Home → Aggressive Strength Magazine → Issue 157 - 9-16-08 

Aggressive Strength Magazine

Issue 157 9/16/08

1. Aggressive Strength Living Article Of The Week

Zajonc insisted that we delude ourselves when we think that we evaluate evidence and make decisions by calculating rationally. "This is probably seldom the case," he wrote back in 1980. "We buy cars we 'like', choose the jobs and houses we find 'attractive," and then justify those choices by various reasons.--Daniel Gardner in The Science Of Fear

Human beings are incredibly adept at rationalizing any line of behavior.  We decide what we want (whether rationally or emotionally) then go into lawyer mode amassing the support material necessary to justify our actions.  We are incredible defense attorneys when it comes to what we want.  The problem is we're often not honest about what we want and further, what we think we want isn't the real thing.

People email me all the time asking for business advice. They want to get into the fitness business but always have an array of excuses why the present isn't a good time.  They desire motivation to jump into the business and hope I have the magic words to thrust them into action.

They're deluding themselves about what they really want:  They don't really want to get into the business, it's just the passing thought excites them.  If they were ready to make a change and jump in, they'd do it without rationalizing why.  People ready to make a change, make the change, then rationalize why they made the change, not the other way around.

People make dramatic changes in their lives when they're fed up internally or feel forced by external circumstances.  They prefer to stay in their comfort zone, reinforcing all their reasons for avoiding change.  Big changes typically occur dramatically, not gradually:  one day you're working in some office, bored out of your mind, and the next week you're engaged in the business you've always dreamed of doing but were simply not committed to pursuing.  One day, you're fifty pounds overweight, and the next year you're lean and in shape.  A year isn't a long time--big changes can happen within a year given determination and tenacity.

Major life changes are often thrust upon us.  For example, fitness has been my passion for many years:  I got hooked in 1992, and spent most of my time test driving fitness programs and reading every training book and magazine I could find.  (I continue these practices, reading twenty or so training books a year, and too many articles to count.)  Fitness was my passion, yet didn't become my occupation until 2002.  From 1996 to 2002 I worked at various jobs I couldn't care less about.  Why?  Because I was influenced by others, neither prepared to take charge of my life nor make my own decisions about what I wanted to do.

Every time I considered quitting my job and plunging into the fitness business I found many reasons to justify staying put.  I refer to this period of my life as a time in which I wasn't doing what I wanted to do, but in reality I was doing what I wanted.  Truly, if it hadn't been what I wanted, I'd have taken the steps to change.  While the job was boring, it was easy, providing me a comfort zone and a steady, every-two-week, paycheck.  Why would I give that up to take on the risky proposition of self-employment?  I didn't give it up and it wasn't until I got fired, felt completely fed up, that I decided I was finally ready to push forward and not look back.

I feel irritation around risk-averse people who lack the courage and tenacity to do what they really want with their lives, yet I know the reason I feel irritation is because I used to be those people and they remind me of a part of myself I don't like.  I know what it's like to stay in the comfort zone, performing meaningless work day after day.  I've been there, I know what it's like to know what you really want and still find excuse after excuse to stay put.  I've been there and my discomfort reminds me it's easy to return there.

We each have an inner coward (for lack of a better word) discouraging us from risk taking and life's other active engagements.  This coward has a subtle, albeit extremely persuasive voice, but if you give in you've done so of your own volition.  No one makes you live a life of passivity (certainly not in America where possibilities are endless) and if you don't fight the voice of the "passive way", you'll find your life becoming ordinary, i.e., never leaving the comfort zone.  No, living it up two weeks of each year on your scheduled vacation isn't enough (try as you might to make those brief vacations distracting) and "living for the weekends" is nothing less than pathetic.

In their formative years, businesses typically display innovation, courage and persistence. Over time, they tend to stall as the people running them become more comfortable and risk-averse.  Gather seven people, all sharing the same belief system, in a meeting room together and you're guaranteed a non-innovative time!  All they do is reinforce their mutual beliefs and nothing original comes of it. This happens with companies and organizations all the time.

When I entered the fitness field in 2002, I decided to focus on kettlebell training.  Sure, I'd written training articles for magazines and websites that were conspicuously not about kettlebells and I also did online consulting without using kettlebells, yet the majority of my income came from kettlebell workshops.  No one else at the time was making their full-time income as a kettlebell instructor nor was anyone presenting kettlebell workshops.  Kettlebells were a ground-floor opportunity but there weren't many people to invite to the party!  Probably there weren't more than one hundred people who owned kettlebells in 2002.  Most of my early seminars brought less than four hundred dollars (which is the cost of a single registration these days.)  My first workshop in 2002, in Los Angeles, a whopping three people attended.

I didn't make much money back them, but it was an exciting time, the first time in my life I was making money doing something I was excited about.  Over the next few years the business grew and in 2005 I took a huge step forward, enjoying ample income ever since.  It's a blessing doing that which you love and making a great income at it.

Over the years, I've become more efficient, gradually shifting from a workshop-emphasis business model to a product-focused business model, resulting in a welcome passive income--this means I make money while not actively "working".

I love the passive income business model but if you're not careful, it recreates the comfort zone.  I'm not materialistic by nature, so I'm unmotivated to work hard in order to buy fancy cars and big houses.  The house we live in is fine and the same Honda Civic I've been driving for years still gets the job done. Thus, materialistic goals are useless to urge me out of my comfort zone.  In early 2006 I fell into a comfort zone and knew I had to change things around.

In 2006 I decided to break with Dragon Door and go off on my own (in a previous article I discussed the reasons why, so I won't bore you with the details again.)  Once I was on my own, I learned more about marketing my own company and taking further charge of my destiny.  It was another exciting time, resulting in more professional and personal growth.  In spite of all this, in getting the business on track I fell into another comfort zone.

I decided to break out of the comfort zone by taking on a bigger project :  The Boys are Back in Town workshop, where I teamed up with long-time friends and colleagues, Steve Cotter, Steve Maxwell and Nate Morrison, in presenting a two-day workshop in Las Vegas. The four of us had worked together at Dragon Door but never collaborated on a workshop of our own in which we did everything from promotion, to registrations, to instruction.  This was our opportunity to present a workshop of our own ideas without any restrictions.  It was also a chance to create an unprecedented offering...

Someone I go to for business advice is my friend, Tim Larkin.  In addition to his self-defense expertise, Tim is a marketing master and he recommended I video tape the Boys are Back workshop and produce a DVD set for sale.  It was a great idea and it paid off handsomely.  More importantly, it provided an opportunity to create an exciting offering:  Not only would our workshop attendees benefit from this great seminar but they'd also receive the ultimate souvenir of a DVD of the workshop itself.  No more information overload wherein you go home retaining only 10% of the information presented.  Now, the possibility of 100% retention became reality, since you can watch the DVD set as many times as you wish.

I paid for the production of the DVD myself and also gave every attendee a free copy of the finished product.  This offer was not included within the promotion copy when people signed up, so they had no idea beforehand. When I announced at the workshop that we were taping the event and everyone in attendance would get a complementary copy, people clapped in excitement.

While the workshop was a huge success, the accompanying DVD set proved to be a bigger success and remains the gift that keeps on giving.  The combination of workshop plus DVD is an incredible offering; something I think will become a standard in the fitness industry.

The Boys are Back in Town project was exciting and took me right out of my comfort zone.  It in fact, catapulted me out of my comfort zone.  It's a hard project to top but that's exactly what I must do to remain outside the comfort zone.

Given the success of The Boys are Back in Town workshop, logic dictates I simply replicate the original workshop. After all, why mess with a winner?  If the first one succeeds, the second one will be a bigger success, especially given the success of the DVD.  Yet doing the same workshop over again doesn't excite me. For one, kettlebells are no longer the obscure training tool they used to be.  While they're not yet a household name, there are now many more people training with kettlebells and innumerable kettlebell instructors presenting workshops and making DVD’s.  In fact, I'd guess there are more kettlebell instructors and DVD’s than trainees!

Kettlebell-focused workshops, when promoted properly and with a great line-up, are a sure success but it's time to go beyond kettlebells, and I wanted a seminar with a diverse line-up that no one had ever done before.  Kettlebells would be a part of it, not the focus.  After all, kettlebells are an incredible training tool, and you can get a lot out of kettlebell-only workouts, but you'll get greater benefits combining kettlebells--correctly--with other training tools.  Top strength coach Louie Simmons says if you read only one great book, that is all you have, but read that great book and several other great books and you have that much more to work with.  This is precisely the case with kettlebells:  kettlebell-only training is great, but kettlebells combined with other solid training tools is even better.  This is what all top strength coaches do with kettlebells:  they integrate them into their systems, not making kettlebell training their only system.

I wanted to present a workshop to take the trainee to the next level.  A workshop providing new information to not only upgrade your kettlebell workouts but additionally introduce you to extremely effective training and nutrition information.

This is how the Collision Course workshop came to fruition.  It's truly a collision of diverse instructors.  What all the instructors have in common is their use of kettlebells.  While this isn't a kettlebell-focused seminar, it is a seminar of expert instructors who use kettlebells effectively within their unique training paradigms.  As a result, they each know how their respective systems uniquely benefit kettlebell training and vice versa.  Established kettlebell trainees will benefit immensely from this seminar as will those new to kettlebells--and even those people who couldn't care less about kettlebell training.

When I perused the course's final line-up I got really excited.  This is an unprecedented course which I'm not only looking forward to presenting but also looking forward to attending since the information and experience are incredible. Additionally, 10% of the revenue is being donated to a great organization, Kids Kicking Cancer--you can't beat that icing on the cake!

As excited as I am about the seminar, it's a riskier production than any workshop I've done before.  In fact, I have to convince everybody there won't be information overload and they'll be able to put what they learn into action.  With people losing their jobs and homes left and right it seems a less than ideal time to promote an expensive workshop, but waiting for the ideal time is a long wait, making it likely that nothing ever gets done.

Whatever the reasons, registrations came in a lot slower than previous events, like The Boys are Back in Town.  While The Boys are Back in Town sold out within a month of being announced, the Collision Course workshop took a lot more work on my part to get even close to filling up. However, as we get closer to the event in October it is almost sold out. While it will not be as profitable as The Boys are Back in Town on the front end but I'm committed to seeing this project through and I know the DVD set will succeed on the back end.  Is this guaranteed?  Of course not!  There aren't any guarantees:  this DVD set could be a big flop.  Not because the content isn't great--it is--but simply because people don't care.

Do I have regrets?  Absolutely not!  I don't want others taking risks, then me following the paths they've blazed.  No way!  I'm the one blazing the path and taking the risks!  Without risk there's no chance of big success.  Risk is what brings the excitement to life and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I've no doubt the registrants will be blown away.  The people who've decided to wait for the DVD to come out will kick themselves when they see what they've missed.  Yes, the DVD is valuable but nothing takes the place of live instruction in a room full of other serious trainees.  The people attending the workshop and receiving their free DVD benefit the most--as they should--since they've risked the time and money and time to attend in person.

Life is an obstacle course of comfort zones and just because you've broken out from one comfort zone doesn't make you free and clear.  Comfort zones creep up on you when you're distracted and before you know it, there you are, comfortable, again.  In order to escape the comfort zone, you must take on discomfort--and that means risk!  And risk means things won't always go your way.  Destiny favors the bold, but you may have to exhibit boldness for a good long while before the payoff.  Detach yourself from the anticipated fruits of your labors for just a moment and realize that risk taking in itself is exciting.  Risk taking in itself is the juicy fruit--not the paper you're vying for.

Wherever you are in life right now, it's exactly where you want to be. (Yes, there may be an exception--or two--don't flood my email box with complaints describing your unique situation.)  The bottom line?  If you're not doing what it takes to improve your current unhappy situation it's because you don't want to. There's always something you can do to make things brighter--the key is you actually have to want it.

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Live Life Aggressively!

Mike Mahler

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

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It is not often that I get excited about protein powder. Most protein powders taste terrible and are loaded with unhealthy chemical ingredients. Sure I have used a few protein powders that are decent but none that actually motivated me to want to sell them on my website until recently. Not too long ago the guys at Sunwarrior were nice enough to send me a few bottles of their rice protein to test drive. Honestly I was expecting another bland terrible tasting rice protein like all of the other options that are on the marketplace. To my pleasant surprise I was actually shocked with how delicious the vanilla and chocolate flavors are. Unlike most protein powders both the vanilla and chocolate flavors taste great in water. This is the true test of a protein powder as you can make just about any protein powder taste great by mixing it with tons of fruits in a blender. However, if it tastes great in just water then you know you have a winner. 

Click here for more information

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 2.  Ask The Strength Coach With Strongman Legend Mark Philippi 

I have a 12 year old son that plays several sports, but he needs to get faster.  What is the best way to improve his speed?

Too often our children participate in so many sports that we neglect to improve the athletic base upon which these sport skills are dependent.  Speed, strength, agility and flexibility are important parts of an athlete’s base.  Improving an athlete’s athletic base will then allow him/her to improve their individual sport skill technique. 

Speed is a skill that can be trained.  First and foremost, by getting a young athlete stronger through resistance training, their speed will improve because of the improved ability to control and accelerate the body.  This could simply be doing push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups.  Additionally, learning the proper running mechanics (PAL = Posture, Arm action and Leg action) will drastically improve a young athlete that has poor running technique.  Properly taught running mechanics need to be constantly practiced in order for them to be an unconscious action.  Flexibility must also be continually improved to allow a young athlete to demonstrate proper running mechanics.  A tight athlete will have difficulty performing the proper running mechanics.  This must be done dynamically by performing movements that warm and stretch the body like bodyweight squats, lunges, lunges with rotation, over under hurdles etc.  An athlete must also have a solid conditioning base.  You can’t be fast if you are out of shape.  Do this by running short sprints at near maximal levels with short rest periods.  Sprint resisted or sprint assisted drills can be incorporated after young athlete trains for a period of time.  For most kids though, improving total body strength, developing proper running mechanics, and improving flexibility will improve a young athlete’s speed to a noticeable degree. 

What is the best machine for improving leg strength?

Sorry, there is no best machine to improve leg strength.  Barbell squats are the best way to improve leg strength: with free weights, not on a machine.  They must also be done to parallel depth.  This means that the top of the thigh is parallel to the ground.  Most lifters in the gym do not come close to this depth.  Squats done to parallel depth will develop more lean mass; strengthen the hips, hamstrings and glutes to a greater degree than not squatting to the proper depth.  These muscles extend the hips and increasing their strength will improve speed and power allowing you to run faster and jump higher.  Squatting to parallel also stabilizes the knee, reducing injuries.   

The proper technique for a back squat is as follows:  Place the bar on the back across the shoulders at the bottom of the trapezius muscles.  Squeeze the shoulders backward and expand the chest.  Draw the abs inward (pull belly button to spine).  Set the feet slightly wider than hip width with the feet slightly turned out.  Head is pointed forward in a neutral position.  Focus the eyes on a fixed point. Before descending, take a deep breath in and hold your air until you rise from the bottom of the squat.  Drive the hips backward (like sitting in a chair) and push the knees out over the feet.  The shins should stay almost vertical and the torso should mirror the same angle as the shins at the bottom of the squat.  The descent should be steady and controlled.  When getting to parallel depth, pause very briefly, keep the body tight, push the feet into the floor and drive the back up into the bar keeping the chest forward, and the back and abs tight.  Accelerate the bar upward.  Exhale as you ascend from the bottom position.  Stand up with the bar.  If you are going to perform another rep, don’t fully lock out the knees.  Keep the knees slightly bent.

Stop trying to make your legs stronger on a machine.  Put a bar on your back and start squatting. 

How much rest should I take between my sets during my workout?

The average person that visits the gym often overlooks rest intervals.

Rest depends on your workout goal and the amount of weight being used.  If you are trying to improve your general conditioning, recovery, and increase muscle endurance, use lighter loads. Fifty to sixty-five percent of one repetition maximum or rep ranges from 12 to 20 reps and rest periods shorter than 75 seconds between sets. 

If your goal is increase muscle mass the rest periods also need to be relatively short, in the 60 to 75 second range but you need to increase the amount on weight on the bar. Use sets with weights in the 65% to 75% of one repetition maximum range or 8 to 12 reps for each set.  The short rest periods will create muscle growth or the “bodybuilding” effect

If gaining strength is your focus, you need to take longer rest.  Too often individuals want to lift heavier weights and get stronger without taking sufficient rest.  Focused strength training uses percentages of >85% and longer rest will be needed to recover from one set to another.  Powerlifters lifting near maximum weights may even take 5 to 10 minutes in between the heaviest sets. Don’t make the mistake of missing reps during a heavy strength workout by not allowing your body to recover 3 to 4 minutes between heavy sets.  The number of opportunities to attempt heavy weights during a strength workout is limited so take time to rest. Workouts that will produce elements of strength and size (5 sets of 5 reps or 5x5) also take more recovery time, usually around 2 to 4 minutes rest between sets.

Athletes performing ballistic movements to increase explosiveness need to treat the workouts similar as heavy strength workouts and take the same rest periods.  You are working the nervous system and it will take time to recover between sets.  If you don’t rest you will lose the ability to coordinate your movements properly.  I have seen too many explosive plyometric workouts turn into conditioning workouts where the movement technique breaks down increasing the injury potential.  All due to lack of sufficient rest between sets.

If you want to keep your natural hormone levels high during you workout, perform multiple sets of various exercises with moderate to high intensity levels (10 repetition maximum or heavier) with short 6o second rest intervals.  Performing workouts in this manner will keep both testosterone and growth hormone levels elevated during your workout.  This provides an anabolic effect to your workout. This type of resistance training is the best way to fight off the effects of aging in older adults.

Know why you are training and what the overall goal of your workout is before choosing your rest intervals.

Have a question for Mark? Email him at coachphilippi@yahoo.com

Mark Philippi Information

Mark has been a fixture on ESPN’s Worlds Strongest Man contest, competing for seven years, making the finals twice and finishing 7th in 1997 after winning the America’s Strongest Man title that year. Mark has traveled the world competing against the best strength athletes on almost every continent. Before competing on the professional strongman circuit, Mark was a National and World powerlifting champion (1996).

Mark is the President and Co-owner with his wife, Tracey, of Philippi Sports Institute Las Vegas, Nevada. PSI is a 9000 ft training facility with a staff of performance coaches, physiotherapy personnel, and scientific consulting team who’s mission is to help athletes of all ages and sports achieve their goals in the areas of athletic performance, fitness, diet and conditioning.

In addition to being an incredible athlete, Mark unlike many athletes is an outstanding couch and instructor. Numerous world class athletes such as MLB Star Jason Giambi of the NY Yankees have traveled across the country to learn from Mark. Here is what Jason had to say about working with Mark:

“I am a power hitter. I need to be strong. Mark is an expert at developing strength and power. He had me ready for the season.”
—Jason Giambi, New York Yankees

Learn more from John Brookfield and the rest of the collision course workshop team

Why people are signing up  

"I've always lived by the phrase, "In order to be the best, you must learn from the best." The line up of experts for the Collision Course workshop are nothing short of "the' very best in the world of strength& conditioning. I owe it to my clients and my readers to learn the secrets from these great coaches presenting at the CCW, plus, I could not pass up the chance to learn from Strongman competitor, Mark Philippi. I truly know this is rare opportunity in itself."
--Sincere Hogan
http://sincerehogan.com
New Warrior Fitness Coaching

"Your course has everything we do and need, body weight, strong man training, the ropes and of course KBs. We were going to go to a fitness conference but then decided we didn't want to deal with 1,000 other fitness professionals and courses that don't apply to what we do in our business. Your conference is small and just deals with the stuff that pertains to us. The FREE DVD is what sealed the deal for us!  

--Laurel Blackburn 

"What an opportunity! This many incredible people talking about fitness, strength, body mobility, body weight exercises, teaching me things I can take home and use --working with me on my form and giving me tools that can make my winter training that much more productive and then there's the whole knowing I have this seminar to attend in October which will help with my accountability for keeping with my summer program and getting a FREE DVD of the experience to boot! How can I NOT sign up?"

--Beth Currie

Click here for more information

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3. 2008 Aggressive Strength Kettlebell Workshops 

September 20, 2008 

Mike Mahler Level One Kettlebell Training Workshop in Las Vegas, NV (Bonus: get $209.95 worth of free DVD's) (two spots left and last level 1 vegas workshop) 

>>click here for more information

September 21, 2008 

Steve Strickman Level 1 One Beginner Kettlebell Workshop in NYC

>>for more info email Steve at stricker1@sprynet.com

October 25-26, 2008  

Collision Course Two-day Workshop featuring John Brookfield, Jon Hinds, Mike Mahler, and Mark Philippi (two spots left) 

>>Click here for more information

November 15, 2008  

Mike Mahler-Dylan Thomas Level One Kettlebell Training Workshop in NYC (Bonus: get $209.95 worth of free DVD's) 

>>click here for more information

November 16, 2008  

Mike Mahler-Dylan Thomas Level Two Kettlebell Training Workshop in NYC (Bonus: get $169.95 worth of free DVD's)

>> click here for more information 

Special Event November 1 in Fairmont, North Carolina 

On Saturday November 1st in Fairmont North Carolina at 2:00 in the afternoon John Brookfield and Jon Bruney will be pushing themselves to the limits by pulling a semi-truck the distance of one mile plus using only their physical strength and mental fortitude. This will be a world record event for all to witness as they pull the semi-truck through the streets of Fairmont. John Brookfield and Jon Bruney have done this feat on several occasions, however, this time they will be increasing the pulling load and pushing themselves to pull the truck for the mile distance in the fastest time possible. Many are saying this could be the greatest feat and test of strength and endurance ever accomplished. Come out and witness this event and walk beside them as they push to keep the truck moving forward. For more information on the location and the specifics please email John Brookfield at john@powerropes.com

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4. The Peary Radar Clean and Jerk Body Transformation Program 

(from an upcoming article in t-nation.com) 

By Mike Mahler

Legendary bodybuilding writer and founder of Ironman Magazine Peary Radar is well know for his high rep squat and deadlifting programs for building serious size and strength. While many trainees are familiar with the squat program and even the deadlift program, few trainees are aware of the incredibly beneficial clean and jerk program for packing on some size. The few that have tried know one thing about this program: it is incredibly brutal. Perhaps even more brutal than the squat or deadlift programs. The program can be used to lose fat or pack on size size. Just modify diet accordingly.

With the Clean and Jerk program you are going to focus on the barbell clean and jerk, which is a killer full body exercise that works just about every muscle in the body. When done in high reps it is incredibly brutal and as a result Radar recommended that you only do Clean and Jerks and pullovers in this program. Yes only two exercises and one is just a wrap up exercise rather than a primary one. No doubt it is certainly a simple program that stands in contrast with the overly complicated programs that are promoted all to often today. However, just because it is simple in design does not mean that it is easy in application. Trust me high reps sets of clean and jerks are brutal. Even those of you that have good numbers with low reps will be shocked with how light you have to go to crank out high reps. To say this exercise gets you huffing in puffing is a serious understatement.

Some of you may be wondering what the clean and jerk is. If that is the case than clearly this is not the program for you. You have to actually be good at the skill of doing clean and jerks in order to make this program effective. If you are new to the clean and jerk and want to incorporate it into your program do yourself a favor and find a qualified strength coach that is well versed in Olympic lifting and can teach you how to do the clean and jerk properly. Trust me this is not an exercise you want to learn by watching some jack ass on “youtube” do clean and jerks with abysmal form. My highest recommendation is my friend Mike Burgener who is an incredible Olympic lifting coach based in San Diego. If possible make an appointment with him or attend one of his courses. His website is www.mikesgym.org

Okay, lets get back to those of you that know what a clean and jerk is and have solid form already. Start off with a few light warm-up sets to get both mentally and physically prepared. On your first work set do twelve reps. The last rep should be very hard but do not compromise form at any point. After the first set do a set of fifteen pullovers with a light weight. Rest for two to three minutes and then do another clean and jerk set of 10-12 reps with a lighter weight. Follow it up immediately with another set of pullovers. Rest for a few minutes and then do a final clean and jerk set with a lighter weight for 18-20 reps. Wrap up with a final set of pullovers. A sample workout for an athlete that is using 200lbs for the first work set would be:

Warm-up sets:

2x10x135lbs with two-minute breaks in between each set.

Work set #1 1x12x200lbs

Work set #2 1x12x175lbs

Work Set #3 1x20x135lbs

With regards to breathing take three to six deep breaths in between each rep. In other words, clean a barbell to the rack. Jerk it overhead, take it back to the floor then stand up without the weight and take three to six deep breaths. Then go into the next rep. After each rep stand up without the weight and do the deep breathing.

While I think that you could use dumbbells, kettlebells, or even sandbags for the clean and jerk program, I would spend at least a month just focusing on the barbell clean and jerk. After a month of only doing the barbell clean and jerk you will likely be craving variety. Thus either switch over to the kettlebell or dumbbell clean and jerk entirely for a month or mix and match. For example do the barbell clean and jerk on Monday, the kettlebell clean and jerk on Wednesday, and the dumbbell clean and jerk on Friday. You could even do sandbag clean and jerks for further variety. While variety is great, the barbell clean and jerk is the ideal choice due to the simple reason that you can increase the load incrementally. In other words, with a barbell you can go from 200 to 205 or even less. This is not the case with dumbbells or kettlebells. It can be the case with sandbags however as you can always place a small plate inside of a sandbag to increase the weight gradually. That said, using a sandbag will rock your stabilizers and that will likely be the first thing to go. Thus, use the sandbag as another option to add variety to the program or use it if you simply enjoy sandbag training or do not have access to a barbell.

The clean and jerk transformation program is a great one for people that are crunched for time or simply looking for something totally different to shock their training program. It may be just the thing you need to move forward. I would use the clean and jerk during times of the year where you may not have much time to train and want to focus on doing a few things well. Unlike idiotic ten-minute workouts that are in vogue these days, this really is a program that will not take much longer than 10 minutes to complete that actually works. If you are trying to increase size, then ramp your calories on the program. If you are trying to lose weight modify your diet accordingly.

I would spend some time working on the clean and jerk as part of another program before making it a focus exercise. In other words get good at the skill of doing clean and jerks before doing a clean and jerk focused program. You want to be good at doing clean and jerks to maximize the benefits of this program.  Otherwise, technique will be a limiting factor and is a sure way to derail the benefits of an outstanding mass building program. 

To pick up some great books by Peary Radar, be sure to go to http://www.superstrengthbooks.com

 

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5. Being Coachable:  How to excel through the lost art of listening

By Frank DiMeo 

In the late 1960's, a young man was completing his second year of rigorous martial arts training and due to relocation of his family, was about to  leave his training facility.

He had learned some very hard lessons there under the instruction of a very capable instructor.

One thing he learned from this man before heading to his new location was to always seek out the best instructors available and to train against the toughest competitors. That young man listened to that advice and acted on it.

I know, because that was me.

            Fast forward to 2008, I am still acting on that advice, and it has served me well. Am I the best in the world? No.

Am I the best I could possible be at this time? Yes, for now.

            So why do I bother almost 40 years later to seek improvement, often times from coaches and trainers who weren't even born when I began my training? It's simple, they know more than I do and are better at what I want to learn about.

            Have I "looked bad" over the years as I was learning new things? Of course, in fact, I looked worse than that when I started each new thing. I didn't stay that way, though, I gave myself permission to "fail forward"(I borrowed that phrase from author, John Maxwell).

            I've learned several key points during my journey, like keeping my mouth shut while my coach is teaching me or correcting me on something. Actively listen and actually hear what he is saying. The old cowboy/philosopher, Will Rogers, said, "Never miss a good chance to shut up." That advice is solid.

            Another key point is, don't let your critics impede your progress. Often this will be so-called friends (who probably have never trained) or even family members. A "thick skin" is a good thing to have when you encounter these people.

They can make noise, but you don't have to listen. Unasked for advice is usually worth what you paid for it, nothing.

This is one of my favorite quotes on that subject:

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." --Teddy Roosevelt

  If you are a trainer or a coach and you have extremely capable people you are training, they may pass you in performance. In fact, you should be encouraged when they do; that means you are training efficiently.

Keep in mind I believe that a coach or trainer should train hard as long as there breath in his body. Don't give them a victory, make them take it from you through hard, smart, effective training and a burning desire to excel.

            The man I was originally talking about at the start of this article is Van Canna, who is nearing 70 years old, and still trains himself, as well as instructs others in the Boston area.

            Another good example is Steve Maxwell. Talk about a man of iron, Maxwell is for sure, and in his mid-50's would put  many young men to shame with his athletic abilities.

            One last point is this:  don't just learn from people who think just like you. You don't have to like a person's worldview, politics, religion, etc. but if they are better at something you want to learn, respect them as a human being and humbly take their advice.

It's time  to workout isn't it? Let's go!

For more information on Frank DiMeo and his Crossfit gym go to http://mysite.verizon.net/res8kp13/crossfitgulfcoast

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6. Aggressive Strength Equipment Recommendations

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! Here is what people are saying about these high quality bells:

"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

Lifeline Kettlebell FAQ

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 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.

 

 

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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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