Gas in Your Tank

By Matt “Wiggy” Wiggins

(Article re-published with permission from MMA.tv)

There are two quotes that I’d like to start this article off with.  The first, if you’re a martial artist, have surely heard (esp. if you’ve read my work):

“Conditioning is the greatest hold.” – Karl Gotch

The other is also well-known, esp. if you’re an American football fan:

“Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” – Vince Lombardi

In many ways, they both drive home the same basic premise – that to be a champion, you have to be able to outwork your opponent.

Gotch’s quote simply says that no matter what techniques you (or your opponent) know, if you’re in better shape than he is, and can push the fight/match longer and harder, then you’ll have the upper hand.

Lombardi’s quote is a little more telling, making reference to the human psyche, and how it breaks down under duress.  Everybody stand tall at first – it’s who can stand tall at the end that marks a warrior.

How this applies to MMA should be pretty evident.  We’ve all seen fights in which one guy lost simply because he gassed.  Mark Coleman’s loss to Mo Smith and Tito Ortiz’s loss to Frank Shamrock are both examples.  Royce Gracie has been involved in fights where conditioning ended up being the dictating factor (his inability to continue after his fight with Kimo at UFC 3, as well as his 90 minute showdown with Sakuraba in the first Pride GP).  And we’ve all seen BJ Penn seemingly shoot himself in the foot by coming into fights in what has seemed to be less than optimal condition.

There are many elements to superior conditioning, but one of – if not THE – most important is Work Capacity.

Work Capacity is a simple concept – no need for complex definitions, or major pseudo-scientific discussions.  Work Capacity is essentially how much work you can do, and how hard/fast you can do it.  The ability to do more work than your opponent and to do that work harder/faster than your opponent means you have a higher Work Capacity.

So, that segues into the next question, which would be, “How do we increase Work Capacity?”

The main way would be to simply just do more work.  Yeah, that’s right – condition yourself to doing more work, by…doing more work.  You don’t have to do a whole lot at first – add small amounts to your overall workload. 

There are a few ways to do this.  You could add small amounts of “active-rest” to your workouts, so that you’re actually working while you’re resting between sets.  For example, say you’re doing your weight training, and resting 60 secs. between sets.  Spend 30 of those 60 secs throwing light shadowboxing combinations.  Or maybe do a couple sprawls/burpees.  Or a couple jumps.  Or 5 situps.  Anything like that will work. 

Another way to do this is to add in extra work throughout the day.  During your everyday travels, figure out ways to increase your physical work.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Park a few extra parking spaces away so you have to walk further.  If you’re shopping, carry your items instead of using a cart.  That sort of thing.  Then you can add in small “mini-workouts” during the day, as well.  5 burpees, 10 push-ups, 10 situps, and 10 squats wouldn’t take over about 90 secs to complete.  Do that 4-5 times during the day.

If you’ve read any of my older work, you’ll know I’m a big fan of something I called the “Daily Ritual.”  The Daily Ritual is a small, ~10 mins workout done every single morning.  It doesn’t have to be a lot – in fact, it’s not supposed to be.  It’s just enough to get you breathing hard, and maybe break a sweat.  You don’t want it to be so much that it leaves you sore, tired, or drains any of your recovery abilities.  An example might be 50 burpees.  Or 40 pushups, 50 situps, and 100 squats.  Or walk half a mile.  Something light.

You see, the idea behind this kind of thing is to cumulatively add up the volume, without ever taxing the body at any one particular time.  Look at it this way – say you did 40 pushups, 50 situps, and 100 squats every morning.  It probably wouldn’t take over just a few minutes to complete.  If you did it every morning (7 days/week), at the end of a month, you’d have done 1200 pushups, 1500 situps, and 3000 squats.  At the end of a year, it’d be 14,600 pushups, 18,250 situps, and 36,500 squats.  You think all this extra work wouldn’t increase your Work Capacity?  Darn right it would!  And the best thing is that you never had to do any real hard work at any one time to do it.

Another way to increase Work Capacity is to simply add volume to your workouts.  Depending on the individual, and how his workout currently looks, I don’t necessarily recommend this option that much.  Too many times people go overboard, and end up too way too much extra work.  You have to know when to say when.

Rather, where I would have trainees go first (rather than adding volume to their workouts), would be to shorten their rest periods.  Nothing drastic at first – just lop off 10 secs. or so per set.  From there, drop more (how much you drop will depend on how much you’re resting now – somebody using 2-minute rest periods can decrease more than somebody using 45 secs.).  Just strive to have no more rest than necessary. 

Doing so will increase workout “density” – or how much work you’re performing per unit of time.  Density can be increased two ways – either do more work in the same amount of time, or the same amount of work in less time.  We’re going for the second option.

After you get to the point that you’ve significantly decreased your rest periods, you can think about adding some extra volume to the workout.  Increase the rest periods back up to where they were or close to it.  This will seem like forever now, but the added rest will help your body cope with the extra work you’re now doing in your workouts.

Doing any of these things will help you build your work capacity, and help you condition yourself to outwork your opponents.

About the Author

Matt “Wiggy” Wiggins is a strength coach and author living in Cameron, NC. Having trained 15+ years, Wiggy is a strength moderator at mma.tv, columnist for MMA Weekly, and an avid fan of Mixed Martial Arts Training. His site, Working Class Fitness.com, is dedicated to designing low-tech, high-result Workout Programs for fighters, athletes, and “regular joes.”

 

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6. Aggressive Strength Equipment Recommendations

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7. Aggressive Strength Product Recommendations

Meditation is one of the best things you can do to relax your mind and handle stress more effectively. High stress equals low DHEA, testosterone, and GH levels. You must get a handle on stress to be at your best. My online client Les Larson told me about this program and after only a few weeks I am hooked.

Just listen to the program for 30-60 minutes per day and you will notice a difference after a few days. After a week you will look forward to each session. I like to use it after working out or before going to bed. Check it out at:

» Meditation CD's That Actually Work

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8. Kettlebell Training Information  

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

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9. Aggressive Strength Magazine Archives 

http://www.mikemahler.com/newsletter

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Until next time.

Live Life Aggressively!

Feel free to email me with your comments and feedback at mahler25@yahoo.com

Mike Mahler

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