Maxbells Certified

Proud to announce I completed the Maxbells Bodyweight Trainer Certification yesterday. It was a tough course, and I learned a lot. Steve Maxwell is an amazing coach, and it was a pleasure to meet him, and learn from him. Also John & Maggie from Maxercise Gym in Philidelphia were super cool too, I look forward to training with them again!

Outdoor Workout

The weather was beautiful today, so Shamus and I went to 'The Fly', which is a park on the bank of the Mississippi, and had a great workout from 12:00 to 3:00.
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'Running the Bells': w/20, 24, 28 & 32kg

20kg Goblet Squat: 8 reps, sprint 50 yds and back; no rest, then...
24kg Goblet Squat: Same
28kg Goblet Squat: Same
32kg Goblet Squat: Same: x 1

20kg Swings: 5 reps *(no rest)
24kg Swings: 5 reps *
28kg Swings: 5 reps *
32kg Swings: 5 reps, then sprint 50 yds and back: x 1

Me: 50 yd F-Walk 20 & 28kg, switch hands, return: x 1
Shamus: same with 24 & 32kg's: x 1

Four Corners Circuit: 20, 24, 28 & 32kg. One after the other; no rest!
5 reps each station/bell (Square = 20 yds long; 10 yds across)
*Snatches w/24kg
*C&P w/28kg
*Snatches w/20kg
*C&P w/32kg: x 1

F-Walk: 25 yds w/24kg RH; F-Walk w/32kg LH to P.U. Bar x 5 pull ups
Return: w/32kg RH, to 24, then 24kg LH back to start point. X 2
O-Walk w/Pull Ups: Same template as above.

Four Corners: KB Jump Squats & Pull Ups: 20,24,28 & 32kg: 5 ea. At each bell/station: x 1

F-Walk up hill w/2-32kg; Sumo Squats x 5 reps at top; R-Walk down x 2
R-Walk up hill w/2-32kg; Goblet Squats x 5 reps at top; F-Walk down x 2
F-Walk up hill w/2-32kg; Goblet Squat (Shamus Front Squat) x 5; O-Walk down x 2

Fun stuff!!

Today's Workout

Shoulder mobility work (circles, with arms locked out overhead w/16kg)

Goblet Squats 1 x 5

20kg Double Front Squat: 10 x 8

Will do timed set of Push Press this evening with Shamus; and maybe some wrestling.

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Jo's first 'timed-set' workout: done 4-7-10. Snatch w/8kg

10 snatches right (30 seconds)
10 snatches left (30 seconds)
For 6 minutes

7 snatches right (30 seconds)
7 snatches left (30 seconds)
For the remaining 4 minutes (total of 184 snatches in 10 minute continuous work)

Any time left after snatches, I just kept the bell in rack position or hang position, until the next minute.
10 minute time set with 18# bell

Maxbells Cert. Preparation

Today was my first workout in preparation for the upcoming Maxbells Bodyweight Trainer Cert. we are hosting May 8th. The 'Basic' 300 workout is made up of 10 different exercises, done for 30 reps each, for a total of 300 reps. This took me about 40:00.
Next is the Intermediate, then the Advanced, THEN the '300 Workout' which is the toughest one!

One day at a time...

Why Kettlebells?

I ran across this article, and wanted to post it for anyone wondering why kettlebells are different, and why people should use them. Greg is the owner of the Underground Gym in NJ, and is a great athlete, check out his site, the link is below, and see for yourself; enjoy!
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Why Kettlebells? By Greg Mihovich

Kettlebells are some of my favorite tools for all-around athletic development. There are quite a few reasons for it.

First, I consider kettlebells to be a four-dimensional tool, because not only it moves (and needs to be controlled) like a dumbbell when held with one hand, it also has an offset center of gravity, which leads to the unique feature of flipping over and creates sort of a “pocket”. You could feel the same “pocket” of energy when you grab a vertical pole on the one hand on the run and swing around it changing your direction. That “pocket” is that “forth dimension” of a kettlebell.

Second, the flip of the kettlebell creates the need and teaches you to absorb ballistic shock, which builds strong tendons and ligaments. The skill of proper shock absorption is a must for any contact sport athlete, or anybody for that matter. The kettlebell’s ability to flip and an offset handle also create a unique opportunity for a whole array of juggling exercises impossible with any other implement.

Third, as opposed to the barbell, in most ballistic kettlebell exercises after absorbing the shock you need to redirect the force immediately. This skill is one of the cornerstones of athletic ability.

Forth, most kettlebells have thick handles, which is great for the grip. Any exercise with a kettlebell automatically turns into a grip exercise. High rep kettlebell ballistics, like Snatches or Long Cycle Clean & Jerks have to be experienced to appreciate how they work the grip and the whole body.

Fifth, the offset weight distribution of the kettlebell keeps your core constantly engaged in a dynamic battle to keep the weight from falling off to the side, where a dumbbell would “rest” on your bone structure.

Sixth, like I said earlier, high rep kettlebell ballistics, like Snatches or Long Cycle Clean & Jerks have to be experienced to appreciate how much work your heart and lungs have to perform. If you still think that weightlifting and cardio are two different things try these exercises and let me know then!

Seventh, the sheer amount of exercises and objectives you can accomplish and perform with a kettlebell or two is staggering. Strength, power, endurance, conditioning, coordination, grip strength – and hundreds and hundreds of exercises to keep you interested. An athlete could be all set with just a couple of kettlebells and his own bodyweight.

I’m sure I could find a few more reasons to lift kettlebells, but you are getting the point across.

http://UndergroundGym.com

Maxbells Bodyweight Trainers Certification

Power MMA Gym will be hosting a Maxbells Bodyweight Trainers Certification Course on Sat. May 8th, from 8am to 5pm. This course will be taught by Steve Maxwell and John Disimone, from the Maxercise Gym, in Philidelphia, PA.

Power MMA Gym
900 Terry Parkway
Gretna, LA 70056
www.mmanola.com

Maxbells Body Weight Trainer's Certification: Basic Info

Steve Maxwell's Bodyweight Certification is based on the principles of proper bio-mechanical alignment and technique for all the major pushing, pulling, squatting and low back/core exercises used in bodyweight exercise as resistance. This is a teaching and coaching course, in that there are no performance requirements outside of demonstrating knowledge of proper technique. The primary concern is teaching candidate’s progressive loading using bodyweight as the load. Each exercise has many modifications, so that even the person with low strength-to-weight ratio and the de-conditioned can greatly benefit. Particular emphasis is placed on: wrist, elbow, shoulders and knees, the main problem areas for people using bodyweight exercises. Some subjects covered in the bodyweight trainer's certification:
*How to teach beginners basic push-ups, pull-ups & body weight squats safely
*Wrist, elbow & shoulder alignment techniques to prevent overuse injuries
*How to balance the shoulder joints to keep them pain-free
*Spinal & core alignment for a healthy back and a stronger, more streamlined mid-section
*Dozens of push-ups, pull-up and squat variations
*Proper handstand technique
*Proprietary Maxercise combinations & complexes
*Ways of using calisthenics as a superior means of cardiovascular exercise for superior athletic performance and fat loss


Pricing:
$475 One month or more prior to date
$625 One month to day before
$800 Walk-Ins

For more details, and registration info, go to http://www.maxbells.com/events.cfm

MV02 Complete

Well, we finally did it...80 rounds of 7; 560 snatches! Both of us are excited. This is a huge accomplishment for both of us. Jo actually finished with no torn callouses, but I had one, and another spot that was very close. Anyway, we will now start a strength cycle for the next 2 months or so, and probably return to the V02M program later. It was an experience!

We will now switch to a strength dominant workout for the next two months, and probably revisit the V02M program again later, with either a heavier weight, or an extra rep on our cadence.