MMM 2013 06

Features
Contents
12 review
fitwall
14 training
crossfit explained
constantly varied functional movements

15 nutrition
let food be thy medicine

holistic nutrition & healing
16 sport
training for rugby
more sweat in training, less blood in battle

18 kettlebells/calisthenics
fighting for inspiration
using kickboxing techniques for all fitness levels
16
22
20 kettlebells
an unconventional combination
kettlebell sport & pilates
18
22 tires
kick, streeetch, & flip tires
unconventional workouts for motivation

26 kettlebells/bulgarian bags
bell bitch
embodying unconventional training, emboldening transformation
30 mindset
shut up & train
20
30
13 ways to eradicate excuses

36 flexibility
circus stretches
your key to real strength?

40 calisthenics
power up
your olympic lifting with handstands

44 conditioning
ready to compete?
training tips from an extreme endurance athlete
28
46
48 longevity
never stop lifting
how to manage injury while maintaining your regimen

50 kettlebells
another workout evolution

discovering kettlebells
Other Content
6
8
9
10
contributors
gym of the month
news
gear guide
4 / mymadmethods t june/july 2013
40
MY MAD METHODS MAGAZINE

Published by My Mad Methods LLC
EDITOR
Mark de Grasse
mark@mymadmethods.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Lisa Balash
Donica Storino
Carolyn Alexander
Lauren Brooks
Sara-Clare Lajeunesse
Clarissa Vizcaino
Yoana Teran
Ashley Paulson
Andralyn Zayn
Roni Tennant
Kat Ljubicic
Angie Hay
Gina DiIorio-Chappie
Patricia Alvarez Tibbits
INQUIRIES
mark@mymadmethods.com
Cover photo of Lauren Brooks by photographer Eric Nelson of Eric Nelson Photography
in Orange County, California
(www.ericnelsonphotography.com).
DISCLAIMER: My Mad Methods Magazine is
a My Mad Methods LLC Publication. My Mad
Methods LLC (MMM), as publisher, does not
endorse and makes no representation, warranty or guarantee concerning the safety or
effectiveness of either the products and services advertised in this magazine or the training
methods or other techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The publisher makes
no representation or warranty concerning the
legality of the purchase or use of these products, services and techniques in the United
States or elsewhere. Because of the nature of
some of the products, services and techniques
advertised or discussed in this magazine, you
should consult a physician before using these
products or services or applying these exercise
techniques.
COPYRIGHT: 2013 My Mad Methods LLC.
Material in this publication, including text and
images, is protected by copyright. It may not be
copied, reproduced, republished posted, broadcast, or transmitted in any way except for your
own personal, non-commercial use. Prior written consent of My Mad Methods LLC may be
obtained for any other use of materials.
elcome to the 18th issue of My Mad Methods

Magazine, a special edition dedicated to the
women of the unconventional training world.
This content-packed issue features articles and workouts
by some of the top names in the fitness underground and
theyve created some amazing stuff.
Lauren Brooks, one of the top innovators in unconventional
fitness in the USA, is featured on the cover. Her unique
training style and persistence over the last decade has
helped to turn kettlebell training from a little-used workout
tool into the national, essential piece of workout kit that
it is today. Through articles, online videos, and DVDs,
Lauren has introduced thousands of people to kettlebells
and will no doubt introduce thousands (and hopefully
millions) more.
A big difference between this issue and those in the past
is a larger focus on motivation and transformation. While
typical issues focus primarily on the methodology behind
particular focuses and objectives, the primarily female
authors of these pieces help bring to light the necessity of
the motivation to train. From Laurens cover article Shut
Up & Train to Patricia Alvarez Tibbits transformational
piece to Kat Ljubicics injury prevention/compensation
instructions to extreme athlete Ashley Paulsons get-going
tips, each author shows what it takes to get started and
continue in any fitness endeavor. Their enthusiasm for their
unique methods of training will make you want train just
as hard as they do.
We also tried to include a few pieces about some aspects
of fitness which men may not enjoy (and therefore avoid
all together). I for one will now be incorporating additional
stretches and balance practice in my daily routines based
on the suggestions made by Sara-Clare Lajeunesse and new
Contributor Andralyn Zayn.
We appreciate your feedback and contributions to both
the magazine and the website. If you have suggestions
for product reviews, new training methods, workouts,
or just cool stuff in general, wed love to hear them! Go
to MyMadMethods.com or send me an email directly at
mark@mymadmethods.com.
If you need more help learning the techniques and exercises
featured in this issue, please consult a professional. We have
an online database of both unconventional trainers and
gyms, so check it out and get moving!
Good luck with your training...
letter from the editor
Issue 18
Mark de Grasse is the founder and owner

of My Mad Methods, an organization
(online community & published magazine)
dedicated to unconventional training
methods like kettlebells, sandbags, battling
ropes, macebells and more. Mark is a
certified trainer, but spends most of his
time travelling the country interviewing,
taping, and learning from the the top
unconventional trainers in the industry.
Mark is the editor, graphic designer, writer,
photographer, and sometimes even a
model for the My Mad Methods Magazine,
a publication with subscribers in over a
dozen countries. Mark also manages and
designs MyMadMethods.com, an online
resource for unconventional fitness
(including exercises, workouts, articles,
trainer & gym directories, etc) and online
community with thousands of members.
Find out more about Mark at:
MyMadMethods.com/home/about-mark
Ashley
contributors
contributors
ahsley paulson
Endurance Athlete
www.AshKickn.blogspot.com
Ashley Paulson has a full time job as a mother of 3. She is a certified instructor in many disciplines. When not out training,
you can usually find her at any number of gyms teaching classes as an endurance coach. Training and fitness is not only a
passion for her but a lifestyle. She is a 4 time Ironman finisher, over a dozen half Ironmans and 26 full marathons. Follow her adventures on her blog at: www.ashkickn.blogspot.com and on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/ashley.j.paulson
Donica
donica storino
Bell Bitch
www.BellBitch.com, www.BadAssTraining.net
Donica is a Certified Performance Enhancement & Physique Transformation Specialist, a NFPT (National Federation of
Professional Trainers) Certified Personal Trainer and the owner of Bad Ass Training & Gym. She teaches several strength
and conditioning disciplines including Russian Kettlebells, Olympic Weightlifting, Body Weight Conditioning,Integrated
Flexibility & Joint Mobility. She holds certifications in Elite CrossTraining (The Underground Gym),NFPT, IKFF CKT
Leve l and Level 2, RKC Instruction, Master of Sport, CMS,Underground Gym Olympic Weight Lifting and Kettlebells.
She also competes nationally in IKFF competitions several times a year and has received six gold medals.
Carolyn
carolyn alexander
Network Fitness Crossfit

www.NetworkFitnessCrossfit.com
Carolyn Alexander owns and manages with her husband Jeff, a personal training and fitness consulting business called
Network Fitness. They are based in the Irvine/Newport Beach/Costa Mesa area of Southern California and have been
serving the community since 1998.
Andralyn
andralyn zayn
CircoFit
www.CircoFit.com
I grew up as a competitive gymnast. In an effort to pursue a career in acting and stunts I replied to an audition notice for
circus and fell in love with live entertainment. I worked and trained with The Underground Circus in Vancouver for 3
and a half years, studied dance to improve my performing abilities, and later on moved to Australia for 2 and a half years
to study circus, where I specialized in handbalancing. While in Australia I created a class devoted to increasing peoples
range of motion. It is a class I had wished existed for years and took it upon myself to share it with the world. Ive been
teaching these classes in Melbourne, Vancouver, and now in Montreal.
Dr. Tony
dr. tony chappie, d.c.
Pittsburgh Kettlebell & Performance Gym / Greentree Chiropractic & Rehab

www.PittsburghKettlebellPerformance.com
Dr. Tony Chappie, D.C., is a USAKL certified trainer under Coach Nico Rithner. He is the owner and head trainer of
Pittsburgh Kettlebell and Performance Gym & also Greentree Chiropractic & Rehab. He is a 1997 graduate of Palmer
College of Chiropractic, where he attended on a rugby scholarship, and played in the mens 1995 National Championship.
He was also a former super league player with Old Blue, In New York. Most of his rugby was played in his home town
of Pittsburgh, PA, for Pitt City Mens Club. He is currently the head coach, and strength and conditioning coach of the
2012 National Championship Pittsburgh Angels Rugby Womens Team.
Bad Kat
kathy "bad kat" ljubicic
CrossFit Athlete/Instructor
www.facebook.com/badkatLjubicic
I was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Fitness has been in my life for three decades. This is my fifth year in
CrossFit and second year as a competitive CrossFit athlete. I am currently ranked fifth worldwide in the masters female
division (40-44) and first in Canada East. I hold 15 fitness related, specialized certifications and have travelled extensively
throughout the United States and Canada to train with some of the best athletes and coaches in the world. I am currently
a Full time CrossFit coach and absolutely LOVE my job!
Got to: www.crossfitmississauga or www.crossfitbolton.com to find some of the best programmed workouts!
Patricia
patricia a. tibbits
Body Balance Fitness

www.BodyBalanceFitness.net
Patricia A. Tibbits is a Certified Kettlebell Instructor with BodyBalance Fitness. Her passion is to reach out and motivate
middle-aged women to get fit by using unconventional training methods, particularly kettlebells. She and her husband
James strive to help their clients become the best version of themselves.
Sara-Clare
sara-clare lajeunesse
Instructor, Agatsu
www.Agatsu.com
I have been a fitness professional since 2003. My background includes a mixture of kettlebells, olympic weight lifting,
crossfit, yoga and joint mobility. As a child I grow up tap dancing, hunting and doing just about anything adventurous
and often times dangerous that challenged me physically and mentally. I travel internationally with Agatsu training other
trainers in kettlebells, joint mobility and movement. From athletes to people dealing with serious illnesses, my clients and
students learn to move with awareness, connection and build a strong foundation for fitness for life.
roni tennant
Roni
Instructor
www.RoniTennant.com
Roni likes to combine a variety of techniques for which she is certified into one class so that you get the ultimate workout:
Cardio (aerobic), strength (anaerobic), and the joint mobility, or flexibility training. She has numerous accreditations,
including: Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant through ACE, Personal Trainer through National Federation of
Personal Trainers (NFPT), Yoga and Kettlebell Instructor through National Exercise and Trainers Association (NETA),
Zumba Basics 1, Zumba Gold, and Zumbatomic (for kids) Fitness Instructor, Flirty Girl Fitness, and Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification (HKC) with Dragon Door.
Clarissa
clarissa vizcaino
Pink Ninja Fitness

www.facebook.com/PinkNinjaFitness
I have been a fitness fanatic since I was child, whether it was going on walks with my mother or copying every exercise
she performed on her morning routines. I am currently an amateur kickboxing competitor, practice MMA and Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu. I have been in the MMA and Personal Training atmosphere since 2009 under Chris Baca and Jeff Thai at VoSci
Academy. I am fluent in weight, resistance, functional, body weight, and plyometric training. I am also experienced from
studying and working with both men and women in muscle toning, weight loss, running, and outdoors training for events
such as the Spartan Race and Marathons.
lisa balash
Lisa
Rise Above Strength

www.KettlebellBombshell.com | www.Reebok.com/KettlebellBombshell
Lisa Balash has been a top Pilates and Kettlebell trainer in Las Vegas, NV since 2003. Lisa opened her studio Elite
Physiques in 2008 and is currently training a variety of clients. Lisa still enjoys being an athlete herself and competes in
Kettlebell Sport. She has released two instructional DVDs, Kettlebell Bombshell Vol. 1 and 2, which include 6 follow
along workouts. These DVDs have gotten rave reviews and were #26 on Amazons top 100 list. Lisa is also an ambassador for FitFluential and ReebokONE.
Lauren
lauren brooks
On the Edge Fitness

www.OnTheEdgeFitness.com
Lauren Brooks is the founder and owner of On the Edge Fitness. As a RKC instructor and Clinical Nutritionist,
Lauren has helped thousands of people to get into shape, and stay that way. She specializes in kettlebell training and is a
pioneer of the training method within the United States
uncoventional
gyms
gyms
gym of the month:
network fitness crossfit
The Doors Are ALWAYS Open.
Head Trainers:
Jeff & Carolyn Alexander
Website:
NetworkFitnessCrossfit.com
Address:
2555 Main Street
Irvine, CA 92614
(5th & 6th floors of the parking

structure at Main Street Village
Apts)
# of Members: 30
Sq Ft:
58,000sqft of open space
Specialties/Certifications:
CrossFit, NASM, ISSA
Certified Personal Trainers,
Performance Nutrition
Specialists, Correctional
Exercise Specialists, Creators
of the Alexander Method of
SMR
Jeff & Carolyn Alexander began training clients

in the 1990s. Over the years they have grown
and seen certain fitness trends come and
go. Theyve tried to glean the best practices,
principles, and tools from the fitness world
and bring them under one roof hence the
name Network Fitness. If you want to be
able to move better, perform faster, or lift
heavier they have techniques for that. If you
want to lose bodyfat and look better in your
swimsuit they can advise you with your diet
and exercise program. If you are looking for
new challenges want to see just how hard you
can be pushed, they have programs that will
put even the toughest athlete to the test. If
they cant help your particular interest they
know who to refer you to so you get the
expert advice you need. They will safely get
you to the next level and are looking forward
to helping you reach your particular goal.
The Alexanders gym or box in CrossFit
lingo is called Network Fitness CrossFit.
It is unique to others since it is located on
the top floor of a 6-story parking garage in
the middle of an apartment complex called
Main Street Village. They are a hidden gem
with an open sky, pullup rig and 120 meters
x 45 meters of concrete playground to flip
tires, run sprint drills, swing kettlebells, throw
medicine balls, and all the other cool things
CrossFitters dobut with mountain views,
refreshing Pacific breezes, gorgeous sunrises
and sunsets.
On Saturdays at 10am they have a class
called the Urban Workout. It is FREE for
the first visit and then $5 to help out with
equipment costs. The Urban Workout is open
to everyone no matter what fitness level,
and the Alexanders encourage everyone to
come play with them at their unique gym and
have some fun. Why do they say their doors
are always open? Well maybe it is because
they do not have any doors and the warm
welcome you get when you visit.
news
New My Mad Methods Equipment
news
CAST-IRON KETTLEBELLS
y
Mad
Methods
Products
is
now
selling
a
variety
of unconventional training gear,
including kettlebells! These kettlebells
feature the ideal dimensions and
handle smoothness for high intensity
kettlebell training.
We wanted to do two things with our first line
of kettlebells, (1) provide our readers with
a quality kettlebell that could enhance their
training, and (2) provide affordable pricing
for both the kettlebell AND the shipping; we
believe that weve accomplished both.
Receive Updates!
My Mad Methods Members receive updates

whenever new workouts, challenges, exercise tutorials, product offers, contests, and
other events are posted online. Join the community now!
www.MyMadMethods.com
My Mad Methods Kettlebells have solid

cast-iron construction, smooth handles, and
a removable bottom rubber pad that helps
protect your floors. They are some of the
most affordable kettlebells that still feature
ideal handle size and smoothness.
Thanks to our Contributors, we know exactly
what both trainers and trainees are looking for,
so we were able to also create single, double,
Get Involved!
We have over 25,000 members online! Start

sharing your ideas with the unconventional
training community. Rate workouts and
exercises, comment on articles, and find
people who share your interest in training!
MyMadMethods.com/community
and triple kettlebell packages for beginners,

intermediate users, and advanced fitness
enthusiasts. If you need to fill up a gym, or
are looking to purchase your first kettlebell,
we have you covered.
Find out more at
www.MadFitnessEquipment.com/kettlebells.html
Start Contributing!
Were constantly looking for new articles,

workouts, videos, gyms, plans, and exercises
for the magazine and website. If youre a
trainer, coach, or enthusiast, go online and
submit your stuff today!
MyMadMethods.com/contact-us
june/july 2013 t mymadmethods / 9
gear guide
gear guide
Alpha Brain
Cyclone Cup
Its proven to mix better than todays leading shaker bottle, thanks to a revolutionary mixing technology that blasts through and mixes up the toughest ingredients
with ease.
Price: $14.99
Url: www.CycloneCup.com
Alpha BRAIN, the flagship cognitive enhancing supplement from Onnit

Labs, contains a serving of nine natural, well-researched compounds
to create an effective and balanced nootropic. Alpha BRAIN aims to
elevate focus and mental clarity to help the brain achieve improved
cognitive functioning.The ingredients in Alpha BRAIN are centered on
three aspects of enhanced cognition: elevating levels of endogenous
neurotransmitters, providing anti-stress compounds, and promoting
long-term neuroprotection.
Price: $34.95
Url: www.Onnit.com
Rhode Blocks
Hanger 44: My Mad Methods Edition
My Mad Methods Magaznie has partnered with Area 44 Fitness to produce a
new type of suspension trainer that combines the benefits of gym rings with a
hanging bar. This highly configurable piece of gear will allow you to incorporate
almost every movement possible with other systems, and a few new tricks as
well.
Constructed of 24 #2 Douglas Fir with 4 struts and solid core for

maximum impact protection. Held together with zinc plated lag screws
and washers. The top of the block is covered in 1/2 rubber padding
and plate bumpers.
Price: $699-$1490
Url: www.RhodeBlocks.com
Price: $149.99
Url: www.MadFitnessEquipment.com
Do you have an innovative fitness product, supplement, or other item? It could be featured here!
Contact us at mark@mymadmethods.com
review
product review
Product Review: FITWALL

product:
uman beings are horizontal creatures by nature. We

live on the ground, we play on the ground, and we train
on the ground. Throughout history, weve tried over
and over again to achieve elite performance using ground
based modalities and methodologies. Vertical training
represents a powerful, unique way to workout and push your
where to find out more:
limits in a safe but impactful way.
fitwall.com
As a strength coach for almost my entire life, I have been learning
reviewer:
training techniques from the best coaches in the world. After learning
yoana teran
so much, I couldnt believe that there could be an incredible way to train
ABOVE the ground.
The creators of Fitwall have thrown conventional wisdom to the wind and have forever
changed the plane of fitness. While Fitwalls design is simple, the results it delivers are clear.
Its not about training longer or harder. Its time to train smarter!
The secret to Fitwall is muscle activation. With the bodys inability to balance on a vertical
surface, the neuro-muscular system comes completely on line (hundreds of muscles
activated) to keep you attached to the wall. Imagine having 200+ of your closest friends help
you move across town. How quickly would that get done? This is whats happening every
time you get on the Fitwall. 200+ muscles work together to increase your metabolism and
begin feasting on all that unwanted fat. Compared to traditional training (horizontal training)
that only invites 6-10 muscles to the party, Fitwall delivers more in a fraction of the time.
Combine vertical training with Fitwalls suspension system, resistance bands, plyometric
platform, and FitBar and you have a powerful, data-driven approach to functional training.
fitwall
producer:
fitwall ventures llc
fitwall for unparalleled performance
Why is the US Navy, the 6x Super Bowl Champion Pittsburg Steelers, and other world-class
organizations turning to Fitwall for increased performance in the field? Welcome to the
world of neuro-muscular coordination. When the entire kinetic chain is trained at the same
time and with 200+ muscles activated and working together, there becomes no weakest
link. Balance, stability, reaction time, and power all are by products of Fitwall training.
Professional strength coaches throughout the world are turning to Fitwall as the foundation
to build better athletes. And for those of us without Super Bowl winning strength and
conditioning coach by our side, Fitwall is still a great option for developing strength, power,
and total body conditioning en route to becoming a more complete athlete for all the right
reasons; here are three:
There is no movement as compound as a Fitwall exercise. 14 fundamental
#1
movements have been designed to expand and contract every muscle
of the body, and each of the 14 movements require every muscle of the body
to work together in unison in real time. With the off-balanced and awkward
positions athletes find themselves in during competition, training the body as
one unit prepares it to respond naturally to vulnerable situations during gametime.
Harness the power of gravity. Create leverage using your bodyweight to

#2
ensure multi-planar and cross-myofacial engagement. Side-to-side, frontto-back, and diagonal forces can be utilized to build strength and balance in the
core. Gravity also allows natural decompression of the joints, which puts the
body back into alignment and reduces the potential for injury do to imbalances.
Cardiovascular fitness is often the difference between winning and losing

#3
when two athletes possess the same skill set. Lucky for you, the heart is
a muscle, and like all muscles in the body, if you keep working it will adapt to
the workload given. Fitwall will challenge all muscular workload, even the heart.
With the short but intense sessions, your body will adapt and increase your
maximum cardiovascular capacity with efficient and focused training.
Fitwall studios represent a new approach to the fitness experience, making it both datadriven and immersive. We focus on activation, balance, caloric burn, decompression, and
efficiency. Our first studio is Fitwall La
fitwall review
Jolla, which opens June 2013, with many
more coming throughout California,
Colorado, New York, and beyond.
total body conditioning
get strong, get lean, stay healthy.
It took me several weeks before I

decided to go on the Fitwall, but wow
am I glad I did. Do not repeat that same
mistake. Dont even think twice. Go
on Fitwall and find it out for yourself.
Get flexible, strong, burn more calories,
and encourage your cardiovascular
efficiency; get a total body workout
while you get decompression of your
joints at the same time. Take your
fitness level to a more complete and high
performance stage. Train smarter! YOU
are the machine!
A1: Perfect Pull Ups - 40sec, 20sec rest
A2: Kick Backs - 30sec each leg, 30sec rest

A3: Cowboy Squats - 40sec, 20sec rest
A4: Hip Rotations - 30sec each leg, 30sec rest
A5: Targeting - 40sec, 20sec rest
A6: Squat with Row - 40sec, 20sec rest
Complete circuit, rest 2 minutes and repeat. All
exercise rest periods are to be done while on
the wall.
by Yoana Teran
For more information about

Yoana Teran, go to
www.RevolutionLaJolla.com
workout
CROSSFIT
EXPLAINED
Constantly Varied Functional Movements
et me begin by chatting about my unconventional

training methods; to start with, I no longer would
classify them as unconventional! I am a Crossfitter...
Crossfit is growing at a rapid rate and people everywhere
are partaking in the best strength and conditioning program
with the biggest perk of the bestest community EVER!
For those who havent heard of this amazing program and want to
know what IS Crossfit? Well, let me attempt to explain it (I myself
thought it was some type of bootcamp when I first heard of it. Not
so much!).
Crossfit is Constantly Varied Functional Movements Executed at
High Intensity. Lets break that action down!
Constantly Varied: This is the secret that most of you already know
about. We need variety! Our bodies get way too complacent and plateau
when faced with the same exercise routine over and over again (along
with our minds for that matter). Say goodbye to being bored at the
gym! What variety does include? The options are endless! This is where
Functional Movements come in.
Functional Movements: These are movements that prepare us for
life, whether it be to pick up a bag of dog food, put a box up high on
a shelf in a garage, run to catch that bus, or throw our kids around.
Crossfit incorporates Olympic Weightlifting (yes, be prepared to say
Snatch and Jerk and giggle daily), gymnastics movements, and metabolic
conditioning. We lift weights, we squat, we run, we jump, we do pull
ups, push ups, dips; we climb ropes and we walk on our hands (just to
name a few of the bazillion things that we get to do).
High Intensity: How do we execute all this at high intensity? We try
our hardest. First, we learn how to do shit properly! Learn the technique,
be able to do it consistently, and then ramp it up! No matter what level
of ability people have or what modifications they might use, they can all
try their hardest and that is where the results come in.
When asked about my favorite training methodology, I come up
with only one answer: I Crossfit. I do different things every single day.
Different movements. Different loads. Different rep schemes. They are
all hard as hell. Competition is always unknown, so what better way to
train than to do something different all the time? In the past, I added
some extra Olympic Lifting weekly or some squat training, but I find
that to compete at my best, I just show up and try my hardest; no matter
what the workout, what the time frame, what the task. Whether I like it
or Id rather hide under my kids bed, I do it.
I follow the Crossfit Programming of three days on and then one
glorious rest day off. On my three days on, I hit one workout and give it
my best for that day. The workouts all take an hour total including warm
up time and technique work.
crossfit explained
crossfit workouts
1) Helen: 3 rounds for time. Run 400 meters, 24 Kettlebell Swings, 12 Pull Ups. Perform as fast as you can!
2) Jackie: Row 1,000 meters, 50 Thrusters at 45lbs, 30 Pull Ups
3) Diane: 21-15-9 reps of Deadlifts at 185 lbs, Handstand Push Ups
4) Grace: 30 Clean & Jerks for time at 95 lbs.
Some people may look at some workouts and think, thats it? Thats
all you do? But if you truly try your absolute hardest, that one workout
will knock you out and youll know that that is enough for the day!!!
Doing these workouts with other people is a HUGE part of it. You
try harder when others are around. You pick up the bar when you dont
want to because others have picked up theirs. You see people trying hard
and you cant help but be motivated to try hard too. And then after, you
get to share your experience of the workout with others. It is awesome
and I encourage
everyone to try it
by Angie Hay
out! w

Angie Hay, go to
facebook.com/Angie.Pye.CrossFit.Trainer
An
e
i
g
Hay
Ro
Tennant
LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE
Holistic Nutrition & Healing
nutrition
ni
hat can help to heal your body

is literally under your feet. It
is hard to believe, because if
it were true, then doctors would not
be writing prescriptions. They would
simply hand you a fruit or vegetable, and
pharmaceutical companies would be
out of business! All the same, it is true.
Our food has the power to heal our
bodies, from viral pneumonia to cancer,
to sprains, and wounds. Thousands of
years ago, even Hippocrates, (c. 460 BC
c. 370 BC) an ancient Greek physician of
the Age of Pericles, taught his students
that our food was our medicine and our
medicine was our food.
I learned about Holistic Nutrition, which
focuses on our mind-body relationship with
food, a year ago. I was never one for dieting I
would eat what I wanted and just train harder. I
have always been naturally strong, but I suffered
from fibromyalgia, so I would fatigue quickly
and my energy was always low. However, after
learning about how our foods can heal our
bodies, I not only began to practice it, I began
to coach others on it as well because it worked
so well for me, I had to share it with others. To
a fitness trainer, this information is invaluable.
It is not dieting, it is using your foods to fuel
your body so that it can begin its own natural
healing process, thus making you stronger,
more energetic and creating optimal health. I
cut out sugar, dairy, all processed foods, and
I eat a mostly vegetarian diet. I maintain an
alkalizing diet, and I use foods that contain
specific nutrients, vitamins and minerals to heal
my body.
Four years ago, I was overweight. Nine years
before that, I was obese. I have Fibromyalgia
and Lymes Disease. However, because of
applying the principles I have learned in Holistic
Nutrition, I have lost body fat, and I have gained
incredible strength and muscle tone. Not to
mention, I have not been to the doctors office in
a year even when I had pneumonia because I
know what foods to use as my medicine.
Sprains, strains, and acute joint traumas
require a reduction of inflammation and healing
of the tendon or ligament. A combination of
vitamins, minerals, and enzymes may have an
anti-inflammatory effect and speed the rate of
healing.
The best external source for enzymes,
antioxidants, flavonoids and organic sulfur are
raw and living foods that are not preserved,
processed, dried or cooked. Essentially, raw
food or living food is food that has not been
cooked or exposed to temperatures over 118
degrees F. Cooked food is nearly absent of
enzymes and may reduce the presence of
antioxidants, flavonoids, and sulfurs. Science has
proven that cooking chemically changes foods
from the substances needed for health, into
acid-forming toxins, free radicals and poisons
that destroy our health, as well as destroying
nutrition and enzymes.
anti-inflammation
Anti-inflammatory foods help reduce inflammation and

help our body heal faster. Some of the foods that fall
under this category are:
Dark, Leafy Greens
Dark, leafy greens like kale, spinach, soybeans, tea and

berries are packed with flavonoids, which help to reduce
inflammation in the brain.
Pineapples
Pineapples contain bromelain; an enzyme that can help

treat muscle injuries like sprains and strains.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed contains omega-3 fatty acids, which may help

reduce inflammation.
Carrots
Orange carrots are rich in a group of phytochemicals

called carotenoids, which help protect cells from free
radicals, boost immunity, and help regulate inflammation.
correct deficiencies
Raw foods that help with nutritional deficiencies:
Soft or Brittle Nails - Magnesium

Sources: Spinach, Almonds
Gum Disease Folic Acid
Sources: Spinach, Collard Greens, Turnip Greens
There are many other sources for the vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants your body
needs, enabling you to have a variety of
foods in your diet.
Remember: eat raw, organic foods! Fifty-one percent of your meals should be raw
foods. Raw foods are convenient and very
economical and nutritionally dense loaded
with energy. As your body adjusts to this
lifestyle, it will learn to absorb additional
nutrition and energy. You will be less hungry, and get more energy from the food you
eat.
However, raw foods may not work for
everyone. If you suffer from digestive
stress from raw foods, try a technique called
blanching. It is a quick boil, followed by
an ice bath. Blanched vegetables will still
retain their natural vitamins and enzymes.
Raw, organic foods are the ultimate
health care plan, enabling your body to heal
as it uses food as medicine and medicine as
food.
Crunch your lunch! w
Bleeding gums Vitamin C
Sources: Strawberries, Bell Peppers, Pineapple, Kiwi,
Oranges
Tender calf muscles Magnesium

Sources: Spinach, Swiss Chard, Almonds
Sore painful tongue Vitamin B3

Sources: Mushrooms, Peanuts
Congested Liver Vitamin C
Sources: Papaya, Lemons, Kale, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts
by Roni Tennant

Roni Tennant, go to
www.RoniTennant.com
.
Dr y
n
o
T
Chappie
TRAINING
FOR
RUGBY
More Sweat in Training, Less Blood in Battle
ugby, when played at a high level,

is one of the most challenging
sports add the physical aspects
of football and the cardiovascular endurance of soccer, and you have rugby. It takes a combination of power,
strength, speed, agility, endurance, and
a large part of heart and determination to be a great rugby player.
Rugby is played for two, 40-minute halves
on a field that is wider and longer than a football field. Play is not stopped when youre
tackled like in football, action may continue
for 5 to 10 minutes straight without resting.
Each team consists of 15 players with 7 subs
per game. Oh, and by the way, no helmets or
shoulder pads; when they say give blood,
play rugby, they mean it!
So, how do you train an athlete for rugby
that has limited time since all club rugby in
the USA is still amateur and players work for
a living? In the old days, we ran one day and
lifted another, which was inefficient and ineffective. Now, we use unconventional training methods and train smarter, harder, faster,
more efficient and more effective. By using
tools such as kettlebells, battle ropes, sandbags, tires, etc., we can train for strength and
endurance all in one shot.
Last but not least, did I mention that this
is a team of women rugby players? Yes, thats
right WOMEN PLAY RUGBY, AND
THEY PLAY RUGBY WELL.
The women of the Pittsburgh Angels
Rugby Club are an elite Division 2 Rugby
Team. The Angels have made the final 4 for
three straight years, but always falling short
of the ultimate goal of winning the National Championship until last year, when they
beat Severn Rivers (Annapolis, MD) 8-0 to
win the 2012 Womens Division 2 National
Championship in Fort Myers, Florida. These

women had to play three games in three days
in the hot Florida sun to achieve this goal and
become National Champions. The Angels, although one of the top teams in the country,
are also physically one of the smallest. Their
conditioning and heart allowed them to beat
a larger, more physical Severn Rivers team.
Jaime Boo Filipek Captain of the Pittsburgh Angels Rugby Team The difference between winning and losing a National
Championship match came down to several
factors. Experience, confidence, and determination all played major roles. But, fitness was
also a big determination in being able to go
that last meter and push through for the win.
Having a trainer who focused on combining

fitness moves that directly translated to the
work we had to do on the field made a huge
difference. Instead of doing moves that were
good for overall fitness we combined those
moves with exercises that directly translated
back to our sport. Dr. Chappies fitness expertise trained us to be prepared for fatigue
and work through a grueling three games in a
one weekend tournament. We could not have
done it without that fitness and his fitness
expertise. (Excerpt from Waits Over: Pittsburghs the DII Champ http://rugbymag.
com/women%27s-clubs/6399-waits-overpittsburghs-the-dii-champ.html) w
training for rugby
workout #1
training for rugby
Dynamic warm up, 25 yards followed by 25 yard

jog, this warm-up is also performed before practice and games.
A.
C.
E.
G.
I.
K.
M.
O.
Q.
Walking Lunge
Side Lunge
Power Kick
Inch Worms
Monkey Walk
Broad Jump
High Knees Jog
Carioca
5 sprints
B.
D.
F.
H.
J.
L.
N.
P.
Walking Lunge w/Twist

Squats
One Leg RDL
Spider Man
Skipping
Heel to Butt Jog
Side Shuffle
Backwards
Dynamic is immediately followed (no rest) by kettlebell prehab exercises, since most rugby players
have multiple injuries. A moderate to light weight
is used. No rest between exercises. 2 to 5 minute
rest post Kettlebell prehab exercises.
A. 1 foot orbits 30sec ES, clockwise/counter clockwise
B. Halos 30sec, clockwise and counter clockwise
C. Goblet squat 30sec
D. 1-arm swing 30 sec ES
E. C&P 30 sec ES
F. Boot-strapper squat 30sec
G. Windmills 30sec ES
H. TGU 30sec ES
Prowler Pyramid Circuit/ small group 4 to 8 people, 5 sets. Try and perform with resting only as
other group members are exercising.The prowler
is a great tool for rugby, especially womens rugby,
because it teaches women to bend from their
hips, and knees. Pushing the prowler also mimics
rucking, tackling, and running into contact.
A. 235lb prowler high/low push 50yrd as fast as you can
B. Sprint 25 yards
C. 2 arm swing x 20 reps, 16kg or 20 kg
D. 5 pull ups, or 10 TRX rows
E. Push ups x 10
F. Sledgehammer 10lbs x10ES
After first set, remove 50lbs to 185lbs and double

distance of push to 100yards, 50 high push and 50
low push. 3rd set 135lbs x150yards, 4th set 85lbs
x 200 yards, 5th set 45lbs x250 yards. All other
exercise will remain the same through each set.
Cool down foam roll and static stretch.
workout #2
10 minutes of battle rope (1 inch; 50 foot battle rope) and body weight exercises, 20 sec of battle rope
followed by 20 sec of body weight exercise, 20 sec rest. To be performed in small groups of 3 to 4, rest 2 to 5
minutes after all sets are performed.
1. Rope Exercises
a. 2 arm slam
b. 2 arm wave
c. Alternating Wave
d. Alternating wave with squat
e. Alternating wave with side shuffle
f. Alternating wave forwards and backwards
g. Alternating wave with lunge
h. 2 arm slam burpee
2. Bodyweight Exercises
a. Box jumps
b. Push ups
c. Jump squats
d. Burpees
e. Skaters lunge
f. Split jump lung
Kettlebell clean and squat bolt style, 10 minutes. I stole this from Coach Nico Rithner/USAKL. He calls this the
Glendale Raptors fitness test and is performed with 32kg for men. The ladies will use between 12kg and 20kg. The
kettlebell can switch hands as needed and put down for rest. Rest 2 to 5 minutes after 10 minutes is up.
Sandbag shoulder and carry, 50 to 80lbs x 4. Clean and shoulder sandbag to left side, then walk/jog 50 yards, Clean
and shoulder to right side, then jog walk 50 yards. To be performed in small groups of 2 to 4, rest as others are
performing exercises. Rest 2 minutes after all sets are performed.
Yoke, Zercher carry 50 yards x4, again rest as others are performing exercises.
Foam roll and static stretch.
training for rugby
workout #3
Prowler pull 235lbs, with battle rope. Wrap a 2inch/30ft battle rope around the low end of the prowler so that
you have 2 ends of the rope in your hands like when you perform rope slams. Drag sled 25 yards as fast as you
can.
At the end of 25 yards perform 10, 2 arm rope slams
Low push prowler back to starting position 25 yards as fast as you can
Sprint 25 yards
2 KB press x10, 8kg to 16kg.
KB jump squats, hold kettlebell in front squat position x10, 8kg to 16kg.
Jog to versa climber and perform 30sec sprint as fast as you can
Perform in small groups of 4 to 8, rest as others are performing exercises. Rest two to five minutes after all sets
are performed.
250 pound tire flips with burpee, small groups of two to four people. Flip tire and perform 1 burpee continue
for 25 yards, perform 8 to 10 times no rest.
Foam roll and static stretch
by Dr. Tony Chappie

Dr. Tony Chappie, go to
PittsburghKettlebellPerformance.com
I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much
work as any manand aint I a woman?

- Sojourner Truth
Clarissa Vizcaino
FIGHTING FOR INSPIRATION

Using Kickboxing Techniques for All Fitness Levels
hether you are starting out or an

athlete pushing yourself to the next
level, fitness promotes a healthy life
style, and I believe that everybody has a right
to live a healthy life style. My orientation to
fitness started out like most, via kids sports
leagues and high school athletic teams.
However, it was the experiences I had once
I began to train in kickboxing that an awakening occurred. I was a very average athlete, but
I had a fire that raged in my heart, and this
trait has helped me to pass the torch onto others. I had always been competitive and restless
and so I began training to fight. It was these
experiences that had a profound impact on my
outlook in life and with the clients I encounter
to this day.
Whether you are a first timer or a veteran,
my approach is the same: value the strengths
of each individual and to not allow myself or
my clients to believe in false labels. I believe
that each person craves the same joys, the same
praises, the same acknowledgements for deeds
done well. As a Personal Trainer and Group
Instructor, it is my privilege and my duty to
bridge the gap between I cant do that to I
cant be stopped! Each person has a spark that
just needs to be nurtured and cultivated. Therefore, I am not writing just to the athlete or fitness enthusiast. In my experience there are far
more people left out because they believe fitness is beyond their grasp. With that said, I am
including the busy mother, the woman on the
couch, or the friend with a thousand reasons or
excuses why she cant do it.

My name is Clarissa Vizcaino. I am a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu student, Kickboxing competitor, and a practitioner of MIEL: Motivation,
Inspiration, Empowerment, and Love. As the
founder and owner of Pink Ninja Fitness, I
have used MIEL to reach into a greater population of people who would not be considered
the average fitness enthusiast or athlete. By
combining Kickboxing, traditional, and unconventional exercises, I have discovered a way of
inspiring a life style change.
What I discovered about kickboxing was the
nonstop intensity of a fight. Fighting is dynamic and the variables are beyond the control
of the fighter. The demands on your metabolic
systems, muscular endurance, and cardiovascular systems are unique. Add to that the toughness that the training produces is truly amazing, physically, mentally, and emotionally. The
demands in a kickboxing fight require that athletes be able to withstand 3-5 minute rounds
while other sports get to take a time out after
each play.
Kickboxing involves strength, metabolic, and
core training because the resources are needed
constantly for up to 5 minutes. Keep in mind,
you dont have to be a fighter to train like one,
but you can feel empowered by building lean
muscle and burning fat like one! This training
is for everyone, you can do it! You have a right
to happiness and a healthy lifestyle; its only a
choice away. The fight is within ourselves, and
it is in how we choose to release that desire of
just letting go!

The quest begins by meeting and starting
my clients wherever they are physically. From
wherever their fitness level is or from whatever
physical limitations there are, I begin there and
build them up. I remind my ladies how strong
they are, and how capable they are with any exercise by walking them through the movement
and praising them as they work through it on
their own. Each woman gets a dose of praise
and encouragement! The greatest result is that
my clients are happy because they have made
the lifestyle change their choice.
The following workouts contain compound
joint exercises that I use with my clients. All
of the following exercises can be modified to
suit the clients fitness level; as I like to tell my
clients, There is always a way! When first
starting, one of the least favorite exercises is
the Burpee. Most beginners shy away from a
Burpee, saying, I cant do that. It looks hard.
On the surface a Burpee may seem too difficult for a beginner, but once broken down and
modified to each fitness level, even a beginner
can complete this exercise.
I have written a Core & Metabolic Conditioning Workout. I chose to share these workouts
because all of our movements stem from the
core, and it is important to focus and strengthen our core muscles. Metabolic conditioning is
essential to building lean muscle and burning
fat, nonetheless, the workouts are functional,
fun, and fulfilling only if you say so! Enjoy.
Before you begin the workouts, make sure
to be cleared by your physician. To inquire on
how I modify the exercises, please feel free to
contact me on my Facebook Page: Pink Ninja
Fitness.
Much MIEL.w
dynamic movement pre-warm up
Ankle Circles: 20 reps rotating each direction

Standing Knee Circles: 20 reps in each direction
Alternating Knees to Elbows: 20 reps
Wrist Circles: 20 reps rotating each direction
Wrist Flexions: 20 reps
Hummingbirds (Arm Circles): 20 reps each direction
warm up
One Set of:

Jumping Jacks: 30 reps
Good Mornings: 15 reps
Air Squats: 10 reps
Closed Stance Air Squats (feet and knees together):
10 reps
Inch Worm: 10 reps
One Set of: (30 seconds intervals)
Alternating Forward Kicks
Shoe Shine
Shadow Box
1-2 Combo (Stationary)
core/conditioning workout #1
Ladder Set: Beginners 4-8 reps, Intermediate 5-10 reps,

Advanced 5-10-5 reps
Burpees
Sit Ups
Jumping Air Squats
Side Plank Obliques
1-2 Combos with Dumbbells 1-5lbs each
Definition of a Ladder Set: Begin with the lowest number
of repetitions indicated for each exercise until you have
completed and entire pass through all exercises. Each set
there after; the exercises will become progressively harder, like climbing a ladder. For example, you will complete
5 repetitions of all exercises, then 6 repetitions, then 7
repetitions and so on.
Intervals Set: 30 second intervals for each exercise, with

a 15 second break in between each one. (1-5 Rounds)
Skipping Knees
Kettle Bell swings
Rib Kicks on each leg
Squat and Row on the G-Flex
Plank
Definition of Intervals Set: Interval sets are timed.The client is given a time limit to complete as many repetitions
as they can within the time limit.
Mixed Set (2-4 Rounds)

Kettle Bell Burpees: 10 reps
Mountain Climbers: 30 seconds interval
Alternating Side Lunges with a Dumbbell Arnold Press:
10 reps
Scissors: 30 seconds interval
Standing Russian Twists against the wall using a weighted
ball: 10 reps
Definition for Mixed Set: A mixed set uses different types
of sets, whether it is Ladder, Pyramid, Interval, etc. In this
workout set I used Repetitions and Interval.
Super Set (1-2 Rounds)

PRIMARY Pyramid Super Set: 6, 8, 10, 12
1. Kettle Bell Dead Lift
2. Sky Divers
SECONDARY
a. Shoe Shine: 10-20 reps
b. Shuttle Runs: 1-2 reps
c. Medicine Ball Slams: 10-15 reps
d. Unicycles: 10-15 reps each side.
Definition for Super Set: When you combine two or
more exercises consecutively without any rest period in
between the exercises. In this workout you will perform
the Primary set first with no rest in between, but with a
30 seconds rest period between the Primary and Secondary, then you will move on with the first exercise of
the Secondary set followed by a 15 seconds rest period,
then back to the Primary set which will then each exercise increase by 2 repetitions. It will be as followed: 1
& 2, rest for 30 seconds + exercise a., then rest for 15
seconds; 1 & 2, rest for 30 seconds + exercise b., rest for
15 seconds, and so on.
video
core and
metabolic
conditioning
workout
youtu.be/l8vIWlDzORM
by Clarissa vizcaino

Clarissa Vizcaino, go to
Facebook.com/PinkNinjaFitness
AN UNCONVENTIONAL Kettlebell
Sport &
COMBINATION Pilates
m Lisa Balash and my method of

training has varied throughout the
years. Ive been involved in the fitness industry since 2001 when I started competing in my very first NPC figure competition. I was immersed back
then into weight training and cardio
at the gym and dieting for figure competitions. My weight was fluctuating
from off-season to contest prep, and
it was quite depressing. It seemed as
though I could never get a handle on
how I looked unless I was training for
a competition. My training Was making me hungry since I was building so
much muscle, and the shape of my
muscles was short, round, and bulky, so
I added Yoga, bodyweight exercises (to
trim my thighs), and Pilates training to
try and elongate my muscles.
Weight gain had become an issue for me
since I was always dieting and using cardio
machines. My lack of knowledge about nutrition was the reason I was confused about how
to keep my weight where I wanted it, or at
least healthy and normal, unless I was training
for a competition. Overall, this is not a real
healthy approach to diet and exercise, and its
not an enjoyable way to train; its no wonder
why people fall off the workout wagon!

That is when I found the kettlebell and dramatically transformed my body. I went from
going up and down the stair climber for hours
at a time to working out for about 40 minutes and actually having more time for myself
AND a better looking physique. I was able to
eat a lot more calories and my body was burning them off since I was shocking my system
with this incredible training method.
I began using the kettlebell with my clients in 2006 and trained myself for my last
NPC Competition at the national level. I was
so excited because I came in the smallest I
have ever been on the national stage. I took
my muscles from big and bulky and I transformed my body into a sleek, lean, muscular,
fat-burning machine.
I opened my own kettlebell studio in 2008,
Elite Physiques in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was
still working with my clients who were still
training with the Pilates method along with
using kettlebells. This combination was an attempt to get more cardio going since Pilates
is an anaerobic activity. Most of the clients I
was training were already interested in using
the kettlebell, so we just combined the two
modalities together. It wasnt until I started
competing in Kettlebell Sport when I realized
how much these two completely different modalities had in common.

This first occurred to me when I was competing in long cycle, which is the Clean &
Jerk. The stance of the Jerk is pretty much
the same method in the Pilates world known
as C-Curve. This position of the body means
the shoulders are rounded forward, down in
their sockets, being protected with the lattisimus dorsi muscles and the abdominals. This
position is used in both Kettlebell Sport and
Pilates, whether using the equipment or mat
work.
This really came natural to me.
I had been doing Kettlebell Jerks and got
the same feeling that I had when I was using
my Pilates equipment. I would naturally put
my body in the same stance as the Jerk and I
would feel my abdominals more engaged every time I did a Pilates exercise.
I was very shocked when I first made this
realization. I noticed that my training method
had improved and I was using both modalities to strengthen my core and maintain flexibility. I would use my Pilates equipment for
my warm up and after each of my Jerk sets to
cool down. I work the abdominals specifically
and protect the shoulders by using therapeutic
exercises.
Lisa Balash
Pilates addresses the small muscle groups
that support the larger muscles. Pilates exercises that I would use were often found in
physical rehabilitation therapy and they help
stabilize the entire shoulder girdle.
Overtraining can also be an issue if you are
using the sport technique such as the Snatch
and Jerk. You dont want to weight train on
top of that because overuse injuries can occur. My Kettlebell Bombshell DVDs combine
the fitness style of kettlebell lifting along with
the sport technique. Not everyone wants to
be a competitor, or train as one, so this is how
everyone can benefit from both modalities. I
also add bodyweight exercises for the lower
body to keep my thighs tight.
There is not only one good way to use
the kettlebell. This is a training tool that is still
misunderstood by the masses and there are
numerous ways to use kettlebells effectively to
achieve the best results. Combining the Pilates
method and other home workouts along with
it allows me to bring my workouts to a whole
new level; maintaining flexibility and increasing strength and endurance.
If you do not have Pilates equipment it is
not expensive to purchase. You can purchase
a Pilates Stick, which is a convenient piece
of equipment that is also portable. I use this
piece of equipment while training my clients
and myself. It can be used in your own home
and you can store it with your kettlebells since
it takes up no space. If you do not, not to
worry! I use everything in my home from my
staircase to a stability ball which adds an element of variety to my workouts.
This is also a great way to isolate the
muscles, since most of the kettlebell exercises use every body part, head to toe.
Pilates equipment can isolate each muscle group to bring out a little bit more
shape and definition. This combination
will give your body a lean sculpted appearance.
Using a staircase or your own bodyweight should not be over looked either. Find whatever you can in your
home and make use of it. This is what
I love about my training method, its
portable and can be done anywhere,
anytime!
My training methods are definitely
out of the ordinary and would probably be frowned upon by many kettlebell enthusiasts. Some believe that
kettlebell training should be as hardcore as possible, but not all trainers
train equally. I believe giving women
a sculpted appearance thats feminine
and strong, along with a chance to enjoy life by not depriving themselves of
eating when they are hungry.
I also dont want people to live on
the cardio machines at the gym. Using
kettlebells ramps up your metabolism
and allows you to burn more calories
during and after your workouts.
So, if you are looking for an exercise
routine that keeps your body tight, burns
calories, and sculpts beautiful lean muscle,
look no further. My mad method of kettlebells, Pilates equipment, and your own
bodyweight is the best method I have found
for women and myself. w
by Lisa Balash

Lisa Balash, go to
www.KettlebellBombShell.com
carolyn Alexander
KICK,
STREEETCH,
& FLIP TIRES
Unconventional Workouts for Motivation
ello, my name is Carolyn Alexander

and Im proud to say that Im 50
years old (ok not till next year) and
Im NOT one of those gals whos afraid
to tell her real age because I like to kick,
streeeeetch, and flip tires!!!
If you remember the Saturday Night Live skits
with the spunky and saucy Sally OMalley, then
you will understand the above. Like Sally, we need
to embrace who we are right now and be proud of
it. That includes what you are doing to keep yourself strong, fit, and healthy no matter what type
of training or workout program you are doing. If
you are doing nothing, nada, zip, then keep reading and hopefully I can inspire some of you that
would like to get some of what Sally has. If you
have come to realize that running on the hamster mill while watching TV is not really getting
you the results you are looking for, then I hope
to inspire some changes in you as well. If you are
a fitness professional and or coach, then I hope
to share with you some of my coaching tips and
ideas that have kept me going all these years.
Before I began coaching many moons ago, I
used to be a professional fundraiser. During one
of our training sessions I learned about the 6
Success Tips. Since then, I have been applying
them in my own life and sharing them with my
athletes that are serious about making a significant
change in their own health and fitness-related endeavors (I slightly revised the tips to keep it fitness
related):
Set a Goal: Be clear about what it
you really want here.
Make a Plan: Write it down and
draft up a weekly/monthly and possibly for the year plan.
Get a Coach/Trainer: If you cannot afford a personal trainer, join a
gym that has small group training because
the instructor or coach along with your
workout buddies will keep you accountable.
Keep Records/Journal: There are
many ways to do this and your coach
can help you. By keeping track you will begin to see progress and this will keep you
motivated when the going gets tough. It will
also help your coach adjust the sails of
your workout program.
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
Do Not Procrastinate: Start

now. People have often told
me that they are going to start doing a little cardio on their own first
and then start training with more of
a focus and when they are in better
shape. After years of coaching, this is
one of the most often used excuses
I hear.
Have a Good Attitude: This
is highly important because
there will be times when you may
have some challenges and having an
attitude like Ms. OMalley may just
help you get over those hurdles.
Like the phrase you can lead a horse
to water, but you cant make it drink, the
above tips, when applied, can help you
achieve what it is you want. The key word is
applied. You have to decide to first.
Ok, now that you have seriously decided
to make a commitment to a healthier lifestyle, its time to get to the meat and veggies of how to stay motivated. First you
need to stop doing the same thing over and
over again. That is boring and it does not
work, period. I suppose it is better than sitting on the couch doing nothing, but as far
as improving your health, you will plateau
and in some cases like the cardio queens,
you will actually do more damage to your
body. Even as a new trainer in the 1990s,
I fell into the trap by going to the gym
and doing cardio on some days and then
weight training on other days. I also went
through a phase of teaching spin classes 8
#6
hours a week. I had some variety, but I was

not learning anything new. I was going for
the burn, and all that silliness we thought
was good back then.
Eventually, I started to get more into
high intensity circuit training and having my
husband as a coach (Success Tip #3-Get a
Coach) that served in the Marine Corps, our
workouts started becoming a mix of indoor
and outdoor exercises. We also started training for the annual Mud Run that is held on
the military base. My goal was to be able to
do this race with full Boots and Utes (Success Tip #1-Set a Goal). We called our training back then FUNtional Cross Training
and C-Training (Carolyns Training).
Then in 2007 while running the Camp
Pendleton Mud Run Course, we saw some
red shirts flash by us and saw the word
CrossFit; and then it was all over. We started
to learn about CrossFit, kept an open mind
and realized there was an entire community
of fitness enthusiasts that were applying the
CrossFit methodology to their own gyms
and programs, and it was working.
We slowly started to incorporate CrossFits methodology to our own programs
(Success Tip #2-Make a Plan) and I started
seeing results and changes immediately. We
also knew that this was something that could
become a lifestyle not only for us, but the
people we train. I personally have learned
more skills and have gotten stronger, fitter,
and faster over the years. I never thought at
my age I would be doing a handstand push
up or deadlifting 225lbs!
toes-burpees-tires (tbt)
This is one of my favorite workouts:

Run 500 meters
21 Toes 2 Bar*
21 Burpees
21 Tire Flips
Run 500 meters
15 Toes 2 Bar
15 Burpees
15 Tire Flips
Run 500 meters
9 Toes 2 Bar
9 Burpees
9 Tire Flips
Record your time.
*Toes to bar are when you hang from a hollow
position and swing your toes to the bar above and
touch the bar with your toes.
nancy
This is one of my favorite workouts

from CrossFit:
Run 500 meters
15 reps Barbell Overhead Squats*
5 rounds for time.
*Womens standard weight is 65lbs. Mens standard
weight is 95lbs.
Example Video at youtu.be/6UXmKQMOpD8
And finally, my favorite exercise is the Burpee. Many people do not like them, but they
are effective and convenient and if you cannot get to the gym or are travelling you can
just knock out a 100 for time. If you are
new, try 50 to start. You just need yourself
and some rockin music and go.
Here is a fun video I did in 2009 for a 100
Burpees for time challenge. Even though it
is an older video, it is an example of where
I was at the time and when I really started to
track my performance. I am happy to say I
am even faster now (Success Tip #4- Keep
Records).
video
100 burpees
for time
challenge
youtu.be/Aa5gAilUv_8
So, are you inspired yet? What are you waiting for? Get started now (Success tip #5-Do
not Procrastinate)! Once you have decided
to make a change, get focused, and most
importantly have fun with your workouts!
Remember good ole Sally OMalley and her
attitude (Success Tip #6- Good Attitude). w
by carolyn Alexander

Carolyn Alexander, go to
www.NetworkFitnessCrossfit.com
donica storino
Bell
Bitch
Embodying Unconventional Training, Emboldening Transformation
was first introduced to kettlebells

about nine years ago by a trainer
at my gym. It was a time when
everyone around me seemed to be
more into the fancy health club amenities rather than their workout; long
before Crossfit became all the rage
near where I live. As soon as I saw
the kettlebell in action, I instantly
became fascinated with the versatility of this tools ability to create such
intense cardio and strength sessions.
I began working with this trainer, and
did so for many years.
I instantly noticed that his training style
was different from anyone else I had seen
at the time. Hes Russian and had an intense
look of dismay at what was going on in
this gym. He would watch the people in the
weight room and offer advice or demonstrate the proper way to execute a particular
lift. I witnessed him walk up to someones
loaded barbell and proceed to do a one- arm
snatch. That was it! I walked up to him, beyond excited, and told him that he had to
train me. In the beginning he taught me the
fundamental kettlebell movements: Swing,
Clean, Snatch. We started with strength
training 5x5s with bells, 1 bell, 2 bells,
presses and windmills. It was such a unique
and unconventional workout and so different from anything I had ever experienced. I
couldnt get enough of this style of training.
Almost immediately after the start of
my kettlebell training, I noticed significant
physical and mental changes. Instead of
breezing into those fancy health clubs for
the obligatory 30 minutes of cardio, I was
quickly becoming more of an athlete than
a recreational gym rat. I didnt care about
the social aspect of working out. I didnt

want to socialize to use my workout time as
a catch-up session with friends. Instead, I
wanted to work real work that pushed me
way beyond my limits.
Those early days of training were daunting. I remember anxiously approaching the
gym some of those mornings, concerned
and wondering what kind of torture he
would unleash on me. However, at the same
time, I was so invigorated by these new
training methods. Sure enough, my initial
anxieties faded quickly and my passion for
Unconventional Training was born!
Since those early starting days, I have
refined my workout programming. This
change came about when I was fortunate
enough to attend an IKFF CKT certification in 2009. Since then, I have become an
IKFF CKT (Certified Kettlebell Teacher)
Levels 1, 2, and MKS (Modern Kettlebell
Sport) a role that I love and that inspires
me daily. I had been a fan of Steve Cotter
and Ken Blackburn for some time, and this
workshop was literally down the street from
my house. Although, with this new association came changes. I had to relearn all of
the lifts as if they were totally different
a more competition-style lift, for lack of a
better term. The competition-style of lifting was something I had never experienced.
This is the only sport where the competitor
is under load the entire time.
The two main factors that I initially found
most difficult to acclimate to were the demands of strength endurance and the mental aspect of this sport. Strength endurance
is the ability to exert force under load, and
have the endurance to resist fatigue while
doing so. In essence, you want to be conditioned to be strong as possible for the
duration of a 10 minute set. Training your
mind is equally important. I like to call it
mind endurance, the ability to stay calm,
focused, and find moments of relaxation
during your set. This takes experience and
hard work; you need to visualize your end
result. See it, believe it. If not, you will give
into the discomfort you are feeling. Its a
natural instinct to flee when youre feeling
discomfort, pain, etc. Just like strength endurance and conditioning, you train your
mind to survive the set - this comes when
you learn to work efficiently, exerting the
least amount of energy and force per rep,
finding those moments of relaxation, and
using your breathing to control your heart
rate.
I really took note of these differences I
was experiencing with the training, and I
realized I enjoyed the evolution of knowledge from advanced lifts, pendulum swings,
double bells, mobility, and animal movements to connect with how we are supposed
to move in our natural state. The continual
knowledge that IKFFs Steve Cotter and
Ken Blackburn bring to all their CKTs was
so inspiring that it propelled my passion for
this type of training to a whole new level.
Today I compete in Girevoy Sport, (Russian for kettlebell sport). I am also a member of the IKFF Blackburn Kettlebell Sport
Team. I feel beyond fortunate to have Ken
Blackburn of the IKFF as my coach. He is a
genius at creating a program that is perfectly
suited to my athletic ability, from the weight
of the bell to the rest prescribed in between
those sets. His training methodologies and
continual education are constantly evolving
as he continues to share his knowledge with
his students.
I became a Kettlebell Sport competitor upon completion of my IKFF Level
2 CKT in 2010. At the end of the course,
Ken Blackburn said I would be great at this
sport. I was taken aback by this compliment, but so proud and excited that I immediately asked Ken if he would be my Coach.
Although I had competed before, I was
extremely nervous, especially since I didnt
know anyone who was doing this type of
sport. To get up on a platform in front of
spectators was a very scary realization for
me. However, I trusted Ken completely and
knew he believed in me. After a few discussions of what my goals would be, he began
my programming. With an ambitious goal
of CMS (Candidate of Master Sport). I got
right to work, and achieved this goal on my
first competition. My passion for this type
of training only grew more intense.
There are three lifts in the Kettlebell
Sport: Long Cycle (Clean & Jerk), Snatch,
and Jerk. Traditionally, one competes in long
cycle, biathlon (Jerk & Snatch), or Snatch
only. The goal is to complete as many reps
as possible within ten minutes.
Initially, it took months of hard training
and pure will to endure so much as a three
minute time set of kettlebell long cycle with
a light bell and only a one hand switch; but
with time, I grew stronger. I have since
achieved many ranks, including Candidate

of Master Sport (CMS), Master of Sport
(MS), two-time Master of Sport International Class (MSIC), which is currently the
highest rank achieved in the United States.
This ranking system is based on the Russian
Athletic Ranking System. I have also set two
World Records and I am the first female to
compete in North America with a 28kg bell.
Some people fail to consider the mental
aspects of this training; sometimes they
can be as difficult as the physical demands.
I firmly believe quitting due to discomfort
will leave you far worse off than pushing
through those obstacles and completing
the task at hand. I would suffer through my
set with torn hands rather than put the bell
down because I was uncomfortable.
A typical day of training begins with
mental preparation. My warm-up sets are
where I focus on technique and get acclimated to weight, I then move on to my main
work-sets where I build my strength and endurance. These main work-sets are pretty
intense due to technique, breathing, focusing, the high volume load, and how your
mind your body is responding. After a short
break, around 4-7 minutes, I then move into
9-11 minute cotton glove sets with a lighter
bell to build up my grip endurance.
The theory behind glove training is that
the glove makes the bell feel somewhat
slippery, thus training your grip by making

it very difficult to hold on to. It will also
smooth out your technique. I believe this
to be a vital piece in my programming, as
Ive struggled with grip issues until recently.
During GPP (General Physical Preparedness) is supplemental training incorporating and strengthening different muscles and
movements to back up all the Long Cycle
specific work. During GPP and cardio, I will
sometimes add an Elevation mask to condition and strengthen the lungs, thus gaining
more increased lung capacity and endurance. I also add a weight vest to increase the
intensity by adding in some extra resistance.
In my workouts, I incorporate tires, sleds,
battling ropes, Bulgarian Bags, throwing
dummies, rowers, air dyne bike, kettlebells
in varying weights, weight vest, pad work,
and an elevation mask (just to name a few);
nothing that is too out of the ordinary and
all things that have been heard of before.
However, the true gem is how you put it
all together. Be creative with your workouts. There are no rules. For instance, if
you happen to be short on time, its easy
to put something together. In 20 minutes,
you can feel as if you put in an hours time
with the right combination. For example,
10 rounds of 10 burpees, 10/10 Kettlebell
snatches with a light bell, and 20 wrestlers
twist with a barbell - youve just done a total
body workout in minimal time with minimal
equipment and probably more work than

your buddies at the local hangout, otherwise
referred to as the gym.
As recovery, I like to do hot yoga. Kettlebell sport is taxing on the CNS (central
nervous system), and I find that hot yoga
is a great way to calm it down. Beyond the
stretching and other health benefits of
hot yoga, you learn to calm the mind with
breathing and meditating, and those are
techniques that can be helpful in other areas
of life as well, not just working out.
I have heard some people refer to me
as intimidating. Ive heard them advise
others not to train with me because I do
things that regular people cant do; to me,
THAT is the furthest thing from the truth!
I dont do anything that cannot be done by
someone who is determined and wants to
free him or herself from those machines
at the gym. Go deep inside yourself to see
how much your body is capable of ! Dare to
be different, find the fun, and let your training take you to a whole new level another
realm of possibility to introduce you to
the person you are supposed to be. My advice and what works for me, is training both
my mind and body. This will ensure success.
Be passionate. Set goals. Choose tools that
excite you. Be Unconventional. Get out of
the box. Experience anything and everything. Train for yourself. w
bell bitch
sample workout #1 (advanced)
A: Kettlebell Snatch - 5 Minutes (light weight)

Set B: As many rounds as possible in 10min
B1: Mace Rotation - 10/10
B2: Burpee, Tire Flip, Tire Jump In/Out - 6 reps
B3: Evil Wheel - 5 reps
B4: Farmers Walk - 50m
B5: Heavy Bag Alternating Shoulder Throws - 5 reps
bell bitch
sample workout #2 (beginner)
As many rounds as possible in 15-20min

A1: Row - 250 -500m
A2: Burpees - 10 reps
A3: Bulgarian Bag Spins - 10/10
bell bitch
sample workout #3
Set A: Perform 3 rounds for time.

A1: Pull Ups - 10 reps
(Beginner - add resistance bands for assistance)
A2: Box Jumps - 15 reps
(Beginner - Jump Squats or Drop Squats)
A3: Heavy Bag Throws - 15 reps

(Beginner - use slam ball)
A4: Weighted Sled Push & Pull - 50m

Set B: 30sec on, 30sec rest. 5 sets each side.
B: Kettlebell Sprints
Set C: 10 sets of 30-45sec sprint, 15-30sec rest.
C: Battling Ropes
bell bitch
sample workout #4
As many rounds as possible in 15-20min.

A1: Power Snatch - 10 reps
A2: Burpees - 10 reps
A3: Bulgarian Bag Spins - 10/10
A4: Mountain Climbers - 20 reps
A5: Bulgarian Bag Squat Swings - 20 reps
A6: Tire Flips - 8 reps
bell bitch
sample workout #5
Perform 3 rounds in 10 minutes or less.

A1: Bulgarian Bag Spins - 10/10 (Medium Bag)
A2: Box Jumps - 10 reps
A3: Horizontal Handstand Wall Walks - 10 reps
A4: Heavy Bag Sit Ups - 10 reps
by Donica Storino

Donica Storino, go to
www.BellBitch.com
SHUT UP
& TRAIN
13 Ways to Eradicate Excuses
Y
our excuses are running out...
At the touch of a nger, you
are able to learn about a training method that interests you. You can
drive down to the nearest gym and
join. You can hire the greatest trainer
in the world. You can find the most
cutting edge way to workout. There
is only one problem that gets in your
way of training: DOING IT! Yes, thats
right, are you guilty of reading about
training over and over again and not
getting your ass up to get it done! You
make up every excuse in the book for
why you cant t it in your schedule!
The ACT of training is the easiest PART of
training. The hardest part begins in your mind;
getting yourself up to actually do it. Mentally
preparing yourself is where the magic happens. Put the excuses of a busy schedule, fatigue, and life-hitting-you-like-a-ton-of-bricks
aside.
I began training people while getting my degree in kinesiology when I was 19. Now, 14
years later, after a bit of trial and error and
after working with thousands of people, I
nally discovered what it takes to get people
motivated and stay motivated. The art of getting someone to show up is no walk in the
park; Ive heard every excuse in the book.
Trainers and moms are able to come up with the best excuses, and believe me, they can be very relevant. In fact,
Im guilty of making up my own excuses, we all are, arent
we? Well, not anymore. Here are some of the excuses
Ive heard the most:
By the time Im done taking the kids to
school and doing all the house work, its
time for me to pick them up, it leaves me
no time to train.
I work a 10-hour day. Im too tired to
get up early to train and too tired to train
after work.
Im tired all the time.
Im so out of shape and couldnt bare
people seeing me like this.
I hate working out. Its just not fun!
Something came up and I just couldnt
make it.
I was on vacation and I completely lost
my strength. I just cant get back up and
do it.
The list goes on and on. Any of these excuses look familiar? Its time to learn how to get your ass up and do it.
Make yourself a priority. Come to your senses and
realize that you are important. Without your health
and happiness, everyone around you will end up suffering. If you cant do it for yourself, then do it for
your loved ones. You arent being kind by putting
yourself last. In fact, you are killing yourself early. Lead
the way by showing everyone that taking care of yourself
is a priority.
Everyone has 10 minutes! But I truly dont have
the time, is what you say to yourself. If you have
10 minutes to check your Facebook then you
clearly have 10 minutes to train. Not having the
time is a bullshit excuse. Training doesnt have to
be a big, long complicated procedure; there are endless
10 minute workouts with bodyweight that can get the job
done wherever you are. If you have access to a kettlebell,
you have even more possibilities open to you. Get over
the time factor and JUST DO IT!
Make it happen! If you are the type of person
who has every intention of training and at the end
of the day you dont have the energy to do it, its
time to shift your schedule around. You may be
the type of person who will need to wake up early
and workout rst thing in the morning. You may get very
distracted as the day goes on and nd every excuse of
why you need to delay it. If you are a master procrastinator then you will need to workout before the day starts.
Find a training partner or hire a trainer. If you
cant be accountable to yourself, it helps to have
someone waiting for you. This will up the chances
that you will get it done because you will feel bad
letting someone else down. If you hire a trainer
or pre-purchase classes, you have now done two things:
you have put your hard earned money on the line and you
have set the schedule in your calendar. When you put your
money down and have the appointment, your chances of
sticking to it signicantly increase. Of course, you have to
live with the person you are working with and understand
the value of the service. If you dont like the person you
are training with or you dont feel good afterwards, dont
throw all training down the tubes, shop around. Ask other
people what they are doing. Surely you will nd a place or
a person that accommodates your needs. Just remember,
you still have to want it.
1
2
3
4
Join a tness group or class. If

youre nancially strapped and
cant afford private one-on-one
training, group classes are the way
to go. Even if you have tons of
money, many people nd group classes
much more preferable due to the social aspect, as well as how you are pushed by your
peers. It just depends on the coach leading
the class. If you have an incredible coach
who is not only knowledgeable and motivating, the group will reect the coachs
skill and enthusiasm. You may need to try a
few different groups until you nd the right
t for yourself.
The dread of feeling like shit from
not training. How often do you end
up feeling lethargic and just plain
shitty when you skip your training
sessions? It doesnt take a rocket
scientist to understand that training relieves
stress and releases endorphins to make life
better; training is the medicine. We need to
move; there is no way around it. Without it,
you will feel like shit. You need to remember this feeling clearly in order to avoid it.
Share your goals with the world.
Post your goals on your blog, facebook, and talk about it with as many
people as possible. Once you have
publicly announced that you are
working towards a certain goal, you will be
sure to achieve it. Going public will help
you to stick to your guns. You may also
have a fun club rooting you on!
Stop being a perfectionist. You
will always fail if what you have
set out to achieve is unattainable.
Be realistic and go for excellence.
The losers in life are those who
seek perfection and end up giving up. No
one can be perfect. Get over yourself.
Visit an old age home or a nursing home and spend time with the
elderly that are in wheel chairs, bed
bound, or using walkers. Many elderly people may have been able to
avoid walkers or wheelchairs if they knew
what we know about strength training. If
that doesnt get you off your ass then you
may need professional help.
Music can be one of the most
powerful pieces to your motivation. Find songs that get
you up and make you want to
get moving. Maybe its music
that moves you to dance, run, or lift hard.
Whatever that may be, keep it at your nger
tips for those days where you are struggling
to get off your ass.
7
8
9
10
11
Measurable goals. Having real life

goals will be a motivating factor
and help you stick to your training
schedule. I have found that training for pure weight loss isnt the
best way to keep someone motivated. The
scale goes up and down due to hormones,
sleep cycles, nutrition, and so forth. The
scale can deter you to train less at times.
Working towards mastering a pull up or
learning a new skill, whether it be boxing,
kettlebell swings, or deadlifts, will make you
much more focused. When you become
procient at a skill or a strength goal youve
been working towards, the condence that
comes with meeting those goals becomes
addicting; it will keep you motivated and
wanting more.
Find what you enjoy doing.
Personally, I lift heavy because
I enjoy having a strong body
which allows me to be healthy
and look good AND keeps me
in optimal shape for the activities I love
doing. I dont necessarily love performing double front squats, but I love the
strength it has provided me. I also love that
I couldnt use the weight I am currently using when I was in my 20s. I know squatting
is a movement pattern that you absolutely
need in life to sustain great mobility and
strength. To see some real-life examples of
why everyone should lift heavy things, take
a look here: http://kbellqueen.blogspot.
com/2013/04/why-lift-heavy-things.html
If you hate it, dont do it! I cant
tell you how many people come
to me telling me how much
they hate running and they do
it because its the only way they
know how to keep their weight off. There
are plenty of other ways to train that allow
you to get to your goals of health and happiness. I may be biased, but I have found
that the combination of (1) moderate to
heavy strength training, (2) ballistic drills
with bodyweight, and (3) kettlebells is by
far the most efcient, accessible, and enjoyable way to get you to the lifestyle that you
dream of. If this does not suit you, surely
there must be some activity that gets you
off the couch: dancing, walking along the
beach, swimming, bike riding, yoga, etc. If
you have a love for something that gets you
moving, choose it.
12
13
There are too many reasons why its just

plain stupid not to train. If you can nd
time to take a shower a few times a week,
then treat your training the same. If you
dont shower or train your body like you
should, no one will want to be around you.
In fact, you may not even want to be around
yourself. Hope Ive driven my point home
of why you should drop the excuses, get
motivated, and SHUT UP AND TRAIN! w
by Lauren Brooks

Lauren Brooks & On the Edge, go to
www.OntheEdgeFitness.com
CIRCUS
STRETCHES
Your Key to Real Strength?
Andralyn Zayn
Photography by Grant Malo
ou want to take your

training to the next level? Then youre going
to need to start working on
your flexibility. That doesnt
mean simply doing a postworkout stretch! If you do a
post-workout stretch, you are
one step ahead of most, but
thats not going to give you
a greater range of motion. If
you want to be more agile, or
you want to be stronger, you
need to do more than just
stretch.
Im lucky that Ive been involved
in sports and activities that require
flexibility my whole life. Some
people are lucky as far as their genetics, but even if youre not lucky
you can still be more flexible than
you are today if you work at it.
I grew up as a competitive gymnast. In an effort to pursue a career
in acting and stunts, I replied to an
audition notice for the circus and
fell in love with live entertainment.
I worked and trained with The Underground Circus in Vancouver
for three and a half years, studied
dance to improve my performing
abilities, and later moved to Australia for three years to study circus
where I specialized in handbalancing. While in Australia, I created
a class devoted to increasing peoples range of motion. It is a class I
wished existed for years, and I took
it upon myself to share it with the
world. Ive been teaching these
classes in Melbourne, Vancouver,
and now in Montreal.
One of the reasons that circus
performers are able to do such
high level amazing feats is because
they train all elements of athleticism. Typically, circus performers
will train strength, flexibility, handstands, basic acrobatics, physical
performance, and then they will
spend 5-10 hours per week training their specialty on top of that!
Everyone has excuses, but there are solutions. Here are the top three excuses I get
for why people dont work on their flexibility:
flexibility excuse #1
It hurts! Does it hurt when you train

hard? Do your muscles get sore and burn?
So, why can you put up with that pain but
you wont put in the effort to become an
all-around athlete?
The main reason that it hurts when athletes who dont have flexibility training try
to work on their flexibility is that they dont
know how to relax. They think that if they
tense their muscles and push as hard as
they can they will become more flexible; it
doesnt work that way. If you look at a muscle in its tense state its hard as a rock. If
you try to pull it apart with enough force, all
that is going to happen is eventually its going to crack. The same thing happens with
your muscle if you stretch when its tense. A
muscle in a relaxed state is more like dough.
As you pull it apart it gets longer and longer
as though youre about to make a baguette.
This is what we want.
The other reason it hurts is because
people tend to hold their breath when they
stretch. You need as much oxygen and
blood flowing to the muscle; keep it warm
and relaxed so that you are able to go deeper into the stretch without injuring yourself.
I dont have time! Ok, I get it, it does take

time; so make time! Just an hour a week of
focused flexibility training will really make a
difference in your range of motion. Take a
good 30 minutes to warm up and do some
basic stretching without pushing it too far.
After youre warm, you can take another 20
to 30 minutes to push it that little bit extra.
I dont know how to work on my flexibility. This is a legitimate excuse. Being

able to work on your flexibility with proper
technique is important. If you havent been
taught how to stretch properly, or what
stretches to work on, then of course you
cant work on it. The solution is simple: find
a trainer! Do you train with a coach for your
sport? Do you work with a personal trainer
for your strength work? What do you do
when you want to learn a new skill to improve yourself as an athlete? You find time
and a way to learn it. I highly recommend
working with someone to correct your
alignment and make sure youre doing the
stretch properly. It also helps to have someone to cue you into the right position when
doing some of the more intense stretches
where muscle isolation is involved.
In my opinion, the two most important
skills to train, as far as flexibility goes, are
splits and bridges. This way you improve the
flexibility in your hamstrings, hip flexors,
adductors, back, and shoulders. It doesnt
matter what range of motion you have to
start with because there are variations of
both exercises that you can do at any level.
So many people dont train these because
of the assumption that they are advanced
skills. Its the same thing as learning to
walk before you run; there are progressions
for everything.
When I do splits with my clients, I always
do Oversplits, meaning that we elevate one
of the legs. This isnt because all of my clients can do the full splits and we need to
make it harder, quite the opposite is true.
The reason for elevating a foot is to target
specific muscle groups. Even though you
will always be stretching all of the muscles
involved, it helps to target different muscle
groups to change the focus.
For all stretches, you never want to hold
them for a particular amount of time. I
always get my clients to stay in a stretch
based on their breathing. The breathing is
the most difficult part of stretching and its
also the most important. By counting your
breaths while youre in a sensory rich position it gives you something other than the
pain to focus on, and it will also make sure
that you can relax more into the stretch,
which will make sure that youre stretching
it in a safe manner.
When youre about to work on your flex-
ibility, youre going to need to do a warm up

first. If your body isnt warm at all, make
sure you do a little bit of cardio or simple
strength exercise to get the blood flowing
to the muscles. After that, you want to start
with some joint lubricating stretches. This
means that you want to do things like arm
circles or hip circles; anything thats going
to move the joints and get a little more sinovial fluid to the joint.
As you start to stretch the muscles, the
best technique is to work head to toe.
As youre working through your passive
stretches, make sure that if you come across
an area that is tighter than others, spend
a little more time in that position. Take 5
breaths instead of 3 for example.
Once youre warmed up, you can move
on to the stretches that are going to push
your range of motion to the max. This is
where you would do proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching, partner stretching, and ballistic stretches for the
more advanced.
Heres the splits sequence that I give to my

clients (and I also do for myself):
split round 1: the warm up round!
Start with the left foot in front and elevated.

Front leg straight, back leg bent. If its difficult, grab some yoga blocks or an equivalent object to be able to keep your front leg
straight.
Now, turn into your middle splits still
with your left foot elevated. If its too difficult with both legs straight, you can bend
the one on the floor. Just make sure you
keep the line from your foot to your knee.
Next, turn one more time so that you
have the right foot forward, but you still
have the left foot elevated. Back up so that
your shin is supported by whatever youre
using to elevate your foot. If you need to
modify this one, bend the front leg and put
your hands on your knee and make sure
youre still pushing your left hip towards the
floor.
Finish round 1 by repeating on the other
side.
split round 2: focus on square hips
Starting with the left foot in front and elevated, put both hands beside your foot.
If this is comfortable, you can progress by
putting both hands on the side of your baby
toe.
Turn to your middle splits, this time both
legs straight!
Turn once more so that your rear foot is
elevated. The right leg should be in front, so
place your right hand on your back leg. If
you need to use a yoga block to keep your
shoulders square feel free. If this is comfortable, you can place your left hand on
your right leg.
Again, repeat other side.
split round 3: pnf
This is where the magic happens! Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation is

a form of stretching that will help you go
further and gain range of motion. It is done
by contracting the muscles eccentrically in
a stretch and then relaxing into the stretch.
There are many ways to apply this method.
The way I do it is a contraction of 5-10
seconds followed by a relaxation of 5-10
seconds. Repeat 3 times and finish with a

deep breath and try and relax the maximum
amount that you can as you do your final
exhalation.
Round 3, left leg in front and elevated, no
hands for advanced. Contract your muscles
as though youre trying to stand up out of
your splits, then relax all your muscles and
sink into your splits. Again contract, and
then relax. Last time contract as hard as you
possibly can, and then relax, take a deep
breath, and once again relax as deep as you
can into the stretch.
Turn to your middle splits, hands on the
floor, flex your feet and repeat the PNF sequence.
Once you do the final turn, you want to
have your foot on the elevated surface instead of your shin like we did in the last
two rounds. For this one, when you contract
your muscles you want to also straighten
your back leg. When you relax try to keep
the back leg straight, but focus on relaxing.
Repeat on the other side, and your splits
are done. This whole sequence only takes 10
minutes to do, so stop making excuses! You
do need to be warmed up, but that could
mean you do it at the end of your workout,
or you finish a long walk, or even after having a hot shower!
If you have another 10 minutes, why not
do some bridges? Your hip flexors are all
warmed up, so now we just have to target
your back and shoulders!
With bridges, the most difficult part is
breathing, but it is also the most important
part! Just like all of the other stretches,we

stay in the stretch for a certain number of
breaths, not a certain number of seconds.
Bridges are very good for your posture
and general well being. If youve never done
back bending before, please make sure you
have someone check your technique! It
shouldnt hurt. If youre getting lower back
pain or neck pain, its not because youre not
in shape, or because you shouldnt be doing it, its because youre doing it with bad
technique!
I always start with a warm up to work
through the motion, as well as lubricating
the joints, and to work on breathing. You
want to do this exercise in front of a wall
(not because you use the wall, but so if you
lose your balance you can put your hands
on the wall to keep you from falling). Youre
going to breath in and reach up as high as
you can, and then when you exhale, starting with your hands, followed by your head
and then vertebrae by vertebrae all the way
down your back. Go down as far as you can
comfortably go. At the bottom youre going
to take another breath, and then in reverse
order bring it all the way back up finishing
with the head and then the hands. Repeat
this exercise 5 times.
Next were going to get into doing bridges targeting each part of the back. If you
can do a bridge on the floor, then do it on
the floor. If you cant do a bridge on the
floor, whether by lack of strength or lack
of flexibility, you can still do all of the exercises with a wall bridge.
This is the wall variation of the first bridge

for the upper back
(left to right: Margaret Shearer, Lorraine Liu, Andralyn Zayn)
bridge round 1: upper back
The first bridge youre going to do is targeting the upper back. Go into your bridge,
and looking at your hands (as you ALWAYS
do in your bridge) you will try to straighten
your legs and get your shoulders above your
hands. When you reach your limit you hold
it there for 3 deep breaths and then come
down. Repeat 3 times.
Make sure that you always stretch your
back in the opposite direction between every back bending exercise.
at your max, take

3 deep breaths
and come down
and rock back
and forth on
your back or do
a forward bend
to release the
strain of training
the flexibility of
your back. Repeat 3 times.
bridge round 3: mid back
bridge round 2: lower back
The second bridge is for

your lower back. Push
up into your bridge,
look at your hands, and
move your hands as
close as you can to your
feet. Even if that means
moving 2mm closer, if
thats as far as YOU can,
then you are doing the
exercise correct. Again,
The final bridge is the most confusing. To

understand it, stand with your hands above
your head and sit down on a chair. Thats
all youre doing, but when youre bent backwards it becomes a little more confusing.
This bridge is more for your mid back. You
want to make sure that your knees and your
shoulders dont move, and youre just going
to bend at the knees and the hips as though
youre about to sit in a chair. For this one,
the movement will start out quite small, but

as you get more comfortable it will start to
get bigger and bigger. Do one bridge and
sit in a chair 5 times. Thats the end of your
bridge workout!
Again, I cant stress this enough, if you
dont know what youre doing, please see
a professional to help you with your technique. Just like any other activity, if you
have good technique you will have way less
injuries, and you will progress much faster!
w
by Andralyn Zayn

Andralyn Zayn, go to
www.CircoFit.com
POWER UP
Your Olympic Lifting with Handstands
Sara-Clare Lajeunesse
here is nothing like the feeling of reaching down, wrapping

your hands around a cold steel
bar as you set your position, holding
your breath, and pull the iron from
the floor. Olympic lifting is one of the
best ways to develop explosive power
and strength; it is also an incredibly
demanding practice both physically
and mentally. As with all challenging
movement disciplines, we can improve
our skills by complimenting them with
others. In my own practice I have found
bodyweight training and in particular
single leg strength and Handstands to
be one of the best compliments to my
Olympic training.
WARNING:
HANDSTANDS
ARE
HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!!! Before you read
power up with handstands
on you have been warned. What I am about to

give you is more than a couple great Olympic
supplemental drills like Jumping Good Mornings or Jerks from the Rack. Handstands truly
are an addictive practice and an obsessive one.
If you are ready to commit fully to this adventure, read on.
Handstands are more than a great supplement to your weight training, they are great
for your health. Training inverted while balancing on your hands will help with circulation
issues and correct muscle imbalances in your
body. They can also be a source of meditation
and help mental focus. By flipping yourself
upside down and learning to be strong there,
you will increase your overhead lifting power
and stability as you tackle the demands of the
Olympic lifts.
In this article, I will walk you through the
benefits for lifting
Increases grip strength.

Helps develop amazing stability in your
overhead barbell positions.
Helps injury prevention for the wrists,
elbows, and shoulders.
Aids in preventing back injuries.
Helps correct muscle imbalances in the
spine and legs.
Increases mental focus.
ways in which a daily handstand practice can

better your lifting stability and give you more
strength overall. Where there is more stability and strength, there is more potential for
power! I will map out progressions for you to
start your own handstand practice.
breaking it down:
increase grip strength
If you want hands like the Hulk, start using

them like feet. Think about how strong your
feet and legs are from standing around on
them all day. If you want hands, arms, and
shoulders of steel, spend more time using
your hands like your feet and you will be
amazed at the results.
When you squat, your feet have to help
stabilize you; they are your base of support and everything that happens above is
dependent on how strong your foundation
is. They are the first contact point with the
floor. If your stability is lacking here, the entire structure of the squat or handstand will
suffer. If your medial foot arches are lazy,
then you will end up with inward knocking
knees. This Effiel Tower Squat will then
lead to poor adductor development and
then most likely lazy glutes resulting in lifting with your back and arms. Your feet can
leak more than half the power you could
potentially have for a lift, not to mention
that it will lead to injury once the weight
gets to be significant enough.
The same applies to your hands. You
need to constantly be re-balancing from
the arches in your hands. Otherwise you are
working inefficiently as you try to hold your
handstand and you will tire fast.
Before you begin your Handstand practice, you must first spend some time preparing your joints and strengthening your
hands. If that desk job of yours hasnt given
you hands of stone, this fun little push up
variation will.
wrist push ups
Next, lift the heel of your palms off the

ground, raising them up as high as you can.
Lower them slowly to the ground but do
not give your weight into the ground. Simply kiss it with the heel of your palms and
repeat.
For a more advanced version, bring your
knees further behind your hands until you
can do it from a push up position.
Proceed slowly in these exercises. Less is
more sometimes. Try to perform 3 sets of
10, but if your wrists are screaming at you
like you are going to injure yourself, ease
off the pressure by scaling the load back or
reducing the reps.
develop amazing stability in

overhead barbell positions
Handstand training is about endurance

and the ability to isolate specific areas of
your body with the flip of a switch. It is
this constant re-connecting and then ability to control isolated areas of your muscle
groups that will keep you in the Handstand
and allow you to change shapes if you
choose. To get the most out of your Handstand you want to be as efficient as possible
in this. Again, we will start with the hands
as the contact point of the floor and work
our way up throughout the body. Think of
it as your Overhead Squat, Jerk, or Snatch,
just upside down.
A great exercise for both Olympic lifting and pressing to handstand is The Cat.
It will no doubt build more joint stability
in the wrists, elbows, and shoulders and
more importantly, start to help reinforce
the connection of the anterior chain, a must
if you want to someday lift like Alexander
Varbanov.
the cat
These beauties are a great way to get you in

the right direction to gaining more stability and strength in your hands and forearms
and help prevent wrist injuries while lifting.
I first learned these from Shawn Mozen; this
is just one of the torturous ways he grew up
learning and teaching stability and strength
in the hands and forearms for martial arts.
Start on all fours with your hands placed
under your shoulders.
Fingers forward, keep your shoulders protracted and depressed.
I have to give a shout out to my hand balancing coach Andralyn Zayn for this gem
(insert face of pain here).
Start on all fours with your hands under
your shoulders, fingers tips forward and
the eye of your elbows facing forward away
from you.
Next press forward to bring the eye of the
elbows further over your hands. This will
ensure you are keeping external rotation in
your shoulders, which will give you more
lower lat engagement and help you stabilize
in overhead positions. Yes, it will be a sensory rich experience for the elbows but this
will also help to build density in the muscles surrounding the joints to bulletproof
against any hyper extension you may have at
present and help prevent injuries. Or, if you
are of the not-so-flexible nature, it will be

one hell of a stretch.
Next, tuck your ribs in and protract your
scapula like an angry cat.
Pressing into the ground with your hands,
keeping an outward spiral in the elbows
and the angry cat back, lift yourself off the
ground until just the tip of your toes are
touching.
The aim is to get your wrists, shoulders, and
ribs stacking over each other in one perfect
line.
This exercise is best done for isometric sets.
You could try tabata rounds for beginners,
working your way up to three, 1 minute
rounds.
injury prevention for wrists,

elbows, & shoulders
Start with your feet on the box and your

hands on the floor under your shoulders.
You may bend at the waist to make it easier
at first, but you will want to train yourself to
a hollow body gradually.
Without bending your arms, bring your
body forward until your shoulders are past
your wrists.
Hold for a few seconds and then press back
to your start position.
lower lat presses
Beginners can do Lat Pulldowns on a cable

machine or with an resistance band. Make
sure keep your wrist straight at all times to
really isolate using as much of the lower lat
as possible and not your upper traps.
Next, start above shoulder height, keeping
your arms straight with shoulders externally
rotated, retracted, and depressed.
Pull your hands past your hip, hold for a few
seconds and slowly resist the cable bringing
your arm back to start position.
A more advanced variation would be to perform lower lat presses against the wall, facing away from it.
Start in a handstand position with your finger tips close to the wall.
Keeping your legs together and toes pointed, support your butt and legs against the
wall.
Make sure you tuck your ribs tight throughout the exercise.
Chin to chest, press your shoulders back to
touch the wall as you maintain full scapula
elevation.
When practicing handstands, you are spending so much time on your hands that the
muscular endurance in your body really
starts to develop quickly. In particular, the
wrists, elbows, and shoulders develop, all
great supporters for your overhead barbell
position in Olympic Lifting. By increasing
muscular endurance in the surrounding tissues of these joints, you are helping to build
up the density in the them. This will of
course help prepare the wrists, elbows, and
shoulders to be able to take more load with
a barbell and minimize the potential for injuries. Two of my favorite shoulder stability
exercises that help with your overhead position are Shoulder Flexion and Lower Lat
Presses. They will help build a lot of shoulder stability in particular. I was introduced
to these by my circus coach Sean Lind. In
both of these presses, you are looking to
aids in preventing back injuries
keep elevated and externally rotated shoulders. The cues to remember here are eye Handstands help build stronger anterior
of the elbow forward and shoulder ear chain connection, a must if you are going to
muffs.
be hitting more and more PRs in heavy lifting. One of the most common power leaks
shoulder flexion presses
in lifting comes from losing anterior chain
connection in the bottom of the squat. This
leads to the posterior chain having to work
overtime and you end up posting the load
off your spine, rather then getting the aid
of the surrounding muscles of your entire
trunk. By having more intention in keeping
your ribs from popping forward, you reinforce a better spinal position in the bottom
of your squat. This in turn forces you to
work on activating the pelvic floor, diaphragm, multifidus, and transverse abdominals, a powerful corset of stability for you to
gain more stability in your squats. Activating
the corset muscles will help you avoid injury
to your lumbar spine and in turn prevent
you from leaking power driving out of the
bottom position. Not to mention, if your
spine is inline it may expose some mobility issues that you could potentially have in
your hip flexion and calve extension.
hollow body & back holds
The Handstand is one of the most important positions to practice if you want to get
stronger overall, but it doesnt stop there.
For beginners, start on a low box and prog- The Hollow Body connection is challenging
ress to getting higher as the months go by in many ways, think of handstands, planchuntil you can perform this in a hollow body es, front and back lever...etc. Hollow body
position against the wall.
and back holds are the basic positions you
lower lat presses against a wall
engage these muscles is always fun! The latter is the more difficult.
To get the most out of this exercise, try doing endurance sets of 3-5 minutes. Hold for
max time each set and rest the same amount
before your next set. Example if you hold
2:15, rest 2:15, hold 1:00, rest 1:00, hold 45
seconds, rest 45 seconds until you accumulated the overall goal time you have chosen.
increases mental focus capacity
Your hands shake, your arms tremble, you

gasp for air as every muscle in your body
tightens to maintain your position. Close
your eyes and imagine how it feels? Are you
imagining a handstand or the lockout of a
Clean & Jerk? If you visualize the lift and
imagine your body connecting through each
and every nuance of the movement, the lift
will be earth shattering. If you approach a
handstand or an Olympic lift without intent
and focus, neither outcome will be what you
want. Power and grace are not only the result of physical preparation but also mental. Handstands build your mental focus as
it is a new direction for your body to have
to find connection and balance. You must
be in a constant state of awareness in what
your body is doing. A constant state of coordinating your muscles and re-balancing or
you will fall. A lazy finger may cost you balance in a handstand just as a split second
loss of focus could cost you a max lift.
power up with handstands
handstand checklist
Here is a mental check list to keep thinking

of while you are holding a handstand. Keep
your breath clam, keep your focus sharp, and
keep re-connecting.
Start from point of contact with floor, active fingers and hands
Keep weight forward in your hands (think
wrist push ups)
Eye of the elbows forward (to externally
rotated shoulders)
will want to start to play with before moving

onto more complex practices.
hollow body
Start by lying on your back on the floor.

Ribs in, butt squeezed, and hips externally
rotated, forcing your legs to stay together.
You want only your lumbar spine to touch,
nothing else.
For a more advanced version, have your
arms overhead and rock quickly back and
fourth.
For an easier version, arms in front with
legs bent.
hollow back holds
Lie on your stomach, arms overhead and

legs together.
Lift everything off the ground so that only
your hips are contacting.
If you are more advanced, rock this position back and fourth.
Try both of these exercises for a tabata
round or 5 rounds of 1-minute with a 1
minute rest in between.
helps correct muscle imbalances

in the spine & legs
Shoulders elevated (push like hell to cover your ears, like you are driving out of
the bottom of a heavy Snatch)
Ribs tucked to engage the anterior chain
more and have more stability throughout

Training to hold a strict, legs together handyour body. (use your corset muscles)
stand is great for waking up gluteal amne
Hips open and externally rotated

sia and working the adductors in your legs,
(squeeze your butt)
which will help reduce back pain. When you
train these muscle groups to do their part
Legs together (aka adductor hell)
in supporting your foundation in moveToes pointed (to the moon, every part of
ments such as squatting, single leg strength,
the body is connected)
and handstands, you increase stability and
strength to lift heavier and heavier loads.
Finding new ways to solve old problems is
what makes champions. If you want to imwall walks
prove your iron game, take a look at your
Start from lying down with your stomach on bodyweight training. Adding handstands
and other bodyweight skills will improve
the floor, arms over your head.
your kinesthetic awareness, strengthen your
Keeping your legs together and maintain- weak links, and sharpen your mental focus.
ing your hollow body position, start to walk Remember, if you cant overcome the resisyour feet up the wall. Keeping your legs tance in your own body, how are you going
firmly together will get you to engage your to master the forces of an external tool like
glutes more, especially the external rotators a barbell? w
and the adductors in your legs.
Go as high as you can with good form and
by Sara-Clare Lajeunesse
do isometric holds.
Putting a sponge between your tights,
Sara-Clare and Agatsu, go to
calves, or ankles for more of a challenge to
www.Agatsu.com
ashley paulson
READY TO
COMPETE?
Training Tips from an extreme Endurance Athlete
s a little girl, my
dad woke me up
at 5:30 A.M. five
days a week to run with
him. Running, to me,
has been just like
breathing; its just
something I do.
My first marathon was in 2000
and Ive been
hooked
ever
since! I love variety, so I gave
triathlons
a
shot. I just ended my 4th season of triathlons. I tried one
sprint distance
and one Olympic
distance my first
season and realized they werent
really for me. It turns
out that I LOVE distance! I made the switch
to long distance triathlons.
The last three seasons I competed in the half Ironman and
full Ironman distances.
My last three races have been my personal best. In the Lake Havasu Half
Ironman, I placed 1st woman and 5th
overall. Running through the banner was
quite a rush! I just finished my 4th full
Ironman in December 2012 with a time
of 10:38. My last race was the Ironman
St. George 70.3 where I came in as the
fastest amateur female runner.
I am a proud mommy of three crazy
little girls and blessed to have an amazing hubby to support my adventures!
Throughout these adventures, Ive
learned many things that have made me
a better athlete and have increased my
performance.
Heres just a few of the lessons Ive
learned:
don't set yourself up for failure
I cant tell you how many times Ive been

asked the same two questions: How do
you GET the motivation to exercise?,
and How do you STAY so motivated
to exercise? The answer is simple: find
something YOU love! If you HATE running, is it really a good idea to say, Im
going to run every day? Youre pretty
much setting yourself up to fail. Dont
get me wrong, Im a HUGE believer in
mastering your weakness and you could

grow to LOVE it. What Im saying is
to find something you can be passionate about! Something that you can be excited to do! Try mixing it up. I get bored
just running and I cant even begin to tell
you my passion for running, but running
EVERYDAY? No way! That is one of
the many reasons I enjoy cross-training;
it spices things up a bit.
monotony
Say NO to monotony! As the saying

goes, You cant keep doing the same
thing everyday and expect different results. With any training, monotony can
actually be a negative drain on the mind
and body, not to mention the negative
effect it has on motivation. Its easy to
fall into the trap of more is better. I
know, I did in the past (and sometimes
still do now) until someone corrects my
behavior. When I first started long distance triathlons, I figured longer hours
in the pool, on the bike, and out running
would make me faster. However, much
to my disappointment, my race times
werent improving. More of the same
didnt get me different results. So, I had
to break-up the monotony and change
my training.
ready to compete?
quick training tips
Spice up your training with a variety of tools

and methods:
ROPES: Builds grip strength, leg power, and
works the arms, shoulders and back.
PLYOMETRIC EXERCISES: Gives your legs
and muscles an intense exercise which guarantees
an increase in muscle potential.
SLEDS: They look scary. Why? Cause they are
hard! You can do hard things!
BLEACHERS: Great for agility. Nothing makes
me feel more like an athlete than days Im running
up the bleachers full speed!
BENCHES/PARKS/PLAYGROUNDS: If you
run outside, odds are that you pass parks, benches, playgrounds, stairs, etc. Incorporate these into
your run. Have a goal to do 50 push ups, or 50
box-jumps or dips on benches or 50 pull ups at
the park in the middle of your run before you get
home. The options are endless.
TRAILS: Trails are easier on the joints. Increased
elevation which makes a flat road really easy!
FRIENDS: I couldnt imagine doing what I do
without friends as crazy as me! Find people that
share your interest. My friends hold me accountable and I work harder with others around me.
OPEN WATER: The distance of an ironman
swim is 160 lengths of the pool. Shoot. Me. Now!!
Pools are great for speed work but get out in the
open water for your longer swims.
NEW ROUTES: Dont step out of your door
and do the same ol run around the block every
day. Be adventurous!
The last year my fitness levels and body

accelerated by leaps and bounds and Ive
seen better results in all of my races. Ive
been adding in CrossFit with my training.
Ill be honest with you, Im not a huge
fan of weight lifting. Id much rather be
outside riding through the canyons or
running on the trails. But remember what
I said about our weaknesses MASTER
THEM! So, I practice what I preach and
in the process Ive learned strength training is essential for endurance athletes.
why is strength training

important for endurance athletes?
Earlier this week after my strength training class, I had a gentleman ask me, Does
lifting weights really help my running?
umm YES! Some people (especially
endurance athletes) often shy away from
strength training out of a fear it will make
them bulk up. Others are intimidated by
going to a gym. But for most people, the
reason is simpler: they know one hour of
intense cardio burns more calories than
one hour of strength training. If youre
pressed for time, it would seem that intense cardiovascular exercise would provide more bang for your buck, leading to
a greater weight loss than pumping iron.
Right? Not necessarily.
facts & research
Now, Im not a scientist and cant take

credit for this research. To be honest, Ive
attended many seminars and read a lot of
training material so I cant properly give
credit to anyone for these facts, but they
are taken from years of notes and more
importantly years of personal results.
When I first started long distance

triathlons, I figured longer hours in the
pool, on the bike, and out running would make
me faster, but much to my disappointment, my
race times werent improving...
The truth is that taking the time to
add strength training to your routine
a few days a week has a number of
benefits that can help boost your
weight loss. Studies have shown that
strength training can improve body
composition by helping you maintain or increase your lean body mass
and can decrease your percentage
of body fat, helping you look leaner
and burn additional calories. Heres
how it works.
#1. muscle burns more calories
FACT: Fat burns pretty much nothing at rest, whereas muscle uses
oxygen. If you increase lean muscle
mass, youll increase the bodys ability to use oxygen and burn more calories. More calories burned means
more food right? No brainer for me
and my love for food
#2. you'll be more efficient
Strength training can help you run

longer, faster, and more efficiently.
Fact is that runners who add three
days of resistance training exercises
to their weekly program increase
their leg strength and enhance their
endurance. Obviously, runners with
better endurance can run longer and
burn more calories. Youll also be
able to recover faster from those
long runs because strength training
makes your body more efficient at
converting metabolic waste into energy.
ready to compete?
sample workout week

Here is a typical week of training for me approximately 8 weeks before a half Ironman.
#3. you'll be less injury-prone
When you increase your strength,

youll also increase your joint stability and reduce your risk of repetitive
stress injuries. Incorporating moves
such as squats, single-leg hops, and
core work into a workout can not
only prevent lower-body injuries,
but improve performance as well.
Leg exercises are particularly important when it comes to reducing injury; they strengthen muscles around
the knees and hips two areas that
often cause problems for runners.
Breaking up the monotony and adding strength training to your program will ultimately increase your
performance not only in training
but also on race day. Change your
routine and youll change your performance.
MON
TUE
FRI
SAT
RUN:
3 x 1600m at
5:32 pace (1
minute active
recovery
between
intervals)
BIKE:
3 x 10
minutes
@223 watts,
5 minutes @
50%
RUN:
11 miles @
6:50 pace
WED
BIKE:
80 min @
175 Watts
THU
SWIM:
500m :20RI
400m :20RI300m :20RI200m :20RI
2 x 300
negative split
:30RI----
CROSSFIT:
3 Rounds:
20 KB Situps
20 Pull-ups
500m Row
SWIM:
- 8 x 50 :20RI
- 500m T-Pace
+ :06 :15RI- 2 x 250
T-Pace + :02
:15RI---500 T-Pace +
:05 :15RI---5 x 100 TPace
CROSSFIT:
20 min AMRAP
5 HSPU
10 Pistols
15 Pullups
SWIM:
7 x 100
T-Pace -:01
:15RI----100 easy----4 x 100
T-Pace -:03
:15RI----100 easy----4 x 100
T-Pace -:05
:15RI----2 x 300
CROSSFIT
Deadlift:
5x5x3x3x3
WOD: 15-129-6-3
DL: 155#
Box Jump: 24
BRICK Workout:
BIKE:
Ride steady
for 120 minutes @ 160
watts
RUN:
Transition to
RUN right
away. Run 8
miles @ 6:35
pace
SUN
REST:
Recovery
is just as
important as
working out.
Your body
needs a day
off so go
have a picnic
with your
kids.
** Typical week of training 8 weeks out from a half-Ironman.
bottom line
Break up the monotony and add strength training

to increase your performance. Now what? Easy!
Commit to at least 3 days a week. Even if its 20
minutes to TOUGHN UP!! Keep kickn .ASH!!
by Ashley Paulson

Ashley Paulson, go to
www.AshKickn.blogspot.com
NEVER
STOP
LIFTING
How to Manage Injury While Maintaining Your Regimen
Kathy Ljubicic
he person who came up with

the saying, Age is just a
number, was probably some
young smartass in their twenties.
Tell my aching ligaments and joints
that age is just a number and
watch as my bones and muscles rip
through my skin and punch you in
the face.
I do not have a PHD, I am not an MD,
I may possibly have a mild case of OCD,
but thats a different topic altogether. I do
not need a medical diploma on my wall to
tell me how my body feels as I enter my
mid-forties.
I have read hundreds of articles on
workout plans, articles on how to get fit
and lose belly flab, or get ripped and
toned by summertime, blah, blah, blahhhhh.
These topics, along with the attached
photos of skinny chicks lifting 8lb dumbbells, is not what I consider informative or attractive.
Topics that interest me are articles on
how men and women over the age of
forty continue to exercise while having to
deal with an injury. Speaking first hand, I
suffer with a variety of back and spinal
issues: severe arthritis in my lower back,
Spondylolisthesis L5-S1; degenerative
disc disease L4-L5 AND L5-S1, which
essentially means that I will need Spinal
Fusion Surgery in the very near future.
Again, you do not need to hold a medical degree to realize that the words you
can hardly pronounce are the words that
mean, Damn, that must really hurt!
So, how do I compete on a competitive
level and manage to train while suffering
with such issues? I train smarter NOT
harder. Here are 10 tips.
tell my aching ligaments and joints that age is just a number
#1
The first thing I tell people when it gives you nightly full body rub downs/
comes to training with an injury is, or anyone that knows how to deal with
if you are performing a movement that is sports-related injuries. I often tell people
causing you pain, either stop doing it, or that if your doctor or therapist tells you to
lighten the load by a significant amount.
STOP lifting weights or stop working out
Stretch! I usually take 25- 30 min- altogether, walk, run, or broad jump out of
his or her office and never go back. I reutes
to
cently dumped my family
stretch and warm
doctor because he used his
never stop lifting
up before I start
scholarly advice and told
any of my lifts
me to stop lifting weights
or my workouts.
These are some of the best movements because I was getting too
Most mornings it
that have helped me continue to train with old.
takes me the same
my back injury and still get some amazing
amount of time to
Nutrition. If you
workouts
get out of bed and
dont know what
Wall Balls
stand upright (I try
or
how
you should be eatPush Press
to stay away from
ing by now in order to stay
Single Arm Kettlebell Swings
words like standhealthy, youve either brainDumbbell Presses
ing erect).
washed yourself into thinkDumbbellSingle Leg Deadlifts
ing that McDonalds has a
Kettlebell Deadlifts
Give yourhealthy menu or you are
Swimming
self
more
just too lazy to educate
Stationary Bike
rest days. There
yourself.
Strict Pull Ups
was a time, not too
Push
Ups
long ago, where I
Supplements.
I
Air Squats
did three workouts
wish I started using
Ring Dips
in one day and only
fish oils a long time ago.
Bar Muscle Ups
took one day off
Omega 3 fats help reduce
Olympic Lifts (Light/Technique Focus)
to rest. It only
all the things I suffer with,
Power Cleans
took a year for me
including reducing inflamHang Power Cleans/ Cleans
to change that roumation, pain and stiffness
Thrusters
tine. I now take 3
associated with arthritis,
Power Snatch/Hang Power Snatch/Snatch
days off to rest and
and increasing calcium abdo one, two hour
sorption in your body. If
session, four times a week.
that doesnt work, a bottle of vodka helps
See a physiotherapist/massage thera- kill the pain but can eventually lead to other
pist/osteopathic doctor/chiroprac- issues, so I do not recommend you do that.
tor/witch doctor/ your old Aunt Olga
Hire a professional trainer to help
from the old country who has some crazy
you! If your trainer is squeezing
home-made remedy/ bribe your signifi- pimples on his face and gives you an update
cant other with sexual favors if he or she on the last episode of Jersey Shore, you
#2
training choices
#5
#3
#6
#4
#7
can safely come to the conclusion that he

is not the right person for you. I typically
tell people to use the trainer or coach who
has the BEST reputation and has proven
time and time again that his or her clients/
students have had the best results.
Programming. Make sure your workouts are programmed for your specific needs. Most importantly, make sure you
are performing these exercises with strict
form and proper technique.
Downsize. Ive had to sacrifice some
of my favorite lifts since they were
causing me discomfort, but instead of stopping altogether, I still go through the movements using just the weight of the bar.
Wear proper lifting gear. I wear
anything that will give me extra
support (excluding spanks and bras). I will
basically eat, sleep, and train in my weightlifting belt! I will wear that belt with my
best evening gown if I had to. My weightlifting shoes help with stability and posture.
I use Rock Tape and Rock Sauce on my
lower back and shoulders and swear by it! w
#8
#9
#10
never stop lifting
workout essentials
Things I never leave the house without:

My weightlifting shoes
My weightlifting belt
My Rock Tape and Rock Sauce
A positive attitude
by Kathy Ljubicic

Kathy Ljubicic, go to
www.facebook.com/badkatLjubicic
Another
Workout
Evolution
I felt ready to take

the next step. Conveniently,
USAKL
was offering a certification course in
my area, and I immediately signed up
for it. I prepared for
the course, following
course material instructions provided
by Nico Rithner, and
on January 12, 2013,
I became a certified
kettlebell instructor.
I must admit, next to
the birth of my two
sons and my wedding
day, this has to be
one of the most significant accomplishments in my life!
As a way of background, let me explain that I never considered myself
the athletic type, let alone dreaming
of becoming someone that would actually train other people. In fact, as a
child, I suffered from several ailments,
including rheumatic fever and pleurisy.
Physical education was my most dreaded subject in high school. Little did I
know that as an adult, and in fact, in my
middle age, my perspective on fitness
would change so drastically.
First, by marrying someone who has
been a fitness enthusiast his entire life,
and secondly, by interacting with numerous people in the kettlebell world,
which I like to call the Kettlebell Family. This Kettlebell Family has greatly
influenced me and been my inspiration
to become fit and healthy, and kettlebells have been the perfect avenue to
accomplish this endeavor.
discovering kettlebells
have a confession to make: I have

completely fallen in love with kettlebells! It all started about five years
ago while my husband James was fitness training at a local corporate gym.
He was able to convince the gym management that he needed kettlebells to
train his clients, but he had to convince
me first, and I was skeptical. With all
those machines and weight training
equipment, why on earth did he need
kettlebells? We were on a limited budget and he wanted to spend some of it
on something he called kettlebells!
It didnt take me long to realize that
we had made a good investment. What
I didnt expect was that they would
become such a huge part of my life. I
started casually training with them, and
slowly but surely, my kettlebell workouts started transforming me inside
and out.
I continued to support James by ac- sharing the kettlebell treasure
companying him at kettlebell events and I feel like I have discovered a treasure
trainings, but the turning point came that I cant help but talk abouta lot!
when I went with him to an IKFF cer- In fact, all of my friends and family
tification course, where I was fortunate members ask about it if I dont bring it
enough to be allowed to participate in up first. I am still amazed at the numand learn from
ber of people
Steve
Cotter.
that dont have
By the end of
any idea what a
points
key
ell
kettleb
the
two-day
kettlebell is. I also
When
I
first
learned
the
basic
Kettlebell
Two-Hand
course, I realfind it quite amusSwing, I was intrigued by how many muscle groups
ized that learnwere involved in that simple, yet powerful movement. I
ing when I hear
could
feel
my
entire
core,
glute,
arms,
and
leg
muscles
ing kettlebells
some
respond
contracting and becoming stronger with each swing.
and influencing
by: oh yes, Ive
As I became more proficient with the basic swing, I
others was my
explored other variations, such as the Figure 8, Figure
seen those kettle
8 to Hold, and the Overhead Swing, which has become
new goal. As we
balls or worse-one of my favorites! Regardless of what kettlebell exerdrove home, I
cise or routine you perform, here are some key points
cow bells!
to
remember:
told James I had
When you dis
Focus
on
the
mind-muscle
connection.
Dont
just
decided I wantcover a treasure,
go through the motions; make sure you are consciously
ed to become a
engaging the intended muscle groups as you perform each
you can either be
exercise. Make EVERY movement count!
certified kettleselfish and hide
Breathe! Proper breathing is essential to kettlebell trainbell instructor.
ing; breathe in through the nose, and out through the
it, or share it with
mouth. Synchronizing breaths with kettlebell movements
James,
of
as many people as
is something that takes practice, but well worth the effort.
course,
was
possible and get
Stay Hydrated. Before, during, and after training.
extremely supan unlimited supConsume Protein. Have protein (preferably in liquid
form)
after
your
training
for
muscle
recovery
and
growth.
portive, coachply of rewards
Dont Rush Progress! Celebrate accomplishments, small
ing and encourin return (I have
as they may be. You are in a better place than when you
aging me until
started. Dont ever give up on your fitness goals!
chosen to do the
latter). My passion has become reaching out

and motivating middle-aged women like myself, who have extremely busy lives, to make
time for fitness. What better way to do that
than with kettlebell training!
At first, most people are skeptical (like
I was), but once I explain that due to their
unique shape, kettlebells provide a time-saving,
powerful, and effective strength, conditioning,
balance, and flexibility workout, they are willing to give it a try. What surprises them is the
fact that they feel muscles they didnt know
existed. Needless to say, after their first taste
of kettebell training, they are hungry for more!
In about 30 minutes, they can accomplish what
used to take them at least an hour.
Learning the dynamics of kettlebells has also
made me realize that there is still a misconception amongst the general publicthat doing
cardio is enough. Ive educated many of these
women about the importance of strength training. As we age, our bones and muscles deteriorate, and strength training helps counteract
these aging effects. An added benefit is a toned
body and a renewed sense of self-confidence!
Speaking of self-confidence, this is one aspect of kettlebell training I didnt expect. I
have been so pleasantly surprised to feel my
self-confidence soar. Whats more, apart from
the multiple benefits of kettlebell training, the
euphoria I feel after my workouts is second to
none. Getting this natural high is my daily
emotional medicine. Let me explain... around
the time I started getting excited about kettlebells, I was experiencing increased stress at
work, and kettlebell training became my stressreliever. My work situation improved, and my
addiction to kettlebell training intensified.
my kettlebell passion
Before heading out to my regular job at the

Homeland Security Section of the Anaheim
Fire Department, I now train one-on-one early
in the mornings, and also hold two group kettlebell classes per week. Training others is extremely satisfying, especially seeing fellow middle-aged women discover that their bodies can
do things they didnt think they could. I love
pushing them to levels they didnt know they
could reach, and see their self-esteem grow.
The positive energy I get every time I train,
whether myself or others, is indescribable, and
I see no reason to stop. I plan on doing this till
I can do it no more.
I am definitely still very much a work in
progress. The good news is: I am in good
company! I am encouraged beyond belief and
completely convinced that kettlebells are what
I need to continue doing. Yes, I plan to age
gracefully and fit, but not without helping oth-
ers to do the same!

James eventually left the corporate gym
world and founded BodyBalance Fitness,
which has proven to be the best decision (next
to marrying me) hes ever made. BodyBalance
Fitness is all about using unconventional training methods; first and foremost kettlebells, but
also sandbags, clubs, TRX suspension gear, and
such. Our philosophy is simple, yet essential:
help others become the best version of themselvesphysically, mentally, and emotionally. w
total body kettlebell
Heres a sample routine I do with my

clients. Perform each exercise for 20
seconds, with a 20-30 second rest period
between each exercise. The exception is a
one minute rest after the first exercise, as
it is a two-minute exercise. One complete
cycle should take about 8 minutes. Repeat
cycle two to three times for an invigorating,
fat-burning, and strengthening workout.
1. Swing Variations:
- Two-Handed Swing
- Hand-To-Hand Swing
- Figure 8
- Figure 8 To Hold
- Overhead
20 x 5 = 2 minutes
Rest 1 minute
2. Global Drop to Deep Squat
20 seconds
Rest
20-30 seconds
3. Lunge to Hold (both sides)
20 x 2 = 40 seconds
Rest 20-30 seconds
4.Twist and Shout (both sides)
20 x 2 = 40 seconds
Rest 20-30 seconds
5. Deep Squat-Bicep-Tricep Combo
20 seconds
Rest 20-30 seconds
6. Jump Press
20 seconds
Rest 20-30 seconds
7. Single Arm Snatch (both sides)
20 x 2 = 40 seconds
video
total body
kettlebell
workout
youtu.be/Kg225JfBgFs
by Patricia Tibbits

Patricia Tibbits, go to
www.BodyBalanceFitness.net

MMM 2013 06

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Features

constantly varied functional movements

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training tips from an extreme endurance athlete

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another workout evolution

4 / mymadmethods t june/july 2013

MY MAD METHODS MAGAZINE

elcome to the 18th issue of My Mad Methods

letter from the editor

Mark de Grasse is the founder and owner

Network Fitness Crossfit

dr. tony chappie, d.c.

Pittsburgh Kettlebell & Performance Gym / Greentree Chiropractic & Rehab

kathy "bad kat" ljubicic

Body Balance Fitness

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Pink Ninja Fitness

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Product Review: FITWALL

uman beings are horizontal creatures by nature. We

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Harness the power of gravity. Create leverage using your bodyweight to

Cardiovascular fitness is often the difference between winning and losing

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It took me several weeks before I

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A1: Perfect Pull Ups - 40sec, 20sec rest

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